4 Issues With My Time/Anytime Eating on a Cruise, and The way to Keep away from Them

Relating to the principle eating room on a cruise ship, the early seating can appear too early and the late seating will be –properly, too late.

Cruise traces got here up with a extra user-friendly possibility (with varied names) that allowed passengers to eat at any time they wished.

However together with this flexibility got here a couple of points. We’ll dig into these points and supply some helpful cruise suggestions as properly.

I’m an enormous fan of My Time or Anytime eating on a cruise ship. There’s one thing about that flexibility that appeals to me.

Nevertheless, there are a couple of drawbacks to this in style model of eating that always frustrate first-time cruisers.

Some folks love conventional eating on a cruise ship. Others can’t stand to be locked in a timeslot and like a extra versatile strategy to the night meal.

Royal Caribbean has “My Time Eating” and Carnival calls it “Anytime Eating”. Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t even provide a standard eating possibility and as an alternative gives the whimsical traveler with “Freestyle Eating”.

No matter a particular cruise line calls it, there’s typically an choice to get pleasure from dinner at varied occasions every evening.

You simply should be sure you present up throughout the hours of operation for this versatile eating possibility. That is often between 5:30pm and 9:30pm however may range relying on the ship.

It’s additionally advisable you make a reservation, however we’ll get into that a little bit extra beneath.

1. Not making reservations or getting in line (just about)

This one depends upon the cruise line. If utilizing My Time eating with Royal Caribbean, you need to make a reservation.

Once you hear the time period “My Time Eating,” you may assume it’s a little bit foolish to make a reservation. In any case, the identify implies that you may simply present up each time it fits you—and voilà, dinner is served.

When you can nonetheless get a chunk to eat within the MDR (Essential Eating Room) and not using a reservation, Royal Caribbean recommends utilizing the app to make a reservation anyway.

This ensures a desk in your group shall be accessible and can lower down on wait occasions.

These reservations will be made forward of time or you may make a reservation after you get on board.

With Carnival you possibly can simply use the Hub App to let the ship know you’re prepared for dinner and this may put you in a queue. You’ll obtain a notification when your desk is prepared.  Straightforward-peasy.

You’ll be able to even “test in” out of your cabin or whereas strolling across the ship and wait in your desk.

The one time I’ve had lengthy wait occasions with Carnival’s Anytime Eating is after I confirmed up proper at first of dinner.

After all, there are a myriad of different cruise traces we may speak about as properly. But when there’s an choice to make a reservation or use an app to get in line you need to go forward and do it.

2. Longer waits primarily based on once you arrive

I’ve been on some cruises the place the traces for My Time/Anytime have been very quick, and different occasions they have been very lengthy.

This typically depends upon the ratio of passengers that opted for conventional versus the versatile possibility. If a sure cruise ship has a big majority that need My Time Eating, then you possibly can count on longer waits, particularly at peak occasions.

Usually, the height occasions for versatile eating are when it first opens and shortly earlier than dinner closes.   However this may additionally rely upon what reveals are taking part in that evening across the ship or what time most individuals obtained again to the ship from a day at a port of name.

For me, I typically select a eating time primarily based on what reveals or venues I need to get pleasure from that evening. It’s all the time a nuisance to overlook an ideal ice present or Broadway model efficiency as a result of I used to be in the midst of dinner.

If I’m already drained from doing excursions all day, I’d go for an early dinner and chill out the remainder of the night.

In my expertise, it’s the very opening time of dinner that’s the busiest. But when there’s a lengthy wait, you possibly can all the time seize a snack on the buffet and wait a bit.

Some cruisers suggest exhibiting up proper in the midst of early and late eating (round 7pm), however once more, this actually depends upon the ship.

You’ll be able to learn evaluations of the identical ship, and you’ll learn of some ready in line for My Time eating for an hour and others will say they walked proper in and sat down. That being stated, the dimensions of the ship issues and the period of the cruise issues, as it’s going to typically change the demographics on board.

Need to learn extra on how you can keep away from cruise eating errors?  Learn our article right here.

3. Making an attempt to get a desk for a big group

My Time and Anytime Eating aren’t actually geared for giant teams. And attempting to get a desk for a big group will possible make for an extended wait as properly.

That being stated, you possibly can nonetheless dine with a bunch, so long as it’s not excessively giant.

Many cruise traces – Royal Caribbean particularly – restrict the variety of folks in a bunch to eight or fewer when attempting to make reservations with this model of eating.

A greater possibility could also be to separate up the group into smaller teams which are nonetheless comparatively close by.

Ideally, speaking to the maître d’ forward of time is all the time greatest when attempting to get a desk for lots of people.

4. Not having the identical wait workers every evening

For the extra conventional cruisers in our midst, this one is usually a deal breaker.

With conventional eating, you might have the identical waiter or waitress every evening.  You’ll be able to develop a rapport and get to know your entire wait workers on a private stage.

With “Dine At any time when You Need” you might be unlikely to get the identical waiter. This may be each good and dangerous relying on how properly you loved your earlier evening’s service.

This was a much bigger deal earlier than the auto gratuity as properly.  Tipping particular person wait workers was –and nonetheless is– a part of the cruise expertise for some. However when having a special waiter/waitress every evening, most depend on the pay as you go gratuities to care for all of it.

You’ll be able to nonetheless request a particular waiter, however it actually depends upon that crew member’s availability and open tables of their space.

I do know some cruisers who appreciated their waiter on the primary evening a lot that they requested the identical desk on the similar time for every evening. This isn’t all the time attainable, however it’s value asking about.

Learn extra: 10 meals these cruisers say to keep away from on a cruise ship