Personal Choice on Princess

[Deeecipher]

I'm new to these boards, so if this topic has been discussed, I apologize... although I can't quite find it here.

 

I am hearing about the new Personal Choice dining selection on Princess. What exactly is this and how does it work? I've heard various things from various people, but none of them seem to mesh. Is it truly open seating where, when you're hungry, you head off to a dining room and eat? Or, are we supposed to make reservations each night at a restaurant and go there at that specific time? Are breakfast and lunch run the same way that dinner is?

 

We're looking into sailing the Sapphire Princess in October and this dining option has caught our attention since we have a one year old son and we're not sure what HIS schedule will be like, but if we're supposed to make restaurant reservations every day and be at a specific restaurant at a specific time, I don't really see the difference between this and just going to the dining room at a given time.

 

Please help! Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

[SHayesShip]

I have done the PC dining on the Star Princess, Coral Princess and Grand Princess. The PC dining rooms are for dinner only. During the day there are several options including open seating in 1 main dining room.

You have two options with PC dining:

1.You can call and make a reservation for a certain time. OR

2.You can just show up and wait to be seated.

 

I have never made a reservation myself. Just be aware that there are busy times in which you may have to wait for a table. I have noticed that if you want to eat between

5:30pm to 6:30pm or after 8:30pm there is little to no wait. On formal nights the wait is the longest. I have heard stories of 1/2 hr or more waiting times. I guess I have been lucky in that I have never had to wait more then 10 minutes, if at all.

 

Steve Hayes

[Rabbitlover]

We were on the Island Princess in August and just returned home from the Grand Princess. We really liked the PC dining. On the Island we always made a reservation (there were 8 of us). When we tried to make a reservation on the Grand (only 4 of us this time) we were told they don't take reservations for parties of only 4 people. We only waited 2 evenings and the longest wait was 10 minutes. Other evenings we were seated immediately. We enjoyed a flexible dining time--especially when those afternoon naps got kind of long and we didn't feel like rushing to the dining room at a fixed time. It's nice to have the PC when you have a child.

Good Luck!

Melodie

[Italy52]

We were on the Dawn Princess and choose PC dining. We went to the dining room early the first night. Fell in love with our wait staff and asked if we could make reservations with them for the same time each night of the cruise. We got our wish and had a fabulous time. The one big plus for us with PC dining was that we were assured we would have a table for two. With traditional dining, they try to accommodate, but there are no guarantees. Our dining time together added a special touch to our cruise.

[Jane110]

We're taking our first Princess cruise, on the Grand, in a few weeks and have booked Personal Choice dining.

 

My question is, if there is a wait for a table, where do you wait? Do they have a nice bar adjacant to the dining room so we can relax with a drink and wait til they come get us when a table is ready?

 

We were on Oceania, that only had open dining and there is a nice bar in the dining room area as well as a lovely lounge area to sit in.

 

Jane

[Julia’s Journey’s]

We have been on Grand Princess twice and loved the PC dining and wish the other cruises we go on would offer the option, we hate having to eat at a specific time and very rarely had a wait. You can also have a choice to sit with others or alone and your wait can depend on that choice each night.

Enjoy!!!

[geoherb]

Jane: We've only had PC dining on one of our cruises--the Golden to New England/Canada. We usually ate late and did not have any waiting time. The first night, however, we ate earlier and had to wait about 30 minutes. The maitre d' gave out pagers. They had a pretty good range, so we were able to move away from the dining room entrance to listen to the musical group playing in the atrium. There are some bar areas nearby that I'm sure the pagers would still be in range for.

[KatzCT]

I'll be on the Golden Princess in November and have a couple questions. First, if you do the PC route, how do you tip the waiters? Also, do people who do this usually end up at one of the main dining rooms or are the other choices preferable? And how difficult is it to get into another restaurant?

[KatzCT]

One more question....

I didn't see anything in the brochure about formal nights. Do they still have those?

[Trijntje]

Hello, I'm a newone on this board. And I sure hope that everone understands my English, because it's not my own language. I'live in the Netherlands, so I'm Dutch. But my husband and I have caught the virus. THE CRUISEVIRUS. W'have done 10 cruises. And booked again , we will be going january 2005, with the Regal Princess. My question is about The Personal Choice dining on the Princess ships. Is it so, that once you've booked for PC dining, you're hooked on it, for the whole cruise? Or can you change it during the cruise?

We never eat in the dining during the whole cruise, because we often have our diner at the buffet, or the Pizzeria, or a steakhouse (if available).

And now I'm here, I have an another question. At the Sea and Sun Princess, we could buy a fountaindrink card for something like $30,-- Is that also on the Re gal Princess? :cool:

I wish you all, many cruises in a good health, greeting from a rainy and windy Holland,

love Trijntje

[Mezzaluna]

Hello Trijntje! I have friends near Den Helder and have enjoyed visiting the Netherlands several times. Welcome to Cruise Critic. I must say, your English is very, very good.

 

I think you can get the fountain drink card on all the Princess ships. We paid $22.50 each on the Coral Princess last month.

 

As for Personal Choice (PC) dining, if you want to change to Traditional Dining (assigned seating), you can ask. People change to PC from TD, so there are probably some places available in TD after you get on board. Also, you can ask the maitre d' to seat you at the same table in the PC dining room for every meal if you prefer. Unless you choose a table for two, you will be dining with different people each night. That is because they seat people at a particular table until it is full.

 

De aangename reis!

 

Ann

 

P.S.- they have formal nights on every ship- one for a cruise of fewer than 7 days, two for a seven-day cruise, and three or more for longer cruises.

[Trijntje]

Thank You Ann,

I've read your replay and I'm happy with all the answers and comments I get .

I'm never to old to learn. Besides I'm 50 years old and already addicted to cruising. And not just me, my husband to. He's almost 53 years old.

That was an very nice way of greeting, you did, having a good trip, goede reis.

Thank you again,

I hope you all have safe and pleasants trips.

:) Greetings from:

Trijntje, the Netherlands/ the weather is better now.

Off topic: Den Helder is about 100km. away from where we live. We live in Leeuwarden(the north part of Holland)

[Mezzaluna]

Yes, Trijntje, it's a couple of hours' drive. My cousin lives even father, in Maarsen.