Anytime dining doesn’t work!

[oldtrout]

Just returned from a fabulous cruise on Royal Princess, Quebec to NY with a few days stay before and after. The weather was a bit iffy but, everything was great apart from the onboard dining arrangements. 

 

The restaurant operated from 5.00 to 9.30. People were queuing up to get in at 5.00. The first time we arrived to eat at 6.15, we were told that for any size table, there was a 1 hour plus wait (with a buzzer which went off hen they had a table for you. This allowed you to go and wait anywhere on the ship). I asked when would be a good time to get a table without any delay and was advised 7.30. So the next night we turned up just after this time only to be told that the wait for any size table was 45 minutes. I  mentioned to the maitre de that this was not how this dining arrangement was supposed to work only to be told that for this particular cruise everyone was turning up early. His advise was to come later. One being we went at 7.00 knowing we would have to wait.. we were lucky as we were handed the last buzzer. The people after us had  to wait in,one for a buzzer.

 

He he was right. 8.00 onwards you could walk right in and get a table for two if required.  However my wife and I like to eat when as and when suits us hence our request for anytime dining.

 

We ate in the dining room only half the time and the food was generally very good. On those occasions though we did see that the problem wasn’t that there was not enough tables. The problem was down to too few waiter staff to clear up and make available those tables guests had vacated.

 

There were plenty of alternative dining arrangements. The buffet  offered a fabulous selection each evening. The pizzas at Alfredo’s restaurant (free) on the 6th floor were great as was Sabattinis a more formal Italian dining experience at extra cost. 

 

In summary food good and varied but be aware of thinking anytime dining gives you the option to eat when you want .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gracie115]

AND now that they have decided to change early dining to 4:30 & 4:45 it's only going to get a lot worse!!! Who eats dinner at 4:30 on a cruise???????

[sfaaa]

MDR is like your city freeway. There is rush hour jam and non rush hour traffic. Nothing Princess can do about it. If you don't want the MDR wait, eat a bigger lunch or some afternoon snack. Then go to MDR dinner after the 7:15pm early show. Works every time.

[apeller]

We too have had long waits with Anytime Dining.  While it is nice to be able to walk in when you like, it rarely works out where you don't have to wait.  We will share tables in order to be seated quicker, but even that doesn't always work out.  Somedays you can walk right in, and other days you wait an hour. For our next few cruises, we decided to go with late seating (which isn't that late anymore), just so we know we won't have to wait for a table.

[Corgidawgga]

In the last three cruises, we have only had to wait a few minutes for a table in Anytime dining.  We share the table, always, and in most cases do not have to wait.  We do tend to eat later.....around 8ish, sometimes a bit later but always in time to get to the late show if we want to attend.

 

The biggest plus for me with anytime dining is the number of really interesting and charming people we meet at our tables.  We tend to be outgoing, and love talking with others about their cruises and experiences.

 

[XBGuy]

I'm sorry folks, but I really don't understand what you think Princess should do.

 

You want to dine the same time everybody else wants to dine.  As has been posted on these boards numerous times if you go to your local TGI Friday's at peak times, you will not be seated immediately.  You have to wait for a table.

 

Your suggestion that they add staff forces me to ask what does that staff do at 8:00 pm when there are numerous empty tables in the room?  Well, they stand around.  They are paid the same when they are standing around as when they are working.  Carnival Cruise Lines, the owner of Princess is a for-profit corporation.  If they are going to pay people to stand around, that would have a negative effect on profits--not good.  The obvious solution is to raise the price of passage tickets.  I can already hear the outrage on Cruise Critic.  On a land-based operation, management has the flexibility to hire part-time help to handle peak times.  A cruise ship cannot hire part-time help.

 

I do know that Princess does move staff between different rooms to help ameliorate peaks.  I have seen staff from Crown Grill working in the buffet and I have been told that the server I enjoyed at SHARE was not available in a subsequent visit because she was working in the Dining Room.  It's not like they are ignoring the problem or their customers.

 

We have chosen Anytime Dining every time since our first Princess cruise in 2001.  We think it works fine.

[jlp20]

Over 10 Cruises with Princess doing anytime. Never had to wait more than 20 minutes. Vast majority was a few moments wait at the main entrance.

[Coolmama_1]

We have rarely had to wait. Alot also varies based on demographics of the cruise. One cruise we went on the buffet was packed every night and the dining room almost empty. Go figure.

[victory2020]

Being in the restaurant business, table turnover in a "fine dining" establishment is 1.5 hours, so if people are lined up at 5, tables should turn & be available at 6:15 to 6:45. I have never had that been the case on Princess. I have been on other lines where there is no problem getting a table within 15 minutes of arriving. They obviously have a problem in how they operate anytime. 

[newport dave]

36 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

Being in the restaurant business, table turnover in a "fine dining" establishment is 1.5 hours, so if people are lined up at 5, tables should turn & be available at 6:15 to 6:45. I have never had that been the case on Princess. I have been on other lines where there is no problem getting a table within 15 minutes of arriving. They obviously have a problem in how they operate anytime. 

