Imagination dining options

[ronkay]

I understand that the imagination now has anytime dining, we have selected the late seating on our 9/7/2009 cruise, was wondering if anyone on here knows how they have implemented it on the ship? is there a certain dining room that is used for anytime? and the other for regular seating? the reasoin I ask is we have always perferred the aft dining room, the Pride?

[Barbados1999]

hi. we were just on the imagination a few weeks ago and chose the anytime dining option. i believe it is something they just started offering on this ship. (they're rolling out the anytime dining option throughout the fleet a ship at a time.)

 

anytime dining was located in the Pride Dining Room.

 

this was our first time with anytime dining and it will definitely be the last time we do it. it works great for some people, but here are just a few reasons we didn't like it:

 

1. the wait staff seemed really unorganized and it took forever to get service. they'd bring our salad and appetizer together. ... or they'd bring the salad and then a few minutes later they'd bring the dinner. it was never evenly spaced apart. the food quality just didn't seem to be the same as you get with early/late seating. (maybe this was because anytime dining was new on the ship and they just weren't used to it.)

 

2. we never had the same waiter. and each waiter we had didn't seem too happy to be doing the anytime dining service. (i believe they don't get the same tips as they would if they worked the regular dining service.)

 

3. if you asked for a table for two, you got a table for two, but it was right up against another table. so, essentially, you were still sitting with a group of six or eight like you would be with early/late seating, but at least with early/late seating, you got to know the same people after a day or two. with anytime dining, you 'sit with' strangers every night. of course, if you have a large group you'll be dining with every night, this isn't a problem.

 

4. on the second night, we went to the diningroom at 8:30. they said it was going to be a 45-minute wait. (for two people). so, we ended up eating on the lido deck. sure, we could have waited 45 minutes and come back, but 9:15 is a bit late to be eating dinner. (8:30 was pushing it as it was. lol.)

 

like i said, there are a lot of people who love the anytime dining and it works great for them. i think it's one of those things you have to try it out and see if you like it or not. unfortunately, whichever one you chose, you're stuck with it for the entire cruise. you can't try it out one night and then switch to early/late seating.

[ronkay]

thanks for the response, we WILL NOT be trying the anytime dining, we like getting dressed for dinner and knowing a that time we have are seating and the same waiter everynight, that is one of the reasons we have stayed with Carnival because you do not have that option on some of the other cruise lines now.

 

Was just hoping we could still have the Pride dining room but I guess not. on the imagination we always liked having a drink and a smoke in the cigar bar (pinnacle club) just above the pride dining room before and after dinner.

[a4ofspades]

Hubby and I are planning on trying out anytime dining this Sept. aboard Imagination so I've been interested to see which dining room is doing that. According to the deck plans online (cannot go by my memory even though this will be the 3rd time aboard this ship :o), the aft dining room is the Spirit. That is the one that must be doing traditional dining (if Pride is doing anytime) and is near the Pinnacle Club.

 

Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wong, BUT if I'm right, then it works perfectly for you. :)

[Bases5]

Did they install the Mongolian BBQ and the Rotisserie chicken area on the Imagination during its dry dock?

[ronkay]

without confusing with nautical terms the Pride dining room is toward the front of the ship right in front of the Atrium area. The Spirit dining room is in the back of the ship right below the Pinnacle club.

 

and thus Yes we will be OK with late seating hopfully in the Spirit dining room, thanks for making me look again.

 

not sure about the Mongolian BBQ and the Rotisserie chicken I will let you know after Sept. 7th. Also I am curious if they added the Deli, Love those rubans....

[a4ofspades]

Found this thread again while searching for reviews of anytime dining on the Imagination...in case the questions weren't answered, yes, there is now a Mongolian grill onboard...it's on the outside buffet on the Lido and I THINK I saw the rotisserie on the other side, again, outside, with the hamburgers and hotdogs. I can't review either as I didn't try them.

 

The deli is located towards the back of the Lido area, on the inside. Also, some ships now have reubens on the room service menu. I guess for some that may be as dangerous as it is for me that they offer cheesecake on the room service menu! :eek:

 

Oh, and I just realized OP...I am on the same cruise as you! LOL We'll have to compare and constrast dining room experiences after the cruise...two weeks!!! :)

[ronkay]

thank you and that sounds like a plan, 2 weeks from now I should be close to having my first carnival burger!

[newlife_2010]

This thread has made me scared about ANYTIME DINING and being solo.