Anytime or Seated Times?

[luvsviola]

DH prefers seated 6:00 dinner. I am interested to try Anytime Dining for a little more flexibility on port days so we aren't so rushed getting ready. We will have 3 kids with us (7, 5, 3).

 

Which do you prefer?

[RealAlexD]

We love Anytime Dining. Gives us the most flexibility, and is really nice when you are in a port until 6pm, so you can have a bit more time in the port before getting ready for supper.

 

Plus we figure that we are on vacation, we should be able to eat whenever we feel, not when someone tells us we have to! ;)

[k2excursion]

I prefer 6:00, because I like getting to know some new people, and a guarantee of not having to wait for a table. Even a 2-minute wait, I don't like. I wouldn't like to eat a big dinner much after 6:00 anyway. If these new menus take hold, I will probably then prefer anytime. If I'm on a cruise with late port times, I will probably prefer anytime. On my Splendor cruise in November, with 5 new ports to me (6 if you include San Juan), only one leaves as late as 6:00. So even if we're getting back on board at 5:00 there, that's only one time that we have to semi-rush to get ready. So we currently have 6:00 selected.

[LBroxon]

LOVE Anytime and the ability to request whatever table size you want. If we feel like having a romantic dinner or just don't feel like socializing after being in the sun all day, we don't have to.

[Lerin]

Early and let the child eat at camp with his friends. ;)

[WAHMto5]

With kids it is so much easier for us with anytime dining!!

[Ehpride]

I like late seating. We have the same waiters so they get to know my preferences like wanting iced tea every night.

 

With late seating, I can take my time getting ready for dinner without sacrificing sunlight.

[cruisetobeaches]

Late. Nice having the same table and wait staff every night. Plus, this fits our "normal" dinner time at home, which is usally late.

 

Another benefit of late seating is fewer people (as a rule) and fewer kids that may choose to run amok.

[lcp9984]

DH prefers seated 6:00 dinner. I am interested to try Anytime Dining for a little more flexibility on port days so we aren't so rushed getting ready. We will have 3 kids with us (7, 5, 3).

 

Which do you prefer?

 

 

Anytime! No question....:)

[riffatsea]

IF we cannot get Anytime Dining we do not cruise!

We like having a table for 2 and then choosing to eat with others as we meet folks during the cruise.

We like to eat early so we go to the MDR when it opens.

IF we like our servers we ask to be seated in the same area every night so they get to know us. If we don't like our servers we can have different ones the next night. It is the perfect way to get the best service!

[golfadj]

Early so we have the entire night free to enjoy the entertainment.

[aggie_gal]

We do Anytime Dining. Gives us the flexibility to go when we're ready. I often do a spa treatment after a port, so I don't have to rush to get ready afterwards. We also have eaten dinner with folks we've met while on the ship and ATD gives us the ability to do that. We're taking our son with us this time so it'll be interesting to see if he eats with us or with his new friends in camp.

[sarafinadh]

We can go when it suits us, and we are not stuck with an incompetent waiter for the whole trip.

 

And we are not very interested in sitting at a group table. Prefer a two top for a quiet private meal.

[Sparky2]

We prefer Early Seating. Some day we may try ATD and then hope to find a waitstaff that we like & choose to have them every night.

[Rena921]

Late. It seems much quieter and more relaxed with late seating. Less small children also. I love kids, but a toddler having a melt down while you are trying to enjoy your meal is a huge turn off. We never have had an issue with getting a two-top table, so I am not sure about the misconception that you always have to sit with others with fixed time dining.

[golfadj]

We prefer Early Seating. Some day we may try ATD and then hope to find a waitstaff that we like & choose to have them every night.

 

We did anytime for the first time while cruising with two other couples in October.

 

Got a recommendation for headwaiter and asked for her the first night. She was great and we asked if we could have her the entire cruise.

 

They said that as long as we get there between 6 15-6 30 we could and she was one the best we have ever had.

[BaseballMomof4]

We have done both and both have their pros and cons.

 

We like anytime because we can dine anytime but then you don't get the same experience that you do when you have the same wait staff every night.

 

We usually decide depending on the times we are on shore. If we do seating, we usually choose early so we are free for the evening activities.

[T2C]

If it's just 2 to 4 of us we love anytime but if it's 5 or more we will do the early seating

[AZmike480]

We love anytime for flexibility, you can request the same wait staff so it fells like assigned dining!

[michelle1836]

we love anytime dining. you can still eat at 6 and have the same wait staff if you want

[etwright]

We prefer early seating. Tried the late seating and after dinner it was so late that we didn't get to do much afterwards. We like to eat early and then have the night to do whatever we want. If ports interfere with the time, we can always skip regular dinner and get something to eat elsewhere on the ship. :D

[hftmrock]

so I am not sure about the misconception that you always have to sit with others with fixed time dining.

 

there is lots of misconseptions on both sides... people keep saying that they do fixed seating so they can have the same waitstaff but you can have the same waitstaff with anytime dining.

 

since I can have late dining for the entire trip or early dining for the entire trip and have the same waitstaff and have a table just for us or a table with people so we can make friends, I much prefer anytime dining.

 

there is nothing you cant have in anytime dining that is available in fixed dining with the lone exception of the possibility of having to wait for a table in case its busy when you go. If thats a dealbreaker, they you should choose fixed dining. other than that, I can have late dining, early dining or a combination with anytime dining and have the same waitstaff and choose the size of the table.

 

just my opinion

[OCruisers]

We love Anytime! It's so very much more convenient for us. :)

 

LuLu

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[S.S.Oceanlover]

Early so we have the entire night free to enjoy the entertainment.

 

what entertainment?;)

 

Bill

[dmarie1623]

We are trying anytime dining for the first-time this month. Because of the flexibility I think this will be my preference. Between early and late, I prefer early.