Changing dinning times.

[Pinktrixie]

I know that everyone has there views on getaway and vantage fares, I was looking to do a getaway next year, do you know if once on board you can change meal times. 6.30 is way to early for me to eat dinner, not worried about booking cabin but as we are looking at an 18 day sailing I don't think I could do dinner that early for so many days.

[wilson2579]

The getaways are going to be stricter for next year. This year I booked a mini cruise 3 inside cabins. All cabins were next door to each other and we were all given the dining of our choice. I would assume you will not be able to change as this will be one of the reasons to choose Vantage but maybe someone in the know may be able to enlighten you.

[gadabout60]

I am with you and would not wish early dining - and obviously on a getaway there would be no guarantees - but my understanding is that it is early dining that is more popular and late dining is less sought after so if you want late you will almost certainly get it

[harber78]

You cant request a change once on board at the restaurant and if they can they will change to time you want.

 

Saw a big queue on Ventura of people on day 1 at restaurant doors.

[clivep]

I am with you and would not wish early dining - and obviously on a getaway there would be no guarantees - but my understanding is that it is early dining that is more popular and late dining is less sought after so if you want late you will almost certainly get it

 

 

Quite agree. We like late dining and have never been allocated early. Although P&O are trying to put obstacles in the way to get some people to pay the exhorbitant Vantage prices, I don't think this will have filtered down to the restaurant staff on board. They will still want to keep you happy for fear of losing out on gratuities. As a last resort you could always go to the restaurant just before the doors open for 2nd sitting on the first night and find someone who wanted 1st sitting... there's bound to be some... and switch with them for the rest of the cruise.

[jeanlyon]

I am always amazed that early dining is waitlisted. So you are more than likely to get late sitting anyway.

[the english lady]

You cant request a change once on board at the restaurant and if they can they will change to time you want.

 

Saw a big queue on Ventura of people on day 1 at restaurant doors.

 

From the po site it says there will be no dining choice with getaway next year. I would imagine vantage fare bookers would be guaranteed thir choice and getaways would be slotted around that. As it will be part of the t and c for the fare you would not be able to change it on board. Same as they know if you leave auto tips on or not they will know if you are vantage or getaway.if getaway you will be stuck with what you are given. I personally would not want to book getaway next year for just this reason.

It's not a case of keeping punters happy or not.the punter makes the choice as to which fare he wants to pay, so he is saying I am happy to accepts whichever dining you give me, if he books getaway.

[gadabout60]

From the po site it says there will be no dining choice with getaway next year. I would imagine vantage fare bookers would be guaranteed thir choice and getaways would be slotted around that. As it will be part of the t and c for the fare you would not be able to change it on board. Same as they know if you leave auto tips on or not they will know if you are vantage or getaway.if getaway you will be stuck with what you are given. I personally would not want to book getaway next year for just this reason.

It's not a case of keeping punters happy or not.the punter makes the choice as to which fare he wants to pay, so he is saying I am happy to accepts whichever dining you give me, if he books getaway.

 

Whilst quite understandably they will try and accommodate Vantage passengers first, I don't agree with the above - they are not going to deliberately alienate passengers so will always try and accommodate you on board if they can. Of course they should try and accommodate Vantage passengers first but they don't have any guarantee that they will get their first choice dining option.

 

There seems to be more and more "rumours" that getaway passengers will be treated in a substantially inferior manner.

 

It seems to me that you book Vantage if you want to guarantee getting on the cruise and you want to pick your cabin. End of. The other benefits are relatively minor.

 

Yes they may introduce shuttle bus charges etc but these things are all relatively minor. They are not going to fill all the cabins on all the cruises with Vantage passengers so they still have to do what they can to keep getaway passengers happy as they will otherwise vote with their feet and use other cruise lines

[PeatSmoke]

No matter whether you are Vantage or getaway I am sure the ships crew will endeavour to treat any request for a different dining time sympathetically. I know that everybody who dined with us the first night managed to change their time without any problems.

[the english lady]

For this year they are letting getaways chose dining. It does not start until 2014. If someone is paying 1000's more than someone else for the same cruise I am sure they would want the difference to be more than choice of cabin. People are saying on here they could not/would not go on a certain sitting, so obviously that is not a minor change, for some.

ref the shuttles Fred has been doing it for years and it did not make that seem like 2nd class cruising.

Getaways are not being treated in an inferior manner. There are in most cases (unless the cruises are very popular) 2 prices you can pay for a cruise . One prices you get many choices, one you don't. Surely the choice is yours as to which you go for. You know the goal posts. Why book one then cry foul they are not letting me do this/that.

If you believe that vantage fares are to much and all cruises should be priced at getaway process then you are very very silly indeed. P and O would go bust very quickly.

I will pay vantage if needs be...I want all those choices...

[gadabout60]

No matter whether you are Vantage or getaway I am sure the ships crew will endeavour to treat any request for a different dining time sympathetically. I know that everybody who dined with us the first night managed to change their time without any problems.

 

 

Completely agree