Daily Dining Reservation

[dmcfad2]

I am taking my first ever Princess cruise in January. I am confused about the Medallion App dining reservations we have to make for eating in the MDR. Can we make reservations on a daily basis? For example, if it is 4pm and I want to eat that night at 5, can I make the reservation on the app for that night only? How far in advance do I need to reserve my time? I was recently on Carnival and they took reservations every day through their app. You would reserve on the app when you were ready to eat and they would text you back when your table was ready. Is it like that? Sometimes I don’t know when I want to eat, so it was nice to just reserve when I was ready to eat. Any information from recent Princess cruisers would be appreciated! Thanks.

[alibabacruisers]

HI, we are first timers on Princess next month.  We were able to finally start booking about 60 days prior to our cruise date.  You can use the app and enter it day by day or you can select a time for the entire cruise.  Also, you can now book via the website either day by day or for the entire cruise.  It also lets you select the main dining room or specialty dining.  Hope this helps.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, dmcfad2 said:

I am taking my first ever Princess cruise in January. I am confused about the Medallion App dining reservations we have to make for eating in the MDR. Can we make reservations on a daily basis? For example, if it is 4pm and I want to eat that night at 5, can I make the reservation on the app for that night only? How far in advance do I need to reserve my time? I was recently on Carnival and they took reservations every day through their app. You would reserve on the app when you were ready to eat and they would text you back when your table was ready. Is it like that? Sometimes I don’t know when I want to eat, so it was nice to just reserve when I was ready to eat. Any information from recent Princess cruisers would be appreciated! Thanks.

See Post #2.  No text notices with DineMyWay (DMW).

[dmcfad2]

11 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

See Post #2.  No text notices with DineMyWay (DMW).

Thanks. So, am I correct in assuming that I will have to reserve in advance or can I just reserve when I’m ready to eat? For instance, it’s 5:30 and I am ready to eat. Can I reserve right then for 5:45 and then head to the dining room or would I have to reserve it earlier than that?

[Steelers36]

34 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

Thanks. So, am I correct in assuming that I will have to reserve in advance or can I just reserve when I’m ready to eat? For instance, it’s 5:30 and I am ready to eat. Can I reserve right then for 5:45 and then head to the dining room or would I have to reserve it earlier than that?

I am not sure it is designed to work so closely.  If DMW showed you availability like that, then I would just head for that DR as it means you can be seated without a wait.  You may not be offered something so close to the time you are looking to book.  Also, times are presented every 20 minutes on the 20's, so the next two slots would be 5:40 and 6:00.

[dmcfad2]

5 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I am not sure it is designed to work so closely.  If DMW showed you availability like that, then I would just head for that DR as it means you can be seated without a wait.  You may not be offered something so close to the time you are looking to book.  Also, times are presented every 20 minutes on the 20's, so the next two slots would be 5:40 and 6:00.

Okay. Thanks. I’ve found the sticky about DMW and I think I’m starting to get it. I normally cruise with HAL and I am used to being able to just walk in to the dining room when I am ready to eat (Anytime Dining). Sounds like Princess has done away with that option. Bummer. 

[dmcfad2]

@Steelers36you seem to be pretty knowledgeable, so one more question. I guess there is more than one dining room? Do I request the dining room when I reserve my time? And how do I know which dining room to choose. I’m so confused. LOL

[alibabacruisers]

On our cruise for Majestic Princess they have open two restaurants at the moment, Concerto and Allegro.  There is also another Main Dining Room, but they must not open it unless they have quite a lot of people.  I had to read lots and lots of threads to understand about the DR and what people thought of each.  Preference varies.

[Steelers36]

50 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I am not sure it is designed to work so closely.  If DMW showed you availability like that, then I would just head for that DR as it means you can be seated without a wait.  You may not be offered something so close to the time you are looking to book.  Also, times are presented every 20 minutes on the 20's, so the next two slots would be 5:40 and 6:00.

I should correct the above.  Not every ship and voyage type is going to necessarily have same time schedule offered.  It's just that I have seen times beginning at 5:00pm.  Just saw another voyage in Winter 2023 Caribbean sector where times begin at 5:30.  But all slots are 20 mins apart.

[Steelers36]

42 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

Okay. Thanks. I’ve found the sticky about DMW and I think I’m starting to get it. I normally cruise with HAL and I am used to being able to just walk in to the dining room when I am ready to eat (Anytime Dining). Sounds like Princess has done away with that option. Bummer. 

No they have not.  As I mentioned, you can just show up at a DR and be seated.  You may have to wait if busy.  There should be one of three DR's designated for walk-ups.  You will learn on board how that ship is doing it.  Check the Princess Patter daily schedule.

