You’ve booked the cruise, you’ve picked the cabin, and you’re counting down the days. Then someone asks: “What time are we dining?” You realise half the group prefers early dining while the rest want late seating. Maybe you thought you’d prefer My Time Dining but now want a fixed table. Or you need to change to an earlier time because of seasickness concerns, or later because you want to catch a sunset excursion.
Dining time sounds minor—until everyone’s schedules clash, tables are scattered across the dining room, and your carefully planned evenings start to feel disjointed. Suddenly your vacation coordination becomes a puzzle.
The good news: in the vast majority of cases, yes, you can change your dining time after booking a Royal Caribbean cruise. But the how, when, and cost depend on several factors: your original dining selection, how far out you are from sailing, availability, whether you booked as a group, and whether you want Main Dining Room traditional seating, My Time, or specialty dining.
Change it the right way and you’ll have dinners together, perfect timing for shore excursions, and a far better cruise experience. Get it wrong and you’ll face sold-out dining slots, disappointment, and avoidable stress. Read on—this guide walks you through every option and gives the step-by-step plan to make the change smoothly.
First, a quick primer on Royal Caribbean dining structures so you understand the landscape before initiating any change.
Dining styles you may have selected when booking
Traditional Main Dining (Early or Late Seating): Fixed seating time (typically two options — early or late). Your table and dining companions are usually the same throughout the cruise.
My Time Dining (Flexible Main Dining): A flexible system that allows you to reserve a preferred window or walk in based on availability; you’re not locked into a single time.
Main Dining (Guaranteed Time with My Time option): Some cruisers mix both — a preferred window but with guaranteed seating.
Specialty Dining (Chops, Giovanni’s, Izumi, etc.): Paid, a la carte restaurants with individual reservations.
Windjammer/Casual Options & Specialty Venues: Buffet and specialty casual spots where time is generally first-come.
Each style affects your ability to change: moving between My Time and fixed seating has different steps and implications, and specialty dining follows separate availability rules.
Why dining time matters
Group coordination: Dining together is core for groups and families. Splintered dining times limit shared experiences.
Shore excursion timing: Early shore activities often require early dining the night before.
Personal rhythm: Seasickness, young children’s bedtimes, and medication schedules all influence ideal dining times.
Peak seatings & FOMO: Popular dining slots and specialty restaurant times fill quickly. If you delay a change, you risk losing preferred slots permanently.
Understanding these variables helps you pick the right approach and increases the odds of success.
Imagine this: the whole family sits down together each night, conversation flows, kids go to bed on time, and you never miss a show because dinner runs late. Or picture having a guaranteed late table so you can watch the sunset ashore and still enjoy a leisurely meal. That’s the payoff for investing a few minutes to change your dining time properly.
Benefits include:
Stronger group cohesion — shared meals build memories.
Better itinerary flow — align dinner with shore excursions and shows.
Comfort and health — avoid dining too late if prone to motion sickness.
Optimal specialty dining access — selecting a primary dining time helps with choosing complementary specialty reservations.
Peace of mind — reduce last-minute chaos and lineup stress.
This guide gives you the exact steps to achieve that outcome—and avoid the FOMO of lost prime dining slots.
Follow these steps in order. They are arranged to increase your chances of success while minimising fees, conflicts, and stress.
Step 1 — Know what you currently have
Before taking action, confirm the type of dining you originally booked:
Log in to the Royal Caribbean app or website and view your reservation.
Note whether you’re on Early or Late traditional seating, My Time, or no dining (some bookings don’t include main dining).
Check if specialty dining reservations are already made.
Why: different change paths apply depending on your current setup.
Step 2 — Decide your target setup
Be clear:
Do you want to switch from Early to Late (or vice versa) in the Main Dining Room?
Do you want to convert My Time to fixed seating?
Do you want to book or change specialty dining times?
Having a specific plan makes the call/email efficient and more successful.
Step 3 — Time matters: act early
Changes are easiest as soon as possible after booking and become harder closer to sailing.
For Main Dining Room time changes, try to request the change more than 45 days before sailing. This gives you the best chance to secure preferred tables.
Specialty dining often opens earlier and sells out—reserve those as soon as your booking appears in the app.
Why: availability and dining allocation fluctuate. Early requests have priority.
Step 4 — Use the Royal Caribbean app or website first
Many simple dining changes are possible online:
Open the app → My Cruises → My Reservations → Dining / Reserve Dining.
For My Time, you can usually make or change reservations directly.
For traditional seating, the app will show your current allocation and sometimes allow changes.
If the app permits the change, do it there—it's immediate and creates a record.
Step 5 — Call Royal Caribbean Reservations or your travel agent
If the app doesn’t offer the option or the seating is not changeable online:
Contact Royal Caribbean Reservations by phone, or call your travel agent if they booked for you.
Have your reservation number, full names, sailing date, and desired dining time ready.
Politely request the change and ask the agent to search for availability and assign the same table/companions if possible.
Pro tip: If group members are on separate bookings, request the agent to link the reservations before adjusting dining. Linked bookings make group dining alignment easier.
Step 6 — For group bookings, coordinate through your group leader or travel agent
Large bookings (8+ people) or group blocks may have their own rules:
Ask the group leader or agent to make the dining change collectively.
Individual guests may not be able to change independently inside a group block.
Step 7 — Consider the impact on specialty reservations
If you change main dining times, check specialty reservations:
Specialty restaurant reservations are independent and must be adjusted separately.
If you switch main dining from early to late, ensure specialty reservations don’t clash or double-book.
Step 8 — Confirm and document changes
After any modification, request written confirmation via email or screenshot.
