Anytime Dining, Former "Standing Reservation" Maker With a Question

[paul929207]

I figure that the person involved selected TD and selected their excursion. There are other alternatives if they must eat at a specific time that does not work with their selected time. Go to the buffet or room service at a minimum.

[Kentchikan]

They did this on the Island last cruise. If you wanted to eat in AD without prior arrangements you had to clear it with the MD prior, otherwise you were asked to come back when no line or visit the buffet. You could not make a reservation without MD HW approval.

 

Hooray. I hope it goes fleet wide.

[Pam in CA]

I figure that the person involved selected TD and selected their excursion. There are other alternatives if they must eat at a specific time that does not work with their selected time. Go to the buffet or room service at a minimum.

Ordinarily, I would agree with you. However, she got prior permission from the Maitre d', she didn't just show up. Elderly, she finds the buffet difficult to navigate with a cane and room service doesn't offer many real dinner items.

[JimmyVWine]

 

I know calling to make a reservation is nearly impossible...

 

Thanks.

 

Like everything else, I assume that this varies by ship. We just got off Sapphire (full report to follow) and here is what we experienced for a party of 3 with AD asking to be seated alone:

--Called DINE once on board and got reservations for Sabatini's at 7:00 on nights 3 and 7 with no problem.

--Went to Pacific Moon on Day 1 at 7:20 without a reservation and got seated immediately.

--Went to Savoy on Day 2 (first formal night) at 7:30 without a reservation and were seated immediately. Upon arrival we were asked if we had a reservation as if it was to be expected. I found this odd as I didn't think that anyone walking in at 7:30 would have one as I thought that this was a blocked-off time. Hmmmm.

--Went to Vivaldi on Day 4 at 7:30 without a reservation. Was asked if I had one in a tone that made it clear that they would have preferred that I had had one. (And it should be noted that the entrance to each of Savoy and Vivaldi was split into a "Reservations" side on the right and a "No Reservations" side on the left.) In any event, tone aside, we were seated in 30 seconds.

--Not wanting to encounter "the tone" again, on Day 5 I called DINE at 8:30 am and made a reservation for Vivaldi and 7:30 was an offered time and I took it. Got seated immediately upon arrival.

--On Day 6 (second formal night) I called DINE at 9:00 am to make a reservation at Savoy and 7:45 was offered and I took it. Upon arrival we were offered the option of waiting an extra 5 minutes for a window-side table which we accepted. The wait turned out to be 2 minutes.

 

The upshot of all of this was that on Sapphire last week, not only were reservations easy to obtain with AD, it seemed as if they were expected. That said, on the nights that we did not have them, we were also seated immediately. The parade of horribles spoken about often concerning long waits simply did not exist between 7:15 and 7:45. Not once did we encounter anyone of any party size waiting to be seated. YMMV.

[whale-watcher]

 

IMHO' date=' the biggest problem with Anytime is that those with Traditional dining can show up and are seated, adding to the lines and leaving a table already reserved for them empty. Again, an inconsiderate/rude people issue. Some people board a ship and leave their manners and common sense behind.[/quote']

I really wish princess would be more consistent in policing this!

[Kentchikan]

Like everything else, I assume that this varies by ship.

 

In my experience it does differ from ship to ship.

[Kentchikan]

I really wish princess would be more consistent in policing this!

 

I agree. It would certainly help.

[YourNameHere]

There are times when it might be necessary for medical reasons. A few years ago, we cruised with a friend who had a very early lunch due to an afternoon tour. For medical reasons, she couldn't wait until our 8:30pm dining time. It was just one night. It certainly shouldn't be arbitrary.

There will always be some reasonable exceptions and varying situations, however on a more general basis I have to agree with the counterpoint that your friend chose to take that tour and there were dining options available other than AD. When we've done Traditional Dining and had to miss our assigned dining time due to things like tours we took advantage of the alternative dining options or ate at the buffet, after all the situation was a result of our choosing to go on the tours.

