Traditional Dining, will it ever return

[antsp]

I miss traditional Dining, the ease of turning up at the correct time and going straight to your table, even with a reserved table on the app I'm not convinced a table is actually reserved because you always have to wait. How many people would like the return of Traditional Dining 

[LACruiser88]

In speaking to many crew members, they would also like to see it return!

[Rick&Jeannie]

I'm about 50-50 on this one.  I never really had any issues with TD but it sure is nice just to be able to decide on the fly on a given day.

[dglish]

We always liked TD; we got to know our tablemates and servers, and the crew got to know us and our preferences. We haven't sailed yet since the demise of TD, so we'll see how it goes on our January cruise.

[riffatsea]

Nope. We like coming to dinner when we please

We still get the same table or at least the same wait staff who get to know us

[wowzz]

Can't see it ever returning. 

But, if they could tweak the app to more easily allow you to select the same table every night, that would help.

Personally we do not want to be tied down to a specific dining time, so are more than happy with the current arrangements. 

[Sea Hag]

When we don't have club class, I like traditional, so I wish that option would come back for us and all those who want it.

[Astro Flyer]

We prefer TD but understand why some prefer an anytime system which seemed to work well having both options before implementing the unreliable DMW.
 

However in 18 months the DMW system has failed to provide the promised TD experience. We have booked the same time each day immediately when it’s available & on all 3 of our cruises it’s been greatly changed upon boarding. I feel sorry for onboard crew who are responsible for attempting to make DMW function as promised by management with their unreliable DMW system. The current management has staked their reputation on the Medallion system including DMW which still has too many problems many years after implementation so doubt if real TD will return.
 

We recently returned from our first Celebrity cruise with a relaxing TD & ATD system which worked great…just like it worked previously on Princess before creating the unreliable DMW system. Another plus with Celebrity was having no problems completing their app’s pre-cruise requirements & using it onboard which added to the total experience.

 

Edited January 2, 2023 by Astro Flyer

[PacnGoNow]

1 minute ago, Astro Flyer said:

We prefer TD but understand why some prefer an anytime system which seemed to work well having both options before implementing the unreliable DMW.
 

However in 18 months the DMW system has failed to provide the promised TD experience. We have booked the same time each day immediately when it’s available & on all 3 of our cruises it’s been greatly changed upon boarding. I feel sorry for onboard crew who are responsible for attempting to make DMW function as promised by management with their unreliable DMW system. The current management has staked their reputation on the Medallion system including DMW which still has too many problems many years after implementation so doubt if real TD will return.
 

We recently returned from our first Celebrity cruise with a relaxing TD & AT system which worked great…just like it worked previously on Princess before creating the unreliable DMW system. Another plus with Celebrity was having no problems completing their app’s pre-cruise requirements & using it onboard which added to the total experience.

 

Exactly, just go back with only 1 DR with TD.  Leave the other 2 on Anytime/DMW.

 

Then, we’ll see how many prefer TD. 
 

Don’t think it will happen either.  But, doesn’t hurt to try.  Dinner is definitely not relaxing any more.  Seems chaotic.

[coo359a2]

We spent Oct and November (b2b2b) on the Regal Princess.  Had selected 5:40 dining time on the app for all segments.  After the first night   the Host/Head Waiter for that dining room marked us down for the same table/servers for the full 43 days.   After the first night, we just walked straight to our table without standing in the "Reservation" line.   We did let them know if we went to the Crown Grill but they said they could see when we had dining reservations elsewhere.  The Host also checked with us a few days before the start of each segment to be sure we wanted the same table.  

[MissP22]

For us it seems be working just as before.

[dog]

I’ve been on 2 cruises this year. Chose my dining preference both times. WAs asked if we wanted same table for each day and got it.

[cr8tiv1]

I do not see a return to Traditional Dining.  They might do first seating (at 4:45…ugh) and call that TD.  I am wondering if they are able to seat more or less with DMW.  
 

Yes, I can see that the crew would be happier with a return to TD.  
 

Not looking forward to my first experience with DMW in MDR on an up coming cruise.  Really spoiled by CC dining.

