??'s about the GRAND-PC dining & pools

[katcruiser]

Can someone that's been on the Grand or any of the other Princess ships that have the "Personal Choice" dining tell me how they liked it, compared to the traditional 2 seatings? Are you assigned one or the other, and is it a hassel to switch to the Anytime Dining? This will be our first experience with this situation, although it sounds wonderful. Also, how are the specialty dining areas, the steakhouse & trattoria?

 

I would also like some comments about the piano bar on the Grand. That's been our favorite place to hang out after dinner on SOME ships, but not many have a really good, sing-along piano bar with a player that's fun & encourages audience participation!

 

AND, are the pools on the GRAND fresh water? They were on the DAWN, so I hope they are on the GRAND.

 

Thanks for any info you can give me.

[Druke I]

Kat

 

We always have 1st Traditional - haven't tried the PC style. Don't believe it fits our lifestyle and routine.

 

Yes, freshwater pools are the standard on Princess, although I'm told some of the hot tubs are salt water. To tell the truth, I haven't really paid that much attention to what is in the hot tubs.

[Breezey]

Much prefer the PC dining. Gives us the opportunity to relax after a day in port, take a nap, have some drinks, shower etc etc without feeling time pressured. Not sure about being able to switch but suspect might not be that problematic. The major difference is that you dont have the same wait staff each night and for some that takes away from their cruise experience. Didnt make much difference to us. We have had tables for two, met some people on CC and had dinner with them and even were seated once with a lovely couple who the Maitre D suggested we meet. It turned out really well. I have heard of people asking for specific tables if they wanted a particular wait staff serving them.

 

The Grand's main pool area is beautiful and the pool is large and easy to just sit and relax.

 

We ate in the Trattoria one night. It is a 3 hour event but we had a fantastic meal. Suggest you dont overindulge at each course (there are many) because by the time you get dessert you are stuffed. The service was fantastic and the atmoshphere of a small restaurant was a nice touch. Sabatinis was not on the Grand a couple of years ago but want to try it when we are on the Golden in September.

[spongerob]

We really enjoy the late traditional seating, and have tried Anytime. For us the benefits of Anytime don't compensate for what we think we lose if we don't get the late seating. You can switch easily from traditional to Anytime, but not back and forth. Either way, you can try both Sterling and Sabatini's if you wish. Sabatini's is a big meal, and takes at least 2 hours to serve - sometimes more. I think Sterling is the better value, and if I had to choose one that's the choice I'd make. I like both, but dread the overstuffed feeling I know I'm going to have if I visit Sabatini's.

 

Pools are fresh water.

[katcruiser]

Quote from Spongerob: "You can switch easily from traditional to Anytime, but not back and forth."

 

Thank you all for the advice...Spongerob, please clarify this statement. Do you mean "not back in forth" on the same evening or for the entire cruise???

 

How about the piano bar????? Anyone have a good experience there?

[Mrpuck]

Quote from Spongerob: "You can switch easily from traditional to Anytime, but not back and forth."

 

Thank you all for the advice...Spongerob, please clarify this statement. Do you mean "not back in forth" on the same evening or for the entire cruise???

 

How about the piano bar????? Anyone have a good experience there?

 

 

The piano bar is so loud that you can hear it anywhere in the atrium area, like it or not. The singer is just overbearing to the point he wouldn't be entertaining even if he was really good.

[spongerob]

Thank you all for the advice...Spongerob, please clarify this statement. Do you mean "not back in forth" on the same evening or for the entire cruise???

 

If you are in a traditional fixed seating and decide that you would rather have Anytime dining, you cannot change your mind later and go back to traditional. You should tell the maitre d' that you intend to change. If you just show up at Anytime one evening and eat, your traditional dining seat will be given to someone else.

[houstoncruisers2001]

We did not like PC at all. We are back to late seating for our December cruise.

 

Ditto on the freshwater pools...they're GREAT!!!

[Meirah]

Hi to fellow Texans.:) I am trying to understand what I have read about dinning. This is our first Princess cruise. Since we are number 280 on the waiting list for early sitting, it seems to me that it is better not go traditional at all and do personal choice the whole 7 days. We are also taking the Grand out of Galveston on the 11/26 trip and are unable to sit through meals that take more than a hour due to disablities. Are the personal choice menus the same as the traditional? Frankly, we would be happy with any choice as long as the meals and service are at least average in quality. Thanks in advance for any information.

 

Meirah and Al

Carnival Celebration 2001

Celebrity Millennium 2002

Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas 2003

Princess Grand 2005

[meemeec]

We were on the Grand in April/May of this year and thoroughly enjoyed our PC experience. There were 2 PC dining rooms and on the first night found a great waiter and assistant so we spoke to headwaiter and hostess to arrange for a table in that section for the duration of the cruise. We mostly like to dine between 7:30 and 8 pm and this proved to be no problem at all. We even added extra people to our table on a couple of occasions after giving the hostess/headwaiter early notice (when the dining venue opened for the evening). We have come to love the flexibility of the PC dining.

 

We ate twice in the "steakhouse" and really enjoyed our meal both times and felt it was worth the extra charge. Sabatini's is always a treat but I agree with Spngerob on the "full" misery!! When we dine at Sabatini's we always make reservations for early in the evening so there's time to recover. The service was impeccable and we always enjoy the experience.

