My Time Dining or My Choice of Tablemate

[Warm Breezes]

Do you usually eat before 7:00 or after 8:30? I find that during the time that we would like to eat the line-ups can be long. We actually chose a specialty restaurant one night and the next day mentioned to the hostess that they were busy last night. She said that for an hour they had a 40 minute or longer wait time for a table that night.

 

We eat at different times depending on what we have done that day and how hungry we are....one of the reasons we like anytime...usually not after 8:30 though. It is rare that we would be eating that late. It could be anywhere between 5:30 and 8:00.

[Karysa]

We eat at different times depending on what we have done that day and how hungry we are....one of the reasons we like anytime...usually not after 8:30 though. It is rare that we would be eating that late. It could be anywhere between 5:30 and 8:00.

 

I can see 5:30-6:45 being quiet. Things pick up after that. What would be perfect to me is to get a schedule for the week and plan and book my dinner time around that and port times.:)

[Karysa]

Sorry, can't help with Celebrity, we've only dined traditional.

But hopefully others might know.

 

And never had a concierge, but I'd have thought that the better prospects of him booking a twin-top for you would be an advantage.

 

JB :)

 

Now that I think about it priority dining times was a perk. This is all new to me. We booked this cruise to go on a conference and got a really, really good deal on this particular cabin through the conference company.

[Kartgv]

Yes, we've been able to pre-book MTD reservations on both RCI and Celebrity. They seem to encourage it, sending emails prior to the cruise suggesting that you make your reservations, yet their website doesn't make it easy to find where to do it. We've had to ask how to find the link on CC and it seems to change from time to time. We usually only reserve the first night or 2, because for some reason everyone seems to want to eat at once on these first nights; things seem to settle into a more even flow as the cruise goes on. There is also a phone number you can call once onboard to pre-book your dining time. One other tip - introduce yourself to the MTD host the first night, be pleasant and smile, say please & thank you; it goes a long way in making sure that your preferences are honored.

 

Our next cruise in on Princess, and I haven't seen a way to prebook dining times there - we'll see what happens.

[Karysa]

Yes, we've been able to pre-book MTD reservations on both RCI and Celebrity. They seem to encourage it, sending emails prior to the cruise suggesting that you make your reservations, yet their website doesn't make it easy to find where to do it. We've had to ask how to find the link on CC and it seems to change from time to time. We usually only reserve the first night or 2, because for some reason everyone seems to want to eat at once on these first nights; things seem to settle into a more even flow as the cruise goes on. There is also a phone number you can call once onboard to pre-book your dining time. One other tip - introduce yourself to the MTD host the first night, be pleasant and smile, say please & thank you; it goes a long way in making sure that your preferences are honored.

 

Our next cruise in on Princess, and I haven't seen a way to prebook dining times there - we'll see what happens.

 

Thank you very much. Would 45 days out be about the time frame to start booking dinner reservations on Celebrity?

[NMLady]

So which is it? Why do you choose My Time Dining, having the freedom of choosing your dining times or having the freedom to choose your tablemate(s)?

 

We prefer to choose our dining time each evening based on what we're doing or how we are feeling.

If we are eating in MDR we always ask for a sharing table so we meet others who also want to share. Different people each night.

[NMLady]

So far I am the only one who would like to prebook ( even on that particular day) MDT. That's interesting to me. Waiting in line is not my strong suit.:D

 

We have never had to wait in line, maybe because we always ask for shared table. We usually eat early, shortly after the dining room opens. We have seen lines after first show gets out.

[Hlitner]

I can see 5:30-6:45 being quiet. Things pick up after that. What would be perfect to me is to get a schedule for the week and plan and book my dinner time around that and port times.:)

 

ROFL! I am thinking you have never been on a longer cruise, especially with HAL, where the natives start getting restless by 4:30 and are sometimes waiting in line (at the door) by 5:15 so they can have their dinner and be in bed by 7 :)

 

Hank

[Kartgv]

Thank you very much. Would 45 days out be about the time frame to start booking dinner reservations on Celebrity?

