Anytime dining

[oldmovieguy]

Having just returned from a cruise on Norwegian Jade my wife and I have decided that we are big fans of anytime dining. We are elite status on Celebrity but are happy to forego this for the flexibility that freestyle dining brings, can anyone give us a heads up on what other lines adopt an anytime dining policy.

Many thanks.

[MrsP_29]

Royal Caribbean offers a My Time Dining, Carnival has Freestyle Dining, and Cunard had it too but I forget what they called it. That's our preference.

[NMLady]

Having just returned from a cruise on Norwegian Jade my wife and I have decided that we are big fans of anytime dining. We are elite status on Celebrity but are happy to forego this for the flexibility that freestyle dining brings, can anyone give us a heads up on what other lines adopt an anytime dining policy.

Many thanks.

 

 

I'm surprised that Celebrity doesn't have that as a choice in addition to Traditional Dining. I know that HAL offers the choice between Traditional and your way dining and I think that RCI also provides a choice.

[LHT28]

Most main stream lines have adopted some form of "open Dining" plus traditional dining

Some lines do it better than others

 

We prefer open dining

[fishywood]

NCL is the only mainstream cruise line with exclusively open seating and no traditional dining times offered. But if luxury lines such as Seabourn are in your budget you will find a similar setup on those.

 

As for your preferred line of Celebrity they certainly do offer "Select Dining" (as does its sister line Royal Caribbean with its "My Time Dining") which allows you to either make a reservation for whatever time you wish or simply show up anytime though there may be a wait for a table. But both of those are capacity controlled; you may have to book early else be defaulted into traditional dining. And doesn't Celebrity additionally have a proprietary dining room for guests in Full Suites and another for those in Aqua Class cabins? I though those were open seating as well.

 

If you just want the combination of open seating dining and whatever category of cabin you choose, Princess has their Anytime Dining which is not capped; it is essentially the default dining option unless you choose Traditional seating. Holland America is similar though last minute bookings may be shut out of that option.

Edited February 26, 2017 by fishywood

[calliopecruiser]

They are called different things, but most cruise lines (I think Celebrity and Crystal are the exceptions) offer a free-for-all type of dining that you like. Celebrity and Crystal offer either traditional seating (early or late) or offer dining by reservation, where reservations for your preferred time can be made before sailing. Cunard offers both, but it depends on which class you're sailing in.

[gymbomb]

We have done anytime dining on Princess, and it worked really well for a party of 4 but with 2 there would usually be either a wait or pressure to share a larger table with others.

 

 

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[OCruisers]

We've enjoyed Anytime Dining on Princess! :D

[mom says]

They are called different things, but most cruise lines (I think Celebrity and Crystal are the exceptions) offer a free-for-all type of dining that you like. Celebrity and Crystal offer either traditional seating (early or late) or offer dining by reservation, where reservations for your preferred time can be made before sailing. Cunard offers both, but it depends on which class you're sailing in.

 

 

Just off Eclipse last week. Celebrity's Select Dining allows you the option of either making a reservation for a specific time OR just showing up when you are ready to dine. There were separate lines at the MDR

Podium every night for these groups. I thought that Luminae ( the suite- only dining room) was Select dining as well. Not sure what the OPs elite status has to do with the dining rooms.

[marco]

I think NCL has ONLY has "anytime" dining and there is no set early or late seating. Most other lines (I know Celebrity, Princess and HAL) all have "anytime" in addition to a fixed early and late seating. On a recent Princess cruise we chose the "anytime" and we always just waltzed right in...... same on last year's Celebrity cruise. On our NCL cruise a couple of years ago we got a beeper and always had to wait to be seated.