Traditional dinners able to use Anytime dining?

Whilst doing some research for our forthcoming Mediterranean cruise on the Crown I have come across a number of posts which refer to Traditional dinners also using Anytime dining.

I was quite shocked to hear this. I thought I could remember having my cruise card checked on entering the dining room or being asked for my cabin number. However I wonder whether I am getting confused with our P &O cruises.

Could anyone say if this still happens?

Also if it does surely it contributes to the queues for an Anytime table?

Many thanks

IMO it should be either/or.

Yes it defeats the purpose if you take space on both.

In my opinion, most of those claims are figments of the posters' imaginations. I've never, not once, headed to AD if I've missed my dining time, but since we TD diners are always accused as such I'm thinking about trying it and encouraging every other TD diner to do the same.

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Technically, Princess allows Traditional diners to go to the Anytime dining. As one Hotel Manager said to me, "They will be accommodated." There are times when for medical or port tour reasons people need to eat earlier or later than their assigned time. The vast majority of Traditional diners don't go to Anytime but they can if they want.

I prefer to go to the buffet rather than going to Anytime. But it's a personal choice.

It all depends on the headwaiter and/or MD if it is permitted (and if they check cards). And since I have been sat with TD folks in AD I know it happens. How often? Who knows...

There are two different scenarios -

1> its done for a specific reason and with preapproval for the change, and therefore impact is minimal as the amount of diners making the change can be limited.

2> Someone cannot be bothered or doesn't want to make their scheduled time and just goes to AD. This has a lot more negative impact on other passengers as A> their server has no idea they are not coming for a while and holds up service for the table in TD AND they have taken up seats in AD while leaving seats unused in TD.

My own personal opinion is #1 is just fine, #2 should never be allowed (if you miss your TD time, absent extenuating circumstances, go to the buffet).

Whilst doing some research for our forthcoming Mediterranean cruise on the Crown I have come across a number of posts which refer to Traditional dinners also using Anytime dining.

 

I was quite shocked to hear this. I thought I could remember having my cruise card checked on entering the dining room or being asked for my cabin number. However I wonder whether I am getting confused with our P &O cruises.

 

Could anyone say if this still happens?

 

Also if it does surely it contributes to the queues for an Anytime table?

 

Many thanks

Could those posts have been referring to the fact that part of one of the two anytime dining rooms is used for part of the traditional dining early seating?

It all depends on the headwaiter and/or MD if it is permitted (and if they check cards). And since I have been sat with TD folks in AD I know it happens. How often? Who knows...

 

There are two different scenarios -

 

1> its done for a specific reason and with preapproval for the change, and therefore impact is minimal as the amount of diners making the change can be limited.

 

2> Someone cannot be bothered or doesn't want to make their scheduled time and just goes to AD. This has a lot more negative impact on other passengers as A> their server has no idea they are not coming for a while and holds up service for the table in TD AND they have taken up seats in AD while leaving seats unused in TD.

 

My own personal opinion is #1 is just fine, #2 should never be allowed (if you miss your TD time, absent extenuating circumstances, go to the buffet).

3> They do not like their table mates for some reason and instead of asking to be moved they just go to the Anytime Dining room.

I feel that if their cards show Traditional Dining they should be required to eat there and not permitted in the Anytime Dining rooms. Where do Anytime Diners go if they do not want to eat in the Anytime Dining rooms. The buffet or elsewhere of course.

Just did a quick repo cruise on the Emerald and she really is beautiful. The Ruby has been my favorite ship up until this cruise and they are identical (as far as I could tell). It never felt crowded, it was well maintained and the crew was top notch.

Like the poster above, I love Adagio and we had a lot of fun at the Wheelhouse bar this trip. They have a fantastic bourbon collection that we enjoyed. I would sail Ruby and Emerald any time.

I feel that if their cards show Traditional Dining they should be required to eat there and not permitted in the Anytime Dining rooms. Where do Anytime Diners go if they do not want to eat in the Anytime Dining rooms. The buffet or elsewhere of course.

I agree. Just to be fair.

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Never done it. We have returned from an excursion with barely enough time to make our (idiotically early) TD time and then found our cards wouldn't work. By the time we got new cards it was too late to shower and make the dining time. We ate elsewhere as we would never consider crashing ATD . As a rule, if we aren't going to eat in MDR we let the staff know so they don't delay dinner for our table mates. It's really pretty easy to be polite about it and it's only fair to the staff and your table mates.

