Skipping the MDR question

[KarenRB]

Going on Radiance in a few weeks and haven't sailed Royal in awhile.  I'm used to Norwegian's freestyle dining where you don't have an assigned dinner seating.  There's a good chance I'll just hit the buffet most nights.  Do I need to tell them I won't be needing a table?

[soremekun]

No need to let them know.

[Tatka]

49 minutes ago, KarenRB said:

Going on Radiance in a few weeks and haven't sailed Royal in awhile.  I'm used to Norwegian's freestyle dining where you don't have an assigned dinner seating.  There's a good chance I'll just hit the buffet most nights.  Do I need to tell them I won't be needing a table?

You can do My Time Dining which is pretty similar to Free Style.

[KarenRB]

I have early dining.

[neverbeenhere]

Actually, they prefer that you do tell them that you won’t be using the table. 

[SG65CB]

Yes it is good to visit the dining room and tell the head waiter that you won't be dining there. If you don't let them know they are likely to start calling your cabin asking if they have done something wrong (very worried about their survey rating), and will request you to come eat in the MDR.

 

Also, if you tell them in advance the waiter won't be left waiting for you and they can release your table to My Time diners. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

6 hours ago, KarenRB said:

I have early dining.

 

Unless you can change to My Time, then yes, let them know so that

a - any tablemates you might be assigned won't be kept waiting until the servers decide you're not coming

b - they can release the table to others

c - you hopefully won't get a call from the dining team to see where you are

 

If you have MTD I don't know that you need to let them know.

[adolfo2]

Royal knows if you have booked Specialty Dining and could, if they wanted to, release the table to MTD even if you don't inform them. Dining in buffet is a different story.

[MommaBear55]

It would be really nice if you could release your early table and switch to My Time Dining. A family with children would love your early seating. 

[KarenRB]

1 hour ago, MommaBear55 said:

It would be really nice if you could release your early table and switch to My Time Dining. A family with children would love your early seating. 

I hadn't thought of that. That's what I'll do.   I was going to check each day to see what was on the menu and decide then what I would do.

[orville99]

53 minutes ago, KarenRB said:

I hadn't thought of that. That's what I'll do.   I was going to check each day to see what was on the menu and decide then what I would do.

Two potential hiccups:

1) My Time Dining generally doesn't open until 6:30-6:45, so if you want to eat in the Dining Room earlier than that, the only option is the early fixed seating you already have.

 

2) The ability to select a specific dining time in MTD is probably gone by now, so you would be a "no reservations - seat you when we can find a table" walk in.

 

On the bright side, if you have the Royal App on your phone you can pull up the MDR menus before you board and plan ahead for the nights you want to eat there.

Edited January 20 by orville99

[Mum2Mercury]

12 hours ago, Tatka said:

You can do My Time Dining which is pretty similar to Free Style.

Yes, choose My Time Dining, then don't make any reservations. 

[orville99]

25 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Yes, choose My Time Dining, then don't make any reservations. 

Exactly what we do - even though we rarely ever eat there.

[1025cruise]

If you have early dining and don't intend to use your reserved seats at all, please let the Maitre'D know. My last two cruises pre-pandemic (one on Royal, one on Celebrity) we had late dining, were assigned a large table. Was looking forward to conversing with table mates. We ended up with a table for 2 at an 8 top the entire cruise. When brought up, the Maitre D was unwilling to move us.