4/13/24: Princess Rolls Out Fleetwide Dining Revolution

[Steelers36]

15 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

 It also states the following, 

........

"Now whether guests prefer an early seating every evening, or change things up every night, or even change their mind, these flexible dining options ensure that their dining preference is effortlessly accommodated.”

 

which reads as though you could switch your dining preference mid cruise.

This has been the case all along.  However, TBH, it may not be possible to switch into Early TD mid-voyage if it is fully-subscribed (but you might find space at a large sharing table for a couple).  A guest could always have had a DMW res for a night and cancel it and do a walk-up (or even forget to cancel).

[Steelers36]

15 hours ago, Torfamm said:

I think that means reservations can be made or canceled for individual evenings. I can’t imagine how they would manage traditional dining for people who don’t want to eat at the same time and table every night

If a TD guest wants to bail, they could do so and DR Mgmt could fill the table with other guests - such as walk-ups arriving at the right time and needing a table. 

 

I believe TD is going to be managed they way it was prior to DMW App.

[Steelers36]

13 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

In the past other cruiselines had a section of a dining room that was for fixed dining and another for flexible times.

We likely will find out in June.

Princess is simply going back to a system they used some years ago.

I welcome traditional dining.

Actually, they had one DR designated for TD and the other for AT.  Now, they will need to decide whether to have bookings in the same DR and walk-ups and TD with Reserve Section - or some other combination.

My guess will be one DR hosting TD and Reserve Class and the other DR have an inventory of reservations and the balance held back for walk-ups.  They can always re-allocate guests to the TD room if there are unused seats and adjust by voyage.  The DRO's will have more control over their DR's than with DMW App handling most of the space now.

 

Edited April 15 by Steelers36

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, Princess Chatterer said:

Coral Princess and Island Princess will combine Reservable and Walk-in Anytime Dining into one Main Dining Room, due to space."

Yup.  I called that one in my post #103 above, before seeing this one.  Makes the most sense to me as to how to organize the space.  TD and Reserve Class section in the other DR.

Edited April 15 by Steelers36

[Torfamm]

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Not so bad if they clean the slate and everyone gets to book again.  You just have to be ready at the GO date/time in order to have best choices.

Except that the app doesn’t allow for management of future cruises while you are on a cruise. It’s always been inconvenient, but now I need to go find wi-fi or cell service so I can spend my time rebooking dinner reservations that they could have just put in whatever dining room is assigned for daily reservations.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Torfamm said:

Except that the app doesn’t allow for management of future cruises while you are on a cruise. It’s always been inconvenient, but now I need to go find wi-fi or cell service so I can spend my time rebooking dinner reservations that they could have just put in whatever dining room is assigned for daily reservations.

True, it will be an inconvenience if on a ship without internet.  That would never enter my mind. . Lol.  Hey, I thought "everyone" was on a package.  

 

If it happened to me, I'd find the time figuring not everyone would be on it like a Swift or Springsteen concert.

[Torfamm]

11 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

True, it will be an inconvenience if on a ship without internet.  That would never enter my mind. . Lol.  Hey, I thought "everyone" was on a package.  

 

If it happened to me, I'd find the time figuring not everyone would be on it like a Swift or Springsteen concert.

It’s not about internet. The app doesn’t permit management of future cruises while you’re on a ship and connected to MedallionNet. The old app was the same. I have no idea why that is the case.

 

I am not excited about spending a port day rebooking 43 dining reservations when I’m vacationing with kids and grandkids that I don’t get to spend enough time with as it is. I do admit it’s about as much of a first world problem as you could ever have though.

Edited April 15 by Torfamm

[Steelers36]

19 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

It’s not about internet. The app doesn’t permit management of future cruises while you’re on a ship and connected to MedallionNet. The old app was the same. I have no idea why that is the case.

 

I am not excited about spending a port day rebooking 43 dining reservations when I’m vacationing with kids and grandkids that I don’t get to spend enough time with as it is. I do admit it’s about as much of a first world problem as you could ever have though.

I understand what you are saying and aware of it.  I thought you mentioned needing internet because I was thinking you login to Princess web version of the App and would then be able to use DMW.  

[Cruisemeister2002]

Over the moon. have apart from one cruise which was a late booking dined at 8.30 so will save having to book a restaurant each night. Most of my previous cruises were on P&O and up until the two latest additions of Iona and Arvia fixed dining was always available. Why do we like it ? It gives us a chance to make good friends as you are seated with them every night. If for whatever reason you don't get on with someone you can always switch to another table but have only in 18 cruises not got on with someone. Also as I say the time suits as except when on an excursion we go back to our cabin late afternoon, maybe have a nap, shower and have a drink in our cabin before going to a bar for a pre dinner drink. Have our meal in the MDR and then go to a show in the theatre and then if there's a cabaret show we like go on to that, if not retire for the night with maybe a hot chocolate.

[Torfamm]

26 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I understand what you are saying and aware of it.  I thought you mentioned needing internet because I was thinking you login to Princess web version of the App and would then be able to use DMW.  

I have tried and it wasn’t possible to open the web-based version of the app, at least with my phone and while onboard. The link has never been live onboard when connected to MedallionNet. 
 

