My Time Dining

[scotslizzy]

Hi

 

We have decided to utilise MTD as we have enjoyed this experience with Princess. I presume it will work along the same lines,i.e. you ar asked if you want to share a large table for 8 or 6 or just dine alone ,is that how RC work MTD ?

 

I enjoy the Co around a large table and usually elect for this type but like everyone else there is always the odd night you just want to eat and go .

 

Thanks

Scotslizzy

[alicam]

Yes...when you go you can tell them you would like to sit with others....or if you would rather eat with your sig. other...you can do that as well

[macd4]

A new thread on My Time Dining is started everyday. (I've been reading them all :), and am leaning toward doing MTD on my cruise next month.)

 

Reports have been mixed on whether joining others is possible in MTD. Different ships seem to be doing it differently. One poster reported that they were unable to sit with others, and switched to main dining on the second night to get table-mates. All posters report that a majority of MTD tables are two-tops.

[NorbertsNiece]

My only experience of MTD was on Jewel. The choice was ours each night whether to dine alone or with others. We always sat in the same section. If we dined with others it was with the same group. There was a mix of table sizes from 2 - 10. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

[Kviolasr]

Just came back from the AOS, we did the MTD. There were 6 in our party and we asked for and received a table for 6. Seemed like everyone in the MTD area during the times that we dined were in pre-established groups that did not change during the cruise. It is probably not out of the question to sit with others but you need: 1) another party that wants company, 2) a table large enough to accomodate everyone. Seems like they were sizing the tables according to the size of the parties that signed up for MTD....

 

BTW: we loved the flexibility of MTD and would do it again.

[babygoon]

Has anyone done this yet on the Majesty of the Seas?

[bbfgator]

Hi Kviolasr - We're traveling AOS in June. I've signed up for MTD in advance. We really just want to have a resi for 7pm every night for a party of 6. Did you sign up after you were on board? We won't likely be on ship until 4pm so we're concerned that "spots" might all be taken.

[Kviolasr]

Hi Kviolasr - We're traveling AOS in June. I've signed up for MTD in advance. We really just want to have a resi for 7pm every night for a party of 6. Did you sign up after you were on board? We won't likely be on ship until 4pm so we're concerned that "spots" might all be taken.

 

 

bbfgator: we did sign up after we got on board (at around 2:00 ish). There were still slots open (and some empty tables every night) but many on board did not yet know about MTD yet (based on our conversations with others on the cruise).

 

Good Luck.

[alicam]

Has anyone done this yet on the Majesty of the Seas?

No..but they do have the port side section of the main dining room set aside for MTD....there were lots of people doing it...we did it last year on Serenade and this year I inquired about it but was told it wasn't available on Majesty...guess what...it was...another misinformation from head office...anyway...we tried traditional for the first time and it worked ok

[pltag]

bbfgator: we did sign up after we got on board (at around 2:00 ish). There were still slots open (and some empty tables every night) but many on board did not yet know about MTD yet (based on our conversations with others on the cruise).

I guess I'm still a little confused! :confused:

 

Did you have to decide your dining times for the whole week when you signed up on boarding day?

 

I've heard a few different things. I've heard folks say that each night the hostess would ask / confirm after dinner what time you wanted to eat the next night. Is this how it works or do you have to make a plan for the whole week? I'd rather go day by day.

 

Any help is appreciated! :)

[TexasR&H]

Will this be available on Voyager as well?

[negc]

I guess I'm still a little confused! :confused:

 

Did you have to decide your dining times for the whole week when you signed up on boarding day?

 

I've heard a few different things. I've heard folks say that each night the hostess would ask / confirm after dinner what time you wanted to eat the next night. Is this how it works or do you have to make a plan for the whole week? I'd rather go day by day.

 

Any help is appreciated! :)

 

You can go day by day if you wish - we did and we even skipped the dining room one evening to dine in Chops. You can make a standing reservation for the entire week, make separate reservations for each evening (in advance or each day) or simply show up when you wish to dine. In the last instance you could encounter a slight wait if many others chose the same dining time. They are currently limiting participation to a small section of the dining room and it is fairly new to the staff so sometimes they may not properly explain (or understand) all your options, but when it works properly, as it did with us, it is a success. We have always been pleased with traditional dining and were skeptical that both systems could successfully co-exist. Based on our experience on Navigator, we are quite likely to do MTD again on future cruises.:)

[Kviolasr]

pltag: Yes, you can decide each day what time you'd like to eat. However, on the AOS, the Head Waiter running MTD asked for our "preferential dining time" in order to keep a table for 6 (size of our party) open at that time - unless we told him differently. Seemed to us that our Head Waiter was trying very hard to always have a table open and not make us wait.