 

 

[billco]

33 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

For us it seems be working just as before.

Same here, mainly because we eat early. Usually quite a crowd waiting when we are leaving. Our preference is a real table for two (not bench) with the same servers. We have been able to do that on most of our cruises (6) since reopening.

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

Exactly, just go back with only 1 DR with TD.  Leave the other 2 on Anytime/DMW.

 

Then, we’ll see how many prefer TD. 
 

Don’t think it will happen either.  But, doesn’t hurt to try.  Dinner is definitely not relaxing any more.  Seems chaotic.

Problem is that back when Princess was doing that the traditional dining room would often be half full and the anytime dining room would be swamped.

 

Even the early dining period when the dining room was supposedly fully booked half of the seats would be empty on any given night. 

 

People would sign up for traditional then when for any reason they decided to miss their fixed dining time they would show up at anytime.

 

So while people wanted the ability to know they had a table they could just show up for, in reality they also wanted the ability to dine at a different time whenever they wanted to, instead of going to the buffet.

[antsp]

12 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Problem is that back when Princess was doing that the traditional dining room would often be half full and the anytime dining room would be swamped.

 

Even the early dining period when the dining room was supposedly fully booked half of the seats would be empty on any given night. 

 

People would sign up for traditional then when for any reason they decided to miss their fixed dining time they would show up at anytime.

 

So while people wanted the ability to know they had a table they could just show up for, in reality they also wanted the ability to dine at a different time whenever they wanted to, instead of going to the buffet.

That's a poor excuse for them to ditch traditional, with medallion anyone turning up to the anytime dining room could be directed to traditional if the time was right, or upto the buffet 

Edited January 2, 2023 by antsp

[PacnGoNow]

14 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Problem is that back when Princess was doing that the traditional dining room would often be half full and the anytime dining room would be swamped.

 

Even the early dining period when the dining room was supposedly fully booked half of the seats would be empty on any given night. 

 

People would sign up for traditional then when for any reason they decided to miss their fixed dining time they would show up at anytime.

 

So while people wanted the ability to know they had a table they could just show up for, in reality they also wanted the ability to dine at a different time whenever they wanted to, instead of going to the buffet.

That could have been true on some ships, but most of the time our MDR was full.  But now they can see if your at a SD and they only hold your table for 10-15 mins anyway, if you noshow.  So, they could run DMW/Anytime even at the TD MDR if they wanted too, in addition to making it TD.
 

I think DMW is a good concept, but I think they could have both.  JMO

Edited January 2, 2023 by PacnGoNow

[PescadoAmarillo]

People might want the flexibility of ATD, but they dislike what they have now, which is a long wait in line regardless of reservations in DMW. People who seems happiest are those who manage to turn DMW into anTD experience. This has always taken us at least one cruise (in a series of B2B cruises), giving us the opportunity to meet with the Restaurant Manager and letting him know we want stability in our dining situation. But not everyone has the opportunity to do multiple cruises in a row, and they shouldn’t have to face standing in a line every night to have dinner. 
 

And then there’s the app…I’ve lost count of have many times reservations I’ve made for DMW disappear, requiring me to make reservations again with more limited (land later) times required. That the situation hasn’t been fixed in 18 months tells me it’s not going to be fixed anytime soon. And if it does, it will be rolled out as a great new feature. 

[darinscruising]

I personally really like putting in my time to dine each day.  I like watching sailaways , so I put times in for dinner after we leave. 

[sloopsailor]

We much prefer DMW. We chose different times and cycle through all the dining rooms for variety. And we like to see each dinning room from different perspectives, so enjoy having a table in a different location each time. It's quite interesting how different the view of the room looks from different tables. The "convenience" of the servers knowing our preferences is such a minor aspect that we don't miss it at all. Having different servers has not diminished the dining experience in any way. In fact, we enjoy meeting as many of the staff as possible, so different servers actually enhances the experience. 

 

 

 

 

[DallasGuy75219]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I am wondering if they are able to seat more or less with DMW.

