Royal Caribbean offers two types of dining experiences in the Main Dining Room: Traditional and My Time Dining. My Time (or Anytime) is the more flexible option and allows guests to dine at their preferred time within a designated window, rather than eating at the same time each night.
You will make your dining time decision when booking. If you choose Traditional, you'll select one of two or three set times. The early seating usually occurs around 5:00pm to 5:30pm, with the latest seating taking place around 8:00pm to 8:30pm.
Sometimes, there's also an extra seating between the early and late dining times for those who prefer a middle ground. For example, an upcoming cruise on Oasis of the Seas lists the three dining times at 5:00pm, 7:30pm, and 8:30pm. The third seating isn't always available, though.
With Traditional dining, you will eat at the same time each night in the Main Dining Room. You will also have the same tablemates and waitstaff.
Conversely, My Time is ideal for flexible guests who don't want to plan each day around dinner. You don't have to commit to a specific seating time. Instead, you can make reservations based on your plans or show up to the dining room between the set hours and be assigned a table based on availability.
My Time diners are assigned a deck or dining room to report to rather than a specific table. For example, your SeaPass card may indicate that you'll need to go to Deck 3 of the Main Dining Room for a table assignment each evening. On ships with differently named rooms, such as Quantum of the Seas, your card might say Silk or the American Icon Grill.
Regardless of which dining option you choose, the menus will be the same since Traditional and My Time Dining only apply to the Main Dining Room seating. The overall food experience will be the same.
Here's everything else you need to know about My Time Dining on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
When is My Time Dining?
The hours of My Time Dining vary but are typically between 6:00pm and 9:00pm. To verify, you can check your Royal Caribbean app.
You can eat in the Main Dining Room whenever you'd like during My Time hours. For example, one evening you could eat an earlier dinner around 6:30pm to free up your night for all of the exciting entertainment.
You aren't bound to this time for the rest of the cruise, so you can easily make a later reservation for the next night to have time to freshen up after spending all day ashore.
Alternatively, you don't have to eat in the Main Dining Room! Between the buffet and specialty restaurants, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of dining options.
That said, if you made a reservation for one evening in the dining room, it's polite to cancel if you make other plans. This will help them seat other guests promptly.
It's not always easy to change your dining preference
If you accidentally chose My Time and realize you'd prefer a more traditional, streamlined dining experience, contact your travel agent or Royal Caribbean as soon as possible. This is especially important if you want the earlier dining time, as it tends to fill up faster than the later seating.
Likewise, if you chose one of the Traditional seatings but want more flexibility, do not hesitate to have your dining preference changed. It becomes more difficult to finalize changes as your cruise approaches, and if you wait until you are onboard, the ship's crew might not be able to handle a last-minute change.
Note that you cannot swap between Traditional and My Time Dining on your cruise, either.
You can make reservations through the Cruise Planner
Without reservations, you may have to wait for the next available table. On larger ships, it's not uncommon to hear of wait times exceeding thirty minutes during peak dining times.
As such, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to make reservations through the Cruise Planner website, especially if you think you are going to want to eat around 6:30pm or 7:30pm. Those without reservations will have a separate entrance line, whereas those with reservations can bypass the line and be seated almost immediately.
There's no cost to make the reservations, and you aren't charged a cancelation fee if you change your mind at the last minute and decide to eat earlier so you can make one of the showtimes.
Dining times only apply to the Main Dining Room during dinner
If you want to go to the ship's buffet, you don't have to worry about making reservations. However, if you're eyeing a certain specialty restaurant, advanced reservations are highly recommended.
Unlike the Main Dining Room, where the worst thing that will happen is a lengthy wait, if there aren't any available dining times in a specific specialty restaurant, you will be turned away.
Moreover, there aren't any set dining times for breakfast or lunch in the dining room. Seating is first come, first served. The only time your dining preference will matter is dinner.
My Time diners must pre-pay their gratuities
If you choose My Time Dining over Traditional, you must pre-pay your gratuities. This is so the tips can be shared amongst the My Time serving team.
Pre-paying your gratuities is actually advantageous because you're locked into the current rate, meaning you don't have to worry about sudden increases.
Plus, you can appropriately budget for your cruise knowing how much you will owe in gratuities, rather than receiving a large statement at the end of the voyage.
Is My Time Dining right for you?
My Time Dining isn't for everyone. Many cruisers like the personal connections formed with their waitstaff throughout the cruise. Within the first day or two, they'll learn your preferences, such as what you like to drink, allergies, etc.
With My Time, you aren't guaranteed to have the same servers nightly. While you can request the same team, seating is based on availability.
Other guests like the structure that Traditional dining provides. Instead of worrying about making reservations or wasting time in line, you are guaranteed a table at the same time. It's one of the easiest ways to make a cruise vacation as convenient as possible!
On the flip side, My Time Dining is great for cruisers who enjoy flexibility. Personally, I enjoy My Time Dining more because one of the best parts about a cruise is not adhering to a schedule.
Plus, because I like to throw in at least one specialty meal, I'm not too worried about fostering relationships with the dining team.
I would rather dine when it is most convenient for me and what I have planned rather than plan my evening around dinner each night.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
