Anytime Dining

[lekisha20]

We are making an effort to have more meals in the MDR this cruise—especially since we won’t be bringing the kiddos. What has everyone's experience been relative to wait times with Anytime Dining? Are there more time frames that are better than others? Is it more or less crowded?

[tlcs]

We had to wait maybe 10 min on the first night, but they gave us a pager. The rest of the cruise we just walked in and they seated us. We usually went around 6-6:30. We loved ATD and will do it again on our next cruise. Enjoy!

[jeanarch]

We love it. We usually go about 6:45-7:15. We have had from a couple to 10 persons and it has always worked for us. Only 1 time did we have a wait of about 10 minutes. We usually had the same wait staff & it was good.

[lita24]

Have you be seated with other people or you had a table for two all the time?

[tak81288]

Have you be seated with other people or you had a table for two all the time?

 

We have always gotten a table for two, but you can sit with others if that is your preference.

 

When you show up to the dining room, they will ask you want you would like to do.

[bguppies]

We have yet to have to wait more than 5 minutes for a table yet. (even asking and getting the same waitstaff EVERY night.)

 

We have found if you get there shortly after the initial seating begins you never have a wait.

 

About and hour after early seating begins , but before late seating begins, seems to be the busiest time.

 

Since your servers do NOT have to wait for everyone at the table to arrive, the courses come to your table in a more timely manner and YTD seems to take less time than assigned dining. (where each course has to wait for the late arrivals or slowest eater at each table)

 

Thus table turnover is quicker for YTD.

 

Best thing Carnival has added since we started cruising.

 

Bill

[Cruisingzs]

Just got off the Liberty and there was a long line everynight for ATD when we left our dining room (around 7:45). We had to pass by their dining room on our way to the shows. We had early seating and prefer that as my DD likes the singing and dancing.

 

Cannot tell you HOW long the wait time was, but I would assume with that long of lines, you woud not have a good chance of the same wait staff each night. Most folks in line looked rather tired.

 

Just giving info on what I saw. May be perseption over reality :)

[ccruisequeen]

We usually go in between 6-5:15, & have generally had the same wait-staff (if not the same table, at least in their station area). They end up knowing our requests, everything from bread to desert!

[Rosefloater]

We normally go between 6:30 - 6:45 and we don't have to wait. If we get to the MDR around 7, than there is usually a 10 minute wait. We also let the hostesses know that we don't mind sharing a table. There is usually less of a wait that way.

 

You can either have a table by yourself or share. If you don't want to share a table there might be a wait.

 

Also, if you like the wait staff, you can request to be seated in their section. But this might also cause you to wait.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Some times there is a line

[1965]

Had YTD on our last cruise, and never had to wait. Always requested and were given a table for two. We've requested YTD for our upcoming cruise. Will never go back to assigned times. We didn't go at any particular time, to the best of my memory. Just when we got hungry.

[Flutterbugs]

Does anyone know what time they do the entertainment for YTD?

[swscruiser]

Does anyone know what time they do the entertainment for YTD?

 

 

You have to work around the regular showtimes, there are no showtimes especially for ATD.

Keith

[ChefSusan]

We have done YTD on 8 of our 10 cruises on Carnival, and have never had more than a 15 minute wait to be seated. Each time we found a Wait Service team the first night that we liked and connected with, and chose to continue sitting in their section for the remainder of the cruise.

 

By entertainment are you referring to the dancing and singing on the lower level of the dining room where YTD occurs? If so the YTD Dining Teams will sing and dance along with their fellow servers when the Traditional Dining starts their "acts" (usually around 7:30pm for early seating and 9:00pm for late seating).

 

Hope this helps!

[lizi116]

We were just on the Liberty last week and nevr had to wait at around 7:00. We noticed that there was always a long line after 8:00 and a longer line at the end of the 1st show - I think that was after 8:30.

[gunther619]

I was think of doing this also. Mainly because I am traveling with at least 8 people or more. Assuming that some people may not want to eat in the dining room or only a couple of us wanted to go. Does this seem like the best option for larger groups?

 

Also, What's the largest table they offer?

[JerseyshoreBruce]

Never had a wait time longer than 10 minutes for our group of 8. The only thing i miss are the waiters dancing and the service isn't quite as good!

