Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Dinner time?

Califonria cruiser
 Share

Recommended Posts

Califonria cruiser

Califonria cruiser

Posted
Posted

We are travelling with a group of 12 on Harmony of the Seas in June. Our agent said that we can either have 5pm early dining, late was full or anytime dining. We would prefer have a set time and the same server each night so leaning towards 5pm every night but that seems a touch early. Has anyone been able to get anytime dining at 5:30 or 6 for every night and had the same server with a group as larger as ours?

 

Jenn

Link to comment
Share on other sites
reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

Posted
Posted

Yes, you can get reservations for a large group in MTD at the same table, with the same waiters every night.  You will not be limited to non peak hours, we have seen the same group of 24 at two tables for 12, side by side, with a 5:30 reservation every night.  Your issue with Harmony will be the crazy start time they have, they started that when they moved the ship to Port Canaveral.  We sailed the last sailing out of Port Everglades and had a nightly 5:30 reservation.  Not sure of why they changed when they came to Port Canaveral.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, reallyitsmema said:

Yes, you can get reservations for a large group in MTD at the same table, with the same waiters every night.  You will not be limited to non peak hours, we have seen the same group of 24 at two tables for 12, side by side, with a 5:30 reservation every night.  Your issue with Harmony will be the crazy start time they have, they started that when they moved the ship to Port Canaveral.  We sailed the last sailing out of Port Everglades and had a nightly 5:30 reservation.  Not sure of why they changed when they came to Port Canaveral.

 

I seem to recall other Oasis Class ships are moving to 6:30 MTD

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grandma Petania

Grandma Petania

Posted
Posted (edited)
31 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I seem to recall other Oasis Class ships are moving to 6:30 MTD


I’m guessing that all four of the Oasis class ships are changing to what my daughter and I experienced last month on Allure.  There was early traditional dining in all three levels of the main dining room (decks 3, 4 & 5).  On decks 4 & 5, second seating of traditional dining commenced at 8 pm.  On deck 3, there was no second traditional dining—just MTD from 6:30 on.  

 

When we arrived onboard, we tried to get MTD at 5:30, as we had done on previous cruises.  We were told that the earliest we could choose MTD was 6:30.  This wouldn’t work well for us because we had scheduled all of our entertainment for the early shows (about 7 pm).  We were told that the only two-top we could have at 5:30 was on deck 3, so we took it.  Little did we know that MTD diners would start being seated before we were finished eating, and that there would be long lines of people waiting to get in when we left.  It made for a rather chaotic experience.

 

My son and son-in-law are treating my daughter and me to a March 2020 cruise on Symphony (to celebrate my 80th birthday).  Guessing that this new dining arrangement may be happening on Symphony, our travel agent managed to secure traditional second seating at 8 pm (presumably on deck 4 or 5), and we reserved later shows for entertainment.  The guys are coming from California, so their bodies will be better attuned to the later dinner and shows.  (I’ll just need to sneak in an afternoon nap - LOL).

Edited by Grandma Petania
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Illbcruzn4life Great Review Rare

Illbcruzn4life

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, spookwife said:

With a large group such as yours, your MTD options will be limited to the non peak hours.  You’d be better off sticking with Early Seating.

 

what would you consider non peak hours?

 

I'm on Harmony in February. I made reservations for my time dining the day they were available.

 

The times listed were from 6:45pm to 9pm, a 2 1/4 hour window.

Edited by Illbcruzn4life
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Illbcruzn4life Great Review Rare

Illbcruzn4life

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I'd say start times between 6:30 pm and 7:30pm.

 

so if we go by spookwifes statement of only getting non peak hours that would leave California Cruisers group a window of 7:30pm to 9pm.

 

Me personally, I wouldn't call that my time dining but that's just me.🙂

Link to comment
Share on other sites
reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

 

so if we go by spookwifes statement of only getting non peak hours that would leave California Cruisers group a window of 7:30pm to 9pm.

 

Me personally, I wouldn't call that my time dining but that's just me.🙂

 

I would not go by that statement at all.  California cruisers group can get the time they want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, Grandma Petania said:


I’m guessing that all four of the Oasis class ships are changing to what my daughter and I experienced last month on Allure.  There was early traditional dining in all three levels of the main dining room (decks 3, 4 & 5).  On decks 4 & 5, second seating of traditional dining commenced at 8 pm.  On deck 3, there was no second traditional dining—just MTD from 6:30 on.  

 

When we arrived onboard, we tried to get MTD at 5:30, as we had done on previous cruises.  We were told that the earliest we could choose MTD was 6:30.  This wouldn’t work well for us because we had scheduled all of our entertainment for the early shows (about 7 pm).  We were told that the only two-top we could have at 5:30 was on deck 3, so we took it.  Little did we know that MTD diners would start being seated before we were finished eating, and that there would be long lines of people waiting to get in when we left.  It made for a rather chaotic experience.

 

Yep, that sounds about right

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Illbcruzn4life Great Review Rare

Illbcruzn4life

Posted
Posted
Just now, suzyluvs2cruise said:

I like that they're starting MTD at 6:30.  On our recent Jewel cruise it was 5:30 and early seating was 6pm. 

 

 

What is your reasoning for liking the 6:30pm start instead of 5:30pm?

 

On the Jewel they don't have that many to feed like they do on the Oasis class ships so probably not that big a deal if this went fleet wide but it seems like right now it is only for Oasis class ships.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
suzyluvs2cruise

suzyluvs2cruise

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

 

What is your reasoning for liking the 6:30pm start instead of 5:30pm?

 

On the Jewel they don't have that many to feed like they do on the Oasis class ships so probably not that big a deal if this went fleet wide but it seems like right now it is only for Oasis class ships.

 

5:30 is too early if we want to have a pre-dinner drink. Turnover time for a table is more than an hour so it's harder to get a nice 2 top if you want to go around 6:30. We prefer the 2tops that aren't in a long row right next to one another. 

 

Edited by suzyluvs2cruise
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ONECRUISER

ONECRUISER

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

We sometimes refer to it as "Their Time Dining".

Can say that again. Each ship, and sailing can be different. Doing B2B's all the time one week Dining hrs can be different then second week, Serenade doing this last 4yrs. Last month MTD on her was open at 5pm, Main at 530pm and WJ had the "lengthy" 6-830 hours. One week last yr hundreds of us had wrong time for Early Main Dining. Mine said 5:30, as previous sailing was, other's said correct 6pm as was for that Cruise...  25-30+ yrs ago Early was either 6pm or 630pm, Late seating was either 830 or 9pm. Interesting thing back then was WJ dress in shorts no issue for Dinner, but had Table Clothes and Candles on table. Wait Staff would even bring Food and Drinks to table

Edited by ONECRUISER
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...