Anytime dining really means when they can fit you in.

[Mutumbojimbo]

I haven't done anytime dining on Carnival yet. If there's a wait, can you take a pager to a nearby bar to wait?

 

 

Yes, I'm not sure of the range, but you can wait at a bar. The Library on Fantasy class ships is a nice place to enjoy a drink if you have to wait. It's just outside the ATD Dining Room, as is the piano bar.

 

 

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[oldvato]

This is the first time we will do dinner at our own time. We have always had a set time. Early dinning, too many families with kids. Late dinning, too late. But one thing for sure. I have never been to late dinning where there aren't any empty tables.

 

Sometimes we don't even go to the MDR, but when we do, we leave as soon as we are finished. We don't wait for the entertainment. If our own time doesn't work out this time, then we won't do it again.

[rrader]

We had ATD a few years ago on the Breeze because we booked the cruise a couple of weeks before sailing and that was all that was available. We never had a wait though. We just walked right in and was seated immediately. I still prefer a set dining time though because I like having the same wait staff as they get to know your preferences. Hope your cruise gets better.

 

 

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[Havingfun2010]

A cruise is traditional a period of relaxing and getting served without the worries of driving, planning or doing much thinking. It has a place to stay, entertainment and food. That is the core business.

 

However, years ago, Carnival decided to downgrade those 3 items.

 

1. Entertainment - downgraded and removed most live music. Changed most shows to audience participation shows. (free entertainment for Carnival).

 

2. Reduced the number of people on the hotel side. Reduced cleaning to once a day. Reduce the staff that repairs, and fixes the staterooms. Issues go unresolved.

 

3. Main Dining, reduced the number of service people. Increased wait time for food. This encourages more people for the buffet. Changed the buffet, and added an "cheap" hamburger choice that everyone is excited about, but this all increased lines in buffet and hamburgers. This all benefits Carnival, because they manage buffets with less people.

 

4. Long lines for customer service issues. Many go unresolved. They encourage you to pay $60.00 to jump to the front of the line, so you can complain faster, but any resolution still will be ignored.

 

There is no doubt that Carnival is the cheapest cruise line and they will continue to provide the basics, but will downgrade those. As long as people are willing to put up with it, and stay loyal, they will continue to push the threshold of service down.

[golfb4cruzing]

Looking at your past sailings, why would you go on Carnival? That's like going from a Michelin restaurant to McDonalds.

[mississauga]

I haven't done anytime dining on Carnival yet. If there's a wait, can you take a pager to a nearby bar to wait?

 

Yes, if you cannot be seated, you will be given a pager.

 

BTW: we have never had to wait for a table in over 10 cruises of YTD, the only wait done times is to get to the podium. Once there, we have always been seated immediately.

 

Most times, if we ask for the same waitstaff, they are able to accommodate us.

[Jdfireman]

I'm with you. Our time to unwind, relax, drink wine, talk about our day, and enjoy dinner without feeling rushed.

Pat

 

Agreed and when traveling with 3 or 4 other couples you know when your going to have sit and talk time. Just like school if you not their in 15 minutes after the seating time we order with out you..

[seamusdad]

Have been on the Magic for three days. First day we waited over an hour for a table. Second day we waited 90 mins for a table. We asked at the podium how we could get a table at 7pm and were told to show up at 5.45pm and we might get one.

Staff are working hard but they need more to meet the crowds demands.

Wine glasses are dirty we have to ask for cutlery and butter for the bread as well as side plates. Crumbs left on the chairs no table cloths the first night.

 

Lines in the buffet are out the door waited in line 20 mins for breakfast.

 

I think this will be my last carnival cruise unless things pick up the rest of the week really wishing I had picked another cruise line.

 

Of the 28 cruises I have completed this has to be the worst. So sad as I have always been a champion of Carnival when people knock it as being sub standard but this cruise really is poor except for Conrad our stateroom attendant who is great

I have done any time dining 6 times on Triumph and Freedom with no waits more than 15 minutes. I have it on my 3 upcoming Liberty cruises expect the same.

However I also have it on my upcoming Breeze cruise and fear it will be more like what you are experiencing. ...too many people. Hoping for the best.

