Anytime dining question

[jaxon41]

Thanks for the thread. I am a traditionalist -- late dining -- and really disliked my one NCL cruise because of "anytime." I HATE waiting, and lines, but was tempted to try it again on my (potential) first Princess cruise. Not now. Question: One reason I didn't like NCL was because there was so much pre-planning required because of the entertainment venues (and you couldn't make reservations except during times when you were on an excursion or enjoying entertainment). On X and RCCL, entertainment wrapped around the two dining times -- early show for late diners/late show for early diners. How about on Princess?

Does Princess provide a nice bar/venue for pre-dinner dancing to live music?

[caribill]

On X and RCCL, entertainment wrapped around the two dining times -- early show for late diners/late show for early diners. How about on Princess?

Does Princess provide a nice bar/venue for pre-dinner dancing to live music?

 

The main Princess shows are scheduled three times most evenings and two times the other evenings. There will always be at least one of the times that will fit in with each of the traditional dining times.

 

Depending on when you will be eating dinner, there will be pre-dinner dancing to live music. It usually will start around 6 PM, so those who eat early will have to settle for after dinner dance music.

[1aCruise4wks]

We normally go to dinner some time after 8 PM. We sometimes travel with another couple, so we've had the experience of getting a table for four some cruises and getting a table for two on other cruises. In our experience, it has been easier to get a table for four than a table for two (we are never willing to share). We almost never have a wait for a table for four; we often (about 33% of the time) have a wait for a table for two. The wait is never more than 5 minutes.

 

We usually go to the Piazza Bar (used to be called the Lobby Bar), which is right outside one of the dining rooms, for a drink or two before dinner. In watching the crowd, it appears that the busiest time (biggest lines, most people standing around with pagers) at the dining room is shortly after 7 PM. By 8 PM, the line disappears.

[birdiebill]

We have always chosen anytime dining and have always been willing to share any size table except the only time our wedding anniversary occurred during our cruise. We like to eat early, so usually go just as the dining room opens. We have never had a wait other than a few minutes in the line to get in. The only times we have eaten later than when the dining room opened was when we returned late from an excursion. We were ready to eat in the buffet if we could not be seated quickly in the dining room. We had no wait and were seated with six others at a table for eight.

 

We have had longer waits at restaurants around home.

 

Entering early and sharing has always meant our table filled quickly and there was no wait for service and ordering.

[AKman2495]

We very seldom get there before 7:30 or 8:00 ... but we're happy to share and will with sit with anyone at any wait station which may be the reason we never had to wait long enough to have been given a pager.

On the other hand, maybe we've just been lucky. :D

LuLu

 

The only time we had to wait was on the week after your cruise in the Caribbean on the Crown. That was Super Bowl week and a huge group (over 1000) people took up all of the tables right off the bat. So, with the exception of the formal night when we got there 1/2 an hour before opening, we had to wait.

 

That said, we only had to wait no more than 20 minutes. One night we decided not to wait and go to the early show first. When we were done, we walked right into the dining room.