Traditional Dining vs Anytime Dining

[Mimi0810]

I have not cruised on Princess for some years and never cruised on Princess and had Anytime Dining. Is Anytime Dining in the Main Dining room or another venue? Is there difficulty getting seated because of everyone going at the same time, i.e. long lines?

Is one preferred over the other?

It is just my sister and me cruising on the Crown Princess next February, and I'm not sure if we want to be seated with the same people for 10 nights. Could be very nice or not...

[moki'smommy]

We ask for a table for 2 on Princess when we do traditional dining. One of the things we like is that this allows us to interact as much or as little as we choose with those seated near us, while at a large table you are essentially required to interact.

 

Traditional vs. any time dining is a personal choice. One of the dining rooms will be set up for "anytime." Princess does a weird hybrid of what I consider to be anytime in that you can call in the morning and make a "reservation" for a time that evening, which then allows you to cut the line of those people waiting for "anytime" seating. So you can have a different time each day, but still have a reservation. Or you can truly go to the dining room when you wish and take a chance on how long the wait is....can be 2 minutes or 30 minutes depending on how much you wanted the same time as everyone else.

[XBGuy]

There are three dining rooms on the Crown Princess: the Botticelli and the Da Vinci on Deck 6 and the Michaleangelo on Deck 5. You may want to look at the deck diagrams at the Princess site:

 

https://www.princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=KP

 

The Botticelli has two "Traditional Dining" seatings every evening.

 

I'm not sure which is which, but one of the remaining two rooms is "Anytime Dining" every evening. The other one has an early "Traditional Dining" seating and then converts to "Anytime Dining" later in the evening (roughly, 7:00-7:30). The Princess Patter will detail the exact operation of each of the dining rooms every evening.

 

Yes, on some ships it has been reported that there is a wait for Anytime Dining during peak times. Many people have reported that if you can dine later in the evening--say, after 8:00--there is never a wait for Anytime Dining.

 

Some ships allow you to make reservations for Anytime Dining. Apparently, some ships do not allow reservations, or they restrict the times that reservations can be made. This appears to be dependent on the policy set by the ship's Maitre d'. Since you are talking about a cruise that is eleven months in the future, there is no way of knowing who the Maitre d' is, and. so, there is no way to know what the policy will be. When you board, you can call the DINE line from your cabin and ask about their policy.

 

While many people rave about the good experiences they've had meeting tablemates on cruises, I share your discomfort about sitting with the same people every evening. That is totally a personal thing and everybody's own decision on that is correct.

 

Don't obsess about this, too much. Just have a great cruise,

[Thrak]

If you decide to book Traditional Dining instead of Anytime Dining be aware that Princess consistently lies to the passengers on the cruise personalizer. They will "guarantee" early dining at 6:00 PM but, when you get on the ship, you will discover that you are actually scheduled for 5:30 PM dining. They do it all the time. I have never actually gotten the 6:00 PM dining that is "guaranteed" on the personalizer. We're switching to Anytime Dining for this reason. I'm so very tired of being lied to.

[JF - retired RRT]

Preference for ATD vs. TD varies depending on the cruisers previous experiences.

We started out using ATD, but now prefer TD.

When we get a table that's bigger than we ask for (prefer 4, no more than 6), we just ask the head waiter to find us a different table. They always manage.

One time we were seated at a table for 6 and the man sitting next to me had such gross eating habits I couldn't watch. As soon as the main course was finished we went to the head waiter and asked for a different table. No problem, it got done. He gave us a standing reservation in ATD.

I always wondered how the other people at the table could stand to stay there for 20 days!!:eek:

[sexyaznboy]

If you decide to book Traditional Dining instead of Anytime Dining be aware that Princess consistently lies to the passengers on the cruise personalizer. They will "guarantee" early dining at 6:00 PM but, when you get on the ship, you will discover that you are actually scheduled for 5:30 PM dining. They do it all the time. I have never actually gotten the 6:00 PM dining that is "guaranteed" on the personalizer. We're switching to Anytime Dining for this reason. I'm so very tired of being lied to.

 

Thanks Thrak

I think you answered my question about having problems with being both guaranteed early dining and also being on a waitlist on the personalizer. I will visit the Maitre D on the first day.

