Only late times left for Anthem Restaurants

[Labador93]

On my cruise planner, it shows that all the times available for dinner are around 9:00 PM. A Royal Caribbean consultant told me that it would be ok not to make reservations as it would be easy to find a table when onboard. This doesn't seem like the case as only late times are available. Should I just book the 9:00 times, so that it is guaranteed that we get a table or should we wait till we are on the ship and try an earlier time?

[marci22]

Yes, book those times and first thing onboard, try to change to earlier. Even if they say, 'there is nothing available earlier', I would show up half hour earlier and ask if I could be seated.

 

From what people have posted, the restaurants are often near empty at certain times.

Edited August 4, 2016 by marci22

[bedazzler]

They hold some reservations to be booked only onboard. I wouldn't worry. When you get on board, login to the booking system on your stateroom TV or cell phone app and make reservations. You can also speak to the maitre'd and they'll get things squared away for you :)

[Baron Barracuda]

Agree with all above.

 

A late reservation is much better than no reservation. Just read all the angry posts from folks who were shut out and had to eat in the Windjammer.

 

After boarding you can try using the Royal app to make changes, but we found it much easier to go right to the hostess station outside the restaurants. They are very happy to assist you.

[Labador93]

Agree with all above.

 

A late reservation is much better than no reservation. Just read all the angry posts from folks who were shut out and had to eat in the Windjammer.

 

After boarding you can try using the Royal app to make changes, but we found it much easier to go right to the hostess station outside the restaurants. They are very happy to assist you.

 

So if I made the late reservation, would it be likely if we can be seated at 7:00 if we showed up then or will that be impossible?

[Ocean Dancer]

So if I made the late reservation, would it be likely if we can be seated at 7:00 if we showed up then or will that be impossible?

 

 

Make any reservation you can get. Don't worry about the time. Those without reservations will be eating at 9 or 9:30 or in the Windjammer.

[Tura Lura]

Make any reservation you can get. Don't worry about the time. Those without reservations will be eating at 9 or 9:30 or in the Windjammer.

 

I'm not making reservations. I'm just walking up when I'm hungry. I may have to wait a bit, or pick a different restaurant that night, but as long as I'm flexible, no worries. And I won't be at the buffet every night either.

[BalconyBob]

We were on the Anthem in January and this was a major problem for us and a major negative of the ship. The crew don't like it and the passengers are confused and annoyed. Also check out the smaller restaurant near the enclosed pool. Most people won't be aware of it earlier in the cruise. Because of these issues, we found that Anthem's Windjammer to be more crowded than on other ships--restaurant of last resort.

 

Personally I think it helps them push the specially restaurants.

 

 

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[marci22]

I'm not making reservations. I'm just walking up when I'm hungry. I may have to wait a bit, or pick a different restaurant that night, but as long as I'm flexible, no worries. And I won't be at the buffet every night either.

 

Is your cruise on Anthem? I think you may be ok if you are a party of 2. People have been reporting that when trying to book onboard (Anthem), they are being told that they can eat at 9pm or go to the WJ.

 

I would book any reservations you can get and then plan on adjusting them onboard. If you don't care when you eat or having to eat in WJ, you are ok with not booking anything beforehand.

[Tura Lura]

Is your cruise on Anthem? I think you may be ok if you are a party of 2. People have been reporting that when trying to book onboard (Anthem), they are being told that they can eat at 9pm or go to the WJ.

 

I would book any reservations you can get and then plan on adjusting them onboard. If you don't care when you eat or having to eat in WJ, you are ok with not booking anything beforehand.

 

I'm a party of One. :). I'll be fine. Planning where and when I'm

eating each night so far in advance makes no sense to me. I have no idea when I'll be hungry, what ill feel like doing or eating...

[Ocean Dancer]

I'm not making reservations. I'm just walking up when I'm hungry. I may have to wait a bit, or pick a different restaurant that night, but as long as I'm flexible, no worries. And I won't be at the buffet every night either.

 

You are reading cruise critic for advice. Dynamic Dining does not make sense to me either, but take any reservation you can get. Those with reservations are the first to be accomidated.

