Dining Options ?

[AlaskaFan05]

We are going on our first cruise this September to Alaska. We seem a little confused on the dining options. If you select traditional dining does that mean you are restricted to the main dining room? We are going on the Diamond Princess through Princess Cruises which offers "Anytime Dining". Is that the better option? Please help!!:confused:

[Boo's Mom]

Traditional Dining..... means that you are given a specific time to come to the dining room for dinner. You will sit at the same table each dinner...with the same people at your table. You will have the same wait staff all through your cruise.

 

Anytime Dining.....means that you can come down to the dining room (a different dining room) anytime within a specified time period....to have dinner. You will be seated at a different table (typically), different wait staff, and seated with different people....each evening.

 

Hope this helps....

[Boo's Mom]

Is one option better than the other? It is all personal opinion.

 

We started out with the traditional dining. We hated the location of our table. It was right next to the doors to the kitchen....very loud, waiters constantly moving in and out of doors. Table of 5...for a family of 5. We much prefer a larger table, so we can visit with others.

 

The next night, we changed to "anytime dining"....aka...Personal Choice Dining. It was nice to get to sit with different folks each night. Upon checking in for dinner, we simply told them that we would like to be seated with other people.

[CaptData]

You also have other choices, you can eat in Horizon Court, at the Pizza place or at theChops/sabertines (pay). You can order from your room.

[wwinfl91]

Since it is your first cruise, I would suggest selecting PC (Personal Choice) dining as it offers the most flexibility and the most options. If you meet people you want to have dinner with you can arrange to do by meeting at the one of the PC choice dinings rooms and asking for the correct table size. If you are tired from a long day, you can go to the dining room and ask for a table for 2 and just enjoy each others company. You can make reservations at either of the alternate but extra charge restaurants on board on two of the nights during your cruise without having to make any explanations to the others sitting at your table if you were doing traditional dining.

 

Also even if you ask for traditional dining the odds are only 50-50 that you will get it. Princess has only so many seats in the traditional dining rooms and the seats tend to go to their repeat cruisers who ask for that type of dining. As a first time cruiser you would probably end up assigned PC dining and put on a waiting list for traditional.

 

Even on the nights you elect to share a table with others it is fun to do so with different people on different nights. You get to meet more people and hear more interesting stories than sitting with the same group every night. You also avoid getting stuck with people for the whole cruise who you just don't match up with.

 

We have done two Princess cruises and did PC dining both times, once because that was what we were assigned and once because we asked for it. We ate some nights with people who we had "talked" with on cruise critic and on other nights we either ate at a table for two or just joined a table with others just to meet other people.

 

We both wish other cruise lines we use, HAL, RCCL and Celebrity would consider this type of dining option.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[AlaskaFan05]

I want to Thank those of you that have responded. My wife and I appreciate all your help. We are going to change our dining choice to PC. We do indeed think it will be better for us. So again, thank all of you for your info and help.

[traveller99]

Hi, Alaskafan05. Glad to hear you're doing the PC dining. You will enjoy it. We did it on Princess in August in the So. Carib., by direction, not by choice. We were traditional before, but really liked it. On three nights we had other guests, that we met thru the kids and another couple that we met on C/C, all join in for dinner and had a grand time. BTW, the kids (18 male & 21 female) did dress for formal night, TWICE! This was something that all of the "children" in the group thought was great. Maybe there is hope yet!