Set Dining - Never show up?

[fuddrules]

How often does this happen and is it ok?

 

We just booked Mardi Gras for June and the only available dining is late😴.  We've never done set dining and I don't know anything about it.   We've always had YTD and always eat early.   It's looking like buffet for us.

 

Can you show up for just dessert occasionally, eat and leave?  We may have to have 1(or more) WCMC.

 

Note:  We just booked because our daughter is working on the ship this summer and she just found out her ship assignment Friday afternoon so.....we've been waiting to book, just didn't know on what ship.  

Edited May 1, 2023 by fuddrules

[Clarasgrandma]

Yes, you can go and just order dessert.  You could also get on the waiting list for any time dining or the early dining and see what happens.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

First try the waitlist.  If that doesn't pan out:

 

Go see the matre d when you get on board; there will be set ours when he/she is available. 

 

Odds are pretty good they can accomodate you.

[firefly333]

I only went lobster night and did pay venues the other nights. 

 

But yes if I wanted anytime I'd ask when I boarded. 

[Honolulu Blue]

7 hours ago, fuddrules said:

How often does this happen and is it ok?

I'm more intrigued by the question you ask in the title of your post than by the one that's actually in your post (which seems well covered by others), so I'll go with that.

 

Once I was accidentally given early dining instead of my preferred YTD.  I'm sure I could have changed it (or lobbied to change it), but it just wasn't that big of a deal, so I left it as it was.  And I never went in the dining room on that cruise.  I didn't give a thought to the feelings of my servers or my tablemates.  I'm sure after day 2, they figured out what was going on.

[shipgeeks]

If you aren't able to change your assignment, and you don't plan to be there, you should let the dining room staff know.

We have been at tables where no one else showed up.  We would wait to order, in hopes that our tablemates were just a bit late. Other tables had one lonely diner. But none could be combined, even at our request, because the records showed that Mr. and Mrs. X, Y and Z had reservations there.

[mz-s]

One cruise - same thing, wife and I booked later than usual and it was a special itinerary so lots of olds on the cruise who want the sidewalks rolled up by 8PM, late dining was all that was left. We went maybe twice, just on the lobster nights (back then in the times of plenty - butter, lobster, bacon, meat with a bone in it in general - was in abundance. Are the good times really over for good?).

 

If I go to hell, it won't be because I left my table empty on most nights of that cruise. So yes, it's OK to not go to your set dining time.

[Illbcruzn4life]

8 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I only went lobster night and did pay venues the other nights. 

 

But yes if I wanted anytime I'd ask when I boarded. 

Thats basically what we are doing this week on the Celebration. Did teppanyaki last night. We also have Rudis and Fahrenheit 555 booked. Also plan on hitting Capitano italian place. Lobster night on lobster night. Might try Pig and Anchor again. On Horizon wasnt too good but at least this time it is free. (I think).

[ninjacat123]

My DH and I had a table for two in MDR and when we were there we noticed a table for ten that one young man sat at by himself.  He ate his dinner alone and then left.  This happened another night.  Then the third night a young woman sat at that table by herself, she ate dinner by herself and then left.  The next night, the young man was there.  We thought it was like a movie meet cute, except they never met.😞

[ninjacat123]

2 hours ago, mz-s said:

If I go to hell, it won't be because I left my table empty on most nights of that cruise. So yes, it's OK to not go to your set dining time.

Isn't this the eleventh commandment?  "Thou must not leave MDR table empty".  I'm still snorting with laughter.  Thanks for the Monday morning fun🤣

[shipgeeks]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

My DH and I had a table for two in MDR and when we were there we noticed a table for ten that one young man sat at by himself.  He ate his dinner alone and then left.  This happened another night.  Then the third night a young woman sat at that table by herself, she ate dinner by herself and then left.  The next night, the young man was there.  We thought it was like a movie meet cute, except they never met.😞

Yeah, that makes me sad.  It's one thing for us, as a twosome, to be left alone at a big table, but I hate to see a single, who probably requested a large table, unable to dine with others.

So I will repeat: Please, people, if you are not going to dine in the MDR, tell them, so they can reseat people who are alone.

[MistyRo76]

54 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Yeah, that makes me sad.  It's one thing for us, as a twosome, to be left alone at a big table, but I hate to see a single, who probably requested a large table, unable to dine with others.

So I will repeat: Please, people, if you are not going to dine in the MDR, tell them, so they can reseat people who are alone.

