Your Time Dining recent experiences?

[groundloop]

I just got off Legend's 14 day cruise to Greenland.  We had Your Time Dining, which we've done for our past 10 or 12 cruises, and have always pretty much checked in as early as possible.  (On this particular cruise YTD and Early Dining started at 5:00 PM, while late dining started at 7:30 PM.)

 

One evening we felt like going to dinner a bit later and didn't check in on the Hub App until around 6 PM, at which time we had over an hour's wait and were finally seated at 7:15  So basically, it seems to me, Your Time Dining has devolved into essentially either Early or Late dining with the exception that you don't know which table you're going to be at.  

 

What's everyone else's experience with this?  Did we just get unlucky that one night?  

[FastShip24]

1 minute ago, groundloop said:

I just got off Legend's 14 day cruise to Greenland.  We had Your Time Dining, which we've done for our past 10 or 12 cruises, and have always pretty much checked in as early as possible.  (On this particular cruise YTD and Early Dining started at 5:00 PM, while late dining started at 7:30 PM.)

 

One evening we felt like going to dinner a bit later and didn't check in on the Hub App until around 6 PM, at which time we had over an hour's wait and were finally seated at 7:15  So basically, it seems to me, Your Time Dining has devolved into essentially either Early or Late dining with the exception that you don't know which table you're going to be at.  

 

What's everyone else's experience with this?  Did we just get unlucky that one night?  

You just went at the most popular time

[shof515]

I was on the Venezia 4 day cruise last week, popular times had a long wait times. I no issues getting a table around my usually time of around 7 with minimal wait times

[vwrestler171]

37 minutes ago, groundloop said:

I just got off Legend's 14 day cruise to Greenland.  We had Your Time Dining, which we've done for our past 10 or 12 cruises, and have always pretty much checked in as early as possible.  (On this particular cruise YTD and Early Dining started at 5:00 PM, while late dining started at 7:30 PM.)

 

One evening we felt like going to dinner a bit later and didn't check in on the Hub App until around 6 PM, at which time we had over an hour's wait and were finally seated at 7:15  So basically, it seems to me, Your Time Dining has devolved into essentially either Early or Late dining with the exception that you don't know which table you're going to be at.  

 

What's everyone else's experience with this?  Did we just get unlucky that one night?  

Just like any restaurant on land, you go during the popular times, expect to wait longer.

[1019throw]

We are early eaters so we typically go right at 545. I would just checkin through the app 45mins before you want to eat if not checking in right away.

[RiotAct]

6 minutes ago, 1019throw said:

We are early eaters so we typically go right at 545. I would just checkin through the app 45mins before you want to eat if not checking in right away.

exactly - the Hub app will tell you the estimated current wait time, so you can get a fairly good sense of how long it’ll take til you’re seated.  

 

Keep in mind that once they notify you that your table is ready, you only have 10 minutes to get down to the restaurant.

[jsglow]

So here's the thing. On those longer Journeys cruises there's much uniformity among the passengers; mostly retired folks.  So a large percentage of them immediately fill the YTD section pretty much right when it opens at 5:30 typically. And it probably takes on average 90 minutes to eat. Asking for a table 30-45 minutes into that process means an hour wait.

 

Tables after 7p are readily available; well before late dining seating.

[ray98]

It has always been like that for us.....pick the most popular time and it comes with a longer wait.

[Megan_Strick]

I think it is just like any land restaurant. If you go to most places on land at around 6 there will be a wait. 

[staceyglow]

If we want to eat early, DH and I will typically check in right at 5:20, which is when they normally open up check-in. We almost always get an -"under 10 minutes" wait. If we wait until 6:00, it can be an hour or more. 

[LHARTWICK]

14 hours ago, 1019throw said:

We are early eaters so we typically go right at 545. I would just checkin through the app 45mins before you want to eat if not checking in right away.

Exactly the same for us - and well said!

[grantbob]

Also, as we ran into last year on a Journeys cruise, you have a lot of Platinum and Diamond guest that get priority check in for dining ahead of you if you are not. Out wait times were pretty bad.

 

Since then we have turned platinum and done non-Journeys itineraries and have got seated quickly.