[OCruisers]

Anytime works best for us ... love the flexibility.

On our last cruise we had Club Class Dining which we very much enjoyed! :D(y)

[cruzsnooze]

If you decide to book Traditional Dining instead of Anytime Dining be aware that Princess consistently lies to the passengers on the cruise personalizer. They will "guarantee" early dining at 6:00 PM but, when you get on the ship, you will discover that you are actually scheduled for 5:30 PM dining. They do it all the time. I have never actually gotten the 6:00 PM dining that is "guaranteed" on the personalizer. We're switching to Anytime Dining for this reason. I'm so very tired of being lied to.

I have written and spoken to so many people about this and you're right, it's an outright lie. They tell you that they had so many requests for early that they had to change it to 5:30 which is a LIE. They never had 6 PM to begin with.

[floridalover5623]

If you decide to book Traditional Dining instead of Anytime Dining be aware that Princess consistently lies to the passengers on the cruise personalizer. They will "guarantee" early dining at 6:00 PM but, when you get on the ship, you will discover that you are actually scheduled for 5:30 PM dining. They do it all the time. I have never actually gotten the 6:00 PM dining that is "guaranteed" on the personalizer. We're switching to Anytime Dining for this reason. I'm so very tired of being lied to.

 

I really don't see the big difference between the two times. I'll be almost 2 hours before your finished in the DR anyway.

I'm not one to want to finish eating dinner later than 7 PM.

[Thrak]

I have written and spoken to so many people about this and you're right, it's an outright lie. They tell you that they had so many requests for early that they had to change it to 5:30 which is a LIE. They never had 6 PM to begin with.

 

I sent email to customerrelations@princesscruises.com at 12:21 PM today about this issue. I received a call back at 1:20 PM. Only one hour. I am impressed. The customer service representative I spoke with was sympathetic and said there really is a 6:00 dining but it's in a different dining room. She was appalled that this consistently happens. I told her I had posted about it a number of times on Cruise Critic and that others have said they have the same issue. She said she will definitely forward it up the line. I doubt anything will be fixed but it was good to get a call back and it can't hurt to have it sent up the ladder. Perhaps one day they will at least fix the issue where they guarantee one time on the personalizer and then switch it when onboard.

[Thrak]

I really don't see the big difference between the two times. I'll be almost 2 hours before your finished in the DR anyway.

I'm not one to want to finish eating dinner later than 7 PM.

 

Whether or not it would make a difference to you it makes a great deal of difference to me. What especially bothers me is being guaranteed one time and then being given a different time. That is extremely unprofessional. I have been called many things that are not at all complimentary but the one that will never fail to provoke a strong response from me is to be called a liar. I have almost as strong a response when someone lies to me. Princess should not lie to their customers. Period.

[ColoradoMom!!]

That's great you got a call back! I am also thinking about switching from my TD that is confirmed as 5:45 on my personalizer for an Alaskan Cruise this June on the Coral.

 

5:45 would be great - but 5:15, as it often is reported being in reality, is not so great.

 

Anyone who has done Anytime on the Coral in Alaska - how long is the wait for Anytime without a reservation? I hear it is stacked around 7??

[skynight]

I have not cruised on Princess for some years and never cruised on Princess and had Anytime Dining. Is Anytime Dining in the Main Dining room or another venue? Is there difficulty getting seated because of everyone going at the same time, i.e. long lines?

Is one preferred over the other?

It is just my sister and me cruising on the Crown Princess next February, and I'm not sure if we want to be seated with the same people for 10 nights. Could be very nice or not...

Here is my experience on the Crown and on 10 day Caribbean cruises.

Michelangelo DR, Deck 5 mid ship. ATD. Opens 5pm to 9pm. Generally fills up fairly quickly for early dining, especially with an older crowd. You can get tables to share or tables for two. Larger tables of 8 and 10 generally have slower service, but not always. It is always chaotic on boarding day. We normally dine elsewhere that day. Each cruise has it's own passenger demographic and you have to feel it our.

The Da Vinci DR, deck 6, mid ship opens for ATD at 7:30pm.