 

I have no problem with reservations as long as people show up on time. IMHO, if they are late, they should lose the reservation. Unless it's a port day, there's absolutely no reason to be late unless you're selfish and self-absorbed.

However it's not just a matter of being late. For specific seats to be available at a specific time can also mean their not being able available for some period before that time, thus reservations could affect the available seating well beyond just for the reserved time.

[Loonbeam]

And this is why it's important for the MD/HW to handle exceptions. They will know what their DR can handle and what options that have to eliminate or minimize disruption.

 

Another example from the Island. There was a party of 6 who's configuration had gotten messed up prior to boarding (they all had linked bookings and all were supposed to be in TD but 2 ended up with AD ont their cruise cards. So they met with the MD who didn't have a space in TD on that cruise (huge waitlist for TD) so he set them up a atable for 8 in AD with the caveat that two people would join them each night - we were the party of 2 one night and they were a great group). BUT in return he only offered them times that were not expected to be peak, which worked out for their plans happily, and they had to wait for a full table to be served. That worked out for everyone fairly easily. If they had insisted on a table for 6 only at peak time, he probably would have said no, they need to make reservations daily, as he did to others.

 

There are also reasons for variance, it just can't be a free for all. And if a passenger cannot be accommodated in their request then they need to accept that also with good grace.

 

There will always be some reasonable exceptions and varying situations, however on a more general basis I have to agree with the counterpoint that your friend chose to take that tour and there were dining options available other than AD. When we've done Traditional Dining and had to miss our assigned dining time due to things like tours we took advantage of the alternative dining options or ate at the buffet, after all the situation was a result of our choosing to go on the tours.

 

 

However it's not just a matter of being late. For specific seats to be available at a specific time can also mean their not being able available for some period before that time, thus reservations could affect the available seating well beyond just for the reserved time.

[caribill]

And this is why it's important for the MD/HW to handle exceptions. They will know what their DR can handle and what options that have to eliminate or minimize disruption.

 

 

Right. We once booked a cruise on the CB and by the time we did so, we were number 408 on wait list for the traditional seating that our relatives were confirmed for.

 

We spoke to the Matre 'd and he set us up with a table at the desired time in anytime for the entire cruise.

[Kentchikan]

Ordinarily, I would agree with you. However, she got prior permission from the Maitre d', she didn't just show up. Elderly, she finds the buffet difficult to navigate with a cane and room service doesn't offer many real dinner items.

 

There are certainly really special cases that should and must be accommodated as in the case you cited however the problem is the ones who aren't special cases no matter how much the PAX think they are or should be.

[cr8tiv1]

Let me approach this from another point of view. On my Sapphire Coastal, we was assigned to a table of 6 at the early TD. We arrived early and met our 2 other table mates (making this 4). This would have been okay, except that our table mates for the remainder of the cruise showed up anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes late each night. The wait staff did not know if they should "give" away their space or hold up service until they arrived. They would eventually wander in. This, in my opinion, was not proper etiquette. I would have welcomed another 2 people from anytime dining but I am not sure if the other 2 seats were assigned and the parties never showed up. I did ask the proper people if 2 of my friends could join us for formal night (they were in anytime dining), and the head waiter graciously allowed us to do that. We had a very good wait staff and I commend them for going with the flow. They were outstanding.

[Kentchikan]

Let me approach this from another point of view. On my Sapphire Coastal, we was assigned to a table of 6 at the early TD. We arrived early and met our 2 other table mates (making this 4). This would have been okay, except that our table mates for the remainder of the cruise showed up anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes late each night. The wait staff did not know if they should "give" away their space or hold up service until they arrived. They would eventually wander in. This, in my opinion, was not proper etiquette. I would have welcomed another 2 people from anytime dining but I am not sure if the other 2 seats were assigned and the parties never showed up. I did ask the proper people if 2 of my friends could join us for formal night (they were in anytime dining), and the head waiter graciously allowed us to do that. We had a very good wait staff and I commend them for going with the flow. They were outstanding.

