Does the need to be quick off the mark to book dining and entertainment put you off

[Windsurfboy]

42 minutes ago, Camberley said:

We flit between planning elements of our cruises and taking it day by day, but we do like to book our Speciality restaurants for a foodie treat. We would love to just turn up at the speciality restaurants on the evening without having booked in advance, but on the last few P&O cruises they were just too full and prebooking was the safest bet.
 

If the MDR food were better than canteen/budget pub food (we often find it vary between grim, joyless or functional) then we would happily dine just in the MDRs. We have found some similar cruise companies to be a step up with their MDR food, but for us it is the speciality restaurants on P&O make this no frills yet affordable cruise company a touch more special. 

 

Two factors are pushing people to speciality dining and henceforth e rush to book.

 

The quality of the MDR food as Camberley says. Like Camberley it would not be special if we had to dine in MDR

 

The thought of queues or the uncertainty of timing if you don't want to eat very early. 

 

 

[BertieRulesOK]

1 hour ago, Waju said:

So if I can book the MDR at 6.30pm, or rather join the virtual queue, does that mean I have to be ready to go to the MDR immediately or sit in a bar waiting for maybe an hour and a half?

This is why I replied to MBs post so quickly above to balance out his rather... extreme(?)... account of dining on Arvia.  I am also solo btw.  Not sure why that would change anyone's experience?  Anyhoos, I never waited more than 10 mins for a table using the app.

 

Was I happy to share tables?  Yes.  If you want to get into dining quickly, sharing tables is the way to go.

 

Was I looking at the various choices of dining and choosing the likely shortlist queue?  Of course!

 

Did I use the buffet or the Quays on the couple of nights that I wanted to do lots of activities?  Yes, I was an adult and chose what was most important to me to do that evening.  Quick eats, lots of entertainment.

 

Did I miss an 8.30pm theatre show as I was still in a restaurant one evening?  Yes... I simply went at 10.30pm instead.

 

Did I miss dining entirely because one evening was back to back entertainment from 7-9pm?  No, that evening I had looked ahead on my App and booked a fixed dining table at 5.45pm

 

Could I get a table at 6.30-7pm?  Most evenings.  I simply waited for the second the wait list opened on the app and joined it.  I was normally 2 or 3 in the queue.

 

Was I alone, oh woe is me, a solo traveller, in a bar for hours waiting for a table?  No.  The wait was never that long.  If you go solo, you kinda expect you may have to a drink alone...I take a book!  There are solo meet ups all the time if this really is something you would not do.  And finally... Finally... No one says you have to sit in a bar! I ordered most of my tables whilst getting ready in the cabin... enjoying the booze I brought on board myself!

 

Did I get annoyed when my place in the electronic queue did not move and it went on for ages?  Yes.  I did not know what had happened.  But I am not proud.  I just asked a member of staff and they simply explained that can happen - you just need to refresh the webpage.  And like magic, it worked.  I have passed this tidbit onto many cruisers whenever I overhear some cursing.  It's an annoying bug yes, but one which is quickly remedied if you are not too proud to ask for help.

 

Sorry.  Rant over.  Just so much over exaggeration from those who do not like ships to use tech, which leads to unnecessary anxiety in new cruisers.  I feel it is necessary to balance the discourse.  The App is fine.  It works. You'll have a great time.  Please no panicking.

 

 

[zap99]

54 minutes ago, Camberley said:

We flit between planning elements of our cruises and taking it day by day, but we do like to book our Speciality restaurants for a foodie treat. We would love to just turn up at the speciality restaurants on the evening without having booked in advance, but on the last few P&O cruises they were just too full and prebooking was the safest bet.
 

If the MDR food were better than canteen/budget pub food (we often find it vary between grim, joyless or functional) then we would happily dine just in the MDRs. We have found some similar cruise companies to be a step up with their MDR food, but for us it is the speciality restaurants on P&O make this no frills yet affordable cruise company a touch more special. 

