How much leeway do they give you on timing of traditional dining reservations ?

[The Other Tom]

We've booked anytime dining on our upcoming cruise but I'm having second thoughts. Let's say I book traditional dining at 5:30 but don't show up until 5:45. Will they still seat me right away or will I have to wait ? In other words, how long will they hold the table ?

[the english lady]

We've booked anytime dining on our upcoming cruise but I'm having second thoughts. Let's say I book traditional dining at 5:30 but don't show up until 5:45. Will they still seat me right away or will I have to wait ? In other words, how long will they hold the table ?

 

Dont know about princess, but pando, another carnival brand. The doors are shut 15 mins after dining starts.

If you are on a table larger than 2, you would also cause problems for your tablemates ,as they tend to wait until the whole table is seated,before taking orders, so if you constantly turn up late, their meals will also be late, and you would not be popular.

[skynight]

We've booked anytime dining on our upcoming cruise but I'm having second thoughts. Let's say I book traditional dining at 5:30 but don't show up until 5:45. Will they still seat me right away or will I have to wait ? In other words, how long will they hold the table ?

If you are at a shared table then all the others will either have to be delayed or they will begin without you. Not a good situation.

[The Other Tom]

Not a shared table...only me and my wife.

[Ron the Rev]

Why would you want to be late ?.:(

[Timbles]

Arriving late still throws off the timing of the waitstaff. While other tables are having their appetizer plates delivered/cleared, you are arriving and the waitstaff has to 'start over' with the menu's, drink requests, etc.

[TNTLAMB]

There are others coming after you. Not fair to delay them. On many ships the 5:30 sitting is actually in what afterwards becomes an ATD dining room. It was added because of the demand for early traditional dining and to mitigate the coming rush of ATD. Being late screws up lots of folk following you. Not to mention the waitstaff who have a tendencey to "get even" They will take care of on time folk before they even consider you. Their flow is critical to serving everyone else. Depending on the ship and the number of folks waiting, they don't hold up long and give the table to ATD.

Edited August 9, 2016 by TNTLAMB

[IECalCruiser]

As others have said, probably 15 minutes but even that can mess up the flow of your waitstaff. They often times will pick up orders for several tables sat once. You should really show up at your scheduled time, eat at the buffet or switch to Anytime dining IMHO.

[floridalover5623]

Princess doesn't seem to ever shut their doors to late comers at traditional dining, although they should. It's not fair to others dining at that table to have their meal slowed down by inconsiderate people. Yes, there are circumstances when it does happen but we've had occasions where the same people were late almost every night. It's caused us to not choose TD a long time ago.

 

Many say that people who arrived on time should proceed ordering when there are a few missing but that doesn't work out to well since the waiter slows down the serving others until the late people catch up & the serving gets back in sync. They really don't like to serve main courses while others are eating dessert.

We've walked out early many times when things like that have happened in order to get to a show & get seats only to have to return to the DR later in the evening for dessert.

[The Other Tom]

I'm not planning on being late. I'm just asking a what if question. You guys are assuming I'm going to be late on purpose...not so. I'm asking how long will they hold my table if I'm unavoidably detained, i.e., late.

Again, there won't be anybody else at the table. It will be a table for two.

Yes, I know it will hold up others who are waiting on "my table" but it's not my intention to be rude. Sometimes people are late for many reasons.

[FritzG]

On our Ruby Alaskan cruise in May there was a notice that the doors would be closed 10 minutes after the assigned time and that your seats could be given to an anytime dining passenger. I never noticed it happening, but wouldn't bringing in another passenger late be just as bad as the assigned passenger coming late?

 

I can see them giving the seats away if you're late for an anytime dining reservation, but in the mdr I don't think it makes much sense.

 

This was the first time I saw a notice like that. If Princess would just standardize their td dining times and actually have them at the time that is confirmed on your booking it would help a lot. I'm always confirmed for 6pm first seating dinner, and first seating has only been at 6pm once in the last 4 years--and even that was for only one segment of a b2b.

Edited August 9, 2016 by FritzG

[cclvr]

I'm not planning on being late. I'm just asking a what if question. You guys are assuming I'm going to be late on purpose...not so. I'm asking how long will they hold my table if I'm unavoidably detained, i.e., late.

Again, there won't be anybody else at the table. It will be a table for two.

Yes, I know it will hold up others who are waiting on "my table" but it's not my intention to be rude. Sometimes people are late for many reasons.

 

How do you know you will definitely have a table for 2 in TD dining. I always thought you could request but not be guaranteed to get your request. Part of the reason why we do Anytime.

[neverbeenhere]

How do you know you will definitely have a table for 2 in TD dining. I always thought you could request but not be guaranteed to get your request. Part of the reason why we do Anytime.

 

 

Correct. BTW, Tom can do whatever he wants, but not The Other Tom.

