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

[Megabear2]

11 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Did you have  a choice for set dining or did you have to have  freedom dining?

Saver fares on Britannia are just allocated, it's pot luck.  Generally saver fare means club dining though.  In 2020 had a last minute saver - about 7 weeks out - and were given 8.30 club dining.  Because of health reasons we asked if we could change, at first it was no so it had to bother buffet.  On day 3 we were called and told we could have club at 6.30pm but nothing else. As it happened we had great table companions one of whom I still see regularly but if we couldn't have changed times it would have been buffet all the way.  No more savers when we sail as a coupleasa result.

[kalos]

1 minute ago, davecttr said:

I am off on Britannia soon and have not been allocated a dining type. Not worried though I will just go with the flow and I can adopt a grazing strategy as I am not meant to eat late. The main meal at lunchtime is fine by me as is the buffet. I do enough socializing with other passengers without having to sit down at a table with them. I will visit the Glass House  for Tapas and wine

 

Same here Dave . On the Azura /Ventura I have been known to have a light breakfast at 

6.30am in the buffet and the MDR at 8.30 if needed .

Come lunch time set off for the MDR if we were onboard and on the way there passing 

the Glasshouse decide to eat in there instead .

Come 6.30 pm possibly a light  bite before a wander into one of the bars or the theatre 

which was nice and peaceful .

We did all this and our phones were tucked away in the safe .

I hope next time if I revisit one of these ships I get the same experience .

[Interestedcruisefan]

7 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

You are still completely missing my point. Nobody has said that old style club dining was spontaneous.

 

Yet on at least two occasions you have asked what was spontaneous about it,

With all due respect without naming posters in this thread some have done 

 

If you check 

 

 

 

[Dermotsgirl]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

With all due respect without naming posters in this thread some have done 

 

If you check 

 

 

 

With all due respect, I have not seen anyone make that claim

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 minute ago, Megabear2 said:

Saver fares on Britannia are just allocated, it's pot luck.  Generally saver fare means club dining though.  In 2020 had a last minute saver - about 7 weeks out - and were given 8.30 club dining.  Because of health reasons we asked if we could change, at first it was no so it had to bother buffet.  On day 3 we were called and told we could have club at 6.30pm but nothing else. As it happened we had great table companions one of whom I still see regularly but if we couldn't have changed times it would have been buffet all the way.  No more savers when we sail as a coupleasa result.

Wow

 

I feel I've always at least had some kind of choice when ive booked?

 

But this kind of echoes my point

 

Iona and Arvia are surely way better than facing that?

 

And if I'm a Travel Agent trying to sell a holiday to new clients I dont fancy my chances selling that idea in the current world?

 

What Iona and Arvia are trying to do has to be the way forward surely for cruises to flourish?

 

The whole world is more about choice and freedom now

 

More than ever

[Megabear2]

4 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

As I understand it I will be able to pre-book more of the MDR times won't I MB?

 

In my case as I'm a control freak as you know

 

I will have a plan at least a week ahead. All pre-booked at times that work for other stuff we do.

 

Then on the night if we feel like doing something different will just cancel and do whatever else we decide 

 

Won't just not turn up

 

And happy to be fined alongside anyone else who books anything and just doesn't turn up 

 

No sympathy for anybody. I hope they introduce that in the future if it helps everyone else have a better cruise experience 

 

 

 

As I say, it will be interesting.  Can I persuade you to take a quick last minute Arvia cruise now, just so you can compare the two.  😅 

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

As I say, it will be interesting.  Can I persuade you to take a quick last minute Arvia cruise now, just so you can compare the two.  😅 

Are you coming with me?

 

Lol

 

Don't worry I will pre-book everything we need 

 

You won't have to do anything!

 

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Wow

 

I feel I've always at least had some kind of choice when ive booked?

 

But this kind of echoes my point

 

Iona and Arvia are surely way better than facing that?

 

And if I'm a Travel Agent trying to sell a holiday to new clients I dont fancy my chances selling that idea in the current world?

 

What Iona and Arvia are trying to do has to be the way forward surely for cruises to flourish?

 

The whole world is more about choice and freedom now

 

More than ever

Actually we booked knowing they were the rules, so no not a problem, it was pot luck.

 

Select fare which people pay a large fare forgives the choice that's why they pat more. 

 

hinking about it that's actually another reason people are complaining about Arvia dining arrangements. Lots of them have paid way over the odds for a somewhat inferior experience with apartfrom cabin choice very little to show for it.

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Are you coming with me?

 

Lol

 

Don't worry I will pre-book everything we need 

 

You won't have to do anything!

 

 

Deal!!! Okay, when are we going?!!  If one of us gets the noisy cabin I'll swap with you and your good lady. You seemed to do far better than me on that one!

[terrierjohn]

13 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

With all due respect without naming posters in this thread some have done 

 

If you check 

 

 

 

If you know where those posts are please let us know, I am also following this thread and I have not seen anyone refer to club dining as spontaneous.

