Dining reservations

[555]

14 hours ago, Kay S said:

I don't know where you get that idea.  The word "traditional" refers to fixed seating times.  Princess has not indicated that dress code is in any way affected by this new scheme.  Must we turn this into a dress code thread?  

That's the way I would Interpret it but just the title of it being "traditional dining" might have some people believe it to be like it was in years past with formal dress and themed evenings with the décor to match. 

[ziggyuk]

 

For those people who are finding the app says its too early or you don't have status the web app is key.
I'm 9 months out from my first Princess cruise and the web app worked for me back at the start of July.

https://oceanready-personalinfo-ui.prod.ocean.com/

[blackfly]

I can access dining reservations using the web version and can make a reservation for my wife and I.  However we are three couple3 who want to dine together.  There is an option to add guest but when I add their booking number and hit search the booking number clears.

[Cruise till you drop]

17 hours ago, Kay S said:

I don't know if they have thought that far ahead. 😐 Whatever the process will be, there will doubtless be all kinds of confusion in all three dining rooms on the first night (at least until everything settles down.)  Princess has not been forthcoming with details about this new dining scheme.

You are very kind and considerate in your criticism 😂 

[Boku]

I dont see why Princess have made these changes, it just removes customer choice. If someone wants to dine at 17:00 then just make a reservation for that time. 

[arizonaperson]

1 hour ago, Boku said:

I dont see why Princess have made these changes, it just removes customer choice. If someone wants to dine at 17:00 then just make a reservation for that time. 

Perhaps I’m reading your post wrong ?.., Princess made changes because passengers on Princess have been asking to go back to the traditional way of dining.(and no, we’re not talking about dress code in this thread, traditional in the sense that you have a reservation for first seating or second seating every night with exceptions)

There are many choices and a lot of pieces to the puzzle. Passengers have quite a bit of choice with the new dining that starts September 15, 2024 . In my opinion ,passengers have more than ever ,more and more choices of where to dine in the evening .( paid and included in fare venues)

Edited July 12 by arizonaperson

[Cruisemeister2002]

18 hours ago, phabric said:

Every time you enter the any of dining rooms, you swipe your medallion and the maitre would look at his tablet.

Is that tablet one for a headache ?

[phabric]

2 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Is that tablet one for a headache ?

His iPad.  You swipe your medallion as you enter the dining room, then he looks at his iPad to see where there is an empty table.  They used to use paper chart that had a plastic over it and would mark a table off with a washable marker.

He might need a tablet for his head the first night on any cruise as passengers don’t know where to go.

[Cruisemeister2002]

2 hours ago, Boku said:

I dont see why Princess have made these changes, it just removes customer choice. If someone wants to dine at 17:00 then just make a reservation for that time. 

Why does it remove choice ? You now have three options Fixed and two times, anytime App booking and walk in. Many restaurants land based certainly don't give so many options. If they are popular it's booking only. Not only do most large ships have three MDR's, but theirs casual, Speciality and buffet dining. We prefer fixed and have only on one cruise been subjected to anytime dining due to a late booking. Why we like fixed is because we general eat around 8 p.m. even at home. When on a ship we go back to our cabin on sea days mid to late afternoon. Sometimes have a nap and catch up with Sports results, latest news and have a shower. Then a drink whilst getting dressed for the evening. Then around an hour before dinner go to a bar and have a pre-dinner drink before making our way to the dining room. Have our meal and then to the theatre and if anything takes our fancy to another bar for some more entertainment a drink and then back to our cabin.

[Cruisemeister2002]

9 minutes ago, phabric said:

His iPad.  You swipe your medallion as you enter the dining room, then he looks at his iPad to see where there is an empty table.  They used to use paper chart that had a plastic over it and would mark a table off with a washable marker.

He might need a tablet for his head the first night on any cruise as passengers don’t know where to go.

Yeah, I was aware his table was an ipad, just having a bit of fun due to all of Princess problems surrounding dining.

[Boku]

1 hour ago, arizonaperson said:

Perhaps I’m reading your post wrong ?.., Princess made changes because passengers on Princess have been asking to go back to the traditional way of dining.(and no, we’re not talking about dress code in this thread, traditional in the sense that you have a reservation for first seating or second seating every night with exceptions)

There are many choices and a lot of pieces to the puzzle. Passengers have quite a bit of choice with the new dining that starts September 15, 2024 . In my opinion ,passengers have more than ever ,more and more choices of where to dine in the evening .( paid and included in fare venues)

I used to be able to make a reservation at a time and in an MDR of my choosing, now I can only choose a dining time in one MDR rather than any of the three. To me thats a loss of choice. I dont want to be forced to dine at a set time and I dont want to stand in a queue for 30 minutes.

