Tradition dining

[VanessaNJ]

Hi all,

 

I am a first time princess cruiser and I can see that they no longer do ‘traditional’ dining. The thing is, I’d still really prefer this option. On my last cruise (RC) while we technically didn’t have traditional dining we had a large group and as such they allocated us the same table and dining time for the duration of the cruise. I loved knowing where I was going and having the same staff each night. I was supposed to go on another RC cruise this Christmas and selected traditional dining this time because:

- we enjoyed the same wait staff & table experience

- it’s just my husband and I this time and as it’s a 13 night cruise we’d like to meet other people

 

So with set/traditional dining off the table, my question is; what’s the best way to book/arrange dining in the new princess dining world to be able to simulate the traditional dining experience? 
 

thanks! 

[Steelers36]

22 minutes ago, VanessaNJ said:

Hi all,

 

I am a first time princess cruiser and I can see that they no longer do ‘traditional’ dining. The thing is, I’d still really prefer this option. On my last cruise (RC) while we technically didn’t have traditional dining we had a large group and as such they allocated us the same table and dining time for the duration of the cruise. I loved knowing where I was going and having the same staff each night. I was supposed to go on another RC cruise this Christmas and selected traditional dining this time because:

- we enjoyed the same wait staff & table experience

- it’s just my husband and I this time and as it’s a 13 night cruise we’d like to meet other people

 

So with set/traditional dining off the table, my question is; what’s the best way to book/arrange dining in the new princess dining world to be able to simulate the traditional dining experience? 
 

thanks! 

It is NOT officially off the table.  It is also much more possible to get, IMO, as a couple.  <deleted rest> .. a re-read of your post indicates you want to share.  You CAN make a full voyage res in DMW asking to share, but you will have ZERO control over the table size they put you at and very little chance to see the same people each night.  You may also end up seated with people who are doing random dining.  UNless they fix this thing, you are stuck.  Pretty good odds to get TD experience as a couple - but not sharing.  Sorry, but they promised to keep it, but destroyed it with a useless App.

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by Steelers36

[FlaMariner]

Our goal was TD w/just the two of us.  

 

We managed to succeed but we had to work it.  We were swimming upstream every night. From Sky in March.

 

• We made reservations for same time every night (pre-cruise on the agonizing app)
• On day 1, we had a table or two that was a foot away from other tables for two (not good)
• We liked the dining room waiters so before leaving, we saw a table for 2 that was more private and was served by the same waiters
• Day 2, we requested that table and got it
• We asked the assistant dining room mgr if we could be "assigned" that table every evening and we promised to be on time.  She said it could not be guaranteed.
• We arrived at the dining room on time every evening and requested by table number
• Some days we had to beg more than others
• Some days we were interrogated more, some less
• Some days we had to pause and wait for the tall man in the dark suit to allow this 
• Some days we could just proceed to our "special" table

 

It was a game for us and we think we won.  So ridiculous.  We are "one and done" with Princess and this was reason #1.  Even though we enjoyed "Traditional Dining", the Princess definition and experience of TD will not work for us. 

 

We had great food and fantastic waiters every evening but not doing to play that game anymore. 

 

 

[riffatsea]

We had no trouble getting the same table with the same staff each night on both of our cruises on the Grand Princess

We did not have to beg

[JF - retired RRT]

42 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

We had great food and fantastic waiters every evening but not doing to play that game anymore. 

 

Wait a year and try again. Hopefully, the kinks/bugs will have been worked out of the system and true TD will be available.

[FlaMariner]

39 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Wait a year and try again.

 

Life's too short.....heading back to Holland America Line....We enjoyed the Princess cruise but this and lots of other differences proved to us that Princess is not for us.

 

Glad we have choices!

[RSS from SF]

7 hours ago, riffatsea said:

We had no trouble getting the same table with the same staff each night on both of our cruises on the Grand Princess

We did not have to beg

---

Grand Princess appears to be one of the happy exceptions where Traditional Dining can be achieved.  On Grand we had the same waitpersons and tables on our 2021 October-November B2B2B and December-January (with New Year's Eve) cruises, with 7:00 PM reservations.

 

Apparently, the Grand Princess MDR staff has found a way to work around the ugly Dine My Way system constraints, to give the passenger the Traditional Dining experience. 

 

On most other ships [especially talking about you, Majestic Princess!], it appears that the staff usually has been unable to find a way to give passengers Traditional Dining every night.

---

[VibeGuy]

The way is there.  The backend allows staff to make table-specific reservations.  It’s up to onboard decision makers whether they *will*, but the technical availability is there. 

[rbtan]

On 5/14/2022 at 9:06 AM, FlaMariner said:

Our goal was TD w/just the two of us.  

 

We managed to succeed but we had to work it.  We were swimming upstream every night. From Sky in March.

 

• We made reservations for same time every night (pre-cruise on the agonizing app)
• On day 1, we had a table or two that was a foot away from other tables for two (not good)
• We liked the dining room waiters so before leaving, we saw a table for 2 that was more private and was served by the same waiters
• Day 2, we requested that table and got it
• We asked the assistant dining room mgr if we could be "assigned" that table every evening and we promised to be on time.  She said it could not be guaranteed.
• We arrived at the dining room on time every evening and requested by table number
• Some days we had to beg more than others
• Some days we were interrogated more, some less
• Some days we had to pause and wait for the tall man in the dark suit to allow this 
• Some days we could just proceed to our "special" table

 

It was a game for us and we think we won.  So ridiculous.  We are "one and done" with Princess and this was reason #1.  Even though we enjoyed "Traditional Dining", the Princess definition and experience of TD will not work for us. 

