Dine My Way & all new Dining questions since cruising restart!!

[DonEllen]

3 hours ago, sandy.w said:

We are sailing for the first time with Princess in July, Alaska!

 

So are we? Which ship? Which way? (NB or SB)

 

Don

[sandy.w]

Grand Princess departure Vancouver.  And you?

[DonEllen]

24 minutes ago, sandy.w said:

Grand Princess departure Vancouver.  And you?

Same. What is your departure date?

If July 3rd we have a Roll Call started.

 

 

Edited April 5 by DonEllen

[Iamcruzin]

On 1/11/2024 at 2:07 PM, RocknRoll22 said:

Sorry Captain.

 

As a Newbie, I'll try to do better next time.

 

I've been following this site since 2008. You are not the first and certainly won't be the last to make that mistake.

[chamima]

1 hour ago, FLAlaska said:

Just saw this posted on FB by a PVP.. Didnt see it posted anywhere

NEW - NEW - NEW Dining Room Reservations:

Changes are coming to the Dining Room operations onboard.

Princess will designate separate dining rooms aboard every ship in the fleet to the three table service options:

-one dedicated to traditional dining offering an early and a late seating every evening

- one offering reserve able dining times

and

-a third with open seating to support walk-ins anytime.

The three table service options integrate with the line’s unparalleled OceanNow, which provides guests the convenience of ordering anything, anytime, and receiving it anywhere onboard, making Princess uniquely positioned to accommodate all guest dining preferences.

The new approach will launch on Princess voyages departing September 1, 2024 and beyond.

To support these changes and the transition to the new system, main dining reservations that already have been made for voyages sailing September 1 and beyond for any ship except Sun Princess will be cancelled.

Starting June (Date TBD), booked guests will be able to use the app ahead of their voyage to opt for traditional seating in a dedicated dining room with the same waiter, same table and same time each night, or flexible dining, allowing them to enjoy dinner at any available time and table size of their choosing in either the Reserve able or Open Seating dining rooms.

This change does not affect guests booked in specialty dining restaurants or suite or reserve collection accommodations, who enjoy a dedicated dining room on Princess ships, where no reservations are required.

 

All reactions:

11

 

 

 

 

[daydreamer16]

Currently on the Grand Princess & we had problems with MDR from day one. We haven’t been on Princess since Fall 2019, so definitely out of the loop on dining! On previous cruises we just went down to the anytime dining & got a beeper. Never waited more than 30 minutes. On the Grand we boarded in Auckland, cruise originated in Sydney. First day I contacted guest services & asked about dining & she said you better start making reservations! It’s a 22 day cruise so I tried online but could only make reservations for 6 nights, various times & dining rooms. The first night no reservation, was told 2 hour wait at first dining room. Went to different room waited 10 minutes & saw many unoccupied tables. Next day went to guest services & complained about the system. Was told they would keep a table empty all night if it had been reserved at 6:00 & 7:30 that’s the way the computer system operates! Excuse was guest could be tired from excursion & might or might not show up so they keep table open. I don’t know much about the  restaurant business but on dry land I think a restaurant would go out of business if that was their model! After our visit to guest services we got a table for 2 not later tha 7pm.

For reference was on the Celebrity Edge in March out of Sydney. We ate a one of the MDRs ( there are 4) every night & never waited for a table for 2. It was the first time in any cruise ( Celebrity & Princess) that we did not wait even once. We usually eat around 6-6:30 so prime time!

[upwarduk]

21 hours ago, chamima said:

Starting June (Date TBD), booked guests will be able to use the app ahead of their voyage to opt for traditional seating in a dedicated dining room with the same waiter, same table and same time each night, or flexible dining, allowing them to enjoy dinner at any available time and table size of their choosing in either the Reserve able or Open Seating dining rooms

Do we know what the Traditional times are?
Thanks in advance.

[terrierjohn]

It's about time but unfortunately we sail on 5th May, so the new system won't be operational then.

However I do hope Princess will be flexible enough to increase the capacity of the walk up anytime option when they realise their old Anytime Dining system is still preferred by the majority of their guests.

Edited April 14 by terrierjohn

[BamaVol]

9 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

It's about time but unfortunately we sail on 5th May, so the new system won't be operational then.

However I do hope Princess will be flexible enough to increase the capacity of the walk up anytime option when they realise their old Anytime Dining system is still preferred by the majority of their guests.

I have no idea what the majority wants, but I can predict chaos for the roll-out.  I’m glad I’m not sailing the first week.

[upwarduk]

I’ve seen 2 dates, : the following

“The new approach will launch on Princess voyages departing September 1, 2024 and beyond.

To support these changes and the transition to the new system, main dining reservations that already have been made for voyages sailing September 1 and beyond for any ship except Sun Princess will be cancelled.