I wish I knew why it isn’t possible to manage future cruises while on a cruise

[Steelers36]

1 minute ago, Torfamm said:

I have tried and it wasn’t possible to open the web-based version of the app, at least with my phone and while onboard. The link has never been live onboard when connected to MedallionNet. 
 

I wish I knew why it isn’t possible to manage future cruises while on a cruise

I see - had not read that before.  So, it seems there is no "backdoor" way while on the ships.  I do agree that they should not restrict that.  So, I suppose using one of the ship PC's in the Internet Cafe is not going to help either since they will also be on MedallionNet.

[JimmyVWine]

8 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I imagine they will fill empty tables/seats in the TD room - just as they used to - when situation calls for it. 

Ships used to use one and a half dining rooms for TD.  Now it is down to one.  While I agree that empty tables will be filled with walk-ins as needed, I don't think that there are going to be many empty tables.

[kywildcatfanone]

8 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

What do you mean by casual dining? 

Poor choice of words.  Because of the thread, I assumed all the conversation was about the DR.  

 

8 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

If you mean attire, well we all know that casual attire is being accepted in the DR's

This is what I meant.  I wasn't sure if this new update from them meant that you could dress casual and eat in the DR.  I would consider that if they could also speed up the dining process as well. We quit going because it was taking 2+ hours to get through the entire service.  

[Cruisemeister2002]

21 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

In the past other cruiselines had a section of a dining room that was for fixed dining and another for flexible times.

We likely will find out in June.

Princess is simply going back to a system they used some years ago.

I welcome traditional dining.

Seems like a good idea to me. I suppose it all depends on who wants what on whichever ship they are sailing. I don't know the individual amounts that the MDR's take on say Sky Princess. I say Sky Princess as this is the ship we next sail on. No reason once an approximate amount of passengers is know and what dining option they prefer that if x amount of passengers want set time dining split into early and mid evening  and y amount  who want anytime then providing both early and mid evening dining doesn't fill the restaurant the remaining setting could be used for anytime dining. I suppose how the kitchen is set up for the various dining times may influence this, I don't honestly know.  

[MyriamS]

Personally I prefer fixed early dining myself, but I'm on a sailing less than two weeks after these new rules are implemented, so I'm a bit worried it will be chaos. Also wondering if we have any chance of getting our preferred dining at all since we have no loyalty status with Princess: it's not mentioned in the press release, but I suppose people with loyalty status will get to choose first or will have their choice taken into account first? 

Edited April 15 by MyriamS

[Arizona Wildcat]

10 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Actually, they had one DR designated for TD and the other for AT.  Now, they will need to decide whether to have bookings in the same DR and walk-ups and TD with Reserve Section - or some other combination.

My guess will be one DR hosting TD and Reserve Class and the other DR have an inventory of reservations and the balance held back for walk-ups.  They can always re-allocate guests to the TD room if there are unused seats and adjust by voyage.  The DRO's will have more control over their DR's than with DMW App handling most of the space now.

 

I think you missed where I stated my post was not about Princess.  Many Celebrity ships, for example, had ONE and only one MDR.  Some still only have one.

Princess with at least 2 or 3 venues can easily manage seating except for the early dining rush that is inevitable 

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

I think you missed where I stated my post was not about Princess.  Many Celebrity ships, for example, had ONE and only one MDR.  Some still only have one.

Princess with at least 2 or 3 venues can easily manage seating except for the early dining rush that is inevitable 

Okay.  I was explaining what I saw as the situation on Coral and Island with 2 DRs and how that will work.  Yes, PCL has more venues and we can even think of Sun Class as multiple venues because each level is different out of the three levels.

[bladerunner6]

I think these changes are great- there are options to please everyone.

[dreaminofcruisin]

21 minutes ago, bladerunner6 said:

I think these changes are great- there are options to please everyone.

 

At least on paper......we'll see what happens when we all actually try and get the type of dining we desire...... 🙃

[vjmatty]

So, the Sun and Star have supposedly been set up from day one to have traditional dining on the lowest deck (Deck 6 I believe) of the main dining room. Can anyone currently booked on either of those ships confirm that they’re able to book traditional dining the old way, or does that too have to be through DMW, which makes no sense because why would you need to book TD every night? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of TD?

[Kay S]

Hmm..traditional dining.  I might come back.  Or not.

[phabric]

Today, I received  an email from Princess explaining about new dining setup for my Sept 26 cruise.

[MacMadame]

9 hours ago, MyriamS said:

Also wondering if we have any chance of getting our preferred dining at all since we have no loyalty status with Princess: it's not mentioned in the press release, but I suppose people with loyalty status will get to choose first or will have their choice taken into account first? 

They didn't say anything in the Press Release about priority so I am choosing to believe that it will be first-come, first-serve. 😉 

 

18 minutes ago, phabric said:

Today, I received  an email from Princess explaining about new dining setup for my Sept 26 cruise.

Did it provide any new info not in the Press Release?

[Astro Flyer]

From today’s email:

 

Reservable and Walk-in Anytime Dining will be combined into a single Main Dining Room location aboard Coral Princess and Island Princess.

 

[phabric]

1 minute ago, MacMadame said:

They didn't say anything in the Press Release about priority so I am choosing to believe that it will be first-come, first-serve. 😉 

 

Did it provide any new info not in the Press Release?

EmailI received today