 

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[BlazinSunsets]

on my last cruise it was 25-30 min wait time the 2 times I did it. I don't enjoy the MDR because service is too slow. I had to make sure to block off 2 hours as from time I requested table to the time I was done with meal was very close to 2 hours. That is far too long for me so I go to Lido mostly.

[okgirl]

I eat in the MDR every time it's open, brunch or dinner. We've done YTD on our last 15 cruises. Only one time did we get a pager, we typically go around 6:30, are in line behind maybe 10 people and usually seated within 5 minutes.

[springs741]

We have always done YTD and after 12 cruises realized it is all about the timing. If you go at 6 when they open you will be seated quickly. IF you go at 7 the early folks are still dining and there is no way to accurately predict what time a table will open. Remember there are many, many more tables in the MDR than a land based restaurant.

 

With this in mind we have elected to go with early dining on our next three cruises. Next up is Thanksgiving and we are a group of 6 so no problem having just our group. For the following two I will make the request via email prior to sailing for a table for two. I don't anticipate a problem with location but if so I can always request a change.

[springs741]

And Woodley, since you have been away from Carnival for a while, you may not know, the Magic has a new menu style called American Table. Except for "elegant" night, there are no table cloths.

Edited June 21, 2016 by springs741

[solomio]

This is starting to worry me for my upcoming cruise on the Fantasy. I picked ATD because I thought I could pick the time I wanted every specific evening. The last cruise I did was 2 years ago with RCI, and if I remember correctly I was able to pick all my dining times on the website and show up at that specific time (please correct me if I'm mistaken). I assumed (wrongly I guess) that all cruise lines worked the same way. I guess we"ll be eating at the buffet more often this time around.

[bar1068]

This is starting to worry me for my upcoming cruise on the Fantasy. I picked ATD because I thought I could pick the time I wanted every specific evening. The last cruise I did was 2 years ago with RCI, and if I remember correctly I was able to pick all my dining times on the website and show up at that specific time (please correct me if I'm mistaken). I assumed (wrongly I guess) that all cruise lines worked the same way. I guess we"ll be eating at the buffet more often this time around.

 

Which part "worries" you, the blanket statement made by the OP..or the "cheerleader" responses saying their ATD experiences were not as the OP "stated"?

 

Carnival does not take ATD reservations in the MDR. When we've cruised RCI, an option of a set time for ATD was offered, or similar to Carnival, to show up during the defined hours set aside for all of ATD.

 

Choosing ATD for the main dining room has not in our experience been a reason to spend more time at the Lido buffet.

[solomio]

Carnival does not take ATD reservations in the MDR. When we've cruised RCI, an option of a set time for ATD was offered, or similar to Carnival, to show up during the defined hours set aside for all of ATD.

I'm a little confused. With Carnival I can't choose which time period I show up for ATD, correct? You can potentially have 500 people (I'm exaggerating here) show up for dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Edited June 21, 2016 by solomio

[happy cruzin]

Yes, I'm not sure of the range, but you can wait at a bar. The Library on Fantasy class ships is a nice place to enjoy a drink if you have to wait. It's just outside the ATD Dining Room, as is the piano bar.

 

 

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On the Pride last week they said we could go anywhere - except our cabin and the casino. Not sure why....but that's what they said! :rolleyes:

 

FYI...we only got pagers and waited a short time on the Elegant nights.

[happy cruzin]

Dont get me wrong, we are enjoying our vacation just not the dining experience which as you know is a big part of the cruise.

 

Sorry to hear that and I hope it gets better!

 

Curious....how many are in your party?? I have heard that groups larger than 4 have a longer wait for ATD because there are fewer large tables. :confused:

[springs741]

I'm a little confused. With Carnival I can't choose which time period I show up for ATD, correct? You can potentially have 500 people (I'm exaggerating here) show up for dinner at 6:30 p.m.

 

That is correct. And likely the cause of OP comment.

[jocko4279]

never had trouble with YTD. waited three times out of three cruises with it, longest maybe 25 mins. Certainly never , ever waited for breakfast at the buffet in 21 years. Something is up here...

[mzlinda]

We booked the Vista 1 year out and we were waitlisted for early time dining. That never happened before. I checked daily for FTTF and got lucky to get one as it sold out in a matter of hours. I specifically bought FTTF so we may have a better chance to get a early dinning seat I'm kind of set in my ways for dinner time and would be upset if I had to wait over 30 minuets for anytime. Is there anyone else that got this perk with FTTF?