We had a large group traveling together seated at one table in the MDR. We saw a gal at the table next to us dining alone. We told her she was welcome to join us, but she politely declined. Being a party of one, she got through her meal pretty quick so she was almost done by the time our apps were coming and we noticed her alone. 

 

I would think on the larger ships with more for-fee dining options available, it is likely more and more common that people aren't showing up for their assigned dining time. But I believe for people with late dining, they are restricted to dining at the for-fee venues until later in the evening. For the buffet, it won't be an issue to show up anytime you'd like. 

 

As others have said, check in with the hostess stand in the dining room when you board and see if you can be switched to your preferred dining option. I think many times they will be able to accommodate you. And prior to your sailing, your TA/PVP should be able to add you to the waitlist. 

 

Happy sailing to the OP! And congrats to your daughter on her job! 

[ibarrio]

On our next cruise (7 day Panorama) we wont see the MDR until Tuesday. JiJi on Saturday, Steakhouse on Sunday, Guys BBQ on Monday...

[scoobysnacks70]

I would think that it is fine to be a no show but rude not to tell them.  That table could be converted to YTD.  If it's assigned to you then its held for you.  You could show up on the last night and they would have that table waiting for you...

[bassmk]

I think you should let them know or switch to YTD just because usually there is a waitlist for dining times. If you don't plan to ever use your reservation, let it go and give it to someone on the waitlist.

[1025cruise]

From my standpoint: I was on two cruises where I had traditional dining with the desire to have tablemates. On both of those cruises, no one else showed up at the table. It wasn't until later on that we were told that the other diners had made alternate arrangements. If you don't plan to use your assigned table, please let the Maitre D know so they can assign someone else there.

[fuddrules]

Thanks for all of the replies.  I got wrapped up traveling and didn't get a chance to respond sooner.  

 

We are on the wait list for the Your Time dining.  Assuming that doesn't work out we will let the Maitre D know our plans.  

[wemjam]

23 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

If I go to hell, it won't be because I left my table empty on most nights of that cruise. So yes, it's OK to not go to your set dining time.

Ok, yes...... but common courtesy would be to let them know so others are not impacted by you not showing up. 🙃  Like service being delayed to assure you are not just running a little late, or someone else being given your spot if you do not want it and they do.

 

But of course, in todays day and age common courtesy isn't so common.

[mz-s]

Just now, wemjam said:

Ok, yes...... but common courtesy would be to let them know so others are not impacted by you not showing up. 🙃  Like service being delayed to assure you are not just running a little late, or someone else being given your spot if you do not want it and they do.

 

But of course, in todays day and age common courtesy isn't so common.

 

Even on nights we go to assigned dinner, they don't start service promptly at 6:00 or whatever time it is now. They always wait at least 5 minutes or so for everyone to get in before they start service. I don't think it's a big deal.

[asalligo]

This will be very common on the Mardi Gras with so many places to eat and we did something just like this only two weeks ago on the Celebration. We had a totally underwhelming meal at Pig and Anchor and then around 7:30 went to the MDR and just had appetizers and desserts. 

[jsglow]

18 hours ago, scoobysnacks70 said:

I would think that it is fine to be a no show but rude not to tell them.  That table could be converted to YTD.  If it's assigned to you then its held for you.  You could show up on the last night and they would have that table waiting for you...

That won't work.  Individual tables aren't randomly reassigned to YTD. They reserve entire dining rooms for that.

[asalligo]

3 hours ago, jsglow said:

That won't work.  Individual tables aren't randomly reassigned to YTD. They reserve entire dining rooms for that.

 

Exactly, on the Celebration, Carnivale is for assigned seating and Festivale is for YTD. 

[AFS1970]

On my lats cruise, which was on RCI, not Carnival, DW & I were at a table for 4. The other younger couple were I believe on their honeymoon. There was a slight language barrier, in that they wee more comfortable in a different language, the Husband spoke with us, but the wife just exchanged pleasantries. That was night one, on night two they didn't show up. I asked if we needed to wait to order and the waiter said they had requested a different table. The waiter was aware that we would be alone for the rest of the cruise and could change accordingly. One the one night we went to a specialty restaurant, we let the waiter know that he would not have anyone at that table. It just seemed like common courtesy.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 5/1/2023 at 10:09 AM, ninjacat123 said:

 We thought it was like a movie meet cute, except they never met.😞

I will infer their names were not Harry & Sally.

[latebloomer56]

We are new (almost sailed Carnival 2004 & 2005) TA said she couldn't get us early seating which is what we always get on other lines, so have YTD? Should we ask to be waitlisted or just go and wait at early seating? We always sit at a table for two if that makes a difference.

Thanks