Dining Question (Ruby, if it matters)

[fuzznsmoo]

I'm getting ready to book a cruise with my daughter and trying to decide on dining choice. I've done both anytime (with a large group) and traditional in the past. We like the idea of sitting with others and meeting new folks. However, when I travelled with a school age daughter, it seems that Carnival attempted to put us at a table with "similar" folks. I guess there weren't many mom/kid couples and we ended up at a table for 8 with only a mom and her (possibly on the spectrum) teenage son. It was NOT a good fit:)

 

Does Princess try to match folks at the tables and, if so, what are they likely to do with a late 50s/early 20s couple?

 

If we go with Anytime Dining, do we end up alone, or will they put us with other folks?

 

TIA,

[caribill]

 

 

Does Princess try to match folks at the tables and, if so, what are they likely to do with a late 50s/early 20s couple?

 

 

If we go with Anytime Dining, do we end up alone, or will they put us with other folks?

 

TIA,

 

With anytime, when you go to the dining room they will ask you if you want to share a table or not.

 

As far as matching, we have been at tables with a wide range of ages as well as at tables with passengers close to our age, but the latter was with cruises with very few young people aboard.

Edited February 18, 2015 by caribill

[fuzznsmoo]

Thanks caribill. We'll go with that option and meet new folks each night:)

[Seafoam Green]

Thanks caribill. We'll go with that option and meet new folks each night:)

 

If you find a time that seems most comfortable for the two of you, call the Dine Line each morning and make a reservation for 2 and indicate that you would like to share a table. That will minmize wait time.

 

It's fun to have new dining companions each evening. Enjoy your cruise!

 

:D

Edited February 18, 2015 by Seafoam Green

[TKS]

We recently finished a Ruby cruise and one of my major concerns before departure was the comments on CC about anytime dining, which we had booked.

 

We called the dine line every morning (only had difficulty making the connection the day of embarkation - lots of folks setting up their needs) and were essentially able to walk in each night with no wait. We sometimes dined alone, and sometimes with others. There were few young people on our cruise, and we're over 60, so we were pretty much the average demographic for the cruise we were on, but we thoroughly enjoyed the folks we ate with.

 

But be sure to call for reservations. Each night when we virtually walked in with our reservations at 7:30 we saw lines of anywhere from 20 to 40 people waiting to be seated, and those lines were not moving quickly.

Edited February 18, 2015 by TKS

[Ofmyheart]

Just got off the Ruby in Jan. we never called the dining to reserve times we just "showed up" when we were ready to eat. Every night we were asked if we would mind sharing, our answer was of course. Some nights we sat with 3 other couples and some nights it was just the two of us, it was never a problem.

We too enjoy meeting other couples but it was also nice to eat alone at times.

Regardless, ENJOY!!!

[OCruisers]

We're also just off Ruby in January.

Never had a problem with Anytime Dining ... but we always said that we would be happy to share with any and did not request a special table or waiter. :)

By the end of the second leg, they started calling us "EASY"! :D

LuLu

[fuzznsmoo]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like flexibility rules so we'll have a great time!

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