Letting folks know we won't be dining--how?

[Naismith]

We are going on a port-intensive cruise that is kind of front-end loaded. We are looking forward to dinner in the MDR for the last 2 nights of the 7-night cruise. But not in the beginning; just other priorities.

 

We don't want to make our table-mates wait for us. On other cruises, we would let folks know which nights we'd be skipping. But seeing as we are skipping the first night, not sure how to handle this. Is the maitre d' around earlier in the day, or how do we go about letting them know to go ahead without us?

[snrlnd]

I am assuming you selected traditional dining. If you are going to miss 5 of 7 night in the MDR, why not switch to anytime dining. Then nobody will miss you:D

[cherylandtk]

I have to agree, missing all but the last two nights of traditional dining deprives your table mates of their expected companions and defeats the purpose of traditional seating. Since the food will be the same in Anytime dining, simply go the last two nights to the anytime dining room and enjoy the two nights in the DR as well as your other priorities earlier in the cruise. That also frees up space in traditional dining for someone who's priority is to eat at the same table each night with the same companions. Neither priority is better than the other, but your priorities are best suited to Anytime dining.

[itzmered]

I agree I would switch to anytime dining. If you want to enjoy the company of others at your table you can request that in the anytime dining room also. You can make reservations too if you are wanting a specific time. Just dial the dine line on your stateroom phone. There is usually a waiting list for Traditional dining why not free up a couple of spaces for someone else that plans on eating in the MDR nightly.

[Pam in CA]

I agree with the others. Change to Anytime dining. That'll give you the flexibility you want and you won't be leaving your tablemates alone at a table in the dining room every night. You say you'll go there the last two nights but you may change your mind. There are many who really do want Traditional dining and plan on eating there every night.

[gerryl12]

Definately if you are only going to be at dinner the last two nights then switch to anytime dining so someone who wants traditional can have your place. We shared a table onetime with a couple who rarely came and it was not very nice.

We prefer anytime dining for this reason. We always share a table with thers and they are there.

[azdmelani]

We are going on a port-intensive cruise that is kind of front-end loaded. We are looking forward to dinner in the MDR for the last 2 nights of the 7-night cruise. But not in the beginning; just other priorities.

 

We don't want to make our table-mates wait for us. On other cruises, we would let folks know which nights we'd be skipping. But seeing as we are skipping the first night, not sure how to handle this. Is the maitre d' around earlier in the day, or how do we go about letting them know to go ahead without us?

 

I agree about switching to anytime dining. It is not fair to your tablemates to miss the opportunity of dining with others. You can arrange for this now, or when you get on the cruise head to the open dining room and find the Maitre D

[paul929207]

I am with the others, give your TA or Princess a call and switch.

[compozer]

Aren't there some ships that DO not offer anytime dining?

 

I booked a Med cruise and was very disappointed to find out they only had traditional dining.

[Stevesan]

It's unanimous - change to A/T.:p

[cherylandtk]

Aren't there some ships that DO not offer anytime dining?

 

I booked a Med cruise and was very disappointed to find out they only had traditional dining.

The Ocean and Pacific do not, and I believe one of the other smaller ships does not on certain routes (Australia?), but all the ships since Grand have the room to accommodate this. Were you on one of these?

[Toto2Kansas]

Since there always seems to be a very long waitlist for traditional dining, I agree with the otheres, switch to anytime. If you won't use your traditional seating for all but two nights, there is someone on the waitlist that would love to have your seats for the entire cruise.

Be gracious and allow them to assign your dining seating to someone who will really use and enjoy it. ;)

[geoherb]

We're currently waitlisted for traditional dining. We usually are since we don't book until late.

 

On our first cruise to Alaska, our tablemates let us know the first night that they'd be trying out the different dining options. They showed up again the second formal night. They did bring a couple of bottles of wine to share, so that was a nice meal--and told us about the different venues they had tried. And, most importantly, our waiter knew not to wait for them because they told him not to.

 

On another cruiseline, we had reservations for the specialty restaurant on our first night. We went by the dining room and introduced ourselves to our future tablemates and waiters and explained that we'd be there the next night and from then on. The funny thing was that we must have scared away the tablemates we met that night because we had new ones for the rest of the cruise.

[Potstech]

My question would be where would you be eating on the other nights?

 

If the buffet, a specialty dining room or on shore then I too would suggest switching to Anytime Dining. If you plan to eat at the ATDR on those other nights then you are doing a disservice to two groups of diners. One at the Traditional dining room and the other by taking up a seating in the ATDR. this defeats the purpose of having both types of DRs.

 

Please show some respect for your fellow passengers and pick one style to use for the majority of the cruise. Many will thank you for it and your considerate nature.

[Naismith]

To clarify, we would not be attempting to use an ATDR on the nights we don't dine traditional. That behavior just adds to the wait times that make Anytime less appealing to us.

 

On those other nights, we would be dining on shore, or just catching something light at the buffet after arriving back on board after our early dinner time has passed.

 

While the upcoming cruise is to Alaska, I can imagine this same issue arising in a few years when we go to the Greek Islands, which have a similar port-intensive feel to them. So the question is, what percentage of nights does one have to show up for traditional in order to NOT be offending other passengers?

 

There are only six nights of assigned seating on this itinerary. We are firmly committed to two of them, might do another. If we did, that would be half. Is that not enough?

 

I have read that a lot of people skip MDR on formal nights, which is 2/6 nights. Add another for a trip to a specialty restaurant, and that is also half.

