Anytime vs. Traditional Dining

[simonmary]

This will be our second Princess cruise. First time was with a group of 13. We had second traditional. Because my husband and I enjoyed the Bayou so much the first night, we ate there three more nights. The group had a birthday dinner at Sabatini's on one night. So...we actually ate in the main room twice.

 

Right now, we are requesting 8 pm seating and a table for 2. As we are in a suite, we will be eating at Bayou on the first night anyway. Possibly even more, if the Bayou on Coral is as good as it was on Island.

 

So, is there any difference in formal nights/menu/service between traditional and anytime? Does it matter that we are in a suite?

 

Shows might be nice. We didn't make a single one on the first cruise. Between ballroom dancing and dinner, the shows were not on the right schedule.

 

HELP!!!!!!

[caribill]

 

So, is there any difference in formal nights/menu/service between traditional and anytime? Does it matter that we are in a suite?

 

 

No difference in menus or which nights are formal.

 

Some people feel that service in anytime is, on the average, not as good as in traditional. However many post of having found great servers in anytime.

 

Those in a suite are supposed to get priority for making a reservation in anytime. Not sure this always happens.

[skynight]

 

Right now, we are requesting 8 pm seating and a table for 2. As we are in a suite, we will be eating at Bayou on the first night anyway. Possibly even more, if the Bayou on Coral is as good as it was on Island.

So, is there any difference in formal nights/menu/service between traditional and anytime? Does it matter that we are in a suite?

Shows might be nice. We didn't make a single one on the first cruise. Between ballroom dancing and dinner, the shows were not on the right schedule.

HELP!!!!!!

 

Some information:

There is no difference in formal nights and menus between traditional and anytime. We almost always find excellent service in ATD, but I believe traditional dining with the same waiters each evening is probably a little more personal as the waiters get to know you. The specialty restaurants are smart casual every night. Of course you may dress formal if you like. For many years now we have enjoyed ATD. We always request a table to share and ask that we don't get seated at a table for 10. Large tables make it more difficult to have conversations. We find it interesting to meet and talk with different people. You can make reservations for ATD by calling the DINE line. Being in a full suite will provide you with some priority.

 

We find this is the main difference between traditional and anytime dining: With traditional dining you are forced to plan your evening's activities around your dining time. With anytime dining the reverse is true, you select your evening's activities and then plan dining around it. So ATD can solve the "shows were not on the right schedule" issue.

 

Some enjoy dining late. For us late dining generally cuts right into the evening's shows and activities. While we dine early in the DR most evenings, some evenings we choose to go to an early show and dine late. Sometimes we skip the DR altogether and either go to the Horizon Ct., maybe even the grill, some pizza or the International Cafe. It really depends how we feel that day.

 

Hope this information is helpful for you.

[paul929207]

There may be a slight difference in service. With TD your wait staff gets to know your preferences. With AD, you likely have difference staff each night. Not a big deal for most, but some appreciate it

[Stevesan]

Some information:

There is no difference in formal nights and menus between traditional and anytime. We almost always find excellent service in ATD, but I believe traditional dining with the same waiters each evening is probably a little more personal as the waiters get to know you. The specialty restaurants are smart casual every night. Of course you may dress formal if you like. For many years now we have enjoyed ATD. We always request a table to share and ask that we don't get seated at a table for 10. Large tables make it more difficult to have conversations. We find it interesting to meet and talk with different people. You can make reservations for ATD by calling the DINE line. Being in a full suite will provide you with some priority.

 

We find this is the main difference between traditional and anytime dining: With traditional dining you are forced to plan your evening's activities around your dining time. With anytime dining the reverse is true, you select your evening's activities and then plan dining around it. So ATD can solve the "shows were not on the right schedule" issue.

 

Some enjoy dining late. For us late dining generally cuts right into the evening's shows and activities. While we dine early in the DR most evenings, some evenings we choose to go to an early show and dine late. Sometimes we skip the DR altogether and either go to the Horizon Ct., maybe even the grill, some pizza or the International Cafe. It really depends how we feel that day.

 

Hope this information is helpful for you.

 

Even when assigned to "traditional" you can use the ATD dining room if an occasion calls for it. I've never been asked to show my card there.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Stevesan

[DonnasMom&Dad]

Even when assigned to "traditional" you can use the ATD dining room if an occasion calls for it. I've never been asked to show my card there.

