New Traditional Dining Time coming out

[paul929207]

We were on the Golden a couple of weeks ago and the early TD worked well. They had one dining room just for early TD that later switched to AT. The other AT took reservations and we made them for 5:30 and showed up to get in line at 5:15. We were seated shortly after we got in line. We've never used TD but next year we will have a 1 & 4 yr old with us and the idea of having a set table at 5:30 sounds good. How early do you need to be there? Will they still have your table if you're say 5 minutes late? By the time you get an elevator, find a path that doesn't go in front of a photographer, etc. it can really slow you down on formal nights. The buffet will just give the 4 yr old too much freedom and its hard to hold until a 1 yr old and a plate at the same time.

 

Cruisin Oldies

On some ships, they close the doors 15 minutes after the official dining time. So if you have TD at 5:30, then 5:45 would be a reasonable cut off.

[iluvcruzin]

We were assigned 5:30 traditional on the Emerald recently. I went to the Matre'D to change it to 6:00. He said just come at 6:00 instead. Turns out our table all wanted 6:00 so that's what we did. We showed up a few minutes before 6 and the waiter was fine with it. Most tables around us were anytime dining anyhow.

[wineforhealth]

I agree with everything you wrote except the ending. If people with TD show up late, they should join the Buffet line or call room service.

 

I'm with you on this

[atlasali]

I have cruised Princess and had success with Anytime dining three times. Do I understand this change correctly: Traditional diners can opt for Anytime Dining if they are late for their assigned time? I thought that if you missed your Traditional time; then you would be dining at the buffet.

 

 

Regarding unpleasant dining partners: it happens. We had an experience on NCL, sharing a table with a divorced non-custodial father and his 3 sullen adolescent children. Thank God there was another couple for us to to converse with. On a 30-night Princess cruise, fellow CC members changed their Traditional Dining because a tablemate of theirs had a pattern of consuming too much wine then picking verbal fights at the table.

[paul929207]

I have cruised Princess and had success with Anytime dining three times. Do I understand this change correctly: Traditional diners can opt for Anytime Dining if they are late for their assigned time? I thought that if you missed your Traditional time; then you would be dining at the buffet.

 

 

Regarding unpleasant dining partners: it happens. We had an experience on NCL, sharing a table with a divorced non-custodial father and his 3 sullen adolescent children. Thank God there was another couple for us to to converse with. On a 30-night Princess cruise, fellow CC members changed their Traditional Dining because a tablemate of theirs had a pattern of consuming too much wine then picking verbal fights at the table.

From postings I have seen, on some ships they check your card to verify you have AD, other ships do not.

[1 HappyCruiser]

This sounds like a good theory, but if it is true then why haven't the waiting lines for Anytime Dining always been long? It sounds like a big part of the problem is diners who sign up for the 5:30 Traditional but then show up late, which pushes back the dining time at that table. If you sign up for 5:30, then you should be held to it. Boo Hoo if your excursion "ran late". You knew you would have to be back early.

 

I will be sailing in March. We chose Anytime Dining because there were some port days which went until later and we didn't want to be rushed. However, we usually like to eat around 6:00 - 6:30 and I hope we don't end up waiting forever. It will be interesting to see how it works!

 

Since 6 to 6:30 is the busiest time to dine be prepared for a wait especially if you want a table for two.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We love Anytime dining and have rarely had a wait of more than a couple of minutes. Our recent Emerald cruise, however, had an additional early traditional seating squeezed in, which did affect the Anytime schedule somewhat, causing some lines in Anytime.

 

The new early TD diners apparently were assigned to the dining room (Da Vinci?) that was normally a combination of Anytime and TD diners. This caused crowding in that dining room, so Anytime diners went, or were sent, down to the dedicated Anytime dining room, which of course caused lines there.

 

The lines weren't too bad, maybe 10-15 minutes, but annoying when you aren't used to any lines. We adjusted by eating a little later; around 8:15 or so you could just walk in, and since we don't like to eat early anyway, it was fine.

 

But I do think it's not really fair to 'steal' Anytime dining seats for TD diners, especially when quite often they don't show up on time.

 

I didn't realize this was going to be a new policy; I thought it was because they age demographic was, shall we say, a little on the top side of 70 on this cruise.

[Pam in CA]

I agree with everything you wrote except the ending. If people with TD show up late, they should join the Buffet line or call room service.

They shouldn't show up late to start with. More and more passengers seem to feel that the traditional dining time is merely when the doors open and has little to do with what time they can or should arrive for dinner.

[WeBeGone]

On the Emerald in early Dec, we four showed up at the "5:30" dining room around 6. Each night we were promptly seated at a table for 4 because someone didn't show up for their table. Tables were held for only 15 minutes then anyone that showed up was seated. It was quite nice.

[G8RH8R]

We always have late seating anyway.

 

Who the heck wants to eat at 5:15?

 

It might make sense if you're from the East coast and cruising to Alaska or Hawaii, or if there are young children in your party.