Reservation for anytime dining?

[Rudy888]

Whatever someone wants to do, OK.  If you have a fixed time in the MDR and decide to go anytime just make sure you let them know you have switched. Nothing worse than coming to a table in fixed dining and have one or 2 couples not show every night. Those who feel "we'll keep our fixed time just in case". This is not fair to the other table mates.

[voljeep]

we figure out our day/night 'plans' first … dining comes in 'whenever' , so anytime is perfect for us

[mizLORInj]

We have done "our time, my time [whatever each line calls it]" dining on NCL, Royal and Carnival.  We show up usually between 5:30 and 6 and rarely have to wait.  When we are a party of 2.   Larger party we either wait or do the reservation thing a night or two--not every night.   If we wanted a fixed time, we'd do the set early or late dining.  

 

We first tried out non-fixed-time dining on Norwegian in maybe 2009, and we weren't sure how that would work out.  Turns out we loved it, and we haven't looked back since.      😀

 

  

[Redwing55]

On 1/4/2020 at 2:08 PM, Rudy888 said:

Whatever someone wants to do, OK.  If you have a fixed time in the MDR and decide to go anytime just make sure you let them know you have switched. Nothing worse than coming to a table in fixed dining and have one or 2 couples not show every night. Those who feel "we'll keep our fixed time just in case". This is not fair to the other table mates.

And, it's been a bit of a hot button, but it also takes a table away from the ATD crowd.  And it's not unusual that some in the ATD wanted TD but it was full.

[brisalta]

On 1/4/2020 at 9:17 AM, MissP22 said:

And they still let people reserve tables just to make a few people happy. 

 

It's just about a dumb as having 2 sets of elevator banks right next to each other with individual call button banks. People just press each bank & only forces an elevator to stop at that floor for no reason with no one standing there.

Talk about wasting money & yet they never change it. 

Rant over.

Wait- I've got more.....They're so conscious about saving the environment & yet they continue to bombard each cabin with numerous ad's that most people put directly in the garbage. 

I'm done... for now. 

 

I suspect the reason they have 2 sets of elevator banks right next to each other with individual call button banks is to remove a single point of failure.

[Cruise Raider]

These are the supposed rules for dining:

If you sign up for Traditional timing, you are only allowed to go to the Anytime dining room after 7:30 PM so, that kind of defeats your purpose of trying to eat earlier.  

There are only so many passengers they allow to fill the Anytime dining spots as their assignment so, you shouldn't be allowed to go to the Anytime dining room at the 6 PM time as you are cutting in line for those that have chosen or been assigned to anytime dining.  On some cruises, Princess checks your assignment ... as they should.  

As far as reservations in the anytime dining rooms, they usually only allow reservations around 5:00 PM or after 7:30 PM.  This leaves the 2 hours in the middle open for walk up seating for those with the anytime dining assignment as outlined in their booking.  Oftentimes, though, the wait is 30-60 minutes as that is not only a popular time to eat but also, they have allowed others with traditional dining to cut in, which is frustrating, to say the least.  The lines grow for anytime dining and there is an empty table in the traditional dining room...so it's an ineffective use of staffing.  At times, they will allow those in the anytime dining line to use one of these open tables in the traditional dining areas but it is usually if there is nobody scheduled for the late seating.  

I think Princess is at fault here by changing the dining times for the traditional dining as well as the show times.  They are trying to make everything earlier and I've even seen the first dining time moved up to 5 PM when it is clear that the majority of people don't like to be seated for their meal this early ... not all, but, the majority.  To make matters worse, you may sign up for a traditional dining time on your booking and then they change it.  I certainly don't want to go to dinner at 5 PM but if I sign up for the 7:15 PM time and they change it to 7:45 PM, that's way too late for my husband.  

Anyway, from what Princess told us, if you have traditional dining, you are allowed to use the anytime dining room only as mentioned above, after 7:30 PM.  I commend those head waiters that deny a seat until later in the evening for those with traditional dining assignments, even though they don't abide by their own rules on every sailing.  

Now, you can always try to change your assignment to anytime dining and if successful, it will be applicable for the entirety of the cruise.  Depending on the head waiter, you most likely won't get the same table for each and every meal unless you go early or late.  

 

[RedIguana]

On 1/7/2020 at 5:00 PM, brisalta said:

 

I suspect the reason they have 2 sets of elevator banks right next to each other with individual call button banks is to remove a single point of failure.

It also allows them to remove the elevator from general use for crew use. Generally embarkation and debarkation for luggage.

[brisalta]

Just now, RedIguana said:

debarkation for luggage.

disembarkation

[RedIguana]

Just now, brisalta said:

disembarkation

Lol..ok I am not a tree in a hurricane:)

 

[brisalta]

Just now, RedIguana said:

Lol..ok I am not a tree in a hurricane:)

 

Are you sure? 😉

[TravelingEA]

We were able to reserve anytime dining the 1st two nights of a baltic cruise last summer. After that, the dine line would not take reservations for anytime dining. 

[RMMariner]

Having reservations defeats the whole idea of anytime dining. We pick ATD and just show up and dine when we want to. If there is a wait, we go have a drink and wait to be paged. Normally, we never have to wait because we are willing to share a table.

 

I have never done traditional dining, but we have talked to people who have had table mates that only showed up every fourth or fifth day for their traditional dining spot. That doesn't seem right. If you book traditional, go to your table. If you book anytime, show up and wait your turn. 

