Anytime Dining on Caribbean Princess

First time Princess cruiser, NCL fan. I have seen complaints about Anytime Dining on old posts so I wanted to get some updated comments. Are there long lines at certain times? Is it difficult to get a table for 2? Are there 2 anytime dining rooms? Are jeans allowed? Thank you in advance. This is coming from someone quite spoiled by the flex dining on NCL where we have never waited more than 10 minutes to get our own table.

Yes, jeans are allowed. No, it is not difficult to get a table for 2. Depending on the time, the wait may be longer or shorter than being seated with others. Yes, it is possible to encounter a line at times--if this happens, you'll be given a pager. Go get a drink, whether that is alcohol, tea, a glass of water, or whatever.

The biggest problem is that Princess allows people who are signed up for "traditional dining" to show up at anytime dining and expect to be seated. This makes it difficult for Princess to know how many seats to allocate to each type of dining. But they didn't ask me how to run their system. Princess cannot predict how many people will show up at any given time. So, any time equals "first come, first served for the party size" as it does on any shoreside restaurant.

SOME maitre d's allow same day reservations in any time dining. Again...sort of defeats the purpose, but.....

Just try & not eat between the hours of 6:15 and 7:30 and you'll probably not hit much of any lines.

One of the dining rooms is traditional for the first seating from 5:15 to 7:30. Starting at 7:30 it becomes anytime dining, so it’s easy to get a table right at 7:30 when all the traditional tables have opened up. That has worked well for us, as well as calling the dine line and making a reservation. That way even if there is a line, there is a separate podium to check in and they will seat you. No need to stand in the line if you have a reservation.

We did anytime dining on CB this past March and had no issues at all.

First time Princess cruiser, NCL fan. I have seen complaints about Anytime Dining on old posts so I wanted to get some updated comments. Are there long lines at certain times? Anytime is like a land restaurant. If more people show up at the same time than the seating cam handle, there will be a wait for some. So how many of your fellow cruisers think their anytime is the same as the time you choose determines if there will be a wait. For those it works well, there were not too many others choosing the same time to eat.

 

Is it difficult to get a table for 2? There are a limited number of tables for 2. How long a wait (if any) depends on if they are all occupied when you show up at the dining room.

 

Are there 2 anytime dining rooms? As others pointed out, there is one dining room that is anytime all evening and, on most of the ships, one dining room that is anytime starting around 7 PM.

 

Are jeans allowed? Neat jeans without holes are allowed on all but formal evenings.

 

Thank you in advance. This is coming from someone quite spoiled by the flex dining on NCL where we have never waited more than 10 minutes to get our own table. There are some times when there will be a rush of people to the dining room. For example, after the early show in the showroom ends. Another example is when an event such as the Champagne Waterfall is over.

See above in red.

A few comments

Many tables for two are basically tables in a line that are no more than 6 to 12 inches apart. They are not very private. Tables to share are usually easier to get than tables for two.

The Island DR, deck 5 mid ship, opens for ATD at 5pm and ceases taking new people around 9pm. The Coral DR, deck 6 mid ship, opens for ATD at 7:30pm. Both DR's have the same menu.

Limited reservations for ATD can be made by calling the DINE line in the morning. Reservations are for set times, for example 5:30, 5:45, 7:30, 7:45.

If you wish to dine 7:30 or later there are normally lots of tables available.

Check the Princess Patter each day for evening activities & entertainment and you can plan your dining accordingly.

From the Princess FAQ's " Dinner wear such as pool or beach attire, shorts, ball caps and casual jeans (with fraying and/or holes) are not welcomed in the dining rooms. Shoes must be worn." You can wear shorts for breakfast or lunch.

Just got off the Caribbean Princess.

One dining room was always Traditional.

One dining room was Traditional early, then switched to Anytime at 7:30pm until 9:30 pm.

The third was Anytime from 5:15 to 9 pm.

The lineup for anytime started at 4:45. They seated most tables (not every table so wait staff could cope). Then lineups. The lineups lasted until after 7:30. They gave out pagers, until they ran out of pagers. Our waits were 20-40 min. When they ran out, we stood in line.

People of all ages in shorts were seated. Some were in short shorts. Really short shorts. They were all seated. I don't know if its a summer thing or what. The weather was HOT!

On formal night there was a full variation of dress - tuxes and suits to casual wear. The man who was in short cargo shorts every night was finally denied entry on formal night as we saw him in the buffet shortly after we saw him in line at the dining room.

