Carnival Spirit - Your Time Dining ?

[P&O princess]

We have chosen Your Time Dining for our upcoming Carnival cruise. (2 adults, 3 children).

 

Can anyone tell me...

 

1) Will we be seated on our own as a party of 5, or with others?

 

2) Is it the same if only myself and my husband dine there?

 

 

Thank you

[Ned Flanders]

Hi P & O Princess

 

Our one (so far) experience with Carnival (on the Splendor) with YTD was that we were allocated the next vacant table (generally 8 seats in total I think) with the 2 seats we required.

 

We never were placed on a table for 2 but I guess if we were prepared to wait, that may have been possible.

 

So if that practice continues for you, with the 5 it'll be as the next table with 5 spots becomes free, you're there.

 

 

When are you sailing?

 

Cheers

[P&O princess]

Thank you.

 

We are sailing next month and chose YTD for the flexibility with children.

 

Another question.... Are you able to book in advance?

 

On P&O we had anytime dining and when at dinner we were able to book a time for the next evening

[johnboi]

Hi Princess.

 

We had any time dining last year while on the Spirit as a couple and generally got a table pretty much straight away. If we didn't, it wasn't a long wait as they gave us a buzzer thing (like in restaurants to alert you when your meal is ready to collect) as soon as a table became available. The longest time we waited was about 10 minutes and I believe it was pretty much the same for bigger groups like yours as there are a lot of tables in the dining room and they're pretty efficient serving and getting each course to you.

[Flipper133]

Hi all

 

I don't know how relevant this is, but we have taken fixed and anytime dining on the various cruises we have made...depending on the ship and itinerary. We like the flexibility of Anytime, but overall we now prefer fixed (usually late) as we then get to know our waiters and other table guests and it all seems very civilised.

 

Last year when on Solstice however, we took anytime dining as we had already got to "know" quite a few people from our roll call, and they were doing Anytime. On the Solstice the dining arrangements are the same as Carnival Spirit - fixed are on the lower deck and anytime tables are spread around the "gallery" on the deck above. This seemed fine initially, however there were a few times when "things were happening" on the lower deck, and unless you bothered to get up from your seat and find a spot beside the railing you missed out.

 

On the Spirit, as I understand it, there is a lot more going on in the dining room - especially by the wait staff - and from You Tube videos I have seen these all appear to be happening on the lower deck. (I could be wrong, but that's what the videos show)

 

Thus, although we will have our 8yo G/daughter with us, we have decided to take the late (7.45) fixed dining on our cruise coming up ... GD is a night owl anyway so all in all I think this arrangement will work best for us.

 

Interested to see if anyone else has a view on this.

 

cheers

[2011CruisingFamilyof4]

Flipper, you are right, most of the main action does happen on Deck 2 so when on Deck 3 you have to look down, but in saying that, most of your wait staff will dance along anyway so it is no biggy!

 

You will be seated with your family, but depending on how many people there are, just the two of you may be seated with others. You can ask and they will do their best to help you out.

 

In regards to getting to know your waiters better, you can request the same team and again they will do their best to accommodate you.

 

And no, you cannot make reservations in the MDR.

[P&O princess]

Thank you!

[Baxter5]

They have tables that accommodate different sized groups (2-10) so you should end up together. They'll ask how many in your group when you arrive at the MDR and then allocate a suitable sized table.

[maxx]

They have tables that accommodate different sized groups (2-10) so you should end up together. They'll ask how many in your group when you arrive at the MDR and then allocate a suitable sized table.

 

If we request a table for 2 what are the chances of getting just that?

[2011CruisingFamilyof4]

If we request a table for 2 what are the chances of getting just that?

 

It would depend on how busy they are when you get there. If you get in before 6, it should be a problem.........then again you may not want to eat early!

[Baxter5]

If we request a table for 2 what are the chances of getting just that?

 

We dined at different times each night. The longest wait was less than 10 minutes. There are quite a few couples tables so I would expect you've got a high chance of getting one whenever you arrive. I wouldn't stress about it.

[pinknotes]

We chose YTD when we cruised on Spirit in December 2013.

 

If you go before 6pm or after 8pm there is barely any line and you get seated almost straight away (a tip from the Maitre D).

