Does dining rotation really matter?

[SpaceSquirrel]

We're doing a 7 night E. Caribbean on the Fantasy, I keep reading recommendations for dining rotation requests.
Does it really matter? is there a specific rotation that I should request?

 

[dragynally]

Depends. If you like a certain restaurant more or if you like to be in a specific restaurant for pirate or formal night it helps. I usually pick the rotation that has me in animator's on pirate night. Pirate themed pics make the experience for me.

 

[wombat_5606]

We're doing a 7 night E. Caribbean on the Fantasy, I keep reading recommendations for dining rotation requests.
Does it really matter? is there a specific rotation that I should request?

If this is your first cruise, it is not. You are going to enjoy all of the dining rooms for the first time.

There are some planners that want to request a rotation because they don't like a certain dining room or that they want to be in a certain dining room on a certain day.

I've been on 10 DCL and even more cruises with different cruise lines and never requested my rotation or my servers.

What can make or break my meal, are the people I'm seated with.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

It only matters if you are an uber planner. Lol. With a 7 nt, you'll have a great rotation no matter what. So if you want to miss a night for Palo the impact will be lesser than those on a short cruise . In the past for our 7 nts, i liked being in a certain dining room for formal night and pirate night. On our upcoming 3 nt/4nt B2B, i will request a specific rotation bc I have no desire to be in AP 3 or 4 times, sometimes in a row. I will want to know what I'll miss if we go to Palo. We've always requested a certain rotation. You can ask on these boards what the current rotation is but of course it may change. Also, our TA told us they may not honor requests any longer. I'll still try, though. Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[wombat_5606]

TA told us they won't necessarily honor them any longer.

Yes, I can see this going the way of taking things to GS to be signed.

 

[dragynally]

Yes, I can see this going the way of taking things to GS to be signed.

Agreed. I'm waiting for the dining rotation to be set in stone.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

I've wondered this as well. Specifically, does AP have a more limited menu than the other ADRs on the last night of a cruise? I've seen menus suggesting that there's no choice regarding appetizers and limited choice for entrees. Is this always the case? If not, is there some way to know whether a particular cruise will have the more limited menu? Anyone know why there might be a more limited menu? Thanks.

 

[dragynally]

I've wondered this as well. Specifically, does AP have a more limited menu than the other ADRs on the last night of a cruise? I've seen menus suggesting that there's no choice regarding appetizers and limited choice for entrees. Is this always the case? If not, is there some way to know whether a particular cruise will have the more limited menu? Anyone know why there might be a more limited menu? Thanks.

Yes. It's to leave time for the show.

 

[TXspartan]

We're doing a 7 night E. Caribbean on the Fantasy, I keep reading recommendations for dining rotation requests.
Does it really matter? is there a specific rotation that I should request?

Short answer no, you'll eat the same food regardless of the rotation.

Long answer, only if you are planning ever little detail and obsessing over all of the planning and you want to spend be in a certain restaurant on a certain night. i personally have started requested dining rotations after our first cruise, b/c there were things I was planning around, like which night is pirate night and where did I want to be for that, or if I didn't like one dining room as much I wanted to make sure that wasn't the one I went to for three nights especially if that means repeating a dining room b/c of when pirate night is you may end up in the same dining room two nights in a row so you should like it. so yes if you are a planning nut you'll want to make sure you study the rotations and pick the right one.

 

[dragynally]

Planning nuts unite!

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Agreed. I'm waiting for the dining rotation to be set in stone.

If they were to then maybe they'd let you choose it at some point (no guarantees of course ) maybe during on line check in or at least know it ahead of time. Bc if i got AP 3x, and twice in a row and had already chosen Palo for a non AP night I wouldn't be happy!

 

[dragynally]

If they were to then maybe they'd let you choose it at some point (no guarantees of course ) maybe during on line check in or at least know it ahead of time. Bc if i got AP 3x, and twice in a row and had already chosen Palo for a non AP night I wouldn't be happy!

Yeah I don't want to miss the food or experiences I love.

 

[Dug720]

Also, our TA told us they may not honor requests any longer.

There has never been a guarantee of honoring requests.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

There has never been a guarantee of honoring requests.

I'm aware. But this is the first time in 5 years our TA made it sound like they may not consider it.

 

[Dug720]

I'm aware. But this is the first time in 5 years our TA made it sound like they may not consider it.

Gotcha. The original wording "may not honor requests" is nothing new though.

If making them, it's usually better to pick ONE request - table alone OR rotation OR server (head, server, or assistant) - than multiple ones. If they are not accepting requests any longer, my guess is trying to meet multiple requests from the same party was taking way too much time and effort. One request per party would be much more manageable.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Gotcha. The original wording "may not honor requests" is nothing new though.

If making them, it's usually better to pick ONE request - table alone OR rotation OR server (head, server, or assistant) - than multiple ones. If they are not accepting requests any longer, my guess is trying to meet multiple requests from the same party was taking way too much time and effort. One request per party would be much more manageable.

Yeah, we just will request rotation and hope for the best.

 

[Markonefive]

I think it's possible to plan too much. On our five night cruise, I was worried that our rotation would have us missing Animator's Palate (first time) because that was the day we were in San Francisco and wanted to have dinner on shore. Fortunately, we were Triton's that night. But we had the pirate menu the other night we were in Triton's the other night so never got to experience their menu. Plus, whatever rotation you have, you may end up missing if you choose to eat in Palo's instead.

There is probably more flexibility for what guest services or the maitre'd can do for you once on the ship than through booking. My hunch is if you really wanted to switch one night from late to early, or to a different restaurant then your rotation, they would try to do so if its possible. When I missed getting waffles one morning at Parrot Cay one morning (apparently out, or too late), they sent someone to bring them for me from another restaurant. From what I've read, if there is a menu item you really want that isn't in your restaurant on your rotation, simply ask and they will try to make it work. Give the cast a chance to make your day and trust them to do their best, rather than overplan everything ( and believe me, I'm a planner).

 

[Bsmitty]

We're doing a 7 night E. Caribbean on the Fantasy, I keep reading recommendations for dining rotation requests.
Does it really matter? is there a specific rotation that I should request?

Which one are you going on? We're going on the 7 night EC Fantasy leaving December 30th 2017.

 

[quickcat]

It doesn't matter to us at all. We look forward to seeing where we are eating the first night when we get our key to the world cards

 

[Trera]

It doesn't matter to us at all. We look forward to seeing where we are eating the first night when we get our key to the world cards

I feel the same way!