Traditional Dining - Can it be speedy?

[pmd98052]

We've always done anytime before but we find we do always eat at 5.30pm in order to catch the evening shows etc. Since we have kids (7 and 9) we prefer not to have an overly leisurely meal. With Anytime we always ask to go quickly and find we're in and hour in about an hour which is perfect.

 

For our next cruise we're travelling with friends and have a table for 8 booked in traditional @5.30pm. Is it possible to have a similar level of speedy service in traditional?

 

Thanks!

[USNUZULOOSE]

I guess you could, we had the traditional dining and every night we had a good chuckle at a table close to us. We noticed every night they were in and out like a flash. I don't know if they were cutting courses out or what. They even came in a little later than us one night and still finished way before us. I think there was about 10 at their table.

[baz48]

If the 8 people are your whole group and you have similar eating styles, I'd say you can probably have a speedy meal, especially if you let your waiters know you want to move along quickly. There are many variables, such as how many courses each person orders, how long they take to eat, any special requests, etc. But our experience has been that if you are ready to order quickly, your order gets put in right away and comes to you pretty quickly. We are usually at tables of 8 and I've noticed that other tables (usually smaller I admit) are leaving while we're just finishing our entree. But sometimes someone at our table will order 3 starters, which can slow things down since the waiters won't bring the entrees to the table until everyone has finished their starters.

[sierramyst44]

We have always used anytime dining for the most part we always ask for a table for two and always tell our waiters that we do not need any lull between courses. If we find we are pressed for time we just skip dessert!

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes just ask your server and let him know your wishes.

You may also let your head waiter know as well.

[pmd98052]

Sounds good thanks - Yes we all have similar eating speeds/styles so I don't think we'll run into problems with people ordering multiple choices from each course...

 

Looking forward to trying traditional since we find service has varied wildly in anytime.

[pablo222]

For our next cruise we're travelling with friends and have a table for 8 booked in traditional @5.30pm. Is it possible to have a similar level of speedy service in traditional?

 

The trouble with a bigger table is that the entire meal

proceeds at the pace of the slowest diner.

 

And, with so many people, it is likely that there will be at least

one order from every course.

[thinfool]

 

For our next cruise we're travelling with friends and have a table for 8 booked in traditional @5.30pm. Is it possible to have a similar level of speedy service in traditional?

 

Thanks!

 

What Princess ship are you on that starts traditional dining at 5:30?

 

We have only seen doors open at 6:00.

 

On the Ruby Princess, the evening programs varied almost every night so that a speedy meal was not necessarily an advantage.

 

Our dining room (traditional) served things in an orderly fashion and we were usually done with our entrees in an hour. 1.5 hours with dessert, sometimes less.

[FritzG]

For at least a year now, most ships have an early td at 5:30. It's served in one of the anytime dining rooms which then opens later for anytime dining.

 

On our Ruby TA in September the only first seating time was 5:30 which was way too early for us. For the first time in many cruises we ate in the buffet some nights and went to the specialty restaurants more often.

[hpeabody]

I have not been on a ship that starts early traditional dining at 6:00 PM in over a year (Golden, Sapphire, Island and Crown). It is just on the Princess website that says 6:00 PM. If you are signed up for 6:00 PM, you need to check your cruise card to see if it will be 5:30 PM or 5:45 PM. My recent Crown cruise was 5:45 PM. No one really tells you anything, you just kind of find out on your own. My guess is it has something to do with dining room staff reductions and more tables assigned to waiters and Jr waiters.

[cb at sea]

The shows are scheduled around the 2 traditional dining times....no show ever need to be missed! Traditional dining is foolproof, as far as shows go!

[pmd98052]

5.30 for is on the Crown to Mexico in Feb... On not missing a show we have to eat early as possible since the late shows are way too late for the kids and kids club isn't open then either.

[OCruisers]

Helps that all eight of you at the same table wish to have as speedy as possible meal. Just tell your waiter so he'll know your wishes. ;)

LuLu

[SoCal Cruiser78]

We have always used anytime dining for the most part we always ask for a table for two and always tell our waiters that we do not need any lull between courses. If we find we are pressed for time we just skip dessert!

 

When we've had slow tablemates and want to get to the show in time to get good seats, we'll just excuse ourselves when we need to leave. We then can take our time with dessert and coffee in the IC or HC after the show.

