Dining Times - Coral SB Alaska

[ColoradoMom!!]

I have researched my upcoming SB Coral Alaska cruise to death, and am confident in everything except the dining time! Can you believe that?

 

So here is my dilemma . We are traveling with another couple, and have the 5:45 traditional confirmed. This will be 5:15 in reality - I have confirmed with previous 2018 SB Coral travelers. Seems so early. Our friends have said they are willing to do Anytime - but not too late.

 

I want to dine in the MDR - not interested in other venues. The reason I hesitate to switch to Anytime Dining is the wait. I would prefer to eat around 6 - the 5:45 was not far off the mark. 6 in Anytime is probably when we would encounter the longest wait.

 

And the other issue is we are only talking 5 nights - since sail is at 8 on the first night - dinner first night is not so set from what I understand. The last night is the same?? First formal is when we are glacier cruising, so we could make the 5:15 - so now I am really down to only 4 or so nights that it would even be an issue. Our excursions would only have us getting back a little late on Skagway day.

 

So - opinions? Especially from Coral Alaska cruisers - how bad is the Anytime wait?

[Pam in CA]

The later you arrive in the Traditional dining room, the later you’ll leave. It also messes up the waitstaff and kitchen as food prep and cooking is done in order... the appetizer staff move on to prepping later courses. It disrupts the whole system for everyone for them to have to go back and prepare appetizers, etc.

 

I had 7:45pm dining on the Emerald last month and I can’t tell you how many nights all of the people had to wait while the “early seating” diner left the dining room, some nights not until almost 8pm. There’s nowhere to sit for people with disabilities or difficultly standing for 15-20 minutes. It was obvious the early diners didn’t care about keeping literally everyone waiting.

 

If your dining time is 5:15, then that’s the time you’re expected to walk in to be seated.

[lakes123]

Following. Which Coral SB are you on? Our family is on the 6/27 cruise and we have 5:45 dining as well so I would be curious about the anytime dining.

[Thrak]

We did 17 days on Coral and had booked the 5:45 dining time which, while a bit early, would have been okay. When we discovered it was actually 5:15 we were not at all happy. We found that way too early and sometimes didn't even get back from excursions in time to change for dinner. We are booked for 19 days on Coral in November (same cabin!) and have chosen ATD. Yes, we may have to wait sometimes but there is no way we want to have a set dining time of 5:15. Nope, nope, nope.

 

This is one of my biggest peeves with Princess and I mention it on every survey. Why do they "guarantee" a dining time and then always make it earlier than the "guaranteed" time? When they "guarantee" 6 PM dining it always turns out to be 5:30. When they "guarantee" 5:45 it always turns out to be 5:15. I absolutely hate being lied to.

[ColoradoMom!!]

The later you arrive in the Traditional dining room, the later you’ll leave. It also messes up the waitstaff and kitchen as food prep and cooking is done in order... the appetizer staff move on to prepping later courses. It disrupts the whole system for everyone for them to have to go back and prepare appetizers, etc.

 

I had 7:45pm dining on the Emerald last month and I can’t tell you how many nights all of the people had to wait while the “early seating” diner left the dining room, some nights not until almost 8pm. There’s nowhere to sit for people with disabilities or difficultly standing for 15-20 minutes. It was obvious the early diners didn’t care about keeping literally everyone waiting.

 

If your dining time is 5:15, then that’s the time you’re expected to walk in to be seated.

 

Oh dear - I feel you misunderstood me. If I am assigned at 5:15, I will be there at 5:15. I am debating switching to Anytime, or just sucking it up for the few nights. I wish they would have just told me that it was 5:15 in the first place - what good does it do to have CONFIRMED 5:45 on my cruise planner, and switch it once on board?

 

Thank you Thrak - I think you see my dilemma as I intended.

Edited June 8, 2018 by ColoradoMom!!

[Suzanne123]

If it were me, I’d keep your confirmed first seating, especially if you want to dine with only your friends. If you are at the dining room at 5:15, you’re not going to have your entree on the table until 5:45 anyway.

If you do anytime and show up at 6, you are going to wait in line for a table for four.

[skynight]

For the Coral I would stay with a fixed seating. If you don't like what you get I would visit the Maitre'd on boarding day. Afternoon hours are shown in the Patter. Arrive early.

The Coral only has 2 DR's. One DR is for early & late seating. One section of the other DR is used for very early TD. There is also a section for Club Class in one of the two DR's. This leaves limited seating for ATD especially during the early dining hours. While we always select ATD on Princess ships, the last time we were on the Coral we had TD.

[fishywood]

I have just returned from a Doubleheader on Island northbound/Golden southbound.

 

On Island things were as expected: the times when booking were 5:45 and 8:00, upon boarding found them 5:15 and 7:30 (the late sitting as per my cruise card). All three days in port (Icy Strait, Juneau, Skagway) had no fixed seating, just ATD for all.

