Can I make anytime dining reservations online for CArribean

[stipmom]

Princess?I have been able to do it on Celebrity.We are 6 people and would like to eat around 7:45.If we cannot do it online do they take reservations on board?Thank

[RickEk]

Princess?I have been able to do it on Celebrity.We are 6 people and would like to eat around 7:45.If we cannot do it online do they take reservations on board?Thank

 

Reservations in the Anytime dining rooms is at the discretion of the maitre'd. Talk to him on embarkation day and see what can be arranged.

[Pam in CA]

Reservations in the Anytime dining rooms is at the discretion of the maitre'd. Talk to him on embarkation day and see what can be arranged.

They cannot be made before boarding. As Rick says, some Maitre d's allow reservations only before 6pm and after 8pm, some allow reservations for any time during the evening, some allow reservations for just that night, others for the entire cruise... and combinations of all of these. There's no set policy.

[Roce48]

:eek:

You guys are scaring me!

 

I just talked everyone into giving up early seating for anytime dining on our next cruise because of the idea of having the flexibility. My wife and I do not remember the difficulty, restrictions, and problems with Maitre d's when we used "anytime" style dining on other cruise lines.

 

Is the a problem with the flexible style dining on Princess Cruise Line?

[RickEk]

:eek:

You guys are scaring me!

 

I just talked everyone into giving up early seating for anytime dining on our next cruise because of the idea of having the flexibility. My wife and I do not remember the difficulty, restrictions, and problems with Maitre d's when we used "anytime" style dining on other cruise lines.

 

Is the a problem with the flexible style dining on Princess Cruise Line?

 

Well, the intent of Anytime dining is that you can arrive at the restaurant at any time and get a seat. Making set reservations for folks sorta defeats the whole idea. As Pam said, the maitre'd assesses the situation for any given cruise and makes decisions from that assessment.

 

FWIW, we had a set reservation for two in the Anytime dining room on the Coral Princess one cruise and the Sapphire Princess last New Year's... So it can be done, but it's not a given. Definitely talk to the maitre'd on embarkation day and see what he can do for you.

 

And, btw, by giving up those seats at first seating, you've made some folks on the waitlist VERY happy. :)

[caribill]

:eek:

You guys are scaring me!

 

I just talked everyone into giving up early seating for anytime dining on our next cruise because of the idea of having the flexibility. My wife and I do not remember the difficulty, restrictions, and problems with Maitre d's when we used "anytime" style dining on other cruise lines.

 

Is the a problem with the flexible style dining on Princess Cruise Line?

 

Some cruise lines limit the number of people in their equivalent of anytime dining and if more than that want it, they get assigned to traditional dining.

 

Princess does the opposite and limits traditional dining with the overflow assigned to anytime.

 

It is easily possible for 2/3rds of the Princess passengers to be in anytime either because they wanted to or there was no room in traditional.

 

So whether or not there will be a table available when you want it depends on how many of your fellow anytime passengers have already filled up the anytime dining rooms when you get there.

[oskidunker]

Be prepared for pagers and long waits unless you eat at 5:30

[Pam in CA]

Be prepared for pagers and long waits unless you eat at 5:30

I agree. That's been my experience. I'm trying Anytime again on my newly-booked Crown Princess cruise in a couple of months. It'll be interesting to see if we have waits and if so, how long. Both of us are perfectly happy to go to the buffet if the line is super long, though.

[caviargal]

Be prepared for pagers and long waits unless you eat at 5:30

 

How about after 8pm, which is what we prefer. We don't do buffets and ATD was the only available option when we booked.

[Pam in CA]

How about after 8pm, which is what we prefer. We don't do buffets and ATD was the only available option when we booked.

Depending on the cruise and passengers, there can be long waits at 8pm. Or, you can be seated right away. On just about every Princess cruise I've been on for years, which is quite a few, the Maitre d' has seated Anytime diners in the Traditional dining room well after 8pm because the lines were so long (45 minutes or longer.) Others have had the opposite experience. Who knows?

[fishywood]

How about after 8pm, which is what we prefer. We don't do buffets and ATD was the only available option when we booked.

