Looks like P&O are changing the way dining bookings are done on Arvia

[9265359]

Just now, Presto2 said:

The problem is that the mdr restaurants are supposed to close at 9.30pm. After that it is a case of just rushing your through and rubbish service. 

No. The MDR close the doors at 9.30pm for dinner service, the same as they do at 2pm for lunch service, but service doesn’t stop, and if you walk in at 9.15pm or 1.45pm you still get to eat as you would have done had you walked in earlier.

 

And if I received rubbish service, as has occurred on rare occasions, then I would speak to the restaurant manager - and past experience has demonstrated that the rest of the cruise will go well (and actually better than normal) as the last thing they want is you escalating it to the F&B manager as a repeated failure.

[majortom10]

I think the main problem which seems to be causing the problem is Arvia only has 2 MDRs serving that particular restaurant. Whereas Iona has 4 MDRs serving the same evening menu so that is what is causing the problem on Arvia. We were very impressed with Iona and the excellent dining choices around the ship.

[Presto2]

3 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

We never had any issues getting a table for 2 in March on Iona and should imagine a table for more would be even easier. We joined virtual queue whichever MDR had shortest queue as we left our cabin and by the time we had got the lift and walked to the restaurant my my phone buzzed to say a table was ready.

Am.guessing it was not in school holidays ?

[JeanieC,Aston]

Staffing.

For FD to work you need the ship/dining rooms to be fully staffed.

No matter what time I went to dinner on Iona in February half the dining room tables were empty,,not even made up for service with long queues waiting.

 

On Celebration night after waiting with a buzzer from 19:00 till near 21:00 I demanded to be fed,,enough was enough,,,,,we were immediately shown to a table then having to wait until the table was made up.

 

Sat in the Emerald Bar for over 2.5 hrs waiting for a table we were continually told by people coming out of dinner that the dining room was empty.

[daiB]

3 hours ago, Fionboard said:

Oh dear, still the same  problems I experienced on Iona two years ago! Whatever they do to try and improve things on the two leviathans, I will stick to the "tiddlers" and have a stress free holiday. 

We were stress free on Iona. 😁

[Presto2]

2 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

No. The MDR close the doors at 9.30pm for dinner service, the same as they do at 2pm for lunch service, but service doesn’t stop, and if you walk in at 9.15pm or 1.45pm you still get to eat as you would have done had you walked in earlier.

 

And if I received rubbish service, as has occurred on rare occasions, then I would speak to the restaurant manager - and past experience has demonstrated that the rest of the cruise will go well (and actually better than normal) as the last thing they want is you escalating it to the F&B manager as a repeated failure.

Have done lots of cruises and sadly this wasn't the case. All I can do is say it as it was ... I am usually a PO cheer leader and fair. Just saying it how it was. You had to be there ... 

[Ardennais]

4 hours ago, majortom10 said:

The only problem I can see is happening what happened to us recently on QM2. We had booked 'open dining' and on embarkation day as soon as we got onboard we booked a time on their website page for every night in MDR. On one evening we arrived at restaurant at 7-30 pm the time we had booked to be told restaurant was full come back in 30 minutes. When I said we had a table booked and asked what was point of booking in advance was given a vacant look and still told to come back in 30 minutes.

 

 

I was wondering how 7.30 would work. That would be my ideal sitting down time if given a choice. However, I would imagine that the first cover wouldn’t have finished by 7.30 and I suppose they wouldn’t leave the table empty from opening time to 7.30. As you say, what’s the point of booking 7.30! 

[majortom10]

2 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Am.guessing it was not in school holidays ?

No it wasn't but to be honest we never encountered any large queues at MDR entrance. There was one person on booking in those that had booked on virtual queue and the other queue for those that had just turned up. Never any queue of great length on any night and what queue there was moved very fast.

[Presto2]

7 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

No. The MDR close the doors at 9.30pm for dinner service, the same as they do at 2pm for lunch service, but service doesn’t stop, and if you walk in at 9.15pm or 1.45pm you still get to eat as you would have done had you walked in earlier.

 

And if I received rubbish service, as has occurred on rare occasions, then I would speak to the restaurant manager - and past experience has demonstrated that the rest of the cruise will go well (and actually better than normal) as the last thing they want is you escalating it to the F&B manager as a repeated failure.

Ps but when you get a table at 9.45pm abd all the tables around you are fully of empty plates etc . ...  nit a nice feeling

[majortom10]

I would never dream of walking in a restaurant whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner within 15 minutes of restaurant closing to new customers.

[Presto2]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

No it wasn't but to be honest we never encountered any large queues at MDR entrance. There was one person on booking in those that had booked on virtual queue and the other queue for those that had just turned up. Never any queue of great length on any night and what queue there was moved very fast.

