Some Emerald questions.....

[blazerjan]

Please bare with me... I love CC and as soon as I book a cruise - I become obcess with logging on every day and reading the threads. I have, of course, been reading everything I can on the Emerald - in anticipation of our cruise next year. But the more I read, the more questions I have, so here goes....

We will be doing traditional dining - and signed up for 6:00 PM... our deposit confirmation states 6:00 PM - however I see lots of mention of 5:30 PM as the time for early seating. When we were on the Coral a couple of years ago, we discovered once on board that early seating was at 5:30 PM instead of 6:00 PM... Is this going to happen to us again?

I have read about at least one ship that the blue floor padding was removed from all the balconies... is this is true of the Emerald?

And last... if we dine at a speciality restaurant on a formal night... are we expected to dress formal ? I'm all for the formal nights but DH not so much.....

I gues that's it for now... I'm sure I'll have more questions in the upcoming year.... Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Fairport]

The blue padding is still on the balcony floors as of last month. Sorry I can't help with the dining questions.

[CruisinMinnie]

Please bare with me... I love CC and as soon as I book a cruise - I become obcess with logging on every day and reading the threads. I have, of course, been reading everything I can on the Emerald - in anticipation of our cruise next year. But the more I read, the more questions I have, so here goes....

We will be doing traditional dining - and signed up for 6:00 PM... our deposit confirmation states 6:00 PM - however I see lots of mention of 5:30 PM as the time for early seating. When we were on the Coral a couple of years ago, we discovered once on board that early seating was at 5:30 PM instead of 6:00 PM... Is this going to happen to us again?

I have read about at least one ship that the blue floor padding was removed from all the balconies... is this is true of the Emerald?

And last... if we dine at a speciality restaurant on a formal night... are we expected to dress formal ? I'm all for the formal nights but DH not so much.....

I gues that's it for now... I'm sure I'll have more questions in the upcoming year.... Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

On each of our last several cruises on various Princess ships (not the Emerald), I've signed up for 6:00 pm, my personalizer says I'm confirmed for 6:00 pm, and I've ended up with times as early as 5:15pm and as late as 5:45 pm, but nothing at 6:00 pm.

[FritzG]

Princess created an early traditional dining that is actually in one of the anytimedining rooms in addition to the regular traditional in Botticelli dining room.

 

The td in Botticelli was at 6pm on the TA in September. However, I've been on other Princess ships where dining time was listed as 6pm, but when we boarded we found that dinner was at 5:45. You wouldn't think 15 minutes would make a difference, but it did to us.

[Times Prince]

The last time we were on (May this year) there were normal 6:00PM and 8:00PM Traditional seating in the Bottecelli Dining room (Deck 6 aft). There was also a 5:30 Traditional seating in the Deck 6 Da Vinci dining room mid ship, which was a fairly new addition. Around 7 PM that dining room reverted to Anytime diining. That was then ...

 

They still had the blue mats.

 

Can't definitively answer the formal night question as we don't use the pay extra dining rooms.

[caribill]

The 6 PM or 8 PM that is listed as a traditional dining time is sort of a standard place holder. If the meal is actually sccheduled at that time once you embark, it is a coincidence. The regular early dining time could be 5:45, 6:00 of 6:15 and you will not know until you get your cruise card which it is.

 

The additional early time (mentioned in an above post) when demand is high enough for early traditional is usually always at 5:30 PM.

 

We had one B2B where the pre-curise listed time for late traditional was 8:00 for both segments. Reality was 7:45 for the first segment and 8:15 for the second segment.

[Tweedy]

Please bare with me... I love CC and as soon as I book a cruise - I become obcess with logging on every day and reading the threads. I have, of course, been reading everything I can on the Emerald - in anticipation of our cruise next year. But the more I read, the more questions I have, so here goes....

We will be doing traditional dining - and signed up for 6:00 PM... our deposit confirmation states 6:00 PM - however I see lots of mention of 5:30 PM as the time for early seating. When we were on the Coral a couple of years ago, we discovered once on board that early seating was at 5:30 PM instead of 6:00 PM... Is this going to happen to us again?

I have read about at least one ship that the blue floor padding was removed from all the balconies... is this is true of the Emerald?

And last... if we dine at a speciality restaurant on a formal night... are we expected to dress formal ? I'm all for the formal nights but DH not so much.....

I gues that's it for now... I'm sure I'll have more questions in the upcoming year.... Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

For the traditional dining times, there are two early ones... 5:30 and 6:00. One is held in the Da Vinci dining room which is also the anytime dining room and the other is held in the Botticelli dining room where the 8:30 traditional is held as well.

 

As of last week, the Emerald still has the blue pad on the balconies. It would be a shame if they took that away.

 

For the speciality restaurants, it isn't necessary to dress formal. However, I wouldn't expect jeans to be accepted.

[MCC retired]

On our most recent Princess cruise on the Crown , they indeed put the overflow of Traditional Early Seating Dining into one of the Anytime Dining Rooms @ 5:30 .

This really caused a problem with those Anytime Dining who guests went to dinner too early , lining up for only 1 dining room left until 7:30 or so.

MY TA says that there are now 4 choices for dining on my 2013

Emerald cruise :

5:30 Trad

6:00 Trad

8:15 Trad

Anytime

 

I am a fan of Anytime on all cruise lines that offer their versions of it ,

but Princess really doesn't handle it as well now.

[blazerjan]

For the speciality restaurants, it isn't necessary to dress formal. However, I wouldn't expect jeans to be accepted.

He would never wear jeans to dinner... he will wear dress pants, shirt and tie.. just does not want to bring a jacket this cruise.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies.......

[PeteC22]

For the speciality restaurants, it isn't necessary to dress formal. However, I wouldn't expect jeans to be accepted.

He would never wear jeans to dinner... he will wear dress pants, shirt and tie.. just does not want to bring a jacket this cruise.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies.......

 

Jeans are fine in the Specility dining rooms any time.

btw- tell you husband that even without the jacket he'll be admitted in the regular dining room as long as he has a long sleeve shirt & dress pants.

[Stevesan]

Jeans are fine in the Specility dining rooms any time.

btw- tell you husband that even without the jacket he'll be admitted in the regular dining room as long as he has a long sleeve shirt & dress pants.

 

But hopefully not naked!

 

Please bare with me...;)

[blazerjan]

;) :d:d:d

[AllmanJoy89]

blazerjan,

 

In July 2011, I booked my upcoming Jan 2013 cruise aboard the Emerald. Ever since, I have spent countless hours reading and researching just as you. We are finally on the home stretch with 94 days to go. Planning & reasearching is almost as much fun as the cruise itself...almost!

[blazerjan]

Gina.... You are so lucky that your cruise is that close.... Hope to hear from you when you return. Happy Sailing!

 

Jan