Changing Dining Question

[Terre]

We will be leaving Saturday on the Crown and had requested early seating in the MDR when we booked. We were waitlisted and our personalizer still shows us waitlisted; however, I got an e-mail a week or so ago saying we are confirmed for Anytime dining.

 

We really wanted traditional dining so we could get to know some others while on the cruise. We are concerned though that if we're able to change, we will be placed with people either younger or older than us as they usually try to seat you with people the same age at booking.

 

Has anyone ever been able to change from Anytime to traditional once on board? Were you placed with others around your age?

[Pia1913]

We will be leaving Saturday on the Crown and had requested early seating in the MDR when we booked. We were waitlisted and our personalizer still shows us waitlisted; however, I got an e-mail a week or so ago saying we are confirmed for Anytime dining.

 

We really wanted traditional dining so we could get to know some others while on the cruise. We are concerned though that if we're able to change, we will be placed with people either younger or older than us as they usually try to seat you with people the same age at booking.

 

Has anyone ever been able to change from Anytime to traditional once on board? Were you placed with others around your age?

 

The days of seating using age appropriate went out a long long time ago. I remember Carnival doing it in the 80's and perhaps Holland America continued to do it, but I have no recollection of Princess doing it at all.

[Terre]

Thanks, Pia. It's been a while since we've been on Princess, and both times we had anytime dining. All of our Carnival and Celebrity cruises have seated traditional diners with others of the same age. We were on both of those lines earlier this year and were with others around our age. Maybe Princess is just different. We'll try and see what happens.

[can786]

Princess does not try to match your age with others at your dining table. The last two times I had traditional dining I was travelling with my DH and two teenage sons and both times we were seated with couples in their 70s and 80s. The first time our table mates were delightful people that we enjoyed very much and the second time the couple said very little despite our efforts to engage them in conversation and never came back to our table after the second night. And not to sound like a parent that thinks their kids are perfect, but ours are fine in company and know how to carry on a conversation with strangers. They can even manage to exhibit decent table manners in public, which is amazing considering how often I have to correct them at home.

[Terre]

Thanks, Cathy. Hopefully, we'll still be able to change to traditional.

[Seal]

Thanks, Cathy. Hopefully, we'll still be able to change to traditional.

 

In case you don't get your Traditional Dining and will continue with Anytime Dining--always ask to join others at a table of 6 or 8--you'll meet a lot of people this way--and with the large table you have a better chance of finding some people you like.

 

Just got off a cruise on the Pacific Princess which only has Traditional Dining--my preference is always Anytime Dining--anyway the first night there was random seating--three of the couples there were on CC--someone figured out who I was by something that was said and realized that we had all been posting to each other on the Roll Call--our group got together often and toured together several times---and we gave 2 sail-a-way parties in our cabin which helped bring everyone together. soooooo there are many ways to meet other pax on your cruise.

 

Have a great time

 

Nancy:D

[capnjack]

We will be leaving Saturday on the Crown and had requested early seating in the MDR when we booked. We were waitlisted and our personalizer still shows us waitlisted; however, I got an e-mail a week or so ago saying we are confirmed for Anytime dining.

 

We really wanted traditional dining so we could get to know some others while on the cruise. We are concerned though that if we're able to change, we will be placed with people either younger or older than us as they usually try to seat you with people the same age at booking.

 

Has anyone ever been able to change from Anytime to traditional once on board? Were you placed with others around your age?

 

 

Once you are on board, check with the Maitre 'd, usually in the MDR on embarkation day. There will be a line of people wanting to change their dining assignments. Odds are very good that you can get assigned to early traditional dining. You will get an notice of your new assignment usually the next day.

 

As to the relative age of your new tablemates, that's pretty much luck of the draw.

[Pia1913]

Once you are on board, check with the Maitre 'd, usually in the MDR on embarkation day. There will be a line of people wanting to change their dining assignments. Odds are very good that you can get assigned to early traditional dining. You will get an notice of your new assignment usually the next day.

