Dining Poll - Do you like anytime dining?

[jean s]

We are really happy with the anytime dining on Princess. In fact my husband won't cruise on a line that only has traditional dining. We enjoy meeting lots of people so we always request a large table. I guess the flexibility really appeals to us. :o

[rdsqrl]

There are some misconceptions here about the nature of Anytime Dining which should be cleared up so that uninformed people don't get confused.

 

I prefer traditional dining, late seating. I love being with the same people all cruise and getting to know them. It's especially good for me since I often travel alone. On my last cruise I really hit it off with my tablemates and we would sit and talk after the meal ended, and usually went to the shows together. I like that the waiters get to know you. I like that I never had to wait in line or wonder where I was going to sit. I liked being able to request something from an earlier night's menu and still get it.

 

If you are in the Anytime Dining Room, you are still able to request something not on the menu.

 

And if you think about it, traditional dining is really more flexible because you don't HAVE to come every night. You can eat somewhere else if you want to. But anytime diners can NEVER eat in the traditional dining room. It is an option that is not available to them, whereas traditional diners have ALL options available to them.

 

Anytime diners cannot eat in the Traditional dining room, that's true. However, traditional diners should not be eating in the Anytime dining room, either. Just because you have Traditional Dining does not mean you're free to pop in to the Anytime dining rooms one night -- those who have Traditional Dining and use Anytime as a backup or an "option" for one night are helping to creating those long lines that no one wants to stand in. Anyway, I don't quite know what is meant by ALL options -- it isn't as if the Anytime dining rooms serve a different menu or have a different brand of china/table linens, etc. It's all the same.

 

 

And plus, if you're making reservations for the same table at the same time every night, what's the difference? (I guess it's at your preferred time and you don't have to dress up as much.)

 

The dress code for the Anytime Dining Rooms is exactly the same as the dress code for the Traditional Dining Room.

[curiouscat]

PenguinLover

 

I'm with you. My hubby and I love 2nd seating trad dining. The nite we don't show up we're at Sabatinis. I just think the level of service is better and it feels more like cruising. Anytime is like eating out at land based restaurants.

 

CuriousCat

 

PS But if ever did the 29/30 day cruise we may rethink it... I don't know if I could eat with other people for a whole month.:p

[macsmum1]

DH likes traditional dining with 2nd seating. I prefer Anytime Dining. So, we switch off on cruises. One, we do traditional, the next we do Anytime. That way we stay married! For me, the Anytime Dining makes it a lot more relaxed when returning from busy port days. At this time in my life, it takes a bit more time to get it together for even resort casual attire. I always feel rushed to get to traditional dining (even 2nd seating) as we like to have a pre-dinner drink and walk around the ship when its not as busy.

 

I think both have their pluses, but you do not have the bonding with your tablemates and wait staff with Anytime Dining. It is nice to have your favorite drinks and food remembered and often ready when you sit down.

 

We have pretty well compromised on this, and at port-intensive cruises we do Anytime Dining. On a couple of days, we were so tired, we just went to the buffet. What's nice is you do have the choice!

[curiouscat]

I agreee it's nice to have a choice. It is just a matter of personal preference, no wrong or right. I'm glad my hubby and I agree... it's good that you two can compromise or that wouldn't be good. :eek:

 

Another reason we like Princess is that if we decide to try Anythime dining again we have the option. The other mass market lines don't offer options except "pay" dining.

 

 

CuriousCat

[Sea Hag]

I like traditional; hubby likes anytime.

[cruisebum50]

My preference is late traditional dining, a large table where we can meet others and get to know them. Some of the most interesting people I've met on cruises have been through sitting with them at dinner for a couple of weeks or longer.

 

Unless you get stuck at a table with three couples that are trying to "one up" each other like we did on our Princess cruise to Hawaii! Each owned their own business and each had cruised numerous times, as well as safaris, round the world tours, etc. It got comical to hear what the other was going to "one up" the next one with. After one night of listening to this, we opted for other venues or a different time. I imagine it only got worse as the two weeks progressed but we (hubby, mom and I) didn't want to stick around and find out. After they found out this was our first cruise we weren't included in the conversation any more, which was fine. We ate our entree and left. I couldn't imagine sitting through two weeks with this group!