[cruising.mark.uk]

5 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

hinking about it that's actually another reason people are complaining about Arvia dining arrangements. Lots of them have paid way over the odds for a somewhat inferior experience with apartfrom cabin choice very little to show for it.

Really?  So people are complaining about paying a Select fare and then not getting priority dining, which is explicitly not a benefit of a select fare on Arvia, as is very clear throughout the booking process.  

[lancashire_cruisers]

Probably going to be shot down in flames because this tends to be how some threads on this forum go these days 🙄

 

For context we have cruised with P&O (along with others) since 2002 and reading some posts I think some have their rose coloured glasses on. I’ve certainly experienced not being able to book specialty restaurants on the older ships including Azura on multiple occasions but there’s always been somewhere else to grab a bite to eat.

 

I honestly can’t believe that on the new big girls you can’t find anywhere to eat, it might not be where you want to eat but you’re not going to go hungry!

 

I think the mistake P&O have made with Arvia and Iona is to try to be all things to all people when IMO they should have been more radical and done away with the MDR completely (cue clutching of pearls 😂). I just think along with card rooms and libraries the MDR has had its day.

[Interestedcruisefan]

8 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Deal!!! Okay, when are we going?!!  If one of us gets the noisy cabin I'll swap with you and your good lady. You seemed to do far better than me on that one!

I assumed we were sharing a cabin?

 

Twin beds of course!

 

Lol

[davecttr]

43 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Did you have  a choice for set dining or did you have to have  freedom dining?

The dining type has not been allocated so I expect to find out when I board.

[Dermotsgirl]

3 minutes ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

Probably going to be shot down in flames because this tends to be how some threads on this forum go these days 🙄

 

For context we have cruised with P&O (along with others) since 2002 and reading some posts I think some have their rose coloured glasses on. I’ve certainly experienced not being able to book specialty restaurants on the older ships including Azura on multiple occasions but there’s always been somewhere else to grab a bite to eat.

 

I honestly can’t believe that on the new big girls you can’t find anywhere to eat, it might not be where you want to eat but you’re not going to go hungry!

 

I think the mistake P&O have made with Arvia and Iona is to try to be all things to all people when IMO they should have been more radical and done away with the MDR completely (cue clutching of pearls 😂). I just think along with card rooms and libraries the MDR has had its day.

If they did away with the MDR, they’d either need to make sure that there were still enough included in the price restaurants for everyone, or make it crystal clear that eating is a paid for extra.

 

I’m not particularly wedded to the MDR, so wouldn’t mind if it disappeared, but it does feed a lot of people, on a mass catering basis, so they’d need to up their game to efficiently feed 1000’s of people in specialty type restaurants, and to make access to these restaurants stress free and with a robust booking system. 

It would be a big challenge 

[cruising.mark.uk]

2 minutes ago, davecttr said:

The dining type has not been allocated so I expect to find out when I board.

There's spontaneity for you! 🤣

[Interestedcruisefan]

21 minutes ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

Probably going to be shot down in flames because this tends to be how some threads on this forum go these days 🙄

 

For context we have cruised with P&O (along with others) since 2002 and reading some posts I think some have their rose coloured glasses on. I’ve certainly experienced not being able to book specialty restaurants on the older ships including Azura on multiple occasions but there’s always been somewhere else to grab a bite to eat.

 

I honestly can’t believe that on the new big girls you can’t find anywhere to eat, it might not be where you want to eat but you’re not going to go hungry!

 

I think the mistake P&O have made with Arvia and Iona is to try to be all things to all people when IMO they should have been more radical and done away with the MDR completely (cue clutching of pearls 😂). I just think along with card rooms and libraries the MDR has had its day.

I think the way forward at some stage is make everyone use the app and/or a pre-booking station 

 

Allowing 2 physical queues one for pre-booking and one for walk ups cant surely have been the intention?

 

In time more people will become au fait with the app and more used to apps in general 

 

Then the booking systems will be far more predictable 

 

There's still buffets and the quays and several other places you can walk up for food

 

MDRs are just like other restaurants on board really 

 

It will come

 

And people will either sign up or cruise on the older ships or other cruise lines

 

New cruisers will know no different and wouldnt expect any different and well used to apps 

 

I was amazed at KFC the other day. Everybody queuing to book on the big screens whilst the girl serving at the counter had no queue. Til I walked past the big screen queues to be served by her.

 

All people at the screens much younger than me. And I'm only 54

 

The world's changing fast for sure.

 

Some for the better some for the worst

 

Arvia and Iona as you guys know I already think are great. They will hopefully improve more. 

 

But won't be for everybody 

 

Just like the smaller ships wouldn't give me what I want in comparison now. Even though I would still enjoy a holiday on them and make the best of them I can

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

5 minutes ago, davecttr said:

The dining type has not been allocated so I expect to find out when I board.

 

I wouldn't book that myself.

