traditional dining info?

[cdngrl]

I did it! after over 10 years of cruises, all with anytime, I have booked traditional for my october asia cruise.

 

this cruise's availability is much less than I would expect, yet the roll call has only a handful of us. I am wondering if the majority of cruisers are from asia then. I welcome the cultural interaction I am in store for, but worried about eating dinner in anytime with folks I couldn't communicate with.

 

I figured if I book traditional then hopefully someone is on the ball and my table-mates will be english-speaking. anyone have any experience with this?

 

anyway, I am going to try traditional. it seems so silly to be asking about dining, but i only know what i have read.

what happens on a day when I have a late excursion? i imagine i eat elsewhere. i know if I'm traditional i can't go into anytime. how do i let my servers/tablemates know not to wait on dinner for me? we're in trouble if i have to remember a day ahead to tell them!

do you show up right on time or a little early? I'm one of those people that if I'm on time, I'm late!

what about if your table-mates are awful? I've had that occasionally in anytime and was glad i didn't have to spend 2 weeks with them.

how about if the table doesn't 'click' and no one talks? i like to meet new people and have conversation while dining.

 

is there anything else i should know about traditional?

[shredie]

The biggest problem for us is when we are seated at a large table and no on else ever shows up. We like to meet new people. Then we like to meet them again every night! LOL. My best advice is to seek a new assignment right away if things don't work for you. One night ought to tell you whether is works or not, maybe two. The sooner the better in any case.

 

If you tell the waiter you have a show to see, he can speed your food along without you having to wait for everyone else at the table.

[Astro Flyer]

I'm doing the opposite & going from traditional to anytime dining. ;)

 

Our most recent cruise on a table of 8 had one couple who only dined once during our month onboard. Most nights it was only 4 of us at a table for 8 which I'll never request again. I don't understand why people request traditional dining and then rarely go. :confused: Early traditional dining is generally waitlisted and many people are unable to get it. :(

Edited May 19, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[Pam in CA]

If you're on an excursion and don't expect to get back until after your dining time, let your waitstaff and tablemates know. If you're half an hour or so late, you can still eat at your table and your staff will make every effort to adjust your meal. If you're going to be later than half an hour, talk to the Maitre d' and ask him for recommendations/suggestions.

[M4dC0w]

our first cruise was traditional, but not many people want to spend 2 hours for dinner, our last one was also. We found if you want to meet people it was great.

 

The buffet to us was when we were always going ashore or busy

[cdngrl]

I'm doing the opposite & going from traditional to anytime dining. ;)

 

Our most recent cruise on a table of 8 had one couple who only dined once during our month onboard. Most nights it was only 4 of us at a table for 8 which I'll never request again. I don't understand why people request traditional dining and then rarely go. :confused: Early traditional dining is generally waitlisted and many people are unable to get it. :(

 

well now I'm second-guessing myself! its probably best I stay with traditional, I can always change to anytime. I know its not always possible the other way around.

what table size do you all prefer?

Edited May 19, 2014 by cdngrl

[umbluemusic]

I did anytime my first cruise and traditional my second, and I LOVED it. I am 28, and I met such interesting people at my table. It was also nice because sometimes if we were busy in port for the day my aunt wouldn't want to go to dinner, but I usually did since we had late seating. It gave me a crowd of friends around the ship that I hadn't had when I boarded. :-)

 

My boyfriend is going on my next cruise and I've talked up traditional dining so much so hopefully he likes it as much as I do. We warned our tablemates the one day we missed dinner - we ate in a specialty restaurant since our seating often ran later (we liked to chat amongst ourselves and our waiters) and since we were going through the canal the next morning and going to be up very early, we went to the restaurant instead. However, I would just go to the buffet if I couldn't make it to dinner one night - I'm not a buffet all the time type of person but for a night or two? No big deal.

 

Anyway, I chose a large table and I'm crossing my fingers I luck out and get a good mix of people again. It also gave me a good mix of people to go see shows with and I even ended up on an excursion with the one couple on our ship that we got on with super well.

[Astro Flyer]

well now I'm second-guessing myself! its probably best I stay with traditional, I can always change to anytime. I know its not always possible the other way around.

 

what table size do you all prefer?

 

My suggestion would be to try traditional dining & to decide for yourself & to not base your decision on our opinions. ;)

 

As you said you could always change to anytime if it's not for you. I've had some great traditional dining experiences & generally we request a table for eight. We've enjoyed TD very much with the same couples even on month-long cruises however we now want more flexibility.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[rdsqrl]

If you're sailing alone, I think you'll really like TD. It's nice to have the same set of people every night at dinner with whom you can share your days' stories. My strategy is to bring a book just in case no one else shows up. I have a horror of having to sit there by myself with nothing to read -- it's not the being alone at the table I mind; it's the not having something to occupy my brain!