[Tarheelbelle]

On all of my Princess cruises, I have had Anytime Dining. I loved it and would not want traditional again when given a choice. Only 1 time did we have a problem: one cruise when on the 2nd formal night the line was about a 2 hour wait. My roomate and I knew the maitre d' of the traditional dining room from our previous cruise. We went down to the traditional dining room and explained the situation unfolding at the anytime dining room. We asked if there might be anything he could do for us. He consulted his charts and seated us immediately at a table that had 2 empty seats. Funny thing was that the people seated at that table were people we had met 2 years previously on a cruise! So it worked out well.

[wizard-of-roz]

Hate; Hate; Hate "Anytime Dining!" :mad:

[romancing_the_sea]

We had been waiting for this kind of flexible dining for years. And now that we've experienced it on Princess and NCL (and hopefully HAL soon), we just couldn't cruise without it. Sometimes we get nostalgic remembering the traditional dining and understand why some prefer it, but flexible dining really works best for us.

[geoherb]

I don't like anytime dining. We tried it on one cruise. I'd be reluctant to book another Princess cruise if I did not think we could get second seating traditional dining.

[vince_g]

Personal choice is my choice. Traditional seating just seems so restrictive. NCL's commercials showing everyone acting like robots are just so funny. In defense of traditional, I do like having the same waiter each night, but I think the freedom you get with personal choice is better.

[Tarheelbelle]

Personal choice is my choice. Traditional seating just seems so restrictive. NCL's commercials showing everyone acting like robots are just so funny. In defense of traditional, I do like having the same waiter each night, but I think the freedom you get with personal choice is better.

I prefer Anytime/Personal Choice dining on Princess to Freestyle on NCL. But then I prefer Princess to NCL!

[wizard-of-roz]

NCL's "Freestyle" Dining is anything but......and, their commercials would be more depictive of the experience if they showed cattle lining up to go to dinner; in order to truly show the NCL Freestyle "no style!"

Ours was horrific..the line was so crowded in front of the dining room that people could not exit the elevators and it went around the corner and down the hall.....there is nothing "Freestyle" about it!!!!

It was our first taste of "Freestyle Dining" and NCL....it was such a major "turnoff" that neither one of us want to do NCL again! Maybe it was just a flook but when we spoke to other people in line...they said this is just about what you can expect! YIKE!!!!!! :(

This was on the NCL Star in November of 2006.

[denims]

Oops!

[denims]

DH likes traditional dining with 2nd seating. I prefer Anytime Dining. So, we switch off on cruises. One, we do traditional, the next we do Anytime.

 

As below quote says....YOU CAN NOT DO THIS!!!

 

Anytime diners cannot eat in the Traditional dining room, that's true. However, traditional diners should not be eating in the Anytime dining room, either. Just because you have Traditional Dining does not mean you're free to pop in to the Anytime dining rooms one night -- those who have Traditional Dining and use Anytime as a backup or an "option" for one night are helping to creating those long lines that no one wants to stand in.

[LonghornKJK]

DH likes traditional dining with 2nd seating. I prefer Anytime Dining. So, we switch off on cruises. One, we do traditional, the next we do Anytime.

 

As below quote says....YOU CAN NOT DO THIS!!!

 

Anytime diners cannot eat in the Traditional dining room, that's true. However, traditional diners should not be eating in the Anytime dining room, either. Just because you have Traditional Dining does not mean you're free to pop in to the Anytime dining rooms one night -- those who have Traditional Dining and use Anytime as a backup or an "option" for one night are helping to creating those long lines that no one wants to stand in.

 

I think she meant that on one cruise, they do Traditional and on the next cruise, they do Anytime -- not that they switch dining venues on the same cruise. However, your explanation is certainly correct!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

DH likes traditional dining with 2nd seating. I prefer Anytime Dining. So, we switch off on cruises. One, we do traditional, the next we do Anytime.

 

As below quote says....YOU CAN NOT DO THIS!!!