 

This will be our only trip to Alaska, so I think it would be ridiculous to hurry back aboard for the same food that we could have on (yet another) cruise to the Caribbean. This isn't a situation in which the ship itself is the destination. I hate to be crass, but for Alaska, we are just using the ship as a floating hotel to take us to the places that are the real point of the voyage.

 

For the 2-3 nights that we do eat in the MDR, we absolutely enjoy the experience. But we are not particularly interested in doing it night after night, especially not when there are more compelling things to do during that time frame. With the MDR, we know what we're getting, the service is prompt. People tell us that the waits for anytime dining are "no worse than a restaurant at home," but that doesn't really compute for us since we don't eat out at home.

 

So if we booked early enough to get our preferred TD time (which likely means paying more than someone who booked last-minute), and we'll really enjoy it on the nights we do use it, why can't our wishes be respected as well? Where is the line between us getting the cruise we paid for, and being considerate of others?

[Dayenu]

The table number is on your key card. Just call the restaurant from your cabin - the call is free.

[itzmered]

You can still get the cruise you paid for and the experience you are seeking by making reservations for the time you want on the nights you want in the Anytime dining room. They serve the same food and are decorated similar :) They have an excellent wait staff and you can also request to sit with other guests. So I am not quite understanding how you will not get the cruise you paid for by eating in the ATD room?

[Pam in CA]

First, you can often pay LESS by booking early. I'm not sure why you want Traditional dining as the menu, dress code, service, experience is essentially the same in the Anytime dining room(s). They are also considered a MDR so you're not giving up anything or "settling" for something. You're getting what you "paid" for. If you insist on doing Traditional dining, your seats will remain unused. It is unfair to your tablemates who are looking forward to meeting and dining with others... only you won't be there. IMHO, it's inconsiderate and selfish.

 

We always go to our Traditional seating except when we go to a specialty restaurant. Even then, we don't go to a specialty restaurant on every cruise. Everyone I know and cruise with do the same.

[SanDiegoSue]

I agree with previous posters. It's very rude. Switch to Anytime Dining.

[Toto2Kansas]

So if we booked early enough to get our preferred TD time (which likely means paying more than someone who booked last-minute), and we'll really enjoy it on the nights we do use it, why can't our wishes be respected as well? Where is the line between us getting the cruise we paid for, and being considerate of others?

 

My thoughts? Because you are not only penalizing those on the waitlist for traditional dining (that you won't be using for at least half the cruise), but also penalizing tablemates that wanted to share a table with other passengers so they could share a meal with someone else (not sure if you have ever sat at a table before where tablemates don't show up, but it is a very uncomfortable feeling at times). There is no difference in AD or Traditional dining, except you don't sit at the same table each evening. For only two nights, I would think you could 'make do' with AD instead of reserving seats at a table you won't be at for most of the cruise.

But, as with other posts by passengers who ask a question but don't like the answer they receive, it's your cruise, and if this is what you would like to do, go for it. Nobody is going to stop you.

[CruzinNoony]

What if you are assigned a table for 6 and one of the other couples does the same thing as you? The one remaining couple would sit all by themselves.:( We always have traditional dining and go every night. In over 40 cruises, we have missed dinner in the MDR maybe 5 times. It just isn't fair to request TD knowing beforehand you won't be there 5 of 7 nights.:o

[PescadoAmarillo]

I think that this falls under the category of "just because you have a right to do it doesn't make it the right thing to do".

[karatemom2]

I firmly agree with those who encourage you to consider Anytime Dining. We prefer it, especially for port intensive cruises such as Alaska as it provides the same menu, service and ambience as the Traditional dining room but with the flexibility to dine when you choose. However if you are insistent upon keeping your Traditional spot as you say it is your right. I hope your tablemates are able to move to another table or get others to fill your seats so they aren't sitting at a half empty table for the bulk of the cruise.

[cdngrl]

by the way, when asking for a shared table in anytime i have never (never!) had to wait.

[cherylandtk]

No, half is not enough. People who enjoy traditional dining enjoy it because of the nightly conversation and group experience which builds from day to day. Most of them show up every night, and perhaps, maybe, will go to another venue on one night. Many, like myself, have never ventured into the specialty dining at all. That does not describe what you have said you intend to do.

 

 

OTOH, people who do not want to be obligated to the same table and the same dining companions every night and who want the flexibility to attend the various different specialty dining venues choose anytime dining so they are not tied down to a traditional dining seating. You seem to have some idea that the two nights you do want to use traditional dining are somehow going to be different from the anytime dining on those two nights, but you have not given any reason for that belief nor why you 'prefer' traditional over anytime. Rather, you have given several reasons as to why you should prefer anytime dining.

 

 

In anytime you get the same food, in anytime you can make a reservation if you fear having to wait, but even that is not required, you can still show up at the same time as assigned dining and be seated. In anytime on night 6 and 7 you will introduce yourself to your table mates just as you would in traditional, but in traditional you would be showing up sort of like arriving at the theater just before the last act and asking your seat mates to fill you in on the rest of the play. I am not sure what experience you think you will be missing in anytime, but by virtue of missing the first five nights YOU have changed the dynamic in traditional. The traditional waiters are not going to know your preferences or desires any more than the waiters in anytime will. Your service will be the same in either venue. It is unlikely that you will be warmly welcomed by folks that you have essentially told "Hey we have better things to do in Alaska than show up and talk to you". Especially in a venue where it is expected that you have chosen to participate.

 

Why on earth do you think traditional is a better fit with your needs and desires?