New to CARNIVAL/ Anytime dining???????

[oceanview585]

Thinking about a "Dream" trip but we have never sailed Carnival. Do they have anytime dining or just assigned times and tables?? Is the buffet open at dinner? We have been spoiled by Princess and the flexibility of eating any time or just doing buffet in evening if we don't want to dress up....any info appreciated.

[dotshub]

Carnival is just now beginning to get into the open dining thing, and its available on a few ships. Its an option, you can still select the fixed dining in the main dining rooms.

Yes the buffet is open during dinner times. We sailed on 2 cruises in the past year and never went to the main dining room. The buffett is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Even if you have fixed dining, you can always skip it and eat buffett.

[GinDon]

So, if you have selected a fixed dining time, can you just not show up at your fixed time some night, and go in the dining room at another "anytime" time?

[Chigirlcruzin]

It's one or the other. If you want to do fixed, but then decide you don't want to go at that time on a particular night, you need to go to the buffet that night.

[tnt091605]

Thinking about a "Dream" trip but we have never sailed Carnival. Do they have anytime dining or just assigned times and tables?? Is the buffet open at dinner? We have been spoiled by Princess and the flexibility of eating any time or just doing buffet in evening if we don't want to dress up....any info appreciated.

 

We just got back from the Liberty last month. We choose anytime dinning. Service was a little lacking but we got the same food as the MDR. With the ability to just show up and eat on our time it was well worth it.

 

You do have to choose which one. They ask for your room number and punch it into the computer. They can then see where you are supposed to be. This is how they control who gets your tips.

[momofzeke]

The ships that offer the flexible dining option right now are: Legend, Liberty and Sensation. Others that will offer it in the future have been listed as:

 

Paradise 3/20/09

Miracle 3/29/09

Elation 4/26/09

Conquest 4/26/09

Pride 4/27/09

Spirit 6/3/09

 

I haven't seen the Dream mentioned, but that doesn't mean it won't also be offering flexible dining at some point. Some have said it will be fleetwide eventually.

[Chigirlcruzin]

I'd "think" that if the plan is to offer anytime on all ships that they'd launch the Dream with this option. Of course, that makes sense to me, but they may have other plans :)

[fllady61]

I hope not. Glory is still fixed dining. There were some that thought that it was anytime dining, and would come in and cause a scene because there were no open tables for the 6 pm meal.

 

personally, I want an assigned time, waiter, bar waiter, asst waiter, and table.

 

If you want anytime dining, go to the buffett. that is why it is there.

 

But that is my opinion.

[Maxax]

I haven't been able to decide on this one myself either. Maybe its just...the human nature of "resistance to change"...but I think I like the fixed dining time myself.

[Brenda Bell]

When we booked our cruise for May, on the Sensation, we have late seating in the dining room.

[momofzeke]

I'd "think" that if the plan is to offer anytime on all ships that they'd launch the Dream with this option. Of course, that makes sense to me, but they may have other plans :)

 

That makes sense. I forgot that the Dream is not even launched yet. :p

[bighairtexan]

I prefer fixed dining. You get to know your wait staff. They get to know you and your likes and dislikes. Maybe I've been very fortunate, but in over 30 cruises I've had good table mates and GREAT table mates. It's nice to get together at dinner and discuss our days w/o having to do the "Hi I'm Sharon from Plano yadda yadda." And I think when the wait staff knows they are going to see you day after day, they become more personable. So I guess having the option to do flex or fixed is great. But given the choice I'll take fixed.

[dan40]

I hope not. Glory is still fixed dining. There were some that thought that it was anytime dining, and would come in and cause a scene because there were no open tables for the 6 pm meal.

 

personally, I want an assigned time, waiter, bar waiter, asst waiter, and table.

 

If you want anytime dining, go to the buffett. that is why it is there.

 

But that is my opinion.

 

DO NOT confuse NCL's FREESTYLE dining with Carnival's ANYTIME dining. In NCL's FREESTYLE there is NO traditional fixed dining available.

With Carnival's ANYTIME dining, one may choose ANYTIME or they may choose traditional assigned time and table. One or the other for the duration of the cruise. Traditional and anytime are separated either in different dining rooms or different floors in the single dining room.

 

The buffet is an extra option for either dining choice.

 

Dan

[momofzeke]

I hope not. Glory is still fixed dining. There were some that thought that it was anytime dining, and would come in and cause a scene because there were no open tables for the 6 pm meal.

 

personally, I want an assigned time, waiter, bar waiter, asst waiter, and table.

 

If you want anytime dining, go to the buffett. that is why it is there.

