Going MTD when coming late for early sitting

[anandaindonesia]

Suppose we are late for our seating (we have notified our server and our fellow tablemates before). Can we ask to join My Time Dining session just for that one particular dinner?

 

Yes, there are buffet, and specialty restaurants, and room service. But we just wsnt to know if MTD is also one of the options possible.

 

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

[DonnaK]

You are really supposed to commit to one type of dining or the other, and not switch between the two. Sometimes, the maître-d will allow what you are suggesting, but it is more frequently not permitted.

 

It would be better to book MTD for the entire cruise.

[vavasmom]

That has not been allowed on any of our recent cruises. I have asked and someone in front of us was trying it on the GR two weeks ago. I was once able to arrange to come to late seating while we were in port that but that was because the headwaiter/matred knew that there were open tables in late seating. I was surprised when the waiter offered it when we told them we were missing the DR the next night

[98Charlie]

It could never hurt to politely ask. However there is a good reason that MTD is not just an open door for anyone. The passengers assigned to MTD have no other regular sit down dining option.

 

If a large number of regular diners decided to show up it would create long (or longer) lines in that dining room.

 

Charlie

[matj2000]

You don't need to notify the servers and tablemates?

[98Charlie]

You don't need to notify the servers and tablemates?

 

Absolutely True! However it is polite to do so in order that the servers and your tablemates don't wait for you.

 

Charlie

[anandaindonesia]

Thank you all for your insights.

 

Michael (the OP)

[nanwel]

I had MT on Allure in March, and had the same waite staff for every meal, they are not "free" to accept more people, and that messes up the prepaid gratuity that MY people have to pay

I called each day to tell them what time we were requesting to eat that night.

We were a table of 5, so we never had table mates.

If you have early meal usually, and want to change to 2nd seating in the main din room, usually that is possible if you ask. They always have no shows that go up to special or buffet. Even if you arrive late, they try to accomodate

[cb at sea]

If you have a traditional seating time, don't be late. That is YOUR time. You may make use of the other venues. You cannot switch between traditional and MTD.

 

It's really not hard to make the time you chose!

[Langley Cruisers]

Suppose we are late for our seating (we have notified our server and our fellow tablemates before). Can we ask to join My Time Dining session just for that one particular dinner?

 

No because those diners in My Time Dining have specifically pre-paid their gratuities in order to dine in MTD. It is a requirement of the program. You cannot just sit in on MTD one night. Choose Traditional or MTD and of course, as you said, any night you are free to dine wherever you want. Your tips are either pre-paid or will be charged to your onboard account daily anyway.

 

Have fun. :)

 

 

If you have early meal usually, and want to change to 2nd seating in the main din room, usually that is possible if you ask. They always have no shows that go up to special or buffet....

 

 

Err... I am inclined to disagree with you. You can't just sit in on someone else's table - that is their table for the duration of the cruise. What happens if they are late to dinner one evening and they put someone else there? - the staff would never sit you at someone else's table.

 

.

[nanwel]

If I am not going to be at my table for dinner, I always notify the head staff - they can they allow others to use the table that night. I had a couple join us once on a cruise - our table mates were not coming, and they did, but, only after the M'd came and asked us if we would be ok if someone joined us for the evening.

Guess it can differ by each ship according to the staff.

But, no you cannot go between MT and regular dining.

[setsail]

You cannot switch between traditional and MTD.

 

!

 

We have done this twice in the last few cruises. But, once we switched to mtd we did not try to go back. Also, we always prepay our tips so when they check our onboard account they will see that

 

Its not set up to alternate between the two on a nightly basis

[SherriZ366]

RCCL not allowing passengers to switch back and forth from Traditional to My Time Dining is a key reason for the program working smoothly. Other lines that have allowed switching have had more problems.