Anytime Dining

[Bruin Steve]

Why just Anytime? :rolleyes:

 

 

Are you saying if your tablemates go to Sterling on the first night, then the next nite eat up at the buffet and then the following day they choice to dine on their balcony, then on the fourth night they choice to show up in the Traditional dining room, that's ok? :cool: But not Anytime? Don't get it!!!! :rolleyes:

 

What don't you understand?

"Anytime" is a dining room people get ASSIGNED to--whether they like it or not...It is just like the "traditional" dining room...Those assigned to "Anytime" CAN NOT just show up at the traditional dining room and get seated...

 

That would create two very interesting classes of passenger--one with a permanent seating reservation plus the ability to dine anywhere else...and the second class--those WITHOUT a permanent table...

 

Why would ANYONE ever request "Anytime" dining under those criteria? If you're one of the first 1100 to book the cruise, get your traditional seating assignment whether you ever plan on using it or not...Then, if you ever get told there's a wait at Anytime, you can just head over to your traditional assignment if the time is close--and have your usually empty table waiting...

 

Sheesh...You may just have an empty traditional room every night while everyone shows up at Anytime...

 

Sabatini and Sterling are a completely different story--thiose are small specialty restaurants with an additional charge--a change of pace for everyone...

 

But, under the theory that those with "traditional" assignments can just show up anytime, anywhere, hey, why not show up at Early seating one night even though you have a late assignment?

 

I have now been thankfully confirmed in Early Seating Traditional...my time on the "Wait List" is up...But, I know there are still many on my cruise that weren't afforded that benefit...But, now that I have it, why should I be allowed to show up and take up space in the room they were forced to take?

 

If I don't want to get to the Dining Room for my early seating a night or two, I'll book Sabatini's...

[Seal]

What don't you understand?

"Anytime" is a dining room people get ASSIGNED to--whether they like it or not...It is just like the "traditional" dining room...Those assigned to "Anytime" CAN NOT just show up at the traditional dining room and get seated...

 

That would create two very interesting classes of passenger--one with a permanent seating reservation plus the ability to dine anywhere else...and the second class--those WITHOUT a permanent table...

 

Why would ANYONE ever request "Anytime" dining under those criteria? If you're one of the first 1100 to book the cruise, get your traditional seating assignment whether you ever plan on using it or not...Then, if you ever get told there's a wait at Anytime, you can just head over to your traditional assignment if the time is close--and have your usually empty table waiting...

 

Sheesh...You may just have an empty traditional room every night while everyone shows up at Anytime...

 

Sabatini and Sterling are a completely different story--thiose are small specialty restaurants with an additional charge--a change of pace for everyone...

 

But, under the theory that those with "traditional" assignments can just show up anytime, anywhere, hey, why not show up at Early seating one night even though you have a late assignment?

 

I have now been thankfully confirmed in Early Seating Traditional...my time on the "Wait List" is up...But, I know there are still many on my cruise that weren't afforded that benefit...But, now that I have it, why should I be allowed to show up and take up space in the room they were forced to take?

 

If I don't want to get to the Dining Room for my early seating a night or two, I'll book Sabatini's...

 

YOU GOT IT !!!!! THANKS--YOU ARE VERY CLEAR !!!

 

Nancy

[Cruise Junky]

We did anytime for the first time last month on the Grand. Absolutely loved it, can't imagine cruising a line that doesn't offer it nor can we imagine ever requesting traditional again. The only wait we had was for a table for 6 because they were trying to get us by the window for the sail through the Straits of Messina.

[CruizeVirgin]

Could someone please fill me in on the menu difference between the traditional and the AT. I am a new Princess cruiser so I am trying to get a feel of how things are. I have been on both Carnival and NCL before. I look forward to my future experiences on Princess.

[rdsqrl]

Could someone please fill me in on the menu difference between the traditional and the AT. I am a new Princess cruiser so I am trying to get a feel of how things are. I have been on both Carnival and NCL before. I look forward to my future experiences on Princess.

There are no differences in menu between Traditional and Anytime. The dining rooms are exactly the same in terms of menu, atmosphere, table setting, etc. . . . the only difference is that you don't have an assigned table or dining time if you have Anytime.

[Sandytoes]

What don't you understand?

"Anytime" is a dining room people get ASSIGNED to--whether they like it or not...It is just like the "traditional" dining room...Those assigned to "Anytime" CAN NOT just show up at the traditional dining room and get seated...

