Royal Caribbean’s My Time Eating: The whole lot that you must know

Royal Caribbean’s My Time Eating: The fundamentals

My Time Eating frees you from a set time for dinner and assigned desk and tablemates in the primary eating room. Some Royal Caribbean ships have a number of primary eating rooms; others have one primary eating room with a number of flooring. On the versatile My Time Eating plan, you can be assigned to a particular eating house devoted to serving passengers. It will likely be famous in your SeaPass cruise card.

The place can I eat once I select My Time Eating?

You’re free to eat in any meals venue on the ship (throughout its hours of operation) for breakfast, lunch and snacks. For dinner, you might eat within the eating room assigned to you, the buffet and different informal eateries, or a specialty restaurant (although you will probably must make reservations forward of time).

Are the menus the identical for early and late diners as they’re for My Time Eating?

Sure. The principle eating room menus for conventional and My Time Eating teams are the identical every night time.

Do I want to inform the maitre d’ or waiter I am not coming to dinner some nights?

You do not want to let the eating employees know until you’ve got made reservations for a desk in your assigned eating room. Then it is acceptable to cancel the reservation.

Do I must make reservations?

Reservations should not required for My Time Eating on Royal Caribbean, however they’re strongly really helpful. If you happen to make reservations, you’ll have a separate, faster-moving line on the entrance to the eating room. Some company might favor to eat on the identical time each night. Others might need to reserve dinner instances based mostly on their exercise schedule or dine elsewhere some nights based mostly on the menu.

Professional tip: You possibly can preview menus within the Royal Caribbean app, however they will not seem till your crusing dates are shut. You can even see any ship’s present menu on Royal Caribbean’s web site.

How and when do I make reservations for My Time Eating?

You may make reservations precruise within the on-line cruise planner as quickly as you pay the deposit to your cruise. When you board the ship, you’ll be able to handle your reservations within the Royal Caribbean app. You can even make or test reservations in individual on the eating room entrance throughout embarkation.

How lengthy will I wait to be seated if I present up with out a reservation?

Consider it like all standard land-based restaurant. Present up at a peak time with out a reservation — or with a big group — and your wait shall be longer. I’ve heard of wait instances so long as an hour — usually on the primary night time of the cruise whereas everybody adjusts. If you happen to solely make one primary eating room reservation, make it for the primary night time you propose to eat there. You would be amazed by how a lot that may clean out the wrinkles within the course of.

You would possibly have the ability to pace up the wait time by agreeing to share a desk with others as a substitute of insisting on a desk solely to your group. The maitre d’ may additionally counsel you come back at an appointed time if the wait is exceptionally lengthy (basically making an impromptu reservation for you).

Can I alter to a standard early or late eating time in the course of the cruise?

The straightforward choice could be to stay with My Time Eating and ask for a similar time for dinner every night time. You possibly can even request the identical desk and waiter, basically recreating the normal eating expertise. Observe that My Time Eating begins a bit later than the “early” seating within the conventional eating rooms, which is usually at 5:30 p.m. The late seating of conventional eating is often 8 p.m. Each seatings of conventional eating might range by ship and itinerary.

If you’re dissatisfied with the My Time Eating expertise as soon as on board, the cruise line permits one change per cruise if house is obtainable to your social gathering within the conventional eating room.

Can I request a desk for 2?

You definitely can. That doesn’t imply your request can at all times be accommodated. As in a land-based restaurant, desk choice could also be restricted when you go at a busy time. You would possibly want to decide on between consuming at your required time at a shared desk and ready some time for a two-top to be prepared.

That is one other good motive for making reservations. It is simpler for the eating room employees to accommodate your needs in the event that they obtain your request prematurely.

Additionally, when you just like the desk and waitstaff you might be assigned on the primary night time, inform the maitre d’ you want that desk each night time. If it is doable, they may make it occur for you.

Can I eat dinner greater than as soon as (or at two venues)?

There isn’t any rule saying you can’t. I’ve been recognized to have dinner at one time, head to the early present, then return to the eating room for dessert and a cup of tea. I’ve additionally loved appetizers with pals early within the night, solely to return and even go to a specialty restaurant for my precise dinner at a later time.

You would possibly suppose you’ll be able to keep away from the surcharge on further lobster tails by eating twice on lobster night time and ordering one tail every go to. Nevertheless, this eating hack doesn’t work. The employees would discover that you are a repeat visitor and cost for the second lobster tail accordingly.

Can I choose My Time Eating on each cruise?

You possibly can keep on with My Time Eating or swap forwards and backwards in case your wants change on completely different cruises. Eating choices generally promote out because the cruise fills up, probably leaving you caught with conventional seating once you needed My Time Eating or vice versa. If that occurs, your best choice is to go straight to the primary eating room upon boarding to attempt to change it.

Are pals allowed to hitch us for dinner if now we have My Time Eating?

Associates who’ve chosen My Time Eating are free to hitch you. You aren’t locked into that desk for 2 you requested on earlier nights. Nevertheless, based on Royal Caribbean, pals beforehand assigned a standard eating time will give that up for the remainder of the cruise in the event that they be a part of you within the My Time Eating room for a meal. (Do not forget that one change per cruise rule?)

Will we miss the exhibits if we select My Time Eating?

Reveals on Royal Caribbean ships are timed to coordinate with the normal eating instances. Choosing My Time Eating would possibly throw a wrench in your leisure plans when you aren’t cautious. The answer is to find out which exhibits you will need to see and coordinate your dinner plans round showtimes.

You may need to account for the potential for wait instances in your plans. The worst-case state of affairs is that you will need to skip dessert to make it to the present. You possibly can at all times ask for dessert to go, although.

How does tipping work with My Time Eating?

Pay as you go gratuities are required to take part in My Time Eating. These ideas are then shared amongst all My Time Eating waiters. You’re welcome to supply further tricks to particular waiters.

Is the gown code the identical for My Time Eating?

Novice cruisers would possibly suppose that My Time Eating is the informal cousin of the normal eating routine and that flexibility also needs to apply to the gown code. That is not the case.

The urged apparel every night is similar for all primary eating rooms. I’ll inform you, although, that the My Time Eating room tends to really feel a contact extra informal most nights. For one factor, extra households with kids lean towards My Time Eating, which means you will see a extra relaxed perspective to the official gown code some nights.

Guidelines relating to swimsuits, ragged denims, athletic put on and shorts are usually nonetheless enforced.

Who ought to select My Time Eating?

My Time Eating on Royal Caribbean is finest for households with younger kids, folks with packed exercise schedules and people who favor a versatile routine. It is also very best for extroverts who like to fulfill new folks over dinner each night time, in addition to insular teams who do not need to sit with strangers.

It is good to not be locked right into a set time to eat. Even when you make reservations for the entire week earlier than you set foot on the ship, you’ll be able to simply cancel or change them, leaving you free to eat when starvation strikes reasonably than when the clock strikes.

Who ought to keep away from My Time Eating?

If routine is your factor, you might be happier with the normal eating choice. As soon as the place your desk is (conventional diners have the desk quantity printed on their playing cards), there is not any ready to get into dinner. You stroll via the door and head to your assigned desk.