Personal Choice Dining questions

[Irina555]

Out itinerary now shows that we are confirmed for traditional first seating. We have never tried personal choice, but I really like the idea of not rushing to dinner for one specific time. Somethimes I feel hungry earlier, somethimes later, sometimes I don't feel like dinner at all. So I am really thinking about giving personal choice a try. When should I do this - now or when we arrive? If we do it now, maybe some people who's waiting for traditional opening will get their wish, but what if I hate personal choice? Should we wait until we are on board and see how everything is and then decide?

 

:confused:

[Toto2Kansas]

It is very easy to switch to personal choice once onboard the ship, it is very difficult to switch to assigned dining, in fact, almost impossible, with the wait lists.

 

I would try your assigned dining and see how that goes. You can always switch over if it is not what fits your schedule once you board.

[TeacherSus]

Out itinerary now shows that we are confirmed for traditional first seating. We have never tried personal choice, but I really like the idea of not rushing to dinner for one specific time. Somethimes I feel hungry earlier, somethimes later, sometimes I don't feel like dinner at all. So I am really thinking about giving personal choice a try. When should I do this - now or when we arrive? If we do it now, maybe some people who's waiting for traditional opening will get their wish, but what if I hate personal choice? Should we wait until we are on board and see how everything is and then decide?

 

:confused:

 

You really need to decide. You can't have traditional dining on board and "try" anytime dining. Yes, you can switch once on board, but I don't know how you're going to know if you "hate personal choice" (I think you mean anytime dining) once onboard having only tried traditional. You can't go back and forth on board. I don't know what you're worried about hating. Do you like to go to restaurants? That's what anytime dining is like. If you prefer to eat with the same people and have the same servers, go traditional. But again, this is a decision you should make now and free up a traditional spot for someone who knows they want it. We did anytime on our recent cruise and really liked the flexibility.

[crusinsusan]

Irina

We tried the anytime dining and loved it. We met people onboard and ate with them or just the two of us went when hungry. It was nice not watching the clock to eat. Call who you booked with and change now. Princess also has a 24 hr restaurant and a pizza place too. You will love the freedom to do what you want. Enjoy your cruise!

[rjack22]

Give Anytime Dining a chance. Go for it now and free up Traditional for someone else. I tried it for the first time my last cruise (one month ago now) and I really liked it. We met the most interesting people each night for dinner. We ate in the Palm and always asked to be seated with others. It was great.

 

If we wanted to eat in the Caribe Cafe we didn't have to worry about informing our tablemates or our waiter that we wouldn't be there that night. We could go when we wanted to. I liked that.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

We too love anytime dining and request it on all our Princess cruises, we have never had long waits and when in a larger group made reservations to avoid the long wait as there are few tables for 10.

We love the fact we can stay in port longer or at the pool longer or just go with the flow and not have to race back for dinner.

[luvthis]

We've booked traditional late sitting on the Sun Princess in April. We have never done anytime dining but have read that occasionally there are cruises when there is a waiting line to sit down. In fact, I think I read that the person e-mailing live from the Dawn right now has noticed long waits for dinner at 5:30 p.m. Anyway, the thought of having to wait for a table when cruising just doesn't sound like "relaxation" to me. I'd rather enjoy my day. Snack in the mid-afternoon if I'm hungry and enjoy dinner with the same tablemates. I like the idea of getting to know the waiter and the assistant waiter, too. After a few days they will know my likes & dislikes and I will feel like I'm getting to know them too.

 

Different choices are great, though. For all of you that love anytime dining, I'm really glad Princess offers it for you. We're counting down the days to our cruise adventure. Can't wait!

 

--Jean

[Jerm]

I would stay with traditional dining it is the best as far as I am concerned I am always prompt to dinner so it is not a problem for me. Read the Dining on the diamond needs improvement thread...

[serene56]

I would stay with traditional dining it is the best as far as I am concerned I am always prompt to dinner so it is not a problem for me....

 

 

thats the glory of anytime dining-- I dont have no worries about being late. and rushing to get ready when back from a port to be in a place by a certain time.

[dulcineahong]

I chose to cruise on princess because of personal choice dining, there's so many reasons why that is better than traditional dining - one of the reasons why people DON'T like cruising is because they don't want to be told when to eat and when to watch shows. your dining time will determine the rest of your evening...

 

Personal choice is better because:

1. you eat anytime you want instead of watching the clock and have to eat even when you're NOT hungry

 

2. dine anything so you're not stuck rushing to the shows with hoards of people who will be let out the same time as you ;)

 

3. you won't be "stuck" if you don't like your tablemates

and you'll get to meet more people! if you hit it off, you can meet with them to dine again, or even plan shore excursions together!

