another anytime dinning question

[ckr31]

do we have to make reservations at the anytime dinning restaurant? and I have read mixed reviews on them. some say they feel very rushed when they have went in their to dine whats you opinion

[Colo Cruiser]

do we have to make reservations at the anytime dinning restaurant? and I have read mixed reviews on them. some say they feel very rushed when they have went in their to dine whats you opinion

 

You don't have to make a res....

I say show up when you want and ask for a table.

[ckr31]

ok thanks for the reply

[cmarshall9]

Hubby and I have never made a res - we're not sure why people do a full week of res at the same time/same table since it kind of defeats the purpose of Anytime Dining. We have had to wait on busy nights - but usually no more than 15 minutes. They give out the buzzers and we wander off to the casino or a nearby bar or shop until we are called.

 

We've only booked Anytime Dining on all of our cruises.

[Pam in CA]

do we have to make reservations at the anytime dinning restaurant? and I have read mixed reviews on them. some say they feel very rushed when they have went in their to dine whats you opinion

It all depends on what time you prefer to eat. If you like to have dinner before 6pm, you can just walk up and you'll be seated. If you like to have dinner after 8pm, a reservation is probably a good idea. Princess is inconsistent in allowing reservations in Anytime dining. Some ships allow it only before 6pm and after 8pm; others allow it for any dining time. Like any local popular restaurant, the later you go, the more likely it is you'll have a wait.

[dfields1814]

As per the concern of being rushed when dining in an any time dining room...

 

It is just the opposite. It takes a long time to dine - figure and hour and half on a non busy night.. easy - even longer when busy. So if you want to make the first show plan accordingly. Say the show starts at 8:15. You need to be in the DR by 5:45 which gives you 2 hours to eat and half hour to get to the theater for good seats.

(I have it down to a science!!!)

[philv]

do we have to make reservations at the anytime dinning restaurant? and I have read mixed reviews on them. some say they feel very rushed when they have went in their to dine whats you opinion

 

We have done anytime dining on last two cruises. I never felt rushed. Food was great and I really enjoyed. Next cruise Mar 7 on CB we are doing traditional late seating, mainly for a change of pace. What I don't like is buffet for dinner. OK for breakfast and lunch but not what I want for dinner. Anytime dining is fine, don't worry.

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

When we did AD on the Ruby last year, we only had one occasion, on a 12 day cruise, where we had to wait and that was 2nd formal night. We went at various times depending on when we were hungry (kinda what the concept of "Anytime" is) ;) However, we always said we were happy to share a table with others which can make a difference. But we found that by sharing with others, not only did it mean we didn't have to wait, we also met some great people and had fun evenings chatting to them :)

[ckr31]

thanks for all the great feedback as for buffets I am from Las Vegas. buffet city and I just don't do them maybe from living here so long I have just got burned out . That"s just me

[uppitycats]

I avoid buffets, too.. and I've never been to Vegas! :D

 

Some folks do make reservations for anytime dining -- they'll tell you, "that's when I want to eat..so I reserve a table!". As others said, making reservations seems to me to defy the concept of "eat when you want; just show up and be seated".

 

If you know you need to be somewhere and you're also planning to eat dinner beforehand, just tell your waiter when you're seated, and he/she will speed things up and do their best to accommodate your time issue.

 

What I like best about anytime dining -- besides the "eat when I want" thing -- is being able to eat with WHOM I want. If I meet someone during the day and we want to continue our fun together, we can go to dinner together and continue. Under the traditional dining, we'd have to break up, and go to dinner at our set times...always awkward and uncomfortable.

 

Anyway. We'll always choose the flexible dining if there is such a choice available.

[Coolmama_1]

We have done it both ways. On our first cruise we met up with 3 other couples on Wednesday and we had so much fun at dinner that we reserved the table for the remainder of the cruise.

On other cruises, we have just gone when we wanted too. We have been lucky because we have never had to wait for a table regardless of when we go. Usually there will be one dining room that is not as busy. We find that one (usually the one on deck five) and go there if we are in a hurry.

[thunder_lin]

Love it, love it. We just came off the Emerald Princess...a group o 8. Never had any issues with anytime dining. Yes, they tell you there will be a wait. First time they said 1/2 hr wait and they give you the little beeper things that will notify you that your table is ready. Well, the 1/2 hr wait turned into about a 7 min wait. That was on formal night. The rest of the cruise, never waited any longer, that 7 min. wait was the longest. Yes, dining does take a while, but remember, you are dining. If you want a speedy dinner, go to the buffet. RELAX and enjoy your meal, remember, you're on vacation!!!

FYI - most nights we arrived a the dining room between 7-8 p.m. which might be considered prime time.

[vantec]

do we have to make reservations at the anytime dinning restaurant? and I have read mixed reviews on them. some say they feel very rushed when they have went in their to dine whats you opinion

 

I'm one of those who makes reservations - the main reason is my husband and I enjoy having a table for two, and those are limited. I usually make a reservation when we get up in the morning and know what our day is going to look like.

[kywildcatfanone]

I'm one of those who makes reservations - the main reason is my husband and I enjoy having a table for two, and those are limited. I usually make a reservation when we get up in the morning and know what our day is going to look like.

 

Agree 100%. This is exactly what we do. To the OP, if you are eating before 6pm, you likely don't need a reservation, unless you want a specific table, then it's probably a good idea. Being able to make a reservation in anytime dining is quite useful.

 

Mike

[JMG]

We were on the CB and there were 2 lines. One for people with reservations and one for those without reservations. We never had to wait more than a few minutes to be seated. We were a group of 4 but always said we would share a table and were seated. Within 5 minutes the table was full.

We were not rushed. Actually, we left 2 nites before dessert was served so we could go to the shows. If anything, the service was a bit slow.

[wdrl]

We prefer AD because sometimes a tour will delay our return to the ship then we are rushed to make early seating (our preferred time). Or if on late seating, we are too tired to wait until 7:30 or 8:00 pm to eat after a long excursion. Sometimes we make a reservation especially if we want to dine at a certain time in order to get to a show. Or on formal nights more people are trying to dine at the same time so then we will make a reservation.