MDR Tables

[IzzyB]

A couple questions

1. When we were looking at cruising last year they weren't doing shared tables much so you were typically at your own table because of Covid.  Is that gone?  So our party of 5 will be sat with others?

2. On the first day can you go down and get your table changes maybe being closer to the window?

3. Any way to know in advance which dining room you are in?  I noticed that the one is 5:15 and not 5:30 because the MyTime dining is after it.  I was hoping to not get that one.  When I look it says we picked traditional and it does say 5:30.

[wordell1]

You can definitely go to the dining room on day 1 with requests for table moves.  They can often be accommodated.  You will probably be seating with others, but can request a table for 5.

[ChessE4]

16 hours ago, IzzyB said:

A couple questions

1. When we were looking at cruising last year they weren't doing shared tables much so you were typically at your own table because of Covid.  Is that gone?  So our party of 5 will be sat with others?

2. On the first day can you go down and get your table changes maybe being closer to the window?

3. Any way to know in advance which dining room you are in?  I noticed that the one is 5:15 and not 5:30 because the MyTime dining is after it.  I was hoping to not get that one.  When I look it says we picked traditional and it does say 5:30.

Check your cruise invoice (you likely received one when you made your deposit) -- it should show Traditional Dining with time or My Time Dining.  There is normally about a 15 minute grace period to arrive for dinner, sometimes more if you are at a group table.

[GregD]

On 7/22/2022 at 7:58 PM, IzzyB said:

A couple questions

1. When we were looking at cruising last year they weren't doing shared tables much so you were typically at your own table because of Covid.  Is that gone?  So our party of 5 will be sat with others?

 

In my experience as a party of 5 in the MDR, we were always at our own table, even before COVID, and never had to share.

On 7/22/2022 at 7:58 PM, IzzyB said:

2. On the first day can you go down and get your table changes maybe being closer to the window?

Yes you can, YMMV on the request.

On 7/22/2022 at 7:58 PM, IzzyB said:

3. Any way to know in advance which dining room you are in?  I noticed that the one is 5:15 and not 5:30 because the MyTime dining is after it.  I was hoping to not get that one.  When I look it says we picked traditional and it does say 5:30.

The Traditional Dining rooms are typically the same for the early and late seating, and the MTD is on a different deck.

[JEH106]

18 hours ago, GregD said:

In my experience as a party of 5 in the MDR, we were always at our own table, even before COVID, and never had to share.

Yes you can, YMMV on the request.

The Traditional Dining rooms are typically the same for the early and late seating, and the MTD is on a different deck.

I have not sailed on Royal since 2008 (November, transatlantic). At that time (Navigator) we had My Time Dining with a requested time of 7 PM. However, we were able to change that time as needed. (75% capacity) We are returning to Royal in Oct. 2023 on Anthem. I again requested My Time Dining but got Traditional which I will change as soon as my travel agent returns from his vacation. As I understand it, there are 4 MDRs on Anthem. Two are traditional (set times) and two are My Time. All four have different decors but offer the same menu.

 

Jim

[CruiseGus]

On 7/22/2022 at 6:58 PM, IzzyB said:

3. Any way to know in advance which dining room you are in?  I noticed that the one is 5:15 and not 5:30 because the MyTime dining is after it.  I was hoping to not get that one.  When I look it says we picked traditional and it does say 5:30.

No way that i know of to find out which dining room you have been assigned prior to boarding the ship.

20 hours ago, GregD said:

The Traditional Dining rooms are typically the same for the early and late seating, and the MTD is on a different deck.

This has changed post Covid.  On most ships I have been on since the return to sailing,  MTD has been on the lowest deck and has followed immediately after tables are cleared from the first Traditional seating on that deck.   My last sailing in May, they were encouraging the 5:30 traditional seating to come at 5:15 in an attempt to get MTD going sooner.  MTD has not been on a different deck of its own on any of my 10 sailing this past year.

[IzzyB]

On 7/23/2022 at 12:21 PM, ChessE4 said:

Check your cruise invoice (you likely received one when you made your deposit) -- it should show Traditional Dining with time or My Time Dining.  There is normally about a 15 minute grace period to arrive for dinner, sometimes more if you are at a group table.

I am very aware we are Traditional at 5:30pm.  But I am seeing that there are 3 dining rooms.  One on 3rd and 5th that are traditional only and another on 4th that the early seating is traditional and the late is MTD.  So that traditional seating starts at 5:15.  I am hoping to avoid Deck 4 MDR.  I would prefer deck 5.

 

21 hours ago, GregD said:

The Traditional Dining rooms are typically the same for the early and late seating, and the MTD is on a different deck.

Post covid on Symphony this is not the case.  There are 3 dining rooms and one is mixed Traditional (5:15) and MTD after traditional is done.

[ChessE4]

1 hour ago, IzzyB said:

I am very aware we are Traditional at 5:30pm.  But I am seeing that there are 3 dining rooms.  One on 3rd and 5th that are traditional only and another on 4th that the early seating is traditional and the late is MTD.  So that traditional seating starts at 5:15.  I am hoping to avoid Deck 4 MDR.  I would prefer deck 5.

 

Post covid on Symphony this is not the case.  There are 3 dining rooms and one is mixed Traditional (5:15) and MTD after traditional is done.

When you are close to your sailing, the Royal App will show which deck you will be on for dinner.  On the Mariner last month, we were Deck 3, for example (My Time).  When we had traditional dining, we were on other decks.  My advice is to be flexible.

[IzzyB]

3 hours ago, ChessE4 said:

When you are close to your sailing, the Royal App will show which deck you will be on for dinner.  On the Mariner last month, we were Deck 3, for example (My Time).  When we had traditional dining, we were on other decks.  My advice is to be flexible.

Thank you!  That helps that closer it will show the deck which would help so that if we are 4, I can maybe call and see if we can be moved to 3 or 5.  I just want to have that extra 15 minutes and not feel rushed if we are a little late for dinner.  With deck 4 they are going to want to get you out sooner since next seating is 6:45 where the other dining rooms isn't until 8.

[Atlantix2000]

11 hours ago, IzzyB said:

Thank you!  That helps that closer it will show the deck which would help so that if we are 4, I can maybe call and see if we can be moved to 3 or 5.  I just want to have that extra 15 minutes and not feel rushed if we are a little late for dinner.  With deck 4 they are going to want to get you out sooner since next seating is 6:45 where the other dining rooms isn't until 8.

They may not always use the same decks for traditional/my time.  It can depend on how many people sign up for each and the capacity of each area.

[IzzyB]

2 hours ago, Atlantix2000 said:

They may not always use the same decks for traditional/my time.  It can depend on how many people sign up for each and the capacity of each area.

True, but the app tells me which is which.  So if that changed closer to sailing I would see that in the app change.  So closer to the cruise the better information I will have.  I wish they would go back to two MDR being traditional and 1 being MTD.  I would have considered MTD if it wasn't starting so late at 6:45.  I also think rushing the traditional in that dining room doesn't help either.  I can't imagine that few want MTD.  My guess is MTD fills up first and then 5:30

[michaelp1446]

Go to a recent Cruise Compass for your ship. It shows Times and Decks for Traditional Early, MTD and Late traditional. It's been pretty consistent

on our 4 cruises so far..

[michaelp1446]

It also shows on App