anytime dining

[Thrak]

Yes, on a regular basis in the 1990's and first couple years of 2000's!! None in a very long time. Yes, I too find it very annoying on Princess web site when you book a cruise that they still allow you to pick a 6PM dining time just KNOWING that when you get on board that time will change to 5:30 or 5:45 just like magic!

 

Pooh

 

It can be even worse. We did a 17 day SF to FLL through the canal and our "guaranteed" 6:00 PM dining turned into 5:15 PM dining. Talk about waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early!

[Thrak]

Get a beeper? Go back into Vines...again

 

beeper goes off - ask for a sippy cup to go

 

done deal :cool:

 

I have absolutely no issue with waiting. I can always get a glass of wine or a drink. The only problem is waiting in a long line in order to get the beeper. That is not at all cool. We will likely aim for 7:30 dining and see how the line situation goes. We can always adjust a bit if needed. We will have to see how things work out in regard to catching shows in the theater. The main thing is that we will be cruising so I don't anticipate anything spoiling that. We love having a nice glass or two in Vines but it's kind of a drag to get your wine to go. We've found that the wine in Vines tastes better when served in the nice glasses. When we get the same wine in the "to go" glass it just isn't as good.

[floridalover5623]

It can be even worse. We did a 17 day SF to FLL through the canal and our "guaranteed" 6:00 PM dining turned into 5:15 PM dining. Talk about waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early!

It always seem to be popular on all our cruises. They're waiting at the door like it was a black Friday sale. ;)

[jled]

This is my first cruise on Princess.. I have cruised all the other lines and mainly on Celebrity and Royal. On those lines,you can make reservations on line before you board for your dinner time on Anytime dining. I don't see any option like that and I would always make 7:30 reservations for every night before we got on the ship to make sure we don't have to wait too long...No real worries...I have a beverage package so a drink before dinner is definitely an option. I'm sailing on the Ruby Princess on April 29

[PoohUnderstands]

I lived most of my married life (40+years) in South Florida and whenever we went out to dinner at a "normal" (grin) time to eat we 100% of the time was given that horrible light up beeper contraption and waited minimum of 30-45 minutes to eat. So yes, waiting over 1 minute is a hassle when I am on vacation and was used to the traditional dining routine! I guess my standards and understanding of ATD were high before I tried it. And that 20 minutes was an ADDITIONAL amount of time. And if I am in ATD, I don't want the hassle(remember, I am on vacation and so is a hassle for me) of calling reservations every day or whatever to make sure of dining time, etc. That is just too much work on vacation. Oh, the worst part for me is that I really don't like wine, and don't drink, so that solution is out for us. Again, my whole problem with ATD is what my concept initially was of how it worked and the reality of it.

 

Pooh

[pablo222]

It always seem to be popular on all our cruises. They're waiting at the door like it was a black Friday sale. ;)

 

That place is so crowded no one goes there anymore...

 

/yogi

[tailspintom]

I have absolutely no issue with waiting. I can always get a glass of wine or a drink. The only problem is waiting in a long line in order to get the beeper. That is not at all cool. We will likely aim for 7:30 dining and see how the line situation goes. We can always adjust a bit if needed. We will have to see how things work out in regard to catching shows in the theater. The main thing is that we will be cruising so I don't anticipate anything spoiling that. We love having a nice glass or two in Vines but it's kind of a drag to get your wine to go. We've found that the wine in Vines tastes better when served in the nice glasses. When we get the same wine in the "to go" glass it just isn't as good.

You should have no problem at that time waiting. We just finished the same cruise you will be on in March and did ATD between 7 and 7:30. If we waited 5 minutes (for a shared table) that was the longest time. For the two show nights, it left us ample time to have a cup of tea before heading up to the theater.

[floridalover5623]

That place is so crowded no one goes there anymore...

 

/yogi

You can observe a lot by watching.:)

[luvflorida]

Thank you everyone for your input!!! I think we will give anytime dining a try on this cruise. How hard can it be if we have to wait a while... I'm still not having to shop, cook or clean up after a fabulous meal. Looking forward to our May 11th cruise to the ABC islands.Linda

[tcdcruiser]

Here is what I do not understand......

 

I will be sitting in Vines before my 1st seating traditional dining room to open. Across the piazza I will watch 50+ ATD passengers queue before the doors to the dining room are open. Often the queue starts 30minutes before the doors open.

 

So here is my puzzle. Why is being first to get into the ATD room better than 1st tradional? Especially when you consider the queue stretches for the dining room door, past the IC and sometimes into the art gallery.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I've often wondered the same thing myself. Are there that many people who want to eat super early? Especially to stand in line like that?

 

Anytime works great for us; we don't want to eat early, so 8 or 9 is just fine and no lines, normally.

[NPSfan]

Here is what I do not understand......

 

 

 

I will be sitting in Vines before my 1st seating traditional dining room to open. Across the piazza I will watch 50+ ATD passengers queue before the doors to the dining room are open. Often the queue starts 30minutes before the doors open.

 

 

 

So here is my puzzle. Why is being first to get into the ATD room better than 1st tradional? Especially when you consider the queue stretches for the dining room door, past the IC and sometimes into the art gallery.

 

 

 

The difference appears to be that you chose early dining every night. The ATD might choose early a couple nights, later a couple & maybe even buffet.

