Why do you choose the dining option you do?

[mcatmcat]

Late dinning 830pm

 

Most ship will leave the port at 5pm so it will be a short time between that and dinner. Also I like to visit the windjammer for a small bite before 830pm. I never had a problem requesting a table for my family only and it works perfect when you are in a group since we all agree in the night schedule

And last but not least because I like to eat late

Edited October 13, 2015 by mcatmcat

[NewSalt]

We prefer early traditional dining.

 

DH has difficulty sleeping if we eat dinner after 8:00 p.m., especially the richer, heavier food we might have on a cruise as opposed to our normal meals. (Why, yes, thank you. I would like some dessert.)

 

We had MTD on the Legend last winter, and booked a 5:45 table for the entire week. I'm very glad we did because several evenings there was a huge crowd waiting outside the MDR waiting to be seated when we left. People were not happy.

 

We had MTD on our Princess Alaska cruise this summer because we wanted the freedom to stay in the ports later if we wished, and did not like it at all. On two nights we had over a 45-minute wait for dinner.

 

We had the best wait staff we have ever encountered (out of many very, very good ones) on our Liberty cruise this summer. After our second meal, they were very familiar with our likes and dislikes and made great suggestions and brought us little treats to try. That's one of my favorite things about cruising and one of the main reasons I don't care for MTD.

 

When we cruise with our DGSs in the summer, we prefer a table without other diners. The boys (2 and 5 now) have always been well-behaved at dinner, but I wouldn't want to chance a melt-down and annoy others at the table.

 

Our Alaska cruise was the first time our travel companions had been on board a ship and they were somewhat taken aback when they learned that we would occasionally be sharing a table with other cruisers. However, after five minutes at the first meal, they were deep in conversation with our table mates and loved it after that.

[depplep]

Traditional late seating

 

1. Less chance of kids.

2. We drink all day at the pool so we nap until early evening.

3. Tried MTD once, it was a disaster, won't do it again.

[spazzyjanet]

We were going to do My Time Dining, but I've read recently that there can be a wait during peak hours. I also recently read about the My Family Time Dining option. Given that, I took the leap today and called to switch to early traditional dining.

 

I'm all for trying something different, but not if "different" means spending my cruise vacation waiting in a lobby with my kids.

[Clarea]

We were going to do My Time Dining, but I've read recently that there can be a wait during peak hours. I also recently read about the My Family Time Dining option. Given that, I took the leap today and called to switch to early traditional dining.

 

I'm all for trying something different, but not if "different" means spending my cruise vacation waiting in a lobby with my kids.

While having a fixed dining time takes some flexibility away, you will probably enjoy the "no-wait" aspect more. If you have a day or two when you don't feel like you can make early dinner, Windjammer is always an option. It's quite nice at dinner.

[luvscruising2007]

Traditional. Zero wait time to get seated and automatic convenience for the show schedule.

 

This!! We also enjoy meeting new people and a week at sea with new tablemates makes it easy. We also eat late at home.

[Ladysilver]

Traditional dining for dinnerand lunch in the MDR on sea days so we can enjoy the Tutti salad. :D

[boscobeans]

We may be creatures of habit but as far back as my wife and I can remember we had a set dinner time where the family sat down to eat. It was almost always around 5:30 or 6 each evening. We still eat at around 6:00. After our regular dining time there is always time to catch a late showing at a local theater, a game on TV, head out for a drink, a walk or anything else that will fill the time before we head to the bedroom at about 12 or 1 AM.

 

On a cruise, eating early gives us time to freshen up in our stateroom before heading off for an evening at any of the entertainment venues on the ship and an hour or two at the casino.

 

We always choose traditional early or MTD where we make a set dining reservation for a table at an early time.

 

bosco

[squadron]

Traditional. Zero wait time to get seated and automatic convenience for the show schedule.

 

Agreed for these reasons. On a future cruise somehow I was put down for MTD(tried it on the last cruise but still prefer traditional) and discovered when I called to change that I got the last spot available for a Feb 2016 cruise. I wonder if MTD has lost it appeal to many.

[Linda/Ohio]

MTD. We used to do traditional when we were younger. No longer like eating at 8:30. 5:30 is a tad too early so we make MTD reservations for 6:15--6:30--6:45 We generally have same waiter staff each night.

[tillydog]

Have only cruised 3 times before, but all have been Early Traditional for us. This time, for some reason, dont really know what prompted me to, but it'll be Late Traditional on our next cruise!!

However, reading some of the other replies, the late sitting will be a good thing. We'll be in a OS, so having a late sitting, we can enjoy the CL beforehand.

[gatour]

We do MTD.

 

Reasons

 

1. Early Traditional is too early

2. Late Traditional is too late

3. I find if we show up for MTD at around 6pm we will be seated between immediately and 7pm. As long as they level my expectations I can deal with this by going to a lounge and wait.

[Bostonjetset]

Traditional late is our preference as it make it easier to plan around. Also, as others have said, we too prefer that there are usually less small children at 8.30 dinners.

