Anytime AND Traditional Dining?

[MLinFL]

From what I have read on this board, it appears that some people sign up for traditional dining, but then opt for the "anytime" dining. :confused: Wouldn't this make it much harder for those who only have the option of the "anytime" dining to get seated? Are there long waits for "Anytime" dining?

 

Woud someone who has recently experienced "anytime" dining aboard Princess care to comment?

 

Thanks,

 

Mary Lou

[cruzinchris]

MaryLou,

Not sure I understand exactly what you're asking, but I'll try to answer as best I can.

 

People who opt for Traditional (fixed seating, same time, same table, same waitstaff nightly) usually do so because this is their preference for shipboard dining. They may choose to dine in the specialty dining rooms or at the buffet during their cruise; this is totally acceptable, and they should alert their waitstaff and tablemates when they will not be coming to dinner on those occasions. In most cases, roomcards are checked, and Traditional diners wouldn't be seated in an "Anytime" dining room.

 

DH and I have opted for "Anytime" dining on all five of our Princess cruises and have never had to wait for a table. We tend to dine early (6-6:30); we request a table for two and have been seated immediately. Larger parties or those who arrive at the dining room during peak times may have a short wait, but this wouldn't be due to Traditional diners coming to an Anytime venue.

 

During the course of the cruise, some Traditional diners may decide to switch to Anytime. Similarly, given the opportunity, waitlisted diners would likely switch to Traditional.

 

I hope I've answered some portion of your question.

Chris

[cynbar]

Some traditional diners have reported that they have been able to go to the anytime DRs on various nights without a problem, and then return to their traditional DRs later in the week. This doesn't seem fair to the anytime diners -- but I have to admit that we have never had a wait for a table in anytime of more than a few minutes. However, I and others have seen the maitre d' check cruise cards on some of our sailings and turn away traditional diners, so there doesn't seem to be a lot of consistency. Traditional diners can certainly go to the buffet or the specialty restaurants if they want to skip the DR, but I think we all hope that most would be considerate and leave the anytime DRs to the anytime diners. Also, if someone prefers anytime, I'm sure that those on the waiting list for traditional would hope they would give up their traditional spots to those who really want this.

[Coolcruise02]

We were "traditional" diners who went one night to "anytime" dining with no problem. It was our 1st Princess cruise and it stated in the Patters you could do so. If changing back and forth is not acceptable they should not list it as an option in the daily paper. (they may have stopped doing that now)

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We chose to do the Anytime Dining and never had to wait at all for a table (whether we wanted to dine with other couples or just have a table for 2). On the Caribbean Princess there were two Anytime Dining Rooms and One Traditional Dining Room, as well as the Horizon Court and Cafe Caribe buffets, not to mention the two specialty restaurants. With so many options, there didn't seem to be any impact on getting into the Anytime Dining Rooms.

[DesertDaisy]

Sapphire 3-18-06 3-25-06

Anytime dining works if everyone follows the rules, and you are not a big party. We tried it with a group of 12, not good, we always had a wait. The last night we did it with 4, the other 8 choose to eat in the Horizion Court. We walked up at 7:30 and were sitted immediately, great service, wonderful meal! With a small group, or two people I would choose anytime everytime. Phyllis

[Cindy]

We had some dining problems on our recent Grand Princess cruise. The system isn't designed to handle passengers switching back and forth, and when they do it has a negative impact on both types of dining. The following is an excerpt from my letter to Princess describing the dining problems from our cruise:

Another aspect of our problems with dining concerns the confusion between traditional and anytime dining, particularly among new cruisers, and abuses of the system that diminish the dining experience for all passengers. Much to our disappointment when we reported to the Botticelli dining room we found ourselves sitting alone at a table for 8. This was an awkward situation, although our outstanding servers did their best to be attentive and help us feel comfortable. We weren’t the only ones who found ourselves in that situation in the “completely full” traditional dining room. There were actually entire tables that weren’t used all week, and other large tables where only one couple showed up for dinner during the cruise. We ended up joining forces and sitting with another “Cruise Critic” couple we knew from the message boards and met on an excursion. This couple also found themselves alone at a table for 8. Finally on Wednesday another couple joined our table. The newcomers were first time cruisers and they had been busy, so they were just eating in the buffet or one of the anytime dining rooms!

