Dinner Seating

[Ditzy Diner]

Assignment is second seating. Family has first. What can be done? I am afraid of Dine your time that we will ear at 4 ir 11 pm please advice

[Woody14]

once you board go to the main dinning room and speak to them at the entrance.   they can likely get you all fixed up.     do this early don't wait till dinner time.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Ditzy Diner I would do exactly what @Woody14 recommended. As soon as you are able, ask the dining room staff to help make those adjustments. I would do it as soon as you are able to ensure it all gets taken care of. The closer it gets to dinner time, the longer/more chaotic the lines will be. It's very likely you will be able to get both you and your family on the same dining time. Hopefully you are both assigned to dine in the same dining room! When is your cruise?

[euroguy]

@Ditzy Diner I agree with what others have advised. You will need to speake with the head of dinning which will be at the entrance of the restaurant in an officers uniform.  

on my last cruise in september i had an issue with my dinning as i was approved for early dinning but for whatever reason the system put me for anytime... barf.  Now comes the twist in the past I've had to make ding ING changes and the person was always available prior to opening g time however during my Alaska cruise noone was available until the time the restaurant opened which was a real pain so be prepared for that possibility. I would maybe make sure your whole family is with you when talking to them

[RoadTravelled]

@Ditzy Diner  I would agree with all of these suggestions.  The first thing we do when we get onboard is to head to the MDR and speak to either the maître d' or whomever is at the reception desk to check our table assignments.  We tend to go for the 2-top tables rather than being a part of a group.  It's just better for us, especially for long cruises.

The dining staff are always helpful in switching us out to a table we prefer.  They either do it right there on the spot, or more often they put us on a "waiting list" and then we'll receive confirmation later that day in our cabin of the change (or lately we notice is on the HUB app as to the change).  But, the key is to get to them first thing onboard.

On only one occasion were they unable to find a table for us at early dining that worked.  So, we stepped out and went to YTD dining instead.  We actually liked that as it gave us more flexibility to stay in port.  Many of the ports had sail away times after early dining started.  So, that helped with better use of our time.  We did however miss having the same waiters each night that knew our preferences and didn't give us a chance to get to know the wait staff well as usual.  But, we had some great waiters nevertheless and got to sit all over the MDR as a result which was fun too.

A quick reminder.  Many of the ships have 2 MDR venues.  So, if you go to one and there's no one there, trek over to the other one.  We found this to be the case multiple times that they only pre-staff one.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@RoadTravelled It's such a great idea to approach the maître d' and ask about seating arrangements. I will be cruising with another family this month, and I want to ensure we are sitting at the same table together in the MDR. It's a brilliant idea to stop in there and ensure we are all at one big table together. Thanks for reminding me of this. I have our bookings linked, but we booked at alternate times. I also have a slightly better booking package so I want to make sure we are still together even though the rooms are linked. This is another great tip, ensuring we are all in the same MDR. I can't imagine how much more of a headache it would be to switch dining rooms! Although I typically fleet to the buffet first, on this cruise I will go straight to the MDR. Your input is much appreciated! You may have just saved our dining experience. 

[Old Cruiser]

On 2/2/2024 at 8:18 AM, Ditzy Diner said:

Assignment is second seating. Family has first. What can be done? I am afraid of Dine your time that we will ear at 4 ir 11 pm please advice

I would do what the others have suggested.

Just an FYI. If you had anytime dining or whatever Carnival calls their version of it you would eat when you choose between 5:15pm and 9pm.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Old Cruiser Thanks for the tip! I haven't had My Time dining in such a long time. I believe the program has advanced so much since my cruise with that dining flexibility. It's very nice to stroll up to dinner whenever you feel like it. On my recent cruises I chose the early dining time slot. Sometimes it's great and other times I wish I had more flexibility to dine a bit later based on the ship itinerary for the day. 

[euroguy]

The only problem I've seen with CCL anytime dining is they make you use the hub app to say you're ready to be seated and usually there is a large crowd waiting g to get in so you end up waiting 30-60 minutes utes to get seated.

