Anytime Dining on the Coral - Shambles!

[caribill]

My point is, Anytime Dining means dining when one wants to eat, and having the flexibility to alter plans. If the above explanations of too many wanting to eat at the same time hold true, why is it that other lines don't have the same issues?

 

Princess has a limit on the number of traditional dining passengers, but no limit on those who can choose anytime. In addition, if traditional is full, any others wanting traditional get unhappily assigned to anytime.

 

 

Some other cruise lines do the opposite, putting a limit on the number of passengers who can choose anytime and assigning the overflow unhappily to a fixed seating time.

 

Also, some other cruise lines can divide up a single dining room into a combination of anytime and traditional. How much space is allocated to each type in that single dining room can change from one cruise to another.

[sippican]

What time did you arrive at the DR to eat?

This alone can make a huge difference in a dining experience.

 

We arrived a 6:30, usually prefer to dine around 7:00 but had read on other threads pre-cruise that we should not experience a long wait if we arrived before 7:00.

Really, I understand perhaps a longer wait but why should it make a huge difference in our dining experience?

 

It's not just a problem with Princess, we always ended up with a pager on Celebrity.

 

Have you ever waited an hour on other cruise lines?

We have also received a pager at times from Celebrity, but a 10 - 15 minute wait at most during peak times, never an hour!

 

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[sunsetbeachgal]

While I love the Coral (haven't been on Island in years so can't comment) by far it has been our least satisfactory Anytime Dining experience. Long lines and when you get seated there are many vacant tables and often slow service. Never had issues on other ships

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

We arrived a 6:30, usually prefer to dine around 7:00 but had read on other threads pre-cruise that we should not experience a long wait if we arrived before 7:00.

Really, I understand perhaps a longer wait but why should it make a huge difference in our dining experience?

Well that time does explain a lot. You arrived at what they consider the peak of dinner time. (6:30 to 7:30). I realize that it's your choice but any cruise line can only do so much to seat large numbers of passengers during that period & provide excellent service as well.

Arriving before 6 or after 8 would have been a completely different experience.

[tcdcruiser]

Upon reflection "Anytime Dining" was not a great label for this dining option since it sets an unrealistic passenger experience expectation. When a lot of passengers, for whatever reason, decide to all coincidentally arrive at 6 PM the dining room is overwhelmed both from a physical space and a staffing perspective.

 

ATD passengers (maybe with the exception of blue cards) know this is a risk, know that space is not always available, but nevertheless choose this option because the flexibility outweighs the risks.

 

TDR passengers choose to accept a fixed time restriction for the benefit of guaranteed seating and faster service. TDR yields faster service since the kitchen processes the food in waves....appetizers, main courses, desserts. The cooking and delivery process is simply faster.

 

Almost every travel experience is a $ choice....first class versus economy, suite versus interior, etc. Many high end (expensive) cruise lines offer assigned tables that await the passenger anytime within a multi hour window. I choose Princess because I'd rather take 2 Princess cruises versus 1 in Cunard's Queen's Grill.

 

What I do not understand is the long queue for ATD before the DR door opens at 530PM. IMHO this seems almost identical of an experience as 545 PM TD.

[floridalover5623]

What I do not understand is the long queue for ATD before the DR door opens at 530PM. IMHO this seems almost identical of an experience as 545 PM TD.

We are among the people who line up before the doors open only because we tend to eat early at home (Florida residents- :D) and it give us a jump start for the shows in the evening. It also provides us with a table for 2 which, if you show up at 6:15 means a wait with a beeper. Not all the ships have tables for 2 in the TD dining room.

[sippican]

Well that time does explain a lot. You arrived at what they consider the peak of dinner time. (6:30 to 7:30). I realize that it's your choice but any cruise line can only do so much to seat large numbers of passengers during that period & provide excellent service as well.

Arriving before 6 or after 8 would have been a completely different experience.

 

We are experienced cruisers and do know when peak dining times are. Have you tried non-assigned dining on other lines?

While I appreciate your attempt at an explanation, other cruise lines DO manage to seat their quests within a reasonable amount of time during the peak demands (IMHO, an hour wait is not reasonable), as well as managing to provide exceptional service. As others have commented, Princess does seem to be able to manage ATD well on other ships in the fleet. I did not realize that I should have lowered my expectations on the Coral for both the concept of dining when I wanted, as well as receiving excellent service.

[toescat]

That is the very reason I choose TD only!

[floridalover5623]

We are experienced cruisers and do know when peak dining times are. Have you tried non-assigned dining on other lines?

While I appreciate your attempt at an explanation, other cruise lines DO manage to seat their quests within a reasonable amount of time during the peak demands (IMHO, an hour wait is not reasonable), as well as managing to provide exceptional service. As others have commented, Princess does seem to be able to manage ATD well on other ships in the fleet. I did not realize that I should have lowered my expectations on the Coral for both the concept of dining when I wanted, as well as receiving excellent service.

