Can Anytime Dining eat with Fixed Dining?

[SakeDad]

If we have Anytime Dining and make friends with someone with Fixed Dining, can we somehow request to dine together? Would we need to eat under the Anytime or Fixed banner? THANKS

[shredie]

If we have Anytime Dining and make friends with someone with Fixed Dining, can we somehow request to dine together? Would we need to eat under the Anytime or Fixed banner? THANKS

 

You can ask. If the TD people have a table with empty seats, you might be able to do that. I don't know about the other way around.

[Working 2 Cruise]

That should be a very big No, no... you'd be taking some people's spots... However, you could either go to the buffet or a specialty restaurant...

[Tripper10]

It's probably easier to have them dine with you in anytime dining.

[fishywood]

The persons who have Fixed Seating would have to request to change to Anytime--and likely the change would be permanent as people on the waiting list for their seating would subsequently be assigned to their (former) table. No way to get away with waffling back and forth; as others have suggested, there's always the Horizon Court.

[shredie]

It's probably easier to have them dine with you in anytime dining.

 

It's still a good idea to ask first. Traditional diners eating in Anytime is a very touchy subject.

[paul929207]

Best is to plan to meet them at the buffet or one of the specialty restaurants.

[SakeDad]

Glad I asked!! :eek: And I won't even get into Formal Night! LOL :p Buffet or Specialty it is. Thanks

[geoherb]

We always request traditional dining. On one cruise, we had tablemates who made friends with another couple. The night we were skipped dinner in the dining room for the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, they asked our waiters and were allowed to invite the other couple to join them in the dining room. The other couple also joined our table another night when two other tablemates let us know they'd be eating in one of the specialty restaurants.

 

On a different cruise, we had a table for four with just the two of us. On the second formal night, we invited two women to join us for dinner. Once again, we asked our waiters the night before. On that cruise, we also asked another couple to join us after meeting them over breakfast and lunch several times.

[OCruisers]

It would be much easier for them to have dinner with you in Anytime. ;)

[MGnut]

Not quite off topic:

 

On one cruise we had Traditional Dining and arranged a table for four - for the two of us. If we met a couple during the cruise that we enjoyed, we invited them to join us. On the few occasions that we did not have anyone in particular to join us, we just asked the headwaiter or Maitre 'd to offer the other two seats to anyone who might like to share a table for four with us.

 

We met many new friends that way.

[NavyVeteran]

It is not a good idea for you with fixed dining to eat in anytime. You will then be taking up two places and someone else may have to wait. There have been many threads on Cruise Critic with people complaining about this.

 

There should be no problem with someone with anytime dining joining you in fixed - if there are empty seats at your table and if you arrange it with the Head Waiter in advance. I would definitely talk with the Head Waiter - not just your waiter. As mentioned in another post, if you have a full table a good time to do this would be if some of your tablemates tell you that they will be eating elsewhere.

 

BTW, it is always a good idea to tell your waiter and your tablemates the night before if you will be eating elsewhere - specialty restaurant or buffet. Otherwise they don't know whether to wait for you before ordering or not.

[Pam in CA]

Yes, it's done but only for a night or two if there are empty places at your table. We've done this a few times when a couple of tablemates were sick or going to a specialty restaurant that night. It's not a big deal as long as you know for certain your tablemates won't be there.

[GUT2407]

Cant hurt to ask.

[iceleven]

There is always lots of empty tables later in the evening, after 7:30 for the ATD. If you and your friends would be ok with eating later, there most likely would be no problem getting a table together but it still would be best to ask the Maitre d'.