 

First, you don't get "ASSIGNED" you choose!

 

Second, as I stated before, a friend on mine did show up in TD and requested a table being she didn't make reservation in AD and got a table.

Which tells me it can be done.

 

 

That would create two very interesting classes of passenger--one with a permanent seating reservation plus the ability to dine anywhere else...and the second class--those WITHOUT a permanent table...

 

Dine Anywhere! Exactly what Princess wants their pax to do.

 

Why would ANYONE ever request "Anytime" dining under those criteria?

I do it as well of thousands of others. Flexibility!

 

If you're one of the first 1100 to book the cruise, get your traditional seating assignment whether you ever plan on using it or not...Then, if you ever get told there's a wait at Anytime, you can just head over to your traditional assignment if the time is close--and have your usually empty table waiting...

 

Sheesh...You may just have an empty traditional room every night while everyone shows up at Anytime...

 

Sabatini and Sterling are a completely different story--thiose are small specialty restaurants with an additional charge--a change of pace for everyone...

 

But, under the theory that those with "traditional" assignments can just show up anytime, anywhere, hey, why not show up at Early seating one night even though you have a late assignment?

 

If you chose TD and stated a time and didn't like it. Maybe you can ask to switch.

Has anyone tried this? :confused:

 

If I don't want to get to the Dining Room for my early seating a night or two, I'll book Sabatini's...

 

 

Total Choice Dining program, offers guests greater flexibility of dining.

[Bruin Steve]

Sandytoes, you really don't get it, do you?

 

You only get to "choose" Anytime if you are in early enough to get a choice...Once Traditional Dining is full, passengers are ASSIGNED to Anytime and only waitlisted for Traditional...

 

That's a major point of this thread...Traditional Dining tends to end up with a long waiting list...lots of folks are in Anytime, not by "choice" but by ASSIGNMENT...

 

And "Flexibility"??? Under your system view, you get the greatest flexibility by taking a Traditional assignment...And that was my point--that you apparently didn't understand...Under your presumptions, the person with a traditional assignment has a table for certain in traditional, but can eat anywhere and at any time anyway. How does one get more flexible than that?

 

Of course, you know of a single instance where someone with Anytime showed up at traditional and got seated...So you think that's an option...

 

I can explain that since I once arranged being accomodated on one evening in Late Seating although I had an early assignment: The Maitre d's have a very SMALL amount of discretion to accomodate someone at a traditional seating IF they know for certain that someone with that seating will not be using their assigned table that night...Say a table for six tells them one night that "Tomorrow night we have reservations at Sabatini's and will not be here", if the Maitre d' is absolutely certain that those people will follow through with that plan, he has six seats to work with and might allow someone, by advance request, to use those seats...But this does not happen very often in any significant number...People with anytime dining...or with the other traditional seating...simply cannot just show up at the traditional dining room with ANY expectation of being seated.

 

Princess does NOT want you to be able to eat wherever and whenever you want...What they ARE trying to do is to give certain alternate options to people who may want either the traditional dining seatings OR an unreserved open seating. They are certainly NOT looking to make it anywhere, anytime for everyone--otherwise, they'd go to ALL open seating a al NCL or Oceania.

 

And they are certainly not looking to go to a system where some folks are limited to one room while others have both a standing reservation and the right to impose on others...

 

If they are doing this, it's poor jusdgment by the crew...or careless checking of assignments...or just plain wrong...

[Seal]

Sandytoes, you really don't get it, do you?

 

You only get to "choose" Anytime if you are in early enough to get a choice...Once Traditional Dining is full, passengers are ASSIGNED to Anytime and only waitlisted for Traditional...

 

That's a major point of this thread...Traditional Dining tends to end up with a long waiting list...lots of folks are in Anytime, not by "choice" but by ASSIGNMENT...

 

And "Flexibility"??? Under your system view, you get the greatest flexibility by taking a Traditional assignment...And that was my point--that you apparently didn't understand...Under your presumptions, the person with a traditional assignment has a table for certain in traditional, but can eat anywhere and at any time anyway. How does one get more flexible than that?

 

Of course, you know of a single instance where someone with Anytime showed up at traditional and got seated...So you think that's an option...