 

No worries, huh? And you won't be eating in the buffet? Then enjoy your pizza!

[Tura Lura]

You are reading cruise critic for advice. Dynamic Dining does not make sense to me either, but take any reservation you can get. Those with reservations are the first to be accomidated.

 

No worries, huh? And you won't be eating in the buffet? Then enjoy your pizza!

 

Don't be silly. I've read loads of reports of people doing walk up and getting seated just fine. I think folks stress so much about eating on the cruise. It's fine. I may have to wait abit ( 15 -20 mins I've heard at the outside) but they specifically have tables for walk ups, plus the reservation system is made assuming 2 hours between seatings, which is way more time than most folks take. Take away MDR and people lose their minds! It's fine. :)

[53sunset]

On my cruise planner, it shows that all the times available for dinner are around 9:00 PM. A Royal Caribbean consultant told me that it would be ok not to make reservations as it would be easy to find a table when onboard. This doesn't seem like the case as only late times are available. Should I just book the 9:00 times, so that it is guaranteed that we get a table or should we wait till we are on the ship and try an earlier time?

 

We found the same thing last year on Anthem. As the date of the cruise drew nearer I looked again and there were a lot of earlier times that had opened. But once on board, we found we didn't even need a reservation most of the time or else we would book it the day of. Enjoy your cruise.

[Tura Lura]

We found the same thing last year on Anthem. As the date of the cruise drew nearer I looked again and there were a lot of earlier times that had opened. But once on board, we found we didn't even need a reservation most of the time or else we would book it the day of. Enjoy your cruise.

 

Exactly what I've read in many reviews and reports. That's why I'm not bothering with reservations.

[Ocean Dancer]

Exactly what I've read in many reviews and reports. That's why I'm not bothering with reservations.

 

Those WITH reservations will be taken care of first. You MAY luck out, some have, but many have been turned away. Just make reservations for any time. Why is this so hard? I''ve sailed Anthem and there is so much more to do then stand in line for dinner when those with reservations go ahead of you.

 

Enjoy your Pizza and enjoy your cruise :confused:

 

BTW the pizza sucks!

Edited August 6, 2016 by Ocean Dancer

[spookwife]

So if I made the late reservation, would it be likely if we can be seated at 7:00 if we showed up then or will that be impossible?

 

somewhere between impossible and likely. we have been down to show up before our listed reservation time and been told we can be seated immediately, or not at all, or in about 20 minutes if we were willing to share.

[reallyitsmema]

somewhere between impossible and likely. we have been down to show up before our listed reservation time and been told we can be seated immediately, or not at all, or in about 20 minutes if we were willing to share.

 

You experienced this on Anthem? When? All the posts about Anthem have been saying that people are being turned away if they don't have reservations since the tables are being saved for those with Dynamic Dining Classic.

[Tura Lura]

Those WITH reservations will be taken care of first. You MAY luck out, some have, but many have been turned away. Just make reservations for any time. Why is this so hard? I''ve sailed Anthem and there is so much more to do then stand in line for dinner when those with reservations go ahead of you.

 

Enjoy your Pizza and enjoy your cruise :confused:

 

BTW the pizza sucks!

 

I won't eat the pizza. I live in Brooklyn, I know good pizza. The point is that it's not hard. It's easy. I'll eat just fine. If they say it's 20mins, I go somewhere else or I read for 20 mins. Which is what I'd be doing anyway. I think folks over complicate dynamic dining. It's no big deal.

[Keksie]

We are not making reservations either except the one night we are eating in Wonderland. The whole point of Choice or MTD to me is that you go when you want to not at some appointed time. There is no way I know today what or when I want to eat a month from now. There is also no way I can eat at 9p.m. That is almost our bedtime and we usually eat dinner between 5:30 and 6:30. I guess if what people are saying is true and we get turned away we will just eat at the WJ. We usually eat there one or two nights of a cruise anyway when we are not that hungry or are tired from a busy day. The meals are nice but eating is not the big part of the cruise to us anyway, by the end of a cruise I am really full. We cruise more for the ports.