 

Both skipping TD and making reservations at ATD make the system far more inefficient and are probably contributing to ATD wait times. 

 

 

[BexLulu]

11 minutes ago, RMMariner said:

Having reservations defeats the whole idea of anytime dining. We pick ATD and just show up and dine when we want to. If there is a wait, we go have a drink and wait to be paged. Normally, we never have to wait because we are willing to share a table.

 

 

 We prefer a table for two, always had ATD, only once in four cruises had a pager, and never had to wait more than 30 mins to be seated.

[Oceansaway17]

23 minutes ago, RMMariner said:

Having reservations defeats the whole idea of anytime dining. We pick ATD and just show up and dine when we want to. If there is a wait, we go have a drink and wait to be paged. Normally, we never have to wait because we are willing to share a table.

 

I have never done traditional dining, but we have talked to people who have had table mates that only showed up every fourth or fifth day for their traditional dining spot. That doesn't seem right. If you book traditional, go to your table. If you book anytime, show up and wait your turn. 

 

Both skipping TD and making reservations at ATD make the system far more inefficient and are probably contributing to ATD wait times. 

 

 

 

I agree it can all be a mess.  Personally I use the Windjammer a lot because it is faster and quieter.  Food is good and service is great.  And you can look out at the ocean.

Never understood all the drama about MDR and times and seats.  I don't mind havig different waiters as they are all equally trained.   I like Windjammer because I can see the desserts as well as the breads.  

[GUT2407]

4 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

 

I agree it can all be a mess.  Personally I use the Windjammer a lot because it is faster and quieter.  Food is good and service is great.  And you can look out at the ocean.

Never understood all the drama about MDR and times and seats.  I don't mind havig different waiters as they are all equally trained.   I like Windjammer because I can see the desserts as well as the breads.  

Windjammer on Princess? How do you get there?

[Aus Traveller]

6 hours ago, RedIguana said:

It also allows them to remove the elevator from general use for crew use. Generally embarkation and debarkation for luggage.

I only see luggage transported in the crew elevators, not in the passenger ones. On embarkation, some elevators are reserved for embarking passengers being directed to their cabins.

[CruiseVA]

6 hours ago, RMMariner said:

Having reservations defeats the whole idea of anytime dining...

It does not, if you stop by in the morning & make a reservation then it's called pre-planning, we do this a few times on a cruise, what is the issue here? Anytime is flexible dining, it doesn't mean that you have no idea when you you'll be eating, just means your nightly dining time is flexible per night...

[leck57]

1 minute ago, CruiseVA said:

It does not, if you stop by in the morning & make a reservation then it's called pre-planning, we do this a few times on a cruise, what is the issue here? Anytime is flexible dining, it doesn't mean that you have no idea when you you'll be eating, just means your nightly dining time is flexible per night...

 

Well that is not my view, but each to their own. The issue here, as you put it, is your reserved table sits there empty until you arrive. Obviously for the hour or so before you arrive no one can use it so it blocks others out. 

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, leck57 said:

 

Well that is not my view, but each to their own. The issue here, as you put it, is your reserved table sits there empty until you arrive. Obviously for the hour or so before you arrive no one can use it so it blocks others out. 

I'm with you on this one. And what happens if the person who booked doesn't turn up at the time they booked? How long do they hold the table?

[frugaltravel]

5 hours ago, leck57 said:

 

Well that is not my view, but each to their own. The issue here, as you put it, is your reserved table sits there empty until you arrive. Obviously for the hour or so before you arrive no one can use it so it blocks others out. 

Not necessarily. They block a table of someone who leaves ATD shortly before the reserved time. No need to hold an empty table for so long!

[leck57]

1 minute ago, frugaltravel said:

Not necessarily. They block a table of someone who leaves ATD shortly before the reserved time. No need to hold an empty table for so long!

 

My experience is that they block a particular table to ensure it is ready. Regardless, my view of anytime dining is that you turn up at anytime and get a table, not a booked one. Over and out.

[paul929207]

7 hours ago, leck57 said:

 

Well that is not my view, but each to their own. The issue here, as you put it, is your reserved table sits there empty until you arrive. Obviously for the hour or so before you arrive no one can use it so it blocks others out. 

That may not be your view, but it is Princess's an theirs is the one that matters

[Potstech]

On 1/3/2020 at 4:47 PM, MissP22 said:

 

That totally defeats the purpose of anytime dining. 

What if everyone else did likewise? The service in the DR would slow down to a crawl holding tables for people to arrive leaving empty tables for a long time. 

They should get rid of all reservations completely & assign tables to those people who queue up outside the door. 

👍👍👍👍👍👍🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🏆🏆🏆🏆

[Potstech]

On 1/3/2020 at 5:30 PM, leck57 said:

 

Yes, most definitely. Being able to book tables in anytime dining rooms is ridiculous. 

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

[Iamcruzin]

On 1/3/2020 at 3:46 PM, MissP22 said:

The only problem with having to call each day is that at some ports they arrive early & if you want to get off the ship early they don't start taking calls until 8 AM. 

They're ALWAYS seem to be busy and so it might take a while to get through.

That has always been my experience. We do better just going when we want and being seated with others. On other lines it is much easier to make reservations pre cruise.  I have a feeling that the OP would be better off just keeping the traditional time. They will probably end up eating at the same time or maybe 15 minutes earlier with reservations for anytime.