Dining on first night of Southbound Alaska Cruise

[tears]

Hi:

 

We are signed up for personal choice dining and are hoping to eat around 6:30-7PM. Someone posted that there is only one sitting on embarkation day at 8:30PM. Does that apply to personal choice as well? Just trying to plan our first night.

 

MAT

[Pam in CA]

We are signed up for personal choice dining and are hoping to eat around 6:30-7PM. Someone posted that there is only one sitting on embarkation day at 8:30PM. Does that apply to personal choice as well? Just trying to plan our first night.

"Personal Choice" refers to all of your dining options, including the buffet, specialty restaurants, room service, Ultimate Balcony Dinner, etc. What you have is Anytime dining which means you can go to one of the Anytime dining rooms at the time of your choice.

 

It's been a while since I've taken an Alaskan cruise but there is NEVER only one set seating on any Princess ship at 8:30pm. Never has been. If the ship has a late sailing, dining is sometimes "open" seating in all dining rooms. Anytime dining is open seating. Not sure when your ship sails but count on having Muster about 30-45 minutes before sailing which you are required to attend. So, check that and plan what time you want to go to dinner accordingly.

[mr green]

As I recall, those getting on board are given a slip of paper giving them their time and place for dining, while those doing a B2B picked up their slips in the Atrium. This was for the FIRST day only.

The reason was that those getting on board later, had a place in which to dine.

 

john

[tears]

"Personal Choice" refers to all of your dining options, including the buffet, specialty restaurants, room service, Ultimate Balcony Dinner, etc. What you have is Anytime dining which means you can go to one of the Anytime dining rooms at the time of your choice.

 

It's been a while since I've taken an Alaskan cruise but there is NEVER only one set seating on any Princess ship at 8:30pm. Never has been. If the ship has a late sailing, dining is sometimes "open" seating in all dining rooms. Anytime dining is open seating. Not sure when your ship sails but count on having Muster about 30-45 minutes before sailing which you are required to attend. So, check that and plan what time you want to go to dinner accordingly.

 

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. We have anytime dining and I know that we can pick our time but someone posted that there was only one sitting for dinner at 8:30 on the first night and we wonder if anytime dining was subject to that. We would prefer to eat in the dining room not the buffet. So, if muster is around 7pm we probably need to eat early or later.

[tears]

Thanks. We are sailing on July 24 and we are trying to figure out our schedule.

[Pam in CA]

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. We have anytime dining and I know that we can pick our time but someone posted that there was only one sitting for dinner at 8:30 on the first night and we wonder if anytime dining was subject to that. We would prefer to eat in the dining room not the buffet. So, if muster is around 7pm we probably need to eat early or later.

Anytime is any time. It sounds like the post is referring to Traditional as an early seating could conflict with Muster.

[Pamster]

"Personal Choice" refers to all of your dining options, including the buffet, specialty restaurants, room service, Ultimate Balcony Dinner, etc. What you have is Anytime dining which means you can go to one of the Anytime dining rooms at the time of your choice.

 

It's been a while since I've taken an Alaskan cruise but there is NEVER only one set seating on any Princess ship at 8:30pm. Never has been. If the ship has a late sailing, dining is sometimes "open" seating in all dining rooms. Anytime dining is open seating. Not sure when your ship sails but count on having Muster about 30-45 minutes before sailing which you are required to attend. So, check that and plan what time you want to go to dinner accordingly.

 

Sailing out of Whittier is at 8:30 PM

[mr green]

Anytime is any time. It sounds like the post is referring to Traditional as an early seating could conflict with Muster.

 

The only difference being on the first evening even those on anytime were told when and where to dine, unless they wanted Horizon Court.

 

john

[zonacruiser25]

On SB, the ship pulls out at 8:30 and muster drill is before that. The dining room is pretty much a free for all that night. We used the HC most nights and the food was fine. It boils down to personal choice.

[LEtue]

Interesting thread.

 

We are boarding a SB cruise next July so now we know not to expect to dine at our selected 6 PM traditional seating.

[momK]

We just sailed on the Diamond north and south. We were in a suite, and the complimentary first night dining (in The Sterling Steakhouse or Sabatini's) is for the second night; all the specialty restaurants are closed until the muster drill is completed on the first night south from Whittier.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Anytime Dining is open the standard hours on the southbound route. Muster Drill does occur right in the middle of the dinner times, and you'll see some waitstaff leave for that, but most stay and dinner service continues. If you don't leave for muster, you may be asked if you're a B2B passenger (we were), and the dining room gets pretty emptied out, only to become very busy right after muster. But it doesn't close down during muster.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

If you don't leave for muster, you may be asked if you're a B2B passenger (we were), and the dining room gets pretty emptied out, only to become very busy right after muster. But it doesn't close down during muster.

 

Never thought of this before, but you're saying that B2B passengers are only required to attend the muster drill on the first leg of the cruise?

[PescadoAmarillo]

Never thought of this before, but you're saying that B2B passengers are only required to attend the muster drill on the first leg of the cruise?

 

That's correct. :)