We got back from Arvia a couple of weeks ago..So many places to eat..We only ate in the MDR 3 times. Not ,grim, pub like  or joyless by any stretch of imagination. In fact probably 3 of the best meals we had eaten in MDR's on various P&O ships. Folk onboard seemed happy. Perhaps they don't know about the cheese wheel days🤣

Edited May 26 by zap99

[majortom10]

8 hours ago, Harryjacobs said:

The new way to book 710 club is far better than the old system.  Now its done after a certain time on embarkation day, at a time when all guests are onboard.  This ensures that everybody has a fair crack at booking a table for 710 club.  I have been on Iona 3 times and it was the last time under the new system that I finally managed to book a 710 slot. 

Under the old system where those who boarded first managed to book all the 710 slots before the last boarders even arrived at the terminal was pathetic especially as I overheard a lady saying to a friend that she managed to book a table for every night of the cruise but didnt actually turn up to some of them.

It wasn't that way in April on Arvia . We had an embarkation time of 12-30pm and went for the welcome aboard lunch for higher tiers of Peninsular Club and we had booked all our wanted bookings in 710 Club by 1-30pm.

[Camberley]

9 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We got back from Arvia a couple of weeks ago..So many places to eat..We only ate in the MDR 3 times. Not ,grim, pub like  or joyless by any stretch of imagination. In fact probably 3 of the best meals we had eaten in MDR's on various P&O ships. Folk onboard seemed happy. Perhaps they don't know about the cheese wheel days🤣

Yes so many places to eat apart from the MDR and their other free venues are decent. But it is really down to personal tastes, isn’t it? But I do find MDR meals mostly as I described: very occasionally it is actually good in the evening. That said, lunches in the MDR are usually much better than evenings. 
 

We should pop up photos in lifts and elsewhere onboard of majestic cheese wheels of years gone by to plant subliminal messages….

Edited May 26 by Camberley

[Josy1953]

4 hours ago, FangedRose said:

Not on Aurora, only for the new bigger ships.

Thanks.

I will be checking what the dining arrangements are on ships before booking in future.  

I can understand that P&O are trying to spread the number of tables being in use at any one time so that passengers aren't complaining about slow service. If they can't manage to serve food in a timely manner then they should employ more staff NOT ignore the passengers meal time preferences.

[Interestedcruisefan]

37 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

Thanks.

I will be checking what the dining arrangements are on ships before booking in future.  

I can understand that P&O are trying to spread the number of tables being in use at any one time so that passengers aren't complaining about slow service. If they can't manage to serve food in a timely manner then they should employ more staff NOT ignore the passengers meal time preferences.

Arvia and Iona are getting far far more right than they get wrong

 

Very well organised machines now IMO

 

I would suggest its only old time cruisers who like set dining times every night and like to share tables who would have any reason to want them to do things different with regards to dining. Which is fair enough. And P and O have ships that do that still.

 

New cruisers will very much appreciate the huge range of choices the big ships offer and the freedom to dine early or later and not have to share

 

I couldn't even book a table last week on Princess most nights

 

And when I could the only  ones I could book required me to share

 

They had walk up physical queues of 20 mins plus without bookings

 

Not  for me

 

But lots of people in the past just have got used to sharing tables at set times  I guess and also accept physical queues as part of cruising

 

Try selling that concept to new cruisers in this day and age

 

Just won't happen

 

Younger people so used to doing everything using apps and phones nowadays they would actually immediately question being told to go and physically queue for anything they want to do

 

It's not the modern way of doing things

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26 by Interestedcruisefan

[zap99]

We are old time cruisers, but not dead yet. We enjoyed Arvia and Iona and have just booked our 9th cruise on Britannia. We have never been on Aurora, or Arcadia and have no intention of doing so. We went to a Chain restaurant on Saturday and booked on line. I can't imagine phoning to book a table.

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, BertieRulesOK said:

This is why I replied to MBs post so quickly above to balance out his rather... extreme(?).

He is a she!!!

[zap99]

2 hours ago, BertieRulesOK said:

This is why I replied to MBs post so quickly above to balance out his rather... extreme(?)... account of dining on Arvia.  I am also solo btw.  Not sure why that would change anyone's experience?  Anyhoos, I never waited more than 10 mins for a table using the app.

 

Was I happy to share tables?  Yes.  If you want to get into dining quickly, sharing tables is the way to go.

 

Was I looking at the various choices of dining and choosing the likely shortlist queue?  Of course!

