Dining Room Differences?

[augies]

We picked anytime dining for our upcoming Alaska cruise in August. I understand we can eat dinner in a few different dining rooms. Does the menu vary in each room? What's the difference?

Thanks.

[augies]

Forgot to say we are on Sapphire.

[tpbf]

Actually you will be assigned a dining room based on your dining choice. All are about the same so it is traditional, early or late, vs anytime. You can't be an anytime in a traditional dining room. Only down side to this is if you meet folks with whom you would like to dine and you are anytime and they are late.

 

Then, visit a specialty dining area or the buffet. I don't know if they permit "guests". The menu is the same for all.

 

Of course, the HC is available to all as needed.

[cb at sea]

All dining rooms serve the same menu and have the same dress code....they are simply "named" differently for your navigational pleasure!!

[Once Upon A Time]

If you have Anytime Dining on the Sapphire, you can dine in The Santa Fe, The Pacific Pearl, the Savoy the Vivaldi... in addition to the Horizon Court and the specialty restaurants- Sabitinis and the Crown Grill (which have a surcharge) In all of the anytime dining rooms you will have the same menu as traditional dining with the exception of one additional item offered in each. This item is different in each of those dining rooms and does not change. Last time we were on, it was Ginger Shrimp in one, Fajaitas in one and OsoBucco in another. Can't remember what the item was in the fourth, but they may have changed since then anyway..

[Astro Flyer]

If you have Anytime Dining on the Sapphire, you can dine in The Santa Fe, The Pacific Pearl, the Savoy the Vivaldi... in addition to the Horizon Court and the specialty restaurants- Sabitinis and the Crown Grill (which have a surcharge) In all of the anytime dining rooms you will have the same menu as traditional dining with the exception of one additional item offered in each. This item is different in each of those dining rooms and does not change. Last time we were on, it was Ginger Shrimp in one, Fajaitas in one and OsoBucco in another. Can't remember what the item was in the fourth, but they may have changed since then anyway..

Last month on the Sapphire in the Santa Fe it was fajitas, Pacific Moon had asian stirfry noodles, Savoy had a pork chop & Vivaldi had osso buco (veal shanks).

[augies]

Thanks for all the responses. I can't wait to go. It's our first cruise in several years and we are so excited.

[Astro Flyer]

Thanks for all the responses. I can't wait to go. It's our first cruise in several years and we are so excited.

Last month by arriving around 7:30 we never had more than a couple minute wait to get a table for 2 & it became less crowded as we enjoyed our meal. :)

[shipsealand]

When we were on the Diamond summer last year, we heard that the shrimp special dish was one of the additional dishes of the specialized four dining rooms and not on the regular menu in the Tradtional Dining. We were in Traditional and our table had expressed interest and were disappointed that it was not on our menu. Then a few minutes later to our surprise, our waiter got it for our table to share. Talk about good service! This is another reason why we like Princess.

[Astro Flyer]

When we were on the Diamond summer last year, we heard that the shrimp special dish was one of the additional dishes of the specialized four dining rooms and not on the regular menu in the Tradtional Dining. We were in Traditional and our table had expressed interest and were disappointed that it was not on our menu. Then a few minutes later to our surprise, our waiter got it for our table to share. Talk about good service! This is another reason why we like Princess.

I've heard the same thing from others & that the 4 anytime 'specialties' may be requested in any of the AT dining rooms plus in the TD. :)

[caribill]

I've heard the same thing from others & that the 4 anytime 'specialties' may be requested in any of the AT dining rooms plus in the TD. :)

 

We were able to request the "special" dishes when eating in traditional on the Diamond.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Actually you will be assigned a dining room based on your dining choice. All are about the same so it is traditional, early or late, vs anytime. You can't be an anytime in a traditional dining room. Only down side to this is if you meet folks with whom you would like to dine and you are anytime and they are late.

 

Then, visit a specialty dining area or the buffet. I don't know if they permit "guests". The menu is the same for all.

 

Of course, the HC is available to all as needed.

 

To clarify for any newbies as this doesn't really explain:

 

At the time you book, you should be asked for your dining preference: 1) early traditional, 2) late traditional, or 3) anytime.

 

If you have one of the traditional dining times, you are assigned to a table and a dining room. If you have anytime, you go to one of the anytime dining rooms sometime during the dinner period.

 

On any night, all passengers also have the choice of dining in the Horizon Court (the buffet), one of the specialty restaurants (for a cover charge), in your cabin (but unless you're in a full suite, you have to order off a limited room service menu; or you can order the ultimate balcony dinner, which has a charge), at the outdoor grill or pizzeria. Some ships may also have an indoors pizza restaurant. Some ships also have the International Cafe, which is a display case located in the Piazza. You can take any food obtained there and take elsewhere if you can't find an available table in the Piazza.

 

As far as the menu, the traditional and anytime dining room menus are the same (so if there's lobster in one, you can get it in the other). I think Sapphire still has additional items available in the anytime rooms according to their theme -- when we were on the Sapphire in 1994 (before anytime was established, I believe), the International DR waitstaff will let you select from these special items. But each night, the main dining room menus will change. Even on my two week cruises, the menus were different every night.

 

The buffet will often have some of the same items as the MDR's.

 

The specialty dining rooms will have their own menu. We have never dined in any of them, so I don't know if they have different menus each day.

 

The outdoor grills have hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken burgers. The pizzaria will usually have about four pizza varieties to choose from.

 

There's not "guests" so I don't understand that part of the post.

[woodman6703]

So is the anytime dining open the first that you sail,or is it just Buffett?

[desertminky]

We always do anytime dining for flexibility, and because we travel as a family of 8. As I recall we called for a reservation ahead of time some nights, and sometimes we just showed up and waited for a table. The wait wasn't too bad. We also always had the same waiter, which was great.

[IECalCruiser]

So is the anytime dining open the first that you sail,or is it just Buffett?

One of the Dining Rooms is supposed to be open for lunch from 12:00 to 1:30 on Embarkation day. The room should be listed in the Patter in your cabin. On some cruises there is no Dining Room open because of a special event or a large number of people doing the Bon Voyage Experience. In addition, they might stop admitting new people after 1:00 to 1:15 because they want to complete lunch by 1:30. In addition to the Dining Room and the buffet in the Horizon Court, you will also be able to eat at the grill (hamburgers, hot dogs and such) and the pizzeria on Lido Deck and the International Cafe on Plaza Deck if the ship has one.

[woodman6703]

So is the anytime dining open at night first night,in the brochure it seems to lean towards it's not?

[caribill]

So is the anytime dining open at night first night,in the brochure it seems to lean towards it's not?

 

All the dining rooms are open every evening.