I personally select early dining as this allows a lot more flexibility for shows, comedy clubs and other activities. I do agree at times it does at times creat a short window between re boarding at a port and dinner and it makes it usually difficult to see sunsets. I guess I pick my battles.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@euroguy I wouldn't want to wait to be seated. If that's the case, I would prefer to dine at the selected dining time. I prefer the predictability piece of not not having to wait. Once I roll up to the dining room, I'm ready to eat! I also enjoy the early dining hour when possible. I don't mind leaving a port early to make it back in time to get ready before my dinner slot either. The MDR experience is a luxury I hate to miss. I typically try to dine in the MDR as often as possible, including lunch and breakfast if the schedule allows. Sometimes it's harder to make lunch in the MDR when you are having a good time out by the pool. Pizza and burgers can end up being more convenient if you have a good spot near the poolside entertainment! 

[FJB]

We’ve only done anytime dining once or twice on other cruiselines.  As someone said, we always had to wait 15 minutes or more, especially when we had a group of seven.  We prefer fixed seating time at the later hour (8:30). 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB It's a wait, but 15 minutes isn't that bad. It's way different than 30 plus minutes. I think I would still prefer to just walk up and to my table and be served right away. I'm not the type to be able to wait for food. In the morning, I rush to eat breakfast actually. I'm not an over eater, but when I'm hungry I eat. That's one reason I love the bread and butter at the table. I grab one of those and it puts me in a good mood instantly. Maybe food is my love language. 

[Old Cruiser]

Our last Carnival cruise on Celebration we neverwaited more than 10 minutes. Usally lobster night is  the longest wait. We let the dining room know weare ready right before we leave our cabin.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Old Cruiser I can't say I'm surprised about the "lobster night" having the longest wait time. Carnival Celebration seems to have its MDR operations very organized and streamlined. Many other ships don't operate as such capacity. The idea of letting the dining room know before you leave your cabin is brilliant. I never thought to do that, but it makes perfect sense. When did you decide to take such a step? I think all guests should consider doing this to save on wait times. You seem like a seasoned cruiser with many good cruise tips! 

[Old Cruiser]

8 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@Old Cruiser I can't say I'm surprised about the "lobster night" having the longest wait time. Carnival Celebration seems to have its MDR operations very organized and streamlined. Many other ships don't operate as such capacity. The idea of letting the dining room know before you leave your cabin is brilliant. I never thought to do that, but it makes perfect sense. When did you decide to take such a step? I think all guests should consider doing this to save on wait times. You seem like a seasoned cruiser with many good cruise tips! 

We started doing that when we were on the Horizon a couple cruises ago. Ty for the kind words. Going on cruise #43 next month. We are equal opportunity cruisers so we cruise with most lines.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Old Cruiser Wow, it's so impressive you will be on cruise #43 soon! You are a very experienced cruiser, even more than I had thought. You made me laugh with your "equal opportunity cruiser" comment. My goal is to be able to say I have traveled to (hopefully cruised to) all seven continents at some point. Have you cruised outside of your continent of residence before? At this stage in my life, I try to cruise affordably and conservatively, but I have ambitions to do more. I found out on my last cruise that I am officially a Diamond member with MSC Cruises. I have been loyal to the brand for the past six years and clearly that has paid off for me. The loyalty benefits at this highest tier level really don't compare to many other lines like CCL. I'm hopeful MSC Cruises will up its game with loyalty perks in the months/years to come. 

[Old Cruiser]

3 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@Old Cruiser Wow, it's so impressive you will be on cruise #43 soon! You are a very experienced cruiser, even more than I had thought. You made me laugh with your "equal opportunity cruiser" comment. My goal is to be able to say I have traveled to (hopefully cruised to) all seven continents at some point. Have you cruised outside of your continent of residence before? At this stage in my life, I try to cruise affordably and conservatively, but I have ambitions to do more. I found out on my last cruise that I am officially a Diamond member with MSC Cruises. I have been loyal to the brand for the past six years and clearly that has paid off for me. The loyalty benefits at this highest tier level really don't compare to many other lines like CCL. I'm hopeful MSC Cruises will up its game with loyalty perks in the months/years to come. 