 

Did I use the buffet or the Quays on the couple of nights that I wanted to do lots of activities?  Yes, I was an adult and chose what was most important to me to do that evening.  Quick eats, lots of entertainment.

 

Did I miss an 8.30pm theatre show as I was still in a restaurant one evening?  Yes... I simply went at 10.30pm instead.

 

Did I miss dining entirely because one evening was back to back entertainment from 7-9pm?  No, that evening I had looked ahead on my App and booked a fixed dining table at 5.45pm

 

Could I get a table at 6.30-7pm?  Most evenings.  I simply waited for the second the wait list opened on the app and joined it.  I was normally 2 or 3 in the queue.

 

Was I alone, oh woe is me, a solo traveller, in a bar for hours waiting for a table?  No.  The wait was never that long.  If you go solo, you kinda expect you may have to a drink alone...I take a book!  There are solo meet ups all the time if this really is something you would not do.  And finally... Finally... No one says you have to sit in a bar! I ordered most of my tables whilst getting ready in the cabin... enjoying the booze I brought on board myself!

 

Did I get annoyed when my place in the electronic queue did not move and it went on for ages?  Yes.  I did not know what had happened.  But I am not proud.  I just asked a member of staff and they simply explained that can happen - you just need to refresh the webpage.  And like magic, it worked.  I have passed this tidbit onto many cruisers whenever I overhear some cursing.  It's an annoying bug yes, but one which is quickly remedied if you are not too proud to ask for help.

 

Sorry.  Rant over.  Just so much over exaggeration from those who do not like ships to use tech, which leads to unnecessary anxiety in new cruisers.  I feel it is necessary to balance the discourse.  The App is fine.  It works. You'll have a great time.  Please no panicking.

 

 

Nice Post.We are prepared to be a bit flexible and generally get to eat about the time that suits us. We were a bit late getting into the MDR and wanted to be in the 710 by 8.15. We got in the MDR and asked what we could order to be out in 70 minutes...Order what ever you want. We will get you out on Time.

[Windsurfboy]

This was a thread about booking before boarding but has drifted as things do to include the  "app"  and booking in general. 

 

I'm  a great fan of freedom dining. Don't mind doing it online. Freedom is not as efficient in use of tables as fixed sharing.

 

However for freedom to work you need enough tables relative to guests and the staff to serve. Saga which is a true freedom ship has 492 in MDR , 250 in speciality,  300 in Grill (buffet) and 170 outside in good weather.  All for 985 passengers.  So waiter served is 75% of passenger numbers,   total seating 110% of passenger numbers (exc outside) .  So I have never known a single queue.

 

P&O doesn't publish its dining capacity,  but clearly doesn't have 4500 waiter served places, expect near 2000. Plus at most another 1000 in other restaurants. Perhaps in total 50% of peak passenger numbers. That is the problem, one that can't be solved by technology,  only on a personal level by booking ahead, which of course removes capacity

Only seats you can book ahead after 6.30 are speciality extra cost dining, hence the rush

[Andy24v]

13 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

P&O doesn't publish its dining capacity,  but clearly doesn't have 4500 waiter served places, expect near 2000. Plus at most another 1000 in other restaurants. Perhaps in total 50% of peak passenger numbers. That is the problem, one that can't be solved by technology,  only on a personal level by booking ahead, which of course removes capacity

Only seats you can book ahead after 6.30 are speciality extra cost dining, hence the rush

Absolutely spot on. The issue with the big ships is they do not have the capacity to offer every passenger a waiter server meal in an included restaurant. Similarly, they don't have enough capacity in the theatre for everyone to see a show, which is why you need to book everything. 

When we were on Arvia, as a group of 4, it became a real chore trying to plan our evenings, and we ended booking extra cost venues, just so we could make it to the shows.

Obviously P&O benefited from our extra spend..

[cruising.mark.uk]

7 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I'm  a great fan of freedom dining. Don't mind doing it online. Freedom is not as efficient in use of tables as fixed sharing.

 

However for freedom to work you need enough tables relative to guests and the staff to serve. Saga which is a true freedom ship has 492 in MDR , 250 in speciality,  300 in Grill (buffet) and 170 outside in good weather.  All for 985 passengers.  So waiter served is 75% of passenger numbers,   total seating 110% of passenger numbers (exc outside) .  So I have never known a single queue.