[cdngrl]

rdsqrl, yes, sailing alone. once I was the first person seated at a shared table for 6 in the main dining room for lunch. no one else came for lunch who wanted to share so there I was all alone. I don't mind eating alone but everyone felt so sorry for me that I had servers, the white coats and the blue coats all coming to talk. that made me feel so conspicuous. that's probably when I had something green stuck in my teeth.

[rdsqrl]

rdsqrl, yes, sailing alone. once I was the first person seated at a shared table for 6 in the main dining room for lunch. no one else came for lunch who wanted to share so there I was all alone. I don't mind eating alone but everyone felt so sorry for me that I had servers, the white coats and the blue coats all coming to talk. that made me feel so conspicuous. that's probably when I had something green stuck in my teeth.

At a table for 6, that's definitely noticeable! I'm whispering this part, since I know I'm supposed to love chatting up the crew and finding all about where they're from, but part of the reason I'm always armed with a book is so that I don't have to make chitchat with waiters and white jackets who think because I'm alone, I must be lonely.

 

And for the record, I sure wish I were going with you -- your itinerary sounds so awesome! Plus, we could arrange to be at the same table, where I promise I'd show up every night!

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm doing the opposite & going from traditional to anytime dining. ;)

 

Our most recent cruise on a table of 8 had one couple who only dined once during our month onboard. Most nights it was only 4 of us at a table for 8 which I'll never request again. I don't understand why people request traditional dining and then rarely go. :confused: Early traditional dining is generally waitlisted and many people are unable to get it. :(

 

I'm wondering if maybe those other four people didn't understand the concept of the MDR. It seems that there's been people going on their first cruise who think they'll get charged to eat in the MDR or don't know understand they have an assigned table (don't ask me why if it's on one's cabin card).

 

We have always had late traditional except a couple of cruises ago when all the traditional seatings were full. We didn't clear the waitlist by the time we got onboard (and it didn't occur to me to go see the head waiter the first afternoon). As it turned out, we didn't care for anytime dining and ended up eating 7 out of 14 nights in the Horizon. After the cruise, my hubby (who I thought may be okay or even happy to have a.t.) actually said that he didn't feel that anytime dining was special at all and much preferred traditional.

 

For the OP, we would try to time our arrival every night to about the time of the seating, except for the first night we would wait five minutes or so. That's because each party is escorted to their table so there's usually a wait to get in.

 

If you know you're not going to your seating the next night, you can let your tablemates and waitstaff know. I think we've only missed once in several cruises when on traditional dining -- when our daughter felt iffy. So we went to the buffet for a quick dinner and then retired to our cabin to stay with her. We never got around to telling the waitstaff so we hoped they didn't wait.

 

On one cruise, we had an evening (4-9pm) port stay. One set of tablemates said they had made dinner plans with friends who lived there so don't expect them. We took our time getting on the ship -- we were on our way to the Horizon but stopped by the MDR just to check the menu to see what we were going to miss. The door was still open and the headwaiter told us to come in -- no worries. It turned out that our British mates were at the table -- their friends couldn't join them. But if we ate in the buffet, it would have been no big deal.

 

Personally I feel we've gotten along better with our traditional table mates over the years than with some of those we ate with at anytime.

[OCruisers]

The biggest problem for us is when we are seated at a large table and no on else ever shows up. We like to meet new people. Then we like to meet them again every night! LOL. My best advice is to seek a new assignment right away if things don't work for you. One night ought to tell you whether is works or not, maybe two. The sooner the better in any case..

 

Not having others show up at the table was a big factor in why we changed to Anytime some years ago. Now, so totally love the flexibility of AT that we would never want to change back to TA. :)

LuLu

[M4dC0w]

The art of conversation is lost, traditional dining brings it back

 

On our last cruise we were at a table of 8, and only 2 other couples were with us. They were much older than us, but the conversations were enlighting

[cdngrl]

And for the record, I sure wish I were going with you -- your itinerary sounds so awesome! Plus, we could arrange to be at the same table, where I promise I'd show up every night!

 

that would be a treat. someday, I hope!

 

thank you all. it will be a new experience for me for sure. if the biggest concern I have is dining, I'm pretty darned lucky!

[dorisis]

Just a thought... We have been in suites where the first night we are comped a dinner in one of the speciality restaurants. That makes us a no show at dinner.