 

Sometimes there were 5 of us going to dinner (with in-laws) other times three of us (young daughter) and then a couple of times it was just me and hubby going. Each time we were always seated on our own table. One night we got there at around 8ish and they actually seated us downstairs on our own large round table right in the middle.

 

We cruised for 10 nights on YTD and never waited more than 5 minutes to be seated, and never had to share a table.

 

You can't pre-book table times on YTD, first in, first seated.

 

Hope this helps!

[P&O princess]

We chose YTD when we cruised on Spirit in December 2013.

 

If you go before 6pm or after 8pm there is barely any line and you get seated almost straight away (a tip from the Maitre D).

 

Sometimes there were 5 of us going to dinner (with in-laws) other times three of us (young daughter) and then a couple of times it was just me and hubby going. Each time we were always seated on our own table. One night we got there at around 8ish and they actually seated us downstairs on our own large round table right in the middle.

 

We cruised for 10 nights on YTD and never waited more than 5 minutes to be seated, and never had to share a table.

 

You can't pre-book table times on YTD, first in, first seated.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

Thanks pinknotes. That's great. Most nights I'm thinking we will be arriving before 6pm, so we should be fine.

[Magic Happens]

Our travel agent automatically booked early dining for my husband and I. We weren't asked about which dining option we wanted. We usually eat when we are hungry and not specific times so which dining option would be best for us and can we change it? We are usually late risers in the morning as well so if we are late to breakfast do we miss out on early dining session? I enjoy watching the shows at night so would like to fit that in the evening as well. Are there 2 show times like P&O cruises?

[pinknotes]

Our travel agent automatically booked early dining for my husband and I. We weren't asked about which dining option we wanted. We usually eat when we are hungry and not specific times so which dining option would be best for us and can we change it? We are usually late risers in the morning as well so if we are late to breakfast do we miss out on early dining session? I enjoy watching the shows at night so would like to fit that in the evening as well. Are there 2 show times like P&O cruises?

 

 

Call your travel agent straight away and see if you can change to 'anytime/your time dining'.

Sometimes YTD gets full so passengers are allocated early or late automatically, which might have been the case with your booking?

 

There are usually 2 show times - one at 7:30pm and the second at 9:30pm.

 

We had YTD (your time dining) and it was great for us as we thought 5:30 was way too early to eat and 8:00pm too late with a little one!

 

Breakfast is not in sessions, so you don't have to worry about missing out, you can go whenever you wake up and the buffet upstairs is always open for breakfast too.

 

 

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[Magic Happens]

Thank you for your help, yes we did book only recently so maybe I shall try to change it. Sounds like you have to give them a time that you want to book your table with the Early/Late Dining option. If you get held up for any reason I wonder if they turn you away :/

[johnboi]

Do you have an online check-in? We managed to get anytime dining through that. Otherwise, I'd go back to your travel agent to change it if you want.

[Magic Happens]

Thanks for your replies.

 

We book through an online agent. They are really great as I don't have to worry about details.

 

So how does Early/Late Dining Options work. Do you just rock up between 5.30pm and 6 or 7pm for the Early Session to be seated (so long as we are finished dinner before the 8.00 session starts?) or do we nominate a time we will be there or they allocate a time to us?

[2011CruisingFamilyof4]

Thanks for your replies.

 

We book through an online agent. They are really great as I don't have to worry about details.

 

So how does Early/Late Dining Options work. Do you just rock up between 5.30pm and 6 or 7pm for the Early Session to be seated (so long as we are finished dinner before the 8.00 session starts?) or do we nominate a time we will be there or they allocate a time to us?

 

Early/Late Dining works that they want everyone there for the start, that way it is easier to the waiters to seat everyone at once, take all their orders and proceed from there. Each wait team has about 5-8 tables and if everyone is there on time it works so much easier. If you are late, say 30mins, they will ask you to go upstairs to Anytime Dining. As you can imagine in they need everything to run smoothly for the first seating so that they are not delayed for the last.

 

So in a nutshell, 5.30 means close to that!!! If you cant make it at the set time, just go upstairs (Deck 2 is for Early/Late, Deck 3 for Anytime) whenever it suits you.

[Magic Happens]

Thank you. Looks like we won't miss out or cause too much trouble whichever way we go. Anytime sounds more flexible.