Agreed.  But, I think there is one other key thing that is necessary for freedom to work.  And that is passengers who understand it and who are open-minded enough to give it a try.  It seems to me that the unrepresentative and exaggerated perception that one might get from posts on this site that dining doesn't work on Arvia and Iona arises from posters who want freedom dining on those ships to replicate fixed dining on other ships and are then surprised / disappointed when it doesn't work like that.  So, rather than focusing on the choice and opportunity offered by a multitude of dining options (all of which, in our experience of 3 fortnights on Iona and Arvia, during the last of which we didn't use an MDR once) offer great food and the freedom (a huge benefit for us) of getting away from fixed times and (even more of a benefit for us!) getting away from being forced to share dinner with people you would never associate with if given the choice), they focus on the fact that they can't sit down at the same time each night in a MDR and with the same table companions.  That is clearly not how dining was designed to work on these ships - those who are wedded to that type of dining still have the smaller P&O ships on which they can enjoy it and some ships from other more traditional lines. 

 

Of, they can try to embrace 'freedom' and branch out a bit and see how that works for them.  I have been very impressed by the number of posters on here who seem to fall within the more traditional P&O demographic but have approached Iona / Arvia with an open mind and seem to have enjoyed what they encountered.

 

Even on here, moans about the dining arrangements on these ships are now quite rare.  I find it very heartening to see how many positive comments there are about them on this thread and these certainly mirror our experiences over three cruises, most recently in Feb.  And, the only evenings we booked in advance were one in the Limelight and one in Epicurian.  Everything else was bookable on board / achievable by walking up, including all of the evenings / restaurants that showed as sold out before the cruise.  I do worry that individuals seeking accurate information about these ships are sometimes not well-served by these boards, which always tend to the more negative end of the spectrum (approx 10000 pax per fortnight are sailing on these ships and I'd hazard a guess that 9900 have no problem securing the dining they want and are more than happy with the choice, the timing and the app, but we rarely hear from any of those 9900).

 

And, of course, the disproportionality and over-negativity is exacerbated by the life members of the 'we are not happy unless we are not happy' club, who can never resist doom-mongering on threads such as this.

[kermchem]

Given that this thread started about the need to book your dining and entertainment either in advance or as soon as you board, it has drifted a touch, but it is also about the "big ships". The experience on the smaller ships is different, and perhaps P&O fans and critics do need to understand that P&O has a fleet of very different ships.

Our recent experience was Azura before Easter this year. One fixed dining room (which we never saw) and two freedom dining restaurants, one of which seems to have more "two tops" and one seems to have more large tables. There were people queuing most nights at 5.30 for a restaurant that doesn't open until 6. Hey, I still work for a salary and my employer sometimes timetables me to work until 6, so I have no idea what dinner at 6 looks like. If you rock up at 6.30 asking for a table for 2 on Azura you get sent away with a pager (we made that mistake only once). On the big ships I assume that you find yourself in a long virtual queue. On Azura, ask to share (or agree to share) and you get to meet six other different people each night and be sociable.

Yes, Azura uses the app that isn't. We booked Beach House before we left home, and again once on board. We booked afternoon tea in Epicurean from home. But everything else was just turn up and go with the flow - it is a holiday. Even the Glass House - the maitre'd was using paper to keep a list of tables - just turn up, be sensible, have a drink and wait.

Does the need to (plan your dining for the entire cruise and) book put me off? Arvia and Iona yes, Azura and Ventura no.

[Windsurfboy]

Anyway we are looking forward, we have 8 Epicurean 2 Sindhu , 2 limelight , and two Mizuhana booked. Dining is an important part of our holiday,  on a cruise we like to be served in a fine dining setting. 

 

When we had the kids or now have grandkids then happier to eat in diners and family restaurants which were much more relaxing.  So I can see the attraction of the many dinning arrangements on Arvia for families.

 

I  imagine in school holidays the demand for casual dining is bigger than the supply.  Conversely at other times the demand for traditional dining is bigger than supply. Maybe P&O should look at dynamic capacity in its restaurants on mega ships.

 

Think thread has run its course , Over and out.

