? on PC Dining vs. Main Seating

[srphnx]

You might be exactly right on a ship other than Diamond or Saphire, I have been ON Diamond two weeks ago and that is the source of my information after speaking with the Maitre'd.

 

It is possible someone who was traditional joined someone that wasn't or someother loophole kind of deal, I am relating FIRST HAND experiance not something I have been told. I am back on her in two weeks and will ask again but am sure I remember it clearly.

 

There has been alot of confusion about PC dining on other ships, Star, Carribean, Golden etc. where the system is different.

 

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

 

[sradogna]

thanks for the response sphynx. I guess there is just lots of misinformation regarding this because others with personal experience report the exact opposite.

 

As a matter of fact ... here is a direct quote from Laura Sterling's review of the Diamond

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Interestingly, folks who opt for the traditional evening meal service but want to break out of the rut for a night or two, are permitted to make reservations at one of the specialty restaurants. And passengers who eat in the specialty restaurants, but have a hankering from time to time for a classic Princess dish, can order off the main restaurant menu.

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

 

Of course it wouldn't be the first time that a cruise line's own personnel didn't even know what the rules were. Maybe you'll get conflicting information in two weeks.

 

Thanks again for the time.

 

Days until Sapphire Princess!!!

[Rustynail]

If you chose PC over Traditional or visa versa, do you still get the same menu's? Is were you dine for PC as nice as the dining room for traditional dining?

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

 

CARRIBEAN PRINCESS JAN 2005

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Roll Call.... click here to join the fun!

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CARNIVAL'S LEGEND JAN 2003

CELEBRITY'S CENTURY DEC 2003

 

 

[srphnx]

The topic that "will not die"..

 

Ok.. the PC venues are every bit as nice, just offer four differnetn decors rather then one. All are elegant but take their own theme to a slightly differnt feel. Dark wood in steak house, Southwestern feel in Santa Fe etc.

In PC the menu for tradional is offered IN ADDITION to the specialty menu and is seviced by the same galley.

 

In traditional each of the PC menus is offered one night of the week. i.e. Monday you get the traditional AND the Sterling, Tuesday you get traditional AND Pacific Moon etc.

 

Laura's quote not withstanding, we asked the Tradtional Maitre'd if we (PC) could eat there, the answer was NO. We asked the PC Maitre'd if traditonal could eat in PC, the answer was NO. Now again, Maitre'ds are known for accomodating people, perhaps somewhere along the line the edges blurred but that was not the policy.

 

Imagine it the other way. People in tradtional (which is full months before sailing usually) decided on day three that the tire of the international and want to venture out, so say 20% of them opt out one night, which then translates into big backlogs in all the PC restuarants that PC people have the expectation of getting in to.

 

In traditional 20% of the tables and waiter sit idle and the whole system makes everyone mad. Now the following night, the PCers drop in on tradtional, there is no room for them, as traditional is more rigidly conformed and they are turned away after waiting in line the night before and listening to traditional people talk about how fun it was to go PC.

 

Maybe someone somewhere thought it would be a good idea, it was tried and they discovered it was a BAD idea by the time we sailed.

 

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

[Lynda90]

I just called Princess and they said you may try PC dining, but you will lose your traditional place for the remainder of the cruise. So, srphnx is correct and you may not change for a night or two. If you are booked in traditional you must stay there or lose your seat.

 

Lynda

[argosy]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>If you are booked in traditional you must stay there or lose your seat.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

This makes sense...but then, on the other hand...how would they KNOW? It seems to me you could just say that you decided to try Sabatini's one night, but then you could actually go to one of the PC dining rooms. I'm not advising anyone do this, but just wondering how they would enforce it.

[srphnx]

Argosy,

 

In order to get IN to a PC venue, you give the Maitre'd your cabin number, they look it up on their little traditonal/PC computers. The only way I can think of for trads to join PC's is to go in with a hosted table of a PCer.

 

Maybe I can sell these coveted spots to sneaky trads... hey.. thinking I have a new angle here.

 

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

 

[sue d. miller]

You and Chris would make a great team!! You could come off the ship with more money than you went on with!!

 

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[geoherb]

On the Star Princess and the Golden Princess, people were able to switch.

 

We had traditional second seating on the Golden and decided to eat earlier one night because of the show schedule (seeing two different acts after dinner instead of one). The maitre d' asked for our cabin number but did not turn us away or indicate in any way that it was a problem.

 

On the Star Princess, our tablemates let us know that they would be trying out the PC dining rooms and not to wait for them. They ate with us the first night and the sixth night. On the intervening nights, they ate in the two PC dining rooms, Sabatini's, and the Painted Desert. (And on the seventh night, we were in Victoria and they went on an excursion.)

[sue d. miller]

O.K. Help me out here. I think I am just totally impared. I thought PC is the two dining rooms that were not traditional and you could choose either one. I also thought that Sabbatinis and Painted desert were alternative, that costs extra, and both PC and Traditional could go there. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[srphnx]

The PC vs. discussion above refers the the Diamond/Saphire, NOT the other Princess ships which offer "PC".

 

If you read above you will see that.

 

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

 

[sue d. miller]

Thank you!! I feel better now. Just a little impared!

 

Sue

7 days on Star Princess 10/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rustynail]

Great thread. Thanks to all who have answered all my questions about PC dining. I'm really glad that we've book it for our Jan 05 cruise.

 

Thanks again,

 

Dan

 

CARRIBEAN PRINCESS JAN 2005

<IMG

Roll Call.... click here to join the fun!

</applet>

CARNIVAL'S LEGEND JAN 2003

CELEBRITY'S CENTURY DEC 2003

 

 

[de13]

I have a question regarding the Sapphire. I understand what has been said about dinner, what about breakfast/lunch in the dining rooms? We have chosen PC, is lunch served there in the PC room, or do we go to the traditional main room? Better yet, any choice to go in traditional for breakfast or lunch? Thank you!!

[srphnx]

De 13, you can go to traditional (international) for breakfast and lunch, PC venues NOT open during that time. We were disapointed by breakfast in the DR, Horizon offered better options and hotter food. Lunch was GOOD in DR however.

 

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

 

[tadjr]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sue d. miller:

O.K. Help me out here. I think I am just totally impared. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Got a solution for you (cause I'm getting more confused with each post myself.)

Just order room service every night!

 

Ryndam Pacific Coastal May 3

 

Dawn Princess Alaska May 17

 

[Guest]

Wow - what a thread. Try this out - Cruise News Daily, an excellent source of information, has updated it's excellent Personal Choice article for the Diamond/Sapphire Princess. Here's a link to the home page, you should easily be able to find the article.

 

Cruise News Daily

 

Thanks to Alan Wilson for his excellent work...

 

-------------------------

Sun Princess, 03/2004; Pacific Princess, 07/2003; Star Princess, 05/2003; Grand Princess, 10/2002; Grand Princess, 10/2002; Sun Princess, 05/2001; Sun Princess, 04/2001; Sun Princess, 09/2000; Sun Princess, 09/2000; Regal Princess, 10/1999; Sun Princess, 08/1998; Holiday, 05/1998; Westerdam, 09/1997; Regal Princess, 11/1996; Royal Odyssey, 09/1995; Starward, 11/1993

 

 

[srphnx]

GREAT article. Thanks for the link, now I feel even better about my 4 Diamond cruises (so far) planned for 04.

 

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