I think this is a problem that you could correct with better communication and more detailed explanations of the dining options. In particular first time cruisers and first time Princess passengers seem to have difficulty understanding their options and the impact they have on the system and their fellow passengers when they ignore their dining assignment. Perhaps you need to implement a policy that if passengers don’t show up after two nights or if they choose to eat in one of the anytime dining rooms, they will have to give up their spot in traditional. It seems like there are always lengthy waiting lists for traditional dining, but this was our second cruise in a row where the traditional dining room has been AT MOST three quarters full. There were complete tables that were empty for the entire week. No one checked cruise cards for the anytime dining rooms, so many people with reservations for traditional ate there if they didn’t feel like eating in the traditional dining room at their set time.

I know the dining system isn’t set up to have passengers switching back and forth, but if there isn’t anyone monitoring a system, it can break. Apparently the system wasn’t being monitored during our cruise, which led to numerous vacant seats in the traditional dining room and unnecessarily long waits (up to an hour!) in the anytime dining rooms. I think this problem could be easily addressed with some improvement in an explanation of the dining options, better monitoring of the cruise cards, and possibly a “use it or lose it” policy for traditional dining. I know anytime dining is an excellent choice for many people and traditional works best for others, but passengers can’t have it both ways. If a person chooses traditional, that is what they should do – not switch back and forth. Examining the dining system and possibly implementing some stricter controls would help you improve the cruise dining experience for all your guests.

[Times Prince]

Cindy, I couldn't agree with you more! There should definitely be a "use it or lose it" policy for traditional dining. Traditional is our preference, as we love to develop a relationship and comaraderie with other couples and with the wait staff over the duration of the cruise. This won't happen if the other couples either don't show up or just show up for formal nights. For our last cruise we signed up (TA confirmed) for a table for 8, was assigned a table for 4, and the other couple showed up three nights out of seven, despite having special cuisine ordered and prepared for them. Needless to say, we didn't order the traditional "table picture".

 

We believe it is just plain rude to take a reserved traditional dining spot, and then to not use it. I am not talking about the occasional dining in the specialty restaurant. Maybe if the rude people lose their reserved spaces in favor of waitlisted cruisers who really want the traditional experience, they might just get the message.

 

We've also opted for the Anytime dining for the experience. You can meet a lot of people, but often don't develop conversation beyond the "how many cruises have you been on?" introductions. We have had occasion where waits were required either to get a table, or fill a table, or when we've requested a table with a specific particularly good waiter. Otherwise the only waits are when the shows let out.

[MLinFL]

Thanks to all who responded. That is exactly the kind of information that I was looking for.

 

I read a post where someone stated that they were set up for traditional early seating (I believe they said it was 6:00pm). However, they really wanted to eat at 6:30 so there were going to go to the anytime dining. That is the kind of thing that really ruins the system. I hope that they are checking cruise cards at the anytime dining rooms to prevent this sort of thing.

 

Mary Lou

[A1Mema]

We had requested the 6 PM traditional dining on the Coral this past cruise. We were seated with another couple from our roll call and another family. After three evenings, the couple from our roll call and my husband and I decided that we would prefer other arrangements and so notified the maitre d and moved to the choice dining room. We were able to change our reservation time from night to night and were also able to add two other couples from our roll call a night or two later. The flexibility and choice was really nice and we would choose the choice from now on.