 

4. you won't need to rush back from shore excursions!

 

5. those who pick traditional dining have a tendency to prefer a rigid schedule, they like to sleep at a certain time and wake up at a certain time... if you're more spontaneous in nature i would recommend sticking with personal choice

 

good luck with your choice!

[Chivalrygirl]

thats the glory of anytime dining-- I dont have no worries about being late. and rushing to get ready when back from a port to be in a place by a certain time.

 

We are booked on the Grand doing New England/Canada in SEptember, I have never tried anytime dining before, but to me for a port intensive cruise it sounds like bliss. Late is far too late for me, early is too early, somewhere in the middle sounds really good. So thats the way I worked out what I think will be the best alternative for us on this particular cruise.

Also, won't find ourselves in the position where one of the table mates we had been sitting with on a previous cruise turned out to be a complete arsehole and we had to request that we be shifted, thats a rather appaling situation to find yourself in on a long cruise. Also not the first time this has happened either. I assume with anytime dining if we strike someone we find not quite to our taste it will only be for one meal :)

[puffer46]

I also have been tossing it around which way we want to go for the dining experience. We are doing a back to back next Jan. We love traditional but anytime does seem like the way to go. So have been thinking that maybe do the traditional dining the first week and then do anytime dining the second week. That way we will have the best of both worlds plus meet many new people as well.:)

[ggprincess2004]

We really prefer anytime dining as it does give us the opportunity to be flexible as to our activities. The only evenings that you may want to be a bit more structured are the formal nights - call for reservations in the formal dining room earlier in the day so that you do not have to wait for a table if you want to dine as a twosome.

We have been quite lucky on most cruises to find a waiter early in the cruise that we really enjoy, and request his table through reservations most evenings the balance of the cruise.

Give it a try on this cruise and see what you think. It is one of the reasons we do sail on Princess.:)

[davejohn]

We've done both, and I really don't consider traditional dining as being "inflexible". You always have the option of dining earlier, or later, at the Lido or Horizon Ct, the option of dining anytime at the specialty restaurants, or even having room service. On our last cruise we booked the early seating, but on 3 nights had dinner at the Lido because we preferred to take an afternoon excursion and still not be rushed. It was also at the end of a cruisetour, and I didn't want to drag a suit all over Alaska just to wear once at formal night.

 

Anytime dining is nice too, you don't even have to factor in dinner time when making plans. But I also think you tend not to get to know your tablemates (if you choose to eat with others) as well as you do with traditional dining. That can work both ways, but we've pretty much had great people at our table on previous cruises when choosing traditional dining.

 

It's nice to have a choice, but unlike NCL's TV commercials you're not locked into dining at a certain time every night just because you choose traditional. On a cruise ship you can pretty much eat any time you want, or.....all the time if so inclined. ;)

 

Dave

[LonghornKJK]

We've done both, and I really don't consider traditional dining as being "inflexible". You always have the option of dining earlier, or later, at the Lido or Horizon Ct, the option of dining anytime at the specialty restaurants, or even having room service. On our last cruise we booked the early seating, but on 3 nights had dinner at the Lido because we preferred to take an afternoon excursion and still not be rushed. It was also at the end of a cruisetour, and I didn't want to drag a suit all over Alaska just to wear once at formal night.

 

Anytime dining is nice too, you don't even have to factor in dinner time when making plans. But I also think you tend not to get to know your tablemates (if you choose to eat with others) as well as you do with traditional dining. That can work both ways, but we've pretty much had great people at our table on previous cruises when choosing traditional dining.

 

It's nice to have a choice, but unlike NCL's TV commercials you're not locked into dining at a certain time every night just because you choose traditional. On a cruise ship you can pretty much eat any time you want, or.....all the time if so inclined. ;)

 

Dave

 

What you say is certainly true. However, I have read from folks on here their dining experience was diminished because their tablemates didn't show up. Some couples found themselves alone at a table for eight! And if I was going to skip dinner, I would hate to have to notify my tablemates that I wasn't going to be there, though that is the polite thing to do.

 

If one is going to skip the traditional dining room three out of seven nights, why not go for Anytime Dining in the first place? It seems to me that you either want the flexibility of choosing when and where and with whom you eat (and you're willing to occasionally wait for a table) or you want to eat at the same time (with no waiting) with the same people every night, served by the same wait staff.

[RubyLee]

Do you go to the same dining room(s) for breakfast and lunch if you have Anytime Dining?