 

Thx...

 

 

I've been waitlisted 3 times and each time when I boarded the ship, I always had my desired dining time. I always get FTTF and I assume that's why I was able to get the dining time that I wanted, but there's no real way to know for sure. Maybe I would have got it anyway.

[crewsweeper]

If you go to any mid priced or high end restaurant on land at peak times on weekends without reservations (and sometimes with), you are most likely to have to wait an hour or longer to be seated. No different on a ship with a captive populace and an increased interest IN YTD over seated dining. Not that perhaps the seating process could be handled more effectively, but if you expect to eat at the same time as everyone else expects to eat waiting is going to be a part of the experience.

[gordonzoo2]

I've been waitlisted 3 times and each time when I boarded the ship, I always had my desired dining time. I always get FTTF and I assume that's why I was able to get the dining time that I wanted, but there's no real way to know for sure. Maybe I would have got it anyway.

 

Thank You MZlinda :) So it will probably continue to show up as waitlisted until the day we board. I will also show up a little earlier to get a better chance. We've done ATD once before and were seated within 10 minuets each time but we would always show up at the 6:00 time so I imagine we got a table before they were all taken. I would much rather just walk over to our known seats and pick up a menu. The service is so much more personable and expedient. I remember on one cruise we did the steakhouse the first night and because we weren't there the first night the waiter told us they had given our seats to someone else. They did find us a place elsewhere by ourselves but service was slow. We would be getting our main course when everyone else would be finishing their desserts.

[RuthlessBoss]

A cruise is traditional a period of relaxing and getting served without the worries of driving, planning or doing much thinking. It has a place to stay, entertainment and food. That is the core business.

 

However, years ago, Carnival decided to downgrade those 3 items.

 

1. Entertainment - downgraded and removed most live music. Changed most shows to audience participation shows. (free entertainment for Carnival).

 

2. Reduced the number of people on the hotel side. Reduced cleaning to once a day. Reduce the staff that repairs, and fixes the staterooms. Issues go unresolved.

 

3. Main Dining, reduced the number of service people. Increased wait time for food. This encourages more people for the buffet. Changed the buffet, and added an "cheap" hamburger choice that everyone is excited about, but this all increased lines in buffet and hamburgers. This all benefits Carnival, because they manage buffets with less people.

 

4. Long lines for customer service issues. Many go unresolved. They encourage you to pay $60.00 to jump to the front of the line, so you can complain faster, but any resolution still will be ignored.

 

There is no doubt that Carnival is the cheapest cruise line and they will continue to provide the basics, but will downgrade those. As long as people are willing to put up with it, and stay loyal, they will continue to push the threshold of service down.

 

What does this have to do with anything except increase your post count?

[tonit964]

A cruise is traditional a period of relaxing and getting served without the worries of driving, planning or doing much thinking. It has a place to stay, entertainment and food. That is the core business.

 

However, years ago, Carnival decided to downgrade those 3 items.

 

1. Entertainment - downgraded and removed most live music. Changed most shows to audience participation shows. (free entertainment for Carnival).

 

2. Reduced the number of people on the hotel side. Reduced cleaning to once a day. Reduce the staff that repairs, and fixes the staterooms. Issues go unresolved.

 

3. Main Dining, reduced the number of service people. Increased wait time for food. This encourages more people for the buffet. Changed the buffet, and added an "cheap" hamburger choice that everyone is excited about, but this all increased lines in buffet and hamburgers. This all benefits Carnival, because they manage buffets with less people.

 

4. Long lines for customer service issues. Many go unresolved. They encourage you to pay $60.00 to jump to the front of the line, so you can complain faster, but any resolution still will be ignored.

 

There is no doubt that Carnival is the cheapest cruise line and they will continue to provide the basics, but will downgrade those. As long as people are willing to put up with it, and stay loyal, they will continue to push the threshold of service down.

 

Since you don't have cruises listed in your signature and I know you're not a fan of Carnival, I'm curious as to what your preferred line is?

[summersigh]

I've heard both good and bad things about ATD. Not a fan. We prefer fixed late. No wait. No surprises.

 

We're like you with the fixed late. We look at a leisurely dinner as part of our evening activities rather than something that has to be gotten through. :)

Not saying everyone should look at it that way ,,,, just saying that's our approach.