Immersive cruise: No Anytime Dining!

[Marie-Claude]

We recently the Golden Week cruise to Japan on Diamond Princess (april 2014). They do not offer Anytime Dining on the cruise as they say it's an immersive cruise... not sure what that has to do with the time you dine, but has anyone had similar experience? How was it?

 

MC

[Anniesails]

I can understand that since Immersive implies they will have scheduled programs, so they will need to prescribe the time you take meals. Sounds like it will be fun.

[cole]

We recently the Golden Week cruise to Japan on Diamond Princess (april 2014). They do not offer Anytime Dining on the cruise as they say it's an immersive cruise... not sure what that has to do with the time you dine, but has anyone had similar experience? How was it?

 

MC

 

Ocean Princess doesn't have Anytime Dining either :( and there are only 600 passengers. Looks like it would be an easy thing with that few on board to just have dining hours from 6 - 10 and let people come and go as they please rather than herding them in by shifts. But, they didn't ask me. ;) We loved that option on the Caribbean Princess.

Cole

[Dietemann]

We recently the Golden Week cruise to Japan on Diamond Princess (april 2014). They do not offer Anytime Dining on the cruise as they say it's an immersive cruise... not sure what that has to do with the time you dine, but has anyone had similar experience? How was it?

 

MC

I believe you will have more regional food and that it may be too difficult for the kitchen to properly prepare it for serving at times other than fixed dining. Just my interpretation.

[Traveler808]

We recently the Golden Week cruise to Japan on Diamond Princess (april 2014). They do not offer Anytime Dining on the cruise as they say it's an immersive cruise... not sure what that has to do with the time you dine, but has anyone had similar experience? How was it?

 

MC

 

 

I recently completed 2 Japan cruises on the Sun Princess and the dining was as you said...no anytime dining.

 

How did I like it? I loved it and will be going on the Diamond Princess in 2014.

[melody hounddog]

Sounds like fun! If you have the time, I would love to read a review on your trip.

[Pam in CA]

I believe you will have more regional food and that it may be too difficult for the kitchen to properly prepare it for serving at times other than fixed dining. Just my interpretation.

I did a Google search for "immersive cruise" and came up with several links. Celebrity has had some immersive wine cruises and Azamara has also had immersive cruises with extended port stays. So, I think this poster is correct: there is likely a food and/or wine "immersion" on this cruise that would make Anytime difficult to implement. I personally think it sounds great!

[The Big Booper]

Based on comments on the RCI and Celebrity boards, both of which have been doing immersive cruises for years, it is more then just food and dining. A lot of the programming and events will be directed toward Asians. Hopefully the ship will not follow Asian smoking customs which allow far more puffing away then we are used to. Of course the OP could be smokers.

[paul929207]

The Ocean and Pacific Princess have only one MDR and it is used for TD. No AD. The ships in Australia (Sun, Dawn & Sea) have two MDRs but both are TD. Again no AD.

[icat2000]

You can have any time dinning. Its called the buffet. :D

 

Sounds like fun. Used to it with the Australian ships having only Traditional Dining.

[PunkiC]

We always do anytime dining because we really haven't had very good luck with assigned dinner mates. Usually we meet folks on the ship and form a dinner group as we go along. That's lots of fun.

 

We do have a Queen Victoria cruise coming up next spring and are hoping for the best. On our first Cunard cruise we changed tables three times before we finally hooked up with a great group and they really were a kick.

 

The funny thing is that we found them as I was waiting in the line of folks wanting to talk to the concierge. The man in front of me was telling the concierge how much he hated his table and especially this one English gentleman who talked all of the time. When I reached the concierge, I asked how large the table he had vacated was and was told it was a table for eight. I just said, "Please move us there". The Englishman did talk a lot but he was really funny. We loved him.

 

Different strokes..................

[Marie-Claude]

...Hopefully the ship will not follow Asian smoking customs which allow far more puffing away then we are used to. Of course the OP could be smokers.