 

If you enjoy dining later you can normally be seated very quickly in either DR.

 

Most ships allow limited reservations for ATD. They are for set times like 5:00, 5:15, 7:30. You call the dine line to make reservations as close to 8am as possible.

 

The Botticelli DR, deck 6, aft is for traditional dining.

[satxdiver]

We started out with TD of course since ATD did not exist in the second seating. When they introduced ATD we switched to ATD often eating around 7:30 PM. As ATD became more popular we started having problems eating at 7ish having to wait. We since have moved back to TD and being a member of the senior group eat at the so called 6 PM time which has always turned out to be 5:30 or 5:45. So far the 6 pm seating is something of a joke. We always opt for a table of 4 or 6 which means 6 of course and have not had any problems. I would be first in line at the Maitre d' if we had an intolerable dining partner but so far no problems. We board soon for our next cruise.

[caribill]

I sent email to customerrelations@princesscruises.com at 12:21 PM today about this issue. I received a call back at 1:20 PM. Only one hour. I am impressed. The customer service representative I spoke with was sympathetic and said there really is a 6:00 dining but it's in a different dining room.

 

Obviously the rep has never been on a Princess cruise ship in traditional dining.

 

For the ships with three dining rooms, the listed times (for example 5:30, 6:00, 8:15) are basically saying extra early traditional in a dining room near the atrium, regular early traditional in the aft dining room, late traditional in the aft dining room.

 

These are place holders, not actual guaranteed times. What is guaranteed is which of the three seating (extra early, early, late) you are assigned to.

 

 

The actual times are set up by management on the ship and are not known months in advance when passengers select which time they want.

 

 

They can also change from one segment to the next. I was once on a B2B with an 8:00 PM late seating time on the personalizer. The reality on board was 7:45 PM for the first segment and 8:15 PM for the second.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We much prefer Anytime dining and seldom make reservations ahead. It is so freeing to eat when we want.

 

We hardly ever have a wait of more than a couple of minutes even though we usually ask for a table for two.

 

That said, we hardly ever eat before 8 or later, which is our preference. If you want to eat a one of the more popular times, ie earlier than 7-7:30, you possibly will have a longer wait.

 

The only problem I see is that we often end up having a 'snack' in late afternoon which tends to fill us up too much! Food available all the time equals temptation.

[billyball69]

I think those folks that have never tried traditional dining rather than anytime are missing out on one of the great treats of cruising. That is meeting new people from different countries and traditions. We always take late dining with a table for six. We have made some new lifetime friends over the past 15 years. Two of the couples from Maryland and Canada are joining us for a Panama Canal cruise in Feb 2019. An added bonus is getting to know the wait staff and them getting to know you and what your dining tendencies are. They know automatically to have iced tea and a shrimp cocktail awaiting us. Be adventuresome and meet new people. I guarantee it will add to your cruising experience.

[Mimi0810]

Thanks everyone for all the information and tips. I have enjoyed all of the times we have made new friends from all over the world on our cruises. This is a big reason I like to cruise.

We will stick with our traditional dining time for now and see how it goes. It's good to know we can change things as needed.

Thanks again to all!

[LeeW]

The big difference is the amount of time it takes to eat. In Traditional the waiters are working all their tables pretty much simultaneously. In Anytime it is more on your schedule (although they may be working two or three tables together at first). We really don't like taking two hours to eat every night and can get out in 45 minutes to an hour easily with Anytime. Did share one 12-top once in Anytime and it took three hours.

[floridalover5623]

The big difference is the amount of time it takes to eat. In Traditional the waiters are working all their tables pretty much simultaneously. In Anytime it is more on your schedule (although they may be working two or three tables together at first). We really don't like taking two hours to eat every night and can get out in 45 minutes to an hour easily with Anytime. Did share one 12-top once in Anytime and it took three hours.

 

It took is 2 hours on the Royal (casual night) because they were serving something special that evening. I think it was filet mignon and it wasn't worth the time spent.

20 minutes between courses is a little much even if your not in any hurry.