[The Other Tom]

How do you know you will definitely have a table for 2 in TD dining. I always thought you could request but not be guaranteed to get your request. Part of the reason why we do Anytime.

I'm assuming they'll honor my request for a table for 2 if I chose TD. Is this not the case ?

[Thrak]

When we got back late at one port we were going to be maybe 15 - 20 minutes late for dinner in MDR. We went to the buffet instead. It's best to be on time.

 

Be there or be octagonal...:rolleyes:

[OCruisers]

Why not do the 6 PM Traditional Dining so you won't be late?

Princess normally offers both a 5:30 and a 6:00 Early seating TD.

Edited August 9, 2016 by OCruisers

[neverbeenhere]

There are only so many tables for two. Many people request them, some get them. Captain's Circle status may or may not help someone get one of the tables for two.

[iceleven]

I think it is a legitimate question that the OP asked. Long before I became a member of CC my husband and I were given an assigned dining time, probably early seating. It was a while back and on a different cruise line. On one evening we arrived about 15 minutes late to our assigned table of four couples. We didn't intentionally arrive late, we simply got back from a tour a bit late and wanted to wash up before dinner. Two of the couples were gracious, as usual, but one couple gave us the evil eye throughout the evening.

 

To be perfectly honest, we had no idea how the system worked. We were new to cruising and sharing tables. We simply thought it worked like any other restaurant where you ordered when you were seated but shared a table out of convenience to the ship and waiters. Had someone told us how it worked, we would never, ever have inconvenienced anyone.

 

I think a little education can go a long way and there is no reason to ridicule or assume everyone is doing it intentionally. Is there a manual printed anywhere where new cruisers can become aware of this? I've never seen one. Perhaps a note explaining it in the cruise manual always left in the cabin?

[Thrak]

Why not do the 6 PM Traditional Dining so you won't be late?

Princess normally offers both a 5:30 and a 6:00 Early seating TD.

 

Princess can also "move" your dining time. We booked the 5:30 dining on a 17 day cruise and it was confirmed. When we boarded they changed it to 5:15. 5:30 was already pushing things but 5:15 was crazy early.

[The Other Tom]

I think a little education can go a long way and there is no reason to ridicule or assume everyone is doing it intentionally. Is there a manual printed anywhere where new cruisers can become aware of this? I've never seen one. Perhaps a note explaining it in the cruise manual always left in the cabin?

Exactly. That's why I asked the question. These boards are for helping others, not assumption and ridicule. Thank you for your understanding.

[neverbeenhere]

I think it is a legitimate question that the OP asked. Long before I became a member of CC my husband and I were given an assigned dining time, probably early seating. It was a while back and on a different cruise line. On one evening we arrived about 15 minutes late to our assigned table of four couples. We didn't intentionally arrive late, we simply got back from a tour a bit late and wanted to wash up before dinner. Two of the couples were gracious, as usual, but one couple gave us the evil eye throughout the evening.

 

To be perfectly honest, we had no idea how the system worked. We were new to cruising and sharing tables. We simply thought it worked like any other restaurant where you ordered when you were seated but shared a table out of convenience to the ship and waiters. Had someone told us how it worked, we would never, ever have inconvenienced anyone.

 

I think a little education can go a long way and there is no reason to ridicule or assume everyone is doing it intentionally. Is there a manual printed anywhere where new cruisers can become aware of this? I've never seen one. Perhaps a note explaining it in the cruise manual always left in the cabin?

 

No usable manual out there. The some rules are always changing and are different from line to line AND ship to ship.

 

Totally a Legitimate question, however, totally legitimate for people to be skeptical about the intentions of anyone asking the question. When you have been the recipient of notorious "late diners" on a long cruise, you might bristle at the question.

[JF - retired RRT]

On the last cruise where we had TD, our tablemates (a table for 4) were late almost every evening. The DW wanted to take a picture of the sunset EVERY single day. When they were really late, we just told the waiters to start without them. When they finally showed up (30-45 minutes one night), they got caught up fairly quickly (ordered fast, ate fast) and finished with us.

[Colo Cruiser]

In traditional its best to be there within 15 minutes of starting time.

Its only fair to the wait staff and as stated if you have table mates them too.

[islandatsea]

As others have said, probably 15 minutes but even that can mess up the flow of your waitstaff. They often times will pick up orders for several tables sat once. You should really show up at your scheduled time, eat at the buffet or switch to Anytime dining IMHO.

 

Totally agree......... we changed to Anytime Dining a long time ago because it works better for us anyway.

[IECalCruiser]

Totally agree......... we changed to Anytime Dining a long time ago because it works better for us anyway.

We only consider TD when we are traveling with a group of family or friends. Otherwise it is ATD at a table for two between 5:30 and 6:00. We have a leisurely two course plus dessert meal and are usually out within an hour or so and we don't feel rushed. We don't like making chit-chat with strangers for two hours or more and this gives us another hour in the evening to enjoy the activities on the ship.