Anytime dining versus 6 PM scheduled dining

[westwingjazz]

Hey good people, I have a question regarding any time dining versus 6 PM dining. Oh I have a party of eight and two members of that party of eight are scheduled for any time dining or as the remaining party is scheduled for 6 PM. We were told that it’s not possible or there is a long waiting list for the Anytime diners to join us at the 6 PM dining so with that being said here is my question, can we keep our 6 PM dining and join them for any time dining or are they going to make us stick with what we signed up with🤷🏽‍♀️ And that’s 6 PM dining???

[nwcruiselover]

They will make you stick with your 6:00 PM dining unless you can get officially switched over to anytime dining.  Your best bet is to go to the dining room on boarding day at the posted time (early afternoon usually) and speak with the maitre’d about making the switch.  Unless of course you waitlist for anytime dining and get that assigned prior to the cruise.  In other words, you can’t just show up for anytime dining with your friends.

[BlerkOne]

Generally they are in different dining rooms and no, you can't just switch back and forth. Put one group or the other on the wait list and/or see the maitre d' as soon as you board to try to switch then. 

[Prairiefrozen]

Add on to this.  Does a set dining time affect your ability to go to speciality dining? I have heard that if you have the 6pm  slot, you cant check into speciality dining until 730 pm.

[nwcruiselover]

1 minute ago, Prairiefrozen said:

Add on to this.  Does a set dining time affect your ability to go to speciality dining? I have heard that if you have the 6pm  slot, you cant check into speciality dining until 730 pm.

You can make your specialty restaurant reservation at any time that is available, regardless of when your set dining time is.  

[BlerkOne]

1 minute ago, Prairiefrozen said:

Add on to this.  Does a set dining time affect your ability to go to speciality dining? I have heard that if you have the 6pm  slot, you cant check into speciality dining until 730 pm.

I think you are confusing the rules on Mardi Gras and the "included" (free) specialty  dining.

[Prairiefrozen]

3 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I think you are confusing the rules on Mardi Gras and the "included" (free) specialty  dining.

I think you are right on that. Im unsure why that restriction is in place.  Is that rule only applicable to the mardi gras?

[BlerkOne]

11 minutes ago, Prairiefrozen said:

I think you are right on that. Im unsure why that restriction is in place.  Is that rule only applicable to the mardi gras?

Yes. Perhaps the MDR capacity is not sufficient to serve everyone and the need to distribute the diner load elsewhere. The included specialty dining has different menus than the same venues on other ships, as I understand it.

[iamsteph]

You could also consider switching your entire party to the any-time dining.  You can still show up/check in at 6 oclock and your party can ask to be seated in the same section every night. 

[TheSeagoer]

If the ship is not sailing full, as mine wasn't, the mdr were empty. . They were very accommodating

[BlerkOne]

On my cruises with reduced capacity, they shutdown half of one of the dining rooms. No need to have staff running around needlessly.

[jsglow]

To broadly answer the OPs question, Fixed dining guests cannot 'show up' at ATD and be seated.  It's often even a different dining room.  And as Blerk said, at significantly reduced capacity, they'll shut down things like the upstairs part of the dining room.

[TheSeagoer]

1 hour ago, jsglow said:

To broadly answer the OPs question, Fixed dining guests cannot 'show up' at ATD and be seated.  It's often even a different dining room.  And as Blerk said, at significantly reduced capacity, they'll shut down things like the upstairs part of the dining room.

Not true. Them dining room was open on both floors on my recent panorama cruise at 75% occupancy. They allowed me too eat at the same table even though when it checked in. I was assigned a different table. Waiters were standing around with zero to do in the MDR

 They were most accommodating during these times.  Nothing as etched in stone

[groundloop]

13 minutes ago, TheSeagoer said:

Not true. Them dining room was open on both floors on my recent panorama cruise at 75% occupancy. They allowed me too eat at the same table even though when it checked in. I was assigned a different table. Waiters were standing around with zero to do in the MDR

 They were most accommodating during these times.  Nothing as etched in stone

 

You got lucky..... we're on Pride right now and weren't able to switch.  

[stellarose]

we did ATD and it was a nightmare on the pride in 2017. so in 2019 we did regular 6pm early on breeze. doing regular 6pm on MG.  we'll see. if I miss chabang. no worries. 

