Which is your preferred dining option.

[terrierjohn]

Only 193 votes but the concensus is clearly in favour of Anytime Dining, or Personal Choice if you prefer, with just over 55% and Traditional getting a total of just over 42%, with late seating just slightly ahead of early.

However since Princess generally allocates 66% of it's restaurant places to Anytime Dining this would seem to support those traditionalists who want more places. But in view of all the threads highlighting the regularity of empty seats at both traditional sittings, perhaps the voting is not reflecting reality.

We will continue to choose AD for the present but I still want there to be adequate traditional dining just in case we want to change in the future.

[fud2468]

Our first cruise ever was on Dawn in March 2007. We did not want to be resricted to early or late formal dining times, and we never did locate where "Anytime Dining' was located. As a result we ate all meals in the buffet.

Since the head chef was Greek, we essentially ate a Mediterranean diet, and though my wife and I are overweight, we were delighted to find that we gained no weight on the trip; this even though we felt stuffed the whole time and were not very active. another reason the buffet suited us was that, being diabetic, it was healthier to have several smaller meals rather than a couple of large ones.

By contrast we later took Celebrity Infinity to Alaska, felt most uncomfortable in the formal dining room, and gained weight we've been struggling to take off ever since.

Ray Mac

[DeepWaterMariner]

Definitely Anytime for us, when it is available. Our next cruise on the Tahitian doesn't have Anytime so it will be early traditional. We also like the buffet as a change of pace when we are on a longer cruise.

[terrierjohn]

Only 193 votes but the concensus is clearly in favour of Anytime Dining, or Personal Choice if you prefer, with just over 55% and Traditional getting a total of just over 42%, with late seating just slightly ahead of early.

Now at 259 votes and AD still way in front (55.5%), but late seating traditional(23.5%) now has 6% lead over early(17.5%) and surprisingly the buffet(3.5%) has increased as well.

This is a last chance for those Traditionalists who complain about always being waitlisted for their favourite choice to prove that Anytime is not the majority preference.;)

[terrierjohn]

to affect the outcome.

[Voxy]

I would probably be more likely to choose Anytime or Horizon if it weren't for lobster night! :(

 

I'd sort of feel awkward not going to the dining room the whole week and then suddenly showing up just one night.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Anytime is our favourite with a second favourite of traditional second seating. However, on our next cruise we have opted for traditional first seating as we are a large party with two small children who we know will not be able to wait until 8pm or thereabouts before they eat. Eating early also means we can get them to bed at a reasonable time and then have the evening to enjoy ourselves (well those of us who are not on babysitting duty:p ) Having said all this, we do like Horizon Court on a few nights - all those 5 course meals soon take their toll:D

[paul929207]

We tried Anytime dining on our last cruise. It was the first time in 15 cruises that we have sailed on a ship that offered it. We really liked it and have told our TA to sign us up for anytime in the future.

 

We ate about 7:30 and never waited more than 10 minutes in five weeks on the Star.

[oskidunker]

Why is there always 200 people on the waiting list for early traditional. I have been unable to get this the last three cruises. Now waitlisted at 208 for the dawn 10 day alaska 8/25. Very frustrating. I know you can reserve a table in anytime. I just don't like it.

[karatemom2]

I would probably be more likely to choose Anytime or Horizon if it weren't for lobster night! :(

 

I'd sort of feel awkward not going to the dining room the whole week and then suddenly showing up just one night.

 

No need to miss out on lobster! Anytime Dining uses the exact same menus as Traditional, so when lobster is being served in the Traditional dining room, it is also being served in the Anytime venues.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I chose Traditional. We like knowing we always have an 'assigned seat' and getting to know our waiters. After reading the reviews on our last Princess cruise on the Golden it seemed to me that the people who had PC on that cruise were nowhere as happy with thier service as those who chose Traditional.

 

When DH and I are traveling alone or with some good 'cruise buddies' we usually chose late seating so we don't have to rush after port days. However, it seems that my mother is traveling with us when we go on Princess and late dining doesn't work for her, so I chose Early Seating.:)

[Debathome]

Wow, I guess this is why we are not waitlisted for late traditional.

I always thought I would prefer anytime but after having tried it, we went back to traditional. I missed the personal service we get having our waitstaff become familiar with us and not feeling rushed.

We like the late dining although you do tend to miss some of the shows if you don't want to hurry through your meal.

Happy Cruising All.

[Cruise Gypsy]

Anytime dining is our favorite. :D We also really enjoyed the Crown Grill on our last cruise on the Emerald. It is much better than the Sterling Steakhouse

[Voxy]

No need to miss out on lobster! Anytime Dining uses the exact same menus as Traditional, so when lobster is being served in the Traditional dining room, it is also being served in the Anytime venues.

 

 

I do believe you've just made my day! :) Now I can do a little research on that option. Thank you!

[terrierjohn]

It is remarkable how the percentages have hardly changed from very early in this poll; 55-56% for Anytime dining and 41-42% for traditional, with just 2-3% opting to prefer the buffet.

For traditionalists, who seem to hate ending up on a waitlist, let's hope that Princess does read Cruise Critic and ensures that it provides at least 41% for traditional dining.

Maybe someone from Princess would like to tell us all what policy they actually adopt, and if it varies from ship to ship and between cruise regions.

[kagra]

We prefer Anytime dining.

[ronl]

I like early. I'm not a late eater. Also, I like the waitstaff knowing my likes and dislikes. I think they would try a little harder maybe due to potential tip at the end of the cruise.

 

I agree with you 100% They do try harder they get to know you right from the start!!! Ron

[hotmike98]

We prefer late traditional; that being said, the itinerary and number of people travelling together usually factors into our choice.

[nho9504]

We always prefer Anytime dining for the flexibility. We also dont like socializing during our meals because it often interferes our enjoying our foods. :p

 

On our 16day Emerald TransAtlantic cruise on Apr 30, we lucked out on the 3rd day to find a true table for 2 (No.480) with a great waiter. We started making reservation for that table for the next few days, then eventually asked to have a standing reservation for that table, or the table right in front of it (No.481), for the rest of the cruise.

 

Good table for 2 are hard to come by - the other table for 2's are those tables arranged alongside the wall, with one side the seating is a long bench, a very uncomfortable bench also (too low for eating.)