 

We have friends who cruise in packs...well OK groups. They always get early dining and they go in and have cocktails and hors d' oeuvres at a leisurely pace then order dinner again at a leisurely pace and then stop and talk and wait for dessert. I think it's rude to the waitstaff. They comment on how the they're always the last people there and a cadre of waitpersons rush to their table to clean it and get it ready for the next seating which is, by the time they leave, imminent.

[W5KAP]

I used to see the Maitre'd on embarkation day and get a standing reservation for my party (we'll be four this trip), but I have seen on these boards that the practice is considered rude or ruinous to the "Anytime Dining" concept.

 

So, that being said...what are my options?

 

I know calling to make a reservation is nearly impossible (or, can I make a dining rez through the Captain's Circle desk since I am Elite? I doubt it), so should I physically go TO my dining room to make a reservation? They're often un-staffed during the day.

 

Also, when I'm departing dinner, say on a Saturday night, can I make a reservation then for the following night?

 

The standing reservation concept always worked perfectly for me in the past, I probably needed to take a pager two or three times over the course of many years. Not sure why some people are so against it, but, I try to accept majority-opinion when it comes to what people find "fair". So, I need to know how this works.

 

Thanks.

 

We did this on our TA last year on the Ruby Princess and they had no problem at all. In fact, They seemed to like doing for us. This way we got the same table with he same servers. We would make our reservations for the next night as we left the dining room. If, for some reason, we knew we would not be there, we let them know ahead of time. It worked well for us, a group of 6 and we plan on doing it again on our TA this October on the Crown Princess. Enjoy.

 

Cheers, Kenn

[Loonbeam]

It's ben my observation that TAs especially because of all the sea days, tend to be more consistent on dining patterns which makes it a lot easier for the MD to accomodate requests like that.

 

We did this on our TA last year on the Ruby Princess and they had no problem at all. In fact, They seemed to like doing for us. This way we got the same table with he same servers. We would make our reservations for the next night as we left the dining room. If, for some reason, we knew we would not be there, we let them know ahead of time. It worked well for us, a group of 6 and we plan on doing it again on our TA this October on the Crown Princess. Enjoy.

 

Cheers, Kenn

[beg3yrs]

We have friends who cruise in packs...well OK groups. They always get early dining and they go in and have cocktails and hors d' oeuvres at a leisurely pace then order dinner again at a leisurely pace and then stop and talk and wait for dessert. I think it's rude to the waitstaff. They comment on how the they're always the last people there and a cadre of waitpersons rush to their table to clean it and get it ready for the next seating which is, by the time they leave, imminent.

 

Your friends really know how to make a meal an enjoyable event. Reminds me of dining in Europe where the table is yours for the whole evening and nobody hurries you along. I personally like that kind of dining very much. Of course it would be easier on the waitpersons if your friends were on the later seating but as long as they are out in time for a quick table change before the next seating it shouldn't really be much of a problem. I suppose if a lot of people stayed as late as possible it could overwhelm the staff.

[Kentchikan]

Your friends really know how to make a meal an enjoyable event. Reminds me of dining in Europe where the table is yours for the whole evening and nobody hurries you along. I personally like that kind of dining very much. Of course it would be easier on the waitpersons if your friends were on the later seating but as long as they are out in time for a quick table change before the next seating it shouldn't really be much of a problem. I suppose if a lot of people stayed as late as possible it could overwhelm the staff.

 

They have mentioned that there seems to be angst among the staff if they linger too long. But mostly blissfully unaware. Ignorance is bliss.

I was on a cruise on the old Royal Odyssey where the dining room was huge and everyone had an assigned table and you could dine at your table anytime and linger for as long as you wished. Of course ships were smaller in those days and they had remodeled the dining room to accommodate all the passengers but it was an interesting concept. It was very much like a restaurant.