Anytime Dining on the Pearl

[tbmrt]

We usually do late dining on our cruises and only tried Anytime Dining once years ago.

 

I remember thinking that the waiters rushed around more, our orders were never served completely (veggies forgotten, bread not served, etc.). Waiters made me feel like I was being a pain if I asked for any extras like red hot pepper flakes, etc. Could be just a bad situation that trip. Think it was on the Sun.

 

How does Anytime Dining work now? Can we choose to eat as a twosome or join others when we arrive? Are any prior reservations needed? Service usually good?

 

I love the idea of not having to eat at a set time so we can be more flexible based on our excursions, energy, etc., but like the idea of having the same waiters, etc when we do late dining assignments.

 

Would appreciate your advice.

 

Thank you

Barbara

[deladypilot]

Freestyle/Anytime Dining is just like going to a restaurant at home. Walk up when you are ready and tell them how many in your party. You can tell them you do not mind sitting with others or ask to be seated alone. There can be a bit of a wait if you go during peak hours but they handle it very well.

 

It also means you do not need to go to the main dining rooms. You can eat at any of the free restaurants, specialty restaurants or buffet.

 

We are not peak time dining people so we have always had great service so I can not answer about the service during those hours

 

Go and have fun

[Froggitt]

Freestyle/Anytime Dining is just like going to a restaurant at home.

Not quite, because my local restaurant takes bookings as well as walk-ups.

 

Sounds like the OP wants RCI My Time Dining, which in my view is an improvement over Freestyle Dining, as they allow you to book a time in advance, but even the walk-ups they try to place you on the same table/with the same waiter.

 

NCL, your waiter may not even be in the same restaurant two days in a row.

[deb63]

We usually do late dining on our cruises and only tried Anytime Dining once years ago.

 

I remember thinking that the waiters rushed around more, our orders were never served completely (veggies forgotten, bread not served, etc.). Waiters made me feel like I was being a pain if I asked for any extras like red hot pepper flakes, etc. Could be just a bad situation that trip. Think it was on the Sun.

 

How does Anytime Dining work now? Can we choose to eat as a twosome or join others when we arrive? Are any prior reservations needed? Service usually good?

 

I love the idea of not having to eat at a set time so we can be more flexible based on our excursions, energy, etc., but like the idea of having the same waiters, etc when we do late dining assignments.

 

Would appreciate your advice.

 

Thank you

Barbara

 

We have called down before and were able to make reservations in the main dining room, and have asked for particular servers we enjoyed. You do not have to make reservations - you can just arrive like at a local land restaurant.

 

There have been times we have asked for a particular server who would have no tables available, and they have seated us near him/her, and they just assigned them to our table while we were there. So if you find you like a particular server, it can't hurt to ask. . . .

[time2cruise1]

Not quite, because my local restaurant takes bookings as well as walk-ups.

 

Sounds like the OP wants RCI My Time Dining, which in my view is an improvement over Freestyle Dining, as they allow you to book a time in advance, but even the walk-ups they try to place you on the same table/with the same waiter.

 

NCL, your waiter may not even be in the same restaurant two days in a row.

 

Tried My Time Dining on RCI and renamed it Their Time Dining. Not only can you make a reservation but you better make one. Most tables were filled by those with reservations. Wait time for the 5 of us was at least twice as long as anytime on 40+ NCL cruises. We finally broke down and made reservations for the last 10 days. I called it late seating 10 minutes early ;)

[sdmike]

OP -

There isn't "anytime dining" really on NCL...as in...there's no special program to sign up for unlike other lines. Everyone participates in "freestyle" dining, which is you go to your restaurant of choice when you want to eat. If you go at busy times there can be a brief wait. You CAN make reservations as the specialty restaurants, like you would with a nicer restaurant on land. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the free restaurants on NCL don't take reservations unless you're a large group.

 

If you want to try to keep the same waiter, ask the night before where they will be for dinner the following night. They may be at a different restaurant, working the buffet, or even running room service. If you go to where they are working, simply ask to be seated in their section...similar to a land restaurant.

 

Have fun

[auntierobin]

If you are in a suite, you can have the concierge make reservations for you. Speak to your concierge when you meet him/her upon embarkation.

[kruznmike]

What do the peak times appear to be? Will try to avoid them.

[Froggitt]

Right after the show finishes.