GlowTheWeird Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 We haven’t been on a cruise for a few years because.... life Super excited to be going on an August 2019 Harmony of the Seas cruise. When we booked this trip back in November it gave us no traditional dining option , only My Time Dining. I prefer the traditional style and getting to know our waiter, and table mates. Is this something that opens up later? Or did I somehow miss the boat with this option ? (Miss the boat... hahaha I didn’t even try to do that) Thanks everyone! Long time podcast listener, first time poster SpeedNoodles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThyriC Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 I'd contact Royal (or have your travel agent contact them) to see if you missed the option to select a time for dining so you can have the traditional dining option. I had the option when I booked, but I didnt book your particular sailing. GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlowTheWeird Posted February 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Appreciate the response. Is it odd that it wouldn’t be an option even though we still are a good 6 months out? Or is this the norm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThyriC Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 It was an option for me when I booked, not after I booked. So I have a feeling you may have skipped over the dining time when you booked and got the mytime dining instead of the traditional GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlowTheWeird Posted February 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Thanks. I’ll look into it. Seems like things change and after a few years I wasn’t sure if the window opened later or I missed it. Sounds like I missed it. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 30 minutes ago, GlowTheWeird said: Long time podcast listener, first time poster Welcome to the boards!!! GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked-on-cruising Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Agree with the agent suggestion.. We are booked for Harmony in Sept 2019 and were offered the option of anytime or reserved.. Give them a call or drop them a quick email.. I'm sure they can straighten it out for you GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked-on-cruising Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 54 minutes ago, GlowTheWeird said: Long time podcast listener, first time poster Welcome GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiralqueen Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 I believe I’ve seen on here before that you can ask to be put on a waitlist for your preferred dining time if it turns out that it was that traditional was full. Also welcome to the boards! GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakerette Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 5 hours ago, GlowTheWeird said: We haven’t been on a cruise for a few years because.... life Super excited to be going on an August 2019 Harmony of the Seas cruise. When we booked this trip back in November it gave us no traditional dining option , only My Time Dining. I prefer the traditional style and getting to know our waiter, and table mates. Is this something that opens up later? Or did I somehow miss the boat with this option ? (Miss the boat... hahaha I didn’t even try to do that) Thanks everyone! Long time podcast listener, first time poster When you first board the ship head over to guest services and tell them that you want traditional dining (5:30pm or 8:30pm) but missed that part when booking, then when You go to the the main dining room ask if you can be seated at the same table each night. I had done the same thing because I booked a junior suite on Oasis and one of the perks was that I got to have dinner in the coastal kitchen each night of the cruise so when I got onboard I did not go to the coastal kitchen right away to make reservations and instead explored the ship and later went to make reservations and was unable to because all of the dining times were full and so I went to guest services and told them what happened and they got me reservations at the MDR (Main dining room) for 3 nights out of the week and reservations for the coastal kitchen 3 nights out of the week, I would have liked to eat at the coastal kitchen for 3 nights instead of only 3 nights. I know that only adds up to 6 night, because on the second night i knew that I had a reservation in the MDR which I had made months ago since I had a 2 celebrations and that is where I was told that the celebrations were going to be held and had the celebrations set for a specific night so I made reservations for that 1 night in the MDR. I did not bother making reservations for other nights because I thought that I would be able to eat at the CK (Coastal Kitchen). WHAT I WAS SAYING BY ALL OF THAT IS THAT YOU WHOULD MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR THE MDR IN ADVANCE! GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Unless something has changed recently, you will still get the same team, and probably the same table, every night even with My Time. We have never selected the set dining times (traditional dining), partially because the earlier dining time books so fast and because of our need for flexibility on port days, and we have always been seated in the same section with the same team. We do tend to pick similar times each evening (eg. 6:00 PM) and have always been seated at the same table with the same team every night. A couple of times (on port days) we've picked a later dining time and we were still seated in the same section (same team), but at a different table since it was of course not available at that later time slot. On those odd nights, if another table is not immediately available in that section, we may have had to wait 10 minutes or so for them to clear a table. Usually they will ask you at some point during the meal what your plans are for the next evening and they really, really, really, try to accommodate you and keep you with the same team throughout the cruise! Have a great time! GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlowTheWeird Posted February 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 All helpful! I def have a plan now to try and get it today and if not, ideas for when when board. Thank you everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevendom57 Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 I was on Mariner in November and, being a newbie, I signed up for My Time dining for all four nights. Three of the nights was for the same time, 6:00pm. We were placed at the same table with the same waiters every night, even the one where we ate later. GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 ... and you still can link your dining reservations with other folks and sit at the same table with My Time... the last couple of cruises we traveled with family in other cabins and always sat with them. To date, we have not seen any disadvantage with My Time. I think people tend to choose the traditional dining because it's simple and they do not need to make individual reservations online when dining reservations open up in the Cruise Planner (which takes all of 10 minutes). GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlowTheWeird Posted February 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 23 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said: ... and you still can link your dining reservations with other folks and sit at the same table with My Time... the last couple of cruises we traveled with family in other cabins and always sat with them. To date, we have not seen any disadvantage with My Time. I think people tend to choose the traditional dining because it's simple and they do not need to make individual reservations online when dining reservations open up in the Cruise Planner (which takes all of 10 minutes). I guess because it’s different than I’m used to I shy away from it. Routine, familiar etc. But everyone is conviencing me that maybe it won’t be so bad....Did you have any problems with My Time overlapping evening activities/shows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 43 minutes ago, GlowTheWeird said: Did you have any problems with My Time overlapping evening activities/shows? That's the beauty of My Time... total flexibility when you need it... However, we try to book the same time each evening (for us this upcoming cruise - 6:00 PM... seems to be an ideal time slot for us). Sort of a modified Traditional Dining... this way you always get the same team and table. Even on the days we are in Labadee (4 PM departure) and Jamaica (6 PM) that time really works. All of the shows are later in the evening. The only day we picked a later dining time (7:45 PM) was the day in Cozumel since the ship does not depart until 7:00 PM. We did not want to have to rush back to the ship for dinner. We work the shows around the dining schedule and daytime excursions. Last night we were able to book every show (Mamma Mia, both water shows, headliner, comedy club, ice show) when we wanted to go (eg. not too late on an evening before we're in port early) without overlapping the dining time and allowing enough time to get to the show without rushing. Only on one sea day do we have 2 shows (one in the afternoon, the ice show, and one later in the evening)... entertainment is nicely spread out throughout the cruise. We actually have a couple of days with no scheduled shows... nice! Sorry for the novel! To answer your question, with a little planning, you should have no problems with My Time overlapping because you decide when to eat and which show to go to. Each of the shows, except for the musical, will tend to have multiple shows on any given day (usually 2 or 3 times). The musical tends to have one show each of the first 3 days of the cruise (at least on Allure)... an early evening on one day, later evening show the next and afternoon show on the last day. Also, take a peek at a Cruise Compass from a prior Harmony sailing to get a feel for the entertainment schedule before it opens up in your Cruise Planner... https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass?ship=1071 GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlowTheWeird Posted February 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2019 16 hours ago, JohnK6404 said: That's the beauty of My Time... total flexibility when you need it... However, we try to book the same time each evening (for us this upcoming cruise - 6:00 PM... seems to be an ideal time slot for us). Sort of a modified Traditional Dining... this way you always get the same team and table. Even on the days we are in Labadee (4 PM departure) and Jamaica (6 PM) that time really works. All of the shows are later in the evening. The only day we picked a later dining time (7:45 PM) was the day in Cozumel since the ship does not depart until 7:00 PM. We did not want to have to rush back to the ship for dinner. We work the shows around the dining schedule and daytime excursions. Last night we were able to book every show (Mamma Mia, both water shows, headliner, comedy club, ice show) when we wanted to go (eg. not too late on an evening before we're in port early) without overlapping the dining time and allowing enough time to get to the show without rushing. Only on one sea day do we have 2 shows (one in the afternoon, the ice show, and one later in the evening)... entertainment is nicely spread out throughout the cruise. We actually have a couple of days with no scheduled shows... nice! Sorry for the novel! To answer your question, with a little planning, you should have no problems with My Time overlapping because you decide when to eat and which show to go to. Each of the shows, except for the musical, will tend to have multiple shows on any given day (usually 2 or 3 times). The musical tends to have one show each of the first 3 days of the cruise (at least on Allure)... an early evening on one day, later evening show the next and afternoon show on the last day. Also, take a peek at a Cruise Compass from a prior Harmony sailing to get a feel for the entertainment schedule before it opens up in your Cruise Planner... https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass?ship=1071 Great info ! JohnK6404 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericgoodwin Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 When I booked Harmony 200+ days out and didn't have option of traditional anymore. I just sent a direct message to RC on twitter asking if I could get changed and they got my booking and our linked booking changed in about 24 hours. GlowTheWeird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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