No, I haven't been on other cruise lines where they offer anytime seating. (it didn't exist when we last cruised).

I'm beginning to think there was some unseen problems on your sailing since it's uncommon to have those delays.

[Cuervosar]

Assigned time, assigned table. Problem solved.

And you get to meet new friends.

[4cats4me]

We are experienced cruisers and do know when peak dining times are. Have you tried non-assigned dining on other lines?

 

.

 

 

On Royal Caribbean, many in our group were turned away for the first couple nights of a 12-night cruise and told to go to the buffet. We were in Traditional, but 10 others, 5 couples, who did My Time (who weren't dining together every night) had huge problems. They didn't know that they could have reserved My Time on line, so on the first night when they showed up, they were told that there was NOTHING available for the rest of the night. They showed up at the 7:00 o'clock hour. Same thing for night two

Ultimately, by day 3, the issue was resolved, but My Time was challenging on the Vision of the Seas on that cruise

My Time worked beautifully on the Mariner, however.

 

 

 

 

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[RDC1]

Well that time does explain a lot. You arrived at what they consider the peak of dinner time. (6:30 to 7:30). I realize that it's your choice but any cruise line can only do so much to seat large numbers of passengers during that period & provide excellent service as well.

Arriving before 6 or after 8 would have been a completely different experience.

 

Arriving before 6 is still an issue on most ships because you often have a massive line waiting to fill the room as soon as it opens. After 8 is usually ok.

[RDC1]

We are experienced cruisers and do know when peak dining times are. Have you tried non-assigned dining on other lines?

While I appreciate your attempt at an explanation, other cruise lines DO manage to seat their quests within a reasonable amount of time during the peak demands (IMHO, an hour wait is not reasonable), as well as managing to provide exceptional service. As others have commented, Princess does seem to be able to manage ATD well on other ships in the fleet. I did not realize that I should have lowered my expectations on the Coral for both the concept of dining when I wanted, as well as receiving excellent service.

 

Not really. For Princess it is fairly standard that you have long lines waiting for anytime when the it first opens at night. That line pretty much fills the one dining room available for anytime. That clogs things up until those folks finish. Later on the after the early traditional you get a second dining room for anytime and the problems pretty much go away (the combination of the early rush finishing plus the early traditional ending in the second ding room gives sufficient capacity but not until 7:30 or so.) Have seen the same problem on multiple ships including the Star, Regal, Royal, Caribbean. Emerald in the last two years.

[Colo Cruiser]

I thought bread came in a basket? Never had a roll thrown or placed on my plate. [emoji853]

 

 

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[floridalover5623]

Arriving before 6 is still an issue on most ships because you often have a massive line waiting to fill the room as soon as it opens. After 8 is usually ok.

Massive? Hardly. Maybe 10-20 people at the most depending on when you arrive. I wouldn't call that massive.

Also, after 8 is definitely a great time. It's when we return for our second dessert/coffee & there's no one waiting to enter the DR. ;)

Seating is immediate.

[Thrak]

We are experienced cruisers and do know when peak dining times are. Have you tried non-assigned dining on other lines?

While I appreciate your attempt at an explanation, other cruise lines DO manage to seat their quests within a reasonable amount of time during the peak demands (IMHO, an hour wait is not reasonable), as well as managing to provide exceptional service. As others have commented, Princess does seem to be able to manage ATD well on other ships in the fleet. I did not realize that I should have lowered my expectations on the Coral for both the concept of dining when I wanted, as well as receiving excellent service.

 

It's hard to argue with the highlighted statement above. An hour is crazy.

 

I have had ATD in the past but now we usually book TD. Yes, it can be slow but I'm on vacation and can afford to slow down and relax. If there's something I really want/need to do that may be impacted by the time needed for dinner with TD I just eat elsewhere that evening. When possible if I'm not going to be at my assigned dinner seating I try to let the staff know so they aren't holding things up for my table mates. My gripe with TD is that they don't actually stick with the "confirmed" times. I had a 17 day cruise where I was "confirmed" for 5:45 dining (would have preferred 6:00 but it wasn't offered). When I sailed they had moved us to 5:15 dining which is really waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early. We didn't make an issue of it but I wish I had and will do so if this happens again. I have no desire to eat that early. (The plus side was that we had Faye as our server and she is fantastic. :*)

[tcdcruiser]

Frequently see the line for ATD start at the dining room door, pass the international cafe and reach into the art area (crown and grand). Since each party has to be individually seated this adds to the time required to commence.

[kennicott]

Arriving before 6 is still an issue on most ships because you often have a massive line waiting to fill the room as soon as it opens. After 8 is usually ok.

