Eating With/Meeting New People Under New MDR Reservation System

[WoodstockGirl]

When my husband and I cruise with just ourselves - no friends along - we like to be seated with new people for MDR dinner. With others who are also open to that, of course. Pre-covid this was not a problem; we'd let the matre'd know and we'd be put at a table with other couples. 

 

Last fall on the NE/CAN cruise, we reserved ahead to be seated at a table for 6 or 8, but when we showed up to be seated and repeated our request to be seated with others (new-to-us), this appeared to confuse and confound the staff. They tried to make it happen - some nights it worked and some nights it didn't. But it always seemed to surprise them and confuse them.  

 

I'm in charge of booking our dinner reservations for two upcoming cruises under the new dining system being rolled out this week. One cruise will be just my husband and me, and another for 4 of us. Each cruise we wish to be put at tables with other couples. I understand the 3 different systems.  I think the option where we reserve a specific dining time (but not "traditional dining" with "early dining" and "late seating") for a certain number is our best option for this. We intend to reserve for 6 or 8, night by night, at a certain time on the clock. 

 

Is this the procedure you'd follow? 

 

I guess no one knows how it's going to go under this new system, BUT I'm carrying this memory of how confounded the MDR staff seemed with our request last time, which gives me concern about working it out going forward. 

 

(If I thought "traditional" dining would work, I'd use it - but with everything needing to be the same each night - same table, same staff, same number, etc. I suspect it might be harder; maybe impossible to do with this option. Unless we were to get "matched" the first night with others and then stick with the same ones each night thereafter.....?). 

 

Are we becoming a rare breed... wanting to be seated with new-to-us people at dinner?

 

We welcome your thoughts and ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16 by WoodstockGirl
typo correction

[chrysalis]

Perhaps it was the terminology that you were using.....I think that dining room host staff generally use the word "sharing".

 

If you book a larger table...arriving at your reservation time and stating "we have a 6pm reservation for a sharing table of X people" should work for you.

 

We have had reservations that way, it it generally has not been a problem.

[WisCruiser2]

Or just do the "anytime" dining, show up and ask to be seated at a shared table. Unless you really don't want to wait in line.

[1025cruise]

I think the issue is that less people wish to share a table nowadays. 

[suekel]

I love sharing a table.  I think how you want to do it is perfect.  

[memoak]

27 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

I think the issue is that less people wish to share a table nowadays. 

I think Covid made more people nervous. I have seen many comments on the boards about people worried about people coughing at nearby tables and insisting on tables away from others 

[paddingtonbear]

We like to share with people when we are travelling too.
They generally like to seat everyone at a table about the same time so you start eating together. Maybe on the ship when you confounded the MDR staff they didn’t have any spare tables that were just about to start? 

 

i know, under the old system, in anytime dining those prepared to share a table were seated a lot quicker than those who wanted a table for 2. 

[napunani]

We do not care for a shared table due to a horrible incident in 2017. Hubby and I were placed at a table for 8, MDR, early seating.  Absolutely not what we had requested thru our TA.  Embarkation evening dinner was a nightmare as one woman at the table just berated all the other women at the table on what they were wearing. It was truly ugly. Her husband tried to rein her in, but that was even uglier. We talked to the dining room manager about what took place and asked to be reseated anywhere else and he claimed he was overwhelmed with seating change requests and could not help us.  We never went back to our designated table and time in the MDR during that 14 day cruise and basically stayed away from PRINCESS for 7 years. 

[riffatsea]

We meet people as we do activities around the ship

We do NOT like to sit with strangers at dinner!

If we find folks we like we will ask them to join u s for a meal

Otherwise dinner for 2 is like d ate night for us

[dog]

Always avoid shared table since woman asked me what my pension was worth!  Man touched every dinner roll every night. Lurker asked me what my cc name was. Others were ticked off we chose a specialty restaurant one night and left them alone in MDR.

 

[PR-Texas]

We're currently planning on doing walk in dining rather than reservations.  I'm thinking that depending on how hungry we are we'll just ask what's the quickest way to get us seated.  If it's a 2 top, that's fine. If it's a shared table that's also fine. We can always change our minds part way through the cruise if what we're doing doesn't work out or decide to eat in the buffet.