[Steelers36]

20 minutes ago, alibabacruisers said:

On our cruise for Majestic Princess they have open two restaurants at the moment, Concerto and Allegro.  There is also another Main Dining Room, but they must not open it unless they have quite a lot of people.  I had to read lots and lots of threads to understand about the DR and what people thought of each.  Preference varies.

With ships sailing quite full now by most accounts, all DR's will be open.  For near term voyages, the 3rd DR may not be added until sail date.  I have seen voyage for Winter 2023 where all 3.DR's are already liaded and available to book.

[Steelers36]

47 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

@Steelers36you seem to be pretty knowledgeable, so one more question. I guess there is more than one dining room? Do I request the dining room when I reserve my time? And how do I know which dining room to choose. I’m so confused. LOL

Go on Princess.com website and look into ships and deck plans.  You can see where the DR's are.  All are similar decor and various table sizes and all have same menu.  There is Deck 6 Mid-Ship and Aft, plus Deck 5 Mid-Ship on most ships in the fleet you will likely be on.  Same setup on Diamond and Sapphire except the mid-ship DR's are broken in half, so technically five DR's there.  The smaller Coral and Island only have the two mid-ship DR's.

 

ETA:  You select a dining time in DMW first and then it shows you DR's that have space at that time and space may be a Private table or a Sharing table where other guests will be seated with you.

Edited August 28, 2022 by Steelers36

[caribill]

2 hours ago, dmcfad2 said:

Okay. Thanks. I’ve found the sticky about DMW and I think I’m starting to get it. I normally cruise with HAL and I am used to being able to just walk in to the dining room when I am ready to eat (Anytime Dining). Sounds like Princess has done away with that option. Bummer. 

 

Since you like to eat when you are hungry and not pre-plan in advance when that will be, that is still an option on Princess.

 

Just go to one of the three dining rooms when you want (all three have the same menu, so from a food viewpoint it does not matter which one you use). There may be lines for both those with and without reservations. Depending how busy it is when you arrive, you may have to wait until space is available for you. (Even those with reservations may be waiting also.) You will have a choice of sharing a table with others or just dining with your traveling companion(s).

 

Don't stress about using DMW on the App in advance of the cruise.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

Just go to one of the three dining rooms when you want (all three have the same menu, so from a food viewpoint it does not matter which one you use). There may be lines for both those with and without reservations. Depending how busy it is when you arrive, you may have to wait until space is available for you. (Even those with reservations may be waiting also.) You will have a choice of sharing a table with others or just dining with your traveling companion(s).

On our previous cruise in March we had standing reservations for 5:00 PM. When we arrived we still had to check in every night as though we didn't have any reservations at all.

We were always immediately seated at a table for 2 as requested. 

Although it isn't actually explained my assumption is that if it were very busy at that time, people without reservations would have to wait to the others to be seated first. 

I've read of people with reservations (arriving at around 7 PM) having to wait up to 30 minutes just to be seated and they were quite annoyed thinking the time slot would guarantee them their time slot. 

My belief is that their reservation system does not hold a table for you but only places you in a queue, should you choose to arrive around your specified time. How long the slot would be held open is still unanswered.

[latebloomer56]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

On our previous cruise in March we had standing reservations for 5:00 PM. When we arrived we still had to check in every night as though we didn't have any reservations at all.

We were always immediately seated at a table for 2 as requested. 

Although it isn't actually explained my assumption is that if it were very busy at that time, people without reservations would have to wait to the others to be seated first. 

I've read of people with reservations (arriving at around 7 PM) having to wait up to 30 minutes just to be seated and they were quite annoyed thinking the time slot would guarantee them their time slot. 

My belief is that their reservation system does not hold a table for you but only places you in a queue, should you choose to arrive around your specified time. How long the slot would be held open is still unanswered.

This will be our first Princess cruise without TD. I put in our time and dining room on the web page (no app) now if we don't go on a certain night (like formal) we just don't show? Before we would call in the morning and cancel that evening once we know which nights are formal.

Or a different question is there a specific dining room that isn't formal on those evenings, like NCL does? We don't plan on bringing my husbands suit just stay smart casual each night. 

Thanks

[latebloomer56]

1 minute ago, latebloomer56 said:

This will be our first Princess cruise without TD. I put in our time and dining room on the web page (no app) now if we don't go on a certain night (like formal) we just don't show? Before we would call in the morning and cancel that evening once we know which nights are formal.

Or a different question is there a specific dining room that isn't formal on those evenings, like NCL does? We don't plan on bringing my husbands suit just stay smart casual each night. 

Thanks

Forgot we will be on the Sapphire for 15 days.

[MissP22]

7 minutes ago, latebloomer56 said:

This will be our first Princess cruise without TD. I put in our time and dining room on the web page (no app) now if we don't go on a certain night (like formal) we just don't show? Before we would call in the morning and cancel that evening once we know which nights are formal.

