Pacific dawn "your choice dining"

[cc_double]

Hi,

We are going this Saturday on the Pacific Dawn and are looking for advice and recent experiences with "YOUR CHOICE DINING", we are a Group of 9 (4 adults and 5 children) and we always have done the "Traditional Dining" set time and table, our friends travelling with us have never cruised before and we would like them to have a positive experience.

I have had a couple of my clients (we have a Hairdressing Salon) that have recently cruised on the Pacific Dawn say what a shambles it is.

Our friends are always envious off us when we have taken off on our previous cruises, so the only reason we are doing this one so close to home is for them to get the taste of what it is all about!!!!

[CruiseW827]

On our last cruise we booked for the first night and went out to book for the next night when we had finished and they just held the same table over for us every night if we werent there by 6.30 they just gave the table to some one else. We didnt have to book each night. There was 8 of us. Sometimes the kids ate with us other times they went up stairs to the kids dinner in the buffet at 5pm. Worked well for us and I hope we can do the same thing on the next cruise.

[Aus Traveller]

We have cruised a few times with Your Choice Dining and been happy with it. I suggest you try to book a table for the first night as soon as you board, but they might say you have to just turn up at the restaurant. I imagine that you would prefer to dine earlier rather than later as you have children with you. I suggest on the first night that you join the queue not too long after the doors open.

 

If you like the waiters who look after that table, then book for the next night. On one cruise we got on well with our table mates (hadn't met them before) but felt the waiters weren't good. We all agreed we would stay together but ask for another table - any other table but the one we had. We joined the short queue waiting to book as we left the restaurant. The place to book is usually a table set up in the space between the door to the restaurant and the lifts. If you want to, one of you could duck out during the meal (while waiting for the next course) and book for the whole group. Only one person needs to be there to book and put in under their name and cabin number. Alternatively, on the way out one person stops at the table to book and everyone else goes on the show (or wherever) and saves a seat for the person doing the dinner booking. Just arrange which side of the show lounge you will be sitting on.

 

We usually booked for 6pm and it didn't matter if we rolled up at 5.45 or 6.15pm, it was still OK. After the first few nights, they are likely to say that you can have that table for the rest of the cruise and that you don't have to book every night.

 

Hope that helps and that I haven't gone into too much trivial detail.

[This_Beats_Working]

You will only be offered 5.30 p.m. 6.00 p.m. or 8.00 p.m. sitting times

 

We sailed two weeks ago and on the last night tried to book a table for 6.00 p.m. We were told no, could only fit in at 8.00 p.m.

 

We rocked up at 6.20 p.m. and asked for a table and got straight in. Plenty of spare tables. My theory is a lot of people book then don't show up

[Aus Traveller]

We rocked up at 6.20 p.m. and asked for a table and got straight in. Plenty of spare tables. My theory is a lot of people book then don't show up

You are probably right, but this is a group of 9 so they would need a large table to themselves. If they want to sit together, I think it would be wise to book. In addition, it is great to have the same waiters every night. They soon get to know what you want and will give the kids more attention.

 

If it is just the adults (4 people) they would have more chance of just walking in and getting a table.

[fishtaco]

You are probably right, but this is a group of 9 so they would need a large table to themselves. If they want to sit together, I think it would be wise to book. In addition, it is great to have the same waiters every night. They soon get to know what you want and will give the kids more attention.

 

If it is just the adults (4 people) they would have more chance of just walking in and getting a table.

 

 

I agree for that amount of people its best to try and book after the first night as long as everybody is happy to have the same time slot!

 

I think staff much prefer permanent bookings as it makes their work load easier!

 

Bring back Traditional dinning I say!

[sherri3802]

Please let us know, after your cruise, how you got on and which were the busiest times, any problems you had etc

 

i am off with a group of 5 others in Sept. We have only experienced traditional dining, where we rocked up at our set time and set table. I am a bit nervous about this new system.

[cc_double]

Thankyou for all your thoughts and advice on this, we love traditional dining, so it'll be interesting to see how we go with this new way, will let you all know how we got on once we get back.

[Aus Traveller]

I suppose we have turned the Anytime Dining into the old-style Traditional Dining by booking the same table and waiters for every night.

 

There are advantages with Anytime Dining (the way we do it) are that we can have early dinner if we want, whereas previously if you didn't book your cruise fairly early, you were stuck with second dinner sitting. On one cruise someone had goofed and even though our whole group booked early, they didn't have our dinner preference shown so we were all put on second dinner sitting.