[Boku]

29 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Why does it remove choice ? You now have three options Fixed and two times, anytime App booking and walk in. Many restaurants land based certainly don't give so many options. If they are popular it's booking only. Not only do most large ships have three MDR's, but theirs casual, Speciality and buffet dining. We prefer fixed and have only on one cruise been subjected to anytime dining due to a late booking. Why we like fixed is because we general eat around 8 p.m. even at home. When on a ship we go back to our cabin on sea days mid to late afternoon. Sometimes have a nap and catch up with Sports results, latest news and have a shower. Then a drink whilst getting dressed for the evening. Then around an hour before dinner go to a bar and have a pre-dinner drink before making our way to the dining room. Have our meal and then to the theatre and if anything takes our fancy to another bar for some more entertainment a drink and then back to our cabin.

See post #676

[Kay S]

4 hours ago, Boku said:

I dont see why Princess have made these changes, it just removes customer choice. If someone wants to dine at 17:00 then just make a reservation for that time. 

It removes choice for you, perhaps, but it provides more choice to thousands of passengers.  

[arizonaperson]

1 hour ago, Boku said:

 

Edited July 12 by arizonaperson

[arizonaperson]

@Boku 

You still may make a reservation in a dining room and it’s called  reservable /flexible and the time-slots are every 20 minutes. It may not be the dining room of your choosing, but that is a choice.
Or you can choose traditional dining at 5 PM and 7 PM (varies slightly ),you’re still choosing. And if you don’t like any of those choices, you can go to the walk-in dining room -yes, of course you may have to wait for a table of your choosing-no one knows currently if you would have to queue up for 30 minutes or five minutes.

Make a Specialty restaurant reservation for a time of your choosing. Of course there’s a fee involved or if you have a package that includes it ,your set. There are so many choices. Go to a casual dining venue or go to the buffet.

 

What time do you want to dine? Why does it matter what dining room? they all have the same menu .yes, the location may be different, but all of them are accessible. so if the time that you dine is more important than what dining room it is ,then again that’s a choice.

Princess has had all sorts of dining arrangements as the years have gone on and perhaps change is good for some and changes not good for others. I think it is what it is at this point.

Edited July 12 by arizonaperson

[Boku]

55 minutes ago, Kay S said:

It removes choice for you, perhaps, but it provides more choice to thousands of passengers.  

The fact remains, for me and many others, the new arrangements mean less choice. How can being able to choose a time and venue in three MDR's going down to one be more choice?

[Boku]

7 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

@Boku 

You still may make a reservation in a dining room and it’s called  reservable /flexible and the time-slots are every 20 minutes. It may not be the dining room of your choosing, but that is a choice.
Or you can choose traditional dining at 5 PM and 7 PM (varies slightly ),you’re still choosing. And if you don’t like any of those choices, you can go to the walk-in dining room -yes, of course you may have to wait for a table of your choosing-no one knows currently if you would have to queue up for 30 minutes or five minutes.

Make a Specialty restaurant reservation for a time of your choosing. Of course there’s a fee involved or if you have a package that includes it ,your set. There are so many choices. Go to a casual dining venue or go to the buffet.

 

What time do you want to dine? Why does it matter what dining room? they all have the same menu .yes, the location may be different, but all of them are accessible. so if the time that you dine is more important than what dining room it is ,then again that’s a choice.

Princess has had all sorts of dining arrangements as the years have gone on and perhaps change is good for some and changes not good for others. I think it is what it is at this point.

I'm aware of the other dining options but I am specifically referring to MDR's. I'm resolved to making a reservation in the MDR for set dining and I will just arrive a bit late and take my time ordering.

[Wishing on a star]

There is no real difference in choice.

All of these dining venues (traditional, reserve a time, anytime) offer the exact same menu.

It isn't like you have to always in the steakhouse, and you can't choose the Italian or the Seafood restaurant.

They are the same 'restaurant'.

 

[SCX22]

22 minutes ago, Boku said:

The fact remains, for me and many others, the new arrangements mean less choice. How can being able to choose a time and venue in three MDR's going down to one be more choice?