 

That doesn't make it right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

 

Cato :)

[pampered101]

I did anytime dining several years ago and found a waiter I really liked and just made reservations for his section. It really worked out well.

[crusinpeg]

Even when assigned to "traditional" you can use the ATD dining room if an occasion calls for it. I've never been asked to show my card there.

 

With such an extensive cruise history you'd think you would know that this is not acceptable!! There are other options.

Edited December 3, 2014 by crusinpeg

[geoherb]

We like traditional since it gives your waiters a chance to get to know your likes and dislikes. But if you're not going there regularly, you should not take the seat away from people who want it. It defeats the benefit of their getting to know what you like if you don't show up.

[AKman2495]

Even when assigned to "traditional" you can use the ATD dining room if an occasion calls for it. I've never been asked to show my card there.

 

Sorry, but just because you "can" get away with sneaking in to ATD, does not mean you should. As my daughter would say "That's soon rude!!!!"

[pablo222]

Sorry, but just because you "can" get away with sneaking in to ATD, does not mean you should. As my daughter would say "That's soon rude!!!!"

 

Where is the sneaking in part?

 

The head waiter at the door controls access to the dining room,

not the self-appointed cruise critic police.

 

If it's ok with the head waiter, enjoy your meal...

[shredie]

Even when assigned to "traditional" you can use the ATD dining room if an occasion calls for it. I've never been asked to show my card there.

 

Just don't tell anyone in the long line at the door what you're up to. LOL. You might get attacked! ;):):D

[susiesan]

Even when assigned to "traditional" you can use the ATD dining room if an occasion calls for it. I've never been asked to show my card there.

 

So you are one of the people who causes the long lines for ATD by trying to have it both ways. It's very unfair to those of us who wanted to have TD but couldn't get it as all slots were already taken by the time I booked my cruise. While you are using an ATD table, your TD table goes unused. Maybe if you would let the dining room know you don't plan to show up at your TD table and time they could let someone from ATD have it if they can't get a table in ATD room at that same time.

[AKman2495]

Where is the sneaking in part?

 

The head waiter at the door controls access to the dining room,

not the self-appointed cruise critic police.

 

If it's ok with the head waiter, enjoy your meal...

 

Excuse me but he is not supposed to eat in the ATD room. It is as simple as that. If he told the head waiter he was traditional but he wanted to eat in the ATD room, he would be turned away. But not telling the head waiter he is actually a traditional diner, he is, in fact, sneaking in......

 

It is only OK because the he does not tell the head waiter he is a traditional diner....

[pusywillow]

We like traditional since it gives your waiters a chance to get to know your likes and dislikes. But if you're not going there regularly, you should not take the seat away from people who want it. It defeats the benefit of their getting to know what you like if you don't show up.

 

I agree with this. If you don't plan on being in the MDR much book anytime.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We have always requested late traditional, but a couple of cruises ago we never cleared the waitlist and ended up with anytime. We ended up not liking it -- my hubby said at the end of the cruise he felt the service was rushed and disorganized (a couple of times we were seated with others who had already placed their orders and it made things awkward). We didn't feel it was special -- but more like just going to any restaurant back home (other than being asked if we wanted to share a table).

 

If we don't make our seating, which is very rare (usually if someone in our party feels a bit iffyish for a whole long meal), then we would just head for the Horizon. No biggie. If there was a show we really wanted to see, we would let our waitstaff know, and tell our tablemates what our intent is. Sometimes some at the table say they want to catch the same show and we and the waitstaff make our quicker meal happen even more easier.

 

We would never try to crash the anytime MDR. Doesn't seem fair to me.

[geoherb]

So you are one of the people who causes the long lines for ATD by trying to have it both ways. It's very unfair to those of us who wanted to have TD but couldn't get it as all slots were already taken by the time I booked my cruise. While you are using an ATD table, your TD table goes unused. Maybe if you would let the dining room know you don't plan to show up at your TD table and time they could let someone from ATD have it if they can't get a table in ATD room at that same time.

I've seen the head waiters seating people from anytime in the traditional dining room late--after the doors are closed and they know people are not showing up for those tables. It generally happens on formal nights.

 

But, to reiterate, if you know you will not be dining at your traditional seating several times during a cruise, it's better to book anytime to start with. For us, on a typical 7-night cruise, we will not miss dining at our assigned table more than once. And we will let our tablemates and waiters know the night before that we've booked the Chef's Table, Ultimate Balcony Dinner, or specialty restaurant so that they're not held up wondering if we will show up or not.