[jsglow]

2 hours ago, TheSeagoer said:

Not true. Them dining room was open on both floors on my recent panorama cruise at 75% occupancy. They allowed me too eat at the same table even though when it checked in. I was assigned a different table. Waiters were standing around with zero to do in the MDR

 They were most accommodating during these times.  Nothing as etched in stone

I CAN imagine that.  But what I wouldn't expect is anyone being willy nilly  allowed to 'self switch' on a given evening and show up at YTD when they are in an assigned early/late slot.  I can also envision all dining rooms being open as capacities increase.

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, TheSeagoer said:

Not true. Them dining room was open on both floors on my recent panorama cruise at 75% occupancy. They allowed me too eat at the same table even though when it checked in. I was assigned a different table. Waiters were standing around with zero to do in the MDR

 They were most accommodating during these times.  Nothing as etched in stone

There are two dining rooms on Panorama. Was this the cruise they wouldn't allow you to switch cabins?

 

  

On 12/11/2021 at 1:23 PM, TheSeagoer said:

I had a similar event except mine wascan abusive domestic violence. I notified security and guest services who did nothing. In the last night its turned violent. I asked to be moved for the night, even to their cheapest cabin, and they still said no.  Per their policy, they are too move you. Then security and guest services lied to corporate.  Carnival attracts a rowdier crowd.  Never again

 

[TheSeagoer]

6 hours ago, jsglow said:

I CAN imagine that.  But what I wouldn't expect is anyone being willy nilly  allowed to 'self switch' on a given evening and show up at YTD when they are in an assigned early/late slot.  I can also envision all dining rooms being open as capacities increase.

You must be fun.   Stay in the current moment. I was there.  You were not

[BlerkOne]

22 hours ago, groundloop said:

 

You got lucky..... we're on Pride right now and weren't able to switch.  

Resources on cruise ships are limited. Unlike other classes of ships, Spirit class only have 1 MDR.

[TrqoisWtrs]

On 12/11/2021 at 7:03 PM, westwingjazz said:

Hey good people, I have a question regarding any time dining versus 6 PM dining. Oh I have a party of eight and two members of that party of eight are scheduled for any time dining or as the remaining party is scheduled for 6 PM. We were told that it’s not possible or there is a long waiting list for the Anytime diners to join us at the 6 PM dining so with that being said here is my question, can we keep our 6 PM dining and join them for any time dining or are they going to make us stick with what we signed up with🤷🏽‍♀️ And that’s 6 PM dining???

 

I just sailed Mardi Gras with a large group.  But I like doing my own thing, so I had selected YTD, while the rest of the group was assigned late dining in the MDR.  But some nights some wanted to join me at ChiBang or Cucina at an earlier time.  I just added them to my reservation on the hub; did this multiple nights.  Absolutely no issues.

[crewsweeper]

On 12/11/2021 at 8:06 PM, nwcruiselover said:

They will make you stick with your 6:00 PM dining unless you can get officially switched over to anytime dining.  Your best bet is to go to the dining room on boarding day at the posted time (early afternoon usually) and speak with the maitre’d about making the switch.  Unless of course you waitlist for anytime dining and get that assigned prior to the cruise.  In other words, you can’t just show up for anytime dining with your friends.

Depending on how far out your cruise is, you might be able to get all your party under the same or linked booking numbers.  That could then help get everyone together at Seated 6 PM dining.

[TheSeagoer]

35 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Depending on how far out your cruise is, you might be able to get all your party under the same or linked booking numbers.  That could then help get everyone together at Seated 6 PM dining.

Just off the panorama. MDR was never more than half full.  

[BlerkOne]

22 minutes ago, TheSeagoer said:

Just off the panorama. MDR was never more than half full.  

Which MDR were you in?

[TheSeagoer]

19 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Which MDR were you in?

Vista

[my kids mama]

On 12/11/2021 at 6:03 PM, westwingjazz said:

Hey good people, I have a question regarding any time dining versus 6 PM dining. Oh I have a party of eight and two members of that party of eight are scheduled for any time dining or as the remaining party is scheduled for 6 PM. We were told that it’s not possible or there is a long waiting list for the Anytime diners to join us at the 6 PM dining so with that being said here is my question, can we keep our 6 PM dining and join them for any time dining or are they going to make us stick with what we signed up with🤷🏽‍♀️ And that’s 6 PM dining???

Call your PVP, and ask him/her to link your reservations.  We did this a few years back with a small high school reunion.  It worked perfectly.