 

We had a wonderful entertainer in the Piano Bar who drew big crowds every evening including a guy who would show up in his bathrobe and dance pirouette's through the bar with his robe flapping open to reveal his thong!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: People were fascinated and annoyed at this guy who also performed his act on the hot tub platforms by the pool. Naturally, when this cuckoo bird would show up the piano player/singer would be upstaged. He wasn't happy about it but carried on gamely. The classy entertainer was John Hides.........the cuckoo bird's name I don't know but will be apprearing on another cruise, I'm sure.

The menu's in PC and Traditional are exactly the same.

 

Happy Sails to you!

[Beryl]

Meirah, Yes the anytime dining rooms offer the same menu that is offered in the traditional dining room. My experience is that the service is very good as well. The only difference is that because you will probably have a different wait staff each evening your waiters will not get to "know" your personal likes and dislikes.

[travelnnana]

We have used Anytime Dining twice and really enjoy it - we travel by ourselves and enjoy meeting other people - if you are willing to share a table - you can usually get seated fairly quickly - granted you do not get the same waiter - but you are not stuck with the same people.

[Bop]

We have always been traditional, second-seating cruisers until our Australia/NewZealand cruise. We started in traditional and met several couples on board that we really clicked with. We switched to PC dining, added a fourth couple and selected a wonderful waiter with whom we scheduled a regular 7:30 dining time for the remainder of the cruise. We ate when we wanted to, had plenty of time to enjoy dinner and get a good seat at the shows and didn't end up leaving the dining room at 10:30 or 11 pm. We signed up for PC for our next cruise to the Greek Isles.:D That's another great feature of Princess. You don't get locked into dining at a table you dread returning to each night. It's all about choosing a dining experience you really enjoy with people you enjoy spending time with.

 

Happy Cruising,

Jim

[katcruiser]

Thanks so much for the info Meemeec....you answered a lot of my concerns. Our paperwork shows "PC dining" on it, so I guess we aren't assigned an early/late option. Does this mean we don't even have the option for early/late dining? That really won't matter to us (party of 6), as long as we get the beef wellington & lobster in the PC dining rooms!!! That's a great idea to ask for the same table every nite to get to know your waitstaff...we like that.

 

I hope the piano bar is better than the last few cruises. We had such an awesome time on the Elation out of LA...he was a substitute player for that week only and could sing Elton John, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Frank Sinatra, AC/DC, you name it & sound just like them. We had a BALL singing along & closed the place down EVERY nite! It was GREAT. Haven't had that experience again though...bummer....we keep hoping!

 

Thanks again to ALL of you for the great info...I really appreciate it!

[Meirah]

:) One of the things that I love about Cruise Critics is the kind way it's members give information, so helpful. Thank you for making my day. I appreciate your input.

 

Meirah and Al

Houston and Clear Lake

[Mandee]

I've always done PC dining and it is wonderful. Last cruise, we found a waiter we liked and made reservations to sit at his table for the remainder of the cruise. It is easy and conveinent.

[mommykim]

Hi there,

Hope this will help asI am a long time Princess cruiser and just love them:

 

Pools - Both the regular pools and jacuzzi's are fresh water which to me is almost reason enough to cruise Princess :)

 

PC - I am a Personal Choice convert. I ove being able to chose my own dinner time. I also love being with me people each night or deciding that I want to eat just hubby and me. If we find a waiter/busboy combo that we really like then we make reservations for the next night after deciding our general schedule for the next day. The only times it is really recommended for you to make a reservation for pc is if you are a large group that want to sit together or if it is a formal night. Me being me I like to have a time set for dinner so I reserve anyway. The negative to PC is that the waiters never really get to know you )unless you reserve them) so you won't have that ice tea waiting for you as soon as you sit down. I have also found myself occasionally being rushed in PC but when I told the waitrer I was in no hurry he slowed down.

 

Piano bar - We too love a good piano bar and I have to say with the exception of Barty Brown & one female singer who's name I cannot remember but REALLY wish I could the bar singers on Princess leave a LOT to be desired. When it comes to lounge acts Carnival has a huge advantage in my book. The man in the piano bar on the Regal Princess cruise we just got off of was so bad we had to leave within 2 or 3 songs. To give him credit it was his first ever cruise contract and his first week as well but he was bad. Hope this helps and please ask if you have forther questions.

[katcruiser]

Thanks so much, Kim...this is very helpful. I know the guys will like the PC dining more. My DH is a very nice casual dresser and doesn't enjoy the extreme TUX dress-up nites. Are the PC diners expected to dress to the 9's on formal nite or do you see some of both styles on that nite?

[cherylandtk]

Katcruiser, The dress code is officially for the entire ship from 6 pm onwards, not the type of dining you have. If it is lobster you want, that is on a formal night in all the dining rooms, so better tell hubby to at least pack a suit.

[katcruiser]

Oh, he'll do that for sure for lobster! He's a business man & has to dress up all the time, so he just enjoys being casual. Our whole ambience on Galveston is "Island Casual", so he's just use to that, even going to nice restaurants. However, he'll "conform" for 1 or 2 nites!