Dine my way vs. anytime dining

[Retired 07]

Sorry if this has been gone over before. I couldn’t find anything.  Is there a difference between “dine my way” and “anytime” dining?  Thank you…

[awhcruiser]

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/dine-my-way/dine-my-way-faqs.pdf

[Tedferg]

Basically Dine My Way allows reservations at anytime. Anytime has limited reservations, enough to say 'No Reservations', just turn up and get a buzzer if there are no free tables.

 

Now, with Dine My Way you are not forced to make a reservation, so effectively you have Anytime. I think from 7:00 on Dine My Way with no reservation will feel like Anytime.

 

Also, since there is no Traditional Dining with Dine My Way, all dining rooms are available.

[MissP22]

I sort of see it as you can make reservations in any DR whereas with the old way you were limited to a specific DR for anytime. Instead of taking reservations on the phone, it's now using the TV or your phone. (if the app is working).

It's not much difference. 

The only problem right now is that the app is not working on my phone & when the final payment is due I'll be out of luck in making reservations for the while cruise while many people will be able to lock in their selections earlier. 

I suppose I could probably call Princess and do it over the phone.

Edited August 2, 2021 by MissP22

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Also, since there is no Traditional Dining with Dine My Way, all dining rooms are available.

Princess has described booking the same time for entire cruise as TD.  Besides that, they have continually claimed to maintain TD (same table and wait-staff each night). 

 

When I have had access to DMW, I only see one DR presented for each time slot.  But I know others with near-term cruises have seen as many as all three.  

 

It's not clear how they are preserving TD, unless the MD intervenes when assigning tables (DMW doesn't give you a table number pre-cruise and not clear to me if it does on board).

 

A key missing element is lack of table-size selection in MC App.  Part of this is due to Covid protocols, but it seems on board, they are mixing people at tables.  

 

It seems more and more to me that DMW is an Anytime reservation system and is failed thus far to replicate TD.  (Of course AT diners like to have table-size choice as well).

 

(I know I am a dog on a bone on this, but DMW still needs attention).

 

[Jadn13]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Princess has described booking the same time for entire cruise as TD.  Besides that, they have continually claimed to maintain TD (same table and wait-staff each night). 

 

When I have had access to DMW, I only see one DR presented for each time slot.  But I know others with near-term cruises have seen as many as all three.  

 

It's not clear how they are preserving TD, unless the MD intervenes when assigning tables (DMW doesn't give you a table number pre-cruise and not clear to me if it does on board).

 

A key missing element is lack of table-size selection in MC App.  Part of this is due to Covid protocols, but it seems on board, they are mixing people at tables.  

 

It seems more and more to me that DMW is an Anytime reservation system and is failed thus far to replicate TD.  (Of course AT diners like to have table-size choice as well).

 

(I know I am a dog on a bone on this, but DMW still needs attention).

 

I did notice in DMW that it will offer me tables for 2, 4 or 6 people depending on what's available for each time frame I choose.  (We are a party of two) 

I booked both ways a blanket same time, same dining room each night and I individually picked times and DR based around excursion return times.

 

 

 

 

[Steelers36]

1 minute ago, Jadn13 said:

I did notice in DMW that it will offer me tables for 2, 4 or 6 people depending on what's available for each time frame I choose.  (We are a party of two) 

I booked both ways a blanket same time, same dining room each night and I individually picked times and DR based around excursion return times.

 

 

 

 

Cruise depart date?

 

[Jadn13]

5 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Cruise depart date?

 

December 4,  2021 is my next cruise and is a B2B but I booked  DMW reservations all the way through cruises in 2023.  I just double checked and I was offered tables for 2, 4, 6 or 8 depending on what was available for the time frame I was looking at in either 2 or 3 different dining rooms. 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Jadn13

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Jadn13 said:

December 4,  2021 is my next cruise and is a B2B but I booked  DMW reservations all the way through cruises in 2023.  I just double checked and I was offered tables for 2, 4, 6 or 8 depending on what was available for the time frame I was looking at in either 2 or 3 different dining rooms. 

 

Lucky you to get DMW going that far.  I guess I will rattle some chains tomorrow and try and get things moving faster for us.  I fear now missing opportunity and not even sure if what I did have is still in the system.

 

[leck57]

I just hope there are plenty of tables for "anytime" diners like us. The last thing I want to do is plan eating times so far out from a cruise. We go to dinner when we are ready and I hate the thought of having to be at dinner at a certain time. Not a relaxed holiday to me. The only bookings we make are for the specialty restaurants.

I thought the previous mix of Traditional dining and Anytime worked well. I know there were no shows in TD that tied up tables but I think there will still be plenty of no shows.

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, leck57 said:

I just hope there are plenty of tables for "anytime" diners like us. The last thing I want to do is plan eating times so far out from a cruise. We go to dinner when we are ready and I hate the thought of having to be at dinner at a certain time. Not a relaxed holiday to me. The only bookings we make are for the specialty restaurants.

You and me both.  There is no way that I will be making advance MDR reservations.  We will just turn up when we feel like eating,  and if we need a buzzer, so be it. 

Holidays are all about spontaneity - booking a table 18 days in advance, let alone 18 months, destroys the entire holiday atmosphere. 

[trey420]

Never thought of it that way.  I booked em all but never think of the times or places as set in stone.  I know I will change, switch,  or cancel all together each night I'm there.  Just more place holders than anything. 

 

I never liked TD, no need to see the same folks each night.  I can tell the next guy what I want. 

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, leck57 said:

I just hope there are plenty of tables for "anytime" diners like us. The last thing I want to do is plan eating times so far out from a cruise. We go to dinner when we are ready and I hate the thought of having to be at dinner at a certain time. Not a relaxed holiday to me. The only bookings we make are for the specialty restaurants.

I thought the previous mix of Traditional dining and Anytime worked well. I know there were no shows in TD that tied up tables but I think there will still be plenty of no shows.

Another case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

You and me both.  There is no way that I will be making advance MDR reservations.  We will just turn up when we feel like eating,  and if we need a buzzer, so be it. 

Holidays are all about spontaneity - booking a table 18 days in advance, let alone 18 months, destroys the entire holiday atmosphere. 

What you don't know when you will be hungry 18 months in advance?😃

[skynight]

There is no more Anytime Dining as known in the past.

Now there is a reservation system for every main dining room, every evening. You make your reservations either day by day or for the same time each evening of the cruise. You can do this pre-cruise or you can wait until you are on board. There still is the option to just show up at any MDR and see if you can be seated.

No one really knows how well this system will work once ships return to full capacity. I envision that those making reservations months, maybe a year in advance, could fill many of the prime dining times leaving few slots for walk ups. I also envision lots of no shows. 

[Jadn13]

In regard to no shows The App allows you to change times or cancel individual days. 
I’m using it as a place holder for now and during the cruise I’ll decide day by day what to keep, cancel or change 

[skynight]

14 minutes ago, Jadn13 said:

In regard to no shows The App allows you to change times or cancel individual days. 
I’m using it as a place holder for now and during the cruise I’ll decide day by day what to keep, cancel or change 

True if you want to change you can try.  There still will be no shows. Not everyone will be concerned about keeping the program up to date. 

Edited August 3, 2021 by skynight