Another Anytime vs Traditional Dining Question

[Elizabeth K.]

I have always done the traditional dining on past cruises. I'm going on a 5 nt Emerald cruise this winter and we selected anytime. Aren't there 2 anytime dining rooms? Do any of you who have done anytime dining find it makes a difference which of the 2 dining rooms you go to as far as wait times and overall service?

 

My main issue with traditional dining is the times. The later time seems like it feels later every year and the early seating is just too early. But I'm thinking of changing back to late seating traditional.

 

I'm well versed with the arguments for one over the other. I mainly want to know there is a difference between the dining rooms i.e. one being more out of the way than another. Thanks.

 

Elizabeth K

[moki'smommy]

In our experience, the Palm (which does traditional dining) was more out of the way. The rooms for any time dining were more centrally located with better elevator access.

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes there are 2 AT dining rooms as well as 1 traditional DR on deck 6 aft.

Part of one of the AT's is used for traditional dining overflow.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Colo Cruiser

[nukesubsailor]

It has been my experience that the dining room on deck 5 amidships is always for anytime dining; the dining room on deck 6 amidships is used for both traditional and anytime dining; and the one on deck 6 aft is only for traditional dining.

[shredie]

Yes there are 2 AT dining rooms as well as 1 traditional DR on deck 6 aft.

Part of one of the AT's is used for traditional dining overflow.

 

I'm not certain how it works on every ship, but the early TD seating will occupy the aft dining room and the deck 6 dining room midships. The deck 5 dining room will be ATD the entire evening, and deck 6 will switch to ATD about 7:30 or so. This, anyway, has been my experience.

[Mom33]

I'm not certain how it works on every ship, but the early TD seating will occupy the aft dining room and the deck 6 dining room midships. The deck 5 dining room will be ATD the entire evening, and deck 6 will switch to ATD about 7:30 or so. This, anyway, has been my experience.

 

This is our experience also. :)

[OCruisers]

I have always done the traditional dining on past cruises. I'm going on a 5 nt Emerald cruise this winter and we selected anytime. Aren't there 2 anytime dining rooms? Do any of you who have done anytime dining find it makes a difference which of the 2 dining rooms you go to as far as wait times and overall service?

 

My main issue with traditional dining is the times. The later time seems like it feels later every year and the early seating is just too early. But I'm thinking of changing back to late seating traditional.

 

I'm well versed with the arguments for one over the other. I mainly want to know there is a difference between the dining rooms i.e. one being more out of the way than another. Thanks.

 

Elizabeth K

 

On Emerald both of the Anytime Dining Restaurants are convenient. :)

 

Michelangelo: Deck 5 Midship .. 5:30 - 10 PM (Anytime)

 

Da Vinci: Deck 6 Midship .. 7:30 - 10 PM (Anytime)

 

LuLu

[Rebels82]

We will be on the Regal in Feb. doing Anytime Dining. Will our keycard tell us which dining room to go to? Thanks.

[moki'smommy]

We will be on the Regal in Feb. doing Anytime Dining. Will our keycard tell us which dining room to go to? Thanks.

 

I think the idea of "any time" is that you can go to one of the "AnyTime" locations at any time that suits you. No, you are not restricted to a specific dining room or a specific time.

 

IF you know what your plans for that day are, you can call in the morning and make a reservation for that evening. In that case, you will be assigned to a specific dining room for that night only. If you don't know what your plans might be, you can just show up at the podium at your convenience.

[floridalover5623]

We will be on the Regal in Feb. doing Anytime Dining. Will our keycard tell us which dining room to go to? Thanks.

You can go to either one. Sometimes one will be more crowded that the other for some reason & they let you know if the wait time gets to long.

Edited January 4, 2016 by floridalover5623

[partybarbie]

We go to the Davinci on Deck 6. If you get in line around 7:15, sometimes they will seat you early. At most, you will wait 15 until they open the doors. We think the service is better and less rushed than dining in the Michelangelo. If you want a table for two, it will be easier to get one in the Davinci.

[peety3]

Expanding on earlier comments, ships with 2 MDRs (Coral, Island, etc.) tend to block off one MDR for TD all night long, plus some tables in the other MDR for additional early seating.