Or a different question is there a specific dining room that isn't formal on those evenings, like NCL does? We don't plan on bringing my husbands suit just stay smart casual each night. 

Thanks

I don't believe they keep track of those reservation people on any sort of a list. If it were me I would still cancel the reservation for that particular evening.

All dining rooms have the same theme... formal or casual.

That being said, Princess's dress code has been unofficially relaxed recently (since the return from Covid) and you'll find that many of the men no longer wear suits on formal evenings, but that's a decision he'll have to make for himself. My husband just wears his Polo shirt & a pair of his dress pants or even his Dockers. 

[latebloomer56]

2 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I don't believe they keep track of those reservation people on any sort of a list. If it were me I would still cancel the reservation for that particular evening.

All dining rooms have the same theme... formal or casual.

That being said, Princess's dress code has been unofficially relaxed recently (since the return from Covid) and you'll find that many of the men no longer wear suits on formal evenings, but that's a decision he'll have to make for himself. My husband just wears his Polo shirt & a pair of his dress pants or even his Dockers. 

That would be great I tried to get the International as it is straight down from our cabin but did it wrong on the web. When I realized it the private tables were gone except on three nights which I grabbed. Do you know anything about the Savoy on the Sapphire? First time on this ship.

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, latebloomer56 said:

Do you know anything about the Savoy on the Sapphire? First time on this ship.

No. I haven't been on the Sapphire.  

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, latebloomer56 said:

That would be great I tried to get the International as it is straight down from our cabin but did it wrong on the web. When I realized it the private tables were gone except on three nights which I grabbed. Do you know anything about the Savoy on the Sapphire? First time on this ship.

There is some varying decor from reports, but the DR menu is all the same.  You should be able to get the TD experience.  DMW cannot do it, but you can get closest by booking same time for full voyage.  Soon after getting on board, or at start of first night's dinner, seek out DR Mgmt and explain that you want same table and waiters for entire voyage and they ought to be able to help you out.  Princess still promises TD experience, but guests must self-advocate for it and hope DR Mgmt is cooperative.  Sad, but this is the way it is.  Just keep in mind there is no way that DMW can deliver TD on its own.

[JF - retired RRT]

12 hours ago, dmcfad2 said:

Can we make reservations on a daily basis? For example, if it is 4pm and I want to eat that night at 5, can I make the reservation on the app for that night only? How far in advance do I need to reserve my time? I was recently on Carnival and they took reservations every day through their app. You would reserve on the app when you were ready to eat and they would text you back when your table was ready. Is it like that? 

What a great idea!!

[john watson]

In my opinion the best way to deal with dining is to look at the deck plan and work out the most conveniently located MDR then book the same very popular time every night. I'm sure I did this by default on the internet pre-sailing. This then becomes your fall back option.  If you wish to change on the day then log in and book a different MDR and/or time for that evening.  What can go wrong is the wifi/internet gores down and you cannot get a reservation via the App, but you have your fall back option. A lot of people get a bit stuck at this point!  Similarly if you can log on in the day is when you choose your time/MDR combination you find this is not available so you end up dining very late.  It is also possible to turn up on spec and be successful. This will vary according to how popular a time you have chosen. They do identify you when you turn up and find your reservation. Typically they also know if you want to share or dine as a private party. You can chop and change sharing daily. It is amazing how much they know about you on board with the electronic detectors all about the ship. The waiters already know your drink preferences on day two!

 

Regards John

Edited August 28, 2022 by john watson

[dmcfad2]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Go on Princess.com website and look into ships and deck plans.  You can see where the DR's are.  All are similar decor and various table sizes and all have same menu.  There is Deck 6 Mid-Ship and Aft, plus Deck 5 Mid-Ship on most ships in the fleet you will likely be on.  Same setup on Diamond and Sapphire except the mid-ship DR's are broken in half, so technically five DR's there.  The smaller Coral and Island only have the two mid-ship DR's.

 

ETA:  You select a dining time in DMW first and then it shows you DR's that have space at that time and space may be a Private table or a Sharing table where other guests will be seated with you.

Thank you SO much. You have cleared it up for me. I also found some YouTube videos with good explanations. I’m not feeling so overwhelmed now! 🙂

[dmcfad2]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Since you like to eat when you are hungry and not pre-plan in advance when that will be, that is still an option on Princess.

 

Just go to one of the three dining rooms when you want (all three have the same menu, so from a food viewpoint it does not matter which one you use). There may be lines for both those with and without reservations. Depending how busy it is when you arrive, you may have to wait until space is available for you. (Even those with reservations may be waiting also.) You will have a choice of sharing a table with others or just dining with your traveling companion(s).

 

Don't stress about using DMW on the App in advance of the cruise.

Thank you!

[dmcfad2]

33 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

What a great idea!!

Yes, it was really nice.