Anytime dinning question?

[acetray]

So we are going on the Crown Princess in April and I was wondering about anytime dinning. One of the most important things to me about the MDR is having the same waiter the whole week. I think it is cool when they get to know you and get to know what you like. If we chose the anytime dinning is there any way to make sure we get the same waiter the whole time? We would be okay with going to dinner at the same time every day, we wanted to go at like 7pm( that is why we would chose anytime). If it is not something we can make sure that we have then we will probably choose one of the set dinning times.

thanks for the your help

[Northender]

That is our usual Anytime Dining time.....Go a few minutes earlier and just tell them you want so and so's table. You may have to wait a little longer, but we have done it a couple of times:)

 

Keep in mind that anytime after 6:30 is getting into Prime Time for eating.

[paul929207]

Some ships will let you make a standing reservation for a specific table. We did this on the Star last year. We found a waitress we really liked and talked to the Maitre 'd. He wook care of everything.

[Pam in CA]

So we are going on the Crown Princess in April and I was wondering about anytime dinning. One of the most important things to me about the MDR is having the same waiter the whole week. I think it is cool when they get to know you and get to know what you like. If we chose the anytime dinning is there any way to make sure we get the same waiter the whole time? We would be okay with going to dinner at the same time every day, we wanted to go at like 7pm( that is why we would chose anytime). If it is not something we can make sure that we have then we will probably choose one of the set dinning times.

Some Maitre D's allow you to make a standing reservation for the same table every night, other's don't. Most don't allow any reservations between 6 - 8pm, some do. It's very inconsistent. The two times we've been on the Crown in the past year and a half, there were long waits for Anytime dining every night, frequently 45 minutes or longer.

 

Some people will say that Anytime dining is just like Traditional only you get to eat at the time you want. I disagree as with my two experiences with Anytime, even with a standing reservation for the same table every night at 8pm, we had waits, sometimes longer than 30 minutes (yes, with the reservation.) IMHO, having to wait so long doesn't mean I'm eating at the time I want.

 

Anytime dining works best if you're willing to share a table with others and are flexible about what table you're sitting at and who you're sitting with. And, it's better if you like to eat early, i.e., 6pm or earlier as you probably won't have a wait then.

 

FYI, you're probably already too late to get Traditional dining; it's almost always waitlisted many months in advance. I've seen it waitlisted 18 months before sailing.

[Raysmom]

I agree that it's hit or miss depending on the maitre'd. On the Grand last year, they didn't allow standing reservations at all. We just got off the Ruby, and they did. But here are some tips. After you find a waiter you like, show up at the dining room at 5:30 (or no later than 6) when they're not busy as ask for the waiter you want. Being super-nice doesn't hurt, either. And don't rely on the reservation line.

[acetray]

thank you all for your replys. that helps a lot. We are already confrimed for first seating so i think we will just keep that

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree if you want that sameness all week then stay with trad dining.

Thats why we went back to trad. :D

[TERESAh]

Im sure you can make a standing reservation for a certain table. We were a group of 8 and would make a reservation while leaving the dining room for the next night (although we didnt request a certain table)

[paul929207]

Im sure you can make a standing reservation for a certain table. We were a group of 8 and would make a reservation while leaving the dining room for the next night (although we didnt request a certain table)

It depends on the ship and the Maitre 'd. Some accept reservations, some do not. Some only take them outside the prime hours.

[cynbar]

We don't always want to make reservations, because for us, the flexibility is the best benefit of anytime dining. We have sometimes found a waiter we liked, and just asked to be seated in his section when we present ourselves at the podium. If there is a wait for one of his tables, we just get a beeper and go have a drink or browse in the shops. It's never been a really long wait, and we just make sure we go before we are starving so we don't mind the delay.

[tmitchell82]

We sailed on the Crown last month and sat at the same table with the same waiters all the nights absent one. We tried the dinning line after the first night and they could not confirm the same table. We talked to the head dinning room matre'd and he made sure we got the same table the rest of the cruise. We ate in the Michelangelo dinning room every night. Had John and Jeffery. Absolutely great waiters. Even the one night we did not get their table, they helped out. DD had her berries and chocolate milk brought to her each night right after we got seated.

[cruisemom42]

As a party of 1 or 2 I have never experienced a wait longer than 10-15 minutes to be seated for Anytime Dining on Caribbean Princess (twice), Golden (once), and Star (once). I/we generally like to dine around the peak times (7:00 to 7:30 on average).

 

I don't know why some seem to experience long waits. It has never happened for us. Maybe because we generally use the less accessible Anytime dining room? Or because we are willing to share a table with others?