 

I can explain that since I once arranged being accomodated on one evening in Late Seating although I had an early assignment: The Maitre d's have a very SMALL amount of discretion to accomodate someone at a traditional seating IF they know for certain that someone with that seating will not be using their assigned table that night...Say a table for six tells them one night that "Tomorrow night we have reservations at Sabatini's and will not be here", if the Maitre d' is absolutely certain that those people will follow through with that plan, he has six seats to work with and might allow someone, by advance request, to use those seats...But this does not happen very often in any significant number...People with anytime dining...or with the other traditional seating...simply cannot just show up at the traditional dining room with ANY expectation of being seated.

 

Princess does NOT want you to be able to eat wherever and whenever you want...What they ARE trying to do is to give certain alternate options to people who may want either the traditional dining seatings OR an unreserved open seating. They are certainly NOT looking to make it anywhere, anytime for everyone--otherwise, they'd go to ALL open seating a al NCL or Oceania.

 

And they are certainly not looking to go to a system where some folks are limited to one room while others have both a standing reservation and the right to impose on others...

 

If they are doing this, it's poor jusdgment by the crew...or careless checking of assignments...or just plain wrong...

 

STEVE

 

 

Can't believe that you're keeping this up--you might think that this a ploy to keep this interesting--

 

Anyway--we were booked on the Sapphire for New Years Eve and had to cancel--I would have bought you drink--you certainly deserve one

 

Two years ago on the Sea Princess--we had Anytime Dining--we choose AD whenever possible--if no choice Late Seating--anyway on the Sea Princess the CD on the morning show on the TV kept telling the pax that if their dining time made it so that they would miss a show that they would like to see--just go to Anytime Dining --then the evening will be the way you want it--this went on for 48 hours--just craziness--one of the nights was formal night--never seen so many people in the Atrium--My

DH wouldn't even think of letting this go--saw to it the the CD quite his false advertising--they started check room cards--meanwhile we ate in Late Traditional because about 50% of diners had eaten at the Anytime Dining room--they invited us into the Dining Room the second night it happened--really didn't work for them either--they had servers with nothing to do.

 

Nancy

[cruzinchris]

...Of course, you know of a single instance where someone with Anytime showed up at traditional and got seated...So you think that's an option...

 

Bruin Steve,

I hope you don't mind my editing your above post as I want to address the portion that I'm including here.

 

When DH and I were on the Dawn Princess in January, 2007, we had "anytime" dining as we've done on all but one of our 10 Princess cruises. We will also have "anytime" on the Emerald in January but will likely request a standing reservation.

 

During the 11-night voyage on the Dawn, we did the vow renewal (35 years the previous June 25) on my 1/27 birthday. It wasn't a formal night but we were dressed formally for the occasion - including DH's boutonniere and my orchid bouquet that were part of the vow renewal package. The "ceremony" took place at 5:00PM after which we went to Wheelhouse Lounge for Champagne cocktails. By 6:15, we were a little tipsy from the Champagne and thought it would be a good idea to have dinner if we could get a table. We hadn't been able to eat earlier than 7:45 most nights and figured we'd be in for a long wait.

 

When we arrived at the "anytime" dining room @6:30 (only one on the Sun Class ships), it was obvious that we were celebrating a special occasion, and we were escorted to the "traditional" dining room and seated at a table for two. Most passengers were already eating (I think early seating was at 6:00), and we were more than a little surprised at the number of empty or partially-occupied tables. I'm sure we would have waited an hour or longer for a table for two in the "anytime" dining room at that time because that's the way it was every other night of the cruise.

 

We opted for "traditional" late seating on the Star last month. Within our section of the dining room, there were two tables for six that were vacant for the duration of the cruise. We also noticed many empty or partially-occupied tables throughout the dining room, although our waiters told us that early seating was filled to the gills. Clearly, people who request "traditional" seating are not always using their tables, and I think this is at least part of the reason that Princess doesn't alter the current arrangement. jmo

 

Thanks for your contributions to this never-ending discussion.

Chris

[BoPippy]

I have seen so much crap on this subject,i am going to try and change to late sitting from anytime dining and if i feeeeeeeel like it on a certain night i WILL march into the anytime dining and go that route since the company is falling short on implementing their policies!!!(unless someone with Princess cruises starts changing things to the way they should be):mad:

[Hojo's redbeard]

You can do that if traditional isn't all filled up but it seems to be the more desired of the two options for some unknown reason. On most of the cruises the anytime seating is usually 30 minutes before the early traditional opens up which suites my wife even better. You can actually turn an anytime seating arrangement into exactly what a traditional is but if you wait to late in the evening they won't take reservations & make you wait for a seat using a beeper and there is where the big wait comes about- most choosing to want to eat around 6:30 to 8:30.

