Reservation for anytime dining?

[Bushy69]

We just finished a New Year Cruise on the Sapphire with Anytime Dining. If you call the reservation line before 5pm, you can make a reservation, but any time we wanted an early dining time (ie... around 6:30pm), I was told no need to make a booking as there will be plenty of tables.  The rush hour is 7:15pm to 7:45pm when everyone turns up at once... and you may be given a buzzer to take away with you and have to wait 15 to 30 minutes (our longest wait was about 15 minutes).

 

I felt the process was very orderly and worked well.

[MissP22]

6 hours ago, Bushy69 said:

We just finished a New Year Cruise on the Sapphire with Anytime Dining. If you call the reservation line before 5pm, you can make a reservation, but any time we wanted an early dining time (ie... around 6:30pm), I was told no need to make a booking as there will be plenty of tables.  The rush hour is 7:15pm to 7:45pm when everyone turns up at once... and you may be given a buzzer to take away with you and have to wait 15 to 30 minutes (our longest wait was about 15 minutes).

 

I felt the process was very orderly and worked well.

It's not usually the case at that time. I've heard of 1-1 1/4 hour waits around then. 

[pablo222]

9 hours ago, MissP22 said:

And as soon as that crowd is seated the next crown of people are soon to begin getting beepers. 

Maybe...

 

But, the poster told us he was there when the doors open.

 

 

[MissP22]

5 minutes ago, pablo222 said:

Maybe...

 

But, the poster told us he was there when the doors open.

 

 

Of course.

When the door first open there's only the lineup of people waiting to get in & their there so not to have to deal with the crows that begin to form after 6 PM.

By the time they actually serve our main course it's around 6 anyway.

[Bushy69]

5 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Of course.

When the door first open there's only the lineup of people waiting to get in & their there so not to have to deal with the crows that begin to form after 6 PM.

By the time they actually serve our main course it's around 6 anyway.

 

Doors open at 5:15pm, so 6:30pm to 6:45pm is well after opening. I honestly walked straight in anytime before 7pm. On the one occasion I turned up at 7:30pm, I was given a buzzer and had to wait no more than 15 minutes (That was first formal night).

 

I asked the girl at the door when is a good time to book, and she said anytime before 6:45, no booking needed.  When there was just my wife and me, we were happy to share a table.

 

Just my experience.

[PrincessLuver]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Of course.

When the door first open there's only the lineup of people waiting to get in & their there so not to have to deal with the crows that begin to form after 6 PM.

By the time they actually serve our main course it's around 6 anyway.

 

This has been our experience too....usually there are two lines when the doors first open....ATD's and the Reservation line (sometimes the reservation line is much longer then the regular line for ATD)....when we leave there is always a long line waiting to get in and many have beepers.....I am sure this occurs because so many tables were set aside for people holding reservations at the first seating....hence one of the reason for an unnecessary problem created for ATDers!!!

[voljeep]

Princess chooses not to staff enough cooks and waiters to serve an entire dining room … hence, you will see empty tables when you leave and also a line of people waiting to get in, some with beepers ...

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, Bushy69 said:

 

Doors open at 5:15pm, so 6:30pm to 6:45pm is well after opening. I honestly walked straight in anytime before 7pm. On the one occasion I turned up at 7:30pm, I was given a buzzer and had to wait no more than 15 minutes (That was first formal night).

 

I asked the girl at the door when is a good time to book, and she said anytime before 6:45, no booking needed.  When there was just my wife and me, we were happy to share a table.

 

Just my experience.

You've been very fortunate in not having a long wait.

I've heard of many horror stories on this board with very long waits.

[Ombud]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

You've been very fortunate in not having a long wait.

I've heard of many horror stories on this board with very long waits.

On the Caribbean Princess FL to Quebec last year I ran into what could have been a very long wait at 6pm. Maitre d told me to go to the TD room for a solo seat. I did, they asked me to go back to ATD, I did, he walked me upstairs and told that Maitre d something. From that time on I just walked upstairs whenever there was a wait (special diet already ordered). I don't write their rules, just playing by them 

 

Not a solo next cruise so I anticipate a wait which is okay. I'll grab a beeper and wait in Vines

Edited January 13, 2020 by Ombud

[Oceansaway17]

On 1/10/2020 at 10:41 PM, Iamcruzin said:

You board a Royal Caribbean ship if it's in port  at the same time as a Princess ship. Just don't eat the burgers they are awful.

