One of the questions I hear from first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers is whether eating in the Main Dining Room is going to take up a huge part of the evening.

For us, the answer is usually no.

I would generally allow a little over an hour for dinner, although your experience can vary depending on your party size, how busy the dining room is, how many courses you order, and whether you have Traditional Dining or My Time Dining.

And I actually went back through my photos from one of our cruises so I could give you a real example instead of just guessing.

A Real Main Dining Room Dinner Timeline

On one evening, we had My Time Dining and walked into the Main Dining Room at 6:41 p.m.

I photographed my entrée at 7:22 p.m.

Dessert arrived by 7:51 p.m.

So from walking into the dining room until we were essentially finished with dessert, we were looking at just over an hour.

That is pretty typical for us.

Could dinner take longer? Absolutely.

Could you sometimes be finished faster? Yes.

But if I were planning my evening, I would personally budget around 75 to 90 minutes so I am not worried about rushing through dinner.

Is the Main Dining Room Worth Spending an Hour There?

For me, yes.

The Windjammer buffet is faster, and there are definitely nights when that makes more sense.

But it is a different experience.

You may see some of the same or similar foods in the buffet, but there is a difference between walking through a buffet line and sitting down while your appetizer, entrée, and dessert are plated and brought to your table.

The Main Dining Room gives you the opportunity to sit down, slow down for a little while, and actually be served dinner.

Especially on a first Royal Caribbean cruise, I think it is worth experiencing at least once before deciding that the buffet is more your style.

What Do You Get in the Main Dining Room?

Dinner in Royal Caribbean’s Main Dining Room is included in your cruise fare.

You typically choose from appetizers, entrées, and desserts, with menus changing throughout the sailing.

The presentation is also one of the reasons I enjoy it.

A plated appetizer or entrée simply looks different from putting the same type of food onto a plate yourself at the buffet.

That does not make one objectively better than the other.

Some people genuinely prefer the freedom and speed of Windjammer.

For me, there are nights when I would rather spend a little more time at dinner and let someone else serve me.

Traditional Dining vs. My Time Dining

How dinner works depends partly on which Royal Caribbean dining style you selected.

Traditional Dining

With Traditional Dining, you receive an assigned early or late dinner time.

You normally have:

• The same dinner time each night
• The same assigned table
• The same wait staff throughout the cruise

Royal Caribbean confirms that Traditional Dining guests receive an assigned seating and table, and reservations are not necessary each evening.

This is one of the things people sometimes underestimate about Traditional Dining.

Your waiter and assistant waiter begin learning what you like.

They may remember what you drink, whether you usually order coffee with dessert, what bread you prefer, or what your kids tend to order.

That consistency can become part of the cruise experience.

How Does My Time Dining Work?

My Time Dining gives you more flexibility.

Royal Caribbean allows My Time Dining guests to dine during the designated dinner hours for their sailing, based on availability. Reservations are strongly recommended because walk-in guests may have to wait for a table.

Depending on your sailing, the My Time Dining window may begin around 6:00 p.m. and continue into the evening.

You have two basic options:

Make a reservation.
This is what I prefer.

Or:

Walk up without a reservation and wait for a table.

Royal Caribbean specifically recommends reservations to reduce delays.

On our last cruise, we generally reserved dinner around 6:45 p.m., which worked much better for us than an early 5:00 seating or a very late Traditional Dining time.

Can You Have the Same Waiter With My Time Dining?

Possibly.

Traditional Dining makes that consistency much easier because you already have the same assigned table and team.

But My Time Dining does not automatically mean you will have different servers every night.

On our cruise, we had the same wait staff on our first two evenings.

Royal Caribbean also says My Time Dining guests can request a particular table or waiter, and the dining team will try to accommodate the request based on availability.

If you really like your servers, ask.

Booking similar dinner times each night may also make it easier for the dining team to keep you with the same section, although it is never guaranteed.

How Should You Plan Dinner Around Royal Caribbean Shows?

This is probably the biggest reason I would give myself more than exactly one hour for dinner.

You do not want to spend your entire meal checking the clock because you booked a show immediately afterward.

On select ships, including Oasis and Icon Class ships, Royal Caribbean allows guests to reserve certain theater, ice, AquaTheater, and comedy performances before sailing. Showtimes vary by sailing.

