Have confired seating; can I use "anytime" occasionally?

This is just not true, you will NOT be barred from eating. You can eat at the Steakhouse, Italian, or Chef's Table. We never eat in the MDR every night

You’re right that you won’t be barred from eating, just not allowed to eat in the MDR that night if your ship enforces the times.

no worry for us as we love YTD

no worry for us as we love YTD

I’m glad that you pick a seating that works for you. If everyone did the same and followed it, dinner would be a much smoother, faster process.

This is just not true, you will NOT be barred from eating. You can eat at the Steakhouse, Italian, or Chef's Table. We never eat in the MDR every night

I think if you'll read a little more carefully, I suggested that they do exactly that if they could not be on time.

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be on time for what?

be on time for what?

I’m going to go out on a limb and say their assigned dining time.

Funny how even in the dining room people feel entitled. It my vacation I can do what ever I want ignore the rules and if I am called out on it, I will go cry and whine about it, until I get my way.

No consideration towards a fellow cruise mate that actually showed up on time and had to wait 20+ minutes because you are too important to show up on time.

So do what ever you like.

Please look at the post you quoted, which asked this:

Are you saying that you would be barred from that restaurant for the night by not showing up, or arriving on time ? That sounds extreme.

 

 

To which you said:

Yes that is correct they will turn you away. Its a rule.

 

 

To which I said that is not correct. You are not barred from the main dining room for not showing up or arriving late. Doesn't happen. You may be turned away for the night if you arrive late but that is not consistent across the fleet. Everything I said in my reply to you was correct and I absolutely read what you wrote before I replied. I don't care what John Heald said on his facebook page. It is not a hard and fast, across the fleet rule that people arriving beyond 15 minutes late are turned away.

 

 

I wish just on the Vista 3 weeks ago and consistently saw parties arrive late. Whole parties and as well as individual members of large parties strolling in late whenever they felt like it. They were not turned away. And I'm quite sure I'm not the only person that can attest that Carnival does not abide by the rule consistently even though they totally should do so.

I said it was a rule, see above, do what ever you wish. I just don't understand why people tell people its ok to break rules, I just don't get it. Does not matter, smuggling, scamming, or breaking any rules, in fact people encourage it. Just don't get it.......

be on time for what?

OMG! What is the subject of this thread? On time for fixed time seating!

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Of course Anytime Dining has the same menu as fixed dining!!

We are not 2nd class citizens!! We choose Anytime Dining because we want our own table for 2 unless we meet folks with whom we wish to dine.

We have no desire to eat with strangers!

Anytime Dining is like being seated in a restaurant on land.

You go up to the podium, tell them how many in your party and you are seated.

You do NOT need to change wait staff each night either!! We always manage to find a serving team we like and then we just ask to be seated in their section at "our" table each night. We can come to dinner any time we choose and still get served and enjoy dinner.

I had this question as well so thank you OP for asking. Is the menu the same for anytime dining? If so, what is the major difference aside from having a different wait staff every night?

 

Thanks!

Us too. We were thinking that if we got back to the ship late we could use anytime. Not so.

For OP and others with the same question, you already have the answer, but just imagine;

if you could go back and forth between fixed time and anytime dining; for those who have pre booked anytime dining, and on an evening when those who have fixed time but now want to use anytime dining, it means that we who have prebooked anytime dining will likely have to wait to get a table. Same thing in the other direction. If anytime diners suddenly want to dine with fixed time diners it would mean having to move the already prebooked fixed time diners to a different table just so the the other fixed time diners at their table could keep their table. It would be an administrative nightmare for maitre d's and hosts,hostesses.

I think Carnival is one line that gives cruisers many options, choose, fixed time dining, early or late, or choose anytime dining (your time dining).

We have a choice, a few choices actually, make a choice and stick with it. If you find someone who you want to dine with who is not already at your fixed time table, or does not have anytime dining, if you have it, then make a reservation at the steakhouse. Or even just eat together at lido if it is important enough. Otherwise, the choice you make for dining, is the one that is in place for the balance of your cruise.

OMG! What is the subject of this thread? On time for fixed time seating!

