Anytime dining questions

[2red4u]

We have only cruised once, on NCL so I don't understand how dining works on princess. Please bear with me as I start asking questions. We don't want to have set dining times nor table mates. I hope that doesn't sound snotty, we have 2 teens and enjoy each other's company. So it seems anytime would be a great solution, but are there certain restaurants that are excluded for this? Also what restaurants have formal wear meaning tuxs. I am looking at an Alaska cruise if this helps.

[1025cruise]

All the MDRs serve the same menu, and have the same dress code. The only difference is whether or not you have a set dining time or show up when you want.

 

There are specialty restaurants that have an extra charge. In addition, you can always dine in the Lido.

[ggprincess2004]

Which ship are you sailing? That will have a bit of an impact on answers.

 

In general however choosing anytime dining means that in terms of the evening meal you will be able to dine in the formal dining rooms designated for anytime. Generally (and Grand class ships) these are the two formal dining rooms located mid-ship on Deck 5 and Deck 6. The fixed seat formal dining room is on deck 6 aft.

 

Theoretically, you simply show up when you would like to dine, and can request a table for two, four or "to share". There are a few details about this that happen a good deal of the time. Since fixed seating dining times are usually around 6 pm and 8 pm, the most popular time for anytime dining seems to be around 7pm. There are lines, and you might have a wait for a table.

 

You can call the dine line in the morning, and request a reservation for a particular time, but generally reservations are offered around what works out to an early seating or late seating time. That is fine with us, we just prefer the flexibility of not being locked in to a set time each evening, with a set group of people, too.

 

None of restaurants require that you wear a tux on formal nights. A suit is fine. Those are the formal dining rooms. Depending upon the ship, you will also have the choice of several additional cost restaurants, for which reservations are recommended. You can make those anytime, for any evening, i.e. when you board for whatever evening(s) you might like.

 

In Alaska, if you have late departures from ports, you may find that all the formal dining rooms become open seating for that evening. So you just show up and are seated.

 

If you specify the ship, I can get pretty specific for you. The above is general info.

[nukesubsailor]

We have only cruised once, on NCL so I don't understand how dining works on princess. Please bear with me as I start asking questions. We don't want to have set dining times nor table mates. I hope that doesn't sound snotty, we have 2 teens and enjoy each other's company. So it seems anytime would be a great solution, but are there certain restaurants that are excluded for this? Also what restaurants have formal wear meaning tuxs. I am looking at an Alaska cruise if this helps.

 

On the Grand class and larger ships it is the aft dining room that is for traditional, (fixed time & Table), dining. The anytime dining rooms are on decks 5 & 6 amidships. On the Island & Coral I believe the anytime dining room in on deck 5 amidships and the one on deck 6 is the traditional dining room. Just go to one of the anytime dining rooms located amidships and request a table for the number in your party. You may have to wait until one that size is available if you don't want to be seated with strangers.

On formal nights, suits are much more common than tuxedos.

[2red4u]

The two ships we are looking at are the crown and golden princess. We have no problem waiting for a table to open up. What are the options to eat in if he doesn't wear a suit. He wears Dockers and long sleeve button down shirts to dinner. I don't think we will have packing space for his jacket. We are only taking 1 carry on each and alaska is already tough to pack for.

[skynight]

We have only cruised once, on NCL so I don't understand how dining works on princess. Please bear with me as I start asking questions. We don't want to have set dining times nor table mates. I hope that doesn't sound snotty, we have 2 teens and enjoy each other's company. So it seems anytime would be a great solution, but are there certain restaurants that are excluded for this? Also what restaurants have formal wear meaning tuxs. I am looking at an Alaska cruise if this helps.

 

Like others have stated there are differences in dining choices depending on the ship. There will be 2 or 3 MDR's, and the Anytime Dining will be in one or two of these MDR's . They all have the same menu. Dress for these will be smart casual on 5 nights and formal on two nights. Formal: women normally wear a dress or nice slacks, men jacket and tie which can be a suit or sport jacket, youths will not need a jacket, just nice clothes. No shorts or ragged jeans in the MDR's. Surcharge dining on Princess includes Sabatini's (Italian), or a Steak House which is either the Crown Grill or Bayou Steak House on the Island or Coral. Dress for these restaurants is always smart casual. Some ships offer the Crab Shack on certain evenings in a section of the buffet seating area, dress is casual.There is a surcharge for this. You should make reservations for all surcharge dining venues. Other free dining includes International Cafe (except Island Princess), Grill, Pizza, Buffet. These are all casual all the time and open most of the time. If have ATD you can call the DINE line in the morning and make a reservation.