We're booked for TD on our 28 day in October but, if they try to stick us with a stupidly early time (we were moved to 5:15 dining on a 17 day cruise!) I will either get them to move it to a more reasonable time or have our seating switched permanently to ATD.

There are other venues to use if you miss your assigned time.

It is done. It is one of my pet peeves when someone asks for traditional dining and then doesn't show up most nights. We had a family of four at our table of eight on one five-day cruise who did not show up 60 percent of the time. They let us know that they had gone to one of the anytime dining rooms two of the nights and the steakhouse the third.

On the first two nights of a cruise the cruise card will be checked when entering an AT dining room and anyone with a TD assignment directed to the correct dining room. This is mainly done because many passengers truly do not know which dining room to go to.

After the first two evenings it is assumed that passengers do know which dining room to go to and Princess, rightly or wrongly, assumes that all passengers will go to the assigned dining room if in TD.

Possibly when the Medallions are introduced the greeter at the AT dining rooms will automatically be notified if a TD diner is trying to access the AT room.

I agree. Just to be fair.

 

 

Ditto!!

Tony

"I prefer to go to the buffet rather than going to Anytime. But it's a personal choice."

When it's just the two of us cruising we would use the buffet more than Anytime, especially on the Royal Class ships. Formal nights we try to use the MDR right after any special events in the Piazza.

If we are traveling with others and the plan is to all see whatever was on at the Princess Theatre, we would do the buffet so we could get the venue early and get seats together.

I guess checking cards at the atd would be the equivalent of enforcing the dress code on formal night? Is it ok to enforce one standard and ignore another?

On our recent Regal cruise, we had a late departure from one of the ports (10pm from St Thomas). The night before, our waiter informed us that there would be no Traditional Dining that evening and all three restaurants would be open as Anytime Dining. Other than that, if you choose TD and miss it, there are plenty of other options.

I guess checking cards at the atd would be the equivalent of enforcing the dress code on formal night? Is it ok to enforce one standard and ignore another?

But they do enforce the dress code on formal nights although it might not be up to what some cruisers would prefer to see.

Not all people like to dress up in a suit & tie or long gown.

1> its done for a specific reason and with preapproval for the change, and therefore impact is minimal as the amount of diners making the change can be limited.

It really can't be limited. As many people as care to can simply not sign up for traditional.

This was my experience on short cruises -- few people signed up for traditional,

over-running anytime.

Additionally, the princess rules say you can change from traditional to anytime with one day notice.

There is no limit as to the number of people who can do this.

Some other cruise lines have the reverse, once anytime is full, people are forced into traditional.

We have recently returned from Crown. We asked for TD at 6 pm and were assigned 5.45 pm in the Bottechelli dining room. At no time were we asked to show our cruise card, we just told the Maitre D' our assigned table number on the first night.

I did hear someone say the had transferred to AT, as TD was too early, but it was a permanent change.

The day we visited Rome it was 'Open sitting.' Our table decided we would sit together so assembled at 05.45, but we were unable to sit at our normal table, as that half of the dining room was shut until late sitting.

I guess checking cards at the atd would be the equivalent of enforcing the dress code on formal night? Is it ok to enforce one standard and ignore another?

And here we go again.

In my opinion, most of those claims are figments of the posters' imaginations. I've never, not once, headed to AD if I've missed my dining time, but since we TD diners are always accused as such I'm thinking about trying it and encouraging every other TD diner to do the same.

 

 

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Good idea. I think I'll sign up for TD next cruise & go to AT dining every night. If enough people do this they'll be actually be forced to make people use the correct dining room, and not just on the first night or two. :D

We always do select dining on Celebrity does check to see if you are assigned to select dining and they hold to

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And here we go again.

My thoughts exactly. The dress code trotted out by the formal fanatics doesn't say a word about an absolute requirement for formal attire. It is specifically worded to give some reasonable latitude so people can choose a variety of styles. If the fanatics are so disturbed when they see someone not dressed as they are, perhaps they should wear blindfolds to ease their stress and anxiety at seeing such allegedly offensive dress styles.

And yet they accuse others of having an agenda. Time for closure here.