Princess Dining Options

[Amaroo Andrew]

30 minutes ago, Wanderers2 said:

Found this on another site

 

Queried through insta why the MDR bookings are not available on the App yet as they advised they would be on 17 June and received this response.

 

” We apologize for the delay in opening main dining reservations. July 1 is the new date to book reservations for guests sailing Sept 1 and beyond. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Stay tuned for further updates!"

 

Would have been great if princess had passed on this information.

 

Where was the site?

[Wanderers2]

Just now, Amaroo Andrew said:

Where was the site?

Social media I can’t mention here

[Wanderers2]

3 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Yes, it would be as simple as changing the app to read available from July 1 instead of saying no bookings available. The lack of info is annoying, but specialty restaurants are available for booking, and anyone cruising within the next 75 days can book their tables under the existing system.

I’m guessing there will be an update to the app when it becomes active 🤔

[Amaroo Andrew]

This brings to mind the old Paul Hogan skits featuring Luigi the Incredible. As things were going wrong with his magic tricks he would be singing out to his lovely assistant; "Keepa dancin' Maria."

The easiest way to keep the punters happy when things go wrong is to tell them that there is a problem.

A travelling companion spent half an hour on the phone yesterday trying to organize a table for 8 on a December cruise on Grand Princess. Lots of thank you's, congratulations, up selling of excursions and specialty dining but zip for the MDR booking.

Welcome to the mushroom farm.

[MicCanberra]

Get the popcorn going un5il a d8nner booking can be made.

[arxcards]

10 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Get the popcorn going un5il a d8nner booking can be made.

[Wanderers2]

My husband just received an email from Princess confirming dining reservations from July 1st. 

[MicCanberra]

Likewise,

To the email, not the husband receiving it.

[Gwendy]

27 minutes ago, Wanderers2 said:

My husband just received an email from Princess confirming dining reservations from July 1st. 

Good luck, our dining reservations were all confirmed until we boarded and then they weren’t. Lol. Sorted it out,  we didn’t starve.

[Muffinz]

32 minutes ago, Wanderers2 said:

My husband just received an email from Princess confirming dining reservations from July 1st. 

yes - just got the same e-mail

 

it doesn't mention anything about if you have to have paid for the cruise in full before you are able to make dining reservations though.... I guess we'll have to wait until July 2nd and find out?

[martin jenkins]

sure you can book speciality restaurants, they want your money upfront.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, martin jenkins said:

sure you can book speciality restaurants, they want your money upfront.

To be expected, as there is going to be no change to the way they are booked. Unlike the MDR's, specialty restaurants aren't being split into separate fixed/anytime/walk-up restaurants. Like the MDR's though, you still have the option to book a specialty restaurant after boarding and not paying a cent until you receive your folio on the last night.

 

I am a bit annoyed that my upcoming reservations disappeared after I had spent 5 minutes making them after we booked, but I really don't get the FOMO of having to wait till 75 days out to book something, especially considering half the passengers are not going to be bothered to book anything until after boarding. When the time comes, I will find 5 minutes to do my bookings again.

[windsor26]

I have not had a message yet  and I wrote to Princess asking why they had messaged me 4 weeks ago that I could book them  and them of course I could not

[MicCanberra]

Checking your junk folder may help, so many of my regular emails end up there for no reason.

[Russell21]

Traditional dining booking made for the 3rd Dec this year, app is working.😁

[Astro Flyer]

I was able to get a table for 4 with cruise friends in Crown’s Reservable (reservations available every 20 minutes beginning at 1700) dining room (Botticelli) for the same time each night for our 28 days around Australia cruise in March 2025.

 

From a 6/18/24 email Princess sent me:

 

• Traditional dining offering an early and a late seating every evening 
• Reservable dining times 
• Open seating to support walk-ins anytime 

Once updates are complete, you will be able to use the app ahead of your voyage to opt for traditional seating in a dedicated dining room with the same waiter, same table and same time each night, or flexible dining, allowing you to enjoy dinner at any available time and table size of your choosing in either the Reservable or Open Seating dining rooms.

 

In this thread on the Princess board it lists which dining rooms are being reported as: Traditional, Reservable & Open seatings.

 

 

[arxcards]

1st July was the plan B date, so woohoo.

[resordanis]

So it looks like traditional dining 1st sitting is 5pm. Way to early for us, which is disappointing.

[Aus Traveller]

34 minutes ago, resordanis said:

So it looks like traditional dining 1st sitting is 5pm. Way to early for us, which is disappointing.

Does everyone have to start at 5pm? Or it is a 'staggered' early dining with several time slots every 10 or 20 minutes with the first at 5pm?

[CountessCookie]

Seems a lot of people over in princess forum have been having a lot of issues making their bookings. I was hopeful to book traditional late for a shared table, but seems the late slot for traditional only has private tables. Not sure if this is a bug or how it is supposed to work.

 

Cruse is in Jan, so I might leave it for a week to see if that changes. 

[CountessCookie]

50 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Does everyone have to start at 5pm? Or it is a 'staggered' early dining with several time slots every 10 or 20 minutes with the first at 5pm?

The traditional dinning room only has the two times (about 5am and 7:20/7:30/7:40 depending on the ship) however, the second dining room has reservable times every 20min.

[resordanis]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

Does everyone have to start at 5pm? Or it is a 'staggered' early dining with several time slots every 10 or 20 minutes with the first at 5pm?

Seems to be only 5pm. I have booked at 5.40pm for every night in another Restaurant.I have done this in the past and be allocated the same table, so hopefully this can happen again.🤞

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, resordanis said:

Seems to be only 5pm. I have booked at 5.40pm for every night in another Restaurant.I have done this in the past and be allocated the same table, so hopefully this can happen again.🤞

We always book for 5.40pm also. I hope we can do this in future.

[Jean C]

I've successfully booked a table every night for 5.40pm - I didn't realise that particular time was so popular! On our very first cruise we had anytime dining and a couple on the next table gave us the tip to arrive before 6pm, when a lot of people arrive, and that way you usually get served a lot quicker 🍽️🥗🍤🍲

[Russell21]

We booked traditional dining 7.20, options were 5.00 or 7.20, same table same waiters every night. Not sure of the same crew with the other types of booking.