 

That said, I think it depends on the ship/line/itinerary as to whether or not MTD is a good choice. On our HAL cruise, I sailed with just my mom and we had their version of MTD; we loved going when we wanted and sitting with new people each night; we met some great people that way. However, that was a ship of only 1,200 people and thus waits were non-existent. On NCL, there is no option for fixed dining and there were often waits at peak times along with mediocre service [on the massive Breakaway]. On Cunard, there is only fixed dining but dinner is one of the main events of the evening and thus traditional late was perfect; it gave us plenty of time to dress for dinner and was something to look forward to each night of the crossing. Also, it gave us a chance to digest the fabulous, daily afternoon teas! ;)

[rtazz17]

My DH and I have selected Traditional Dining for our upcoming Jewel cruise, early seating. Now we are second guessing that decision.

 

Understanding that each option is subjective and has a pro and con (or perhaps not) that fits your needs. Why do you choose the dining option (Traditional, early or late seating and My Time Dining) that you do?

 

Thanks.[/quote

 

We choose the time we choose cuz thats when we want to eat.Pretty basic

[cant_w8_2_cruise]

My mom cruises with us and because of her diabetes, she prefers to stay on a schedule that is similar to her regular routine, so we had to go with the traditional early seating.

 

Our family really enjoyed traditional dining because it was a chance to sit down and enjoy the pampering of the dining room staff, and then move into the evening entertainment. Then we'd wander around after the show and grab a quick snack before bed. (usually pizza on the promenade!)

[rudeney]

DW always says to schedule early seating when we book. Then when we get on the ship, she changes her mind and wants late because she thinks there will be fewer kids and realizes making early seating is a bit of a rush.

 

Next week on NV will be our fist cruise where MTD is offered, so we're going to try that. I suspect that once she figures out the show times, we'll end up gravitating toward the late seating.

[Smith0154]

DW and I are trying MTD for the first time next month on Allure. We will have three evenings in specialty restaurants and 4 evenings MTD. We prefer to eat at late as possible as we are outside sun people and are not big show people. We come in early enough to go to the Concierge Lounge then go to dinner sometime between 8 to 8:30.

 

Smitty

[littledaisychain]

MTD because we have little kids, we like flexibility, and we want to sit at our own table.

[calypso73]

I had Traditional late because 5:30 was too early for me for dinner. I've switched to MTD though because late dining did not work well with seeing the shows. I've booked around the same time every day

[geogran]

. We like MTD:

. Traditional early is too early and late is too late for us.

. We reserved MTD for 6:00pm in advance and never waited more than 2-3 minutes. On both Allure and Navigator, requested and got same table and same wait staff every evening except Specialty dinner night.

. We also like the flexibility of MTD if we are running late, it's easy to change to a different time.

. We enjoy breakfast/lunch seating with others, but dinner is our special time and we prefer dining alone or with our best friends - easy to do with MTD.

[handwcruisers]

We like early traditional dinner at a table for 2.

I know sometimes it can be a bit rushed getting ready after a day out on excursions, but it's what works best for us. We like 2 top because we are on vacation and like to relax and enjoy our time together plus I have severe fibromyalgia and so after a day of walking or snorkeling my body starts to shut down and if we had a table with other people it's hard to feel like making conversation with people.

Also because of eating early I can still try to go to some of the shows before I am to exhausted and if my body does crash after dinner then I can relax in bed and read. If I have to rest then I don't mind DH slipping out to enjoy a shop before heading back to join me.

It works for us.

[OSUZorba]

Traditional Late with a table for 2, for the same reasons everyone else listed. We tried MTD on Oasis once, I hated the waits, 15-30 minutes every night, and the service was far below what I've always gotten in the traditional seatings. Every night after providing pretty poor service, they would then hound us to give them good survey marks.

 

The Main Dining experience is important to us because we never eat in fancy restaurants at home, so it is really something different and special for us, each time. MTD, for me, was like going to a Chili's or Red Lobster, not really bad, but not special either.

 

MTD did help keep me from eating a late afternoon snack, though.

[musefan2010]

We've always done My Time Dining on previous cruises, as we like to just have a table for 2 for dinner, and the flexibility to change around the times around show times etc.

Also my hubby is really shy and hates making small talk with strangers! He suffers through having to share tables with other cruisers for breakfast and lunch, and by dinner time he just wants a nice quiet table for the 2 of us :p

We have a cruise booked for Feb 15, and this will be our first time cruising with a kid, she will be about 18m on the cruise, so we will need the early sitting. Plus this time we are travelling with both sets of our parents, so we will have enough of us for a big table together. I can't wait!!

[powelweb]

We used to love traditional early, but have more recently selected MTD with reservations around 6, 6:30 or 7, and asked to be seated with others, so that ends up giving us the best of both worlds- flexibility to join tables and make new friends if we want, or change on a particular night when we're dining in other venues or the ability to cancel our reservation and just hit WJ if we decide that fits our plans better.

[north29]

Mine preference is MTD I eat when I want to and I do not care to have the same server every night. Setting at a big table is of no use for me, in that I'm very hearing impaired and cannot contribute to the conversation. PS I do miss the conversation and meeting "SOME NEW PEOPLE" other I hope I never see again LOL.