Downside to Anytime Dining?

[Low Country Sandlapper]

I must be missing something.  Why would anyone NOT choose anytime dining?  What are the negatives with this choice?

[mz-s]

You don’t necessarily get the same wait staff every night. You don’t sit with or near the same people every night unless arranged. There can be a lengthy wait for a table on some nights. 

[Joebucks]

I personally don't care for anytime dining in the slightest. Waiting for my table, being placed wherever, and a more impersonalized setting isn't worth being able to go whenever. 6 pm is honestly a great time for dinner, for us.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Joebucks

[shof515]

you might miss the dancing waiters they do in the dinning room if you like that kind of thing. I hate it since it slows down the service

[sanger727]

We love anytime dining. We haven't had issues with a wait. We prefer to sit by ourselves and don't need the same wait staff each night. Anytime dining is like going to a restaurant at home. When you are hungry, go to dinner. You may have a wait if you go at a busy time and you'll be sat where and with whom is available. As opposed to fixed dining where you have a set time, set table, set wait staff. 

[sad549s]

We always thought that we wanted YTD and chose that on our first 15 cruises.  Then we went with friends with little kids and agreed to the 6pm assigned dining and choose  it anytime we cruise now.  We now prefer the same table that is ready at the same time each night (gives us a set “meeting” place) with the same wait staff that know your preferences and has a cold drink at the table waiting for us.  It is more personable and generally quicker and in our experience “better” service.  

[Schoifmom]

We love YTD.  As far as we are concered, there is no down side. 

• We go to dinner when we want.  Normally that is about the same time every evening, but we don't have to stress if we want to go earlier or later for whatever reason (to catch a specific show or our excursion runs long, etc.). 
• As long as there is a table available in the section that we like, we have the same wait staff every evening.  If we don't like our wait staff, we simply request a different section the next evening. 
• We always catch "showtime" in the MDR at least a couple of times throughout the cruise (yes, they do it in YTD, too). 
• We also see many of the same people every evening and get to chit-chat without sharing a table and having "forced" conversation throughout the entire meal (we like our time together).  
• We have never experienced long wait times, but with the HUB app check-in, if it is long, we can grab a drink and wait in the bar instead of congregating outside of the MDR like vultures waiting for road-kill.
• YTD is just as mindful of learning our likes/dislikes and accomodating our dietary restrictions.

[bguppies]

We  have done anytime dining on every cruise since it was instituted and have never had any problem getting the same servers every night. (actually have gotten the exact same table every single meal except one. Out of dozens)

 

I prefer it 100% over assigned dining. 

We only have done assigned dining on our first few cruises.

 

One cruise we had a couple who were late every night and the waiters would make the entire table wait for these two idiots every night before they would take our orders.

 

One cruise we were seated with a couple where the husband was super rude and course and just wouldn't shut up the entire meal every night. I don't think anybody enjoyed a meal all week.

I curse from time to time. But almost every sentence this guy spoke was punctuated with obscenities.

 

One cruise was actually pretty good, with everybody at the table being well mannered and interesting. But again, one of the port nights one of the couples were late getting back on the ship and the entire table was stuck waiting for them to begin ordering. (at least we had good company at this table while we waited.)

 

I prefer to show up when we want to eat and be able to order and eat in a timely fashion.

I know some people enjoy lollygagging for hours over a meal.

I enjoy a leisurely meal, but not for hours just waiting to order.

[CruisinCrow]

There is no downside for us.  On our most recent cruise, we had the same wait team every night (although not the same table) and never had to wait longer than it took to check in using the app and then walk to the restaurant.

 

If you're in a large group, traditional dining would probably work better.

[tallnthensome]

Do they always assign you to eat with other people with fixed dining or can you get a table for four  like YTD?  

[jsglow]

So I'm going to comment on the flip side even though my wife and I always do YTD when we travel as a couple.  IF I was traveling with an extended family party of 6 or more AND there was a sense that 'dinner together' was the goal I absolutely would choose Fixed Time dining.  That prevents any need for herding and checking with other family members during the cruise.  Everyone just know to show up at 6p.

[jsglow]

1 minute ago, tallnthensome said:

Do they always assign you to eat with other people with fixed dining or can you get a table for four  like YTD?  

Assuming you are actually a group of 4 you will most likely be assigned to a 4 top right from the get go.  Large tables are often in demand by larger traveling parties.  That said, Fixed Time couples will likely be seated with others in their initial assignment.

[Yankeegirl49]

I did anytime dining for the first time on my last cruise in June. I did not like it.  Yes it was great going any time we wanted, but I found we usually went around the same time every night anyway. I missed being seated and having my iced tea/lemon/sweetener waiting for me rather than having to ask/wait for it. While we did request the same staff each night, sometimes we weren't able to be accommodated within a reasonable time frame. We were with other people who preferred any time, but next time by ourselves we will go back to late seating. 

