Dining Options

[yukongold]

If one signs up for Early Seating can you use Anytime Dining if you want to eat later or are you committed to Early Seating?

 

Thanks.

[NavyVeteran]

Your are committed to Early Seating. You can eat in the buffet, the grill, or another location later but not in the main dining room.

 

You are reserving a table for Early Seating. If you ate later in a main dining room, you would be taking up two seats in the dining room, leaving less room for other passengers.

[julie3fan]

You are "technically" committed. Of course, there are always those who break committments. The buffet might be a better choice if you want to eat later.

[capriccio]

You are "technically" committed. Of course, there are always those who break committments. The buffet might be a better choice if you want to eat later.

Other options are the for a fee specialty restaurants (reserve in advance if you know you will have a late evening) or, if you are on a ship with it, I would chose Alfredos (no fee). There's all the grill and pizza places on the Lido deck.

[OCruisers]

While you are not suppose to do this, some do. :(

Wish Princess would totally not allow those with fixed dining to have dinner in anytime dining.

[Pam in CA]

The Princess policy, straight from a Hotel Manager’s lips when asked specifically about this is: “You will be accommodated.”

 

The question is, “Should you?” You’re leaving two (or however many in your party) seats unused that no one else can use. Allowing fixed seating passengers to dine in Anytime dining puts a strain on seating the passengers who already have Anytime, causing longer lines and wait times. Not fair to them. It’s easy to justify by thinking it’s just another person or two but you won’t be the only ones.

 

I personally go to the buffet, Alfredo’s, or a specialty restaurant if I’m unable or don’t want to go to my fixed seating. While it’s nice to be waited on, I don’t find the food so spectacular that I don’t want to miss a thing. Many of the menu items are in the buffet. I actually like and sometimes prefer to go there.

[cruzsnooze]

The Princess policy, straight from a Hotel Manager’s lips when asked specifically about this is: “You will be accommodated.”

 

The question is, “Should you?” .

 

YOU SHOULD because if the company allows you then why not. If you are engaging in a policy that is accepted by Princess you have every right to take advantage of it. If they don't allow you to then it would be "you shouldn't". Apparently there isn't a problem or Princess would not allow traditional diners into anytime.

[skynight]

If one signs up for Early Seating can you use Anytime Dining if you want to eat later or are you committed to Early Seating?

 

Thanks.

What real?

If you are on a cruise with late departures, Alaska for example, on those evenings traditional fixed seating becomes open seating. Show up anytime.

On most other cruises if you show up at an anytime DR at 7:30 or later, you will probably be seated. On most North American itineraries demand for late dining is not as high as it is earlier in the evening.

The practice of seating traditional diners in the ATD areas is up to the maitre'd and can change ship to ship.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sign up for anytime.

[jlp20]

Either way, when you present yourself at the entrance, they ask your cabin number. For Traditional they enter the cabin to find your assigned table. It also records when you DON'T SHOW. Same for Anytime, computer shows your status. While some staff may frown on double dippers, easy computer check tells them the story. Info only, a LOT of pax miss early traditional especialy on port days for a number of reasons. You are not the only ones who have missed traditional time.

[caribill]

Either way, when you present yourself at the entrance, they ask your cabin number. For Traditional they enter the cabin to find your assigned table. It also records when you DON'T SHOW. Same for Anytime, computer shows your status. While some staff may frown on double dippers, easy computer check tells them the story. Info only, a LOT of pax miss early traditional especialy on port days for a number of reasons. You are not the only ones who have missed traditional time.

 

With cruise cards, they look at them the first day or so. If you are in Traditional and show up at the wrong dining room you will be directed to the correct one. Your cruise card for traditional diners shows which dining room and time you are assigned to. They do not enter your cabin number into a computer.

 

Now when the ***** is correctly implemented, they can easily tell which dining you are signed up for and without any action by a human, keep track of which dining venues you use.

[floridalover5623]

While it's frowned upon by some members of cruise critic, no where does Princess tell you that you must adhere to the traditional dining room assignment throughout the cruise.

If you ask anyone on the ship if you can switch, even for one or two nights, they will accommodate you without question.

Is it right?

Probably not, but people do it all the time, like it or not.