 

 

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Thought they were talking about YTD, this thread has been all over the place

I said it was a rule, see above, do what ever you wish. I just don't understand why people tell people its ok to break rules, I just don't get it. Does not matter, smuggling, scamming, or breaking any rules, in fact people encourage it. Just don't get it.......

Never did that in any post I wrote. In fact, I've said just the opposite. Thank you.

Thought they were talking about YTD, this thread has been all over the place

It sure has. Apologies for my part.

I had this question as well so thank you OP for asking. Is the menu the same for anytime dining? If so, what is the major difference aside from having a different wait staff every night?

 

Thanks!

I like your time dining and have had the same table and wait staff on almost every cruise. I ask and they say no problem. I am usually there between 6 and 6:30.

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If a person is more than 15 minutes late on any given night they are turned away for that night. That is what I said, no where did I say they were banned for the entire cruise, please read the posts before posting the same info.

 

If you are late THEY ARE NOT SEATED. It was made clear a few months ago, show up on time or find another venue. They are no exceptions to the rule or everyone would make some lame excuse or whine because that person got in why cant I? Blah blah blah.

 

You can come back to your table on the following nights, just be on time.

 

This was posted on JH's FB a few month back and they have been enforcing it for a while now.

Uh, no.

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Uh, no.

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No what? I saw it on Conquest last month. But just like anything else, it’s up to the individual ship to enforce it. However, can and will happen.

No what? I saw it on Conquest last month. But just like anything else, it’s up to the individual ship to enforce it. However, can and will happen.

Hope spring eternal

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Hope spring eternal

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It sure does. We’ll see what happens next month on Glory.

I have to say I was quite impressed with the Conquest dining room this go around. #1 - no food poisoning unlike last time (self explanatory), #2 - they had the dining room doors open before 6pm every night. I’m used to being a few minutes early and having to wait. Not this time. People were already seated with their menus at like 3 min to 6. #3 - enforcement of the 15 min rule. Good! #4 - I didn’t notice anyone dressed inappropriately on elegant evening so either we had a bunch of cruisers that followed the rules or they turned people away at the door. And no, my food doesn’t taste different depending on what people are wearing. But I do think that if they are going to have a rule then they need to be prepared to enforce it no matter what it is. If not, then get rid of it. The other ships need to take note and follow suit.

This may sound silly but....we have a first time cruiser (young person) with us and I have told her

about the wait staff dancing and singing etc. Do they do that at YTD?

This may sound silly but....we have a first time cruiser (young person) with us and I have told her

about the wait staff dancing and singing etc. Do they do that at YTD?

The short answer is yes. The restaurant that has YTD also has assigned. I don't know what time they do it, but it will still happen.

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It sure does. We’ll see what happens next month on Glory.

 

I have to say I was quite impressed with the Conquest dining room this go around. #1 - no food poisoning unlike last time (self explanatory), #2 - they had the dining room doors open before 6pm every night. I’m used to being a few minutes early and having to wait. Not this time. People were already seated with their menus at like 3 min to 6. #3 - enforcement of the 15 min rule. Good! #4 - I didn’t notice anyone dressed inappropriately on elegant evening so either we had a bunch of cruisers that followed the rules or they turned people away at the door. And no, my food doesn’t taste different depending on what people are wearing. But I do think that if they are going to have a rule then they need to be prepared to enforce it no matter what it is. If not, then get rid of it. The other ships need to take note and follow suit.

I will be on the Sunshine this coming weekend for a TA event with some of the management team. I will see what I can find out.

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I will be on the Sunshine this coming weekend for a TA event with some of the management team. I will see what I can find out.

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Cool. Let me know!

We were on Vista last month and had YTD. We did see dancing a few nights and I think it was those we went later than earlier.

Back to the original question. We had friends who had assigned dining and missed it. We had them come with us and asked the hostess if they could eat with us that night. It was around 9pm and they weren't that busy so they were allowed to. The hostess did tell us it wouldn't work the next night which was formal.

Doug

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Just throwing this out to give benefit of doubt, but does it say in Funtimes or elsewhere onboard please arrive by , say, 615 for 6pm seating?

I wonder if some people think 6pm early seating means 6pm is the earliest you could arrive and not necessarily that you are actually expected then.