 

Ha ha ha both of you.

The point I was making was to go to the BUFFET area. Ok so I used the term that RCI calls their area and each cruise line uses different name.

But seriously I think ya knew what I meant.

Eat in the BUFFET to avoid all the MDR drama

 

Agree burgers are awful. For good,ones, go on newest Carnival Vista or Horizon for Guy Fieri burgers by pool. YUM

[pablo222]

5 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

Are you wearing your CC T-shirt "Trolling 2020!"

 

5 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

....when we leave there is always a long line waiting to get in and many have beepers....

 

So, after all your posts in this thread, the only way you are affected is that you have to see a line while leaving the dining room...

 

Maybe you can loan the other poster your shirt.

 

[Stacycee]

Hi.  Original poster here.  This is my first "controversial" topic I started. 🤣

I never intended for that to happen.

 

We just returned from the Regal and I feel if I asked this question onboard 10 times, I would have received 10 different answers.  I will give you my first hand account of what happened.

 

• Once onboard I went to meet with the maître d.  I was first met at the door to ask what I needed.  I told them due to the dinner time changing from 7:15pm-7:45pm,, I would like to see if it was possible to switch to ATD and make a reservation.  She said no.  I asked what the options were and then I was told to come in and meet with the maitre'd.  I waited but when it was my turn he left.  😩
• I ended up changing to ATD and hoped for the best.
• We called the DINE line in the morning and were told we can make a reservation after 730pm by calling each day.  This only worked once because when we called again (both in the early morning) we were told its impossible to make a reservation for ATD.  🤔
• Most nights when we did not have a reservation we usually ended up getting to the dining room between 7:00pm-7:45pm.  When we got to the hostess, she gave us a pager and told us to try a different dining room.  This was so crazy because everyone was doing the same thing and then ended up with 2 pagers.  This system did not seem efficient at all.  
• Once we discovered coming at 8pm meant no wait at all we just did this.
• Of course keeping 2nd dining even at 7:45pm would have eliminated all this back and forth. 
• Moral of the story, I should have just left it as is....who knew my kids would make great friends and never wanted to leave them for dinner 😁

Thanks everyone for all your input.  We all had a great cruise and ready for the next one!

 

Stacy

[jeromep]

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. 

Yeah, everyone is worried about plastic straws, but I'm bombarded with paper crap about shopping.  I, for one, don't go on a cruise to shop.  I can do that at home and online.

[jeromep]

2 hours ago, Stacycee said:

Hi.  Original poster here.  This is my first "controversial" topic I started. 🤣

I never intended for that to happen.

 

We just returned from the Regal and I feel if I asked this question onboard 10 times, I would have received 10 different answers.  I will give you my first hand account of what happened.

 

• Once onboard I went to meet with the maître d.  I was first met at the door to ask what I needed.  I told them due to the dinner time changing from 7:15pm-7:45pm,, I would like to see if it was possible to switch to ATD and make a reservation.  She said no.  I asked what the options were and then I was told to come in and meet with the maitre'd.  I waited but when it was my turn he left.  😩
• I ended up changing to ATD and hoped for the best.
• We called the DINE line in the morning and were told we can make a reservation after 730pm by calling each day.  This only worked once because when we called again (both in the early morning) we were told its impossible to make a reservation for ATD.  🤔
• Most nights when we did not have a reservation we usually ended up getting to the dining room between 7:00pm-7:45pm.  When we got to the hostess, she gave us a pager and told us to try a different dining room.  This was so crazy because everyone was doing the same thing and then ended up with 2 pagers.  This system did not seem efficient at all.  
• Once we discovered coming at 8pm meant no wait at all we just did this.
• Of course keeping 2nd dining even at 7:45pm would have eliminated all this back and forth. 
• Moral of the story, I should have just left it as is....who knew my kids would make great friends and never wanted to leave them for dinner 😁

Thanks everyone for all your input.  We all had a great cruise and ready for the next one!