 

 

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

5 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Two factors are pushing people to speciality dining and henceforth e rush to book.

 

The quality of the MDR food as Camberley says. Like Camberley it would not be special if we had to dine in MDR

 

The thought of queues or the uncertainty of timing if you don't want to eat very early. 

 

 

I guarantee even if quality of MDR was a couple of levels higher the specialties would still be popular

 

I find the MDRs good quality

 

But many people nowadays are used to trying lots more things. Especially when they are on holiday. Its fun and the specialities are comparatively cheap for what you get as well!

 

[Palaceman]

2 hours ago, kermchem said:

Given that this thread started about the need to book your dining and entertainment either in advance or as soon as you board, it has drifted a touch, but it is also about the "big ships". The experience on the smaller ships is different, and perhaps P&O fans and critics do need to understand that P&O has a fleet of very different ships.

Our recent experience was Azura before Easter this year. One fixed dining room (which we never saw) and two freedom dining restaurants, one of which seems to have more "two tops" and one seems to have more large tables. There were people queuing most nights at 5.30 for a restaurant that doesn't open until 6. Hey, I still work for a salary and my employer sometimes timetables me to work until 6, so I have no idea what dinner at 6 looks like. If you rock up at 6.30 asking for a table for 2 on Azura you get sent away with a pager (we made that mistake only once). On the big ships I assume that you find yourself in a long virtual queue. On Azura, ask to share (or agree to share) and you get to meet six other different people each night and be sociable.

Yes, Azura uses the app that isn't. We booked Beach House before we left home, and again once on board. We booked afternoon tea in Epicurean from home. But everything else was just turn up and go with the flow - it is a holiday. Even the Glass House - the maitre'd was using paper to keep a list of tables - just turn up, be sensible, have a drink and wait.

Does the need to (plan your dining for the entire cruise and) book put me off? Arvia and Iona yes, Azura and Ventura no.

Why was having a pager a mistake?

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 hours ago, Andy24v said:

Absolutely spot on. The issue with the big ships is they do not have the capacity to offer every passenger a waiter server meal in an included restaurant. Similarly, they don't have enough capacity in the theatre for everyone to see a show, which is why you need to book everything. 

When we were on Arvia, as a group of 4, it became a real chore trying to plan our evenings, and we ended booking extra cost venues, just so we could make it to the shows.

Obviously P&O benefited from our extra spend..

They have 3 shows a night though for busy theatre shows and that gives anyone who wants to see the show's lots of options

 

One early, one middle and one late

 

They will even put a really popular show on more than one night

 

 

[kermchem]

4 minutes ago, Palaceman said:

Why was having a pager a mistake?

On Azura, turn up at 6.30 to a freedom MDR and ask for a table for 2 and we were given a pager. Go back to the nearby bar and you will find every table taken by couples with pagers, nowhere to sit, and overworked staff not in a rush to take a drinks order.

I realise that this forum is about people having their own many and varied ideas of what they want on holiday, but that is not my ideal.

The alternative experience was to say that we were happy to share, and five minutes later we were seated with a menu.

[Interestedcruisefan]

5 minutes ago, Andy24v said:

I've not counted them, but I'm led to belive that the Theatre holds 900.

You'll only get less than half the ship in 3 shows during school holidays.

But we know that many go to clubhouse or skydome or crows Nest or the atrium or limelight club or 710 club or Bodies or the cinema or casino for their evening entertainment or kids club or teen club?

 

I've missed a few

 

And popular shows get 2 nights in the theatre as well

Edited May 26 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

5 hours ago, BertieRulesOK said:

This is why I replied to MBs post so quickly above to balance out his rather... extreme(?)... account of dining on Arvia.  I am also solo btw.  Not sure why that would change anyone's experience?  Anyhoos, I never waited more than 10 mins for a table using the app.

 

Was I happy to share tables?  Yes.  If you want to get into dining quickly, sharing tables is the way to go.

 

Was I looking at the various choices of dining and choosing the likely shortlist queue?  Of course!

 

Did I use the buffet or the Quays on the couple of nights that I wanted to do lots of activities?  Yes, I was an adult and chose what was most important to me to do that evening.  Quick eats, lots of entertainment.

