Traditional dining 6pm

[jltodd]

We are wait listed on the Emerald Princess for the 6pm dining. I am a 5 time Princess cruiser. We love the 6 pm dining slot but have difficulty getting in. Last time the maitre'd was very rude when we ask to be seated. By the third night plenty of empty tables at 6:20 and finally got placed!!! Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we can obtain confirmed seating once we are on board???

[Astro Flyer]

Not sure what to do to get the very popular early traditional dining. We generally get late traditional which is easier. Requests for early dining is so popular that Princess has added an extra early dining in one of the anytime dining rooms.

 

If you want to confirm early traditional dining in the future, it's based on when you book...the earlybird catches the worm.

 

Sorry I don't have a suggestion for your next cruise but based on no replies from the many very experienced Princess cruisers on these boards, there may not be an easy answer.

 

Hope you'll get your dining request...good luck. :)

[DTW Cruiser]

Depending on when you are cruising, you may still clear the waitlist especially if you are prior to your final payment date. If you don't clear it, once you board the ship, check for the time that the Maitre'd will begin seeing passengers who wish to change their dining time. That's one of the first things we attend to in the afternoon once we board the ship if we have dining time issues. The Maitre'd is used to changes and is usually very accommodating. Maybe he was just having a rushed moment last time. I'm glad it worked out for you eventually on your past cruise and hope you have an easier experience this time!

[caribill]

once you board the ship, check for the time that the Maitre'd will begin seeing passengers who wish to change their dining time.

 

Agree.

 

May want to get there a few minutes before the annlunced time as the line may get long.

[cherylandtk]

Emerald, and perhaps most other Princess ships by now, has a third traditional seating time at 5:30. Would that work for you as an alternative? If not, your only alternative is to book earlier when the time you prefer is still available, or be willing to chance that a slot to open later.

[Cruisin' Chick]

And be sure to pass along to Princess (on the comment email if you get one, or write a brief letter to their corporate office) and suggest that when there's a waitlist, even by the first day, that one of the anytime dining rooms be divided up and given over to traditional dining. The anytime diners would probably not be happy, but if those wanting traditional dining can't have it, then certainly they aren't happy.

[Mbouck1]

As stated, it is when you book your cruise. We thought a couple of times that we had booked our cruise early enough to find that we were still waitlisted for early dining and did not get it at the start of the cruise. We were always fortunate enough to have a good time with people that we were seated with and sat with these people throughout the cruise. We booked our cruise for next month early enough and was able to get the 6pm seating. I think that it is great that Princess added a new time for early dining and that it made a lot of people happy with that. It is only 30 minutes earlier so that is not bad. Remember that 6pm is a popular time for a lot of people so they could see the shows and enjoy the rest of the evening and that 5:30 gives you just that much time. As also stated check with the maitre'd as early as you can when you board and maybe you can get lucky.

[paul929207]

All you can do is hope to clear and then check with the Maitre 'd if you don't.

[jltodd]

Thanks to all who replied to my 6pm dining waitlist. We will visit the Maitre'd as soon as onboard if not confirmed prior to our 2/6/11 Emerald cruise.

[AmberTeka]

We too are sailing next month, and we did get the traditional 6pm time. Our meds are also wrapped around that time..as well as seeing the shows..DH donating some more to the casino....When we have late dining..We are finishing dinner not too much before our bedtime. We do rise early.Once on Carnival, we had dining confirmed..then arrived on the ship to learn..we had anytime dining. Seems a large group of Canadians ( and they were lovely people) booked with the condition that they all get early dining) so about 100 confirmed diners were changed. The atmosphere on that ship was pure poison for the rest of the cruise. I think Carnival lost many long time cruisers over it..SO to have just opened another dining room..or part of one..to the New Early Dining time folks..I mean How hard is that? Sounds like folks on this board are more PR savy than Princess..and certainly Carnival that time. I think they go HUGE feedback..they are very consistent with confirming and honoring dining time now. AND we did do Anytime dining on HAL. ( I think early dining times there are only handed down at death of long time passengers) ANd we enjoyed it. I like Early best..but would not mind Anytime. If you go early..it is usually not crowded anyway. ANTICIPATION GROWS :)

[geoherb]

We like second seating traditional dining. The problem is we usually book late--many times after the final payment date. But fortunately, somehow even when we have been waitlisted for traditional dining, we have cleared the waitlist on the Cruise Personalizer before the cruise.

 

Unfortunately, one time we were "confirmed" for traditional dining on the Cruise Personalizer, but we found out Princess had assigned us to anytime dining when we got to the ship. It was a slight inconvenience to meet with the maitre d', but I met some nice people while I was waiting in line. He was able to assign us to traditional dining without any problems. I don't know if having a Platinum cruise cards helped, but it probably doesn't hurt.

 

Since you're a 5-time Princess cruiser, you'll be Platinum on your next cruise--so I hope it does help if you don't get the dining you prefer.