 

The fewer at your table, the better your odds for fast service in my experience.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I have not been on a ship that starts early traditional dining at 6:00 PM in over a year (Golden, Sapphire, Island and Crown). It is just on the Princess website that says 6:00 PM. If you are signed up for 6:00 PM, you need to check your cruise card to see if it will be 5:30 PM or 5:45 PM. My recent Crown cruise was 5:45 PM. No one really tells you anything, you just kind of find out on your own. My guess is it has something to do with dining room staff reductions and more tables assigned to waiters and Jr waiters.

 

I'm wondering why they bother asking when booking online if you want 5:30 or 6:00? Sometimes one is waitlisted and the other isn't, so they appear to treat them separately. Strange.

[fishywood]

If you want to be finished with dinner on time to make the 7:00 show a better bet might be to go to ATD right when it opens at 5:15. You should be able to get a standing reservation for the 8 of you. Should you stay with the extra-early fixed seating--which as mentioned above could be changed from 5:30 to 5:45--your waiter will certainly try to accommodate your wish for speedy service but you have to consider that they can only go so much faster than the pace of their other table(s).

 

As for the times of the early and extra-early seatings, they will necessarily vary from week to week based on demand. If the waiting list for early seating completely clears the two may be combined into one at either 5:30, 5:45 or 6:00. On Ruby last month all three sittings were full and for the first time in memory the late 8:15 sitting was not moved up to 8:00 or 7:45. It certainly seems that the times to select in the personalizer (6:00, 8:15 or 5:15/5:30) are just a default guide and each ship has the flexibility to change them.

[pablo222]

What Princess ship are you on that starts traditional dining at 5:30?

 

We have only seen doors open at 6:00.

 

When I was on Ruby, one anytime dining room opened at 5:30.

 

They actually opened the doors around 5:15, and started letting

the hordes in.

 

I think it's a good plan, as the sooner the first people finish, the

sooner the table is flipped.

[FritzG]

I have not been on a ship that starts early traditional dining at 6:00 PM in over a year (Golden, Sapphire, Island and Crown). It is just on the Princess website that says 6:00 PM. If you are signed up for 6:00 PM, you need to check your cruise card to see if it will be 5:30 PM or 5:45 PM. My recent Crown cruise was 5:45 PM. No one really tells you anything, you just kind of find out on your own. My guess is it has something to do with dining room staff reductions and more tables assigned to waiters and Jr waiters.

 

Same here on the Emerald and several cruises on the Ruby. It's so frustrating; we love td, but anything earlier than 6pm is too early for us. We took the Ruby TA in September and dinner was at 5:30. What is the hurry on a TA? There are numerous sea days, and we enjoy a later dinner. Many of the passengers had done a b2b on the British Isles itinerary, and dinner was at 6 for that cruise. Many people were late for dinner the first night because they didn't look at their new cruise card. I talked to both the CC hostess, the maitre d', and the Passenger Services desk, and they all told me that the dinner times are determined by the corporate offices.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Some times yes some times no ..

[sunsetbeachgal]

We are usually speedy eaters and for that reason prefer to dine alone unless we are traveling with others. The only way to speed it up is to order less courses...if you order appetizer,soup, salad, main dish, dessert it will be slower as they have to serve and then remove each course.

 

Even if you order less courses your table won't be speedy if others order More courses than you do. I have not seen the wait staff bring the entrees for one group at a table while others at the same table are still having their soup, salad, etc. The only exception is childrens meals which are often brought when the adults appetizers are served.

 

I think you would be better at traditional dining with a table only large enough for your family and traveling companions as the waiter will know your preferences and they are so good with the kids. When traveling with extended family with kids we always do traditional dining.

Edited December 28, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[pmd98052]

Yes table is only for us plus friends traveling with us. We wouldn't ask for fast meal with others sharing our table.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

You always have the option of leaving the DR early to make a show & then return to the DR later for dessert.

[Ontario Cruiser]

If you want to rush through dinner why don't you just go to the buffet. One of the reasons many people go on cruises is to enjoy the leisurely and lovely dining experience. I also believe there are now 3 shows but I might be wrong.

Ontario Cruiser

[scotslizzy]

after all they repeat a lot of the entertainment and dinner should be a relaxing occasion not a quick pit stop ?

Is that not what the buffet is for ?

[Cruisin' Chick]

If you are seated with others but don't want to linger, just let your tablemates know you would like to get out by a specific time to make a show. Many times when we've done that, there will be others at the table who are relieved because they want to catch a show or do something else. And when our kid was younger and in the kids' program, we had the excuse of needing to go pick her up by 10pm.