Crown Anytime Seating & ice cream

[flbeachmom]

We are booked for a 3/29 cruise on the Crown and i was wondering if anyone has done the anytime seating?? We just got off the NCL Pearl for Thanksgiving and Loved the Freestyle dining. They did have the best Buffet set up on any ship we have been on so we did eat there a quite a few times. We also found we enjoy dinner around 7pm and wonder what the wait times are like on Crowns anytime seating. How does it work anyway can you go into any rest.?

 

And my 8 year old wants clarification on the ice cream, free or not free?? That has always been her favorite part of cruising since we normally do not eat junk food at home.LOL I keep reading different things about the ice cream, How much does it cost if you have to pay for it. It will be good to set her a limit if not free......

[alabama ghost]

I'll answer as much as I can.

 

We were on the Emerald Princess in 2008--a sister ship to the Crown. There are 3 dining rooms on the ship, one traditional and two for anytime dining. With anytime dining you can sometimes request the same time every night and the same table if that's what you want. You generally can't make nightly reservations between 6pm and 8pm because that's their busiest times. You just have to show up and if it's full, they give you a beeper and you can go into one of the lounges (or not) until you're beeped. In my experience, if you show up when the dining room opens you can walk right in.

 

The extra charge dining rooms, I'm not sure if it's $15 or $20 per person, for Sabatinis and the Crown Grill. You definitely want to make reservations for these. We've eaten at Sabatinis many times, just save up your appetite! The buffet is fine, especially the Cafe Caribe. They had a wonderful German dinner during our last cruise and they have lots of "themed" dinners.

 

As far as ice cream is concerned, you can get free ice cream in the buffet sometime in the afternoon each day. I'm not sure of the time but it's somewhere between 2pm and 3:30pm. Your ice cream is also free as part of the meals in the dining room--one of your options to order for lunch or dinner. I don't know the cost if you pay for it--Sorry!

 

Have a great trip.

[paul929207]

For ANytime Dining, you can go to any dining room not used for Traditional. You cruise card will have the dining room names for Anytime.

 

Ice cream is free as desert in the dining rooms with lunch and dinner. It is also free at Horizon Court each afternoon from about 3 to 4.

[Pia1913]

If you purchase the soda card for your daughter you will have the option of adding the ultimate card to it. Card = sticker, which will be placed on her room card. The ultimate, besides all the fountain soda she can drink, will get her unlimited smoothies and unlimited soft serve ice cream. You also might want to consider the gelato at the International Cafe, which is extremely low priced at 3 scoops for $1.50. The ice cream from the ice cream station is approx. $3.50 and up.

[Ldyandrea]

Along with the other suggestions mentioned above, there is also an "Ice Cream Card", which costs under $20, and is a punchcard for either 5 super duper mongo big sundaes, or for 10 regular sized sundaes. This is from the ice cream place that's near one of the pools. This includes not just soft serve, but a bunch of different kinds of hard ice cream.

 

A bit more costly, true, but might be a special treat as well. :)

[flbeachmom]

Along with the other suggestions mentioned above, there is also an "Ice Cream Card", which costs under $20, and is a punchcard for either 5 super duper mongo big sundaes, or for 10 regular sized sundaes. This is from the ice cream place that's near one of the pools. This includes not just soft serve, but a bunch of different kinds of hard ice cream.

 

A bit more costly, true, but might be a special treat as well. :)

 

Thanks you just answered my next question How Much is this going to cost me?? It sounds like it may be worth it.

[sugarsmacks]

Was on the Crown 2 weeks ago. My son bought ice cream from scoops a few times. You can get 1 big scoop with one topping for $1.50. Ice cream is also free in the buffet on sea days between 3:30-4:30. Ice also free in the dining room for dinner. I did not see the ice cream card offered but it doesn't mean they don't have it. I did see the ultimate card.

[Guest Snorkelbunny]

Was on the Crown 2 weeks ago. My son bought ice cream from scoops a few times. You can get 1 big scoop with one topping for $1.50. Ice cream is also free in the buffet on sea days between 3:30-4:30. Ice also free in the dining room for dinner. I did not see the ice cream card offered but it doesn't mean they don't have it. I did see the ultimate card.

 

It's funny, I have never seen the ice cream card advertised on any cruise I have taken, but they have it at Scoops if you ask for it. My step-daughters received it as an embarkation gift from a friend who had called Princess Special Services for suggestions. We haven't been on the Crown, Emerald, or Ruby (yet!), but it sounds like they would adore the Ultimate Card.

[flbeachmom]

Anyone know the price of the ultimate card?

[Pia1913]

Anyone know the price of the ultimate card?

 

Approx. $72.45 for a seven day cruise. (That's $9.00/day + 15% gratutity)

[Cruisin' Chick]

Sometimes the ice cream in the Horizon Court is homemade and in unusual flavors, along with toppings. Just go into the Horizon around 3:30 or so. If you don't see the ice cream set up, go to the other side (there are two entrances to the buffet). I don't recall seeing any mention of this in the Patters, but it is available.

 

Also, plenty of ice cream flavors available in the dining rooms at lunch and dinner.