What's Happened to Anytime Dining

[IECalCruiser]

So, if I am reading all of this correctly, if we want Any Time dining, then it is better to go later (say 7:00 PM or later) to have less of a wait?

It depends upon the itinerary, demographics, and if you are willing to share a table or want a table for two. We have done TD when traveling with relatives but AT when traveling alone. We usually eat at 5:30 - 6:00 and have not needed to wait. We were on ships that allow reservations in AT for one or three days at a time. On prior cruises we have met people on the Roll Call and ate together once in a while or in the HC or later with a long port day. We like the flexibility when traveling alone and don't need to wait for others who may show up late at our TD table. If TD diners miss their time they should not be allowed in an AT DR.

 

 

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[Bowie MeMe]

I go with TD (early) if the AD room is going to be used for TD (even earlier). I really don't care for the 5:30 time as it is too rushed to get ready! The 6 PM is better but on occasion too rushed also. By 7 to 7:30 PM that is too late for me and medical problems can kick in if I have an unexpected wait (metformin for diabetes is to be taken 1/2 hour before eating and it is tricky enough to manage that when you know when dinner starts:p) So waiting for half the ship to eat before I get a turn in the DR doesn't work either.

 

The one time I tried ATD it worked very poorly. When I signed up the theory was 2 DR for ATD for the entire period. After we were on there was an announcement that one DR was changed to early traditional. I was mad at that because the deal changed -- I was waiting every night and that sure was not how the product was sold with the eat anytime with anybody ads. It was line up at 5:15 or eat after 7:30. As for reservations -- I NEVER once in 14 days got through to the line -- busy or closed because all reservation were filled. Besides a standing reservation is just a traditional dining without the DR.

 

When is the configuration of the dining rooms (extra room of early TD) made because it still looks like AT has 2 dining rooms and then they don't?

[caribill]

Some cruise lines limit the number of anytime dinners and make all those over that limit go to Traditional. This makes those forced into traditional unhappy, but since the number of anytime diners is limited to what is probably usualy a balanced amount throughout the evening, there is little if any wait for those doing anytime.

 

Princess prefers to limit the number of traditional diners instead. If there are two traditional dining times, that means up to 2300 passengers on the current larger ships could be in anytime (although some will eat at the buffet, in their cabin, or in specialty restaurants). If more than 1/3 of this group shows up at the same time for the two anytime rooms, there will be a wait for the others that show up before the first 1/3 of the group finishes eating.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Suites can order off the MDR menu (not the room service menu). We ate dinner on our aft balcony a week ago as the sun was setting when we sailed out of San Francisco - it was breathtaking (and the food - while delivered all at the same time - wasn't bad either :p). Truly memorable.

 

Not off the DR menu you cant and what can be better than sitting on your balcony having a great meal and a nice bottle of wine.

 

On the Emerald and the Crown you can order anything off the dinner menu you want. I'm not sure about the other ships yet but it just isn't for me, having the wind cool off my food before I can eat it and now in some of the cabins having to deal with the extra small table almost makes it impossible.

[MicCanberra]

I like to eat in my cabin occasionally but that is because I want to coccoon all day and need some substanance.:D

[kendon]

Did you try both dining rooms for ATD?

 

On our last cruise, one of the ATD was taken all week by a 500 person group.....leaving only ONE anytime dining room......disaster.

[sp2]

I'm not a frequent cruiser, but from the comments and our experience on 3 cruises, it looks like the issue may be one on the Emerald, Ruby, etc ships.

 

We had no problem with the Sapphire or Emerald a few years ago. But this last March (12) we had some issues on the Emerald. I think this was also mentioned on another thread. It appears the problem is that on the Emerald, they have added a Traditional early seating that was used for AT dining. I would have thought it wouldn't matter, but in reality, it clearly puts a bind on anyone trying to eat early. Our Sapphire and earlier Emerald, didn't have that earlier TD in of the front Drooms.

 

On our March cruise, one couldn't even set a reserv. for most nights with AT until late. As was mentioned before, if the chairs are full with the "first" wave of AT diners, AT dang near turns into traditional.

 

My preference is to open back up that dining room for AT. This may result in having some passengers not being able to sign up for the early TD seating. That shouldn't be too much of an issue. One can still get the early AT seating.

