Personal Choice?

[crimlawwpb]

This probably is a silly question, but I'm a first time cruiser. If you registered for traditional dining, which we currently are, does that mean we can't go to the P.C. Dining restaurants? In other words, do you have to register for PC dining, or by simply sailing Princess, you automatically have the option?

 

Thanks, Confused

[sue d. miller]

Never a sily question. Welcome to Princess. If you have traditional, you can't leave traditional and then go back. If you take personal choice, you canot go into Traditional, unless they have an opening. You can however eat at Alternative anytime, in each.

 

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[srphnx]

Sue, as always is correct. For a first timer, traditional is probably "best". Not saying that it absolutely is best just that it is more what you are probably expecting. That being said, there are some advantages to PC, we now prefer it in some ways but miss aspects of traditional too. You can choose PC and "traditonalize" it by selecting a table, waiter and companions you enjoy but that isn't something most first timers are comfy with.

 

Either way is good.. there is no way to lose.

 

Life is at it's best when your address floats

<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>

Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02

Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95

<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>

Diamond Princess 12/04

Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04

Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>

West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>

Ecstacy 09/01

<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>

Century 12/97

<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>

Century 9/96

 

[FredS]

Also eating in traditional you can order from any of the PC dining menus. Menu items from any dinning room are available in any other dining room. The major difference I see is tradition has set times and set tables, PC dining does not have set tables or times; although you can request a set time and set table for one of the PC dining rooms.

[crimlawwpb]

then whats the difference between alternative dining and PC dining?

 

Sorry?

[CruiseFever]

Hmm, well this is a terminology thing now I think.

 

Alternative dining (like Sabatini's or the Sterling Steakhouse) costs additional, PC is simply another choice both in dining style and, depending on ship, cuisine.

 

With PC, in theory, you dine when you want, with who you want. In practice you'll need to think ahead a little bit and plan where you want to eat. Reservations can be made and many advocate doing so early in the cruise.

 

I might add to the wise replies above that if you want traditional dining and don't get it, don't feel as though you'll be eating with the slaves below deck or something.

 

We did not have the option for traditional on our Golden Princess cruise, our first Princess cruise, and had a wonderful dining experience each night. Traditional fills up and then that's it; they start taking names on a waiting list.

 

I may be speaking out of school here because I have not experienced Princess' version of traditional dining but I get the opinion that it fills quickly mainly because there are a ton of people that really like that style of dining...not because the hate PC dining per se.

 

Does that make sense?

 

 

Happy Cruising

 

Chris

 

www.LifeIsCruising.com

 

Next up:

Caribbean Princess 06/26/04

Star Princess 10/24/04

Diamond Princess 12/22/04

Carnival Miracle 03/13/05

[Beryl]

First, which ship are you sailing on??? At this point in time the only Princess ship that has "different" menus in the PC dining rooms is the Diamond Princess. On other ships the same menu is offered in both the Personal Choice and the Traditional Dining room.

 

What some consider the main benefit to PC dining is that you eat when and with who you choose rather than at a set table at a set time. The disadvantage of this system is that you don't get to know your wait staff as well. With Traditional Dining your wait staff will soon come to know your personal preferences and by the end of the cruise you will feel like you have made "new friends" with the wait staff. You will also get to know your dining mates well as you will eat with them each evening.

 

One of the disadvantages to PC dining is that from time to time you may have to wait for a table.

 

Should you choose Traditional Dining and then decide to switch to Personal Choice it is considered good manners to make the maitre'd aware of your decision so that someone on the waiting list for traditional dining can be accommodated. Also, if you decide to skip Traditional Dining in order to try PC dining for an evening, or if you are planning on eating in one of the "pay" alternative restaurants, let your tablemates know in advance so they will not be waiting for you to arrive.

 

Whichever style of dining you choose one thing is certain....you will never go hungry

 

Cruising! It's like being in the Garden of Eatin'!

[happy jill]

I have a question...I will be sailing on the 10/2/04 CP and have been given the PC dining...my question is this do you think I would be better with traditional dining as I am sailing all alone? I'm a very friendly person and love to meet people, but can sometimes be a little shy in new surroundings....I know this sounds a bit nuts!!!!! guess I'm just nervous about traveling alone...Thank you for your help.

 

Carol

[crimlawwpb]

We're going on the Star 11-21-04 for our honeymoon and selected traditional dining when we booked. I thought personal choice meant that if you don't feel like the traditional dining one night you could go to another restaurant/ dining room?

[srphnx]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by crimlawwpb:

We're going on the Star 11-21-04 for our honeymoon and selected traditional dining when we booked. I thought personal choice meant that if you don't feel like the traditional dining one night you could go to another restaurant/ dining room?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No it means you won't be going to traditional dining on ANY night. It is Either/Or.

 

Life is at it's best when your address floats

<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>

Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02

Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95

<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>

Diamond Princess 12/04

Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04

Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>

West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>

Ecstacy 09/01

<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>

Century 12/97

<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>

Century 9/96

 

[BJS]

Carol - I'd say yes you then would probably enjoy Princess selecting your table mates. Request a large table.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>then whats the difference between alternative dining and PC dining? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Good answers above.

To confuse you more

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I thought personal choice meant that if you don't feel like the traditional dining one night you could go to another restaurant/ dining room? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

they refer to Personal Choice as being able to choose where to eat, ANYTIME dining as having the ability to go to the dining room when you want if you have chosen Personal choice rather than Traditional dining, and because you have Personal Choice on Princess you can go to alternative resturants where you pay or Horizon Court, Pizza, etc. except the other dining room which is used for PC anytime dining if you have traditional dining.

 

Very confusing when you see all of this written in various publications.

 

Future cruises:

May 04 Amsterdam

Sept. 04 Star Princess x 2

Jan. 05 Diamond Princess

July 05 Star Princess

Aug. 05 Star Pincess

 

Past cruises:

04 Dawn Princess x 2

03 Grand,Sun,Tahitian,

Royal Princess x 2,Island Princess

01 Ryndam x 2

00 Sky Princess

79 Sitmar's Fairwind

[lmmn]

I've just booked our first Princess cruise. Do you need to make reservations for PC dining or do you just show up?

 

Explorer of the Seas ~ 10/02

Majesty of the Seas ~ 1/03

Majesty of the Seas ~ 8/11/03

Navigator of the Seas ~ 10/11/03

Serenade of the Seas ~ 1/31/04

Adventure of the Seas ~ 1/30/05

[zurmolly]

I was told by my TA that you CAN choose traditional. If you choose to eat at another place, and make a reservation, you just need to let them know. Then you can go back to your traditional reservation the next evening.

[sue d. miller]

If you booked the Caribbean Princess, it will be bisier because of the extra 500 passengers. If you plan on eating during peak times between 7-9 p.m., it would be a good idea to make reservations. If it is another princess ship, I would say you do not need reservations.

 

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[demisod]

On my cruise you could make reservations, but they didn't accept them between 6:15 and 8:00. Kind of inconvenient, but we only had to wait for about 10 minutes once. We were a party of five, I would think a party of two could be seated pretty quickly most anytime if you were willing to share a table.