Anytime Dining Seating

[Carol28]

We are considering a Crown Princess Cruise. We travel as a couple only. We prefer to join others for dinners (share a table) usually a table for 6.  I'm not sure the term that Princess has for its Anytime Dining, but will we be seated with others if we request a table for 6 and if we get the Club Class will that matter?

What times are the fixed dinners on Princess? I know it's easier to share dinner with others if we are in the fixed time, but we just prefer to go when we choose, usually around 6:30.

[RMM34667]

1 hour ago, Carol28 said:

We are considering a Crown Princess Cruise. We travel as a couple only. We prefer to join others for dinners (share a table) usually a table for 6.  I'm not sure the term that Princess has for its Anytime Dining, but will we be seated with others if we request a table for 6 and if we get the Club Class will that matter?

What times are the fixed dinners on Princess? I know it's easier to share dinner with others if we are in the fixed time, but we just prefer to go when we choose, usually around 6:30.

When you go to Anytime Dining, anytime you are ready to dine just let the hostess know you would like to "share". They will then seat you with other diners. And who you sit with every night will change. 

[joyful34]

We just sailed the Princess Island (our 1st time on Princess) and had anytime dining. There were 4 of us (2 couples) & each night we went around 6-6:30 and received our "buzzer" & waited for it to go off in Crooners bar. It took 20-30 mins each night before the buzzer beeped. Each night we were asked if we wanted to sit by ourselves or join others. When you check in each night just tell them you want to be seated with others and I'm sure you will be. 

[WisCruiser2]

Yes, the host/hostess will ask if you want to share a table. We generally have been seated right away with sharing. You may be seated at a 6 or 8 top, depending on what they are filling up.

[racj846]

But you can request a table for 6.

[Colo Cruiser]

6 hours ago, Carol28 said:

We are considering a Crown Princess Cruise. We travel as a couple only. We prefer to join others for dinners (share a table) usually a table for 6.  I'm not sure the term that Princess has for its Anytime Dining, but will we be seated with others if we request a table for 6 and if we get the Club Class will that matter?

What times are the fixed dinners on Princess? I know it's easier to share dinner with others if we are in the fixed time, but we just prefer to go when we choose, usually around 6:30.

IMO it is more difficult to dine with others in Club Class.

You should talk with the Head Waiter in CC and see if he could accommodate you sharing a table there.

[casofilia]

@RMM34667

 

What times are the fixed dinners on Princess? I know it's easier to share dinner with others if we are in the fixed time, 

 

If you are in "fixed timing" dinners (Traditional Dining) with Princess you are set a table with the same table mates for the whole cruise which I don't think suits what you want.

[caribill]

If you are in regular Anytime Dining, you can ask to be seated with others and since new tables are always being put together, there would not be a problem.

 

However, if you eat in Club Class, you will likely be by yourselves unless you arrive with others who would be willing to share a table with you. In Club Class they do not set up a table for sharing in the hope that enough people will soon arrive to fill the table and allow service to start.

 

However, even if you are eligible for Club Class, you could go into the regular Anytime Dining room and share with others.

[NavyVeteran]

If you go to anytime dining, you can always request a shared table and you will usually be seated faster if you take a shared table. Sometimes if you show up late, you may find no one else is requesting a shared table at the same time. In that case, you will be at a table for six or eight, and it's up to you how long you want to wait to see if anyone joins you. If you arrive earlier, they usually fill all of the shared tables quickly.

 

The main difference between sharing a table in anytime dining and in traditional dining is that you share with different people each evening in anytime dining.

 

You can request a shared table in Club Class, and they will try to accommodate you. However, there are not many people eating in Club Class, and most of them do not request sharing. They will sit you at a larger table, and you can wait to see if anyone else requests sharing. I have found that many times no one else requesting sharing arrived at the same time, so we did not share even if we requested it - we just sat at a larger table by ourselves. On one cruise, we shared fairly often, and it was almost always with the same people - we were the only ones that ate at about the same time and requested sharing.

 

If you are in Club Class, you can choose to eat some meals in the normal MDR when you want to share and eat others in Club Class. On a few nights, DW did not feel like going to the dining room - she ate room service in the room (full room service menu in a suite). But I wanted to go to the dining room to eat, after staying with her while she ate. In those cases, I went to the normal MDR instead of to Club Class, because I did not want a table by myself.

[donswife]

When we had club class dining on the Caribbean Princess there was a row of 2 top tables close enough to visit with neighbors who were chatty, but not obligated. We did share a table  a few times, one of which left the head waiter apologizing,  but we were quite entertained.

Edited August 19, 2019 by donswife

[skynight]

20 hours ago, Carol28 said:

We are considering a Crown Princess Cruise. We travel as a couple only. We prefer to join others for dinners (share a table) usually a table for 6.  I'm not sure the term that Princess has for its Anytime Dining, but will we be seated with others if we request a table for 6 and if we get the Club Class will that matter?

What times are the fixed dinners on Princess? I know it's easier to share dinner with others if we are in the fixed time, but we just prefer to go when we choose, usually around 6:30.

Fixed seatings were 5:15 and 7:15 on our most recent cruise, last week. Anytime dining was 5pm to 9pm in the deck 5 mid ship DR and 7:30 onwards in the deck 6 mid ship DR. Theater shows were 7:00 and 9:15. For the most popular shows you have to arrive at least 1/2 hour early. Activities and entertainment in other lounges were all times throughout the evening. If you can be seated promptly at 6:30 depends a lot on the itinerary and the passenger demographic.

 

[casofilia]

@donswife

 

When we had club class dining on the Caribbean Princess there was a row of 2 top tables close enough to visit with neighbors who were chatty, but not obligated.

 

On NCL that is so very common and is the way we like it, it is so easy to "share" or not, usually to 2 other couples.   It would be great if Princess did the same thing but in Anytime Dining we found that there were really too few 2 tops.

[NavyVeteran]

2 hours ago, donswife said:

When we had club class dining on the Caribbean Princess there was a row of 2 top tables close enough to visit with neighbors who were chatty, but not obligated. We did share a table  a few times, one of which left the head waiter apologizing,  but we were quite entertained.

We sat at these tables quite often. The head waiter put us there because he knew we wanted to share. There were other two tops with more privacy where he usually put people who didn't want to share. Sometimes that worked well, and sometimes it didn't.

[cr8tiv1]

I also found that Club Class dining had more 2 people tables than the main dining room.  I observed that most people did not want to share.  I often saw a couple at a table for four or 4 on a table for 6.  Occasionally, there was an opportunity to share.  CC was true any time dining.  You walk in, get seated, and service started right away (they did not wait for others to join unless you were expecting friends).  And yes, some of the tables were close enough to start up conversations, but respected those that didn't want to talk.  

 

Waiting to travel with NavyVeteran again.  Always willing to share a meal with them.