 

Stacy

I'm glad I'm not the only one that finds consistency of policy on board to vary, greatly.  I mean, it is one thing if each ship has a different way of dealing with some corporate policies.  I guess I could expect that in some capacity of any human endeavor, but the inconsistency of how requests are handled inside one ship during one sailing always amazes me.  I've learned when cruising to not set expectations too high or expect that the right hand knows what the left hand is doing.  Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised, and sometimes it doesn't work out.  But at least you aren't at home making your own food and cleaning up your own dishes.

 

I'm glad that all of this didn't sour you on your cruise and that you are looking forward to another.

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, Stacycee said:

Hi.  Original poster here.  This is my first "controversial" topic I started. 🤣

I never intended for that to happen.

 

We just returned from the Regal and I feel if I asked this question onboard 10 times, I would have received 10 different answers.  I will give you my first hand account of what happened.

 

• Once onboard I went to meet with the maître d.  I was first met at the door to ask what I needed.  I told them due to the dinner time changing from 7:15pm-7:45pm,, I would like to see if it was possible to switch to ATD and make a reservation.  She said no.  I asked what the options were and then I was told to come in and meet with the maitre'd.  I waited but when it was my turn he left.  😩
• I ended up changing to ATD and hoped for the best.
• We called the DINE line in the morning and were told we can make a reservation after 730pm by calling each day.  This only worked once because when we called again (both in the early morning) we were told its impossible to make a reservation for ATD.  🤔
• Most nights when we did not have a reservation we usually ended up getting to the dining room between 7:00pm-7:45pm.  When we got to the hostess, she gave us a pager and told us to try a different dining room.  This was so crazy because everyone was doing the same thing and then ended up with 2 pagers.  This system did not seem efficient at all.  
• Once we discovered coming at 8pm meant no wait at all we just did this.
• Of course keeping 2nd dining even at 7:45pm would have eliminated all this back and forth. 
• Moral of the story, I should have just left it as is....who knew my kids would make great friends and never wanted to leave them for dinner 😁

Thanks everyone for all your input.  We all had a great cruise and ready for the next one!

 

Stacy

 

Thanks for replying back to tell us of your experience.  I still think Princess created this mess by switching up the dining times.  Glad you had a great time, nevertheless.  

[MissP22]

10 hours ago, jeromep said:

Yeah, everyone is worried about plastic straws, but I'm bombarded with paper crap about shopping.  I, for one, don't go on a cruise to shop.  I can do that at home and online.

A long time ago I agree there were bargains to be had shopping for deals but we're since learned that the amount of money to be saved by making purchases on a cruise just isn't worth my time any longer.

Especially today where shopping online has become the norm. 

And yet the passenger seem to think they'll all be getting the deal of the century buying items onboard & ashore.  😅

[PrincessLuver]

18 hours ago, pablo222 said:

 

 

So, after all your posts in this thread, the only way you are affected is that you have to see a line while leaving the dining room...

 

Maybe you can loan the other poster your shirt.

 

 

Is it true what they say..."Ignorance must be bliss?"

[pablo222]

5 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

Is it true what they say..."Ignorance must be bliss?"

Clearly no one will ever take you seriously.

 

Please tell us -- you said you cancel tips if ATD is bad.

 

How long a line do you have to see to do that?

 

[farmermark]

Well my first time on princess is next week.  After cruising on NCL several times I signed up for ATD.    Read this thread to learn the system.   I design mazes in my corn field that take people 1-2 hours to figure their way out.   And first time reading through this I am lost.  So when you see me and my wife on Caribbean Princess making a few reservations; if that grinds you; just smile and nod...and I will do same. 

[SnowCrocus]

On 1/7/2020 at 6:30 PM, Cruise Raider said:

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

...

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. 

...

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.  

This is new information to me, and this is very useful to know.

