Is 6:15 dinner too early?

[caribill]

We did Alaska in November (had beautiful weather and sunshine everywhere) and it doesn't stay light late at that time.

 

 

What cruise line offers Alaska cruises in November?

[Colo Cruiser]

What cruise line offers Alaska cruises in November?

 

Icebreaker.

[Thrak]

What cruise line offers Alaska cruises in November?

 

Sorry, typo. It was September. My bad.

 

Cruise was on Sea Princess in 2011.

 

November... BRRRRRRR!!!! :eek:

[caribill]

what makes you hate it?

 

In our case I would not say "hate," but here are our reasons for not liking it:

 

o If not traveling with others, end up with different people each evening (we do share) and end up having the same conversations every evening. In traditional we get to better know our traveling companions (have made some great friends) ad have a different conversation each evening.

 

o We enjoy having the same waitstaff every evening that traditional has. The waitstaff learns our preferences and we interact more and better with them.

 

o Sometimes there can be a significant wait to be seated. The one time we did anytime (with friends, so not new people every night) and we wanted to attend an event after dinner and we missed it because we had to wait over an hour to be seated.

 

Yes, some ships allow reservations for some of the time anytime is open. But if you want reserve the same time every evening, you might as well have done traditional. If you need to call each AM to get the time you would like for that evening, it can be a big annoyance with busy signals and time lost while trying to get ready for an early shore excursion.

Edited July 26, 2014 by caribill

[MauiLvrs]

what makes you hate it?

Hate waiting in line to be seated.

Hate not being able to eat at anytime.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

Hate waiting in line to be seated.

Hate not being able to eat at anytime.

 

So you hate anytime dining because you're not able to eat anytime?

[LEtue]

I am also traveling southbound next year on the Star. I always book traditional early dining - even in Alaska. But this time I am trying Anytime Dining.

 

Based on what I am reading here Anytime Dining will be the popular choice so a wait is likely :(

 

The other option is the Bistro on nights when I don't want to wait :)

Edited July 27, 2014 by LEtue

[hollon]

WHEN is your planned cruise? I see a lot of people talking about how it stays light very late in Alaska but that isn't true for all cruises. We did Alaska in November (had beautiful weather and sunshine everywhere) and it doesn't stay light late at that time.

 

Without knowing when your proposed trip is to happen I don't understand how so many people can give "definitive" answers to your question!

 

We are going on our cruise June 3rd, 2015

[nybumpkin]

We just returned from our Alaska cruise. We usually book early seating - on Carnival the seatings are 6:00 and 8:15, and 6:00 is closer to our dinner time at home. We also like having the same wait staff every night. However, on this itinerary Carnival moved dinner up by 1/2 hour, so dinner was 5:30. I tried to switch to anytime dining, but it was fully booked. If I had it to do over again, we would have booked anytime - the early dining time interfered with port times too much.

[MauiLvrs]

So you hate anytime dining because you're not able to eat anytime?

 

That really sums it up well.

Maybe it should be called "Sometime Dining".

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

[Budget Queen]

We just returned from our Alaska cruise. We usually book early seating - on Carnival the seatings are 6:00 and 8:15, and 6:00 is closer to our dinner time at home. We also like having the same wait staff every night. However, on this itinerary Carnival moved dinner up by 1/2 hour, so dinner was 5:30. I tried to switch to anytime dining, but it was fully booked. If I had it to do over again, we would have booked anytime - the early dining time interfered with port times too much.

 

You eat dinner at 2pm at home? :)

[Budget Queen]

We are going on our cruise June 3rd, 2015

 

there is a lot of daylight in that timeframe. But you have indicated you want fixed dining and want full access to the ship shows. Then I would NOT suggest you "try" anytime, just because most of the above posts claim you should do so. It sounds like the meals and shows are more important to you. Then they will come at the expense of flexibility, same for the anytime diners- where they may have to wait for seating. What people choose MUST be for that person, not just because someone else claims it is the best. Both options work very well.

 

In my case, as an example- I was on a cruise ship 21 days in May, in Alaska. We ate in the dining room- twice. I sailed again a couple weeks ago, didn't go to the dining room once. But ate twice in speciality restaurants. I never go to any evening shows, I do this in other locations. This is MY preference, that gets all kinds of "criticism" about cruise ships are about meals etc. Sorry, not for me, after 92 cruises. :)

 

So, determine, YOUR preferences, and go with those. Early dining- could still work out well for some great scenic sailing sightings after dinner.

[nybumpkin]

You eat dinner at 2pm at home? :)

LOL - DH and I did fine with the time change, but the boys had a harder time. We flew back to New York right after the cruise and arrived home a little after midnight. I had to get into work that morning and figured I'd be able to get about 6 hours' sleep. Wrong. While my mind was readjusting to Eastern time, my body was stuck on Pacific time. By the time wake-up rolled around, I think I got no more than 4 hours' sleep.:eek:

 

Next week we're sailing a Western Caribbean cruise out of Miami. No time changes.:)

[Boilermaker77]

We were first time cruisers and anytime dining was recommended to us. We loved it! We planned our day the night before and in the morning we called to make reservations for whatever time was convenient for us and requested a window table and always got it. We did not have to wait in line. We always shared a table and the topics did change nightly because we all talked about the excursions we had enjoyed that day - what we did, what we saw, would we recommend it - that sort of thing. So there was no repetition of conversation.

 

I would not enjoy eating at the same time with the same people every night especially when there was so much to do every day and it changed every day.

But as my grandmother always said, to each his own.:)

[bearbait]

Don't they have a buffet onboard? Why can't you just go eat anytime you want? Why do you have to change clothes for dinner? That seems like a waste of time and clothes. Maybe that's why I've never been on a cruise, eh? Sounds too regemented for this Alaskan.