 

Dottie

[negc]

I've noticed an interesting, or should I say disturbing trend in recent posts about traditional vs. anytime dining. It is called "blame the traditional diners". These posters claim that there is a mass exodus of traditional diners to the anytime dining room which causes those who signed up for, or were assigned to anytime dining despite their preference, to have to wait for tables in the anytime dining room. Frankly I find this argument a bit specious. While I am sure there may be an occasional guest who is assigned to traditional dining who might do this, I question what evidence exists that this is such a widespread problem that anytime diners are suffering. Many people request traditional dining and are denied because of the way Princess allocates its dining rooms. To believe that a significant number of those who are fortunate enough to actually get traditional dining as they requested, will foresake it for anytime dining on a regular basis is difficult to believe. Apocryphal stories of half empty traditional dining rooms strain credulity.

If there are waits for tables in the anytime dining room, it is more likely that it is anytime diners who all decide that they want to dine at the same time. As it is, we know that those in anytime dining are denied the opportunity to make standing reservations for the more popular dining times. Clearly if the supposed problem of traditional diners overwhelming the anytime dining rooms can be handled by checking guests cards which will show their dining assignment.

Lets not lose focus on the problems with the way Princess handles the personal choice dining situation by trying to shift attention and blame to the guests.

[Cindy]

Lets not lose focus on the problems with the way Princess handles the personal choice dining situation by trying to shift attention and blame to the guests.

 

Bill,

I agree with this statement, however I think the problem is with both Princess' handling of dining policies AND with passengers not following the system as it was intended.

I can only speak from my experiences on the Grand, and practices and experiences may well be different on another ship or itinerary. The Galveston sailings seem to attract a lot of first time cruisers and first time Princess passengers (there were only 500 repeaters out of a full ship of 3,100 on our March sailing). Quite a few people I spoke to were switching dining arrangements, and genuinely didn't understand they were doing something they shouldn't be doing. For starters, better explanations and communication from Princess and travel agents would help improve the situation. For what it's worth, cruise cards weren't checked in either of the anytime dining rooms last month on the Grand. That also would help stop the switching, and it's an easy fix.

I can't help but wonder if Princess allocated more space to traditional dining if there would be the same problems. It just doesn't make sense to constantly read threads where people are waitlisted in the 500's for traditional dining. If I was working for Princess, that would indicate to me there's a great demand for traditional dining, and maybe the space allotments should be adjusted. Too simple?

[negc]

Bill,

I agree with this statement, however I think the problem is with both Princess' handling of dining policies AND with passengers not following the system as it was intended.

It just doesn't make sense to constantly read threads where people are waitlisted in the 500's for traditional dining. If I was working for Princess, that would indicate to me there's a great demand for traditional dining, and maybe the space allotments should be adjusted. Too simple?[/color][/font]

 

Cindy, I totally agree. I've been making the same argument for many months. It seems so obvious a solution that I keep trying to figure out what is wrong with it. I fear that Princess, rather than admitting that their system needs some fine tuning and that they should be more flexible in how they designate dining rooms, is encouraging people to blame something else, guest assigned to traditional dining who really don't know how it works. I find it difficult to believe that there are that many who ask for traditional dining that don't really and truly want it. You need only to read the unhappy posts of so many who requested but were placed on a lengthy waiting list to know that the majority of passengers are intelligent human beings who know what they want.

 

If I were a member of the conspiracy theorists, I would opine that Princess introduced personal choice dining not to accommodate both traditional dining enthusiasts and those who want more flexibility in their dining arrangements, but rather as a means of gradually reducing and eventually eliminating traditional dining altogether, thinking that as people became better acquainted with anytime dining, they would support a move to all anytime dining.

 

Remember when Princess was loudly proclaiming how popular anytime dining was? Only when the continued unbelievably lengthy waiting lists for traditional became public knowledge, did they discontinue claiming it was an unmitigated success.

 

Then we were told that anytime dining would become more popular once people tried it and became acquainted with it.

