DIning rotation~have you ever....

[Jsme]

I am going to try to request a certain dining rotation prior to cruising. I am not sure if they will give it to me or not.

I do not want to miss Triton's and we have Palo's ressies one night. I was wondering if I can not request a certain or do not get a certain rotation has anyone been able to change a rotation once the board? Or have you been able to eat out of your rotation before? I have read where a group of kids that meet onboard have been able to be accomadated before?

 

[airtime247]

We requested APL before our first cruise. When we got our room keys, we noticed they gave us LAP. We just went to Rockin' Bar D after we got on board and requested they change us to APL which they were happy to do.

You can certainly request it but they will tell you there is no guarantee. If you don't get it, just try to change it as soon as you get on board.

-steve

 

[Liz]

Just wondering why one rotation is better than other. (Still so much to learn!)

 

[airtime247]

The only reasons rotations can be preferred by some is that it puts restaurants on certain nights like some people like having formal night at Lumiere's or Tropical night in Parrot Cay.

Also, some people like having their favorite restaurant repeated once more like a Lumiere's fan may prefer LAPLAPL since they get an extra night there.

The drawback to dining out of your rotation is that it may put you with different groups like having a family with young kids put in the rotation without many other kids.

-steve

 

[DVC Jen]

Can anyone tell me what the codes stand for?

How can you tell which restaurant you will have on which night simply by the code?

 

[tstobb]

L=Lumiere's/Tritons
P=Parrot Cay
A=Animator's Palate

 

[Jsme]

I do not mind dining out of rotation as long as it means we can still do Palo's and Trition's. But I will request and if we do not get the dining I would like to have I will go and see if I can change it as soon as we board. I want to eat at Trition's first becasue the first day we are onboard is my birthday and I would love to have escargot for my birthday! LOL

 

[jrabbit]

I do not mind dining out of rotation as long as it means we can still do Palo's and Trition's. But I will request and if we do not get the dining I would like to have I will go and see if I can change it as soon as we board. I want to eat at Trition's first becasue the first day we are onboard is my birthday and I would love to have escargot for my birthday! LOL

Since there are only 3 dinning rotations you have a 33% chance of getting the rotation you want without asking.

Generally speaking you will start in ...
Animators Pallate if you have younger children (3 to 9)
Parrot Cay if you have teenagers
Triton's / Lumiere's for "everyone else"

 

[jrabbit]

Can anyone tell me what the codes stand for?

How can you tell which restaurant you will have on which night simply by the code?

Hope this helps!!

Things to know about dinning - In order of importance
1) Seating: Main (6:00) or Late (8:30)
2) Rotation: Which dinning room that night. On the Magic the restaurants are: Lumiere's, Animator's Palate and Parrot Cay so the three rotations are LAPLAPL or APLAPLA or PLAPLAP and on the Wonder the restaurants are: Tritons's, Animator's Palate and Parrot Cay so the three rotations are TAP or APT or PTA.

** NOTE: At this point in time I don't know what DCL is doing on the 4 night cruises - so you will want to check this info out.**

If you are on the 4 night cruise DCL has now changed the rotation again (2nd time) to having the third and fourth restaurant the same (in other words - the last two nights in the same restaurant). So the rotations are as of March 13, 2005: TAPP, APTT and PTAA (this is the way it was way back in the beginning in '98-'99). And Pirates Night is on the third night (Tuesday). Note1: early in 2005 DCL change to having the first 2 nights in the same restaurant (ie. TTAP, AAPT and PPTA) because of the new Pirates Night show/buffett. Note2: BEFORE Pirates Night the rotation on the 4 nighter was TAPT, APTA and PTAP.

3) Table Number: (same table number in all of the dinning rooms)
4) Your Serving Team: they will be with you for all of your rotational dinning
5) Your Tablemates: Most families will share a table with other families. They will be with you for dinner in all of the rotational dinning rooms (so get to know them - you have 3 to 7 nights to make new friends)
6) Tipping (it's an entire topic in and of itself!!): On the ship you do NOT need to tip your waitstaff at every meal (and it's not expected). Tipping happens on the last night of the cruise. Other than dinner, you will most likely have other servers than your assigned servers. You do not need to tip them. The published gratuity "chart" assumes that your tip will cover not only your dinners but all other meals as well (because your waitstaff is working someplace on the ship at all meals).