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

[Esprit]

Just back from two weeks on Royal Princess. We had second sitting and tended to arrive before 8.30 pm (some 15 minutes late!). We saw a couple turn up at 9.15 pm which I think is a liberty!

[floridalover5623]

Just back from two weeks on Royal Princess. We had second sitting and tended to arrive before 8.30 pm (some 15 minutes late!). We saw a couple turn up at 9.15 pm which I think is a liberty!

 

They should have sent them to the AT dining room.

[keithm]

Being 1/2 hour late may not be an issue for you but it would be interesting to be able to read the minds of the waitstaff as you waltz in late. They will not tell you but I am sure that it messes up their serving rhythm.

 

DON

First, we never Waltz! We Foxtrot! We always talk with the staff when we arrive the first night. We let them know we always have a sorbet intermezzo between our app. & our entrée. We tell them to start the second night(unless they like to start the first night). We've never had an issue if we're a half hour late.(most often is less than 15min.) Remember the galley is like an assembly line. They can move food along & interchange items in a heartbeat. Having a foodservice business, we know how it's handled.

[Murphey]

First, we never Waltz! We Foxtrot! We always talk with the staff when we arrive the first night. We let them know we always have a sorbet intermezzo between our app. & our entrée. We tell them to start the second night(unless they like to start the first night). We've never had an issue if we're a half hour late.(most often is less than 15min.) Remember the galley is like an assembly line. They can move food along & interchange items in a heartbeat. Having a foodservice business, we know how it's handled.

 

I agree with you...a good example is ordering an app for the main course. It's easy and encouraged. Or, as a table for two, we've often done all our courses while the big tables are just starting the main course.

Edited August 15, 2016 by Murphey

[caribill]

I have not been able to cruise since late 2014 illness in my immediate family but I do know in traditional dining sometimes there certainly remained gaps were folks had not turned up.Those empty spaces always stayed that way on Early Traditional.

Personally feel it is very selfish of folks booking Traditional when they rarely take those spots in the evening while others wanting Traditional are on a wait list. If they know they made a mistake after a couple of nights why not inform the maitre'd or Head Waiter so others can have that spot.There again I quote'If it were a perfect world................' :)

 

o Some people who book traditional only want to be there on formal nights.

 

o Some people who book traditional only want to be there on nights that are not formal.

 

o Some people are booked into traditional when their TA does not explain all of the dining option but simply asks if they want to eat early or late.

 

o And, it has been posted, some people who are booked into traditional do not show up because they are new to cruising and think there is an extra charge each evening they eat there, just like the specialty restaurants.

[keithm]

I agree with you...a good example is ordering an app for the main course. It's easy and encouraged. Or, as a table for two, we've often done all our courses while the big tables are just starting the main course.

Nice to see SOMEONE gets the idea! Being at a table for 2, it's much easier than a larger table, as everyone has different likes & dislikes.

Edited August 16, 2016 by keithm
grammar

[IECalCruiser]

I agree with you...a good example is ordering an app for the main course. It's easy and encouraged. Or, as a table for two, we've often done all our courses while the big tables are just starting the main course.

Tables for two can be much more efficient. In ATD we have seen tables for two turn twice in the time required to serve a larger table. Edited August 17, 2016 by IECalCruiser

[floridalover5623]

Tables for two can be much more efficient. In ATD we have seen tables for two turn twice in the time required to serve a larger table.

 

The larger the table, the more talking & it just slows down the whole process to turn an evening meal into a 2 plus hour chat session. We used to sit at large table but we get bored with hearing all the stories.

We simple like to eat in a reasonable amount of time & get to the show.

[kruisey]

The larger the table, the more talking & it just slows down the whole process to turn an evening meal into a 2 plus hour chat session. We used to sit at large table but we get bored with hearing all the stories.

We simple like to eat in a reasonable amount of time & get to the show.

 

I agree with you if that is how you feel Myself personally I love the comradery.To each his/her own :)

[donaldsc]

The larger the table, the more talking & it just slows down the whole process to turn an evening meal into a 2 plus hour chat session. We used to sit at large table but we get bored with hearing all the stories.

We simple like to eat in a reasonable amount of time & get to the show.

 

Sometimes we like to stay at a table and enjoy the conversation and sometimes we do not or can not. If it is the latter, we tell our table mates when we sit down that we will be leaving early to make a show. Everyone understands and we get to see the show.

 

Simple solution.

 

DON

[PoohUnderstands]

I also think it depends on the cruise itinerary you are doing. When we did our Med cruise the sites were a long way from the port and crazy long days. We were consistently late by about 15-20 minutes to the too early seating at 5:30 (which was supposed to be 6)and the wait staff understood and we ate very efficiently to help out. I mean we went to dinner straight from ending our tour day-no to room or anything! I found that doing the Caribbean itineraries I had no problem with being on time.

 

Aside: If you sign up for traditional dining at 6PM, just ASSUME it will be around 5:30 and be excited it is at 6!!!!!!! This is becoming, to me, a routine. Why doesn't Princess just say 5:30 and get it overwith. Then no one would sign up for early traditional dining and they would have to maybe do something about it!!!

 

Pooh

[dtb55]

When we did a very port intensive Med tour and knew we'd be back to the ship after 6pm, we booked the late seating to have time to freshen up after our tour and make dinner on time. On cruises with a lot of sea days we book dinner at 6. It's all about how you plan your days.

[IECalCruiser]

The larger the table, the more talking & it just slows down the whole process to turn an evening meal into a 2 plus hour chat session. We used to sit at large table but we get bored with hearing all the stories.

 

We simple like to eat in a reasonable amount of time & get to the show.

