How does anytime dining work?

So, we usually book traditional dining but didn't get our reservations in time and are now "stuck," with anytime. I forget how that works and what you can do to try to get traditional. Any useful tips?:confused:

From the Princess website.....

ANYTIME DINING℠

Our Anytime Dining option – a Princess original – allows you the freedom to eat with whomever you wish, and whenever you like – just as you would at a fine restaurant – between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. You can have a table for two one evening and join a group for a festive meal the next. The choice is yours.

Not available on Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess (while in Australia), Ocean Princess or Pacific Princess. Not available on Diamond Princess while in Japan.

Would you have booked Early or Late Traditional? Based on our recent experience on a 4 nighter on the Ruby Princess out of LA, we simulated Early Traditional with Anytime. We found ourselves eating around 5:45pm and were able to always walk right in the dining room. When we exited, usually around 7 or a bit later, there were huge lines waiting to enter. General advice I have seen on the boards is that trying to use ATD between 6pm and 8pm is generally to be avoided.

So, for anytime dining you just walk up like a restaurant? How about trying to get traditional? Do you go to someone to see if there are any last minute opening?

I love traditional as it's nice having the same wait staff every night and getting to know other peoples "story," but anytime could be fun too. :D

I agree with nzOdy with his/her observations and about avoiding 6-8 pm. I much prefer traditional early myself. There have recently been a couple cruises where it was smarter for me to take Anytime.

Here are a couple tips for you.

See the head Maitre'd as soon as you can and ask about getting you into the traditional time of your choice.

If you will be staying with Anytime, most ships will allow you to make a reservation for early or late times beginning with 5:30 and again I believe after 7:30. You call the dine line to make that reservation. So far I have not found a ship that will allow a reservation for the whole cruise. It's a day to day thing. Dine line for this is usually 8am to 5 pm

The maitre d's hours for doing changes should be posted in the first Patter. Go a few minutes early. We had to change to traditional when we were assigned anytime even though traditional was confirmed before the cruise in our Cruise Personalizer. Generally getting assigned to traditional is easy if you're a party of two. Larger groups are harder for the maitre d' to fit in.

All ships, except the Coral & Island Princess, have three MDR's set up with one on deck 6 all the way aft and the other two on decks 6 & 5 mid-ship. The aft DR is used for early and late traditional dining. The deck 6 mid ship DR is used for very early traditional dining, usually 5:30 and opens for ATD at 7:30. The deck 5 DR usually opens from 5 to 10 and is ATD. In the U.S. market there is a high demand for early dining, but if you are in some other markets the demand shifts to later times. Assuming you are on a U.S. sailing, the Deck 5 DR will fill up by about 5:45. Tables to share are easier to get than tables for two. Since it takes approximately two hours to dine the first wave of diners don't clear until around 7:30/7:45. If you want to dine at say 6:30, you will most likely have to wait. Since a second DR opens for ATD at 7:30 it is much easier to get a table at that time. Each cruise has it's own passenger dining dynamic which you have to figure out the first days. On boarding day ATD isn't pretty as it seems everyone arrives at the DR at the same time, but it smooths out after that.

You can call for reservations for ATD by calling the DINE line once you board. Reservations are normally restricted to two early times and two late times, and also restricted by number. Reservations may not be accepted for the first night. When you enter the DR there will be two lines, one for those with reservations and one for those without. The maitre'd will have hours the first afternoon stop by and speak with him. The hours & location should be posted in the Princess Patter, or stop by the DR.

The Coral & Island split one of their DR's for early fixed and early ATD.

Hope this helps.

So, we usually book traditional dining but didn't get our reservations in time and are now "stuck," with anytime. I forget how that works and what you can do to try to get traditional. Any useful tips?:confused:

Check the patter when you first board and see the time that the Maitre 'd has for inquiries. They can usual help you to get settled with your choice. Personally, I like anytime. It's not for everyone. I have a friend who says that anytime dining means that you can eat anytime....EXCEPT when you want to eat. Good luck. alice

OK...the others have broken it down pretty well. Here is a real life example.

On our last cruise we went to the MDR usually before 6.We had no problems getting a table. They always ask if you want to share a table. We always say yes. Once the head waiter get to know you he or she often tries to accommodate you based on what you prefer (one guy said he specified sharing-but only for a table of 6-no bigger).

Anyway, they lead you you your table and you eat. We usually move around the MDR so we are not in the same section every night.

Once in a while, we decide to do the early show because other things are going on later. We will go to this show and then we will eat later with no problem.

That is the flexibility of anytime dining.

Now-warning-if yo get there after 8 pm, you can expect to wait-they have beepers and they will bee p you when a table is open.

Tables for two take longer to accommodate because there is a limited number of tables and a big demand for them.

FWIW.

We always do anytime dining ,but on the Regal last year they had 2 lines one for people that had booked (apparently had to book in the morning) and another line for people that had not booked we waited an hour one night ,and people we new on the same cruise booked the same table at the same time every night ,defeats the purpose of anytime dining ,have only ever experienced this on the Regal

We very much love the flexibility of Anytime Dining! :D