 

He also was trying to keep us with the same waitstaff (he asked after the first night if we were happy with the waitstaff - if so, he would try to always put us in that section of tables).

 

I'm sure if you do not volunteer any preference for times (want to just wing it everyday), you can tell the Head Waiter that and he will not make you any reservations at all. You will likely get the same speech we got: "better to make a standing reservation in advance and change it than just show up and possibly have to wait for a table".... We just picked 7:30 as our standing reservation and those nights we wanted to change, we advised to Head Waiter after dinner the night before. We actually always got the exact same table, no matter what time we ate.

 

Again, seemed like the dining room's desire to pin you down for a time preference was just so they could somewhat organize a rough schedule and then advise those calling each day (to make daily reservation) what was availablw without a wait.

 

On the AOS, the MTD crew was certainly new at this but were really trying hard to accomodate everyone. I had no complaints at all.

[peanutter]

I just want to say I appreciate those of you that have patiently answered questions about MTD. We have been offered that on our upcoming Enchantment cruise in May and weren't sure whether we would like it or not (previously cruised on Celebrity and like traditional). However, the idea that we would most likely be able to get a table for two tipped the scale in MTD's favor. Thanks for all the info!

[mohavemommy]

I will be checking out the table we have once we board the ship. If we don't like it then we will be signing up for MTD.

[pltag]

I just want to say I appreciate those of you that have patiently answered questions about MTD.

ME TOO!! THANKS! :)

 

Sounds like the best plan is to set a time for the week and just change / cancel it day to day.

 

Thanks for all your help!

[usha]

I just want to say I appreciate those of you that have patiently answered questions about MTD. We have been offered that on our upcoming Enchantment cruise in May and weren't sure whether we would like it or not (previously cruised on Celebrity and like traditional). However, the idea that we would most likely be able to get a table for two tipped the scale in MTD's favor. Thanks for all the info!

Open dining is definitely available on Enchantment?

Did your cruise agent tell you about it, or did you find out directly from Royal Caribbean?

[EBFURR]

I, too would like to inquire about MTD on Enchantment. We booked a couple of months ago for August and had heard the MTD was available. Asked TA about it and she said no problem. I noticed that the reservation still said second seating confirmed and I had not been asked to pre-pay tips so I called back. TA now says MTD not on Enchantment. I pressed the TA on this & after some back & forth between me, TA, & RCCL, I prepaid my tips and was told that we were enrolled in MTD. My reservation still says second seating.

 

If you have sailed Enchantment recently:

 

Does Enchantment have MTD?

 

Should my reservation show it?

[cruislovin]

Just came back from the AOS, we did the MTD. There were 6 in our party and we asked for and received a table for 6. Seemed like everyone in the MTD area during the times that we dined were in pre-established groups that did not change during the cruise. It is probably not out of the question to sit with others but you need: 1) another party that wants company, 2) a table large enough to accomodate everyone. Seems like they were sizing the tables according to the size of the parties that signed up for MTD....

 

BTW: we loved the flexibility of MTD and would do it again.

 

I see you list Adventure in 2009. Is that the ship where you did MTD? What is it, how does it work, how do you get it, etc? If there is another thread with this info please let me know but I did a search and nothing came up...:(

[NorbertsNiece]

My Time Dining Implementation 2009

 

Ship ---Starting Date

Liberty ---17-Jan

Vision ---18-Jan

Voyager ---1-Feb

Navigator ---5-Feb

(after drydock)

Explorer ---13-Feb

Adventure ---15-Feb

Grandeur ---26-Feb

Majesty ---27-Feb

Monarch ---8-Mar

Mariner ---9-Mar

Splendour ---23-Mar

Rhapsody ---2-Apr

My Time Dining.

 

You prepay your tips and request this dining option through your TA or whoever you book through. When you board you can visit the Main Dining Room and check out what options you have. You can pre selcet a dining time (between 6pm and 930 pm) where you will be given the same table each night or you may prefer to arrive whenever, in which case you may not get the same waiting staff. You can choose whether or not to share your table.

 

 

This is wonderful option in my opinion. If sailaway is during meal times you can still catch it. Similarly you don't have to miss a sunset because you've got a Main Dining Room sitting at that time. You are seated in a section of the main dining room so you don't miss any of the atmosphere. Of course the menu is identical.

[cruislovin]

Great info and thanks for the reply!

 

How does this work if you want to see the shows? We usually book late seating and some of the shows are before dinner and some are after dinner. We like the sound of this option but don't want to miss any shows.

 

Does anyone know what time late seating is now?