Dining Room "Beepers"

[the_dylaness]

I'm confused about why people are frustrated about this topic.

 

Some like anytime dining.

Some like traditional.

Both are offered.

Choose the one you like!

 

I disagree that experienced travelers always choose traditional (suggesting that only bumbling idiots would want anytime...) I think experienced travelers always choose the dining method that works best for their port times, personal preferences, and perhaps table size if they're traveling with a number of other people.

 

We enjoy some parts of traditional (getting to know your waiter/waitress, the slightly more formal cruise-y feel) and some parts of anytime (no boring or annoying tablemates b/c we always get a table for two, not feeling rushed to dinner if we're in port late). So, for each cruise, we evaluate our excursion plans and the general tone we want to set for the trip and we make our choice. I hardly think that choosing anytime for some of our vacations is a reflection on our cruising history.

[mallbucks]

Typical narrow minded american.

 

My My - how lucky you must feel to be so perfect.;)

[rdsqrl]

To me, as someone who liked traditional, and only did anytime once so far, it wasn't the wait at 7-730pm or the different wait staff, but the different table mates that I didn't like about anytime. I missed the ongoing discussion that usually progressed through the week. With anytime, by the time you got past the introductions, where are you from, what do you do, how many cruises have you been on, dinner time is over. Then the same happens the next night with a new batch of people. But, that's not enough for me to lose sleep over or heaven forbid, not book a cruise because of.

I so totally agree with you on this -- although I do prefer having the same waiter each night, I can live without that, but having to repeat the same inane small talk every single night is just boring, and the conversation never seems to gets beyond that. It doesn't make dinner something to look forward to at all.

I'm confused about why people are frustrated about this topic.

 

Some like anytime dining.

Some like traditional.

Both are offered.

Choose the one you like!

 

I disagree that experienced travelers always choose traditional (suggesting that only bumbling idiots would want anytime...) I think experienced travelers always choose the dining method that works best for their port times, personal preferences, and perhaps table size if they're traveling with a number of other people.

 

We enjoy some parts of traditional (getting to know your waiter/waitress, the slightly more formal cruise-y feel) and some parts of anytime (no boring or annoying tablemates b/c we always get a table for two, not feeling rushed to dinner if we're in port late). So, for each cruise, we evaluate our excursion plans and the general tone we want to set for the trip and we make our choice. I hardly think that choosing anytime for some of our vacations is a reflection on our cruising history.

 

Well said!

 

And I think the beeper is the LEAST annoying part of the whole Anytime Dining arrangement! For heaven's sake, would you really rather just have to stand there in earshot waiting for your name to be called?

[curiouscat]

Mr. UK

 

It was our table mates from the UK that were the stuffiest and nastiest to us... they complained about everything. Americans don't know about fine dining, manners etc etc. :eek: (and yes I like Brits)

 

I finally talked my husband into anytime dining thou we love traditional on this cruise... the Emerald Princess. Next time it's traditional w/ a table for two, thank you very much.

 

Oh, and to the poster saying its very TGIF/Outback... couldn't agree more. To me it's Low Class to have to receive a pager for a dining experience.....

 

CuriousCat

[resstation]

Mr. UK

 

It was our table mates from the UK that were the stuffiest and nastiest to us... they complained about everything. Americans don't know about fine dining, manners etc etc. :eek: (and yes I like Brits)

 

I finally talked my husband into anytime dining thou we love traditional on this cruise... the Emerald Princess. Next time it's traditional w/ a table for two, thank you very much.

 

Oh, and to the poster saying its very TGIF/Outback... couldn't agree more. To me it's Low Class to have to receive a pager for a dining experience.....

 

CuriousCat

 

Uh, yeah... and it must be the epitome of HIGH class to call everyone that doesn't agree with you low class.

[CruiseFreakk625]

This was my second time on the Caribbean Princess, and my third Princess cruise. Every time I've chosen the anytime dining feature- I like to not be tied down to a specific dinner time on vacation. My last cruise, July 2008 on the Caribbean, was the first time I had the pagers for dinner. I think it may be a new thing, I'm not sure. I assumed it was because more people chose that style of dining- but when I asked it was never confirmed. Every night, I had to wait, and I didnt like that you had to make a reservation, and reservations had to be in by 4pm. It was a little off-putting. Does anyone know if it is in-fact, new? Also, does anyone know if their dress code has gotten to be a little more strict? I felt underdressed on this cruise, and I packed according to my first two cruises- the same style of clothing.

[G'ma]

G'ma, you can't say with any more certainty that reservations will end up costing than you can that traditional will always not have a fee. What you say is true. However, for the future of these alternate dining venues, spend some time on NCL's board....what used to be "free" is now charging and reservations are sometimes a mess. As for the traditional dining, I doubt they'd charge for that. It would completely change the basic cruise experience which is enjoying the cruise, having a nice meal at the end of the day, maybe a few drinks and some evening entertainment. Everything else is just gravy.

