My Time Dining - Just for one night?

[ryano]

Yes, its a very short 3 night cruise and unfortunately our stop in Nassau that day is from noon - midnight. Our docs say formal night is night 2 and that is our Nassau day. Is there a better way to verify this?

 

Wow! I didnt even think they still did formal nights on a 3 night cruise!

[Clarea]

Yes, its a very short 3 night cruise and unfortunately our stop in Nassau that day is from noon - midnight. Our docs say formal night is night 2 and that is our Nassau day. Is there a better way to verify this?

Has to be night 2. Can't be the first night (guests may not have luggage) and can't be the last night (guests may have packed). Plus, it's been night 2 forever (except possbily when the cruise includes NYE) on this itinerary.

[karena1]

Yes, its a very short 3 night cruise and unfortunately our stop in Nassau that day is from noon - midnight. Our docs say formal night is night 2 and that is our Nassau day. Is there a better way to verify this?

 

On a 3 night cruise, formal is always on Day 2 or Saturday night. We have taken many 3 night cruises and it always the 2nd night. If you are doing the cruise out of PC, then you go to Nassau Day 2, so yes, that will be your formal night.

 

However, we never do formal anymore on short cruises. I wear a nice sundress and hubby wears silk slacks/silk shirt

 

Also if you opt for MTD for the entire cruise, you get exactly the same menu as traditional. We never make reservations for MTD, but you can. You also can have the same wait staff each night if you request it. Again, we don't care, so we just get seated wherever they have room when we go eat. So maybe that is an option for you. See if you TA can change you to MTD or go ask once you are on the ship.

[caszos]

 

Also if you opt for MTD for the entire cruise, you get exactly the same menu as traditional. We never make reservations for MTD, but you can. You also can have the same wait staff each night if you request it. Again, we don't care, so we just get seated wherever they have room when we go eat. So maybe that is an option for you. See if you TA can change you to MTD or go ask once you are on the ship.

 

Thanks. We are a party of 10 so waiting for MTD intimidated us and we wanted to do the kids Adventure Ocean pick up which I understand is only available for the early seating. At the time when we made this decision we didn't realize the formal night conflicted with the port day. I wish we were in Nassau early morning ;( I think we can hopefully make it from our charter back on time for formal dinner. The girls may not have time to do their hair but we can still get dressed up and enjoy a seated dinner.

[Biker19]

We are a party of 10 so waiting for MTD intimidated us and we wanted to do the kids Adventure Ocean pick up which I understand is only available for the early seating.

I thought My Time Family Dining has the kids option?

[Clarea]

I thought My Time Family Dining has the kids option?

Another confusing ambiguous term from Royal.

 

My Family Time Dining requires early traditional dining.

[Desert Cruizers]

If you know you will be a few minutes late or not be dining in main dining the one night, it is best to let your table and waiters know, the night before.

[karena1]

Another confusing ambiguous term from Royal.

 

My Family Time Dining requires early traditional dining.

 

Since I do not have kids that small, did not know that requirement. So MTD will not work for them.

[53sunset]

I think I know the answer, but just want confirmation. We booked out reservations with Traditional Early dining so that our kids can be taken to the Adventure Ocean mid way through dinner. However, we have an excursion in Nassau (dock) from 1-5pm and aren't sure how easily we will be able to get back on ship and cleaned up before formal night at 6pm.

 

Even though we are booked under Traditional Early, is there an option to try for My Time Dining for the one night?

 

Just tell your waiter the night before your excursion what the problem is and he'll tell you your options.

[RocketMan275]

Thank you. I understand etiquette and how its rude to be late to anything (arriving late to a show and walking past people to get to a seat). However, life also happens. I would just get frustrated if we miss out on dinner because its 6:05 and we walk away and then find out that at 6:30 they are still seating latecomers with no issue. I imagine like anything there is a small window of normal "lateness" that is considered not proper but understandable. I was trying to gauge what that window maybe was.

 

Let's turn this around. How would you feel if you're seated with other passengers who are late and that disrupts your dinner? What would you think if they're 15, 20, 25, or 30 minutes late?

Perhaps you should:

- Change your excursion to one that better fits the dining arrangements you committed too.

- Change your plans and dine in the Windjammer or specialty restaurant.

 

But to answer your specific question, I would say that if you are too late to join the line being seated, then you're too late.

[leisuretraveler223]

Let's turn this around. How would you feel if you're seated with other passengers who are late and that disrupts your dinner? What would you think if they're 15, 20, 25, or 30 minutes late?

Perhaps you should:

- Change your excursion to one that better fits the dining arrangements you committed too.

- Change your plans and dine in the Windjammer or specialty restaurant.

 

It's a three night cruise. I wouldn't get worked up about these things one bit. Live and let live. The staff will get over it. And as for other diners, this is one of many reasons I don't choose to share a dinner table with total strangers on my vacation.

[katiel53]

To me, going to the Wj on the formal night would be no big deal as it's not much different from any other night. There is no lobster, if that's what you were looking forward to.

 

I don't think you will be able to do MTD that night as formal nights are pretty popular in the dining room. Fewer people are opting to eat off the ship these days..

 

As mentioned, it would be a good idea to tell your waiter the night before that you probably will be late the next night and see what he suggests. I'm sure he will make arrangements for you and your group because if he didn't, there's a good chance his tip would be reduced. I know you didn't say that, but that is more than likely his concern.

[cb at sea]

Simply return to the ship in time to get ready for dinner. If departure is at 5pm, you must be onboard by 4:30. Shouldn't be an issue!

[LMaxwell]

Simply return to the ship in time to get ready for dinner. If departure is at 5pm, you must be onboard by 4:30. Shouldn't be an issue!

 

Departure is at.....doesn't matter...

[gliles]

OK I'll admit I didn't read all the replies but if you are there 1pm-5pm then you should be back onboard by 4:30pm and have plenty of time to pretty yourself up for early dining, no?

[cruisegirl1]

The OP’s ship is at port from (something like )noon till midnight. Her expected return to the ship is 5 pm.

M

[Nettee]

If departure is not until Midnight, won’t half the ship be eating on the shore? When we stayed in port overnight there was open seating in the MDR that night as it was unrealistic to stick to traditional times.

 

Talk to your waiter on the first night and see what the arrangements are.

[gerif]

If departure is not until Midnight, won’t half the ship be eating on the shore? When we stayed in port overnight there was open seating in the MDR that night as it was unrealistic to stick to traditional times.

 

Talk to your waiter on the first night and see what the arrangements are.

We’ve done the 5-day Bermuda sailing several times on different ships and never experienced open seating in the MDR (ship docks overnight). Once we opted for dinner in the WJ as we had late seating and wanted to experience the dockside festival. It was mobbed like embarkation day lunch as many others were of similar mindset. Don’t know what it was like in the dining room.

[caszos]

Thank you. We will certainly talk to our waiter on the first night. We recognize it can throw off the flow of the section but we will be a table to ourselves (no tablemates).

 

Yes, we are docked from Noon - Midnight and we have an excursion booked from 1-5 pm (only time available with our dock times). We hopefully can get back on the ship quickly!

 

If departure is not until Midnight, won’t half the ship be eating on the shore? .

I hope its quiet in the MDR but since our port is just Nassau I'm sure many may still come back on ship.