 

The normal answer to that question is by 8:00 there would be only a very short wait for a two-top and likely immediate seating if you were willing to share. But you are sailing over Christmas, and during holidays more people tend to eat later--even those with families--and eschew the buffet. Most Princess sailings have late fixed seating available up to the last minute; the fact that your holiday sailing does not means patience will be required most nights.

[caviargal]

The normal answer to that question is by 8:00 there would be only a very short wait for a two-top and likely immediate seating if you were willing to share. But you are sailing over Christmas, and during holidays more people tend to eat later--even those with families--and eschew the buffet. Most Princess sailings have late fixed seating available up to the last minute; the fact that your holiday sailing does not means patience will be required most nights.

 

Looks like more specialty restaurant reservations may be required. :)

 

I thought about wait listing TD but we prefer a table for 2 so ATD was preferable.

 

Thanks.

[paul929207]

I agree. That's been my experience. I'm trying Anytime again on my newly-booked Crown Princess cruise in a couple of months. It'll be interesting to see if we have waits and if so, how long. Both of us are perfectly happy to go to the buffet if the line is super long, though.

Pam,

We were on the Crown for 36 days in October and November. Went to dinner most nights about 7:30pm. Never waited long enough to get a pager. Most nights there were 2 to 6 people ahead of us. We always said we would share and were seated within 2 minutes or so. Only people we saw getting a beeper were those wanting a table for two.

[Pam in CA]

Pam,

We were on the Crown for 36 days in October and November. Went to dinner most nights about 7:30pm. Never waited long enough to get a pager. Most nights there were 2 to 6 people ahead of us. We always said we would share and were seated within 2 minutes or so. Only people we saw getting a beeper were those wanting a table for two.

It depends on the cruise and the passengers. I was on the Island Princess in October for 17 days with late Traditional dining and every night after the first couple of nights, the Maitre d' seated quite a few people in our dining room well after 8pm because of the long waits. There were four unassigned tables in our section and most nights, they were all used for Anytime diners. I'll have a more direct experience in February on the Crown when we're doing Anytime.

[Barbie075]

We are anytime diners and have done it on every cruise we have taken with Princess. Seven cruises so far (not nearly what some of you have taken) and we have never had a hard time getting a table for dinner. We travel as a group of four or six. We do not share at larger tables. We are early eaters -- 6PM. We also like a slow leisurely dinner and are often there until 7:30-8PM still enjoying our wine and dessert. We eat slowly and really enjoy the wine. We love anytime dining and are so glad that they do it so well on Princess.

[chewap]

Be prepared for pagers and long waits unless you eat at 5:30

 

 

We have never had a problem getting in from 6PM to 7:30 PM. We have used ATD on the last 5 cruises and have never seen lomg waits.

[OCruisers]

We've been doing AT on Princess for many years now and have NEVER had to wait more than a couple of minutes ... so far.

 

We normally go (depending) 7:15 to 8:45. We'll take any size table at any wait station.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[RLBlack]

We normally travel with 4 people- have chosen anytime dining- and have not waited more than a couple of minutes- we do accept larger tables- that way we meet such interesting people. For the speciality dining- we have always made reservations when we board- so we get the date and time we wish.-

[KKB]

We were unable to get traditional dining, only anytime dining was left. Our first night we had a fabulous waiter & inquired if we could make a standing reservation--I think we did at 5:45, a bit early, but worth it for fabulous service.

There was a mix up the next day, and our server took us as an additional table. Maitre'd took a shine to us & brought us a special appetizer every day...really made for a special, personalized experience.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Just off the CB. We had Anytime dying but only ate in the dining room on the last formal night for lobster.

 

We got there as soon as the dining room opened and waited about 5-10 minutes.

 

Lots of others just walked in and sat down so they must have had reservations.

 

On CB they have 1 traditional, 1 anytime, and 1 dining room that was traditional until 7 or 7:30 and then it was anytime.

 

Bill

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[caribill]

Just off the CB. We had Anytime dying but only ate in the dining room on the last formal night for lobster.

 

 

Traditional dining is usually not as fatal.

[brian1]

hi,on our recent diamond cruise we had no problem after 8 even requesting a table just for 2 of us every time.there was even a dedicated reservation number on our cabin phone,cheers brian.