 

Really, what is the difference in telling the cruise line a year ahead of the cruise that you want a particular seating, compared to telling the maitre d on the ship you want a particular time? Both are reservations. It doesn't make anyone a less savvy traveler by deciding to roll with it and go to dinner when they want, instead of when they have to. When you make a cruise booking, you are giving them a preference for early or late dining. It's not a reservation. Upon boarding, if you didn't get your preference, then a trip to the Maitre'd becomes necessary. Traditional dining times are set.....no need to make a reservation.

 

I agree that there are those who "roll with it"....who consider having to make a reservation every night no problem. They don't mind carrying a beeper and waiting to be seated. But you won't find many veterans who do this. We can do that at home.....TGIFridays or other "designer" restaurants offer this system.

 

Too many people have no clue how cruising has changed in the last several years. They have no idea what they are missing and what is happening. Most treat cruising the same as going to an amusement park or on a road trip and, therefore, expect little. That's what some are getting.....very little. Some have no idea what relaxed dining is.

 

 

 

To me, as someone who liked traditional, and only did anytime once so far, it wasn't the wait at 7-730pm or the different wait staff, but the different table mates that I didn't like about anytime. I missed the ongoing discussion that usually progressed through the week. Exactly! A cruise is a special and different vacation. It's a wonderful experience. An opportunity to meet new people, enjoy good conversation with your tablemates over dinner, sometimes form friendships. Having the same waitstaff is important too. They remember how you like your steak prepared or which dressing you enjoy on your salad. Friendly and affable, they will take their time serving your table and making sure everything is fine.With anytime, by the time you got past the introductions, where are you from, what do you do, how many cruises have you been on, dinner time is over. Then the same happens the next night with a new batch of people. But, that's not enough for me to lose sleep over or heaven forbid, not book a cruise because of.[/quote]

 

I am a cruiser and have been all my adult life. Well over 200+ under my belt. One of my favorites was a 28 day freighter cruise around South America a few years ago. I will continue to cruise no matter what. I love the sea and the whole cruise experience.

 

Believe me, my original post wasn't a criticism of any poster or cruise passenger. It is a reflection on the sorry state of cruising that seems to have appeared in recent years......and how willing some are to accept it.

[AKN]

We booked our cruise late (Diamond Princess Aug. 9) and were waitlisted for traditional seating at an 8-person table in the dining room, which is our preference. We had never before cruised where anytime dining was offered, so decided to just go with it since we hadn't cleared the waitlist and see how it turned out. The first formal night we were handed a beeper in the Santa Fe Dining Room and informed that it would be about 30 minutes. We went into the atrium, one floor below, and found a seat. I could almost see the dining room door, so it doesn't seem like it was too far away for the beeper to work. And the Maitre 'D pointed us in the direction that we ended up at. An hour later we went to check on it. People in the "no reservations" line were being seated. Annoyed doesn't even nearly come close to describing my feelings about the whole incident. I realize it was the first formal night and we were a party of four and it was 7 o'clock when we first asked to be seated and we didn't have reservations and we shouldn't have waited that long. Just chalk the whole thing up to Princess's lack of communication regarding a great many of their policies and procedures. But the bottom line is that the beeper, or more likely the beeper's operator (the Maitre 'D), didn't work.

 

I tried to make reservations by phone for dinner a couple times, but no one would answer or else I was put on hold. Not my idea of a fun time on a cruise. Finally, on the third cruise day, we showed up in the Savoy after 8pm and were seated immediately. Upon leaving, I booked a reservation for the same table for the next night. I made that my practice and every evening thereafter we ate in the Savoy at the same table. Finally, it was the sort of dining we were looking for to begin with.

 

Not a fan of anytime dining. We decided it was anytime Princess wanted you to dine. And if any cruise personnel ever tries to hand me a beeper again, I may chuck it back at them.

[BigGuy25]

To each their own ... whatever you like best is simply what you should do. There are reasons for both. We prefer the convenience of "Anytime" ... and we've never had more than a few minute wait (if at all). We've actually waited in a line for just as long waiting for the dining room doors to open for "traditional" dining.

[jimpod]

We have enjoyed 3 Princess cruises and have chosen 'anytime' dining on each. Yes, we have been given the now infamous beeper on a few occasions but that was only if we requested a table for 2 and even then the wait time was never longer than 10 minutes. Why are people getting themselves overwought by this subject? A cruise is a vacation and a time to leave all your worries and woes behind you. If you ended up not getting dinner then you would have something to complain about! I can't believe some of the things that people get wound up about -go with the flow.:)

[pungo3]

I have been on two Princess cruises and had 'anytime' dining. Both times, we were a group of three. We never got a beeper because we never had to wait. When we arrived at the door, we were asked if we minded sharing a table, we said of course not, and we were seated immediately. A few nights we had a table for 4 with just the 3 of us. The other nights, we were at a table for 8 with tablemates. Both cruises were delightful and our service great. We ate at different times each night and found anytime dining to really fit our needs and to be totally stress free.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Mr. UK

 

It was our table mates from the UK that were the stuffiest and nastiest to us... they complained about everything. Americans don't know about fine dining, manners etc etc. :eek: (and yes I like Brits)

 

I finally talked my husband into anytime dining thou we love traditional on this cruise... the Emerald Princess. Next time it's traditional w/ a table for two, thank you very much.