[MrsHeart]

We did ATD on the our recent Spirit cruise and loved it. We sat at the same table for two each night right next to the window. We had no wait times whenever we went. The hostess said that they will try and keep ATD people with the same wait staff and table for the week unless otherwise requested.

[serene56]

I was think of doing this also. Mainly because I am traveling with at least 8 people or more. Assuming that some people may not want to eat in the dining room or only a couple of us wanted to go. Does this seem like the best option for larger groups?

 

Also, What's the largest table they offer?

 

Larger groups are harder to seat. Most tables are 2/4/6

If wanting to sit together most nights-- I suggest the traditional dining.

 

You stand a chance of not being seated together-- or waits

[*Mach*]

I was think of doing this also. Mainly because I am traveling with at least 8 people or more. Assuming that some people may not want to eat in the dining room or only a couple of us wanted to go. Does this seem like the best option for larger groups?

 

Also, What's the largest table they offer?

 

 

Carnival actually tries to discourage large group from doing Your Time Dining as the availability of larger tables is limited in YTD. It's really designed for couples, smaller families, etc.

If, as you mentioned, a few folks did not want to go the MDR each night you'd be OK... groups of 5 or 6 seem to be seated fairly quickly. Just a note of caution... if you have, say, 6 folks to dine and there's only 4 there at the podium you'll be required to wait for the remainder of your folks to show up to be seated...

:)

[gunther619]

Thanks for the heads up! And I was thinking YTD was the better option WOOPS!

 

Last question....what if we have more than 8 people? We currently have 8 people booked, but I know a few people are still thinking about it. Do they have tables bigger than 8 or would they just sit others at a nearby table?

 

Thanks for your help!

[SASA13]

LOVE IT. The most we had to wait was 20 minutes. Also, we had an excellent wait staff the first night, and every night after that, we requested him. Perhaps that was the cause of our wait, but we did not mind.

[katiel53]

I can't remember if the largest table is 8 or 10. I am more inclined to think it is 8 on Dream. If you have more than 8, I really think it's a crapshoot in that if there is a table for 2 or 4 that is free nearby, as an example, you would be given that for the rest of your party. If not, then they can be put anywhere. As Mach posted this dining is really for groups of 6 or less.

 

We had 4 on Dream in April and loved the waitstaff we had the first night. We requested them nightly, and even changing our time to go to dinner from 7 to 6:30 or 6:45 as the Maitre D of the Crimson dining room told us, we still had to wait from 30-40 minutes nightly.

 

We specifically asked him, as he was standing at the podium nightly, what time should we come so we didn't have a long wait and each night we got there when he told us to, but each night we still had to wait. He never apologized for telling us the wrong times nightly and we never saw him do a single thing except stand at the podium watching the hostess.

 

We were on a B2B so we changed to the early dining for the second week. One of our companions has diabetes so she needs to eat about the same time nightly. We were really disappointed in having to change, and I do know had we said we would sit anywhere, have any server, we might not have had to wait so long. I just think the Maitre D had no clue what was going on in his dining area.

 

The year before we were on Dream with the same 4 people and had MTD and had no problem at all. We only had to wait going at 7 nightly on the formal night that served lobster. We expected to have to wait that night as we knew more people would be going to the dining room than on other nights.

[travelgarn]

I have just saw HostMach's comment about large groups. My group is 6 adults + 1 child. We will be sailling on the Legend in January where we have chose ATD. The reason being: my in-laws prefer early - we prefer late (due to port times). So, we split the difference by going with ATD. We have been booked for months. I want to know if ATD will be an issue with the 7 of us. We LOVE eating in the MDR each night. We hope to go as early as possible (for the in-laws...my FIL can't eat too late), but I don't want to have to cut my port time short because of dining times.

 

Please advise....

 

DJ

[SteelerCruiser]

the one time we tried it on our last cruise it was Terrible. They got us in pretty quickly and the waitstaff was nice but other than that it was Aweful! Took my father-in-law almost an hour to get a refill on his Tea. they have tea right in the dining room no special trips to the bar to get it. We were lucky to be able to get switched to Late seating the rest of the cruise. Ended up having one of the best waiters we have ever had.