Ships with 3 MDRs (Grand classes, except Diamond/Sapphire) tend to block off one MDR for TD all night long, a second MDR for early TD then AT afterwards, and the third MDR is AT all night long (there's probably also a slight stagger to closing times; the third MDR will probably close a little earlier). This typically causes the Maitre D Hotel to declare "no AT reservations between 5:31 and perhaps 7:15" - you can either do a reservation right when the doors open, or after they've regained the other "half" of their AT capacity.

Diamond/Sapphire, at least back when I sailed Sapphire in Alaska, took the two midship MDRs and sliced them into halves, effectively creating four half-sized MDRs. Each of these has a theme and matching decor, and has a signature dish that's unique to that MDR. You can get the dish every night (it doesn't change "ever"), but only in that particular MDR. All 5 MDRs use the same menu, but each of the four themed MDRs also offers that signature dish, which you won't see on the menu. Essentially, about 5-6 days into our 7-day cruise, we figured out the secret: board the ship, and visit all four to inquire about their signature dish. Choose your MDR based on that dish, if you care. The great part of these two ships was consistent AT capacity all night long (reservations any time, etc.).

For those who choose TD, many times the notion of 5:30 and 6:00 is simply Princess' way of keeping the two MDRs separate, and TD will be at 5:30 regardless of which seating time you think you have.

[Elizabeth K.]

Thanks for your replies. I've actually changed my dining to TD late seating which was still available. Maybe I'll try Anytime another cruise:)

[OCruisers]

Thanks for your replies. I've actually changed my dining to TD late seating which was still available. Maybe I'll try Anytime another cruise:)

 

Happy you made a decision that is most comfortable for you! :)

 

TD late seating on Emerald has normally been... Botticelli Dining Room (Deck 6 AFT) at 8:15 PM.

 

LuLu

[Jetswdo]

if you just want a table for 2, if you don't want to eat before 7:30, you would be better with traditional dining. There are very few tables for 2, as we found out on our still sailing Coral panama canal cruise. If we sail on this ship again, for just the two of us, we would just do traditional dining. (we usually do anytime dining and have never had a problem!

[RDC1]

I'm not certain how it works on every ship, but the early TD seating will occupy the aft dining room and the deck 6 dining room midships. The deck 5 dining room will be ATD the entire evening, and deck 6 will switch to ATD about 7:30 or so. This, anyway, has been my experience.

 

That is what I have experienced as well.

[Retiring cajun]

We have anytime on CB. How many dining rooms on this ship?

[ar1950]

We have anytime on CB. How many dining rooms on this ship?

 

2 anytime and they probably will be configured how shredie said below:

 

I'm not certain how it works on every ship, but the early TD seating will occupy the aft dining room and the deck 6 dining room midships. The deck 5 dining room will be ATD the entire evening, and deck 6 will switch to ATD about 7:30 or so. This, anyway, has been my experience.

 

Pretty standard on Gem, Grand and Royal class ships. At least as far as we have seen in our experience.

Edited January 6, 2016 by ar1950

[floridalover5623]

The only problem with eating at 7:30 is that it interferes with the early show schedule but if you're a late night person it works out well.

[MJfromCA]

For those who choose TD, many times the notion of 5:30 and 6:00 is simply Princess' way of keeping the two MDRs separate, and TD will be at 5:30 regardless of which seating time you think you have.

 

We are first-time Princess cruisers and chose TD at 6, but were wondering why those two times were so close. Thank you for this answer.

 

On Grand class, do all ships use the same restaurant for "5:30" vs. "6:00" TD? If so, is it Botticelli at 6:00 or Michelangelo?

 

If the decision is instead made by the ships individually for each cruise, is there a way to request (and confirm) Botticelli now? We are booked near the aft elevators on Crown, so Botticelli would be much more convenient for us.

[peety3]

We are first-time Princess cruisers and chose TD at 6, but were wondering why those two times were so close. Thank you for this answer.

 

On Grand class, do all ships use the same restaurant for "5:30" vs. "6:00" TD? If so, is it Botticelli at 6:00 or Michelangelo?

 

If the decision is instead made by the ships individually for each cruise, is there a way to request (and confirm) Botticelli now? We are booked near the aft elevators on Crown, so Botticelli would be much more convenient for us.

I'll defer to those with more experience than us, but our one time booked in TD at 5:30 was in Da Vinci or Michelangelo (can't remember which, but it was one of the mid-ship MDRs), and that was aboard the Ruby.