 

27 minutes ago, Boku said:

I'm aware of the other dining options but I am specifically referring to MDR's. I'm resolved to making a reservation in the MDR for set dining and I will just arrive a bit late and take my time ordering.

 

All 3 MDRs have the same menu.

 

Some passengers don't want a lot of choice.  (I'm a late seating kind of person myself.)  They want to go back to the traditional dinner times, where there's a choice of 2 seatings.  If you choose Traditional Dining, out of respect for your tablemates if at a shared table, it's polite to arrive on time because it puts off the pace of the servers, which in turn puts off the pace of the other diners at your table.

 

If that's not you, then you have the option of the anytime option.  Because those opting for traditional dining have their dining time set, you won't be in competition with those passengers that chose Traditional Dining, effectively opening up more time slots for you pick from--the more options concept.

[Wishing on a star]

Arrive late, for the Traditional dining seating time????

Okay....  something is off here people!

[Kay S]

43 minutes ago, Boku said:

The fact remains, for me and many others, the new arrangements mean less choice. How can being able to choose a time and venue in three MDR's going down to one be more choice?

Well, I guess you will make a choice.  If you want to eat in the DR now assigned to traditional, you can reserve there.  If you want to eat in the DR assigned walk-up, you can eat there.  Or you can choose a time to reserve in the DR assigned for reservations.  Pick a DR and go eat there.  Or you can go to the buffet, casual eateries, International Cafe, the deck grills, pizza, speciality restaurants, room service.  Hmmm...sound like many choices to me. 🙂

[arizonaperson]

@Boku best of luck on taking your time ordering since you are resolved on traditional dining at 5 pm. ( maybe this is what you want?) If server or assistant is ready for your order, they may not come back for a long time & perhaps forget your entree etc. Hope you are at a private table.
You still never said what time you prefer to dine at ( doesn’t matter) and then you’re going to show up late ,just because you’re not happy with the dining arrangements,wow.

If you are resolved on second traditional seating may not be a problem,but…

No one knows at this time how it will work, but time will tell.

 

sorry you feel your 3 dinning room choice and time doesn’t fit your cruise style, now ,so you will just make it work for you by showing up late!

 

I have no idea when your cruise is, but if you haven’t paid in full, maybe this new dining arrangement and all the choices are not for you and another cruise line might be more suitable to you and yes, we all are entitled to our own opinion, but it  is not going to change again without careful consideration by Princess and it takes sometimes years to do that and other lines have done some similar things .

change is difficult sometimes.

Edited July 12 by arizonaperson

[racj846]

9 hours ago, blackfly said:

I can access dining reservations using the web version and can make a reservation for my wife and I.  However we are three couple3 who want to dine together.  There is an option to add guest but when I add their booking number and hit search the booking number clears.

I encountered the same thing when trying to add dining companions on the website.  However when making reservations thru the app, it worked perfectly.

 

On the app when making reservations, next to your pictures will be a pen/pencil, click on that and then add booking number of you companions.

[paddingtonbear]

2 hours ago, Boku said:

I'm aware of the other dining options but I am specifically referring to MDR's. I'm resolved to making a reservation in the MDR for set dining and I will just arrive a bit late and take my time ordering.

Please book a private table if you do this. Otherwise everyone at your shared table will have to wait to order until you arrive.  If you do this at the early traditional dining you will miss the 7:30 show and simply be shooting yourself in the foot. 

[arizonaperson]

Yes, I think the staff/crew at guest services and the dining rooms when September 15, 2024 is here, will probably have a headache and need an aspirin tablet .

Especially what I’m seeing people post. Some are just going to make up their own rules, but they don’t want to abide by any ,but their own.They want what they had and they’re not giving in.
In a previous post, I said that more than likely you’re going to have to remember where you made your dinner reservation ,look in your app etc. and especially the people that have the reserve dining. They’re going to have different times, different days of doing different dinner reservations and I can just see the arguments that they’re correct & the dining room staff is wrong. They’re in the right place and they’re the passenger and they know what they’re doing .  
Traditional dinner passengers probably not much confusion there. You show up at the dining room at either first sitting or second sitting. And of course, walk-ins no confusion as long as you can find the correct dining room.( look in Patter or app once onboard)

We’ve seen those people. Pack your patience everyone. 
Kindness & empathy go a long way.

Of course we all have an opinion,it’s ok. Be respectful of your fellow passenger.

Edited July 12 by arizonaperson