I agree with you if that is how you feel Myself personally I love the comradery.To each his/her own :)

Like floridalover5623, when we are sailing alone we prefer a table for two for a leisurely, by our standards, 60-75 minute dinner at a table for two. That allows us to take in one or two shows or activities after dinner and still get to bed at an early time. We hear enough stories if we need to share a table at lunch in the DR on sea days. We were lucky last December on the Pacific which only has TD that the other two couples also wanted to be done in 90 minutes or less to make the early shows. Every has there own cruising routine.

[easyboy]

The larger the table, the more talking & it just slows down the whole process to turn an evening meal into a 2 plus hour chat session. We used to sit at large table but we get bored with hearing all the stories.

We simple like to eat in a reasonable amount of time & get to the show.

Ditto. Such a waste of time to hear those stories that we are not interested.

[shredie]

Ditto. Such a waste of time to hear those stories that we are not interested.

 

I guess we've been lucky. We have had table companions who have been very interesting, some fascinating. The few times we've had a table for two, we both wished we had someone to talk to besides each other. We've heard each others' stories a million times. ;)

[Lucky TGO]

I guess we've been lucky. We have had table companions who have been very interesting, some fascinating. The few times we've had a table for two, we both wished we had someone to talk to besides each other. We've heard each others' stories a million times. ;)

I totally agree with you :)

Tony

[PescadoAmarillo]

I also think it depends on the cruise itinerary you are doing. When we did our Med cruise the sites were a long way from the port and crazy long days. We were consistently late by about 15-20 minutes to the too early seating at 5:30 (which was supposed to be 6)and the wait staff understood and we ate very efficiently to help out. I mean we went to dinner straight from ending our tour day-no to room or anything! I found that doing the Caribbean itineraries I had no problem with being on time.

 

Aside: If you sign up for traditional dining at 6PM, just ASSUME it will be around 5:30 and be excited it is at 6!!!!!!! This is becoming, to me, a routine. Why doesn't Princess just say 5:30 and get it overwith. Then no one would sign up for early traditional dining and they would have to maybe do something about it!!!

 

Pooh

On the Pacific Princess last fall for several itineraries, the early dining time ranged from 5:30pm to 6pm. If the itinerary was port day intensive, it was later; sea day intensive was earlier. We arrived once almost 30 minutes late (a headwaiter saw us reboarding the ship and insisted we come) and had no issues...BUT we were at a table for two (the only way to go for us these days). We could arrive 30 minutes later and still leave earlier than the majority of the dining room due to large table delays.

[floridalover5623]

A reserved table for 2 solves all the problems. You can arrive anytime & your table is waiting for you and it doesn't hold up anyone else wondering if you'll show or not. :rolleyes:

[FritzG]

A reserved table for 2 solves all the problems. You can arrive anytime & your table is waiting for you and it doesn't hold up anyone else wondering if you'll show or not. :rolleyes:

 

Not anymore. The recent posts and our experience on the Ruby in May show that if you're late they might give your table to an anytime diner.

[mattie00]

Not anymore. The recent posts and our experience on the Ruby in May show that if you're late they might give your table to an anytime diner.

 

We have a table for 2 on our upcoming cruises. As there is no "any time" dining on either cruise, can we assume that our table will still be there if we happen to be late?:confused: Thinking of those days when we would not have enough time to change before dinner after returning from a port tour if we arrived back at 5:30. Fifteen minutes to 1/2 hour leeway could make a big difference at those times.

[floridalover5623]

Not anymore. The recent posts and our experience on the Ruby in May show that if you're late they might give your table to an anytime diner.

 

They should and do the same in anytime dining also.

[bc_redhead]

We may be in the minority, but we really enjoyed sharing our meals with other people. We only have one cruise under our belt, (2nd in Feb '17!) so very limited experience with dining on a cruise, we may have also lucked out by having an interesting couple to speak with. I did notice that other tables with 8+ people seemed a bit noisy and they were still eating by the time we were finished and leaving, so I don't think I would enjoy a table that size.

 

We were at a table of 6 but the other couple didn't show up for any of the meals. We had the early seating, it was truly 6pm on FOS, which worked for us, we enjoyed going to the evening shows and having a drink after dinner. A bit disappointed that the meals might be actually 5:30 on our upcoming Princess cruise but we will adapt.

 

We always arrived a few minutes early and truly enjoyed the entire experience. I liked having the extra time to take photos of the menu and make my decisions without having he pressure of rushing or holding up anyone else.

[IECalCruiser]

Not anymore. The recent posts and our experience on the Ruby in May show that if you're late they might give your table to an anytime diner.

They should and do the same in anytime dining also.

I can't speak for all ships but on several ships we have been on, the Sapphire and Island, you lost your reservation if you were 10-15 minutes late. On the Sapphire, there was one person actively checking tables if people with reservations hadn't showed up within 15 minutes and the table was released. We almost lost our table on the Island one night because we thought the reservation was for 5:45 rather than 5:30. We showed up at 5:40 and just got our table before our reservation was canceled.

[caribill]

 

We have a table for 2 on our upcoming cruises. As there is no "any time" dining on either cruise, can we assume that our table will still be there if we happen to be late?:confused: Thinking of those days when we would not have enough time to change before dinner after returning from a port tour if we arrived back at 5:30. Fifteen minutes to 1/2 hour leeway could make a big difference at those times.

 

Yes, no one else will be seated at "your" table.

 

However, you must still finish in time for the staff to set up for the late seating.

[caribill]

We always arrived a few minutes early and truly enjoyed the entire experience. I liked having the extra time to take photos of the menu and make my decisions without having he pressure of rushing or holding up anyone else.

 

Arriving earlier than the scheduled time will not do you any good, They do not open the doors to the dining room until the scheduled time, so if you arrive early you will just be in the middle of a crowd that wants to be there when the doors open.