 

Some may ask why people want AT anyway. Honestly, most of the time we tend to eat early. But there are some port days when it doesn't work that well, and we'd prefer to eat later. Sure the Buffet is available, but that's why we liked AT- if gave us a chance to be flexible. Also, we had a group of us and there may be a night or two when a couple wants to eat at a different time- for whatever the reason. TD won't allow that. Clearly there is a demand for AT dining as so many do sign up for it. So, Princess, let's open up the early TD seating and just make that AT.

This is well said, and I agree. From our experience on the Ruby, it appears to be that one of the anytime dining rooms is now being used for the additional traditional early seating, so it did not open up to AT until 7:30 p.m. On our cruise in January, we were told they were not taking reservations for AT until 7:30 p.m. so it was first come first served at the one dining room that was open for AT at 5:30 p.m. Hence the lining up started at 5:00 p.m. It seemed to me AT worked much better previous to this additional traditional seating being added.

 

As to why people choose AT - because on sea days we like to eat early, but on port days we like to have the option of dining later. Hopefully Princess is reading this thread and will go back to the way it operated before the extra TD seating was added.

[Stevesan]

Dedicating one of the AT dining rooms to early traditional has caused nearly as much trouble as staggered boarding!

 

Nice going, Princess.:rolleyes:

[SoBaycruiser]

as long as Traditional diners are allowed in Anytime and people are able to make a reservation, there'll be long lines and beepers.

 

I agree and also think that the adding of the additional early TD seating has added to the problems... At least in the ships with only three dining rooms. It bothers me that some of the posters assume those who have had problems are inflexible about their eating times or insist on tables for two. This is just not the case. Our most recent experience on the Golden was terrible. We tried many different times and always said we'd take any size table, we still had long waits.

 

I definitely think the standing reservation system should be eliminated. Why should some get their ideal time every night in the ATD room while others have to compete for a seat? All ATDers should be treated equally.

[paul929207]

I may have missed it, but on the ships with the AD problem discussed here, have they let people with TD into AD?

[Matcodixon]

Dedicating one of the AT dining rooms to early traditional has caused nearly as much trouble as staggered boarding!

 

Nice going, Princess.:rolleyes:

 

Except for those that wanted TD dining and there were too many to accommodate in the normal TD dining room. For them it worked out quite well. They were willing to commit to a specific dining time and were given one.

 

Supply and demand 101.

[cruzsnooze]

We experienced the same issue. AT fills up at 5:30 and they do not take reservation for anytime before 7:30. The system didn't work for us on Sapphire either.

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

The OP was on the Emerald which has about 500 more passengers, so that can make a difference.

 

I just got off Emerald Princess on the 23rd and had zero problems with getting an Anytime Dining table for two, eating most every night (except the 1st night in StP and the night we returned from Berlin) at 7:15ish. I know the OP was trying to eat quite a bit earlier....which makes a lot of sense on this itinerary and should be something the staff anticipates. :eek:

[Matcodixon]

I just got off Emerald Princess on the 23rd and had zero problems with getting an Anytime Dining table for two, eating most every night (except the 1st night in StP and the night we returned from Berlin) at 7:15ish. I know the OP was trying to eat quite a bit earlier....which makes a lot of sense on this itinerary and should be something the staff anticipates. :eek:

And they would anticipate it, and compensate for it by turning the Princess Theater into another dining room? :rolleyes:

[jagoffee]

If up to 50% of the passengers want to eat in the MDR before 7 PM It is going to be impossible to please everyone. From my experience the open dining works best when it is 100%, but obviously many cruisers want Traditional. With all of the alternative dining options available it is difficult to keep the traditional tables full each night making the situation even more challenging.

 

My DW and I find the dining challenging on Princess because of the need to arrive at the theater early for the Main shows (if we don't we might not find a seat) otherwise we would not be too concerned about when we dine. It does not seem to be as much of an issue on other cruise lines.

[swedish weave]

If up to 50% of the passengers want to eat in the MDR before 7 PM It is going to be impossible to please everyone. From my experience the open dining works best when it is 100%, but obviously many cruisers want Traditional. With all of the alternative dining options available it is difficult to keep the traditional tables full each night making the situation even more challenging.

 

My DW and I find the dining challenging on Princess because of the need to arrive at the theater early for the Main shows (if we don't we might not find a seat) otherwise we would not be too concerned about when we dine. It does not seem to be as much of an issue on other cruise lines.

