Final payment made! …now MDR question!

[redflag216]

I just made final payment for my February 2024 cruise on the Ruby Princess. I was looking at setting dining reservations for each night. While I know that each dining room will serve the same menu, is there any benefit of booking one specific dining room over another (i.e. better service, location etc)? If it helps any, it is just my spouse and I, and we are looking to book a table for two. Thanks!

[Rick&Jeannie]

For every ship we have been on, I personally don't think that there is any difference other than possibly the decor, though I cannot speak for the Ruby since that is one ship that we have not sailed on yet. 

[karatemom2]

As someone who also prefers a table for two, what I would encourage you to do is make a standing reservation in advance via the app for each night for two people. We generally prefer the midship dining rooms on deck 5 and 6 to the large aft dining room. We like to try to get a separate table for two as opposed to one of the two tops in a long row - you might as well be sitting at a group table. So we try to scout out a table with the host the first evening of our cruise that is one of the free standing, more private tables for two and then we reserve that same table for the remainder of our cruise. That way we can come back each evening to the same table, waitstaff and avoid standing in line.

[Catchum]

You will always find food on a cruise ship, why lock yourself into booking a set time? When you are ready to eat check out the options and enjoy. You may want to finish watching a movie, have a shower after a long day ashore, see the sail away, stay chatting in vines with a new friend. Our experience is that after 7 tables for two are usually available, if on one night we want a early dinner in the MDR then we spin the shared table roulette- the odds are better than the casino.

[memoak]

In some ways it is easier to get a table in the aft dining room since it is larger, no carve out for reserve class folks and less people wanting to go down the stairs or aft elevators

[rbtan]

We book Club Class(now Reserve) we always have a 2 top table available. We're not too picky about which dining room, admit one more "centered" would be better for really smoother table dining.

[memoak]

27 minutes ago, rbtan said:

We book Club Class(now Reserve) we always have a 2 top table available. We're not too picky about which dining room, admit one more "centered" would be better for really smoother table dining.

Reserve class dining is only in one dining room and on all grand class and Royal class ships I have been on it is always in the midship deck 6 dining room

 

[TheDawg79]

The change of scenery is enough for me to alternate my MDR reservations between the different venues. 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, TheDawg79 said:

The change of scenery is enough for me to alternate my MDR reservations between the different venues. 

What scenery ? All the dining rooms are enclosed.  Are you talking about the people eating there ?

[TheDawg79]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

What scenery ? All the dining rooms are enclosed.  Are you talking about the people eating there ?

I’m talking about being in a different location with different decour to look at. They have each have themes. THAT scenery! 🤣😂

[billco]

We like aft dining room when elite/platinum happy hour is in Vista lounge

[trin880]

40 minutes ago, billco said:

We like aft dining room when elite/platinum happy hour is in Vista lounge

There is a happy hour? Really? What's the deal?

[Torfamm]

What location is best is very subjective. I prefer Michelangelo to be close to Vines so it’s easy to bring a glass of wine to dinner. I find it a huge pain to get to Botticelli that requires walking up two flights of stairs in order to walk across on deck 7 to get access to its location on deck 6. 

[karatemom2]

9 hours ago, trin880 said:

There is a happy hour? Really? What's the deal?

Some Princess ships hold the Elite/Platinum cocktail and hors d’oeuvres evening hours in the Vista Lounge which is close to the aft dining room. It is just a small buffet of pre dinner snacks - cheese, crackers, crudités, pigs in a blanket, etc. And there is a menu of cocktails available at a reduced price - $8 on our last cruise this summer. It’s a nice loyalty perk. 

[Cruise Raider]

53 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

Some Princess ships hold the Elite/Platinum cocktail and hors d’oeuvres evening hours in the Vista Lounge which is close to the aft dining room. It is just a small buffet of pre dinner snacks - cheese, crackers, crudités, pigs in a blanket, etc. And there is a menu of cocktails available at a reduced price - $8 on our last cruise this summer. It’s a nice loyalty perk. 