No we have not. Just the Bahamas, Caribbean, Bermuda, and 1 Alaska. I retired last March and today is my wife's last day. Hopefully we can do Europe now that we don't have to worry about getting more than 7 days off. South Pacific is another I'd like to try but my better half doesn't want to be stuck in an airplane that many hours. I can argue that point. I'm not into that much either.

As for the equal opportunity comment we go where we get the most bang for our buck with the itinerary we like. I'd love to go on the Icon of the Seas but those prices are staggering. Maybe someday.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Old Cruiser The next cruise I take, I want it to be an Alaskan cruise. It would be such new territory for me and my family considering we have always cruised the Caribbean. When you cruised Alaska, which cruise line did you choose? I feel the complete same about Icon of the Seas. The prices are way too high, although people are paying them. I know better than to overspend on an unnecessary cruise experience. I could have just as much fun on another RCL ship for half the cost. Eventually, its glory days will fade away. I will enjoy the ship when those days are over. 

[Old Cruiser]

48 minutes ago, Cruising Caribbean said:

@Old Cruiser The next cruise I take, I want it to be an Alaskan cruise. It would be such new territory for me and my family considering we have always cruised the Caribbean. When you cruised Alaska, which cruise line did you choose? I feel the complete same about Icon of the Seas. The prices are way too high, although people are paying them. I know better than to overspend on an unnecessary cruise experience. I could have just as much fun on another RCL ship for half the cost. Eventually, its glory days will fade away. I will enjoy the ship when those days are over. 

I went on Princess cruises for my Alaskan cruise. They have a fair amount of ships in Alaska. I wanted to see the Hubbard Glacier and Carnival didn't do an itinerary that went there when we went. 

I keep looking for a deal on the Icon or Star but none to be had. I am like you,I'll wait until the prices come down.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Old Cruiser Yes I have noticed that Princess Cruises does many Alaskan itineraries, but I would feel guilty bringing my family with kids along on this line. I feel think children aren't really welcome on Princess Cruises. I would love to explore the Hubbard Glacier, but I didn't know CCL doesn't cruise there.

Maybe after a year of sailing, Icon of the Seas may come at a cheaper rate. I just don't see the experience as valuable enough! If the itineraries were epic, then I would think otherwise. Maybe in the next couple of years the ship will cruise to other fun destinations that would entice me. 

[Old Cruiser]

On 3/19/2024 at 11:59 AM, Cruising Caribbean said:

@Old Cruiser Yes I have noticed that Princess Cruises does many Alaskan itineraries, but I would feel guilty bringing my family with kids along on this line. I feel think children aren't really welcome on Princess Cruises. I would love to explore the Hubbard Glacier, but I didn't know CCL doesn't cruise there.

Maybe after a year of sailing, Icon of the Seas may come at a cheaper rate. I just don't see the experience as valuable enough! If the itineraries were epic, then I would think otherwise. Maybe in the next couple of years the ship will cruise to other fun destinations that would entice me. 

I thought I posted this yesterday but I don't see it so let's try again. I apologize as i misspoke. Instead of Hubbard Glacier I meant Glacier Bay. Carnival used to only visit this Glacier on the first sailing of the Alaska season and the last. Not sure if they do it at all now.

As for taking kids on Princess if it were a Caribbean cruise i would agree but on an Alaskan cruise they are pretty port intensive. You are up early anf going all day so you usually head to bed earlier than a Caribbean cruise.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Old Cruiser Thanks for clarifying Glacier Bay! You know more about glaciers that I do. You could have fooled me on that one. I will have to look into options to find which ones include Glacier Bay because it seems like a must see. I also think waiting a bit until my children get older may be a smart idea too, that way they will remember the trip and get to experience the areas' beauty more intensely. Many cruise lines don't offer enough adventure-style excursions that allow younger children. I completely understand why, they can't always keep up, but those adventurous excursions are things I don't want to miss while cruising to Alaska. I appreciate your feedback here, it seems Princess Cruises could be an option for an Alaskan cruise. I typically only cruise the Caribbean, so I don't know any better!