Princess Traditional Dining seatings/availability

[luvdaislands]

Has Princess discontinued the early & late seating and gone to DMW (dine my way) only? I tried to book late seating (7:15 as previously) on our 2/19/23 Regal sailing only to find specific times every 20 minutes from 5:00 on 'til 8:20 at "Private Table." In past we've always booked tables of 6 to 8 to meet other cruisers. The Princess web site still lists "Traditional Dining Options" at  5:15 or 7:15 as well as "anytime." Princess reservations people & the Medallion reps really didn't know what the story is but mentioned CDC requirements re the table size. I realize there's much time for this to change by sailing time.

 

Anyone who has cruised recently have an answer? 

 

BTW- with Princess Medallion help, I was able to download the app to my desktop which is so much easier to use. So far it's been working and not losing the inputted info. Also was able to connect with Princess by phone without any hold time and they even did a call back within 30 minutes when there was a delay- hopefully they're fixing problems!.

[LACruiser88]

8 minutes ago, luvdaislands said:

Has Princess discontinued the early & late seating and gone to DMW (dine my way) only?

Yes, Traditional Dining has gone away.  However, you can usually request the same table, at the same time, once you are onboard.

[sloopsailor]

1 hour ago, luvdaislands said:

BTW- with Princess Medallion help, I was able to download the app to my desktop which is so much easier to us

 

Please explain how you did this. 

[sonomaphil]

57 minutes ago, sloopsailor said:

 

Please explain how you did this. 

I'm guessing the OP means the web version of the app that you can access from your bookings on the Princess web site. 

[sloopsailor]

1 hour ago, sonomaphil said:

I'm guessing the OP means the web version of the app that you can access from your bookings on the Princess web site. 

OK, thanks for the tip. 

[geoherb]

You can request the same table and waiters, but some people have reported not being able to get them. I'm going to miss traditional dining when DH sails with me again. For the past few cruises, though, I've been going solo because he doesn't want to leave the country because of his mother's advanced age. 

[Over from NZ]

Yep, they've ditched it. Many are unhappy about it.. but they're not listening. People suggesting you can request the same table and waiters.. but that doesn't really solve it if you're picking dine with others.. unless those people you haven't even met (and won't till you're onboard) happen to want exactly the same as you. 

[john watson]

You may pick a standard time and restaurant for the whole cruise if you wish.  My advice is to do this before you sail.  You can change whilst on board easily but if the wifi is down it will be frustrating.  You can ask to share with random people when entering the restaurant and if you find dining companions which are good company you have a facility to make them shipmates on the app. This helps with communication but does divulge a lot of information which you might not want made available to them.

 

Regards John

[Rudy888]

We are cruising late January. Booked shared table at 6:30. Anything later was private table. But probably not same table, waiter or stablemates every night. May be able to arrange first dinner on board.

 

 

[luvdaislands]

On 10/15/2022 at 2:10 PM, sloopsailor said:

 

Please explain how you did this. 

Actually I phoned Princess & got connected with Medallion help which you can do if the following doesn't work. They talked me though downloading the desktop version- it's so much easier than the cell for those of us with fat fingers. Anyway, try logging into "princess.com," click on "booked guests," then "ocean ready," and scroll down to "try our web version." The last part is below  Available from time of booking and Order and Customize Your Medallion*. Hope it works for you as well as it is for me!

[cajinyank]

On our England cruise we had the same table and table mates the whole week. This was in may

[luvdaislands]

On 10/16/2022 at 7:25 PM, Rudy888 said:

We are cruising late January. Booked shared table at 6:30. Anything later was private table. But probably not same table, waiter or stablemates every night. May be able to arrange first dinner on board.

 

 

We're sailing the Regal, 2/19 but I only see Dine My Way times from 5:00 to 8:20 with private table- no option for sharing. Are you travelling with others that gave you more choices? Any suggestions for booking shared table? 

Any others out there looking to join two Florida seniors -preferably around 7p.  If so, I believe we can "add guests" if you respond with your booking number. We prefer a table of 6 or 8. 

[Steelers36]

On 10/15/2022 at 12:51 PM, luvdaislands said:

Princess reservations people & the Medallion reps really didn't know what the story is but mentioned CDC requirements re the table size.

Horsewhacky.  Old news since those restrictions don't exist anymore.  PCL is doing sharing and setting up larger tables.

[Steelers36]

I see plenty of tables with same people there each night on REGAL, so at least Private TD table arrangements are possible.

 

[luvdaislands]

14 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Horsewhacky.  Old news since those restrictions don't exist anymore.  PCL is doing sharing and setting up larger tables.

So can you tell how to go about reserving a shared table prior to sailing, please?

[Steelers36]

6 minutes ago, luvdaislands said:

So can you tell how to go about reserving a shared table prior to sailing, please?

You can request SHARING in the MC App as you have likely seen.  But you cannot select table size and you cannot be guaranteed you will share at the same table with the same people every night.  You have no control or knowledge about what the other people who may have been assigned to your table are doing.  You can inquire and look to make an arrangement on board.  We don't do SHARING, so I have not been through the process.  I do plan to try and speak with the DRO (MD) on board before end of this voyage and try and get some perspectives from him.  Don't know the fellow, so IDK if he will be forthcoming at all and willing to share information.

