Dining question

I have read post where wait times in the various restaurants on board were discussed. I don't particularly care when my room is cleaned however waiting a long time for food makes me grumpy. Does anyone know which of the dining options for MDR dinner have the shorter wait times and smoothest service.

Obviously 5:30 open seating is not very busy but what about early fixed versus the later fixed dining?

Fixed seating would likely be the best. We have found the second seating at 8 pm is great.

Early open seating can be a madhouse, which is why we would never do that again!

We're a late, fixed dining people. I can't recall ever waiting more than a few minutes to get in. That was usually the first night of a cruise, or when we made the mistake of leaving pre-dinner cocktails early.

Why is 5:30 Open Seating "obviously" not busy?

What are your priorities? Do you like to eat at 5:30? 7pm? 8pm? That will be important to what advice we might give you. Given your desires, there will likely be something that can be worked out such that you don't have to wait in line.

Each cruise will be different. Some are busy at 5:30. Some at 6:30. Some at 8pm. It is not predictable, as the demographic on each individual cruise can be dramatically different.

Why is 5:30 Open Seating "obviously" not busy?

 

What are your priorities? Do you like to eat at 5:30? 7pm? 8pm? That will be important to what advice we might give you. Given your desires, there will likely be something that can be worked out such that you don't have to wait in line.

 

Each cruise will be different. Some are busy at 5:30. Some at 6:30. Some at 8pm. It is not predictable, as the demographic on each individual cruise can be dramatically different.

Agree, it varies by cruise. Best advice for the op is to take traditional.

Agree, it varies by cruise. "Best" advice for the op is to take traditional.

My bolding...

Again, this is going to vary dependent on the person. We used to be rock solid Tradition dining people. We tried Open Seating once, and we are hooked. Depending on when the OP wants to eat- we know nothing of their preferences- Open Seating with reservations might work, or Traditional might work.

"Best" varies so much. Someone on another board suggested banning "best" from Cruise Critic, because it means so many different things to different people.

My bolding...

 

Again, this is going to vary dependent on the person. We used to be rock solid Tradition dining people. We tried Open Seating once, and we are hooked. Depending on when the OP wants to eat- we know nothing of their preferences- Open Seating with reservations might work, or Traditional might work.

 

"Best" varies so much. Someone on another board suggested banning "best" from Cruise Critic, because it means so many different things to different people.

I take open all the time. The only time I've ever been able to get a reservation was at 5:30 unless I was in a Neptune or pinnacle suite. If the op doesn't want to wait to be seated the best option (yup the best) that way is to take traditional. It's up to the op to decide if this is the best advice. I spent many cruises doing traditional as well so I'm not a stranger to it. I'm curious why people need to write "bolding is mine" on posts. Does that matter?

OP

Sounds like you should select Fixed dining.

On some ships the early fixed dining is at 5:30 -- a couple of people have reported that on a couple of ships early fixed dining was at 5:15. Main fixed dining can be at either 8 or 7:45 -- depends on ship/itinerary. Selecting a fixed dining time assures you that you will not have to wait in line except to get into the dining room to get to your table. Even with fixed dining some people line up 10 - 15 minutes early -- I don't know why since they already have an assigned table.

We like to eat around 6:00 pm, so we usually make a reservation for around that time, I think it has to be made for 5:45 pm and we are a little late getting there. On embarkation day, we find the dining room reservation spot and make our reservations for 3 evenings. Then each night, make another reservation for the third night out.

The only time we have had to wait was on a formal night. They gave us a beeper and we went to the bar, bought a drink and waited for about 5 min until we were buzzed.

Sometimes we have forgotten to make a reservation or are in port etc., we then take whatever table comes up and are seated immediately.

My original question referred more to the wait times in the dining room after being seated..slow service after ordering and between courses rather than being in line to enter the dining room. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

Marcia

My original question referred more to the wait times in the dining room after being seated..slow service after ordering and between courses rather than being in line to enter the dining room. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

 

Marcia

There is no way to tell that. I've had open and traditional. I've waited at some point in the meal in both. Just like a restaurant at home, there is no way to predict that. Even in the specialty restaurants service can be slow.

My original question referred more to the wait times in the dining room after being seated..slow service after ordering and between courses rather than being in line to enter the dining room. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

 

Marcia

ahh got it. That's a tough one as it can vary. I suspect early fixed is faster only because they have to have the dining room cleared and set up in time for main fixed dining.