Unless you saw the same early ATD every night - then I agree, should have gone early traditional.

 

 

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[caribill]

Here is what I do not understand......

 

I will be sitting in Vines before my 1st seating traditional dining room to open. Across the piazza I will watch 50+ ATD passengers queue before the doors to the dining room are open. Often the queue starts 30minutes before the doors open.

 

So here is my puzzle. Why is being first to get into the ATD room better than 1st tradional? Especially when you consider the queue stretches for the dining room door, past the IC and sometimes into the art gallery.

 

That is why on many of the Princess ships there are two early fixed-time dining rooms, to handle the large number of passengers who do want to eat early.

 

 

Some complain that having that 2nd traditional dining room means that anytime people have to wait longer to get into the remaining single anytime dining room. They do not realize that if there was only one dining room used for an early seating that all those people not in a second early seating will be queuing up anyway to get into anytime at that early hour.

 

I was recently on another cruiseline and the anytime line for dinner started forming 45 minutes before the dining room opened. By the time the dining room opened, the line was all the way across the lobby.

[floridalover5623]

I've often wondered the same thing myself. Are there that many people who want to eat super early? Especially to stand in line like that?

 

Anytime works great for us; we don't want to eat early, so 8 or 9 is just fine and no lines, normally.

It's mostly people from Florida. They like early dinner. :cool:

[Nebr.cruiser]

It's mostly people from Florida. They like early dinner. :cool:

 

Could be! Ha ha--when we used to visit my husband's Grandparents in South Texas (snowbirds), if they didn't get to a restaurant by 4:30, they thought they were late.

 

Now we're 'that age' but we definitely don't want to eat at those times. Let them line up--makes it less crowded later.

 

It still boggles my mind that anyone wants to eat at, say, 5:30, especially on a cruise.

[pablo222]

It's mostly people from Florida. They like early dinner. :cool:

 

That's because you want to be able to drive home in daylight, so that you can still see.

 

Shouldn't be as big a problem on ships.

 

Just as long as coffee and desert is included!

[floridalover5623]

That's because you want to be able to drive home in daylight, so that you can still see.

 

Shouldn't be as big a problem on ships.

 

Just as long as coffee and desert is included!

Are you kidding me. We have trouble finding our room without asking directions. ;p

[Luvsanibel]

We are a group of nine family members on a Alaskan cruise in June on Island Princess. We have anytime dining, but was wondering, since being such a large group, if we would have an issues with anytime dining? Or are the waiting times discussed pretty much the same?

 

Thank you for any feedback.

[tcdcruiser]

FYI. The number of tables that can accommodate 9 will be limited. It will be even more difficult or limited in ATD room.

 

You may want to chat with the maitre d hotel upon boarding. Look to the newsletter, call the Patter, for his location and hour on embarkation afternoon

[momrnc]

We like anytime. Don’t feel rushed to get there. May have to wait a few minutes at peak times but we still prefer it.

 

 

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[Luvsanibel]

Thanks tcdcruiser for the advice about the Maitre d hotel. Would never have thought to do that. It's been a while since we've been on a cruise and I'm getting valuable info from CC.

[NavyVeteran]

We are a group of nine family members on a Alaskan cruise in June on Island Princess. We have anytime dining, but was wondering, since being such a large group, if we would have an issues with anytime dining? Or are the waiting times discussed pretty much the same?

 

Thank you for any feedback.

I would recommend that you consider changing to traditional dining. There may be a waiting list for early traditional, but you should still be able to request it. Also make sure that all of your bookings are linked - if you booked them with the same travel agent or with the same Princess representative, then they should be.

 

I have traveled with family groups of nine (Panama Canal), thirteen (Alaska), and eight (British Isles) - the first two with early traditional and the last one with Club Class. Club Class for a party of eight was fantastic - since we were the only party of eight in Club Class, we had the same table with the same waiters waiting for us every night whenever we arrived. However, if you're not all in Club Class, that is not an option. Both of the cruises with traditional dining worked great. On the first we had a table for ten (with only nine places set). On the second, we had two adjacent tables with the same waiters and we switched between the two tables every night. Particularly if you have children in your group, I think you would find the service in traditional much better.

 

If you request early traditional and don't clear the waitlist before the cruise, then talk with the maitre d' onboard. He may be able to find you a table in early traditional - or maybe make you a set reservation in the anytime dining room if the traditional dining room is full.

[Coffeeluvr05]

I have not read all of the posts here, but if you like to be seated right away instead of waiting in a long line, traditional is the way to go. On our last cruise we saw a huge crowd of people waiting for 45 min or more for a table. The only good way to do “anytime” is club class.

 

 

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[Luvsanibel]

Thanks for all of your helpful responses.

[Haboob]

You should have no problem at that time waiting. We just finished the same cruise you will be on in March and did ATD between 7 and 7:30. If we waited 5 minutes (for a shared table) that was the longest time. For the two show nights, it left us ample time to have a cup of tea before heading up to the theater.

 

At least on the Emerald this time last year, there were 2 dinning rooms open for Early

Seating dining and only 1 for Anytime... so definitely beeper time. After the Early

Seating finished, it went to 2 for Anytime and 1 for Traditional... and they put the

beepers away.

 

As for Club Class, you wander in whenever, and it's only a minor exaggeration to

say not only will there be *a* table waiting, but "your" table waiting.