Not being switched to early dining

[darnheather]

I will second trying to find your cruise group on social media and asking if someone is willing to switch. Even though I have two children I would be willing to make the switch for you as I was myself have had to have strict medical diets in the past. :hugs: I hope it all works out.

 

[CaLuCa]

Just want to give you some hope. We booked less than 3 weeks out. Were placed in second seating, of course. I really had ZERO hope of main dining and didn't even give it another thought. After we boarded, I was looking at our KTW cards. We had been switched! I didn't even have to go and ask to change it. Our TA had requested for us when we booked. And we are a party of 6.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

I really wish DCL would have a "Your Time Dining" option like some other cruise lines, especially for cases like this.

I'm curious to hear from people who have had more experience with this on other cruise lines, but I don't really want DCL to do this. We had this on Celebrity and I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. We had different servers every time and it was hit or miss. Although we never had to wait more than a couple minutes, but I was always nervous I would have to (which I don't have to worry about on DCL). Overall it was okay, just dinner wasn't nearly the special occasion it is on DCL - which is okay sometimes, but sometimes not.

Then we were on NCL and the couple times we tried to eat "anytime" where we wanted there was a wait so we didn't bother. The ship was super busy and crowded and a lot of people waiting to get into restaurants. I hate waiting around on a vacation! Fortunately we were staying in the Haven and we just ended up eating in the Haven restaurant or specialty restaurants (with reservations) every night.

Even when my kids were little (4 and 7) we had late dining with no problem. But we stay up later on vacation and sleep in later; and these days we eat around 7:30 normally, so 8:15 on vacation is not a big stretch. But no medical issues like the OP of course...

 

[mevelandry]

I'm curious to hear from people who have had more experience with this on other cruise lines, but I don't really want DCL to do this. We had this on Celebrity and I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. We had different servers every time and it was hit or miss. Although we never had to wait more than a couple minutes, but I was always nervous I would have to (which I don't have to worry about on DCL). Overall it was okay, just dinner wasn't nearly the special occasion it is on DCL - which is okay sometimes, but sometimes not.

Then we were on NCL and the couple times we tried to eat "anytime" where we wanted there was a wait so we didn't bother. The ship was super busy and crowded and a lot of people waiting to get into restaurants. I hate waiting around on a vacation! Fortunately we were staying in the Haven and we just ended up eating in the Haven restaurant or specialty restaurants (with reservations) every night.

Even when my kids were little (4 and 7) we had late dining with no problem. But we stay up later on vacation and sleep in later; and these days we eat around 7:30 normally, so 8:15 on vacation is not a big stretch. But no medical issues like the OP of course...

We've always had good experience. Based on what I remember, I never had to wait more than 5 minutes once or twice with "YTD".

I don't value having the same servers every night (it's nice if you get along but it has very little impact on our vacation). It wasn't less pleasant because we had different servers or dining time...

 

[bobbiwoz]

We booked two weeks from sailing on the Wonder, and were given late dining. Onboard, we immediately went to change dining. Even though the person did not seem encouraging, at 3:30 we got the call that we were changed! Our first dining tablemates had also been changed and they had booked three weeks from sailing.

I hope, and I do think, it will work out for you.

 

[com_op_2000]

Just off the Wonder this past weekend. When we booked the only option was late dining. We put in a request for early dining. It was granted before we boarded, so I did not have to go to the dining change meeting.

 

[FSU Girl]

Don't give up hope. When you board try and see if you can be switched then. Also try and call the number to check on your status about getting switched. We booked a Christmas cruise two months out and were assigned late dining and I called to have it switched to early and we ended up getting switched and that was a packed ship.

 

[xiphoid76]

I really wish DCL would have a "Your Time Dining" option like some other cruise lines, especially for cases like this.

I can't stand the anytime dining offered on other ships. It leads to activities being more staggered on the ship which is hard to then schedule and inevitably leads to the majority of cruisers coming to the dining room at the same time resulting in an hour wait for your table. At least this is from my NCL experience. Everyone comes at 6 to eat and you have to wait for a long time and therefore miss other actvities. I like to know when I am going to eat. There is on HAL a choice of anytime or fixed seating. They reserve a number of tables for people that prefer a fixed time and then have the other half of the restaurant open for anytime diners. I think this is a good idea for all cruise ships.

 

[kaysmommie]

We are currently stuck with late dining and need early dining. We have wait listed and know that we have to go to the restaurant to try to get switched to early dining if not moved prior to the start of the cruise.

Has anyone not been moved before? We have a medical reason why we cannot have the late dining and are concerned we aren’t being switched.

The dining room dinners have been a big part of our past cruises and will be very disappointed if we don’t go.

We are in the same boat. Two family members that need early dining, especially on a 7 night cruise. We booked 7 months ago and our cruise is in 3 weeks. The last thing we want to do is rush to dinner, but it’s medically necessary. Please let me know if you’re able to get switched once onboard. Thanks in advance.

 

[lorenni]

We booked months ago and are still on the waitlist for our June cruise with the same issue as the OP. There needs to be a better process for people with medical needs who can't eat at the other options (palo doesn't work with a kid and we were told not to eat in cabanas with allergies).

You can absolutely eat in Cabanas and on the pool deck with allergies. Just inform your server, they will bring a manager or chef and the allergy will be taken care of.

 

[Dug720]

You can absolutely eat in Cabanas and on the pool deck with allergies. Just inform your server, they will bring a manager or chef and the allergy will be taken care of.

This! I just did it this past week - lunch and breakfast. (And yes, I got Mickey Waffles at Cabanas without ordering the night before. I know that came up in an earlier thread - someone said that you could only get them if you pre-ordered. I did wonder if things might have changed, but nope - no issues ordering them when I wanted them.)

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I can't stand the anytime dining offered on other ships. It leads to activities being more staggered on the ship which is hard to then schedule and inevitably leads to the majority of cruisers coming to the dining room at the same time resulting in an hour wait for your table. At least this is from my NCL experience. Everyone comes at 6 to eat and you have to wait for a long time and therefore miss other actvities. I like to know when I am going to eat. There is on HAL a choice of anytime or fixed seating. They reserve a number of tables for people that prefer a fixed time and then have the other half of the restaurant open for anytime diners. I think this is a good idea for all cruise ships.

I am another that doesn't like the idea of anytime dining. My inlaws have sailed NCL for years and started booking Haven in large part because of this.

 

[Dug720]

I am another that doesn't like the idea of anytime dining. My inlaws have sailed NCL for years and started booking Haven in large part because of this.

Agreed. I managed on RCCL only because i reserved my dinner time and was able to get the same service team (and generally the same table) which is important for those with allergies. BUT when they do the whole "open dining" thing it turns into a disaster for allergies. This past summer they had such a hard time finding my pre-order the night we were in open dining even though I gave them my sea pass, my table number, and the names of all my servers. I was on the verge of leaving and just getting a salad in the buffet when the FIFTH head server to look at my information finally found it. DIS-A-STER.

 

[AndyR]

For the OP - Does change in Timezone come into play here? depending on which itinerary you're booked on, you might end up shifting back and forwards 3-5 times..