Sapphire -- Any Time -- One more time-- sorry

[rwadam]

We are assigned any time on the Sapphire on April 30th.

 

So sorry for yet another thread about any time dining on the Sapphire, but the threads the last couple of days have turned into discussions about the right/wrong about making standing reservations in any time dining (doesn't interest me or answer my question) and have confused me a bit.

 

(Also, we are assigned any time by choice and have no need to discuss the merits of any time vs. traditional. I understand the benefits and deficiencies of each.:))

 

We generally like to eat late -- around 7:30 or 8 pm -- so based on that are we basically good to show up for a two-top with a relatively short wait? (We eat out a lot and often have to wait for a table so we'd be ok with this anyway, but I'm just wondering.)

 

More interesting: Any particular restaurant you prefer? I read somewhere that one restaurant has TD for early seating so is good to use for AD after 7:45.

 

What Any Time dining venue do you enjoy most and why?:)

 

Any insights would be most appreciated. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to "escaping completely" for a week on the Sapphire. I'm sure we will be eating to our hearts' content throughout the cruise, regardless of the venue or time. Thanks very much!

[shepp]

What Any Time dining venue do you enjoy most and why?:)

 

Having eaten traditional on the Sapphire, I can't answer some of your questions, but it's worth reiterating, I suppose, that the only real difference between the four anytime rooms is the decor, and that's a matter of visual taste. The menus are identical, the service is identical. The four originally had distinct menus, but now it comes whether you prefer Southwestern motifs to an Asian-influenced look.

[Pia1913]

We are assigned any time on the Sapphire on April 30th.

 

So sorry for yet another thread about any time dining on the Sapphire, but the threads the last couple of days have turned into discussions about the right/wrong about making standing reservations in any time dining (doesn't interest me or answer my question) and have confused me a bit.

 

(Also, we are assigned any time by choice and have no need to discuss the merits of any time vs. traditional. I understand the benefits and deficiencies of each.:))

 

We generally like to eat late -- around 7:30 or 8 pm -- so based on that are we basically good to show up for a two-top with a relatively short wait? (We eat out a lot and often have to wait for a table so we'd be ok with this anyway, but I'm just wondering.)

 

More interesting: Any particular restaurant you prefer? I read somewhere that one restaurant has TD for early seating so is good to use for AD after 7:45.

 

What Any Time dining venue do you enjoy most and why?:)

 

Any insights would be most appreciated. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to "escaping completely" for a week on the Sapphire. I'm sure we will be eating to our hearts' content throughout the cruise, regardless of the venue or time. Thanks very much!

 

We spent 9 weeks on the Sapphire in Sept/Oct/Nov. I prefer Santa Fe; no specific reason. As for waiting time, at 7:45 there should be little or no wait in any diningroom.

[rwadam]

We spent 9 weeks on the Sapphire in Sept/Oct/Nov. I prefer Santa Fe; no specific reason. As for waiting time, at 7:45 there should be little or no wait in any diningroom.

 

 

Thanks for the succint answer that I was looking for. :)

[rwadam]

Having eaten traditional on the Sapphire, I can't answer some of your questions, but it's worth reiterating, I suppose, that the only real difference between the four anytime rooms is the decor, and that's a matter of visual taste. The menus are identical, the service is identical. The four originally had distinct menus, but now it comes whether you prefer Southwestern motifs to an Asian-influenced look.

 

 

Thanks for your reply. I think we'll try several or all just for fun.:)

[jimcradd]

We were on the Sapphire for two weeks in March. We requested traditional dining late seating but we were assigned to the Vivaldi dining room room which is suppose to be traditional for the first seating and anytine dining after 7:45. We had the same table and time (7:45) each night.

 

The room was never full. There were always open tables.

 

Jim

[wowsmom]

We've been on the Sapphire twice - Anytime Dining both times - and ate all our dinners in the Savoy restaurant. We really liked the ambiance there. We ate early, so can't help you with the wait times later.

[4cats4me]

We are assigned any time on the Sapphire on April 30th.

 

So sorry for yet another thread about any time dining on the Sapphire, but the threads the last couple of days have turned into discussions about the right/wrong about making standing reservations in any time dining (doesn't interest me or answer my question) and have confused me a bit.

 

(Also, we are assigned any time by choice and have no need to discuss the merits of any time vs. traditional. I understand the benefits and deficiencies of each.:))

 

We generally like to eat late -- around 7:30 or 8 pm -- so based on that are we basically good to show up for a two-top with a relatively short wait? (We eat out a lot and often have to wait for a table so we'd be ok with this anyway, but I'm just wondering.)

 

More interesting: Any particular restaurant you prefer? I read somewhere that one restaurant has TD for early seating so is good to use for AD after 7:45.

 

What Any Time dining venue do you enjoy most and why?:)

 

Any insights would be most appreciated. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to "escaping completely" for a week on the Sapphire. I'm sure we will be eating to our hearts' content throughout the cruise, regardless of the venue or time. Thanks very much!

 

Just off the Sapphire nearly two weeks ago.

If you like to eat between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. you will not have a problem.

You can have anytime and make reservations. They'll give you 7:45 as a reservation.

If you wish to walk in, there is plenty of availability between 8:15 and

closing.

 

If you wish to dine and walk in at 7:45, go to Vivaldi dining room since

that is the time the DR opens to anytime diners, since it is a traditional

DR for the first seating only.

 

On formal night, make a reservation unless you enjoy dining late.

[Jasperdo]

Last time I was on the Sapphire, the Vivaldi Dining Room was the one used for early Traditional. We would up eating in the Santa Fe mostly. It has a nice Southwest decor. The Savoy has a nice elegant steakhouse feel to it. Never got to the Pacific Moon. All four Dining Rooms have the exact same menu. However, each has one specialty dish that is themed to that particular room. I thought the Fajitas in the Santa Fe were excellent.