 

This is what I am most disappointed with on Princess and I haven't even gotten on the ship yet. We booked more than 6 months ago and at the time we were #342 on the waitlist for early traditional. Less than two weeks to go we are at #17. I'm traveling with a 9 year old, she goes to bed by 9pm. She doesn't need to be sitting down for dinner at 8:15 pm. One of the reasons that we cruise is because of the "traditional" style eating arrangements. Our biggest peeves on land vacations are going to a restaurant, sitting for an hour waiting for a table. I'm on vacation, I want to not have to think about when I'm going to go, do I need reservations, waiting for a table, etc. If I get stuck with anytime dining and have issues that others have mentioned, it will more than likely be a first and last cruise on Princess until they get it figured out.

 

That being said, does room service deliver the dinner menu? or is it a limited fixed menu like on Carnival?

[jagoffee]

Since I read this thread with great interest before my recent cruise, I want to share my experience with Anytime Dining. I have just returned from the Emerald Oct 21-31th cruise. It was my first experience with Princess's Anytime Dining. They did not check cruise cards, but they did ask us our cabin number at the table each time we dined. I have no idea why, but perhaps they were confirming or just wanted to keep a record. We always stated that we did not mind sharing a table and we never waiting at any time on any day. It is possible that this cruise just had a group of people with traditional diners who did not flood the anytime dining rooms or it was just not a problem. The bottom line is that we never had to wait for a table and the food and service was excellent every night.

[Sandytoes]

Thanks for sharing your experience with Anytime.

 

Since I read this thread with great interest before my recent cruise, I want to share my experience with Anytime Dining. I have just returned from the Emerald Oct 21-31th cruise. It was my first experience with Princess's Anytime Dining. They did not check cruise cards, but they did ask us our cabin number at the table each time we dined. I have no idea why, but perhaps they were confirming or just wanted to keep a record. We always stated that we did not mind sharing a table and we never waiting at any time on any day. It is possible that this cruise just had a group of people with traditional diners who did not flood the anytime dining rooms or it was just not a problem.

The bottom line is that we never had to wait for a table and the food and service was excellent every night.

[Stevesan]

STEVE

 

 

Two years ago on the Sea Princess--we had Anytime Dining--we choose AD whenever possible--if no choice Late Seating--anyway on the Sea Princess the CD on the morning show on the TV kept telling the pax that if their dining time made it so that they would miss a show that they would like to see--just go to Anytime Dining --then the evening will be the way you want it--this went on for 48 hours--just craziness--one of the nights was formal night--never seen so many people in the Atrium--My

DH wouldn't even think of letting this go--saw to it the the CD quite his false advertising--they started check room cards--meanwhile we ate in Late Traditional because about 50% of diners had eaten at the Anytime Dining room--they invited us into the Dining Room the second night it happened--really didn't work for them either--they had servers with nothing to do.

 

Nancy

 

Sea Princess apparently hasn't changed much.

The NE/Canada September sailing was very similar. I thorughly enjoyed cruising on Sea, but AD was a near disaster. Formal night was so crazy I gave up and ate in HC. AD dining was my only Sea Princess review complaint. I attributed most of the problems to the Head Waiter, but judging from what you say it might be endemic to this ship:

Unfortunately, the ship’s Welcome Aboard flyer encouraged Anytime diners to make reservations unlimited as to time. Reservations during peak hours were accepted. With a full passenger complement of almost 2,000 souls it’s difficult to fit everybody into only two dining rooms. The Anytime wait lines often became unnecessarily long, and moved at a snail’s pace. The primary culprit was the Head Waiter who spent much of his time wandering the dining room looking for empty seats. I’ve enjoyed Anytime on two previous cruises. The Head Waiters on both those ships utilized one or two assistants to roam the room keeping him updated. Those HWs seldom left the podium. They stayed at their station and kept the lines moving. Sea’s HW definitely had enough staff, but failed to utilize them properly. The service, too, was sluggish. The Head Waiter takes the blame for that as well. He’s the boss who sets the tempo for the entire dining staff. His inefficiencies ultimately rub off on the crew under him. It certainly wasn’t all-bad. The food was consistently good to excellent every night. Kudos to the head chef and his cooks and chefs.

I've enjoyed AD on Grand and Crown without any problems and very little wait time, but their AD rooms were run in a professional manner. Sea Princess may just be an abberation.