I don't usually care what others wear, but this cruise the dress code was so lax that we noticed. Maybe its a summer thing. I hope so.

Just got off the Caribbean Princess.

One dining room was always Traditional.

One dining room was Traditional early, then switched to Anytime at 7:30pm until 9:30 pm.

The third was Anytime from 5:15 to 9 pm.

 

The lineup for anytime started at 4:45. They seated most tables (not every table so wait staff could cope). Then lineups. The lineups lasted until after 7:30. They gave out pagers, until they ran out of pagers. Our waits were 20-40 min. When they ran out, we stood in line.

 

People of all ages in shorts were seated. Some were in short shorts. Really short shorts. They were all seated. I don't know if its a summer thing or what. The weather was HOT!

 

On formal night there was a full variation of dress - tuxes and suits to casual wear. The man who was in short cargo shorts every night was finally denied entry on formal night as we saw him in the buffet shortly after we saw him in line at the dining room.

 

I don't usually care what others wear, but this cruise the dress code was so lax that we noticed. Maybe its a summer thing. I hope so.

Glad to hear that shorts are are tolerated at least on casual evenings.

What time did you show up at the door to find such delays being seated?

I suspect 6:45 or so?

Shorts should not be allowed in the dining room in the evenings.

Shorts should not be allowed in the dining room in the evenings.

Unless you actually saw someone walking in wearing them how would you ever know?

You should have no problem with a table for two in ATD.

What time did you show up at the door to find such delays being seated?

I suspect 6:45 or so?

We were either in line or watching the line from The Piazza most nights.

As I described, the lines started at 4:45 and lasted until 7:30, with the length of the line varying some, but most of the time all pagers were in use. They would seat folks starting at 5:15 and there was always a line at least back to the elevator lobby, one night around 6 the line we were in wrapped around thru to the middle of the elevator lobby - with some folks already having been given pagers. When a pager table was seated, they'd hand the pager to the next group in line.

So I have read if you show up and there is a wait they will give you a pager so you can go and have a drink. How far can you wonder off and the pagers will still work. Could you go back to your room and hang out or go sit by the pool?

So I have read if you show up and there is a wait they will give you a pager so you can go and have a drink. How far can you wonder off and the pagers will still work. Could you go back to your room and hang out or go sit by the pool?

According to sources on the internet, the range on these pagers range from a few hundred feet to a few thousand feet (or more), but considering that these ranges are likely tested with perfect line-of-sight and that ships are made from thousands of metal compartments, I wouldn't take off with a pager.

So I have read if you show up and there is a wait they will give you a pager so you can go and have a drink. How far can you wonder off and the pagers will still work. Could you go back to your room and hang out or go sit by the pool?

I've only used it one time & was told that it only extends to the general vicinity around the dining room and not our cabin.

Since it relies on a radio signal the distance on the ship is pretty limited.

I don't understand why they couldn't use the Princess@sea system & notify you via your phone?

You'll be able to go anywhere & get notification on your phone.

We like to sit in the IC and watch the pax lining up for ATD. The line indeed starts early waiting for the doors to open. Back before we switched back to TD, there were lines up until after 7:30 or so. A few times when in line we were taken up to the MDR on deck 6 before the 7:30 opening time as they had some free tables. The report about tables for 2 being 12 inches apart is so true. We have talked to our neighbors while waiting for food to be served and one could hear every conversation around them. Not very private at all.

We have seen shorts on men at dinner in the TD MDR several times when sailing out of a US port. Not a problem for us however. We have seen tshirts on men with a sport coat on formal nights or a polo type shirt with sport coat. Both types looked really nice.

Just got off the Caribbean Princess.

People of all ages in shorts were seated. Some were in short shorts. Really short shorts.

That's just gross. It's been my experience that a lot of people in "really short shorts" are significantly overweight. I don't want to have to see sweat and cellulite at dinner. Have some self respect.

On our last cruise, the "boob" table was near us. Four women who basically showed everything but the nipple. It's dinner, not the pool. Was really glad to see that they were only there a few nights.

In May we would go to dinner around 7:30 and were seated at a table for four (there were two of us) almost every time. We never had more than a 5 minute wait.

That's just gross. It's been my experience that a lot of people in "really short shorts" are significantly overweight. I don't want to have to see sweat and cellulite at dinner. Have some self respect.

 

 

On our last cruise, the "boob" table was near us. Four women who basically showed everything but the nipple. It's dinner, not the pool. Was really glad to see that they were only there a few nights.

I suspect you don't mind seeing the shorts & boobs at breakfast & lunch or do you eat in your room?