[pwkmpjm]

Early/Late Dining works that they want everyone there for the start, that way it is easier to the waiters to seat everyone at once, take all their orders and proceed from there. Each wait team has about 5-8 tables and if everyone is there on time it works so much easier. If you are late, say 30mins, they will ask you to go upstairs to Anytime Dining. As you can imagine in they need everything to run smoothly for the first seating so that they are not delayed for the last.

 

So in a nutshell, 5.30 means close to that!!! If you cant make it at the set time, just go upstairs (Deck 2 is for Early/Late, Deck 3 for Anytime) whenever it suits you.

 

Early Dining is at 5.30pm, Late Dining is at 7.45pm & anytime is anytime you will be allocated one of these. If you are late for your fixed time dining session you can't just wander up to the anytime dining section. Your only option is the Buffet on deck 9.

[Flipper133]

We disembarked from the CS yesterday after our short cruise to Tasmania.

As I said in an earlier post, we have used Anytime Dining and Fixed dining on a number of previous cruises, and this time we picked the late (???) fixed sitting of 7.45pm and it worked really well for us. Reasons were:

 

1. We had the same table and wait staff every evening. We were a group of 5 and the table was set up just for us. The waiters and bar staff were great, especially for our 8yo granddaughter who loved all the attention.

2. Time of day for eating is irrelevant. Breakfast and lunch were when we wanted (not when we would normally eat at home). Afternoon snacks (esp. pizza) were commonplace (GD had a "crush" on Raj at the Pizza place). Dining for dinner at 7.45 never seemed late. We were always finished in time for the 9.30pm show.

3. The entertainment by the wait staff was sensational...and as I suspected was best appreciated by being seated in the lower level. Those in YTD on the upper level could not see what was going on unless they had a table besides the railing.

 

I really think the enthusiasm to pick up YTD can be a little illogical. I understand that people think that 7.45 is too late and that 6.oopm is too early ...but that is landside timing...on a cruise its all different.

 

My thoughts, but based on some experience.

 

cheers

[kate59]

Flipper I agree.

 

Last year we had anytime dining for 8 of us and longest wait was about 20 min with a buzzer and it was ok but I missed having same waiters and dinning with other people.

 

This year I deliberately booked late sitting as I think it is now the best way to go. If not happy with people we sit with for dinner I can just ask to be moved as only 2 of us going this time and we find a table for 2 not so great for 9 nights.

[2011CruisingFamilyof4]

Early Dining is at 5.30pm, Late Dining is at 7.45pm & anytime is anytime you will be allocated one of these. If you are late for your fixed time dining session you can't just wander up to the anytime dining section. Your only option is the Buffet on deck 9.

 

Yes you can pwkmpjm. You take the stairs and enter via Deck 3 where you will be seated up there. When choosing your dining option, there are 3 options, early, late or anytime. If you have early or late and for some reason that night the time does not suit, something else you want to do, running late from shore excursion and aren't ready on time, or you have made new friends and want to dine with them (as an example) you can go to Anytime. You cannot however have Anytime and go to Deck 2 for Early or Late.

 

You are right though, there is always the Buffet on the Lido Deck.

[pwkmpjm]

Yes you can pwkmpjm. You take the stairs and enter via Deck 3 where you will be seated up there. When choosing your dining option, there are 3 options, early, late or anytime. If you have early or late and for some reason that night the time does not suit, something else you want to do, running late from shore excursion and aren't ready on time, or you have made new friends and want to dine with them (as an example) you can go to Anytime. You cannot however have Anytime and go to Deck 2 for Early or Late.

 

You are right though, there is always the Buffet on the Lido Deck.

 

Your statement above that you can go to Your time dining if your fixed time dining doesn't suit you is not correct & is very misleading. Dining times are Early, Late & Your Time. All guests are allocated a dining time & Your time dining is always the 1st to fill & the number of seats in the Your time dining section is limited. You can only change your dining time ( & you would be extremely lucky to have it changed more than once) if you speak to the Maitre 'd or Assistant Maitre 'd & they have room available to accommodate you. As a rule you can't just decide on a day to day basis that you will choose Your time dining if you have a table allocation for Early or Late dining. They may be able to seat someone, with Early or Late dining, in the Your time dining section (deck 3) if space is available but there is no guarantee. They do know which time dining you have as they ask for your room number when entering the Your time dining section & it shows on the computer. Many people with fixed dining time have been turned away when they went to the Your time section as there was no space available for them.