[Tura Lura]

We are not making reservations either except the one night we are eating in Wonderland. The whole point of Choice or MTD to me is that you go when you want to not at some appointed time. There is no way I know today what or when I want to eat a month from now. There is also no way I can eat at 9p.m. That is almost our bedtime and we usually eat dinner between 5:30 and 6:30. I guess if what people are saying is true and we get turned away we will just eat at the WJ. We usually eat there one or two nights of a cruise anyway when we are not that hungry or are tired from a busy day. The meals are nice but eating is not the big part of the cruise to us anyway, by the end of a cruise I am really full. We cruise more for the ports.

 

Thank you! Exactly. I don't know what I'm eating tomorrow much less a month or more out. Be flexible and don't worry about it.

[Biker19]

You experienced this on Anthem? When? All the posts about Anthem have been saying that people are being turned away if they don't have reservations since the tables are being saved for those with Dynamic Dining Classic.

 

No, they are saved for people with reservations with Choice. Classic only makes up a small portion of overall seats. If you show up at 7 you could very well be told nothing is available, but if you show at 5:30 or 9 you probably have no wait. Some of this also depends on the venue - some are more popular than others.

[reallyitsmema]

Thank you! Exactly. I don't know what I'm eating tomorrow much less a month or more out. Be flexible and don't worry about it.

 

From what I have read, if you go without a reservation, you have the best bet of getting a table if you go at 6ish if you want an early table. The tables are being held from 5:30 to 6 for those that have Dynamic Dining Classic 1. They release tables that have been held for the no-shows in that time frame. If you go too late, you then run into a conflict with a table being held for Dynamic Dining Classic 2.

 

We are on the 5 night immediately prior to your 9 night, I will post how things go for us. We can not be too flexible as my mother is traveling with us and she can not eat too late.

[Tura Lura]

From what I have read, if you go without a reservation, you have the best bet of getting a table if you go at 6ish if you want an early table. The tables are being held from 5:30 to 6 for those that have Dynamic Dining Classic 1. They release tables that have been held for the no-shows in that time frame. If you go too late, you then run into a conflict with a table being held for Dynamic Dining Classic 2.

 

We are on the 5 night immediately prior to your 9 night, I will post how things go for us. We can not be too flexible as my mother is traveling with us and she can not eat too late.

 

Cool. Report back! I'll be totally flexible since I'm solo. No one else to worry about :).

[Baron Barracuda]

The difference between Quantum class (including Anthem) and every other ship I've sailed on is that the dining rooms are too small to feed everyone in two seatings.

 

Believe that the four comp restaurants hold roughly 1700 while total passenger count ranges from 4200 - 4800. A good piece of each dr is allocated to dd classic which only has two seatings. That means they'd have to do at 3+ turns in the remaining space. For that to work they'd have to be full up when the doors open at 5:30. It doesn't happen. In my experience they are less than half full at 6:00 and don't become very crowded until 6:30.

 

We had 6:30 reservations back in June on a less than totally full sailing and still had to wait over 20 minutes some nights. People attempting to walk up were sent to the Windjammer. Attempted to change some reservations mid-cruise and was told there were no openings before 9pm. Never saw so many people eating dinner in the Windjammer.

 

IMO thinking you can just walk up and be seated after a short wait is just naive. This overcrowding problem existed when we sailed Quantum last year and it hasn't gotten any better on Anthem. The math just doesn't work. The staff tries hard. We had head waiters serving our food and saw dedicated teams clearing and resetting tables on the fly. Maybe you'll be lucky some nights, but if you don't make reservations you're just setting yourself up for a night at the buffet. Fortunately, the food there isn't too bad.

[Ocean Dancer]

Baron, thank you, you seem to "get it":)

 

Mema, you've cruise enough to follow some good advice;)

 

Tura, no reservations, no Windjammer, no Pizza.

 

Enjoy your room service, but they only deliver cold foods :confused:

 

We pay good money to DINE, not just EAT.