[Lee Cruiser]

We love YTD!  It's even better now with being able to request a table on the app.  We prefer to eat early, so we typically schedule our table as soon as it becomes available on the app, usually 5:20-5:25 depending on the ship, so there is never a wait for us.  We are in the dining room by 5:30 and are able to be out in time for early comedy shows and such.  Having the same staff every night has never been a big deal for us.  Really, we prefer to meet different teams.  Apparently, after looking at polls, surveys and comments in several areas, it is the preferred choice of a huge majority of current cruisers.

[ledges1]

I like anytime dining. I booked late on a cruise it was not available. Only seating was the late seating. That was to late for me. We were at a table of 8 and the table manners of some were very poor. One person did not know how to use a fork and ate mostly with his fingers. Another woman wanted to dominate the conversation and thought everybody was interested in her day. That was one cruise I ate at the buffet most nights.

[TheSeagoer]

4 hours ago, mz-s said:

You don’t necessarily get the same wait staff every night. You don’t sit with or near the same people every night unless arranged. There can be a lengthy wait for a table on some nights. 

I have sat at the same staff every night. The staff will accommodate you.  Just ask

[TheSeagoer]

1 hour ago, jsglow said:

Assuming you are actually a group of 4 you will most likely be assigned to a 4 top right from the get go.  Large tables are often in demand by larger traveling parties.  That said, Fixed Time couples will likely be seated with others in their initial assignment.

Exactly .we were a party of four.  Same waiters every night

[LynnTH]

To me it depends on the ship. We normally do early sitting - love having the same waitstaff.  But loved having YTD on the Mardi Gras as they have the extra dining options available .  Will be doing YTD on our upcoming Celebration cruise also.  Other ships I do fixed dining.  

[TheSeagoer]

1 minute ago, LynnTH said:

To me it depends on the ship. We normally do early sitting - love having the same waitstaff.  But loved having YTD on the Mardi Gras as they have the extra dining options available .  Will be doing YTD on our upcoming Celebration cruise also.  Other ships I do fixed dining.  

If you ask , they will try to accommodate to get the same staff on ytd

[LynnTH]

Just now, TheSeagoer said:

If you ask , they will try to accommodate to get the same staff on ytd

 

Correct. But with the Mardi Gras - we found ourselves eating at the other dining options more than the main dining room. I think we only ate their 1 night.  

[cruisin from vegas]

I wouldn’t choose anything else.  I live eating when I want to. I’ve never waited more that 10 minutes for a table, the time it takes to walk there.  I choose to not eat with strangers, I’ve never cared about “same wait staff”..  I, would never choose set time if I had the option.

[mz-s]

30 minutes ago, TheSeagoer said:

I have sat at the same staff every night. The staff will accommodate you.  Just ask

 

The problem these days is you can't just go up to the desk and check in and ask for the same table. You have to do it on the app. But yes, if you ask they will do their best to seat you with the same staff (if not the same table) although you might have to wait depending on how busy things are.

[TheSeagoer]

7 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

The problem these days is you can't just go up to the desk and check in and ask for the same table. You have to do it on the app. But yes, if you ask they will do their best to seat you with the same staff (if not the same table) although you might have to wait depending on how busy things are.

Not true at all. I do it every cruise, and have been accommodate every time. I just sailed recently.  The staff is very accommodating and they told they would

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, TheSeagoer said:

Not true at all. I do it every cruise, and have been accommodate every time. I just sailed recently.  The staff is very accommodating and they told they would

 

I don't really care to argue about it. I will just say my wife and I asked to sit in the same section as the night prior and were told the section was full and I would have to wait for a table to open up but could sit somewhere else immediately. This was prior to COVID when you checked in at the table. If you still want to argue then you'll be arguing with a brick wall because I'm done.

[jsglow]

19 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I don't really care to argue about it. I will just say my wife and I asked to sit in the same section as the night prior and were told the section was full and I would have to wait for a table to open up but could sit somewhere else immediately. This was prior to COVID when you checked in at the table. If you still want to argue then you'll be arguing with a brick wall because I'm done.

That's entirely correct.  It IS possible that your preferred wait staff has all their tables full.  We routinely request an excellent waitstaff but once in awhile can't be accommodated.

 

On our two week Pride Journey last Fall we became very friendly with our waiter over the course of two weeks. One night the only remaining table in his section was the 'lousy one' by the pole. We teased him about it while sitting there and if I recall correctly the running joke was that we hadn't properly 'bribed' the delightful hostesses. They got IN on the act and then jokingly asked for their bottle of wine each night as we approached the podium to be seated.

 

All great fun.  Journeys are fantastic that way.