Ruby Princess Dining

According to Princess, the Ruby has three formal dining times: 5:30, 6:00 and 8:00 and of course Anytime dining. Yet I know many times once you board, the ship may change the formal times. Can anyone let me know if this is happening on the Ruby so I don't get surprised? Thanks.

We did three cruises on the Ruby last year and had 6 PM TD. We ate dinner every night on all three cruises at 5:30 PM. We sailed on the Emerald this year and same thing, 6 PM TD was at 5:30 PM.

If it is an Alaska cruise it is all but guaranteed the times will be 5:15 (both early MDRs) and 7:30.

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It is Mexican Riviera on Ruby in Jan. What is TD? Princess is telling us there are 3 dining times so we are puzzled. Please explain. We don't want to eat like early-birders so we don't know how to book our dining. I have also experienced the anytime dining nightmare on Princess. Most other cruise lines have it down but my experience with Princess is to definitely pick a formal time or wait forever in line!

It is Mexican Riviera on Ruby in Jan. What is TD? Princess is telling us there are 3 dining times so we are puzzled. Please explain. We don't want to eat like early-birders so we don't know how to book our dining. I have also experienced the anytime dining nightmare on Princess. Most other cruise lines have it down but my experience with Princess is to definitely pick a formal time or wait forever in line!

The aft dining room has both an early and late seating, the times you see listed at 6 PM and 8 PM. Having the fixed seating times is what is called TD (Traditional Dining). As others have pointed out, the actual times may be earlier but you will not know until you get to the ship. Since you do not like to eat early, if you want traditional dining, I suggest signing up for the late (supposedly 8 PM) seating. You can see on the Personalizer what you are signed up for. If you want to switch, you can do that on the Personalizer.

One of the dining rooms near the atrium is the one used for what you see listed as the 5:30 PM traditional dining. When that seating is finished, that dining room becomes an anytime one.

If you like to avoid eating early and do not want the 8 PM traditional time, usually anytime has no waiting by 7:30 or 8, especially since at that time there will be two anytime dining rooms.

Thank you for your info. We don't like the aft dining room so I am thinking either we should take 8 pm TD or take the Anytime Dining and hopefully see the maitre d when we board and try to lock in the same table each night at 6:30. We are 6 adults traveling together so hopefully they will do that since we want to eat together and alone each night. Any thoughts on our idea?

TD is in the aft deck 6 that you don't like... Anytime is in the mid dining rooms on deck 5 or 6.

We just disembarked the Ruby Princess on Saturday. Dining times listed in the Patter were:

• Michaelangelo - deck 5 midship (anytime dining): 4:30 - 8:30 pm
  
• Botticelli - deck 6 aft (traditional): 5:30 (1st seating; door will close at 6 pm); 8 pm (second seating)
  
• DaVinci - deck 6 midship:
  
  • breakfast port days: 7 - 9 am
    
  • breakfast sea days: 7:30 - 9:30 am
    
  • lunch sea days (including Ketchican with 1 pm sailing): noon - 1:30 pm
    
  • afternoon tea: 3 - 4 pm
    
  • traditional dining: 5 pm (doors close at 5:45)
    
  • anytime dining: 7:30 - 9:30 pm
    

   

Thank you for your info. We don't like the aft dining room so I am thinking either we should take 8 pm TD or take the Anytime Dining and hopefully see the maitre d when we board and try to lock in the same table each night at 6:30. We are 6 adults traveling together so hopefully they will do that since we want to eat together and alone each night. Any thoughts on our idea?

OK, i'll nibble...what's wrong with an aft dining room other than it may take a couple extra minutes to get there?:confused:

@ voljeep For us, the 5th deck dining room is difficult when trying to leave. My husband is somewhat limited in using stairs, many like him need to use the elevators. It can take a long time to exit that lower level dining room. Not our favorite and has nothing to do with the length of the walk.

For us, the 5th deck dining room is difficult when trying to leave. My husband is somewhat limited in using stairs, many like him need to use the elevators. It can take a long time to exit that lower level dining room. Not our favorite and has nothing to do with the length of the walk.

On the original Grand class ships (Grand, Golden, Star, Caribbean) this is true. Only two of four elevators go to Deck 6 Aft and only one can be called at a time. But this has been corrected on subsequent ships with all four lifts going through and the port side pair and starboard side pair can be called independently, programmed to do so anytime that dining room is in use.

I just moved my dinner to late dining (Ruby) because I am hoping to be in the Botticelli dining room because I THINK it has windows. Does that sound right?

I just moved my dinner to late dining (Ruby) because I am hoping to be in the Botticelli dining room because I THINK it has windows. Does that sound right?

All three dining rooms have windows; Botticelli adds aft facing ones to those on the sides. But unless you are in Alaska between May and July, by the time late seating dinner starts the sun will either be down on the horizon or set. Thus the curtains will be drawn.

EDIT: OK I see you are on a California coastal embarking March 10. Which is the first day of DST. So sunset times in Southern California will change from just before 6 PM to just before 7 PM the week of your cruise. Still dark by the time you start dinner.

All three dining rooms have windows; Botticelli adds aft facing ones to those on the sides. But unless you are in Alaska between May and July, by the time late seating dinner starts the sun will either be down on the horizon or set. Thus the curtains will be drawn.

Oh.... wow that is something I hadn't considered. Thank you! Still, I have heard late dining could be an advantage if one plans to do shore excursions, so I think I will leave with the late dining. Thank again!

Michaelangelo - deck 5 midship (anytime dining): 4:30 - 8:30 pm/quote]

 

4:30! Wow.

I just moved my dinner to late dining (Ruby) because I am hoping to be in the Botticelli dining room because I THINK it has windows. Does that sound right?

Yes it does! We were seated next to one last week. That said, all the MDRs have windows since they stretch the width of the ship.

...and hopefully see the maitre d when we board and try to lock in the same table each night at 6:30.

I'd bet dollars to donuts that what you want will not be possible. Almost every Princess ship will not do Anytime reservations between (approximately) 5:30 and 7:30. This is the time when they're at the absolute limit (and beyond) for ATD capacity, and can't justify holding a table open for a reservation when there's a long line of people waiting for ATD tables. It's far more effective for them to seat every table ASAP and hence turn every table ASAP, so the reservations are available at times when they can be assured of having tables available.

Michaelangelo - deck 5 midship (anytime dining): 4:30 - 8:30 pm/quote]

 

4:30! Wow.

 

Yes...It’s starts at 4:30 pm. I was on the Ruby in March & it was explained that the staff needed more time in the dinning room.

They also started TD at 5 pm even tho the Patter says 5:30 pm. Personally I liked the earlier time so I can enjoy my meal & not have to rush to get to the first show in the Princess Theatre.

Realize that the earlier times really don’t effect people that don’t choose to come earlier.

Tom😎

Anyone know whether it is true that on port days the MDR's are closed for lunch? We are doing a cruise soon and will probably be staying on board most days. I know there are plenty of other places to eat, just curious if that is true.

Anyone know whether it is true that on port days the MDR's are closed for lunch? We are doing a cruise soon and will probably be staying on board most days. I know there are plenty of other places to eat, just curious if that is true.

Yes that has been Princess policy for years. The only exception is for a 'partial' port day. For example, on our Alaska cruise we were in Ketchikan in the morning with an all aboard time of 12:30. The MDR was open for lunch from noon to 1:30 (normal open hours for a sea day and embarkation day).