More cruises now offer anytime dining (also called open seating) which means you can choose to go to any of the eligible restaurants without a reservation. Historically, when booking your cruise, you had to pre-select your dining time choosing between the early seating (at 5:30 – 6 pm) and late seating (usually at 8 – 8:30 pm). You would then be assigned a place at a table of 8, 10, or 12 other passengers. This had you adhering to a regular schedule regardless of whether the ship was in port or at sea.
Some people may like the routine, while others may prefer to remain flexible with their meal plans. There are pros and cons to both options and we have had experiences, good and bad, with each of these systems on a variety of cruise lines. I will share some thoughts that may help you choose.
Anytime dining
Initially offered by Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) this was how they marketed themselves as the “Freestyle” cruise line with a lot of success. It became a popular way for cruisers to enjoy more flexibility and in addition to times, they also made dressing up optional. Other cruise lines have since followed suit offering an abundance of flexible options such as reserving the same day or just showing up and lining up.
Pros
- Anytime dining gives you the flexibility to go eat when you feel like it, no need to rush, after all you are on vacation!
- You can plan around the itinerary not the meals (watch the departure from the ports, enjoy a nice sunset).
- Couples can ask to get a table for two for a more romantic evening.
- It’s possible to make dinner plans with newfound friends.
- Last minute changes are not a problem.
- You can try different sections of the dining room.
- You’re not stuck with the same wait staff, and remember, if you like your serving team, you can always ask for their section again.
- Rather than tipping a single group, a general tip to the ship may be more appropriate, and of course you can always leave a one-time tip for any extraordinary service.
Cons
- Sometimes when the restaurant opens the lines can be long so you might have to wait to be seated.
- On busy nights, the wait may be longer than usual. We once ended up having to share a table with 3 other couples instead of having a more intimate dinner on Valentine’s Day. The other options were to wait for over an hour in line or go to the buffet.
- You may not end up in the best section of the restaurant. Mind you, we have noticed that when traveling on higher end cabins, you have special attention and some of the nicer window tables do seem to be available even when the dining room is busy.
- You won’t really get to know your wait staff and if you do like them, it can be difficult, but not impossible, to get the same table and serving staff for the duration of your cruise.
- The opportunity of getting closer to some fellow cruisers is diminished, as you may only be spending a single dinner with others instead of the full cruise. We have exchanged emails and numbers with a few fellow cruisers that we’ve spent time with. It can be a nice way to make new friends with common interests.
- Making a same day reservation may be necessary on some ships; it may have to be done between certain times. Of course, if you are lucky enough to be in a penthouse your concierge can make the arrangements for you but either way you have to tell someone or risk waiting in line.
Traditional dining
Traditional dining brings to mind the tuxedos and gowns when cruising was special and only the well heeled could indulge in such luxury. It can be a step into another era, like playing a part in a movie. Depending on your likes, it could be a romance, a musical, or a drama or even a comedy, hopefully not a horror movie. Once the zipper on my dress broke just before our formal night and that could have turned into an R-rated movie had it happened at dinner. You get the idea.
Pros
- You lock-in your routine and you can plan around it. What time is dinner? It’s at 8 pm, no indecision.
- There’s no need to wander around the restaurant looking for your section, it’s always the same.
- You get to know your wait staff; they get to know you (If you have any allergies or favorites, they cater to your needs).
- You may make some new friends.
- You may find ways to compare or make common plans for the next day in port, like sharing rental cars or planning excursions together.
- If traveling with a larger group, this option would allow seating together without a wait.
- If you have a truly exceptional serving team that make your cruise special you can reward them without having to share that tip with the overall staff of which they’ll just get a small share.
Cons
- You may not get the best wait staff, you can always change (if there are free tables) but it takes some doing.
- You might not end up in the best restaurant section (next to a cleaning station, a busy area, etc.). It may be possible to change, but not if the ship is at capacity, then all the tables could be assigned.
- You might miss that perfect sunset, the departure from port, or a romantic moment rushing to make dinner.
- You could have the bad luck of being seated, for the duration of your cruise, next to an overbearing, rude guest. Here’s an extreme case but true: During one of our cruises, I had the misfortune of being seated beside a man interested in talking to a newlywed seated at the other end of the table; he kept yelling in my ear.
- If something does happen and you are late, you might have to go to some other dining venue like the buffet or a à la carte restaurant (if there is room and where you may have to pay a supplement). Punctuality is very important, especially for the first seating, since the table needs to be ready on time for the next party.
Our observations
We find that not all cruise ships do either option the same way. Especially the anytime dining which can be simply ‘wait in line’ on some ships, or ‘reserve between 9 and 10 am for the same evening’ on others, which adds some doing. If traveling with a group (more than four) you should probably opt for traditional dining.
Consider the itinerary (what time does the ship sail, when is the sunset) before locking in the early seating. Also, if you have allergies or any specific food intolerance and don’t want to mention these at every meal, traditional dining may be best for you. Finally, if you are a person that loves routine and removing the need to make decisions on holiday: traditional dining.
If you are more of a free spirit and don’t want to be locked down by a schedule on vacation, go for anytime dining. Make sure to check if reservations are necessary (or possible). If you are on a trip with your loved one and want to make it about the two of you, well, free style allows you to get a table for two more easily.
Being polite and gracious to the staff is always helpful in all matters. We have witnessed other cruisers treat the staff in a derogatory or impolite fashion or become overbearing and downright rude. This is a real turn off to us. These people work hard for us and we love to talk to them and learn more about them. We have found that cruise ships employ people from all over the world, many of the staff get days off and have visited the various ports on the itinerary and may have some good advice on what to see and what to do. Many have even given us excellent pointers about visiting their home countries as well.
For our last cruise in the Caribbean, we chose a different cruise line than our usual one for comparisons sake. Our preferred cruise line offers only the anytime dining option and that suits us very well. You just show up when you’re ready for dinner and get a table for two if that’s what you want. The other cruise line offered a choice of traditional dining or anytime dining but we found it very difficult to get a table for two with anytime dining unless we wanted to wait for a long time. Even, when we did manage to get a table for two, the waiter would serve a group of tables like one big table, yelling out the selections to the whole group. What’s the point of offering anytime dining, when it really isn’t?
In retrospect, we probably would have been better off with the second seating with the traditional dining option. At least, we would not have had to wait in line for a table to get seated.
The main thing is the itinerary and the ports for us. We wouldn’t miss-out on an ideal itinerary just because our preferred dining choice wasn’t available. In this case we would pick the later seating since ships often sail-away around 5 or 6 o’clock and we don’t want to miss the departure along with the amazing sunsets over the ocean.
Of course, cruise ships are always changing their policies as they look for ways to differentiate and respond to guest surveys and feedback. If nothing else, make sure to ask questions when booking before you decide, and do your research. Neither option is terrible. Remember that you are likely booking your cruise more for the ports of call than for the meals. Most ships always have something to eat available at all times and you can rest assured that you will not starve. Ultimately it’s up to you…
Unless, there is no other option offered for the itinerary we want, we’ll stick with our usual cruise line, anytime dining, and the freedom to travel our way.
We recently added more information to our section on cruises
I would love to hear about which dining option you prefer and why. Let me know in the comments!
Happy and safe travels!