 

But that is my opinion.

 

I enjoy the assigned time also, but I may try the flexible dining option at some point.

 

I think that on the ships that actually have the option of anytime dining, there would be no commotion in the dining room like you described, because those who had the anytime dining would know which dining room to go to.

[Chigirlcruzin]

I hope not. Glory is still fixed dining. There were some that thought that it was anytime dining, and would come in and cause a scene because there were no open tables for the 6 pm meal.

 

personally, I want an assigned time, waiter, bar waiter, asst waiter, and table.

 

If you want anytime dining, go to the buffett. that is why it is there.

 

But that is my opinion.

 

I see this concern a lot on these boards, and I don't know why. It isn't like NCL where it's all anytime dining. Anytime dining is just another option. If you still want traditional, you can do traditional. If you want anytime, you can choose to anytime. They aren't taking away traditional - just offering another option for folks that want to eat on a more flexible schedule but still have the DR experience. For what it's worth, I also prefer traditional, but many don't. This way everybody wins.

[Sea Born]

The Valor is also another ship that offers the anytime dining. You need to request it when booking your cruise.

[by_u_nurse]

The ships that offer the flexible dining option right now are: Legend, Liberty and Sensation. Others that will offer it in the future have been listed as:

 

Paradise 3/20/09

Miracle 3/29/09

Elation 4/26/09

Conquest 4/26/09

Pride 4/27/09

Spirit 6/3/09

 

I haven't seen the Dream mentioned, but that doesn't mean it won't also be offering flexible dining at some point. Some have said it will be fleetwide eventually.

Do you know if you choose once you get on the ship or if it something you decide with booking? We will be on the Spirit 06/17/09, but we were offered either early or late seating when booking(last October)

[joekim]

We were on the lIberty for the Feb 14 th cruise, we did the open seating for the first time. The first night the service wasnt that great so we asked to sit on the other side and it was nice. We had Sparta and his group was very good. I would suggest you ask for a table at the rail so when they do the entertainment on the lower level you can see. That was our only complaint is seems that they give all the attention to the lower level which is the assigned seating in regards to the waiter staff entertainment, the food service ect was just as good in the open. Dont know if we will do it again or not .

[tnt091605]

I hope not. Glory is still fixed dining. There were some that thought that it was anytime dining, and would come in and cause a scene because there were no open tables for the 6 pm meal.

 

personally, I want an assigned time, waiter, bar waiter, asst waiter, and table.

 

If you want anytime dining, go to the buffet. that is why it is there.

 

But that is my opinion.

 

You say it is your opinion, but tell me to go eat the buffet?

 

Anytime dinning does not effect you eating in the MDR one bit. Why not offer another choice that might fit others desires?

[tnt091605]

Do you know if you choose once you get on the ship or if it something you decide with booking? We will be on the Spirit 06/17/09, but we were offered either early or late seating when booking(last October)

 

You decide when you book. Not sure if you can change once you get there. Probably can. On our sail & sign card it has the table number as 777 to identify that we were anytime dinning.

[pnjkeith]

We just got back from the Liberty last month. We choose anytime dinning. Service was a little lacking but we got the same food as the MDR. With the ability to just show up and eat on our time it was well worth it.

 

You do have to choose which one. They ask for your room number and punch it into the computer. They can then see where you are supposed to be. This is how they control who gets your tips.

 

We had anytime on Liberty. Service sucked, sorry to see Carnival doing this.

[Chigirlcruzin]

We had anytime on Liberty. Service sucked, sorry to see Carnival doing this.

 

They're doing it due to customer demand. Carnival is pretty much the last mass market line to roll it out. You (and I) can still have traditional dining.

[momofzeke]

Do you know if you choose once you get on the ship or if it something you decide with booking? We will be on the Spirit 06/17/09, but we were offered either early or late seating when booking(last October)

 

You choose before you get to the ship. You have to choose one or the other; no changing back and forth once onboard.

[momofzeke]

The Valor is also another ship that offers the anytime dining. You need to request it when booking your cruise.

 

Oh, I didn't realize that. Is it available right now?

[tnt091605]

We had anytime on Liberty. Service sucked, sorry to see Carnival doing this.

 

pnjkeith, Service was not the same as the MDR 5 out of 7 nights. Not sure if it is the fact that the courses are coming out at all different times or if for some other reason. But we really liked being able to eat when we want and ask for a table to fit our group for the evening. Some nights we had 2 and some we had 6. Never had to wait more than 15 minutes.

 

I hope that the anytime dinning continues to grow, but I would not support the option of going all anytime dinning and taking away the MDR.