 

Anytime diners cannot eat in the Traditional dining room, that's true. However, traditional diners should not be eating in the Anytime dining room, either. Just because you have Traditional Dining does not mean you're free to pop in to the Anytime dining rooms one night -- those who have Traditional Dining and use Anytime as a backup or an "option" for one night are helping to creating those long lines that no one wants to stand in.

 

I don't think they switch off each night but each cruise:D :D

[vivienne]

We have just come back from the Grand Princess and tried Anytime dining for the first time and wouldn't like to do Traditional now. It was great being able to fit the time for dining in with what you wanted to do during the evening, and being able to be at the sailaways and not having to dine at that time. We always asked to share as we liked to meet other people to chat to. It did annoy us though that our cards weren't checked and anyone could go into the Anytime dining room. When some of the tours got back late we had to wait to dine because Traditional diners thought they could have the best of both worlds, have Traditional and do Anytime if the fancy took them. It is unfair and cards should be checked. We couldn't go in their dining room.

[lynn21]

We have just come back from the Emerald and both of us loved the Anytime Dining. Our last 3 cruises were on Celebrity which we enjoyed, but this time I wanted to try Anytime. The verdict - it would have to be an exceptional itinerary for us to go on a traditional ship again. We loved the flexibility of the time we ate and if we had a table for 2 or made up a table of 8 or 10. The wait staff and service were great. We only had to wait (for 45 minutes) once (after the Captain`s Circle party) and now know that we should have eaten early or booked. I too can`t understand why they don`t ask to see your key card especially as they ask your room number when taking the order. We were sitting next to a couple one night who said they were booked on traditional with their family but as their children and grandchildren ate in the HC they came into Anytime rather than sit by themselves on a large table.

 

IMO I don`t think they should only allow reservations for groups of more than 6 as a table booked for 9pm is left empty from 7.30 so it`s quite annoying for people who have been waiting to get into the dining room to see several empty tables.

[wcal]

It's nice to have choices but if I had to do anytime dining I would not cruise with Princess. Experienced 'freestyle' on NCL and will not cruise with them again unless the itinerary was great. We prefer 2nd traditional and still have the choice of speciality restaurants or HC. I agree about not using the anytime dining rooms so would not use them. We are happy to be confirmed for 2nd traditional on our Emerald cruise in February.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

We have just come back from the Emerald and both of us loved the Anytime Dining. Our last 3 cruises were on Celebrity which we enjoyed, but this time I wanted to try Anytime. The verdict - it would have to be an exceptional itinerary for us to go on a traditional ship again. We loved the flexibility of the time we ate and if we had a table for 2 or made up a table of 8 or 10. The wait staff and service were great. We only had to wait (for 45 minutes) once (after the Captain`s Circle party) and now know that we should have eaten early or booked. I too can`t understand why they don`t ask to see your key card especially as they ask your room number when taking the order. We were sitting next to a couple one night who said they were booked on traditional with their family but as their children and grandchildren ate in the HC they came into Anytime rather than sit by themselves on a large table.

 

IMO I don`t think they should only allow reservations for groups of more than 6 as a table booked for 9pm is left empty from 7.30 so it`s quite annoying for people who have been waiting to get into the dining room to see several empty tables.

 

 

We have still cruised with traditional on other lines but one of the things that make Princess our favorite is the anytime option.

I do like the dining on Disney where they rotate which dining room you're in as each is themed but your wait staff rotate with you.

We have anytime on our coming up cruise and could not imagine eating at the same time every night for that length of cruise and would feel rushed to go to the shows early as we prefer eating later if we do trad.

[dcasian]

Which dining room is better? I've heard Palm is hard to get to and has loud noise, but it's bigger so not crowded.

[in2sunsets]

We pick seatings based on time the ship leaves the ports. Never had problems with getting seats at any seating

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

I have anytime dining this cruise. Thank goodness. It gives me the freedom to mull around in port without having to be concerned with time. Plus some days I am hungrier earlier than later. Last cruise I had late which I hated...830 is too late for me to eat dinner. I think I will enjoy anytime.