[AKman2495]

I've seen the head waiters seating people from anytime in the traditional dining room late--after the doors are closed and they know people are not showing up for those tables. It generally happens on formal nights.

 

But, to reiterate, if you know you will not be dining at your traditional seating several times during a cruise, it's better to book anytime to start with. For us, on a typical 7-night cruise, we will not miss dining at our assigned table more than once. And we will let our tablemates and waiters know the night before that we've booked the Chef's Table, Ultimate Balcony Dinner, or specialty restaurant so that they're not held up wondering if we will show up or not.

 

On 2 separate occasions on 2 different ships we went to ATD (which we had selected). There was a group of 8 people (us included) who were willing to share but they had no tables. We were taken to the traditional MDR and seated at an open table. No doubt, at least some of the people who were supposed to be there were downstairs occupying space that was supposed to be for us.

[caribill]

We find this is the main difference between traditional and anytime dining: With traditional dining you are forced to plan your evening's activities around your dining time. With anytime dining the reverse is true, you select your evening's activities and then plan dining around it. So ATD can solve the "shows were not on the right schedule" issue.

 

 

That is good only if when you get to Anytime you do not have a long wait.

 

On the one cruise that we did anytime on the one night there was an activity I really wanted to attend, we had an hour wait to get into the Anytime dining room. Thus, I did miss that activity.

[pablo222]

Excuse me but he is not supposed to eat in the ATD room.

 

Other than on cruise critic, there is no such rule.

 

How about simply being honest.

 

Hello head waiter at the door -- I was late getting back from

an excursion, and I missed my dining time. Can I eat here

tonight?

 

On cruise critic -- big problem.

Reality -- no problem.

 

I usually try an get a standing reservation in the anytime dining

room. It annoys the most people here. This is what I had

on my last two cruises.

[pablo222]

On 2 separate occasions on 2 different ships we went to ATD (which we had selected). There was a group of 8 people (us included) who were willing to share but they had no tables. We were taken to the traditional MDR and seated at an open table. No doubt, at least some of the people who were supposed to be there were downstairs occupying space that was supposed to be for us.

 

"No doubt"???

 

How do you have any knowledge of why those tables were empty?

 

Perhaps the dinners had moved to other tables.

Maybe they had switched to a different seating.

Perhaps the party had gone to a speciality venue for the evening.

They might have even gone to the lido.

Maybe they died and left the ship.

 

On what basis can you say the missing people were in the anytime dining room?

Edited December 4, 2014 by pablo222

[DonnasMom&Dad]

Where is the sneaking in part? :eek:

The head waiter at the door controls access to the dining room,

not the self-appointed cruise critic police.

 

If it's ok with the head waiter, enjoy your meal...

 

When you know it's not acceptable, and do it anyway, what if everybody thought that way??? :confused:

 

Cato :)

[DonnasMom&Dad]

Other than on cruise critic, there is no such rule.

 

How about simply being honest.

 

Hello head waiter at the door -- I was late getting back from

an excursion, and I missed my dining time. Can I eat here

tonight?

 

On cruise critic -- big problem.

Reality -- no problem.

 

I usually try an get a standing reservation in the anytime dining

room. It annoys the most people here. This is what I had

on my last two cruises.

 

There are always someone that think only of themselves!! And can do what they want!! :eek:

 

Cato :)

[dplusd]

Even when assigned to "traditional" you can use the ATD dining room if an occasion calls for it. I've never been asked to show my card there.

 

This is one reason why Princess has the worst run Anytime Dining experiences of the mainstream cruise lines. Even if Princess is unwilling to control Traditional diners using Anytime dining, an experienced cruiser should know better and respect the spirit of the dining arrangements. You don't have a reserved table in Traditional AND an available table in Anytime...do the math...it doesn't work!

 

We absolutely love My Time Dining on Royal...so well run, predictable and consistent policies across all ships, always with the same wait staff and rarely a significant line or wait time. Yet on Princess we lock ourselves into late Traditional just to avoid the chaos of their Anytime dining.

 

With the general trend in cruising AWAY from traditional dining, Princess really needs to figure out how to do this better.

[paul929207]

There are always someone that think only of themselves!! And can do what they want!! :eek:

 

Cato :)

Unfortunately Princess seems to make little or no effort to limit AD to those who are assigned to it. As long as that is the case, people assigned to TD will go to AD when it better suits their needs.