Dining time window

[PGHProducer]

I’m assigned dining at 5:15. Is the “window” to arrive at the MDR 5-515? Or 515-530?

[LeeW]

Dining room doors should open at 5:15, and doors close either 15 minutes or 1/2 hour later, depending on ship.  Crowd will gather before.  Helps if you know where your table is.

[paross4]

Our last cruise on Adventure we had traditional dining in the MDR at 5.  There was a sign at the entrance noting that the doors would close at 5:15.  Our table was very close to the doors (yuck -that's a story in itself) and I can confirm that most nights, the doors were closed by 5:20 - 5:30.  It was rare to see anyone show up after the doors were closed. 

So to answer your question, your window would be 5:15 - 5:30 in my opinion.  (more towards 5:30 so you don't have to stand in line waiting for the doors to open)

Hope that helps.

 

Edited March 29 by paross4
typo

[PGHProducer]

6 minutes ago, paross4 said:

Our last cruise on Adventure we had traditional dining in the MDR at 5.  There was a sign at the entrance noting that the doors would close at 5:15.  Our table was very close to the doors (yuck -that's a story in itself) and I can confirm that most nights, the doors were closed by 5:20 - 5:30.  It was rare to see anyone show up after the doors were closed. 

So to answer your question, your window would be 5:15 - 5:30 in my opinion.  (more towards 5:30 so you don't have to stand in line waiting for the doors to open)

Hope that helps.

 

It does. Thanks. I have no need to gather outside the door. I’d rather take my time, enjoy my drink, and then just walk right to my table. 

[GTO-Girl]

3 hours ago, PGHProducer said:

It does. Thanks. I have no need to gather outside the door. I’d rather take my time, enjoy my drink, and then just walk right to my table. 

We were also on the Adventure and the dining room opened at 5pm.  We found if we waited until 5-10min after we could walk right in with no crowds…

[PGHProducer]

1 minute ago, GTO-Girl said:

We were also on the Adventure and the dining room opened at 5pm.  We found if we waited until 5-10min after we could walk right in with no crowds…

Honestly 5:15 is a bit early for me…. So waiting till 5:30 is not a problem for me at all. 
 

really kind of hoping the new middle dining time comes to Liberty before this summer…

[GTO-Girl]

30 minutes ago, PGHProducer said:

Honestly 5:15 is a bit early for me…. So waiting till 5:30 is not a problem for me at all. 
 

really kind of hoping the new middle dining time comes to Liberty before this summer…

Not sure which ship you are going on, but as a previous poster said there was a sign stating the dining room would close after a certain time.  Ours was about 5:20 that the doors were closed…

[taglovestocruise]

Have read from some posters that MTD lines start forming a few minutes before the doors are even closed.   They are just waiting for a empty table to be available as soon as the doors close to early dinners . 

[cruiseboy89130]

1 hour ago, GTO-Girl said:

Ours was about 5:20 that the doors were closed…

Just open them and get in later! They don't have bouncers in the MDR on the ship!

[GTO-Girl]

2 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Just open them and get in later! They don't have bouncers in the MDR on the ship!

Wow!!!  How about just arriving at your assigned time???😳😳

[LindaD22]

We had early dining at 5:15. We noticed that our serving team would group together several tables of two and bring out dinner for the group at the same time, even though we were at separate tables. For this reason, we made a point of arriving on time so we didn’t hold up others’ dinner. 

[taglovestocruise]

3 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Just open them and get in later! They don't have bouncers in the MDR on the ship!

No bouncers, but they do have a line of MTD chomping at the bit to get a no show empty table. 

 Sometimes the line is out the door.

[PhillyFan33579]

10 hours ago, PGHProducer said:

I’m assigned dining at 5:15. Is the “window” to arrive at the MDR 5-515? Or 515-530?

If you have an assigned time at 5:15 PM, you should be at the MDR at 5:15 PM. Technically there is no window for fixed dining, although most waiters tend to be flexible for people who show up late (within reason). If you like the flexibility of showing up at the MDR at a time that is convenient for you, you should do your time dining. 

[LobsterStalker]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

If you have an assigned time at 5:15 PM, you should be at the MDR at 5:15 PM. Technically there is no window for fixed dining, although most waiters tend to be flexible for people who show up late (within reason). If you like the flexibility of showing up at the MDR at a time that is convenient for you, you should do your time dining. 

Unfortunately there is no such thing as Your time dining... Only THEIR time dining !

 

Cheers

[LuCruise]

We had 5pm dining on Wonder (pretty early).  The servers did mention that if we were not at our table by (I think) 5:15pm, our table would be opened up for someone else.  We always came at 5pm though as we know they have their schedule and server their tables their appetizers the same time, then main meals and then desserts.  It would be annoying for them if someone was off sync from the other tables.

