Thoughts on the NEW Dining Options starting Sept 14, 2024

[555]

Just now, Alaska05 said:

I could deal with 7:30 but not 8:00!

Yea I know what you mean but there are still many who like it so they still give them a choice. 

We sometimes return to the DR after the early show for coffee & desert and I'm surprised at the number of people just getting their main course at 8:45 PM. 

[doghog]

Received the same Email yesterday. Made reservations (time and restaurant) for DMW for our September 2025 when I booked the cruise. Reservations for all nights are still showing in the app. Called a spoke with OceanReady agent and was advised the reservations won't be cancelled. I'll keep a close eye on the reservations so no surprises. 

[CruisingFox27]

11 minutes ago, 555 said:

Typical early seating is usually around 5:30 PM and late seating around 7:30 PM. 

 

7 minutes ago, 555 said:

Yea I know what you mean but there are still many who like it so they still give them a choice. 

We sometimes return to the DR after the early show for coffee & desert and I'm surprised at the number of people just getting their main course at 8:45 PM. 

 

Gosh, those times are too early for me. I would be the opposite and struggle to go to dinner anything before 8pm.

[LHARTWICK]

9 minutes ago, doghog said:

Received the same Email yesterday. Made reservations (time and restaurant) for DMW for our September 2025 when I booked the cruise. Reservations for all nights are still showing in the app. Called a spoke with OceanReady agent and was advised the reservations won't be cancelled. I'll keep a close eye on the reservations so no surprises. 

Thanks for this info. We sail in DEC 2024, and the app allows me to go ahead and reserve our dining times.  If they get cancelled and I have to start over, so be it.  Either way, I've never gone w/o food on a cruise!!! 🙂 

[doghog]

Just now, LHARTWICK said:

Thanks for this info. We sail in DEC 2024, and the app allows me to go ahead and reserve our dining times.  If they get cancelled and I have to start over, so be it.  Either way, I've never gone w/o food on a cruise!!! 🙂 

Agree. Just keep checking. 👀

[Arizona Wildcat]

As of today Princess has not started canceling reservations.   Likely that will happen maybe in May.  Just received notice this morning my reservations will be canceled for October 2024 and September 2025.  Gonna take time.

Am sure things will be tweaked as time passes.

[doghog]

3 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

As of today Princess has not started canceling reservations.   Likely that will happen maybe in May.  Just received notice this morning my reservations will be canceled for October 2024 and September 2025.  Gonna take time.

Am sure things will be tweaked as time passes.

What type of dining? 

[BamaVol]

2 hours ago, 555 said:

The way I see it is that it's going to make things more efficient for the staff in the traditional DR. They'll have two dining times assigned, which some people just love and they'll be no need to have a hostess greet each couple to ask if they want to sit with others plus not having to record what table they'll be sitting at. 

As long as they still offer a table for 2 it works for me.

Hahaha.  You don’t think people will show up at the wrong dining room, sit where they don’t belong and demand to be served?

[dreaminofcruisin]

1 hour ago, doghog said:

Received the same Email yesterday. Made reservations (time and restaurant) for DMW for our September 2025 when I booked the cruise. Reservations for all nights are still showing in the app. Called a spoke with OceanReady agent and was advised the reservations won't be cancelled. I'll keep a close eye on the reservations so no surprises. 

 

1 hour ago, LHARTWICK said:

Thanks for this info. We sail in DEC 2024, and the app allows me to go ahead and reserve our dining times.  If they get cancelled and I have to start over, so be it.  Either way, I've never gone w/o food on a cruise!!! 🙂 

 

Pretty sure the OceanReady agent is clueless....

The email we received yesterday stated:

 

'To support these changes and the transition to the new system, main dining reservations that you may have already made will be cancelled.'

[doghog]

1 minute ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

 

Pretty sure the OceanReady agent is clueless....

The email we received yesterday stated:

 

'To support these changes and the transition to the new system, main dining reservations that you may have already made will be cancelled.'

And that's exactly why I said, "I'll keep a close eye on the reservations so no surprises". Not my first rodeo. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

23 minutes ago, doghog said:

What type of dining? 

This thread is all about MDR in any "type".  Nothing else.  

[doghog]

4 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

This thread is all about MDR in any "type".  Nothing else.  

No kidding. 🙃 TD or DMY.  At the time I was just curious what you specifically choose.  

[555]

4 hours ago, CruisingFox27 said:

 

 

Gosh, those times are too early for me. I would be the opposite and struggle to go to dinner anything before 8pm.

You could always arrive a few minutes before 9 PM and they'll still serve you. 

[555]

3 hours ago, BamaVol said:

Hahaha.  You don’t think people will show up at the wrong dining room, sit where they don’t belong and demand to be served?

I'm sure they'll be a few of those types on every ship.

Edited April 16 by 555

[rideev]

So glad they are doing this.  We like traditional dining.  We figured out how to do this anyway under the anytime dining before, but much easier now.

[upwarduk]

9 hours ago, tulok said:

the aft dining room as our cabin is aft

Can you give me the name of the Aft dining room please?
As we sail on September 1st the new system won’t be in place, so I could do with knowing which the nearest/ most convenient dining room will be.

[tulok]

Aft dining on Emerald is Botticelli Deck 6

[ldubs]

34 minutes ago, rideev said:

So glad they are doing this.  We like traditional dining.  We figured out how to do this anyway under the anytime dining before, but much easier now.

 

From reading then forums I think a lot of people will be happy with the return of a traditional dining option.   Overall, I think it is a pretty good change.  

[memoak]

Just now, 555 said:

You could always arrive a few minutes before 9 PM and they'll still serve you. 

On the Ruby now showed up at 8:15 in Reserve dining was given a menu and pushed to order right away. Dining staff running all over the dining room frantically. Pushed out in 30 minutes will never eat there again will forgo reserve class and just eat in Botticelli

[BamaVol]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

On the Ruby now showed up at 8:15 in Reserve dining was given a menu and pushed to order right away. Dining staff running all over the dining room frantically. Pushed out in 30 minutes will never eat there again will forgo reserve class and just eat in Botticelli

At least go back once and get the names of the offenders for your post-cruise survey.

[memoak]

Just now, BamaVol said:

At least go back once and get the names of the offenders for your post-cruise survey.

Oh I will probably be talking to the F&B director I see him often in Wheelhouse. Just don’t need to be pushed and rushed. I don’t really need the extra entree and I am betting in Botticelli it won’t have wait after 8:00. If so it may just get funky   Plus I will see the captain at MYG lunch tomorrow 

Edited April 16 by memoak

[TRLD]

8 hours ago, 555 said:

Typical early seating is usually around 5:30 PM and late seating around 7:30 PM. 

Back when they were doing traditional. Early traditional usually started at 5. Sometimes at 5:30, but often earlier. They even had a period where the mid ship early traditional started at 4:30 and the stern dining room started at 5.

Edited April 16 by TRLD

[555]

11 hours ago, TRLD said:

Back when they were doing traditional. Early traditional usually started at 5. Sometimes at 5:30, but often earlier. They even had a period where the mid ship early traditional started at 4:30 and the stern dining room started at 5.

We like eating early, but 4:30 ?

[TRLD]

3 hours ago, 555 said:

We like eating early, but 4:30 ?

It was in the dining room that switched to anytime after first traditional. I expect they were trying to handle the anytime demand so trying to make more space available earlier in the evening.

[avonlady6390]

I work in a restaurant as a server and do not like guests who show up within minutes of closing usually the kitchen is already closing down so we push for them to order right away and service is rushed so I cam understand where the staff is coming at when you get people showing up at the end of service.