[ggprincess2004]

The two ships we are looking at are the crown and golden princess. We have no problem waiting for a table to open up. What are the options to eat in if he doesn't wear a suit. He wears Dockers and long sleeve button down shirts to dinner. I don't think we will have packing space for his jacket. We are only taking 1 carry on each and alaska is already tough to pack for.

 

They are both grand class, so there are two anytime dining rooms - midship deck 5 and deck 6.

As far as not wearing a suit, Alaska tends to be a bit less formal than some other itineraries. They may or may not enforce the dress code strictly on formal night. Does he have room to tuck a tie in the carry on to wear with the button down?

Also, formal night dress code is not enforced in the two additional charge restaurants - Crown Grill and Sabatini's. in addition, the Horizon Court/Café Caribe area, which is the buffet, will be open and dress code is not enforced there.

Finally, midship on Lido are the grill for hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, fries and some other items, and the by the slice pizzeria. IHMO Princess has excellent pizza most of the time. The rest of the time it is usually at least very good! (Yes, I have met a pizza or 15 I didn't like, but never on Princess.)

 

Honestly, not taking along a suit coat on an Alaskan Princess cruise is far from the end of the world if you are packing light - but the weather in Alaska is so variable it helps to have rain gear, layers to go from sunny and warm to overcast and downright cold no matter when you are going.

 

Bon voyage!!!

[2red4u]

He can easily pack a tie! There is just no room for a dinner jacket after he packs his outdoor jackets and hiking boots. Thanks everyone. I have questions about cabins that I will post separately.

[TracieABD]

He can easily pack a tie! There is just no room for a dinner jacket after he packs his outdoor jackets and hiking boots. Thanks everyone. I have questions about cabins that I will post separately.

 

He may want to wear the hiking boots on the plane. This will allow for additional room in the bag.

 

Also, you can rent a tux to be delivered to your stateroom before you cruise. It costs about $100 for the length of the cruise. (Though, honestly, I am seeing less and less tuxes these days.).:)

[CruisingCoral]

I'm going on the Coral this Saturday and will be doing Anytime for the first time. Do they still parade around the dining room singing and dancing like baked Alaska night?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Thrak]

I'm going on the Coral this Saturday and will be doing Anytime for the first time. Do they still parade around the dining room singing and dancing like baked Alaska night?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Yes. Although don't really recall dancing they did do a parade around the dining room on Baked Alaska night.

[2red4u]

He wears his ostrich cowboy boots on the plane. Then wears those with his slacks. We are from Texas so Lucchese ostrich boots are acceptable shoes for dressing up, for men. I didn't know about tux rental!! He is not opposed to dressing up and would wear a borrowed or rented coat jacket if they had it.

[shredie]

Yes. Although don't really recall dancing they did do a parade around the dining room on Baked Alaska night.

 

It's a pretty somber affair. ;) I can do without the dancing waiters anyway.

[OCruisers]

2red4u .... Anytime dining is great! Someone will greet you as you enter, just ask for a table for only 4 ... no problem.

On formal nights in the MDR your DH could wear a pair of dress type pants and a long sleeve shirt with a collar... a tie would be a nice touch.

Your other options would be the buffet which is casual or a specialty (extra cost) restaurant which are always smart casual (long pants/shirt w/collar... like a golf shirt).

Look forward to having a great cruise! :D

LuLu

[JF - retired RRT]

He wears his ostrich cowboy boots on the plane. Then wears those with his slacks. We are from Texas so Lucchese ostrich boots are acceptable shoes for dressing up, for men. I didn't know about tux rental!! He is not opposed to dressing up and would wear a borrowed or rented coat jacket if they had it.

He could maybe wear or carry his suit (or just the jacket) on the plane:cool:

[Treven]

Leave the jacket at home. IF you do the main dining room on a formal night, dress slacks, dress shirt/tie will be fine - with his ostrich boots. Personally I don't bother; I head to the buffet on those nights. It's easy to get a table just to yourselves and that certainly isn't considered stuffy nor snooty. I cruise by myself and I always get a table to myself. I simply don't want to be bothered with strangers at dinner.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Treven

[2red4u]

Thanks everyone!!