 

Interesting that you mention problems keeping the traditional tables full. We were escorted to the traditional dining room on the Coral a couple of times recently because there were tables available there and the open seating dining room was filled.

[Pam in CA]

I may have missed it, but on the ships with the AD problem discussed here, have they let people with TD into AD?

To my knowledge, all ships with Anytime allow Traditional diners to eat in the Anytime dining room. As one CD told me when I asked specifically about this, "They will be accommodated."

[beachnut41955]

Was on the Emerald in April (Southern Caribbean) and we did the anytime dining in the Michaelangelo Dining room. We usually went between 5:30 and 6 and were always seated immediately with the exception of 1 night when we went later and were given a pager. The wait then was only about 15 minutes. It seemed to work out great for us.

[paul929207]

To my knowledge, all ships with Anytime allow Traditional diners to eat in the Anytime dining room. As one CD told me when I asked specifically about this, "They will be accommodated."

And of course, that will just make any capacity problem for AD worse.

[Astro Flyer]

I may have missed it, but on the ships with the AD problem discussed here, have they let people with TD into AD?

My only AD experiences have been in the past couple months on the Sapphire and on the Island & both of them checked to make sure you had AD before allowing you to be seated. After about 8 o'clock the AD restaurants gets very uncrowded so I don't see any problem with allowing those with TD to be seated with so many empty tables.

[Putterdude]

My only AD experiences have been in the past couple months on the Sapphire and on the Island & both of them checked to make sure you had AD before allowing you to be seated.

 

 

My experience is that they always check your card. However as TD people we have on the odd occasion been late getting back form a shorex, have missed our sitting time, have gone to the ATD venue and always have been seated without question. We don't make a habit of this but we have done it....card check and all.

[Astro Flyer]

Reading some the very different experiences of others, some on the same ship, one factor must be when too many desire to eat at the same time. I even read posts from some who were on the same ship as us on a different cruise who had a much different experience than we had with AD. The only difference I can think of is the eating habits of those on each cruise were different which can also vary daily & is nearly impossible to accurately predict. Same ship with the same system only on a different cruise with the main variable being the eating habits of passengers.

 

Once we asked about a reservation because we wanted to eat before 7:00 & were told that the allotted reservations had reached the maximum number so we got a pager and waited about 20 to 30 minutes to be seated While I think that maybe some of the problems are created by allowing AD reservations, I can also see it as an effort to spread out the crowds.

 

There's no perfect system when having TD and a AD on a ship. By using an AD restaurant for early TD it was in response to the demand for ETD.

 

I don't think it would be a good idea for Princess to go to an all AD system like on NCL because that is not what the majority of their passengers desire. There are pros and cons to both systems & based on those differences I'll decide which works best for a particular cruise. Then I accept the limitations of the system chosen as my dining option.

[Astro Flyer]

My experience is that they always check your card. However as TD people we have on the odd occasion been late getting back form a shorex, have missed our sitting time, have gone to the ATD venue and always have been seated without question. We don't make a habit of this but we have done it....card check and all.

That makes sense to me however I would only do it if there weren't any AD diners waiting to be seated if it was busy. That's just the way I would do it & instead go to the buffet or some other dining venue if busy at the AD restaurants & I had missed my TD time.

[Putterdude]

That makes sense to me however I would only do it if there weren't any AD diners waiting to be seated if it was busy. That's just the way I would do it & instead go to the buffet or some other dining venue if busy at the AD restaurants & I had missed my TD time.

 

Well we don't do buffets and we certainly don't go on a cruise to eat at one. Beyond that I would suggest that it is up to the discretion of the Head Waiter at the door who he admits or who he doesn't; as I said, we have never had an issue with a simple explanation why we are using ATD instead of TD on that occasion.

Another point with ATD, on the Grand Class ships and having only two elevators going to the TD venue, if a disabled person speaks to the Maitre-d he will usually give a them a set time in the ATD venue. DW is in a wheelchair & we have to do this when sailing on Grand Class ships.

[caribill]

Another point with ATD, on the Grand Class ships and having only two elevators going to the TD venue, if a disabled person speaks to the Maitre-d he will usually give a them a set time in the ATD venue.

 

The Emerald, Crown and the Ruby have all four aft elevators going down to deck 6.