 

We had great food and fantastic waiters every evening but not doing to play that game anymore. 

 

 

Sounds like with all your complaining & demands, Princess won't be too sorry to see you go. We've had tables on Princess & others that are close together, but unless you're discussing issues of national security, this really shouldn't be an issue for most pax.

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, rbtan said:

Sounds like with all your complaining & demands, Princess won't be too sorry to see you go. We've had tables on Princess & others that are close together, but unless you're discussing issues of national security, this really shouldn't be an issue for most pax.

I would agree with you. Far too much hassle and drama every night for us.

We go with the flow, sit where we are told either by ourselves or with others.  Makes no difference.

We are on holiday to enjoy ourselves, not fight a "battle" every night. 

[pris993]

On 5/14/2022 at 6:06 AM, FlaMariner said:

Our goal was TD w/just the two of us.  

 

We managed to succeed but we had to work it.  We were swimming upstream every night. From Sky in March.

 

• We made reservations for same time every night (pre-cruise on the agonizing app)
• On day 1, we had a table or two that was a foot away from other tables for two (not good)
• We liked the dining room waiters so before leaving, we saw a table for 2 that was more private and was served by the same waiters
• Day 2, we requested that table and got it
• We asked the assistant dining room mgr if we could be "assigned" that table every evening and we promised to be on time.  She said it could not be guaranteed.
• We arrived at the dining room on time every evening and requested by table number
• Some days we had to beg more than others
• Some days we were interrogated more, some less
• Some days we had to pause and wait for the tall man in the dark suit to allow this 
• Some days we could just proceed to our "special" table

 

It was a game for us and we think we won.  So ridiculous.  We are "one and done" with Princess and this was reason #1.  Even though we enjoyed "Traditional Dining", the Princess definition and experience of TD will not work for us. 

 

We had great food and fantastic waiters every evening but not doing to play that game anymore. 

 

 

I wonder what would have happened if you just entered and sat down at desired table.   My DH use to do that when they had open seating and he did not want to sit with others.  It worked.  

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, pris993 said:

I wonder what would have happened if you just entered and sat down at desired table.   My DH use to do that when they had open seating and he did not want to sit with others.  It worked.  

I think that if you did that,  you would be considered crass and impolite, with an over inflated sense of self-entitlement. 

[Strongbox]

We came off the Sky yesterday. We already had elected for fixed meal times in the app and when we went to dinner on the first night the maitre d said we could have the same table every night if we wished. You have to check in at the entrance of the MDR with your medallion and the waiter takes you to the table. On the occasions you will miss a night tell the server that you will be absent and they will save the table for future meals.

[pris993]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

I think that if you did that,  you would be considered crass and impolite, with an over inflated sense of self-entitlement. 

Well I can tell you it works.  We never accepted open setting tables.  After the first day/night they directed us to the table we took on our own.    

[riffatsea]

We also just walked to "our" table each night

It is not rude

It was expected by our wait staff

It was not just on the Grand but also on the Coral Princess

As for not wanting a table close to others,that has to do with covid

We want separation since noone wears masks in the dining room

[satxdiver]

We were on the Enchanted earlier this year and had opted for early dining at the same table and time.  We had no problem.  We used the variable dining when it was first introduced many years ago but for the last few years opted to go back to TD and luckily Princess has enabled us to keep it

[Sea Hag]

21 hours ago, rbtan said:

Sounds like with all your complaining & demands, Princess won't be too sorry to see you go. We've had tables on Princess & others that are close together, but unless you're discussing issues of national security, this really shouldn't be an issue for most pax.

We don't discuss issues of national security, but we do hate it when we're at one of those very close together tables for two and the waiter runs ours and others as a four-top or a six-top. My hubby has a bad back and can't sit forever. On our most recent cruise, we twice got stuck in the middle of one of those "run as a six-top" situations. The folks on either side ordered omelets, so we sat and waited forever, even though we'd ordered the special of the day, which certainly shouldn't take forever. This will never stop me from cruising with Princess, but I really do hate it.

[rbtan]

13 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

We don't discuss issues of national security, but we do hate it when we're at one of those very close together tables for two and the waiter runs ours and others as a four-top or a six-top. My hubby has a bad back and can't sit forever. On our most recent cruise, we twice got stuck in the middle of one of those "run as a six-top" situations. The folks on either side ordered omelets, so we sat and waited forever, even though we'd ordered the special of the day, which certainly shouldn't take forever. This will never stop me from cruising with Princess, but I really do hate it.

Next time, I'd ask to be not "locked" in as you were.

[Sea Hag]

11 hours ago, rbtan said:

Next time, I'd ask to be not "locked" in as you were.

For sure, next time we're in that situation I won't let it continue. I'll tell the waiter very nicely that we have somewhere to be, which is certainly true, and that we need to move things along. I'm not sure why I let this happen to us twice on our last cruise.