[fpcruiser]

21 hours ago, PGHProducer said:

It does. Thanks. I have no need to gather outside the door. I’d rather take my time, enjoy my drink, and then just walk right to my table. 

Remember in most cases your tablemates will have to wait for you to arrive before they can start to be served.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

19 hours ago, PGHProducer said:

really kind of hoping the new middle dining time comes to Liberty before this summer…

I am currently on the anthem. And we were randomly assigned to the 630 fixed seating. We love it. And would sign up for this all the time. I imagine a lot of people would. There are only nine waiters who are currently doing that on this ship. And it’s a pretty big ship.
 

I think it’s a real struggle for the waiter. there have been several nights that the previous people were not finished by 6:30 or they finished up right at 6:30 and it took the headwaiter and all the waiting staff to frantically bus tables that were assigned to the 6:30 session. 

 

They added a bunch of chairs into an anti-room for us to sit and wait until the table is ready. That works if you have a few tables but it’s not gonna work if you have the whole dining room. I think they’re still working on the specifics.

 

 

Edited March 30 by DragonOfTheSeas

[cruiseguy1016]

Just got off Jewel. We had early dining. Our Seapasses said our dining time was 5:30. The sign at the entrance to the dining room said early seating was 5:15 and the doors would close at 5:30.

[BirdTravels]

On 3/29/2024 at 5:36 PM, cruiseboy89130 said:

Just open them and get in later! They don't have bouncers in the MDR on the ship!

But you will have nowhere to sit as your table is given to others. 

[DennysDad]

You know what really bugs me. This is the second year my travel documents, along with the initial choice of dining time, all say 5:30pm. Yet, when I get onboard it will say 5pm. I truly believe Royal Caribbean does this on purpose. Because 5:30 sounds better than 5pm. They don't seem to want to change the system to reflect the actual time you are booking, until you are onboard. So I show up at 515pm. If they don't like it, I take my tip and go elsewhere. P.S. I have never been turned away. 

[kpjb]

Long time NCL cruiser but booked our first RCL cruise going to Alaska in June.  All of the "normal" booking times were gone because we booked late, so we got "my time" dining.  But then when making reservations, it was all 7 or 7:30pm or later.  Is that normal, or something that will be able to be changed once on the ship?  I'm used to just walking up to a restaurant and being seated on NCL, so the specific times are a little odd for me.  Coming from the east coast, so that's like eating at 10pm for us.  I was hoping that My Time meant... you know... whatever time I wanted to go.  

[DennysDad]

Just now, kpjb said:

Long time NCL cruiser but booked our first RCL cruise going to Alaska in June.  All of the "normal" booking times were gone because we booked late, so we got "my time" dining.  But then when making reservations, it was all 7 or 7:30pm or later.  Is that normal, or something that will be able to be changed once on the ship?  I'm used to just walking up to a restaurant and being seated on NCL, so the specific times are a little odd for me.  Coming from the east coast, so that's like eating at 10pm for us.  I was hoping that My Time meant... you know... whatever time I wanted to go.  

My time dinning (to me) means, show up at ____time and wait. "Normal" with Royal is only 5pm and 8pm. Not massively flexible to the extent you may be use to. If you prefer early call and ask to be put on a wait-list for early.

[PGHProducer]

On 3/30/2024 at 10:39 PM, DennysDad said:

You know what really bugs me. This is the second year my travel documents, along with the initial choice of dining time, all say 5:30pm. Yet, when I get onboard it will say 5pm. I truly believe Royal Caribbean does this on purpose. Because 5:30 sounds better than 5pm. They don't seem to want to change the system to reflect the actual time you are booking, until you are onboard. So I show up at 515pm. If they don't like it, I take my tip and go elsewhere. P.S. I have never been turned away. 

 

 

Look. All the people saying "5:15 means 5:15"..... Even if the doors open at 5:15.... by the time the cattle call all go through the chute-- it's 5:30 anyway. So why not just wait until 5:30 and not deal with the flood of people?

[fpcruiser]

1 hour ago, PGHProducer said:

 

 

Look. All the people saying "5:15 means 5:15"..... Even if the doors open at 5:15.... by the time the cattle call all go through the chute-- it's 5:30 anyway. So why not just wait until 5:30 and not deal with the flood of people?

It usually takes less than 5 minutes for everyone to go to their seat after the first day..

[DennysDad]

1 hour ago, PGHProducer said:

 

 

Look. All the people saying "5:15 means 5:15"..... Even if the doors open at 5:15.... by the time the cattle call all go through the chute-- it's 5:30 anyway. So why not just wait until 5:30 and not deal with the flood of people?

No I really wasn't the one to quote. I'm saying when documents and online say 530 and ship says 5.