[Stevesan]

Easy Peasey:

If you're unhappy with your assigned table, see the head waiter and he'll reseat you.

[FritzG]

Not having others show up at the table was a big factor in why we changed to Anytime some years ago. Now, so totally love the flexibility of AT that we would never want to change back to TA. :)

LuLu

 

This is getting to be a big issue, and I wish Princess would do something about it. On our 3 of our last 5 cruises we were alone the first two nights at a table for 6 because our table mates went to anytime dining. On a longer cruise that wouldn't be so bad, but 2 of these cruises were 5 days. On a 10 day cruise we were given another table after day 2 which worked out great.

 

Night after night we saw tables either empty or with one couple, and yet sometimes we meet people who were on wait lists for TD and didn't get assigned tables because on paper the dining room is full booked.

 

Princess has to find some way to let passengers know that TD means you will show up at dinner most, if not all, nights and let your table mates or waiter know if you'll be going to a specialty restaurant.

[Nancyquilts]

We prefer early traditional dining , and solve the problem of holding up the service for everyone by saying that if we are more than 5 minutes late we will not be coming. If we know ahead of time that we won't be there, we tell both the waiters and our table mates the night before.

[bigenna]

Our first cruise we had early traditional and, as we are rarely late for anything and always showed up, as did our tablemates, it didn't even occur to us that latecomers/no shows caused problems.

Since then we have had everything previously discussed happen and I have to say it has been a real learning experience for us.

On one cruise, at a table for six, four of us always showed up on time, the other couple were consistently late, up to half an hour, then chatted for another ten minutes about their day before even looking at the menu. We didn't say anything for the first few days but we were always too late to attend some of our chosen activities.

We finally politely explained this and asked if anyone would mind if we ordered earlier on subsequent evenings. It was a little awkward but they started arriving earlier from then on.

Unfortunately it left us feeling a little embarrassed that we had said anything, when really it was their lack of concern for their dining companions that caused the situation. BTW they were not first time cruisers.

We have had AT the last few cruises but are going to try TD again our next couple.

Their are pros and cons with both.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

Edited May 20, 2014 by bigenna

[flag fan]

I always book traditional (late seating) (large table-6 or 8) as it is an easier way to meet people (I sail solo). It is more and more common that there will be people missing on various nights, I think mainly because of the many options for alternative dining venues (buffet, multiple specialty restaurants, and even room service). (I am guilty of always missing a few days in order to try out different venues.) I have on one occasion had a table for 6 by myself--not a big deal, I just had my dinner and enjoyed it. (You can always leave and go to the buffet or an alternative restaurant if you find yourself in that situation; I did not find it a problem.) My best experience in about 10 cruises on a number of cruise lines was in traditional dining on a Princess cruise--there was real bonding. That experience is not likely with Anytime Dining.

[latebloomer56]

We prefer early traditional dining , and solve the problem of holding up the service for everyone by saying that if we are more than 5 minutes late we will not be coming. If we know ahead of time that we won't be there, we tell both the waiters and our table mates the night before.

We changed to TD a few years ago without any issue due to the fact we book early. I understand this is waitlisted the closer you book for your cruise.

We don't have an issue with folk's not showing up as we request a table for 2. Now understand Princess's idea of a table for 2 is 4 inches apart in most cases. This is great if folk's near you don't show no problem with your service it's a separate table. If they do you have a choice to talk or not. We have been lucky and have had wonderful folk's next to us the last 2 trips with Princess and hoping for the same this next trip.

Also thanks to CC I know it is still a good thing to let your server know you are not going to be there on a certain night or may be a little late due to an excursion. I know from past trips our wait staff has set up drinks etc. for us and we would have what we would always request on hand throughout dinner. My husband is a soda drinker with his meals and they generally bring out a couple at the start so when he asks it's right there. If they know we will be late or not come at all they can adjust.

[Cruisin' Chick]

...

Princess has to find some way to let passengers know that TD means you will show up at dinner most, if not all, nights and let your table mates or waiter know if you'll be going to a specialty restaurant.

 

Since we started cruising when all dining on board was traditional, I wonder how often a TA lets a new cruiser know how the different dining choices works. And does the booking agents at Princess offer an explanation? Considering that every once in a rare while we see a post from someone who had returned from their first cruise and honestly didn't even know that the MDRs are included in the fare -- it doesn't surprise me that some people don't know the difference.

[gooch47]

Back when we did traditional dining, we always told the other diners and waiter that if we weren't on time they should assume we weren't coming and to go ahead without us.

[cdngrl]

thanks everyone for your experiences; I'm sailing on my own, would you recommend a table for 6 people or 8?