NO... not smokers at all! I sure hope they don't change the 'rules' on smokers to accommodate Asian... that would be a real downer...

[Marie-Claude]

I believe you will have more regional food and that it may be too difficult for the kitchen to properly prepare it for serving at times other than fixed dining. Just my interpretation.

 

It's probably very close to that... also, they said there would be a lot of local entertainment so I guess it'll be easier to attend one of the show with fixed seating! It sounds like fun, we're thrilled!!

 

MC

[Marie-Claude]

I recently completed 2 Japan cruises on the Sun Princess and the dining was as you said...no anytime dining.

 

How did I like it? I loved it and will be going on the Diamond Princess in 2014.

 

Glad you liked it, and very comforting to know you're going back! Will you be on the April 26th cruise with us? Sounds like a really unique itinerary at a wonderful time of year... they told me once in a lifetime experience!!!

 

MC

[Marie-Claude]

Sounds like fun! If you have the time, I would love to read a review on your trip.

 

I promise I will!!! This is unique and there aren't much information on these ports so I will definitely report back... only 8 months to wait!!

 

MC

[Sailingpeace]

I did a Google search for "immersive cruise" and came up with several links. Celebrity has had some immersive wine cruises and Azamara has also had immersive cruises with extended port stays. So, I think this poster is correct: there is likely a food and/or wine "immersion" on this cruise that would make Anytime difficult to implement. I personally think it sounds great!

 

There are immerse in wine cruises ? Where do I sign up ? ...

Just kidding... Well... No seriously this information is very interesting. I had not heard about that before, called that anyway. It seems like OP did not know in advance that it would be such a cruise ( immersive). How can we find out if a Princess cruise is an " immersive" one? It sounds great to me too.

[Pam in CA]

How can we find out if a Princess cruise is an " immersive" one? It sounds great to me too.

This is the first I've heard of one. I'm guessing it's something being tried out and likely just on a cruise sailing in "exotic" regions and marketed to non-Americans. Just a guess but after all, Princess ships are already pretty immersed in American culture.

[Marie-Claude]

There are immerse in wine cruises ? Where do I sign up ? ...

Just kidding... Well... No seriously this information is very interesting. I had not heard about that before, called that anyway. It seems like OP did not know in advance that it would be such a cruise ( immersive). How can we find out if a Princess cruise is an " immersive" one? It sounds great to me too.

 

Actually, I found out when I booked! Princess agent found out with me as he was wondering why Anytime Dining wasn't offered. He checked with his supervisor and came back with this info!

 

I found this cruise the day I received the 2014-15 Cruise Atlas. It intrigued me as it was an all Japan cruise, during the Golden Week which is a special week in Japan with 4 national holidays in the same week. So the cruise is following this week of festivals.

 

I asked if this was a cruise marketed to Japanese and the answer wasn't clear. But if I was Japanese, I probably would NOT go on a Japan immersive cruise... I'd try to get something more exotic. But we were told that the menu and entertainment would reflect local flavors! Also, announcements will be made in English and Japanese... should be interesting and certainly exotic!

 

I'm surprised our Roll Call only has 2 people... this is a truly unique itinerary!!

 

MC

[DrivesLikeMario]

I did a wine immersive cruise with Celebrity and they still had open dining. There were a lot of wine-type activities such as tastings, classes, etc. that were worked around the traditional dining times so if you chose open dining, you really had to plan your dinner around them.

[GradUT]

I hadn't done Traditional Dining in a long time but there was no Anytime Dining on the Pacific Princess cruise we took this summer. We absolutely LOVED it! Our tablemates were fantastic (table of 6) and we all really enjoyed chatting each evening because each couple had done something different--none of us took the same tours or did the same things on sea days. I also had forgotten how nice it was to have a waiter and assistant waiter that remembered each night what I liked (and didn't like).

 

Your immersion dining option sounds like great fun!