 

On Golden (southbound as the OP is sailing) things were a bit off the wall. My late sitting cruise card read 7:45, as did the white welcome aboard letter in the cabin (5:30 early, 7:45 late). The Day One Patter stated 5:15 and 8:15 respectively due to the muster being scheduled for 7:30--which was later announced as pushed to 7:45. But that night actually functioned essentially as ATD for all, at least after the drill: the three MDR doors all reopened and those in TD asking to sit at, or even just see, their assigned tables were rebuffed.

 

But the next day on Golden the Patter stated 5:15 and 7:30. So I went to see the Maitre d's rep who was holding inquiry hours that morning and he confirmed the change to the above times. So I just switched to ATD (though the main reason was his verifying what I gleaned from hunting down the waiter at the end of the previous dinner: that I, a solo traveler, had been assigned to a table for six with five others from a large group). But on our one late port day Golden did not do ATD for all, just moved the times back to 5:30 and 7:45 for that night only. And moved Afternoon Tea to 3:30 to 3:00 as well (?). I actually turned in a "you can do better" card (or whatever its called) to the front desk regarding all the mishegas over dining times and got a return message from the Maitre' d apologizing if there was any confusion. Now I consider myself someone who has no problem keeping up with ever-bending MOs but even I found all this a bit much.

 

...but what is maybe possibly relevant to the OP is that on Golden, the Patter would state for Donatello dining room (which held the "extra early" seating): first seating 5:15, anytime dining 7:30 while for Canaletto it stated first seating 5:15 doors open until 5:45, second seating 7:30. So all I can say is caveat emptor...

 

[Edited to add: ...but as the OP is on Coral I have to concur with the advice offered above mine: stick with traditional dining due to Coral having only two rather than three MDRs. Which is why I would likely have not booked the even more short-on-tables Island without confirming my preferred late seating]

[WisCruiser2]

On the Coral last week -- Deck 6 Dining room was Tradional, Deck 5 was Club Class and Anytime (no early trad there). Just note that for the first night only, you will be assigned a dining time when you board, no matter which one you're doing, with open (restaurant-style) seating. I think they do that because there are still people boarding right up until the All Aboard time at 8:00. I think we were seated right away that first night. For the other nights in Anytime, we were given a beeper, waited up to 10 minutes, tops. As we were on board in the late afternoon in Ketchikan (it was raining), we got in line for the 5:00 opening of the dining room and were seated immediately.

As someone noted, even with the 5:15 Traditional, plan on 1 1/2 hours for dining. IF you decide not to go to your early assigned time, do not show up at the Anytime dining room -- they were asking for cabin numbers to check. We also ate dinner the last night in the buffet and found it very good (Mongolian Grill that night).

[Eagle_and_hawk]

We did the Southbound on the Coral last August and have found every ship seems to be different.

 

 

So to post pictures of the patter, the first night when we depart around 8:00PM, it shows open dining in both dining rooms starting at 5:15PM:

 

 

Sat-D by Cool Runnings, on Flickr

 

 

Then starting on night #2, it shows early traditional start times & also anytime dining times:

 

 

Sun-D by Cool Runnings, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

We like early dining and glad they have it starting at 5:15pm.

[ColoradoMom!!]

OP here . Thanks Everyone! This info is very helpful. Fishywood -that is quite an experience!

 

If I switched to Anytime, I would do it from the start - I know you cannot go back and forth.

 

I am thinking staying with my confirmed 5:45 ( 5:15 in reality) traditional dining may still be the best bet.

 

But I cannot express how much this extra info has helped! Many thanks! :)

 

Ohhh - Lakes 123 - see you on board

[EastBay Cruisers]

My experience with 5:15 PM dining is that by the time you are seated, the menus are handed out, the orders are taken, the drinks are served, etc. -- that the entree does not arrive on the table until about 5:45 or 5:50 PM. On really popular nights in the dining room, when everyone tends to order "Princess favorites" like Goat Cheese Souffle, or Beef Wellington, or Lobster, it is more like 6:00 PM when the entree gets to the table. So, the seating time is different from the serving time. Just my experience. -- EBC

[ColoradoMom!!]

My experience with 5:15 PM dining is that by the time you are seated, the menus are handed out, the orders are taken, the drinks are served, etc. -- that the entree does not arrive on the table until about 5:45 or 5:50 PM. On really popular nights in the dining room, when everyone tends to order "Princess favorites" like Goat Cheese Souffle, or Beef Wellington, or Lobster, it is more like 6:00 PM when the entree gets to the table. So, the seating time is different from the serving time. Just my experience. -- EBC

 

Thanks! I just want to make sure I can get there by 5:15. The 5:45 would have been easier. But there is just one day where it may be an issue. Perhaps I’ll have to try the buffet!