For example, one Utopia of the Seas sailing offered evening showtimes around:

• 7:00 and 9:15 for an ice show
• 7:15 and 9:30 for a theater production
• 8:30 and 10:30 for the AquaTheater
• 8:00 and 10:15 for comedy

Those are examples, not guaranteed times for every Utopia sailing.

If I were eating dinner around 6:45, I would generally plan on attending one of the later performances rather than trying to squeeze dinner in before an early show.

That gives us time to enjoy the meal instead of treating dinner like something we need to finish as quickly as possible.

Should You Tell Your Waiter You Have a Show?

Yes. If you have a show reservation and need to be finished by a certain time, I would mention it when you sit down.

Your server cannot necessarily guarantee that every meal will move at a particular speed, but knowing your schedule gives the dining team a chance to help pace the meal appropriately.

I still would not book dinner and a show so closely together that everything has to go perfectly for you to make it.

Give yourself some breathing room.

Main Dining Room vs. Windjammer: Which Is Faster?

Windjammer wins on speed.

You walk in, choose your food, sit down, and leave whenever you are finished.

If you have only 30 or 45 minutes before another activity, the buffet may make much more sense.

Royal Caribbean describes Windjammer as its fleetwide self-service buffet.

But speed is not the only factor I use when deciding where to eat.

If we have the time, I enjoy being served.

If we have a packed evening or just want something quick, Windjammer works perfectly well.

There is no reason you have to choose one dining style for the entire cruise.

You can eat in the Main Dining Room one night and go to Windjammer the next.

Do You Have to Eat in the Main Dining Room Every Night?

No. Your Main Dining Room seating does not obligate you to eat there every evening.

You can choose the buffet, specialty dining, or another available venue whenever you want.

We have had nights when we looked at the Main Dining Room menu and decided we would rather do something else.

On one cruise, we booked Hooked Seafood onboard because that evening’s Main Dining Room menu simply was not appealing to us.

That flexibility is part of cruising.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I allow for dinner in Royal Caribbean’s Main Dining Room?

I would personally allow 75 to 90 minutes.

Our dinners are often finished in a little over an hour, but giving yourself extra time keeps you from feeling rushed.

Large groups, busy dining periods, extra courses, or special requests can make dinner take longer.

Is Traditional Dining faster than My Time Dining?

Not necessarily once you are seated.

The biggest difference may happen before you sit down.

Traditional Dining guests already have an assigned time and table.

With My Time Dining, guests without reservations may have to wait for the next available table. Royal Caribbean therefore strongly recommends making a reservation.

Do I need a reservation for Traditional Dining?

No. Traditional Dining gives you an assigned seating and table for the cruise, so you do not make a new reservation every evening.

Do I need a reservation for My Time Dining?

It is not always required, but I strongly recommend it.

Royal Caribbean says reservations are strongly recommended because dining times can fill and walk-ins are seated according to availability.

Can I request the same waiter with My Time Dining?

Yes. Royal Caribbean says guests may request the same table or waiter, although the request is subject to availability.

Can I tell my waiter that I have a show reservation?

Absolutely. I would mention your schedule when you first sit down.

But I would still build enough time into your plans that you are not depending on a perfectly timed dinner service.

Can I skip the Main Dining Room and eat at Windjammer instead?

Yes. You are free to choose another dining venue.

Windjammer is often a better option when speed and flexibility matter more than having a served meal.

Is the Main Dining Room worth it on a first Royal Caribbean cruise?

I think it is worth trying. Even if you ultimately decide you prefer Windjammer, you will understand the difference after actually experiencing a Main Dining Room dinner.

You may find that an hour or so being served dinner becomes one of the parts of the cruise you enjoy most.

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My Recommendation

If you are concerned that the Main Dining Room is going to take up your entire evening, I would not let that keep you from trying it.

For us, dinner typically takes a little over an hour.

I would budget 75 to 90 minutes, make My Time Dining reservations when using that option, and choose a showtime that gives you enough room to actually enjoy dinner.

The buffet will almost always be faster.

But faster is not necessarily what I want every night of a vacation.

Sometimes I am perfectly happy to spend an hour sitting at a table while someone else brings me dinner.

And especially on a first Royal Caribbean cruise, I think that experience is worth making time for.