We had our dinner there most nights on a couple of cruises.  
Recently, we were on the Ruby and they had it up in Skywalkers and yummmmm!  They had samosas, egg rolls, sushi, etc .. all sorts of warm dishes that we haven’t seen on many ships.  They even had macadamia nuts one night.  
There was a roving guitar player / bar supervisor .. he made happy hour so much fun!  
 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

15 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

We had our dinner there most nights on a couple of cruises.  
Recently, we were on the Ruby and they had it up in Skywalkers and yummmmm!  They had samosas, egg rolls, sushi, etc .. all sorts of warm dishes that we haven’t seen on many ships.  They even had macadamia nuts one night.  
There was a roving guitar player / bar supervisor .. he made happy hour so much fun!  
 

I just did 19 days on the Emerald (august/September) and had the same lovely experience.  Did not go to MDR for dinner even once. Sushi nights were awesome. They had the best chicken wings I’ve ever had on a ship a couple of nights too. Big, fat, plump and juicy. And Skywalker's is the best venue.  Beautiful panoramic views in all directions.  Looking forward to a repeat on the Sapphire this December.  
 

 The drink specials were actually quite nice. If you have a package it works there as well. If you let the bar staff know your wine preferences they will do their best to get it stocked for you 

[Cruise Raider]

2 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

I just did 19 days on the Emerald (august/September) and had the same lovely experience.  Did not go to MDR for dinner even once. Sushi nights were awesome. They had the best chicken wings I’ve ever had on a ship a couple of nights too. Big, fat, plump and juicy. And Skywalker's is the best venue.  Beautiful panoramic views in all directions.  Looking forward to a repeat on the Sapphire this December.  
 

 The drink specials were actually quite nice. If you have a package it works there as well. If you let the bar staff know your wine preferences they will do their best to get it stocked for you 

You said the magic words .. chicken wings!  Oh, and wine!  😆 
 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Cruise Raider

[MissP22]

19 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

 We like to try to get a separate table for two as opposed to one of the two tops in a long row - you might as well be sitting at a group table. 

We did that last cruise & after we found a table for 2 that we liked with a decent waiter, a chatter box began sitting next to us & wouldn't stop talking. She wouldn't take the hint that we didn't care to have an 1 1/2 hour conversation each evening - we should have moved.

[rbtan]

6 hours ago, MissP22 said:

We did that last cruise & after we found a table for 2 that we liked with a decent waiter, a chatter box began sitting next to us & wouldn't stop talking. She wouldn't take the hint that we didn't care to have an 1 1/2 hour conversation each evening - we should have moved.

We had that problem on the celebrity Eclipse.When it was obvious they were not going to move, we did instead.Casual conversation is fine, but.....

[MissP22]

15 hours ago, rbtan said:

We had that problem on the celebrity Eclipse. When it was obvious they were not going to move, we did instead. Casual conversation is fine, but.....

What's puzzling to me is why someone would select a table for 2, which are at a premium most times, and then proceed to engage others around them in continuous conversation every night. 

Just sit at a large table & be done with it. 

[mattR]

On 11/20/2023 at 5:30 PM, memoak said:

Reserve class dining is only in one dining room and on all grand class and Royal class ships I have been on it is always in the midship deck 6 dining room

 

What is reserve class?

[memoak]

1 hour ago, mattR said:

What is reserve class?

Special dining area for full suites and reserve class mini suites 

[MissP22]

11 hours ago, mattR said:

What is reserve class?

It's an area in one of the DR's they set aside for people in full suites & those that purchase it where no reservations have to be made. They include one special dish each night that's additional to the main menu. 

[ExPhotog]

If it sways your decision at all…

I worked on Crown (sister ship to Ruby).

DaVinci shares a kitchen with Botticelli, Michelangelo shares a kitchen with the crew mess.

All are good, although a 2 person table will be easier to get later in the evening, regardless of location.

 

Michelangelo might be (slightly) more enjoyable in rough seas as its midship and low down. It's also closer to Vines to grab a better selection of wine if you’re particular about your grape.