[luvdaislands]

3 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

You can request SHARING in the MC App as you have likely seen.  But you cannot select table size and you cannot be guaranteed you will share at the same table with the same people every night.  You have no control or knowledge about what the other people who may have been assigned to your table are doing.  You can inquire and look to make an arrangement on board.  We don't do SHARING, so I have not been through the process.  I do plan to try and speak with the DRO (MD) on board before end of this voyage and try and get some perspectives from him.  Don't know the fellow, so IDK if he will be forthcoming at all and willing to share information.

Thanks for the reply but as said before I only see Dine My Way times from 5:00 to 8:20 with private table- no option for sharing (in either dining room) on my desktop Medallion app. Who/what is DRO?

 

On all our numerous previous Princess sailings- they pre-booked table size and sharing before boarding and we did dine with the same people every night. The people I've spoken to at the rez center know little about this subject. Kindly post where you're finding the sharing option. Thanks again!

[Steelers36]

10 minutes ago, luvdaislands said:

Thanks for the reply but as said before I only see Dine My Way times from 5:00 to 8:20 with private table- no option for sharing (in either dining room) on my desktop Medallion app. Who/what is DRO?

 

On all our numerous previous Princess sailings- they pre-booked table size and sharing before boarding and we did dine with the same people every night. The people I've spoken to at the rez center know little about this subject. Kindly post where you're finding the sharing option. Thanks again!

IDK when your voyage is, but SHARING and PRIVATE are the two main options after selecting a time slot.  If none are left of either type at the time selected, then you won't see them.

 

It is clear that table availability has not been consistent from ship to ship and I have very little idea or insight into voyages beyond this present general time period.

 

 

PS - I guess you are new around here... DRO (Director, Restaurant Operations) is the new title for MD at Princess.

[Kay S]

It depends on the ship, I guess.  Some people have managed to cobble together a sort of TD by making plans with folks from the roll call, but it's still iffy getting the same servers in the same location every night.  Every report back has been different, and the ship staff is the variable.  We are trying the Club Class "fix" this time.  We will at least have some control over what wait staff we get, and we plan on making friends with the other couples around us.  It's not TD, but this is the option Princess is giving us now (at a not insignificant cost.)  Burning through the covid FCC.

[SiliconCruiser]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

I see plenty of tables with same people there each night on REGAL, so at least Private TD table arrangements are possible.

 

If you're going to the same dining room at about the same time every night, the dining room staff will recognize you and will often have a preferred table waiting for you and usually with the same wait-staff.  That happened on our last cruise, even when the head waiters would assign another table, the hostess would interrupt and tell them what table we were supposed to be at.  One night we were over an hour late and they still had that table waiting for us.  So a lot may have to do with the people who are working in the dining room.

[luvdaislands]

On 10/16/2022 at 7:25 PM, Rudy888 said:

We are cruising late January. Booked shared table at 6:30. Anything later was private table. But probably not same table, waiter or stablemates every night. May be able to arrange first dinner on board.

 

 

As I said earlier, we're sailing the Regal, 2/19 but I only see Dine My Way times from 5:00 to 8:20 with private table- no option for sharing. Are you travelling with others that gave you more choices? Any suggestions for booking shared table? Any suggestion for pre-booking shared dining would be appreciated.

[t&atravel]

27 minutes ago, luvdaislands said:

As I said earlier, we're sailing the Regal, 2/19 but I only see Dine My Way times from 5:00 to 8:20 with private table- no option for sharing. Are you travelling with others that gave you more choices? Any suggestions for booking shared table? Any suggestion for pre-booking shared dining would be appreciated.

If after you choose a time you are not given the option to share then you cannot do it prior to boarding.  Tell the DRO onboard before you are seated that you would like to share and they will accommodate you.  Since you are so far out from your cruise the seating availability in the app may change so I would advise you to check periodically. 

Edited October 18, 2022 by t&atravel

[Kay S]

49 minutes ago, luvdaislands said:

As I said earlier, we're sailing the Regal, 2/19 but I only see Dine My Way times from 5:00 to 8:20 with private table- no option for sharing. Are you travelling with others that gave you more choices? Any suggestions for booking shared table? Any suggestion for pre-booking shared dining would be appreciated.

Traditional Dining as you knew it is gone, and you can't pre-book a shared table in the same way you did before.  You will have to follow some of the suggestions here in this thread to approximate Traditional Dining.  There is no longer any way to book early or late seating traditional dining as we used to do before the pandemic.  This change has some people (including me) looking at other cruise lines for future bookings.  

[Steelers36]

15 hours ago, SiliconCruiser said:

If you're going to the same dining room at about the same time every night, the dining room staff will recognize you and will often have a preferred table waiting for you and usually with the same wait-staff.  That happened on our last cruise, even when the head waiters would assign another table, the hostess would interrupt and tell them what table we were supposed to be at.  One night we were over an hour late and they still had that table waiting for us.  So a lot may have to do with the people who are working in the dining room.

I would think your last sentence is always correct.  It makes all the difference what the staff team is doing and what they care about.  I would say on the REGAL, they are doing things well.  I rarely see a long line.  I have not been to all DR's.  Not hearing complaints.  I wouldn't pretend to say I am tuned into all aspects of dining here, but my sense is they have it figured out.  I cannot say what they are doing in all the DR's, but intend to try and get some more insight this week.