 

Oh, and to the poster saying its very TGIF/Outback... couldn't agree more. To me it's Low Class to have to receive a pager for a dining experience.....

 

CuriousCat

 

 

Will you be able to get a table for 2 in Traditional:confused: If you want one in Anytime (as we did), you will need to book in advance (which we could not, for some reason) or take that beeper although I agree it was only a few minutes before it went off:D .

[BermudaPrincess]

We just got off of the Caribbean Princess and were forced to use Anytime Dining. While my wife attempted to switch to Traditional several times, the waiting list was into the 100s. Fortuanetly, there were entertainment activities that we wanted to enjoy each night, so based on information I gleened from these boards we planned on an early dinner.

 

Two nights I could not get reservations. One was because it was my first Princess cruise and missed the window. the other was the only reservations were for after 8:30 (we were travelling with our 3 teenage sons who like eating with the family - they can't hold out to wait that late!). Every time I called, my choices were 5:30, 5:45 or 6:00 in the Coral. I could not make reservations in the Palm - which I preferred for being less crowded feeling and lower noise level. We did eat at Sterling's one night - which we really enjoyed.

 

A couple of points I picked up:

• When I called to make reservations, they said that they only took reservations up to 1/2 of the restaurant. The rest was for walk up. Don't know if it is true, but it is what I was told.
  
• The lines appeared to be shorter at the Palm since it is further away from other activities on the ship.
  
• We tried to get to dinner for 6 and never had a problem - even on formal night.
  
• When we left there was always a line of people for both reservations and no reservations. There were always people standing around holding beepers.
  
• You can simulate the traditional cruise dining experience by reserving a table for 3 days in a row - we got the same table and servers when we did this.

My conclusion is just like on land, if you do Anytime Dining and want to eat at prime time - expect to have to wait for a table if you can't get a reservation (actually - even if you have a reservation.

[3GR8Sons]

I'm confused about why people are frustrated about this topic.

 

Some like anytime dining.

Some like traditional.

Both are offered.

Choose the one you like!

 

I disagree that experienced travelers always choose traditional (suggesting that only bumbling idiots would want anytime...) I think experienced travelers always choose the dining method that works best for their port times, personal preferences, and perhaps table size if they're traveling with a number of other people.

 

We enjoy some parts of traditional (getting to know your waiter/waitress, the slightly more formal cruise-y feel) and some parts of anytime (no boring or annoying tablemates b/c we always get a table for two, not feeling rushed to dinner if we're in port late). So, for each cruise, we evaluate our excursion plans and the general tone we want to set for the trip and we make our choice. I hardly think that choosing anytime for some of our vacations is a reflection on our cruising history.

 

The problem I have with traditional/anytime has nothing to do with people on this board. I think we can all accept that other people have different preferences. I have my reasons for preferring Traditonal for me and my family, but I can honestly see why some people would prefer AD. I don't care what other people like, this is my family's vacation and if I can't get what works for us I have to consider whether I want to make final payment.

 

The real problem I have with this discussion is that Princess has got it so wrong. So many people are so far down the waiting list for traditonal that Princess has many people not getting what they want. They also clearly have to many people waiting for AD so that folks who do want AD are not getting the experience they hoped for either.

[3GR8Sons]

We have enjoyed 3 Princess cruises and have chosen 'anytime' dining on each. Yes, we have been given the now infamous beeper on a few occasions but that was only if we requested a table for 2 and even then the wait time was never longer than 10 minutes. Why are people getting themselves overwought by this subject? A cruise is a vacation and a time to leave all your worries and woes behind you. If you ended up not getting dinner then you would have something to complain about! I can't believe some of the things that people get wound up about -go with the flow.:)

 

If you are just 2 adults travelling together I would agree. But when there are 10 people travelling together having to agree on a time, make reservations, and then STILL sit around waiting (with 5 hungry kids) it's not much of a vacation (for me). If it were just the husband and I we would have no problem sitting at the bar and waiting for a table for a little while but when you travel during Christmas time with a large group AD is a huge hassle.

[MaryPoppinz]

To me it's Low Class to have to receive a pager for a dining experience.....

 

It's even more gauche to crowd the dining room door waiting for your table.

 

We've rarely waited in Anytime for a table for two around 7 p.m. But our last 3 cruises have been with Godwin and that man knows how to run a clipboard. I don't believe we've ever had a pager.