We retire next year and look forward to the lack of chaos. School holidays .. pay the premium and get the worst service. Is that right? I think not. 

Sorry am getting grumpy now ... 

Will chill 😎 

[Presto2]

2 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I would never dream of walking in a restaurant whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner within 15 minutes of restaurant closing to new customers.

Either that or buffet formal night in your formal gear ..... not much of a choice. Especially when we had a friend with us on her first ever cruise and first ever formal night....

Edited June 16, 2023 by Presto2

[daiB]

1 hour ago, 9265359 said:

Trouble is that on Iona and Arvia you don’t get the numbers of elderly people who actually want to eat dinner at 6.30, so forcing an early sitting on someone who doesn’t want it is a very second class solution for them.

Sorry I disagree although the age on our Iona cruise was less than on Aurora there were still a majority of 65+ cruisers many wanting to eat early very little difference between ships in that respect. we cruised at Easter. 

[Ardennais]

56 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

The poor guy on the desk at the Meridian kept asking us to be patient as it usually works ok outside the busy school holidays. He was lovely and we told him to go back to his cabin and have a good whiskey. Poor man - taking the flack for a failing system. As a tip head for the Peninsular - it seemed more popular on the app thing and we found that to be the case too. Hope you all have a great time 🙂

‘Usually works ok outside the busy school holidays’ - that’s just not good enough is it. School holiday cruisers deserve better. 

[daiB]

1 hour ago, Presto2 said:

I'd eat at 6.30pm any day rather than  9.45pm - and we normally eat at about 8pm at home ....

Sorry P&O, the whole system is a mess and needs reviewing. It is not just a 'new ship' problem.

Why just because it does not suit one or two people. Iona worked fine and we loved the range of dining oppertunities.. However back to set dining on Britiannia, then freedom on Iona, set on Ventura and back to freedom on Arvia. Variety is the spice of life.

[Ardennais]

12 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Staffing.

For FD to work you need the ship/dining rooms to be fully staffed.

No matter what time I went to dinner on Iona in February half the dining room tables were empty,,not even made up for service with long queues waiting.

 

On Celebration night after waiting with a buzzer from 19:00 till near 21:00 I demanded to be fed,,enough was enough,,,,,we were immediately shown to a table then having to wait until the table was made up.

 

Sat in the Emerald Bar for over 2.5 hrs waiting for a table we were continually told by people coming out of dinner that the dining room was empty.

Understaffing was indeed a problem - I think we were on the same cruise. 
 

So what exactly are the cabin staff doing now if there’s no turndown? 

[daiB]

17 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Am.guessing it was not in school holidays ?

We went in school holidays and found it excellent.

[Ardennais]

13 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

No it wasn't but to be honest we never encountered any large queues at MDR entrance. There was one person on booking in those that had booked on virtual queue and the other queue for those that had just turned up. Never any queue of great length on any night and what queue there was moved very fast.

It was very different during the half term cruise. 

[Ardennais]

1 minute ago, daiB said:

We went in school holidays and found it excellent.

But you only used the MDR 3 times in 3 weeks! 

[daiB]

6 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

‘Usually works ok outside the busy school holidays’ - that’s just not good enough is it. School holiday cruisers deserve better. 

Not our experience. school hols were fine.

[daiB]

Just now, Ardennais said:

But you only used the MDR 3 times in 3 weeks! 

Correct but 2 of those were when the ship had 1000+ children. 

[Ardennais]

12 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

We retire next year and look forward to the lack of chaos. School holidays .. pay the premium and get the worst service. Is that right? I think not. 

Sorry am getting grumpy now ... 

Will chill 😎 

You have every right to be grumpy! 
 

It’s not right. These are people who might only be cruising once a year, unlike many of us here who have several holidays every yearl You can brush off a so-so cruise if you know that you’ve got another holiday on the horizon. 

[Happy afloat]

1 hour ago, 9265359 said:

Trouble is that on Iona and Arvia you don’t get the numbers of elderly people who actually want to eat dinner at 6.30, so forcing an early sitting on someone who doesn’t want it is a very second class solution for them.

Have to say that this wasn't the case when we were aboard in November, there were a lot of people 60+

[JeanieC,Aston]

36 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Understaffing was indeed a problem - I think we were on the same cruise. 
 

So what exactly are the cabin staff doing now if there’s no turndown? 

Hi.

The cabin staff were those in the restaurants with Grey polo shirts on showing people to their tables and giving them the menus.

[Ardennais]

41 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Hi.

The cabin staff were those in the restaurants with Grey polo shirts on showing people to their tables and giving them the menus.

I honestly didn’t notice them! Are they also helping with clearing tables etc?