We always like to eat around 1900, so have always chosen Anytime on Princess. But, on the majority of our cruises we've ended up in the buffet due to the long wait for a table for 2.  We used to like to share tables when we first started cruising, but now, it takes forever to finish your dinner when there are more than 2.  We also do Anytime on RCI and Celebrity and have never had a wait at 1900 for a table for 2. Always seated straight away.  Princess does seem to have a problem in how they operate Anytime Dining. 

Edited October 20, 2018 by newport dave

[Coral]

Princess really needs to builds larger dining rooms. They hope many will go to the buffet.

[voljeep]

Sorry, but no...Princess has chosen to reduce staff in the mdr's... it's either wait outside for staff to be waited on, or wait at a table with no staff - kinda like a doctor waiting room...

[Seadog & Sea Hag]

If anytime dining doesn’t suit you, book traditional dining. It’s not that hard 

[paul929207]

We were on the same cruise as OP. We made a reservation for 7:30pm most evenings. We were seated every time by 7:35pm.

[Potstech]

Have only had a long wait one time and that was a formal night as everyone wanted to eat early. Other than that have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table and we always share.

[sfaaa]

8 minutes ago, voljeep said:

Sorry, but no...Princess has chosen to reduce staff in the mdr's... it's either wait outside for staff to be waited on, or wait at a table with no staff - kinda like a doctor waiting room...

Princess also offers diners other options like come back at non peak time, buffet, room service, sandwiches, pizza etc if they don't want to wait. The choices are plenty and theirs to decide. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

While I do agree they need more staff, we have seldom had to wait for Anytime dining.  However, we do prefer to eat late--8 or later, so that makes a big difference.

 

The most we have ever waited is maybe 15 minutes one formal night; and we usually get a table for two.  Last winter on the Emerald service was very fast most of the time.

[Potstech]

3 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Princess also offers diners other options like come back at non peak time, buffet, room service, sandwiches, pizza etc if they don't want to wait. The choices are plenty and theirs to decide. 

 

All of which do not have the same ambience as the MDR. Agree with voljeep as they have cut the staff throughout the ship.  And it is hurting their service. By putting on more staff in the dining rooms they move more people thru quicker. When the crowd slows down late in the evening they can then be sent to other areas where they can help. Nothing says they have to stay in the MDR the entire time it is open. Time management works great even on a ship.  They used to do it now they do not. What changed other than their desire to cut costs. No need to raise prices to go back to what was done just a few years ago.

[voljeep]

We always get a table for 2 - the most we have ever had to wait was a half glass of wine !!

[lx200gps]

The OP sure seems to imply that things have changed dramatically in the last little while, and not for the better. Like other posters on this thread, we've had ATD for many years, and as late as last May, have never had to wait more than 15 minutes, and that's at 5-5:30PM. We just grab a beeper and head back to Crooners for yet another martini, which we rarely get to finish before being called back to the MDR for our table for two.

 

Hopefully the long waits are not the result of the new dining times. I guess we'll find out on the Royal in three weeks.

[skennedy25]

We have never waited for anytime, we go when they first open. After 1st night, we reserve that table and just walk in

[Cruise Junky]

It’s never worked. Every time we had a 30 to 45 min wait with a buzzer. They don’t check cruise cards. Anyone can go to anytime even if they booked traditional. Our last few cruises have been on Celebrity. Have been handed a buzzer once. They cap anytime and check your room number. 

Edited October 20, 2018 by Cruise Junky

[antsp]

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

I'm sorry folks, but I really don't understand what you think Princess should do.

 

You want to dine the same time everybody else wants to dine.  As has been posted on these boards numerous times if you go to your local TGI Friday's at peak times, you will not be seated immediately.  You have to wait for a table.

 

Your suggestion that they add staff forces me to ask what does that staff do at 8:00 pm when there are numerous empty tables in the room?  Well, they stand around.  They are paid the same when they are standing around as when they are working.  Carnival Cruise Lines, the owner of Princess is a for-profit corporation.  If they are going to pay people to stand around, that would have a negative effect on profits--not good.  The obvious solution is to raise the price of passage tickets.  I can already hear the outrage on Cruise Critic.  On a land-based operation, management has the flexibility to hire part-time help to handle peak times.  A cruise ship cannot hire part-time help.

 

I do know that Princess does move staff between different rooms to help ameliorate peaks.  I have seen staff from Crown Grill working in the buffet and I have been told that the server I enjoyed at SHARE was not available in a subsequent visit because she was working in the Dining Room.  It's not like they are ignoring the problem or their customers.

 

We have chosen Anytime Dining every time since our first Princess cruise in 2001.  We think it works fine.

No need to worry about Carnival Corp paying the wait staff, they don’t. 

[Host CJSKIDS]

Anytime dining would work better if they wouldn’t allow MDR customers to eat in there ever and they wouldn’t take reservations.  Pick one of the other but if they are going to continue to allow MDR to pick and choose what they want each night and cut crew for the anytime dining room, the problem is only going to get worse. 

 

Guess the answer will be to start picking set dining and then pick and choose what one wants.

[muffin]

Reference made to new dining times. What are the times on he Royal please. How do these changes , which I presume are the set times, affect ATD.?  Thank you.