[4cats4me]

Last year we ate in the Santa Fe every single night because we had

"our" table.

This year we ate in all of the rooms. I liked the ambience of Savoy

the most, but the service was excellent in Vivaldi.

The rooms all have nice decor.

[caribill]

However, each has one specialty dish that is themed to that particular room.

 

However, you can order any of the specialty dishes in all of the dining rooms including the Traditional dining room.

[stellalimelight]

We've been on the Sapphire twice - Anytime Dining both times - and ate all our dinners in the Savoy restaurant. We really liked the ambiance there. We ate early, so can't help you with the wait times later.

 

I too love the ambiance of the Savoy. I have traveled many times on the Sapphire and Princess and eat almost exclusively between 7:30 and 8 pm. I think I waited once for like 10 minutes and that was on a long cruise. I am doing the April 9th trip on the Sapphire and have done this route 3 other times. I have never had the problem waiting.

[jlp20]

All four rooms grouped all together so checking the “lines” will take 2-3 minutes. All things equal we would go with Savoy.

 

There are a few of us around who experienced the original concept. Two large rooms that were split in half to make four dining rooms that had individual décor and four COMPLETELY different menus. The two page menu consisted of one page of “standard” Princess items such as Alfredo, shrimp and chicken. The other page would be full Italian, Southwest, Asian and Steak house. Long lines at the Savoy, and empty tables at Pacific Moon plus the extra work load on the kitchen to push out four menus ended the experiment two years after the ships launch. That is why you can order tacos in a Chinese restaurant.

[rwadam]

Thanks so much to everyone for your responses. You have enlightened me and I will not give it another thought until we board the ship. Thank You!:)

[4cats4me]

All four rooms grouped all together so checking the “lines” will take 2-3 minutes. All things equal we would go with Savoy.

 

There are a few of us around who experienced the original concept. Two large rooms that were split in half to make four dining rooms that had individual décor and four COMPLETELY different menus. The two page menu consisted of one page of “standard” Princess items such as Alfredo, shrimp and chicken. The other page would be full Italian, Southwest, Asian and Steak house. Long lines at the Savoy, and empty tables at Pacific Moon plus the extra work load on the kitchen to push out four menus ended the experiment two years after the ships launch. That is why you can order tacos in a Chinese restaurant.

 

Yup. I had that experience twice on the Diamond and at least once, if

not twice on the Sapphire. A nice idea gone horribly wrong. LOL:eek:

I do miss the catfish entree from Sante Fe and the Kahlua mousse.

Yum!

[mskrmk]

What are the specialties for each of the dining rooms?

[ladyco4]

I only know the Vivaldi specialty, oso bucco. We had it twice on our recent cruise and it was so good.

[carolugolini]

What are the specialties for each of the dining rooms?

Fajitas, chicken or beef, in Santa Fe

[carolugolini]

We spent 9 weeks on the Sapphire in Sept/Oct/Nov. I prefer Santa Fe; no specific reason. As for waiting time, at 7:45 there should be little or no wait in any diningroom.

Hi, Pia!

We were on the Sapphire in January with world cruise buddies. Hence, needed the big table in Santa Fe. Got in peeing match with Emil, the Maitre d'.... Let's see....11 black cards + 2 platinum = guess who "lost".

We did Transatlantic on Pacific in December...ended up in storm, broke stabilizer and 12 hours late to FLL. We did have a few days of decent weather, so well worth the unpleasant days.

We're on Golden/Sapphire coastals next month :-)

 

Carol

[Pia1913]

Hi, Pia!

We were on the Sapphire in January with world cruise buddies. Hence, needed the big table in Santa Fe. Got in peeing match with Emil, the Maitre d'.... Let's see....11 black cards + 2 platinum = guess who "lost".

We did Transatlantic on Pacific in December...ended up in storm, broke stabilizer and 12 hours late to FLL. We did have a few days of decent weather, so well worth the unpleasant days.

We're on Golden/Sapphire coastals next month :-)

 

Carol

 

Carol: maitre d' Emil? I guess ours got off. Jacques Ghennai wonderful guy and very accomodating. Too had he wasn't in charge for your cruise.

[4cats4me]

IMHO, it isn't worth picking one of the dining rooms based on their

"specialty." Fajitas in Santa Fe, which never have been very good, IMHO,

and some egg rolls or something in the Pacific Moon.

[Pia1913]

IMHO, it isn't worth picking one of the dining rooms based on their

"specialty." Fajitas in Santa Fe, which never have been very good, IMHO,

and some egg rolls or something in the Pacific Moon.

 

I like the fajitas and I also like the egg roll. That being said, I can eat in any diningroom and get one or the other or both.

[4cats4me]

I like the fajitas and I also like the egg roll. That being said, I can eat in any diningroom and get one or the other or both.

 

The fajitas always seem sub-par, very dried up, and don't taste anything

like the fajitas we get here in CA where we have wonderful Mexican

cuisine. The same for Asian food. It's pretty hard to top the San Francisco Bay Area for our wonderful Asian dishes, so the Princess

appetizer to us just doesn't quite cut it. Different strokes for different

folks.:)

[Pia1913]

The fajitas always seem sub-par, very dried up, and don't taste anything

like the fajitas we get here in CA where we have wonderful Mexican

cuisine. The same for Asian food. It's pretty hard to top the San Francisco Bay Area for our wonderful Asian dishes, so the Princess

appetizer to us just doesn't quite cut it. Different strokes for different

folks.:)

 

You're right. I'm an extremely picky eater, so when I actually like something I tend to stick with it.

[jlp20]

What are the specialties for each of the dining rooms?

 

No way to know what the "special" item is since the entire cruise's menus can change.