[ElCrapyTan]

YTD? A continued disaster as always since it is the dining option everyone wants, where everyone on the plan shows up at the same time, and where everyone pitches a fit because they are not seated within 3 minutes of checking in. 🤪

 

Everyone wants YTD dining, yet show up between 5:45 - 6:15 every evening and complain about the long wait, while the people with 6:00 early dining walk right in. Just book early dining in that case LOL😕

 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by ElCrapyTan

[Mike45LC]

On the Panorama early this month, we were a group of 6 with Your Time Dining.  We tended to eat around 7:00 p.m.  Out of 6 nights (not counting the one specialty dinner), we had only one wait of longer than 10 or 15 minutes, and that was about 20 minutes.  We "checked in" using the App, and by the time we coralled all 6 of us and made it to the Deck 3 Aft dining room, they were usually ready to seat us.  For us, this worked wonderfully!

 

[vwrestler171]

3 hours ago, ElCrapyTan said:

YTD? A continued disaster as always since it is the dining option everyone wants, where everyone on the plan shows up at the same time, and where everyone pitches a fit because they are not seated within 3 minutes of checking in. 🤪

 

Everyone wants YTD dining, yet show up between 5:45 - 6:15 every evening and complain about the long wait, while the people with 6:00 early dining walk right in. Just book early dining in that case LOL😕

 

 

While I am one of the few who try to get into the MDR at 5:30-6:00, it is nice being able to go later if we have a later time in port.  

[groundloop]

18 hours ago, grantbob said:

Also, as we ran into last year on a Journeys cruise, you have a lot of Platinum and Diamond guest that get priority check in for dining ahead of you if you are not. Out wait times were pretty bad.

 

Since then we have turned platinum and done non-Journeys itineraries and have got seated quickly.

 

Being Platinum or Diamond gets you bumped to the front of the line when requesting your dining option (Early, Late, YTD), it doesn't help you at all with getting a table through the Hub App (I'm Platinum and as mentioned had to wait over an hour the one time I waited 'til 6 PM).

 

Still, I suppose YTD is nice in that if for whatever reason we don't get the to dining room early we can still be served later in the evening.  

[jsglow]

20 hours ago, grantbob said:

Also, as we ran into last year on a Journeys cruise, you have a lot of Platinum and Diamond guest that get priority check in for dining ahead of you if you are not. Out wait times were pretty bad.

 

Since then we have turned platinum and done non-Journeys itineraries and have got seated quickly.

If I  understand you correctly, any implication that Dia/Plat get dining priority once onboard (table assignments via the computer when checking in on the App) is inaccurate. They do get priority when selecting Early/Late Fixed or YTD. But that's it.

[grantbob]

jsglow and groundloop:

 

My understanding was that it is the way both of you stated. However, on our Breeze sailing at the beginning of this year we never had to wait more than 5 minutes after checking in on the Hub app. Didn't really notice it at dinner, but at Seaday brunch we would quickly get a table for our group (including our kids/spouses) while there would be tons of people just outside MDR doors waiting for quite some time. I assumed we were getting moved to the top because of being platinum.

[jsglow]

20 hours ago, ElCrapyTan said:

YTD? A continued disaster as always since it is the dining option everyone wants, where everyone on the plan shows up at the same time, and where everyone pitches a fit because they are not seated within 3 minutes of checking in. 🤪

 

Everyone wants YTD dining, yet show up between 5:45 - 6:15 every evening and complain about the long wait, while the people with 6:00 early dining walk right in. Just book early dining in that case LOL😕

 

 

We prefer the flexibility. We also prefer to have dinner as a couple only. We recognize that it's either right at opening or later in the evening if a wait is unacceptable. Frankly, this is way less of an issue on a standard Caribbean cruise for reasons I won't reiterate here. It certainly can be an issue on a Journeys cruise. 

[ledges1]

I have noticed on the sea day brunch many individuals wait until they are at the door to use the app to reserve for breakfast. As a result, there is is a large backup in a very small area. With so many trying to book at the same time, I think it puts a strain on the apps capability to respond timely. Many times the elevators open and there is no room for the people to exit.

[SRQbeachgirl]

5 hours ago, grantbob said:

jsglow and groundloop:

 

My understanding was that it is the way both of you stated. However, on our Breeze sailing at the beginning of this year we never had to wait more than 5 minutes after checking in on the Hub app. Didn't really notice it at dinner, but at Seaday brunch we would quickly get a table for our group (including our kids/spouses) while there would be tons of people just outside MDR doors waiting for quite some time. I assumed we were getting moved to the top because of being platinum.

 

What you saw was very likely the line of people who did NOT check in on the Hub app and were just lining up to wait. That is what we've seen every time. Meanwhile, the people (like us) who checked in on the Hub app would get the notification that our table is ready and would walk right passed all the people standing in line.