More.  They're able to turn over the average table more than twice a night.  And on any given night they know some people will skip the MDR, but they don't necessarily know which people; with DMW either those people won't make a reservation in the the first place or if the make a reservation then no-show they can give their table to someone else after 10 or 15 minutes.

[Guest ldtr]

56 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

That could have been true on some ships, but most of the time our MDR was full.  But now they can see if your at a SD and they only hold your table for 10-15 mins anyway, if you noshow.  So, they could run DMW/Anytime even at the TD MDR if they wanted too, in addition to making it TD.
 

I think DMW is a good concept, but I think they could have both.  JMO

Sure there are plenty of ways that they could improve the DMW process.  There are certainly ways to make it TD like.  Would be nice if they could provide your table number each night in advance in the app where possible, turning check in into dealing with walk ins or guiding folks to tables.

 

We have been on 7 Princess cruises since the restart under DMW and we have pretty much been TD like with reservations made well in advance for the same time every night, getting the same table with the same servers each night. On some ships once we have the table assignment we have been able to bypass check in as well.

 

A portion of the problem with the current system is that a lot of people do not use it, or do not understand it.  Run into a lot of people who say that their TA had made reservations (which were not in the system) or say that they did not want to use the App.

 

[jajsmom]

We were on the Sky Princess in December.  Not having traditional dining was the biggest complaint of everyone we talked to.  Even though we had a reservation for the same time every night, we often waited for a table.  The servers were completely rushed, and the dining experience was not what we have come to expect from cruising all these years.  We missed meeting other passengers and discussing our days each evening, and getting to know the servers, and them getting to know us.  The best thing we did was the afternoon tea, where we asked to be seated with others.  Definitely bring back traditional dining!!! (My post cruise survey was all about this.)

[Guest ldtr]

20 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

People might want the flexibility of ATD, but they dislike what they have now, which is a long wait in line regardless of reservations in DMW. People who seems happiest are those who manage to turn DMW into anTD experience. This has always taken us at least one cruise (in a series of B2B cruises), giving us the opportunity to meet with the Restaurant Manager and letting him know we want stability in our dining situation. But not everyone has the opportunity to do multiple cruises in a row, and they shouldn’t have to face standing in a line every night to have dinner. 
 

And then there’s the app…I’ve lost count of have many times reservations I’ve made for DMW disappear, requiring me to make reservations again with more limited (land later) times required. That the situation hasn’t been fixed in 18 months tells me it’s not going to be fixed anytime soon. And if it does, it will be rolled out as a great new feature. 

While I had a couple of issues right after the restart during my first cruise back.  Since then I have routinely scheduled my reservations for 6 completed cruises after that one without any problem.  Have reservations made on my next 7 cruise going up through December.

 

I have followed the same routine.  Make the reservations for the same time each night.  Get the table number during check in on the first night.  On the way out of the dining room stop and tell the person running the check in process that we would like to keep the same table for the rest of the cruise (or in the case of B2B's multiple cruises.  Has been successful every time.  Not very difficult. 

 

The one problem that I did run into early was when booking the same time tried to turn the reservation into one for a shared table.  Had to delete those reservations and then remake them using the each day function.  Which solved that problem.

 

I though you have not been cruising on Princess since your run in with Covid?  When was the last time you have used the App?

[cr8tiv1]

15 minutes ago, ldtr said:

While I had a couple of issues right after the restart during my first cruise back.  Since then I have routinely scheduled my reservations for 6 completed cruises after that one without any problem.  Have reservations made on my next 7 cruise going up through December.

 

I have followed the same routine.  Make the reservations for the same time each night.  Get the table number during check in on the first night.  On the way out of the dining room stop and tell the person running the check in process that we would like to keep the same table for the rest of the cruise (or in the case of B2B's multiple cruises.  Has been successful every time.  Not very difficult. 

 

The one problem that I did run into early was when booking the same time tried to turn the reservation into one for a shared table.  Had to delete those reservations and then remake them using the each day function.  Which solved that problem.

 

I though you have not been cruising on Princess since your run in with Covid?  When was the last time you have used the App?

If you have an assigned table for each night, do you still need to stand in the long reservation line and get checked in before going to your table?  How would they know you checked in otherwise?