We have Traditional Dining on the Regal Princess for our March 8 cruise, and on the Friday the 13th we are in Cozumel 10 am to 10 pm; the three excursions we are considering end too late for us to make our early seating. I thought we couldn't ever use the Anytime Dining room - this sounds like yes, we can use the anytime dining room, as long as we use it at 7:30 or later.  Is there something posted on line somewhere that explains this? (This is our second Princess Cruise but during our Alaska cruise it was easy for us to make it to our Traditional Dining Room dinner on time every night.) And it sounds as if we go at 8 pm, we should be able to get in fairly easily.

Thank you so much.

Jennifer

Edited January 15, 2020 by SnowCrocus
additional info from another message in the thread

[Cruise Raider]

13 minutes ago, SnowCrocus said:

This is new information to me, and this is very useful to know.

We have Traditional Dining on the Regal Princess for our March 8 cruise, and on the Friday the 13th we are in Cozumel 10 am to 10 pm; the three excursions we are considering end too late for us to make our early seating. I thought we couldn't ever use the Anytime Dining room - this sounds like yes, we can use the anytime dining room, as long as we use it at 7:30 or later.  Is there something posted on line somewhere that explains this? (This is our second Princess Cruise but during our Alaska cruise it was easy for us to make it to our Traditional Dining Room dinner on time every night.) And it sounds as if we go at 8 pm, we should be able to get in fairly easily.

Thank you so much.

Jennifer

 

I haven't seen anything posted online but this has been explained consistently from the call in center to onboard.  Traditional diners are allowed to go to the Anytime dining room only after 7:30 and only if there is not a line of anytime diners waiting to get in.  They would have priority and I think that is only fair.  If you go at 8 PM, I truly doubt you will have any trouble being seated right away.  When we are in port late, I've never even seen a wait in the anytime dining room no matter what the hour is.  It's not really something I tend to do but, people do seem to like to go out to eat while they are in port and never hit the dining room on the ship.  

It is customary and considerate to let the head waiter or maitre'd know that you won't be attending dinner at your set time in the traditional dining room.  Sometimes, I've seen them seat others from the anytime dining room at your traditional table assignment when the lines are long.  I think it just smooths things out a bit.  

 

[paul929207]

1 hour ago, SnowCrocus said:

This is new information to me, and this is very useful to know.

We have Traditional Dining on the Regal Princess for our March 8 cruise, and on the Friday the 13th we are in Cozumel 10 am to 10 pm; the three excursions we are considering end too late for us to make our early seating. I thought we couldn't ever use the Anytime Dining room - this sounds like yes, we can use the anytime dining room, as long as we use it at 7:30 or later.  Is there something posted on line somewhere that explains this? (This is our second Princess Cruise but during our Alaska cruise it was easy for us to make it to our Traditional Dining Room dinner on time every night.) And it sounds as if we go at 8 pm, we should be able to get in fairly easily.

Thank you so much.

Jennifer

When we have been in port lat or over night, Princess has made all MDR ATD for that night

[SnowCrocus]

8 minutes ago, paul929207 said:

When we have been in port lat or over night, Princess has made all MDR ATD for that night

Oh, I hope they do that. That would be sensible. I can't imagine people actually making the early traditional dining time when we're in Cozumel 10 am to 10 pm.  Thanks!

[Ombud]

On 1/13/2020 at 4:24 PM, jeromep said:

Yeah, everyone is worried about plastic straws, but I'm bombarded with paper crap about shopping.  I, for one, don't go on a cruise to shop.  I can do that at home and online.

I tell the steward that I don't need any paper delivery. Stops ads & patter. I can get patter at PSD if a non-medallion ship & on the droid on a medallion ship. Love not getting unwanted trash

 

Whenever I'm on a cruise pushing off from a port late (think after 5), dining rooms are all ATD

 

Again as a solo who does not order in the dining room (preorder / food allergies) there's always a chair available. The only time solos rule. Will be different for me on 03/22/20 cruise as I'm 1 of 3 but the 6yo can wait

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ombud

[MissP22]

8 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I tell the steward that I don't need any paper delivery. Stops ads & patter. I can get patter at PSD if a non-medallion ship & on the droid on a medallion ship. Love not getting unwanted trash

So he puts all your unwanted paper in the trash instead of leaving them on your bed.

It still doesn't mean that they'll print less of them.