 

I'd try it earlier, as sometimes the most popular times fill up fast. I managed to find a post we did last August on how to do the online booking. Remember, I did say Celebrity does not make it easy!:

 

"Celebrity encourages but does not require reservations for Select Dining. You can make them once on board; I believe we had a card in our room giving us the phone number to call. I don't remember being able to do this on the interactive TV, but maybe someone else knows if that's possible.

 

You can also make reservations online up until 3 days before departure. There have been several threads on how difficult Celebrity makes it to do this, and apparently there are a couple of different methods that work. Here's what worked for us:

 

Once you have logged in to the Celebrity site -

1. Click on "Manage Reservation"

2. Click on "Reserve Dining"

3. On the right side of the page is a small box titled "Your Dining Reservations". (Mine showed '0'). Click on "0 purchased".

4. This finally brings you to the "My Cruise Extras" page. Click the "Add More" box.

5. The last option on the pull-down menu is "Celebrity Select Dining".

 

You're finally where you can actually make the reservations - another 3 or 4 step process for each day. Now wasn't that easy?"

 

I've read other posts that said this didn't work for them and suggesting other methods. If you have trouble, try posting a specific question on the Celebrity board and someone may have more recent experience.

[sharse]

Which cruise line allows guests to prebook MTD? Avoiding a wait is appealing to me.

 

My family will be doing the My Time Dining option on Royal Caribbean simply because the early seating was full by the time we booked and we do not want to wait until 8:30 every night. I was able to go online (our cruise is in about 5 weeks) and book a time for the nights that I wished to book, and not book for those I wanted to leave flexible.

 

I was able to book our time (but not 6:00 pm to 7:00… that was not an option to reserve) and I was also able to specify if I want a table for just us (which I did on the first night) or if I wanted to be seated with others at a larger table (which I did for the other nights.)

[Skywench]

I always choose anytime dining. I like the fact that I don't have to be on a set schedule and have to rush back from a port day to get ready for dinner. I always have a table just for me and the person(s) I go on the cruise with. Don't enjoy the large tables with strangers. I don't always go to dinner in the MDR. Maybe I had a late lunch and am not hungry. I don't cruise for the dining and social aspects or to look for new friends. I don't want to make small talk at dinner or have to explain why I may not want to eat in the MDR every night.

[Karysa]

ROFL! I am thinking you have never been on a longer cruise, especially with HAL, where the natives start getting restless by 4:30 and are sometimes waiting in line (at the door) by 5:15 so they can have their dinner and be in bed by 7 :)

 

Hank

 

I have never sailed HAL. I have sailed on 9, 10 and 11 day cruises though. I am napping or getting ready at 5:15 so I guess I have missed the 5:15 crowd.

[Karysa]

I'd try it earlier, as sometimes the most popular times fill up fast. I managed to find a post we did last August on how to do the online booking. Remember, I did say Celebrity does not make it easy!:

 

"Celebrity encourages but does not require reservations for Select Dining. You can make them once on board; I believe we had a card in our room giving us the phone number to call. I don't remember being able to do this on the interactive TV, but maybe someone else knows if that's possible.

 

You can also make reservations online up until 3 days before departure. There have been several threads on how difficult Celebrity makes it to do this, and apparently there are a couple of different methods that work. Here's what worked for us:

 

Once you have logged in to the Celebrity site -

1. Click on "Manage Reservation"

2. Click on "Reserve Dining"

3. On the right side of the page is a small box titled "Your Dining Reservations". (Mine showed '0'). Click on "0 purchased".

4. This finally brings you to the "My Cruise Extras" page. Click the "Add More" box.

5. The last option on the pull-down menu is "Celebrity Select Dining".

 

You're finally where you can actually make the reservations - another 3 or 4 step process for each day. Now wasn't that easy?"

 

I've read other posts that said this didn't work for them and suggesting other methods. If you have trouble, try posting a specific question on the Celebrity board and someone may have more recent experience.

 

Thanks I will give it a try. :)

[Karysa]

We have never had to wait in line, maybe because we always ask for shared table. We usually eat early, shortly after the dining room opens. We have seen lines after first show gets out.

 

I honestly have never even thought to ask to share a table. We have shared with people at lunch and breakfast and only once or twice were seated with people we thought were full of themselves. For one night its not so bad but I can't see myself rolling the dice and letting the cruiseline pick my tablemates for 7 nights or more. That just has never worked out well for us.