Forgive me for asking another MTD question

[i'llbesea-ingyou]

Just wondering how soon I will be able to book MTD? We are about 3 1/2 months out and I have seen posts where people say they are on a waitlist or it's booked. When I go on the site, there's a message that says to check back closer to the sail date. In your experience, around when do you think I will be able to book? I have been checking every day just so I don't miss it but don't want to be obsessive about or, on the other hand, forget about it and then be too late. Help!

 

Thanks!:)

[Bobal]

Do you mean book the times you want to eat or book to have MTD. If it's the latter you should speak with RCL or with your TA. We booked MTD when we booked the cruise.

[HB Cruiser]

If you booked direct with RCCL, call them NOW. If you booked with a TA, call them NOW. Get it changed if you can as they only book XXXX number of my time passengers. The remainder get waitlisted.

 

Tim

[Cecilia V.]

We are cruising in August and our TA booked the cruise in January. At that time, she booked us for MTD.

[Clarkk W Griswald]

I always book MTD at time of booking cruise, that way, the automatic tips are added to the total cruise price right away.

[Mysticks1]

They are referring to two different things. You must first choose MTD, Early Traditional Seating or Late Traditional seating. If your choice is not available when you try you may be waitlisted for it.

If you choose MTD approx. 6 months before your sail date you should be able to actually make your reservations (booking) for the individual nights via the RCI website.

[Clarkk W Griswald]

If you choose MTD approx. 6 months before your sail date you should be able to actually make your reservations (booking) for the individual nights via the RCI website.

 

I still don't understand why one would choose MTD, then go make reservations 6 months prior. Kind of defeats the purpose of MTD IMHO.

[huenix]

I still don't understand why one would choose MTD, then go make reservations 6 months prior. Kind of defeats the purpose of MTD IMHO.

 

 

I had to have someone explain this to me using small words. :)

 

There were two reasons: The first is that MTD meals can be/are shorter than MDR scheduled time meals, meaning you can get in and out faster. The second reason was that you could schedule meals around excursions and activities. So one night you want to eat at 6, and the next night, not till 8.

 

Personally, one of my favorite things about cruises was the main dining room. And eating late meant that we could stop for a pre-dinner "snack" in the WJ at like 4 and still have dinner later.

[Clarkk W Griswald]

I had to have someone explain this to me using small words. :)

 

There were two reasons: The first is that MTD meals can be/are shorter than MDR scheduled time meals, meaning you can get in and out faster. The second reason was that you could schedule meals around excursions and activities. So one night you want to eat at 6, and the next night, not till 8.

 

But how would anyone know that 6 months before their cruise?

[HB Cruiser]

But how would anyone know that 6 months before their cruise?

 

Schedule dining times around time leaving port for instance.

 

Tim

[baggal]

I still don't understand why one would choose MTD, then go make reservations 6 months prior. Kind of defeats the purpose of MTD IMHO.

 

Some ships adjust their fixed dining times according to their locations and the passengers' dining preferences. In the Mediterranean for example, on ships that depart from Barcelona that have a large number of Spanish passengers, the dining times are shifted back. Early seating is 6:30 p.m. and late seating is either 9 or 9:30 p.m. to accomodate passengers who normally eat at 10 p.m. or so. MTD is the perfect solution for people who'd like to eat at 7:30 or 8 p.m.

 

And yes I know 6 months in advance that I don't want to eat dinner at 9:30.

[Mysticks1]

But how would anyone know that 6 months before their cruise?

 

I am 9 months out and already know the times I will schedule for MTD based upon the scheduled times in the ports and the excursions that we will be doing. If things change once onboard I can always change them.