[sherryf]

He can easily pack a tie! There is just no room for a dinner jacket after he packs his outdoor jackets and hiking boots. Thanks everyone. I have questions about cabins that I will post separately.

 

Plenty of people manage to pack for Alaska and fit in a suit or tuxedo. Unless you will be doing extensive hiking, hiking boots are really not necessary.

 

Which reminds me... I need to take my sons' tuxedo shirts to the cleaners. We leave in 3 weeks!

[2red4u]

We are only taking 1 carry on each, so no it won't fit. We actually do hike and deep sea fish, so the hiking boots are a must. But there seems to be plenty of places to eat at so we are good. Now to find the perfect suite!

[ggprincess2004]

We are only taking 1 carry on each, so no it won't fit. We actually do hike and deep sea fish, so the hiking boots are a must. But there seems to be plenty of places to eat at so we are good. Now to find the perfect suite!

 

If you are going to stay in suite you can order room service off the dining room menus. :)

[thinfool]

Our recent cruises with both HAL and Princess embolden me to say that "The Tux is dead" as far as formal night is concerned.

 

Not to say that no one wears them, but by FAR the majority of men wear a suit or sports jacket. I have never seen anyone in a jacket turned away from the MDR.

 

Many ladies are now wearing nice slacks and some type of 'dressy', 'sparkly' top accompanied by their husbands in suits or a nice sport coat with dress shirt and tie.

 

As noted, dress up clothes are definitely muted on an Alaskan cruise.

[weedhopper]

I totally agree with thinfool's comments. We have been to Alaska four times and the dress code is more informal. My husband has worn very nice blue jeans and a dress shirt to the dining room at nights. You tend to see a lot of jeans. On formal nights, he wears dress slacks with a shirt and tie, and that is totally acceptable. You will see a lot of men without their sport coats. That's what is great about Alaska!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Yes. Although don't really recall dancing they did do a parade around the dining room on Baked Alaska night.

 

On our one anytime experience (which we hated and couldn't wait to have traditional again on our most recent cruise), we didn't see any parade in the anytime dining room on Baked Alaska night. I think that's because people are eating dessert at different times. In the traditional MDRs, all the tables will have dessert at almost the same time.

 

On the Golden, the Canaletto dining room is exclusively traditionally. If there's a heavy demand for traditional (which seems to be for most cruises), one of the anytime dining rooms may be used for an early, early (maybe around 5:30) dining seating. As those diners finish and leave, the head waiter will start seating anytime diners at those tables.

 

The other options for dinner on the Golden: Sabatinis (our one dinner there, it seemed everyone dressed a bit on more on the smart side rather than the casual side) and the Crowne Grille -- the fee-based venues; the Horizon Court buffet, the poolside grille (we love their chicken sandwiches for lunch) and pizzeria, the International Cafe (not an enclosed eatery, but a set of display cases of food -- great for a light meal or treat and it's open 24/7). Also room service (full dinner menu only if you are in a suite) and the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, which has a fee.

 

Probably similar on the Crown, but we haven't been on that ship.

[sherryf]

On our one anytime experience (which we hated and couldn't wait to have traditional again on our most recent cruise)' date=' we didn't see any parade in the anytime dining room on Baked Alaska night. I think that's because people are eating dessert at different times. In the traditional MDRs, all the tables will have dessert at almost the same time.

[/quote']

 

We always do Anytime and we have always seen the Baked Alaska parade. Maybe you just ate at an odd time that night and missed it.

[Nebr.cruiser]

He can easily pack a tie! There is just no room for a dinner jacket after he packs his outdoor jackets and hiking boots. Thanks everyone. I have questions about cabins that I will post separately.

 

He'll almost certainly be fine with a shirt and tie. The most my husband dresses up now is in slacks and a sport jacket, with tie for formal night. If packing is tight, he often wears the sport jacket on the plane, to save space. Usually the flight attendant will hang it up for him, or he lays it on top of our carry-on, if he doesn't want to wear it the whole flight.

 

We always do Anytime dining and usually ask for a table for two. We seldom have any wait, maybe 5 minutes or less at the most, but we trto eat at 'off' times, rather than the most popular times. We usually don't call in for a reservation unless there are some specific activities that we don't want to miss and scheduling is tight.