 

As previously mentioned, we dislike traditional as it is way to early or late for us even if we get a table for two. Anytime is best for us, if it works. On Regent they don't have traditional and they make anytime work great. On the Royal and Regal Princess they have three MDRs. One is 100% traditional, one is 100% anytime and the third is half and half. Unfortunately, in the third the traditional gets seated until about 7:00 PM then it opens up for anytime. Judging from polls and threads it is my understanding that about 70% of guests prefer anytime. So that means 30% of the guests get first dibs at the prime dining times.

 

 

We have found that lines are extremely long at the 100% anytime MDR, beginning about 5:00 PM, in fact they form two long lines. Most unpleasant is that guest temperament is commensurate with the length of the lines.They try to work ATD reservations too, but we have found this to be a mess, mostly due contradictions about procedure and policy among the staff, best to forget trying that.

 

 

If we get there by six or a bit before we are in for quite a wait. I've indicated before, if we get there around 6:30 the wait is not significant and if we get there after a quarter to seven, sometimes we don't have a wait. If we want to eat later, after 7:30, there never is a wait problem.

 

 

What is a problem though is the turmoil involved, which often translates into a lack of service and poor quality meals, this in my opinion is exacerbated by understaffing of both service and kitchen personnel. If this be the case on a voyage, in the MDRs, in order to continue enjoying cruising we make do by booking dinner in one of the excellent specialty restaurants on board or simply going up to the Horizon Court buffet.

[RDC1]

As previously mentioned, we dislike traditional as it is way to early or late for us even if we get a table for two. Anytime is best for us, if it works. On Regent they don't have traditional and they make anytime work great. On the Royal and Regal Princess they have three MDRs. One is 100% traditional, one is 100% anytime and the third is half and half. Unfortunately, in the third the traditional gets seated until about 7:00 PM then it opens up for anytime. Judging from polls and threads it is my understanding that about 70% of guests prefer anytime. So that means 30% of the guests get first dibs at the prime dining times.

 

 

We have found that lines are extremely long at the 100% anytime MDR, beginning about 5:00 PM, in fact they form two long lines. Most unpleasant is that guest temperament is commensurate with the length of the lines.They try to work ATD reservations too, but we have found this to be a mess, mostly due contradictions about procedure and policy among the staff, best to forget trying that.

 

 

If we get there by six or a bit before we are in for quite a wait. I've indicated before, if we get there around 6:30 the wait is not significant and if we get there after a quarter to seven, sometimes we don't have a wait. If we want to eat later, after 7:30, there never is a wait problem.

 

 

What is a problem though is the turmoil involved, which often translates into a lack of service and poor quality meals, this in my opinion is exacerbated by understaffing of both service and kitchen personnel. If this be the case on a voyage, in the MDRs, in order to continue enjoying cruising we make do by booking dinner in one of the excellent specialty restaurants on board or simply going up to the Horizon Court buffet.

 

Not just Royal and Regal, but the configuration for most of the Princess Ships are dining room on deck 5 stern, traditional early and late, dining room midships deck 5 anytime early and late, dining room deck 6 midships Traditional early, anytime late, Club Class is a small section.

 

Early traditional pretty much always is full with waiting lists months before the cruise, so I doubt your 70% want anytime numbers. Bottom line is that in general more Americans prefer early dining. Thus the demand for both early tradition and the lineup for anytime when it opens. For that matter even Lido is pretty busy early for dinner.

[Papa Yoda]

Coral (and Island) have only 2 "main" dining rooms, 1 Traditional and 1 ATD so it isnt surprising that can have a large queue up early... The poor service is inexcusable.

[caribill]

Massive? Hardly. Maybe 10-20 people at the most depending on when you arrive. I wouldn't call that massive.

 

Photo below is not from a Princess ship, but it shows the line for their anytime dining 15 minutes before the dining room will open at 5:45 PM. Note that the line stretches from the left center all the way to the right and it did go past the field of view for this photo.

 

[sfaaa]

NCL has a computerized display telling passengers how busy each restaurant is at a given time. You can then decide if you want to wait in line for a table or try other available alternatives such as buffet or go later. A great system to be had.

[floridalover5623]

Photo below is not from a Princess ship, but it shows the line for their anytime dining 15 minutes before the dining room will open at 5:45 PM. Note that the line stretches from the left center all the way to the right and it did go past the field of view for this photo.

 

Yes, lines sometimes do occur. They just can't build ships to account for every situation.

[pablo222]

Not just Royal and Regal, but the configuration for most of the Princess Ships are dining room on deck 5 stern,.

 

On the grand class ships I've been on, deck 5 aft is officer's mess.

I've only eaten there once.

[floridalover5623]

On the grand class ships I've been on, deck 5 aft is officer's mess.

I've only eaten there once.

I'll bet the service was great.