My Time Dining -- Has anyone used it yet?

[BeckyC]

I know My Time Dining is offered on a few ships right now and I'm wondering if anyone has used it yet. We'll be on Serande of the Seas in a few weeks and want to change to MTD. If you have used it, where on the ship do you request the change to MTD as I know you have to prepay gratuities. So I'm wondering do I make the request at the 'front' desk or at the main diningroom.

[BeckyC]

I thought I'd answer my own question.

I received an email from RCCL the week before we sailed offering the My Time Dining to us. They directed us to our travel agent to make the request and to pay the gratuities. If you don't make the arrangements ahead of time for MTD you should go to Guest Relations to request the change as soon as you board the ship.

We sailed on Serenade of the Seas the week of March 15 and used My Time Dining. It worked out wonderfully for our family. We did have to prepay our gratuities for the stateroom attendant, head waiter, waiter and asst. waiter, but they were all so wonderful to us that we tipped them more at the end of the cruise.

We made standing reservations for a certain table by the window with the same waite staff every night. When they saw us coming they had our bottles of wine delivered and the kids had their sodas without even asking for them. We ate late enough to enjoy the sail away parties and still have time to freshen up and early enough to enjoy the second show at the theater.

RCCL had devoted a little less than one-half of the 5th floor of the Reflections Dining Room for MTD. The remainder of the floor plus 4th floor Reflections were all early/late seatings. The waiters liked the MTD as it made their evenings more interesting instead of doing the same thing all at the same time -- monotonous as one said.

My Time Dining may not be for everyone, but it certainly worked out well for my family.

[greenbriar]

so does that mean you can eat any time of the evening you wish?



explain more please

[BeckyC]

You can make a reservation between 6:00 - 9:30 in the main dining room. You can make the reservation by phone from your room, you can just walk in and request a table (you might have to wait) or the head waiter will come to your table and ask you when you'd like to make reservations for the next evening. When the head waiter would come to our table he always told us what the show would be the next day and what times it would be offered. He would even suggest the latest you should come for dinner in order to catch a certain show. You can request a table just for your party or you can be seated with others -- your choice. You can ask for the same waite staff at different times of the evening if you want. It's just like making reservations at a restaurant at home.

[cruisequeen]

Is RCL doing this on all of their ships or just a select few? I had not heard of this on RCL.

We used anytime dining on Princess last fall. But only one night. We wanted to watch sail away and couldnt' do that if we went to our assigned dining.

[BeckyC]

My Time Dining is only available on a few ships at this time according to the blurb on RCCL's website. They are Brilliance of the Seas from Feb. 22 to July 18, 2008, Freedom of the Seas Oct. 15, 2007-December 28, 2008 and Serenade of the Seas from March 8-June 7, 2008.

[sidekick98]

These are the ships with MTD

Brilliance of the Seas
February 22 - December 21, 2008
Freedom of the Seas
October 15, 2007 - December 28, 2008
Serenade of the Seas
March 8 - December 27, 2008
Jewel of the Seas
June 16, 2008 - December 29, 2008
Radiance of the Seas
June 20, 2008 - December 20, 2008

I dont think it will suit me at all look forward to meeting the new friends you have made and met at dinner to exchange your stories of the day .......... not new ones every day to break the ice. You say the people looked after you so well, thats good .......... but what if you had bad service or a really bad waiter ........ YES I have had one and reported him very quickly. RCCL seems to be going down this avenue to me its a step backward if you want informal cruisng use one of the informal lines.

[JerryHirsch007]

Originally Posted by BeckyC

I know My Time Dining is offered on a few ships right now and I'm wondering if anyone has used it yet. We'll be on Serande of the Seas in a few weeks and want to change to MTD. If you have used it, where on the ship do you request the change to MTD as I know you have to prepay gratuities. So I'm wondering do I make the request at the 'front' desk or at the main diningroom.

Wow, something new! Never heard of "MTD"! What is it? Is it like NCL's open seating?