[Musky Ike]

The big difference is the amount of time it takes to eat. In Traditional the waiters are working all their tables pretty much simultaneously. In Anytime it is more on your schedule (although they may be working two or three tables together at first). We really don't like taking two hours to eat every night and can get out in 45 minutes to an hour easily with Anytime. Did share one 12-top once in Anytime and it took three hours.

 

We have also had TD table mates that show up late or not at all without notifying staff, thus delaying the start of the meal. We made the switch to AD years ago and it works for us.

[Hlitner]

Its amazing how folks can have a totally different experience on the same ship. Consider on our most recent Regent Princess cruise we met folks that were complaining about both slow and hurried service in the MDR, unavailability of good seats for the production shows, crowding at other venues, etc. In our case we always had great service, no problem getting good seats for the shows, etc. Why? We simply chose Anytime Dining and usually went to dinner after 7:45. Since a majority of passengers prefer to dine early, their shows are crowded...there are lines for Anytime, etc. But for us, the shows were never even full, the MDR was not too crowded and service was more relaxed, etc.

 

One reason we love Anytime is that we can ask to share a large table (most nights) and meet many interesting cruisers. We tend to take longer cruises, and we like the variety (of dining times and dinner companions) as opposed to dining at the same time with the same folks for weeks.

 

Hank

[AlibearNS]

If you decide to book Traditional Dining instead of Anytime Dining be aware that Princess consistently lies to the passengers on the cruise personalizer. They will "guarantee" early dining at 6:00 PM but, when you get on the ship, you will discover that you are actually scheduled for 5:30 PM dining. They do it all the time. I have never actually gotten the 6:00 PM dining that is "guaranteed" on the personalizer. We're switching to Anytime Dining for this reason. I'm so very tired of being lied to.

 

We used to do Anytime, but after a cruise on the Star, the lines were so long we couldn't plan any evening activities, so we chose early traditional on our last Princess Cruise. Time chosen was 6pm but once on board it changed to 5.15! We hated having to start showering, dress for dinner at 4.45 and if we wanted to go to the Platinum/Elite lounge before dinner, then even earlier. It really bit into our afternoons, and we had to rush in from tours. I put my dissatisfaction in the survey. You're right, if it's says 6pm then it should be 6pm. I wouldn't have signed up for 5.15. Now not sure what to do for our cruise later this year. It says 5.30...

[satxdiver]

I do wish Princess would follow what they publish. If they publish a 6 PM dining time then they should come close to or at that time. To have 6 PM TD time actually be 5:30 or in one reported instance 5:15 PM is not acceptable.

 

We like to have a leisurely dinner and not rush through it inhaling our food. Therefore we have gone back to TD sitting at the same table with the same pax and same servers who quickly learn what we like to eat and drink. On nights when we are somewhat pressed for time such as a show or the Captain's Circle party, we ask the servers to speed it up a bit and they do. Most of the time though we enjoy a leisurely dinner with friendly fellow pax on a 6 top.

[TheRabbit]

I think those folks that have never tried traditional dining rather than anytime are missing out on one of the great treats of cruising. That is meeting new people from different countries and traditions. We always take late dining with a table for six. We have made some new lifetime friends over the past 15 years. Two of the couples from Maryland and Canada are joining us for a Panama Canal cruise in Feb 2019. An added bonus is getting to know the wait staff and them getting to know you and what your dining tendencies are. They know automatically to have iced tea and a shrimp cocktail awaiting us. Be adventuresome and meet new people. I guarantee it will add to your cruising experience.

 

You hit the proverbial nail on the head. With TD, the waiter makes a great effort to learn your likes and dislikes and in most cases you only need to ask once. I am a big water drinker at dinner and ask for a second glass. Every night when we sit down the second glass is placed in front of me. Same with salad, deserts, sides for entrees, etc. You let the waiter know what you like and you get it. I also get the shrimp cocktail every night, but I like to change the order so I don't have it waiting for me. However, if you let the waiter know, it is there! Also, the only time you need to wait is if you get to the DR early or the first night when they are escorting you to your specified table (never more than 5 to 10 minutes, usually less). Get there right on time, walk in and sit down. No waiting for an hour.

 

We also sit at 4/6 tables and have also met some great people we have remained friends with, along with some not so great. As others have mentioned, talk the the head waiter.