FYI, "I don't choose to answer that." is a good response to inappropriate questions.  None of your business works for really aggravating folks.

[avonlady6390]

In the app when making reservations choose the anytime dining room and when making reservations it should ask you if you want to share.  I have not ever had a host act like they didn't know what that was.  On occasion we've been put in a private table instead of sharing because they didn't have any available at that particular time.  The good thing about sharing with different people each night is that if they are not nice and compatible at least you hopefully won't see them again.  As opposed to set traditional dining.

[Lady Arwen]

Deleted

Edited June 16 by Lady Arwen

[MacMadame]

47 minutes ago, PR-Texas said:

FYI, "I don't choose to answer that." is a good response to inappropriate questions.  None of your business works for really aggravating folks.

Also "why are you asking that?"

[Rudy888]

32 minutes ago, avonlady6390 said:

In the app when making reservations choose the anytime dining room and when making reservations it should ask you if you want to share.  I have not ever had a host act like they didn't know what that was.  On occasion we've been put in a private table instead of sharing because they didn't have any available at that particular time.  The good thing about sharing with different people each night is that if they are not nice and compatible at least you hopefully won't see them again.  As opposed to set traditional dining.

We found with the Ap, past a certain time you could request on the AP to share. However when you came for dining you still could request to share.

[cruzsnooze]

I don't understand how you can reserve a table for 6-8 when you're not 6-8 people. You tied up a table you can't use. Imagine if 5 minutes before you arrive a couple asks for a shared table and the host says we have none because yours is reserved for you and what they assume are your eating companions. Just wait until you get to the dining room and ask for a shared table without making reservations.

[WoodstockGirl]

Well, with the new app and dining system being rolled out this week, it'll be interesting to see what we get to do.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions.

 

[CU64]

10 hours ago, napunani said:

We do not care for a shared table due to a horrible incident in 2017. Hubby and I were placed at a table for 8, MDR, early seating.  Absolutely not what we had requested thru our TA.  Embarkation evening dinner was a nightmare as one woman at the table just berated all the other women at the table on what they were wearing. It was truly ugly. Her husband tried to rein her in, but that was even uglier. We talked to the dining room manager about what took place and asked to be reseated anywhere else and he claimed he was overwhelmed with seating change requests and could not help us.  We never went back to our designated table and time in the MDR during that 14 day cruise and basically stayed away from PRINCESS for 7 years. 

Wow. I would just have excused myself & eaten at the buffet, IC, or room service. Never would I put up with that. 

[555]

15 hours ago, PR-Texas said:

FYI, "I don't choose to answer that." is a good response to inappropriate questions.  None of your business works for really aggravating folks.

I think the latter answer was more appropriate in that situation. 

[memoak]

5 hours ago, 555 said:

I think the latter answer was more appropriate in that situation. 

Or when someone tries to chime in on my conversation with a bartender “Was I talking to you” works really well

[TravelGirlinDallas]

On 6/16/2024 at 8:22 AM, WoodstockGirl said:

Are we becoming a rare breed... wanting to be seated with new-to-us people at dinner?

Yes.

[555]

My wife & I talk to people all day long. Trivia, bingo, by the pool, by a bar, etc. so when it dinner time the last thing we need is someone to talk to & slow down the whole process and make us late getting a seat for the show. 

It's the only time we really want a little peace & quiet. 

[Bollycats]

My mother's response to rude people is "Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?". 

[Kay S]

We've done traditional fixed seating for decades, and we have had only maybe three problems with tablemates.  I don't know, but maybe we are just so darn much fun to be around that they are on their best behavior.  🙂  

[ecs66]

On 6/16/2024 at 9:22 AM, WoodstockGirl said:

Are we becoming a rare breed... wanting to be seated with new-to-us people at dinner?

 

In the current political environment, maybe some people don't want to take the chance of discussions taking a bad turn.  I don't know.  We've had good luck sharing with strangers, but that was in a more civilized time.  Also, maybe some still are dealing with the scare surrounding Covid and are in to social distancing.