 

If Princess wanted to resolve the issue, it would not be that difficult to adjust the split between traditional and anytime dining rooms on a sailing by sailing basis to reflect the actual demand for each style, and by consistently checking the sign and sail cards when passengers asked to be seated in the anytime dining rooms.

[karen2cruz]

We had the same disappointing experience as Cindy on our Golden cruise a year ago. At our traditional table of 8 we were the only couple that came every night. 1 couple never showed, another came 4 out of the 7, and another showed up twice.

 

There were many tables like this in the traditional dining room. Princess should give the seats to those waitlisted after the 2nd night of no shows.

 

We are not sure what we will do for our Grand 07 cruise. If we get a good CC roll call going, maybe we will do Anytime, but for now we are signed up for traditional.

[Maine_girl]

We just got off the 3/25 sailing of the Grand. We had signed up and were confirmed for late traditional seating. I checked online a week before the cruise and we were listed as traditional late. When we showed up for our cruise, we found we were assigned to anytime. We contacted the maitre d' and he told us he didn't have any openings and he'd put us on the list and contact us if something opened up. We never heard back from him.

 

5 out of 7 nights we had to wait, 3 nights at least 1/2 hour. We tried all different times between 6-8:30 and it was always busy. The 2nd or 3rd night we tried to make reservations, after hearing other people show up with them. We called the dining room and were told they do not take reservations for only 2 people; show up before 6:30 or after 8:00 and you'll be seated right away. That night we showed up at 8:15 and had a 25 minute wait. DH and I weren't picky, we were always willing to share a table, but we almost always had to wait. We just made the best of it and went to the Wheelhouse for pre-dinner drinks while we waited (and discovered I love cosmos ;) ), wondering if that is exactly what Princess was trying to accomplish.

 

Meanwhile, we talked with a couple during one of the deck parties who told us late trad was half empty. They were at a table of 8 and were the only ones who had shown up and there were several other tables only partially filled.

 

Our card was never checked to get into anytime dining. There was always a lot a people in line to get a pager or just standing about waiting for a table. It seemed very unorganized to us.

 

We always enjoyed the service and the food we got, but missed having the same waiter and table mates every night. With just the 2 of us traveling together, we always found it nice to have other people to talk to at the end of the day.

 

We enjoyed our cruise but the mess of the dining rooms kind of leans us towards returning to RCCL for our next cruise.

[flipoid]

We will be sailing in May on the Caribbean Princess, and this is our first time on Princess. We chose (and are confirmed for) early traditional dining. We plan on going to our traditional dining room seating all nights except 2--the night we want to have the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, and the night we are going to eat in Sabitini's. As long as we tell our waiters that we're not going to be there (we don't anticipate having tablemates as we've requested a table for 2), will we be ostracized for skipping the traditional dining on those two nights?

 

I agree with earlier posters that if everyone followed the guidelines (Princess should check the cruise cards to make sure that people going in the "anytime" dining rooms are actually assigned to "anytime"; traditional diners who chose to switch to anytime dining should notify the maitre'd so that someone who is waitlisted for traditional can take their place), there wouldn't be so much of a problem. I really have a problem (with any situation, not just on cruise ships) with people who think they can flaunt the rules and make circumstances more unpleasant for other people.

 

It's also a great suggestion that Princess should shift the traditional/anytime dining rooms on a sailing-by-sailing basis. But, as other posters have stated, that's just too easy! :rolleyes:

[TMull]

It is ridiculous to blame this problem on Princess. Blame it on our general rudiness and lack of consideration as a society. The people who sign up for Traditional and never show are not thinking about the empty tables, but only of their own convenience. Rude. Agreed that a "miss two in a row and lose your seating" policy might help, but the route of the problem is lack of manners, not lack of policing. Or perhaps a system where non-diners could notify staff in advance on a nightly basis and their spots could be offered to wait-listers? This would keep the tables full and allow Trad diners to meet new people. Not to get off topic, but this "me first" thinking is the same mentality that results in people wearing jeans on formal nights: "It's my vacation and I'll do what I want" rather than considering that informal wear on a formal night detracts from the ambience of the evening for everyone.