Starting June (Date TBD), booked guests will be able to use the app ahead of their voyage to opt for traditional seating in a dedicated dining room with the same waiter, same table and same time each night, or flexible dining, allowing them to enjoy dinner at any available time and table size of their choosing in either the Reserve able or Open Seating dining rooms.

This change does not affect guests booked in specialty dining restaurants or suite or reserve collection accommodations, who enjoy a dedicated dining room on Princess ships, where no reservations are required.”

 

and September 14 th! 
Wonder if Princess will inform us via TA?

Edited April 14 by upwarduk

[TheMichael]

Waiting for the CC Top 10 post on how all tables in the new dedicated dining room were already booked up until 7:30pm on the day after bookings “went live.”

 

Edited April 14 by TheMichael

[TheMichael]

.

Edited April 14 by TheMichael

[HotRoot]

Assume this should read cruises starting after September 1.  We board August 11 and disembark September 5.  I would hate for this to go into effect mid cruise.

[HotRoot]

1 hour ago, HotRoot said:

Assume this should read cruises starting after September 1.  We board August 11 and disembark September 5.  I would hate for this to go into effect mid cruise.

Just found the answer.  It is effective September 14, not September 1.  Does not affect us.

[RDJ]

On 4/13/2024 at 7:02 AM, chamima said:

 

I received an email from Princess saying this same thing today. 

[TheMichael]

On 4/14/2024 at 2:12 PM, HotRoot said:

Assume this should read cruises starting after September 1.  We board August 11 and disembark September 5.  I would hate for this to go into effect mid cruise.

Cruise line changes tend to apply to sailings that begin on or after the designated date. Not likely to be half-and-half on your cruise!

[NavyVeteran]

50 minutes ago, TheMichael said:

Cruise line changes tend to apply to sailings that begin on or after the designated date. Not likely to be half-and-half on your cruise!

It doesn't take effect until voyages departing September 14, 2024. However, it could happen in the middle of a cruise. If you booked a 14-day cruise that is also available as two 7-day cruises with the second leg starting September 14 or later, then it probably would be in effect for the second half of your cruise - even if you booked it as a single cruise. I doubt Princess would treat people on the second half of a 14-day cruise differently than people on the same ship at the same time on a 7-day cruise starting September 14 or later.

[MacMadame]

On 4/15/2024 at 5:21 PM, RDJ said:

I received an email from Princess saying this same thing today. 

Also.

 

It didn't say anything we didn't already know. 😄 

 

My reservations are still there. I will check tomorrow which is when I think they were supposed to start canceling them.

 

What I am wondering is whether or not I will be able to make new reservations as I supposedly wasn't supposed to be able to make them the first time. (I haven't made the final payment.) Note: I know no one here will be able to answer this. I'm just speculating.

[RDJ]

1 hour ago, MacMadame said:

Also.

 

It didn't say anything we didn't already know. 😄 

 

My reservations are still there. I will check tomorrow which is when I think they were supposed to start canceling them.

 

What I am wondering is whether or not I will be able to make new reservations as I supposedly wasn't supposed to be able to make them the first time. (I haven't made the final payment.) Note: I know no one here will be able to answer this. I'm just speculating.

If you are elite or platinum then you don’t have to wait for final payment to make your reservations, you get early access!

[DonEllen]

Why are people having to make reservations in order to have a meal? Why can't people just go to the buffet or MDR and get seated?

[damiross]

39 minutes ago, DonEllen said:

Why are people having to make reservations in order to have a meal? Why can't people just go to the buffet or MDR and get seated?

You can walk up to the MDR and eat.  However, most people do make reservations.  Also, the turnover in the MDR is slower than the buffet. 

[Scotmay]

Yes, but I don’t go to the buffet unless I have to. I find the food is either cold or dried up and I like to sit down and be served!  

[MacMadame]

3 hours ago, RDJ said:

If you are elite or platinum then you don’t have to wait for final payment to make your reservations, you get early access!

Yes, but I'm not. There was apparently a window when anyone could make reservations but it's closed. It was probably a bug, tbh.

[NavyVeteran]

8 hours ago, DonEllen said:

Why are people having to make reservations in order to have a meal? Why can't people just go to the buffet or MDR and get seated?

With the new policy, you don't need to make reservations. If you don't choose traditional fixed dining and you don't make reservations, there will be one MDR available for walk-in only. This should provide better service to those without reservations than the current system.

[DonEllen]

37 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

With the new policy, you don't need to make reservations. If you don't choose traditional fixed dining and you don't make reservations, there will be one MDR available for walk-in only. This should provide better service to those without reservations than the current system.

I am sailing July 3, I think that is current policy still.