 

As to the relative age of your new tablemates, that's pretty much luck of the draw.

 

I have to disagree with your statement. Odds are not good for early traditional. Odds are better for late traditional. More people want early than late. Used to be just the opposite, but times they have changed.

[Pam in CA]

We will be leaving Saturday on the Crown and had requested early seating in the MDR when we booked. We were waitlisted and our personalizer still shows us waitlisted; however, I got an e-mail a week or so ago saying we are confirmed for Anytime dining.

 

We really wanted traditional dining so we could get to know some others while on the cruise. We are concerned though that if we're able to change, we will be placed with people either younger or older than us as they usually try to seat you with people the same age at booking.

 

Has anyone ever been able to change from Anytime to traditional once on board? Were you placed with others around your age?

Since you prefer to eat early, you might find Anytime dining just fine. You can probably have your choice of a table for two or at a large table with mixed ages. As long as you get there before 6pm, you shouldn't have any problem with waiting. I prefer late dining so my preference is late Traditional dining because I don't like having to wait up to an hour for a table, which isn't unusual if you like to eat late. But with early dining, you shouldn't have any problems.

[Terre]

Once you are on board, check with the Maitre 'd, usually in the MDR on embarkation day. There will be a line of people wanting to change their dining assignments. Odds are very good that you can get assigned to early traditional dining. You will get an notice of your new assignment usually the next day.

This is what we thought, too. We figured there'd be some who couldn't make it for whatever reason and those who decided to change. We've done Anytime on our last two Princess cruises and waiting for a table to fill up took longer than we wanted to wait. On the second cruise we chose Anytime and always got tables for two, but found we really enjoy meeting and making new friends at the traditional tables. We usually go request late seating, but on this ship it's 8:30 and that's a little too late even for us.

I'm sure we'll manage just fine.

 

Nancy: On our Bermuda cruise a few years ago, a guy on our roll call and his wife were seated at our table. I recognized him from his avatar and I asked him if he was so & so and he said yes...I said, I'm Terre and we had the best time with him and his wife. The other couple at our table didn't know about CC and my husband told them that this guy was famous...and he kinda was on CC! This guy was like, really, who is he? We messed with him the whole cruise...he never found out what we were really taking about or who this famous guy really was!

 

Thanks for the helpful suggestions, everyone, I'll still make friend whatever we end up with!

[Tina G]

I'm not sure what age you are, but I really enjoy meeting people of all ages. This is quite a change from the usual thread where young people are complaining that there is no one in THEIR age group!:)

[BosoxI]

Princess does not try to match your age with others at your dining table. The last two times I had traditional dining I was travelling with my DH and two teenage sons and both times we were seated with couples in their 70s and 80s. The first time our table mates were delightful people that we enjoyed very much and the second time the couple said very little despite our efforts to engage them in conversation and never came back to our table after the second night. And not to sound like a parent that thinks their kids are perfect, but ours are fine in company and know how to carry on a conversation with strangers. They can even manage to exhibit decent table manners in public, which is amazing considering how often I have to correct them at home.

 

Before open dining became possible (ain't it great), we had very good luck on all our cruises with old or middle aged tablemates. The one time we had to change tables was with 4 completely uncommunicative 20/30 somethings. One meal was enough and t he next night we retreated to a table for two.:D Age isn't necessarily the determining factor, though kids present a special situation.

[capnjack]

I have to disagree with your statement. Odds are not good for early traditional. Odds are better for late traditional. More people want early than late. Used to be just the opposite, but times they have changed.

 

You are right that odds are better for late traditional and that more people want early rather than late. On the other hand, I have twice gone to the Maitre 'd to get changed to early traditional dining and both times we got it. Not a significant statistical sample, I know, but it is encouraging.

 

I do think you will improve your odds if you go to the Maitre 'd as soon as you get on board. I don't know it for a fact, but it is reasonable to assume that they will address the requests in a first come, first served order.