I think having the same waiters can help speed things up. They come to know if you skip appetizers, desserts, in a rush, etc.

My original question referred more to the wait times in the dining room after being seated..slow service after ordering and between courses rather than being in line to enter the dining room. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

 

Marcia

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My original question referred more to the wait times in the dining room after being seated..slow service after ordering and between courses rather than being in line to enter the dining room. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

 

Marcia

Slow service is the order of the day due to the staff cutbacks in recent years. My experience is the smaller the table size the quicker the service, but not always. If you are impatient then I would highly recommend you go SELF SERVICE in the buffet then you are in control.

I have read post where wait times in the various restaurants on board were discussed. I don't particularly care when my room is cleaned however waiting a long time for food makes me grumpy. Does anyone know which of the dining options for MDR dinner have the shorter wait times and smoothest service.

Obviously 5:30 open seating is not very busy but what about early fixed versus the later fixed dining?

My original question referred more to the wait times in the dining room after being seated..slow service after ordering and between courses rather than being in line to enter the dining room. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

 

Marcia

My DH also gets grumpy when he has to wait.. When we are alone I ask for a table for two & normally would let the Matre d' know that we would like to be out of the MDR faster than normal..That has never been a problem.. However if you are at a large table of 8 or 10 it could be a problem, as they normally will serve all the courses when the entire table is ready to eat that course..Therefore, if I were you, I would make reservations only for those in your party in advance & discuss how you can get out of the MDR in a timely manner, with your head waiter..

My wife and I like late dining for two reasons, most of all:

1) If your excursion runs late, you do not miss dinner or have to show up half way through.

2) Unlike the early seating, there is no incentive or reason for the wait staff to ask you to vacate your table. So, if you and your dining companions are inclined to continue to sip your wine and continue your conversation until 10PM (my wife and I have done that often), there is nothing and no one stopping you!

My original question referred more to the wait times in the dining room after being seated..slow service after ordering and between courses rather than being in line to enter the dining room. Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

 

Marcia

No one can predict how the service will be in the area where you are seated.

It is true that some people have reported that they had very slow service while others have had excellent service.

If you are unhappy with the service in your area, talk to the dining room manager. He can either move you to another table (if any are available) or talk to the wait staff in your area.

We've never had slow service on a cruise ship. Ever. Really. I mean it. We dine with a set group of people on every cruise, and I know that late table mates can slow things down. (Tip: Make sure your table is reliable.) If we had the occasional hiccup, we've always been able to resolve things at the first level: our server.

I'm going to offer some alternative advice. If you are not happy, start with your waiter. Give him a chance to correct things. Too many people try to jump the chain of command. - - Imagine if you made a mistake at work.... Rather than asking you to address the issue, your customer jumped over your head and complained to your boss, your boss' boss, or the Hotel Manager. How would you feel?

If you want to have your courses hit the table in bang-bang fashion, just ask politely. If you want your food at a certain temperature, just say, "I prefer my food hot/cold/just right." Want to make the show? Say so up front.

I often joke that my (lovely and talented) wife and I are fortunate because we travel in a bubble of awesome. Sometimes I think that you build your own bubble.

We've never had slow service on a cruise ship. Ever. Really. I mean it. We dine with a set group of people on every cruise, and I know that late table mates can slow things down. (Tip: Make sure your table is reliable.) If we had the occasional hiccup, we've always been able to resolve things at the first level: our server.

 

I'm going to offer some alternative advice. If you are not happy, start with your waiter. Give him a chance to correct things. Too many people try to jump the chain of command. - - Imagine if you made a mistake at work.... Rather than asking you to address the issue, your customer jumped over your head and complained to your boss, your boss' boss, or the Hotel Manager. How would you feel?

 

If you want to have your courses hit the table in bang-bang fashion, just ask politely. If you want your food at a certain temperature, just say, "I prefer my food hot/cold/just right." Want to make the show? Say so up front.

 

I often joke that my (lovely and talented) wife and I are fortunate because we travel in a bubble of awesome. Sometimes I think that you build your own bubble.

very, very sound advice.

It's not hard to explain to anyone your preferences (wine steward or dining room steward). You get more flies with honey.....

And yes, you do build your own bubble.

Thanks for all the good advice. I think we will continue with early fixed if possible, and at a small table. I certainly agree with the philosophy of being kind to the staff and they will be helpful back...

Marcia

Definitely fixed....that way, you KNOW what time you'll eat...the table will be ready and waiting...no guesswork!