Verify your SeaPass and dining assignments in the app to confirm the change reflects there.
Step 9 — If denied or unavailable, use alternatives
If your desired time is unavailable:
Try adjacent times that work for most of the group.
Use My Time Dining as a flexible fallback.
Book specialty or private dining for special nights to ensure group togetherness.
Onboard, speak to the Maitre D’ early in the cruise—they sometimes rearrange tables to accommodate groups.
Step 10 — Final check before sailing
Reconfirm your dining assignment 7–14 days before sailing when final seating and manifests are finalised.
If problems persist, escalate politely to a supervisor or Guest Services.
Check the app first. If unavailable, call reservations.
If Late is full, ask to be put on a waitlist; the line often accommodates swaps as other guests change.
If swapping isn’t possible, consider My Time or booking specialty dining for one or two nights so the group can have at least one shared meal.
Solution:
Ask reservations to convert you to Traditional seating. This may be subject to availability and possibly a fee if you move into a sold-out category.
Alternatively, reserve the same time nightly via the My Time reservation system (not guaranteed same table).
Solution:
Have the primary booker or travel agent link reservations. Once linked, request dining linking so all names appear at one table.
If linking fails, reserve multiple adjacent tables in the same dining room and request seating together.
Solution:
Adjust specialty reservations via the app or by calling dining reservations. Specialty dining often has more flexible times and multiple seatings.
Solution:
Contact Guest Services on board immediately upon embarkation. The Maitre D’ can sometimes rearrange tables and consolidate groups if space allows.
Book early: the sooner you fix dining, the better your options.
Use the app: it’s faster and creates a documented record.
Be flexible: small time shifts (15–30 minutes) often succeed where big ones fail.
Link reservations: group unity makes seating easier to manage.
Request the same table: specifically ask the agent to keep the same table and server.
Consider a formal request: if you have children, mobility needs, or medical reasons, explain them—staff are more likely to accommodate.
Politeness goes a long way: agents and Maitre D’s are more willing to help cooperative guests.
Escalate respectfully: ask for a supervisor if the first agent can’t help.
Check for dining upgrade options: some ships offer guaranteed priority seating or specialty packages for a fee—worth it for important nights.
Use My Time as backup: flexible and often the easiest way to keep the group together with some planning.
Fees: Changing dining time is usually free when done early, but some adjustments (especially after final payment or in sold-out sailings) may involve administrative fees. Always ask about fees before accepting a change.
Promotions and packages: If you move to a different fare or category as part of a broader booking change, you might lose promotions tied to the original booking.
Group rules: Group bookings may have strict rules; coordinate through the group leader or agent to avoid penalties.
Onboard decisions: Once onboard, Guest Services can help, but last-minute changes may be limited by full dining rooms and staffing.
Consistent shared meals — more memories, less micro-coordination.
Better alignment with shore plans — avoid rushed evenings or missed excursions.
Improved dining experience — same server, preferred table, and a predictable routine.
Less stress — dinner plans don’t dominate every evening’s logistics.
Enhanced accessibility — you can secure early seating for mobility or health reasons.
Changing your dining time after booking a Royal Caribbean cruise is not only possible in most cases—it’s often straightforward if you act early, use the app, and coordinate with your travel agent or Royal Caribbean reservations. The keys are clarity (know exactly what you want), timing (earlier is better), documentation (confirm changes), and flexibility (be ready with alternatives).
If you plan ahead, link reservations for groups, and follow the step-by-step actions above, you’ll transform dining from a potential chore into one of the cruise’s most enjoyable shared experiences. Don’t let avoidable scheduling mistakes create FOMO; lock in the right dining time and set the stage for a seamless, memorable voyage.
Q1: Can I change from Early to Late dining after final payment?
A1: In many cases yes, but it depends on availability. Late changes closer to sailing may require asking to be waitlisted or may involve administrative fees. Always check with reservations and request written confirmation.
Q2: Can I change my My Time Dining to a fixed seating?
A2: Yes, you can request conversion to Traditional dining, subject to availability. Converting may affect who you’re seated with, so request the same table if that’s important.
Q3: Will specialty dining reservations move automatically if I change my main dining time?
A3: No. Specialty dining is managed separately and must be changed individually via the app or by contacting dining reservations.
Q4: What if some members of my party are on different bookings?
A4: Ask your travel agent or Royal Caribbean to link the reservations; once linked, request dining alignment so everyone is assigned the same table and time.
Q5: Is there a fee to change dining time?
A5: Changes are often free when done well in advance. Fees may apply for last-minute changes, sold-out sailings, or where administrative reissuing is required. Always ask for cost details before confirming.
Q6: What happens if the dining time I want is full?
A6: Ask to be placed on a waitlist, try adjacent time slots, use My Time Dining as a flexible alternative, or book specialty dining for selected nights to ensure at least one shared meal.
Q7: Can Guest Services change my dining time once I’m onboard?
A7: Yes. Guest Services and the Maitre D’ often can adjust seating early in the cruise, though options depend on onboard capacity and staffing.
Q8: How early should I try to change dining time?
A8: As early as possible—ideally within days of booking or immediately after reservations are released. Changes 45+ days before sailing have the highest success rate.
Q9: Will my table number stay the same after changing dining times?
A9: Not guaranteed. If keeping the same table is important, specifically request it when making the change; staff will try to accommodate when possible.
Q10: Can children’s dining or special needs affect dining time changes?
A10: Yes. If you have children, mobility concerns, or medical needs, inform the agent or Guest Services — these factors often increase accommodation flexibility.
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