Anytime vs Scheduled Dining times

[gwsster]

We are avid cruisers and have been on several lines We are cruising this September cruise to Alaska on the Infinity will be our first Celebrity Cruise. We have the Anytime Dining and in reading the posts some say the wait can be quite lengthy to get seated. Is it better to go with a set dining time? We are traveling with friends and the flexibility of Anytime Dining sounded appealing. What is your experience with either Set dining times vs. Anytime Dining. Thanks for your help and I do know that there are most likely threads out there, but I am looking for recent experiences.:) I won't even ask about the dress codes, have read enough about that, I just pray that the formal overalls on Gala night will be OK.

[MixerDave]

We are avid cruisers and have been on several lines We are cruising this September cruise to Alaska on the Infinity will be our first Celebrity Cruise. We have the Anytime Dining and in reading the posts some say the wait can be quite lengthy to get seated. Is it better to go with a set dining time? We are traveling with friends and the flexibility of Anytime Dining sounded appealing. What is your experience with either Set dining times vs. Anytime Dining. Thanks for your help and I do know that there are most likely threads out there, but I am looking for recent experiences.:) I won't even ask about the dress codes, have read enough about that, I just pray that the formal overalls on Gala night will be OK.

 

I guess the overalls will be okay - they are denim! As far as anytime dining - when you set your specific time there is some flexibility if you arrive late. They block a 2 hour window for you.

[Longboysfan]

I would rather go with a set time.

You kind of know what you may be doing off ship each day.

And you already know what time you like to eat as you have done this in the past.

[Husky61]

Matter of personal preferences. We never do traditional dining because neither of us like being locked into a specific time to eat every night.:)

[Fmitchy]

Lets say 6pm and 8:30 are Set seatings ? Lets say you show up at 7:30 and want to be seated at Anytime seatings. Do they have a seperate dinning area that people roll in and out set aside in the main dinning room ? A block of open tables or seats ?

[jelayne]

Lets say 6pm and 8:30 are Set seatings ? Lets say you show up at 7:30 and want to be seated at Anytime seatings. Do they have a seperate dinning area that people roll in and out set aside in the main dinning room ? A block of open tables or seats ?

 

Are you asking if you are booked in traditional dining (set seating) and you show up at a different time do they have seating for you. Not if you show up an hour early or late. If you are booked in the 6pm seating they close seating at 6:30. The 8:30 seating is closed at 9.

 

Anytime is usually full, those who book anytime dining are guaranteed a seat in that dining area. Just as if you are booked in Traditional at 6pm you are guaranteed a seat at 6pm in Traditional Dining. Whether or not you could be seated in Anytime Dining is most likely dependent on how busy they are how.

[RumRunner01]

We are just off a Equinox and had Select dining. We got a table for two every night with less than a five minute wait (dining around 7:45 or 8). Only one night we waited 15 minutes but they gave us a pager and we went and had a cocktail, that night we dined a little earlier, around 7 or 7:15.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CEOofVacation]

We had select dining when went on an Alaskan cruise on Solstice last year, wait never exceeded more than a minute.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Lets say 6pm and 8:30 are Set seatings ? Lets say you show up at 7:30 and want to be seated at Anytime seatings. Do they have a seperate dinning area that people roll in and out set aside in the main dinning room ? A block of open tables or seats ?

 

 

No. Anytime is a separate area, a different deck altogether in my limited experience. If you have signed up for (or for any other reason you have been assigned to) set time dining, then you need to be there at the assigned time. If you decide to go an hour later, you might be allowed into the Anytime seating area, but I would hope you would be put at the back of the queue, behind those who have committed to Anytime for every dinner. And have bothered to plan and to make reservations. But there is always buffet. Or maybe one of the specialty restaurants has an empty table...

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[cdn_tbird]

We are avid cruisers and have been on several lines We are cruising this September cruise to Alaska on the Infinity will be our first Celebrity Cruise. We have the Anytime Dining and in reading the posts some say the wait can be quite lengthy to get seated. Is it better to go with a set dining time? We are traveling with friends and the flexibility of Anytime Dining sounded appealing. What is your experience with either Set dining times vs. Anytime Dining. Thanks for your help and I do know that there are most likely threads out there, but I am looking for recent experiences.:) I won't even ask about the dress codes, have read enough about that, I just pray that the formal overalls on Gala night will be OK.

 

With Select Dining, you can technically have the best of both worlds. My wife is an early eater so we just logged into our account and booked a 6:30 seating every night. This way it's still early but it's nice to have a little extra time after a day in port.

[atlgators]

We are avid cruisers and have been on several lines We are cruising this September cruise to Alaska on the Infinity will be our first Celebrity Cruise. We have the Anytime Dining and in reading the posts some say the wait can be quite lengthy to get seated. Is it better to go with a set dining time? We are traveling with friends and the flexibility of Anytime Dining sounded appealing. What is your experience with either Set dining times vs. Anytime Dining. Thanks for your help and I do know that there are most likely threads out there, but I am looking for recent experiences.:) I won't even ask about the dress codes, have read enough about that, I just pray that the formal overalls on Gala night will be OK.

 

We just completed 4 weeks on the Infinity with Select Dining. We never made a reservation and just arrived when we wanted to dine, usually around 7:00. We usually asked for a table for 2 and only had to wait for a table once, and that was only for a minute or so while they cleared a table. There were two hostesses at the entrance, one for those with reservations and one for those of us who didn't. Oana was the hostess for the "nots". She did an excellent job of finding us a nice table for 2 each night. No stress!!! The only time we noticed a line was after the 7:00 show ended around 8:00 and that moved quickly.

 

Enjoy your cruise on the Infinity. She is a beautiful ship and the staff is very gracious and personal. I will be glad to answer any other questions you may have.

 

I want to see pictures of your formal overalls. :eek:

 

 

 

Barb

[Alatraveler1]

Won't you have different waiters and staff if you dine at different times? Seems like you would have to. Just off NCL and we missed the Celebrity team serving each night and getting to know them.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Won't you have different waiters and staff if you dine at different times? Seems like you would have to. Just off NCL and we missed the Celebrity team serving each night and getting to know them.

 

This is one of the main reasons we prefer set time dining. We have also enjoyed meeting and getting to know our table companions over the course of a trip. I know some find it too constraining to have a set time, and it may complicate choices about when to go to the evening entertainment etc. But on balance, we will stick with the set time.

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

WAIT!

 

You have to book a seating time for Anytime Time Dining??

 

That seems to defeat the purpose....but if so, I better get on the ball! Never heard of that!!

 

:o

[benjaminhuf]

WAIT!

 

You have to book a seating time for Anytime Time Dining??

 

That seems to defeat the purpose....but if so, I better get on the ball! Never heard of that!!

 

:o

 

I was confused about that too at first, but...

 

Here's how it works. If you don't want to make a reservation, that's fine. Just show up when you want to eat.

 

But, once in a while there are lines doing it that way, which sometimes can last c. 15 minutes or so. If you want to try to avoid that, make a reservation in advance through the Celebrity website.

 

You're right, it does somewhat make it seems a little funny. Select time in advance, I guess.

 

But, like for our upcoming cruise, one day we are taking a 6 hour hike to see Mayan ruins. We wanted to eat later that night, and so I think our reservation is for 7:45. That will allow us time to take a shower and take a nap, and still have time to get ready for dinner.

 

But other nights we like to eat earlier. Anyway, after being confused a bit about it myself, I've now made reservations for all nights for the MDR. But probably one of those nights we'll order room service, another we might go to a specialty restaurant, and one night maybe we'll go to the buffet. Who knows?