 

Did I miss an 8.30pm theatre show as I was still in a restaurant one evening?  Yes... I simply went at 10.30pm instead.

 

Did I miss dining entirely because one evening was back to back entertainment from 7-9pm?  No, that evening I had looked ahead on my App and booked a fixed dining table at 5.45pm

 

Could I get a table at 6.30-7pm?  Most evenings.  I simply waited for the second the wait list opened on the app and joined it.  I was normally 2 or 3 in the queue.

 

Was I alone, oh woe is me, a solo traveller, in a bar for hours waiting for a table?  No.  The wait was never that long.  If you go solo, you kinda expect you may have to a drink alone...I take a book!  There are solo meet ups all the time if this really is something you would not do.  And finally... Finally... No one says you have to sit in a bar! I ordered most of my tables whilst getting ready in the cabin... enjoying the booze I brought on board myself!

 

Did I get annoyed when my place in the electronic queue did not move and it went on for ages?  Yes.  I did not know what had happened.  But I am not proud.  I just asked a member of staff and they simply explained that can happen - you just need to refresh the webpage.  And like magic, it worked.  I have passed this tidbit onto many cruisers whenever I overhear some cursing.  It's an annoying bug yes, but one which is quickly remedied if you are not too proud to ask for help.

 

Sorry.  Rant over.  Just so much over exaggeration from those who do not like ships to use tech, which leads to unnecessary anxiety in new cruisers.  I feel it is necessary to balance the discourse.  The App is fine.  It works. You'll have a great time.  Please no panicking.

 

 

Great post

 

I will add that on my last arvia cruise (2 weeks Caribbean cruise in Feb including half term one of the weeks) that 100 per cent the biggest problem I faced was queues going too quickly at which stage you have 15 mins to get  to what you have booked. Which might be before we've left the cabin and us wanting cocktails before dinner etc

 

It was never a case of waiting ages 

 

Never has been once in two arvia cruises and one Iona cruises

 

I started deliberately joining longer queues or leaving a queue (remember it's virtual) and starting again in those instances 

Edited May 26 by Interestedcruisefan

[doog442]

21 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Great post

 

I will add that on my last arvia cruise (2 weeks Caribbean cruise in Feb including half term one of the weeks) that 100 per cent the biggest problem I faced was queues going too quickly at which stage you have 15 mins to get  to what you have booked. Which might be before we've left the cabin and us wanting cocktails before dinner etc

 

It was never a case of waiting ages 

 

Never has been once in two arvia cruises and one Iona cruises

 

I started deliberately joining longer queues or leaving a queue (remember it's virtual) and starting again in those instances 

 

The same here on our Jan Arvia. It's a bugger when these fast moving or even non existent queues mess up the pre meal drinks 🤣. I hate being rushed damned system working too well ! 

[MellyMoo1989]

I'm not a fan of all this pre-booking and joining virtual queues malarkey... I'm old fashioned in the way that I wanna go and eat when I feel ready to, not when an app tells me to. I've got no qualms about queueing up and waiting. I'm afraid I don't like sharing either. In one of the bars, no problem, take that spare seat and I'll talk your ear off after a few shandies but I prefer to have my "own" table when it comes to dinner. 🙂

[Interestedcruisefan]

5 minutes ago, doog442 said:

 

The same here on our Jan Arvia. It's a bugger when these fast moving or even non existent queues mess up the pre meal drinks 🤣. I hate being rushed damned system working too well ! 

You have to keep reminding yourself when you reach the front of the queue there's another 15 mins grace!

 

But sometimes that's not enough of course

 

Or you take your cocktails you were relaxing with to the restaurant with you etc

 

Edited May 26 by Interestedcruisefan

[Palaceman]

44 minutes ago, kermchem said:

On Azura, turn up at 6.30 to a freedom MDR and ask for a table for 2 and we were given a pager. Go back to the nearby bar and you will find every table taken by couples with pagers, nowhere to sit, and overworked staff not in a rush to take a drinks order.

I realise that this forum is about people having their own many and varied ideas of what they want on holiday, but that is not my ideal.

The alternative experience was to say that we were happy to share, and five minutes later we were seated with a menu.

Thanks for your reply. Very interesting.