[West Coast]

Do you go to the same dining room(s) for breakfast and lunch if you have Anytime Dining?

 

Breakfast and lunch in the dining room is open seating. The dining room serving breakfast/lunch (and what times) will be identified each day in the Patter.

[Sandytoes]

Out itinerary now shows that we are confirmed for traditional first seating. We have never tried personal choice, but I really like the idea of not rushing to dinner for one specific time. Somethimes I feel hungry earlier, somethimes later, sometimes I don't feel like dinner at all. So I am really thinking about giving personal choice a try. When should I do this - now or when we arrive? If we do it now, maybe some people who's waiting for traditional opening will get their wish, but what if I hate personal choice? Should we wait until we are on board and see how everything is and then decide?

It's time for you to try Personal Choice....I think you would enjoy it....The only thing different about PC is that YOU Pick The Time to Eat....Which fits what you stated...

[jlp20]

Out itinerary now shows that we are confirmed for traditional first seating. We have never tried personal choice, but I really like the idea of not rushing to dinner for one specific time. Somethimes I feel hungry earlier, somethimes later, sometimes I don't feel like dinner at all. So I am really thinking about giving personal choice a try. When should I do this - now or when we arrive? If we do it now, maybe some people who's waiting for traditional opening will get their wish, but what if I hate personal choice? Should we wait until we are on board and see how everything is and then decide?

 

:confused:

 

OK, you can switch now or on the first day. Either way, you can switch one time on any given cruise.

 

From what I have seen, you can’t “try” the PC dinning. When you present your self for seating, they ask for the cruise card from one of your party to assure you’re at the right place. No big deal is made, but I have seen traditional people being turned away from the PC room.

 

We did traditional on our first cruise and liked it. On our second cruise a large charter group bumped us into PC. We were upset at first but decided to give it a try. Loved it and have not looked back since.

 

Don’t know how many people we have broken bread with, but I can count on one hand the people we did not like being with.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I also have been tossing it around which way we want to go for the dining experience. We are doing a back to back next Jan. We love traditional but anytime does seem like the way to go. So have been thinking that maybe do the traditional dining the first week and then do anytime dining the second week. That way we will have the best of both worlds plus meet many new people as well.:)

 

Of course, that won't be fair to those who are stuck on the traditional waitlist. If you're going to change to anytime, it should be at the start of the cruise, so the maitre'd can get a party into traditional who really wants it.

[Seal]

Give anytime dining a try--we love it--and only have traditional when we have no choice--such as on the TP--then we choose late--some of the excursions don't come back 'til about 6pm--not quite enough time to clean up and be there in just a few minutes--although on the Tahiti cruise a couple of the ports are overnight stays--then you can eat on shore if you wish

 

TRY ANYTIME DINING

 

Nancy:D

[davejohn]

If one is going to skip the traditional dining room three out of seven nights, why not go for Anytime Dining in the first place? It seems to me that you either want the flexibility of choosing when and where and with whom you eat (and you're willing to occasionally wait for a table) or you want to eat at the same time (with no waiting) with the same people every night, served by the same wait staff.

 

Unfortunately the Zuiderdam didn't offer Anytime Dining or we would have chosen it. Our cruisetour joined the ship in the middle of it's Alaskan cruise, so it was a 4 day cruise for us. We did notify them we wouldn't be dining at our scheduled time, and the one night we did it turned out there were only 2 couples at the table that were on the 7 day cruise. They had a table for 8 to themselves for 6 of the 7 nights.

[joyride]

Personal choice is good because you have the freedom to eat alone or with others and to go at different times. On several cruises, we have met waiters that we have enjoyed and made reservations with them on future nights in the "anytime" dining room. This is nice because you can pick your time, place & waiter. Sometimes we are hungry early and go to dinner at 6 or so, other times we eat late. It is also good because it doesn't take as long to dine and you can work around show schedules.

 

We did late traditional on our Med/Greek Isle cruise last fall- which was quite port intensive. We were with a group and we did enjoy our waiters, but several nights we ended up at the buffet because we wanted to eat earlier or quicker... I felt bad the nights that we didn't show for dinner...

[wcal]

I can understand where anytime might work for many but we always choose late traditional dining. Better service and same table mates. With late dining no need to hurry back from shore excursions. Also there other options such as speciality restaurants or the horizon court if you would like to eat at a different time sometimes. We have cruised on the Norwegian Sun once and did the "freestyle" thing. It was OK but we really did not care for it. Sometimes we had to wait to be seated but not often. There really is some flexibility in traditional dining.