Ready to book your next cruise? Wondering what is My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean? Well, you’re in the right place. This quick guide provides an insider’s look at “My Time Dining”.
My Time Dining offers a flexible and highly favored dining alternative that stands out from traditional cruise dining where you have set times of 5:30pm or 8:00pm.
Understanding Royal Caribbean My Time Dining
“My Time Dining” is a Royal Caribbean dining scheme designed to offer flexibility to guests when making dining reservations. Think of it as “main dining room anytime”.
It is a flexible dining option that breaks away from the rigidity of traditional dining times, allowing you to choose when you want to dine during dinner hours, subject to availability.
This flexibility means you can structure your meals around shore excursions or other onboard activities, instead of traditional dining time hours. You will still eat in the main dining room, but you are not tied to a fixed dinner time.
With My Time Dining, you can choose to sit with different individuals and meet new people each night or keep your dining experience intimate.
You can have the same wait staff on the cruise ship every night or different. You no longer need to worry about rushing back from an excursion or fretting about missing your seating time.
Midway into the cruise you’ve realized that 7pm slot is clashing with a show you want to see. No problem, you can change your dining time. The control is in your hands.
How to Book Your “My Time Dining” Slot on a Royal Caribbean Cruise
Reserving a spot with My Time Dining is a seamless process. You can make reservations online, or once onboard. You can make a reservation for your entire party and individual bookings are also possible.
It’s best to book your preferred dining times in advance, given that slots fill up quickly. My Time Dining operates between 6:00pm and 9:30pm each day, with exact hours varying per sailing. You can view the exact times available once you’ve made your cruise booking.
Reservations can also be made onboard, but availability may be limited. Thus, we recommend connecting to Royal Caribbean’s Wi-Fi service and making the most out of the online Cruise Planner tool to reserve your spots ahead of time.
Don’t leave it until you are ready to sit down and eat. It’s not quite that flexible that you can easily just turn up and expect to be seated right away at a table. The queues at the main dining room for people trying to do this can be excessive. So while it is “my time” dining, don’t try to treat it as being fully flexible. Just like the traditional dining experience, it does still require some forward planning.
A Closer Look at How My Time Dining Works
Beyond flexibility, there are other benefits of My Time Dining – choice being one of the key ones. For example, you can also request to be seated with your preferred waiter and assistant waiter, adding a personal touch to your dining experience. Obviously, this is subject to availability, but cruise staff will try to accommodate your request. This element of choice also extends to meal times, making it easier to balance your dining experience with other onboard activities.
When it comes to menu choice, don’t worry. It’s the exact same menu as traditional seating. Royal’s main dining room program boasts a diverse range of menus, catering to various dietary requirements, including vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Is there a Different dress code for My Time Dining?
In our experience, the dress code for My Time Dining does seem more relaxed than traditional dining. While formal wear is expected on some nights, there is generally more room for casual attire. So if you prefer a more casual cruise, you might use my time dining to keep things relaxed.
How to Reserve My Time Dining Instead of Traditional Dining
Securing your spot at My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean is a simple, straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1. Online Reservation Before Sailing (Recommended)
The most efficient way to book your My Time Dining experience is online, prior to your cruise. Royal allows you to reserve dining times through the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean’s website. This is highly recommended as dining times can fill up quickly.
If you’re in the process of booking your cruise, choose Royal Caribbean’s My Time dining option during the booking procedure. If you’ve already booked your cruise, simply log onto the Royal Caribbean website, access your reservation, and select the “My Time Dining” option. Make sure any other dining guests also book my time dining as well.
2. Onboard Reservation (Not Recommended)
If you prefer to make the reservation once you’re onboard the ship, head over to Guest Services or the main dining room. However, remember that availability may be very limited at this point, especially during peak sailing periods.
3. Through a Travel Agent
If you’re working with a travel agent for your cruise booking, you can ask them to reserve My Time Dining on your behalf. This is an excellent choice if you prefer a hands-off approach to planning.
Remember, the key to My Time Dining is flexibility. So, while reservations are highly encouraged, you also have the option to walk in during dinner hours. Just be prepared that there may be a wait, especially during peak dining times.
Regardless of how you reserve your My Time Dining, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Doing so will ensure a smooth, enjoyable dining experience that aligns seamlessly with the rest of your onboard activities.
Want flexible dining on Royal Caribbean? Use My Time Dining
What is my time dining on Royal Caribbean? From our own experience of cruising for over 30 years with Royal Caribbean, My Time Dining is a great dining option to have. If you like the flexibility that it offers, “My Time Dining” is great. It provides the same unparalleled dining experience that you expect on your Royal Caribbean cruise. But gives you that extra flexibility but still with a personalized touch.
Whether you’re traveling with a large group or simply prefer more dining autonomy, “My Time Dining” is a great choice for your next cruise. Just remember to plan ahead and make reservations in advance!
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