 

Scanning cards to enter a fine dining room is tacky.

 

We just returned from the Golden. We tried to get into Traditional, but only PC was available. We were threatened with a thirty minute wait two out of seven nights, but waited no more than 10 minutes at most.

[negc]

It is ridiculous to blame this problem on Princess. Blame it on our general rudiness and lack of consideration as a society. The people who sign up for Traditional and never show are not thinking about the empty tables, but only of their own convenience. Rude. Agreed that a "miss two in a row and lose your seating" policy might help, but the route of the problem is lack of manners, not lack of policing. Or perhaps a system where non-diners could notify staff in advance on a nightly basis and their spots could be offered to wait-listers? This would keep the tables full and allow Trad diners to meet new people. Not to get off topic, but this "me first" thinking is the same mentality that results in people wearing jeans on formal nights: "It's my vacation and I'll do what I want" rather than considering that informal wear on a formal night detracts from the ambience of the evening for everyone.

 

Scanning cards to enter a fine dining room is tacky.

 

We just returned from the Golden. We tried to get into Traditional, but only PC was available. We were threatened with a thirty minute wait two out of seven nights, but waited no more than 10 minutes at most.

 

There is plenty of blame to go around, and Princess deserves its share. They set up the system but have refused to demonstrate any flexibility in designating which and how many dining rooms will be traditional or anytime. They also deserve blame for not establishing a system to insure that the supposed violations by guests who don't want to follow the rules don't cause others long delays in getting a table.

 

I'm not sure why checking cards is so tacky if, as some claim, there is such widespread disregard for the rules. Again, it is a simple solution to the problem, and perhaps if a few diners who were assigned traditional dining were told that they can't be seated in the anytime dining room without giving up their traditional dining room assignment to someone on the dreaded wait list, the lesson would be reinforced and there would be fewer problems.

 

Lets face it, it is also much easier to blame those delays on selfish, or unaware traditional diners taking up space in the anytime dining rooms, than to consider that the delays might be the result of too many anytime diners trying to eat at the same time. Just like at home when you go to a restaurant at a popular time, sometimes even with a reservation, you have to be prepared to wait for a table.

 

Everyone seems to agree that there are problems. Rather than trying to assess blame, why not try to agree on some solutions.:)

[Cindy]

We just got off the 3/25 sailing of the Grand. We had signed up and were confirmed for late traditional seating. I checked online a week before the cruise and we were listed as traditional late. When we showed up for our cruise, we found we were assigned to anytime. We contacted the maitre d' and he told us he didn't have any openings and he'd put us on the list and contact us if something opened up. We never heard back from him.

 

 

We had the same experience on the 3/11 sailing, except we did manage to get switched back to traditional. I was very upset that after being confirmed for late dining for 9 months, I was moved to anytime without any communication from Princess or my TA. I have written Princess about the problems with our confirmed reservation, and I enclosed documentation of the mix-up.

I thought this was an isolated problem, but it appears I am not the only person who's had this happen.:(

[Hlitner]

Darn good discussion and I hope someone from Princess is reading this board. We used to love late sitting traditional, but started doing Personal Choice in order to assure ourselves that we would always get a full table (traditional tables can be filled or empty at the whim of the passengers). We have been on 2 Princess cruises in the past 4 months (Sea and Diamond) and never had to wait more than 5 min to get seated with Personal Choice. We thought it was very funny on the Diamond to see the traditional diners line-up 15-20 mintues before their assigned times (were they afraid someone would give away their seats?),, while we would just walk into anyone of the 3 Personal Choice dining rooms and be quickly seated. The only PC diners we saw waiting were those that wanted tables for 2.

 

Hank