Can Main Dining Go to Anytime Dining?

[gemz]

I'm booked for the 5:30 sitting and if any of my excursions are later in the day, it would be very rushed to make it back for the 5:30 sitting. If I am late, can I go to the Anytime Dining? I know I can go to the buffet but can I go to Anytime Dining?

[Sillyjilly]

I'm booked for the 5:30 sitting and if any of my excursions are later in the day, it would be very rushed to make it back for the 5:30 sitting. If I am late, can I go to the Anytime Dining? I know I can go to the buffet but can I go to Anytime Dining?

 

If those who miss their fixed dining go to anytime it really clogs up the works for those of us who chose it.

 

Is it allowed? Not sure. Should it be? No, IMHO. :eek::):eek:

[moki'smommy]

Technically, you are not supposed to. As you noted, you can eat at the buffet, fast food outlets, room service, or International Cafe.

 

Will they let you in? It depends on who is at the door. The problem is that when they allow in people who didn't get to their scheduled dining on time, it means that people who signed up for "anytime dining" are kept waiting longer.

 

You can change your dining assignment on line if you are unhappy with what you have.

[waltd]

If you are in a port with late departure they sometimes have open seating that night so the answer would be yes. If it is not open seating that night then you can try ATD after 8:00pm. By then the bulk of the dinner crowd will be gone. We had ATD at 7:30 on our last cruise and the dining room was pretty empty. It really isn't fair to the folks that have signed up for ATD for someone from Traditional to go during peak hours.

[tonit964]

We always choose late seating because when we get back from an excursion, we don't want to have to rush to dinner after a long day in port.

We shower and have a drink on the balcony before dinner.

It's a nice way to end the day ashore.

[Colo Cruiser]

I'm booked for the 5:30 sitting and if any of my excursions are later in the day, it would be very rushed to make it back for the 5:30 sitting. If I am late, can I go to the Anytime Dining? I know I can go to the buffet but can I go to Anytime Dining?

 

 

It would be best to switch to AT. ;)

[GUT2407]

Technically no you should stick to Trad, they do check cards sometimes so you may be turned away, or you may be lucky.

[GUT2407]

I'm booked for the 5:30 sitting and if any of my excursions are later in the day, it would be very rushed to make it back for the 5:30 sitting. If I am late, can I go to the Anytime Dining? I know I can go to the buffet but can I go to Anytime Dining?

 

Not often, in my experience that boarding is later than that.

[pablo222]

It would be best to switch to AT. ;)

 

While you might be right...

 

Other posters complained that someone switching would make

their wait longer on THE night they switch.

 

If the original poster switchs to anytime, they will make the wait longer for

those posters EVERY night.

[paul929207]

OP,

SOunds like you would be better off switching to second seating or AD.

[capriccio]

While you might be right...

 

Other posters complained that someone switching would make

their wait longer on THE night they switch.

 

If the original poster switchs to anytime, they will make the wait longer for

those posters EVERY night.

 

If there is a wait list for early traditional - and that seems to often be the case at least according to inquiries on this board about the possibility of clearing the wait list :D - someone will take OP's place. If they do, the net effect is no change.

[pablo222]

If there is a wait list for early traditional - and that seems to often be the case at least according to inquiries on this board about the possibility of clearing the wait list :D - someone will take OP's place. If they do, the net effect is no change.

 

Possibly. But, I thought the wait list had been greatly reduced

on some ships by using 1/2 of any anytime dining room as an

early traditional seating, often at 5:30.

[Iamcruzin]

Depending on the night and time you arrive to the dining room you probably would be able to be seated. They rarely check the cards unless it's busy. I have been seated with passengers who have traditional seating and it has come up in conversation that they thought they had a choice as to whether to eat in traditional or anytime. I didn't feel it was my job to correct them so I just agreed that it was nice that Princess is so flexible.

[skynight]

I'm booked for the 5:30 sitting and if any of my excursions are later in the day, it would be very rushed to make it back for the 5:30 sitting. If I am late, can I go to the Anytime Dining? I know I can go to the buffet but can I go to Anytime Dining?

If your excursion arrives back after 5:30, the simple answer, w/o editorial comments, is yes. Just explain the situation to the staff at the door. Sometimes on late port days traditional dining is changed to open seating. Check the day before with your head waiter. In ATD there are normally lots of tables available from 7:30 on. It is more crowded from 5pm to 7:30pm.

[flamomo]

There is a reason why each passenger's cruise card show which type of dining they have chosen ... because that is the dining room they are supposed to go to, unless you elect to dine at the buffet, at an alternative restaurant or other non-dining room venues. Just popping into one of the Anytime Dining dining rooms when your cruise card indicates you should be in the traditional dining room really is not appropriate just because you get back late from shore or took a too-long afternoon nap, and is unfair to the passengers who opted for Anytime Dining or those who get there by default because they could not reserve traditional dining because all the spaces were already spoken for by the time they booked. The Anytime Dining rooms are for those whose cruise cards specify Anytime Dining.

[pablo222]

There is a reason why each passenger's cruise card show which type of dining they have chosen ...

 

Fortunately, the maitre d', assistant maitre d', headwaiters, etc.

are interested in helping people have an enjoyable cruise.

 

The people here -- not so much.

[floridalover5623]

Fortunately, the maitre d', assistant maitre d', headwaiters, etc.

are interested in helping people have an enjoyable cruise.

 

The people here -- not so much.

Exactly. People feel that you're just cutting in line but Princess want's to make everyone happy no matter who shows at the DR door.

[majortom10]

While you might be right...

 

Other posters complained that someone switching would make

their wait longer on THE night they switch.

 

If the original poster switchs to anytime, they will make the wait longer for

those posters EVERY night.

 

No it wont because if they switch to Anytime before they cruise then they will be part of the maximum allocated number which is set by Princess at a number that they can handle. If then you get a number of people who have chosen fixed dining trying to use Anytime when it is already sold out and reached that allocation there will be more trying to use the restaurant causing those that have pre booked Anytime waiting having to wait longer.

[cynbar]

Exactly. People feel that you're just cutting in line but Princess want's to make everyone happy no matter who shows at the DR door.

 

Princess won't be making everyone happy if Anytime diners have to wait for a table because Traditional diners are taking their spaces, will they?

[Barosx2]

I don't think it is fair on the other ATD dinners who may have to queue.

 

Can you imagine if every or even a large majority TRD 5:30pm went ATD? I just don't think it is morally correct to swap, imho but I am a newbie what do I know :-)

[cvpends]

I like it on holland America that they won't allow this.

[floridalover5623]

Princess won't be making everyone happy if Anytime diners have to wait for a table because Traditional diners are taking their spaces, will they?

 

No they won't but since people standing in line at the AT dining room don't know who the TD diners are they'll never really know, will they.

I'm not defending their right to do it, I'm just saying the Princess allows it & you'll never know as long as 1/2 the TD don't all do it, things will flow smoothly.

[bigchid]

The point is, that your seat in TD sets empty while you compete with me for mine. There are lots of other options.

Edited December 19, 2015 by bigchid

[OCruisers]

We very much wish Princess would NOT allow those with Traditional Dining to have dinner in Anytime Dining. :(

 

LuLu

[Jasperdo]

People feel that you're just cutting in line but Princess want's to make everyone happy no matter who shows at the DR door.

If that were the case, as an Anytime diner, I should be able to show up at the Traditional Dining Room and say "There is a long wait at Anytime Dining. Please seat me here instead." I don't think that would work.