Anytime Dining

[dm5201]

We will be sailing on the Ruby Princess early in March on our first cruise. We have anytime dining. How does that work? Also, I'm a bit confused with all of the dining rooms. I understand the ones that have the cover charge and that's fine, but what about the other dining rooms for anytime diners? Thanks for your time. Donna

[uppitycats]

We will be sailing on the Ruby Princess early in March on our first cruise. We have anytime dining. How does that work? Also, I'm a bit confused with all of the dining rooms. I understand the ones that have the cover charge and that's fine, but what about the other dining rooms for anytime diners? Thanks for your time. Donna

 

Anytime dining works just like going out to dinner at a land based restaurant: you arrive during the times the dining room is open (it will be posted in your cruise newsletter that you get every day, but generally the hours are between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m.), you tell the host or hostess how many are in your party (your immediate group, or if you've met up with others and you all want to eat together, then however many), they'll find a table of the size to accommodate your group and you'll be seated.

 

On Princess part of each main dining room (the one that you'd go to for the traditional set dining; there are 2 of them I believe) is set aside for anytime dining. You'll be told which dining room on your sign and sail card.

 

If you want your same waiters each night, then you should show up at about the same time, and request them. If that doesn't matter to you, then you can show up..uh...anytime...and be seated for dinner.

 

The main dining rooms, by the way, also serve a sit-down breakfast and on sea days, a sit down lunch, both part of your cruise fare (you don't have to go to the buffet or somewhere else!), and also serve afternoon tea, all of which are part of your cruise fare. Don't miss the afternoon tea! It's always a highlight of our Princess cruises!

 

Since you've not been on a cruise before, you'll want to know about "fixed" or "traditional dining" -- you pick one set time, "early", or "late". "Early" is around 5:30, "late" around 8:30. You must show up at that time (or no more than 15 minues late; on some ships they'll actually close the doors and not seat you!). You sit at a large table with several other strangers, have the same waiters every night. Sometimes this works well -- the "strangers" become at least friendly acquaintences, and conversation flows. Other times this is very awkward..which is why many of us always choose the flexible dining options when available. :)

[paul929207]

One more thing, with AD, just like a restaurant at home, you may arrive at a time they are busy and do not have an empty table for you. In that case, they give you a beeper and page you when a table is available for you.

[paul929207]

One more thing, with AD, just like a restaurant at home, you may arrive at a time they are busy and do not have an empty table for you. In that case, they give you a beeper and page you when a table is available for you.

[TLC535]

Also on the Ruby the A/T dining rooms are the Michelangelo on deck 5 (Plaza) and the Da Vinci deck 6 (Fiesta)...The Ruby is a great ship, hope you have a wonderful cruise :D

[chipmaster]

AT as other said its like your local resturant without reservations. On many ships they will take standing reservations before 6pm, but after that its first come first serve and sometimes the line can be 5-10 couples deep. One downside is you do often get a different waiter crew so don't be shy telling them what you want or your preferencdes.

 

There will always be one or two dining rooms doing traditional and a couple doing AT. There is never a charge for AT, but Princess does have speciality resturants on the ship that do charge.

 

We will be sailing on the Ruby Princess early in March on our first cruise. We have anytime dining. How does that work? Also, I'm a bit confused with all of the dining rooms. I understand the ones that have the cover charge and that's fine, but what about the other dining rooms for anytime diners? Thanks for your time. Donna

[janina]

We love sailing Princess and on our last 3 cruises have switched to anytime dinning. We absolutely prefer it to traditional dinning. We are on vacation, and do not like to be on schedules. This way we can chose what time we want to eat, which many times I base it on the shows that night or when we're hungry. You can ask to seat with just your party or with others. We've yet to have to wait more than 5 minutes. Also the biggest perk is we never get stuck dinning with anyone our whole cruise that we just don't want to dine with!!