Victoria visit to Gardens

[Firsttimer9]

is there time to do dinner at 6 in MD and go on excursion to Gardens that leaves at 7:30 pm?????

[txjim09]

I suspect you will be instructed to meet at 7:00 and be escorted off as soon as the ship is cleared. Why put yourself through the aggravation?

 

I was on the Ruby Aug 17th, they moved traditional dining up to accommodate people with shore excursions. If this were not the case, we would have gotten something quick at the IC

[Heidi13]

A little more information could help - which ship, traditional or anytime dining, ship or private excursion, excursion meeting point ashore or on ship, etc.

 

My assumption is you are probably on a R/T Alaska cruise from Seattle, calling a Victoria the evening before departure. The ship will dock just inside the harbour breakwater, which is about 40 min drive to Buchart Gardens.

 

If the question is can you finish dinner in just over an hour to allow time to get from MDR to excursion meeting point, it will depend on how busy and how many courses you plan to enjoy. Normally we find dinner takes 2 hours, however many others take much less. My guess is it would be unlikely you could enjoy dinner under these circumstances.

[Langley Cruisers]

I would suggest the buffet or room service that evening, as you will be called to meet somewhere probably at 7 or 7:15. Unless you have a table for two by yourselves, it would be a rush for the entire table and wait team.

[martincath]

Agree with all the above so far - and will add that you didn't say if this was a cruiseline excursion or a private one. If the latter, you also need to factor in getting tom the ship to wherever the meet point is!

 

I'd definitely be inclined to take an early dinner not in MDR. If you don't do buffets, try booking the earliest slot in a 'pay extra' resto onboard, in my experience these can start as early as 5pm and will always be a 'just your group' seating - so if you say upfront that you need to be out of there by 7pm they'll expedite each course to ensure you are. Hard to say 100% without knowing which ship you're on, but even smaller Princess/HAL vessels offer at least a couple of alternative sit-down restos and the bigger ships (NCL especially) have a plethora of dining venues you could make use of, some with no extra charge at all.

[TinCan782]

It would take time out of your visit to Buchart Gardens but why not have something to eat there?

IIRC, there is some food and beverage service available there.

[Firsttimer9]

Thanks for info and yes we will be on Ruby Princess and do the excursion to gardens booked through Ruby. Hope to eat in Main dining room

[donaldsc]

Don't see why you can't skip the MD for one night and go to the buffet. That would be my strategy.

 

DON

[fishywood]

Thanks for info and yes we will be on Ruby Princess and do the excursion to gardens booked through Ruby. Hope to eat in Main dining room

 

If you are on 6 PM Traditional Dining: first, while it says 6:00 in your cruise personalizer the actual time will likely be set earlier--you won't know until you board. Second, for the evening call in Victoria there may not be traditional dining that day, only anytime dining for all.

 

Having to pick only one of your preferred dining time & venue, or taking the excursion, is hardly the Sophie's Choice you are making it sound like. If there is no fixed seating that night go to the MDR when it opens at 5:00 or 5:15. If there is, you will be dining elsewhere. Book the excursion and the dining issue will solve itself.

Edited August 25, 2018 by fishywood

[martincath]

Fishywood makes an excellent point now we know you're on Ruby - while we dine AnyTime on Princess normally, they do flip the Traditional dining rooms into AnyTime in Alaska when port times clash with dinner. Long days when you have plenty of hours to get on and off may remain Trad, but in my experience the short Victoria evening stops always have a notice on the Patter that there will be no Trad dining that day, and similarly if you have a shorter day in port that ends in the evening (say early afternoon to 8 or 9pm) since so many folks will be off on excursions beyond at least early dining time.