 

The bigger ships will dominate all new cruisers and family bookings if that continues 

 

Maybe thats the plan?

[Interestedcruisefan]

20 minutes ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

Probably going to be shot down in flames because this tends to be how some threads on this forum go these days 🙄

 

For context we have cruised with P&O (along with others) since 2002 and reading some posts I think some have their rose coloured glasses on. I’ve certainly experienced not being able to book specialty restaurants on the older ships including Azura on multiple occasions but there’s always been somewhere else to grab a bite to eat.

 

I honestly can’t believe that on the new big girls you can’t find anywhere to eat, it might not be where you want to eat but you’re not going to go hungry!

 

I think the mistake P&O have made with Arvia and Iona is to try to be all things to all people when IMO they should have been more radical and done away with the MDR completely (cue clutching of pearls 😂). I just think along with card rooms and libraries the MDR has had its day.

Only time I saw anybody in the Library on Iona was as extra bar seating for Anderson's in the evenings. When it became busy 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[davecttr]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I think the way forward at some stage is make everyone use the app and/or a pre-booking station 

 

Allowing 2 queues one for pre-booking and one for walk ups cant surely have been the intention

 

In time more people will become au fait with the app and more used to apps in general 

 

Then the booking systems will be far more predictable 

 

There's still buffets and the quays and several other places you can walk up for food

 

MDRs are just like other restaurants on board really 

 

It will come

 

And people will either sign up or cruise on the older ships or other cruise lines

 

New cruisers will know no different and wouldnt expect any different and well used to apps 

 

I was amazed at KFC the other day. Everybody queuing to book on the big screens whilst the girl serving at the counter had no queue. 

 

The world's changing fast for sure.

 

Some for the better some for the worst

 

Arvia and Iona as you guys know I already think are great. They will hopefully improve more. 

 

But won't be for everybody 

 

Just like the smaller ships wouldn't give me what I want in comparison now. Even though I would still enjoy a holiday on them and make the best of them I can

 

I don't see any improvements being fitted before the next refit. Portals as Marella call them allow you to do most of the app stuff just by swiping your cruise card. Worked well for me but what it did not have was a virtual queue. The touch screens were large with lovely BIG buttons

[Interestedcruisefan]

16 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

 

 

16 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

There's spontaneity for you! 🤣

So in effect people are having to pay extra to have a guarantee of freedom dining on the smaller ships or else might get 6.30pm or 8.30pm?

 

Something you get for free on the bigger ships?

Edited June 17, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

Knowing how the system works helps a bit. If you shower, dress, pop down for a drink and think at 7.00 ' time for dinner ,I'll join a virtual queue ', you may be in for a long wait. About 15 mins,or so before we were finished in the cabin we would join the queue. A bit earlier if the queue was getting  a bit big. We rarely needed to wait very long, sometimes being notified before we had even finished in the cabin, but we had 15minutes.

And people realise that by about the 2nd or 3rd day

 

When everything settles down 

[CarlaMarie]

5 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

 

So in effect people are paying extra to have  freedom dining on the smaller ships

 

Something you get for free on the bigger ships?

 

I am completely lost as to how passengers are paying extra for freedom on the smaller ships which you get for free on the bigger ships?

 

Passengers are generally paying more on the smaller ships for knowing they can choose club dining or freedom if they wish, adult only if they wish, currently no app, more port choice and itineraries (normally), less busy, more formal nights etc.... 

 

That is what you are paying for. 

[Happy afloat]

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

 

 

But that can only be the case if the other two thirds of the ship have already had to commit to either  6.30pm and 8.30pm sittings?

 

So 2 thirds of the ship have no freedom allowing one third of the ship to have freedom?

 

Now the aim is for 100 per cent to have freedom?

 

Some can be ultra organised and pre-book every single thing they do before they cruise

 

Some can pre-book on the day

 

Some can pre-book on the night

 

Some can play it by ear every night and just try their luck

 

Something for everyone?

 

Proper freedom wouldn't you say?

 

And if you dont want the freedom ships with set dining still available?

 

 

Not sure where you get your figures of thirds/two thirds from?

The point though, is that those who select to dine at 6.30 or 8.30 CHOOSE to do so, they don't want freedom dining. Nor does everyone want to book every meal and holiday to a timetable. If that works for you then that's great, but it's not what I'd call "proper freedom" as you say. Being pushed into using an app to run your hard earned holiday is not my, or it seems from the conversations on here, many other people's idea of fun. 

 

 

 

[Happy afloat]

6 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

 

I am completely lost as to how passengers are paying extra for freedom on the smaller ships which you get for free on the bigger ships?

 

Passengers are generally paying more on the smaller ships for knowing they can choose club dining or freedom if they wish, adult only if they wish, currently no app, more port choice and itineraries (normally), less busy, more formal nights etc.... 

 

That is what you are paying for. 

And the smaller ships cost more per capita to run and are staffed properly, Aurora's 1870 passengers to 850 crew (approx)