[caribill]

The traditional dining room must be so empty because so many of them are eating in anytime.

 

My experience in traditional has been that some tables remain empty except for formal nights. It seems that some passengers prefer the menu or fromal experience those nights and eat in the buffet or specialty restaurants the other evenings.

 

Also some of the opposite where some tables are occupied except on formal nights.

[paul929207]

I was wondering how they had room to seat A/T diners in the traditional dining room when all I hear about is waiting lists to be booked in traditional. The traditional dining room must be so empty because so many of them are eating in anytime. I wonder how many of the traditional diners were escorted back to eat anytime in the traditional dining room.

Tables in TD can be empty on a given night for a number of reasons:

1. People went to AD

2. People went to specalty restaurant

3. to buffet/alternative dining

4. room service

5. not hungry

[hubofhockey]

OP should not count on any standing reservation or getting same waiter every night. On our Crown cruise, most of the nights, reservations could only be made before 6 and after 8.

 

Our cruise cards were never checked in AD. I think it's safe to say traditional diners selfishly are taking up AD tables.

[gelboydad]

On our last two Princess cruises we used Anytime Dining. My wife and I started out sharing a table with others. By the end of the cruise we usually ate with the same people. Both these cruises were 14 days. It got to a point that we were seated at the same table everynight. They began saving the table for our group. However we eat between 6:15 and 6:30. That's before the big rush so the tables are usually open. It really worked out well.

 

I just got off a Carnival cruise using their anytime dining. We really did not have as much luck with them. I assume since its new to Carnival they have to learn how it works best. So when we cruise with them next year we will give them one more try. We did see a family eating everynight at the same table. But they always arrived around 6 PM.

[Woobstr112G]

Some Maitre D's allow you to make a standing reservation for the same table every night, other's don't. Most don't allow any reservations between 6 - 8pm, some do. It's very inconsistent. The two times we've been on the Crown in the past year and a half, there were long waits for Anytime dining every night, frequently 45 minutes or longer.

 

Some people will say that Anytime dining is just like Traditional only you get to eat at the time you want. I disagree as with my two experiences with Anytime, even with a standing reservation for the same table every night at 8pm, we had waits, sometimes longer than 30 minutes (yes, with the reservation.) IMHO, having to wait so long doesn't mean I'm eating at the time I want.

 

Anytime dining works best if you're willing to share a table with others and are flexible about what table you're sitting at and who you're sitting with. And, it's better if you like to eat early, i.e., 6pm or earlier as you probably won't have a wait then.

 

FYI, you're probably already too late to get Traditional dining; it's almost always waitlisted many months in advance. I've seen it waitlisted 18 months before sailing.

 

As Pam stated Traditional fills up fast. Book your cruise early if you want traditional.....

 

Bob

[acetray]

Thank you all for you quick and complete responses. We are already confirmed for early seating so i think we will just stay with that. I was not sure if that was what I wanted just becuase it is early for me since we are from the west coast and the cruise is on east coast time. But it is important to me to have the same waiter so I think we will go with that and just suck it up :D You were all very helpfull

 

thanks

[caribill]

Thank you all for you quick and complete responses. We are already confirmed for early seating so i think we will just stay with that. I was not sure if that was what I wanted just becuase it is early for me since we are from the west coast and the cruise is on east coast time. But it is important to me to have the same waiter so I think we will go with that and just suck it up :D You were all very helpfull

 

thanks

 

 

If you find you are not satisfied with the early seating, you are allowed to switch to anytime (ask the Headwaiter or Matre 'd) with 24 hous notice.

 

You cannot switch the other way.

[Stevesan]

OP should not count on any standing reservation or getting same waiter every night. On our Crown cruise, most of the nights, reservations could only be made before 6 and after 8.

 

Our cruise cards were never checked in AD. I think it's safe to say traditional diners selfishly are taking up AD tables.

 

Your cabin number is checked off and the Anytine Dining Room HW has your dining assignment record.

 

However, many HWs apparently don't care because there are a number of TD diners in AD, accounting for many of the empty chairs in TD.

They aren't all dining at the buffet and secialty restaurants.:rolleyes:

 

Restricting reservation times work out well, but they aren't consistent ship to ship, or Maitre d' to Maitre d'.

[jab12]

Not long off the Ruby - we had anytime dining - once we found the waitress we really liked we pre-booked our table every morning with the reservation service for her section - we were able to book whatever time we liked, even during the busiest times and fortunately, never had a problem our table was always ready and waiting.