 

With traditional dining, the doors were closed 15 minutes after scheduled time, and if you weren't there, it is likely you couldn't get in. With the old system, I can remember rushing back to the ship and dashing into the cabin to change shorts for long pants and just making the deadline for dinner. With the present system, if you book for (say) 6pm, you can roll up early or a bit late and it is still quite OK.

 

Another major advantage is you can try out the waiters until you find one you like. Usually they are all good, but if you find (for instance) that it takes over half an hour before they even come for your order and that it takes over an hour and a half for your meal, then move on to another part of the dining room the next night. You are not stuck with dud waiters for the whole cruise.

 

We really like the present system.

[starlight66]

My first experience of any time dinning was on the Pacific sun in October 2009. We went with the whole family with many of them never cruising before. I was not impressed with any time dinning. We would go to the resturant to book a table and was told we had to ring from our cabin. We would ring but there were always never any table available. We then had to eat up stairs where we would have breakfast every morning, which was fine but the problem with that was we could not get seats any where. So we would wonder around with the food on our plates going cold just looking for a seat.

I would suggest booking a permanet table on boarding the ship so as you can be sure you have a table. I am going on pacific dawn on the 12th of June and that is what we will be doing this time.

[Sandielle]

After a couple of days we booked a permanent table on our NZ cruise and were really happy with the arrangement. We had discovered another two couples we clicked with as well as wonderful waiters and our evening meals were a very enjoyable time socially. The only fly in the ointment was that we booked the early time and thus missed sailaways. Next cruise we will try the later time and see which we prefer for the following NZ cruise.

 

Maybe the dining arrangements will have changed by then and thus our plans will be down the gurgler. Will worry about that then. :D

[Aussie Aloha]

Personally I don't really understand how the "anytime dining" thing works. There are still two dinner settings: 6 pm and 8 pm and if you don't book for those times, you may not get a table, especially on the first night and on formal nights.

 

We had the same table everynight (we loved our waitress Aida) but booked it for the early or late sitting depending upon what we were doing.

 

On formal nights and port nights, I'd suggest booking the 8 pm sitting. It gives you more time to get ready (on formal nights) or time for a rest (after port days).

 

On the other days we were happy to eat at the earlier sitting, so that we could go and enjoy some of the night activities.

[bazzaw]

On our 12 day cruise to Tas, my wife and I found "anytime dining" to be a bit of a shambles - but we got around it. On the first night, we queued for entry and had our dinner OK. We noted that the staff were trying to get us to book a permanent table - however we do like to meet different people at dinner and did not want a permanent table. So the next day we telephoned the number given to us to book a table - no answer . Rang all day long - no answer!! Finally we went to the Buffet for dinner. The following day we were told (by passengers) that you didn't need to book - just turn up whenever you felt like it (anytime dining) . This we did from then on and we always got in immediately on arrival. I think this worked well for us because we were only two.

 

Personally I think the problem is that they are compounding their management problems by trying to be all things to all people. Either the dining system should be ANYTIME DINING - ie you show up (with your traveling companions if you wish to dine with them) and get seated if there is a table available (this is exactly how the lunch service has worked in the past and worked well) OR - FIXED TIME dining where you select and book your preferred dining arrangements before departure. Trying to organise the seating of parties of different sizes and preferences when onboard is a recipe for a shambles, and appears in my experience to be so.

 

Barry

[livingstone]

anytime dining is good when you are visiting ports day after day. this way you can change your dining time to suit your shore tours and no need to rush back for dinner. I found the service on the pacific dawn a little slow and also a bit hit and miss.

[Bella cruiser]

Hi all

Sorry if these are dumb questions, but all your comments have been about Dinner reservations. How do you arrange lunch bookings?:confused: Do you need to book for a specific time? Do you need to formally cancel your booking (Dinner or Lunch) if you decide to try the Buffet or Salt Grill (or just don't turn up)? What happens if your child sometimes wants to eat early with the other kids and sometimes with the adults, is this OK?:confused:

 

Thanks

Jenny

[bazzaw]

Jenny

 

Re lunch in the Dining Room. It is true "any time dining" -- you just turn up anywhere in the allotted time for lunch and they find you a table. If you want to eat with your "group" , you have to turn up together.

 

Barry

[Aussie Aloha]

Otherwise Jenny, just ask the staff at the entrance and there is usually a booking table set up outside the dining room, in front of the lifts. This is where we made our table bookings.

[Bella cruiser]

Thanks Barry and Aussie Aloha for your help. I think it just sounds more complicated than it actually is.:)

 

Jenny