Sapphire Princess - Vivaldi Dining Room - Anytime, Traditional or Both?

[AlaskaGolden]

On the Sapphire Princess, is the Vivaldi still be used for Traditional Dining, Early Seating only? Then, does it become an Anytime Dining Room around 8 PM? If this is true, it seems like Anytime Diners have less tables available for early dining than on other Grand Class ships (with the exception of the Diamond which may do it the same way as the Sapphire).

[cjh]

This is what the web page says

 

Anytime

Anytime Dining means you aren't limited to eating at a fixed time or place on the ship. Instead, the choice of when and where you want to eat is flexible, based only on your stomach's whim.

 

Pacific Moon Dining Room

Santa Fe Dining Room Virtual View

Savoy Dining Room

Vivaldi Dining Room

 

Traditional

This ship offers several formal dining rooms in the cruise tradition, with Traditional Dining at the same times for each meal, with attentive service provided by your own waiter throughout the cruise.

 

International Dining Room

[AlaskaGolden]

This is what the web page says...

 

Thank you.

 

I think Princess may be doing something different than what's on their web site. Was hoping someone who has been on the Sapphire recently could tell us how Vivaldi is really being used.

[Colo Cruiser]

On the Sapphire Princess, is the Vivaldi still be used for Traditional Dining, Early Seating only? Then, does it become an Anytime Dining Room around 8 PM? If this is true, it seems like Anytime Diners have less tables available for early dining than on other Grand Class ships (with the exception of the Diamond which may do it the same way as the Sapphire).

 

 

Vivaldi is still being used as Traditional for early. :)

[irvjacque]

Our experience on the Diamond and the Saphire over several recent voyages is that the Vivaldi is used for traditional early seating. The MDs use it for overflow from the traditional waiting list. They make the best use of the space to try and meet the guest requests. It is not on the web site as it appears to be an informal system worked out by the dining room bosses. As with all these procedures they will vary with the people in charge and the needs of a particular voyage.

[AlaskaGolden]

Vivaldi is still being used as Traditional for early. :)

 

Our experience on the Diamond and the Saphire over several recent voyages is that the Vivaldi is used for traditional early seating. The MDs use it for overflow from the traditional waiting list. They make the best use of the space to try and meet the guest requests. It is not on the web site as it appears to be an informal system worked out by the dining room bosses. As with all these procedures they will vary with the people in charge and the needs of a particular voyage.

 

Cool Cruiser & irvjacque - Thank you for confirming what I thought might be the case. We're early Anytime eaters and our upcoming cruise on the Sapphire is close to 100%, so we won't be eating in the Vivaldi. We were looking forward to trying four different restaurants during the 12 days. Feel a bit cheated!

[Mike2131]

There were at least a half dozen tables for 2 and we had all had the same excellent wait staff every evening. We just bypassed the Anytime line when the doors opened and went to our table. It was a great arrangement, much like having tablemates (all very nice and friendly), but every couple had their own individual table.

[AlaskaGolden]

There were at least a half dozen tables for 2 and we had all had the same excellent wait staff every evening. We just bypassed the Anytime line when the doors opened and went to our table. It was a great arrangement, much like having tablemates (all very nice and friendly), but every couple had their own individual table.

 

Hi Mike - Thank you for this additional information. Looks like the Vivaldi is perfect for Traditional Dining, Early Seating for two people. Oh well, we'll just have to survive with the three other dining rooms, the buffet and room service for dinner! ;)

[Zawmor]

I was on the Sapphire last Fall on a cruise from Vancouver to Bangkok and had traditional seating in the Vivaldi room at about 6:00pm each night. It turned into the Anytime Dining at 8:00pm.

We were at a good table for 2 (141) and could see the entrance. About 6:30 - 7:00 practically every evening you could see obvious "anytime" diners strolling in unaware it was Traditional seating - but the M'd was very accommodating (Pedro) - he would look around and if there was a table he knew to be open he would go ahead and seat them anyway. If not he would simply refer them to one of the other dining rooms.

Unfortunately, I was evacuated from the Sapphire when she arrived in Hong Kong after having a heart problem and being stabilized by the fantastic medical staff in the Sapphire's Med. Center. Missed the final week of the cruise and missed saying goodbye to all the Staff who had served us throughout.

Thank goodness for the Princess Care Insurance package... (don't leave home without it!) ...After a week in hospital in HK I was flown home - First Class - with a Doctor in tow. All expenses were eventually re-imbursed and after several procedures I am now well again and looking forward to returning to the Sapphire Princess for her re-positioning cruise from Sydney to LA - April 14th. Hopefully will get to see some of the crew members we missed saying goodbye to if they are still aboard.

Also, hope we get the same table in the Vivaldi Dining Room for traditional early seating. Much preferred this Dining room to the International (the Main Traditional Diningroom ) which has even fewer tables for 2 , smaller and in inconvenient positions as I remember (for lunch and breakfast).

Happy cruising to everyone. Happy Dining too! We were very happy with the food on the Sapphire and our wait staff - Abraham and Agnieska - were superb!

[Colo Cruiser]

I was on the Sapphire last Fall on a cruise from Vancouver to Bangkok and had traditional seating in the Vivaldi room at about 6:00pm each night. It turned into the Anytime Dining at 8:00pm.

 

We were at a good table for 2 (141) and could see the entrance. About 6:30 - 7:00 practically every evening you could see obvious "anytime" diners strolling in unaware it was Traditional seating - but the M'd was very accommodating (Pedro) - he would look around and if there was a table he knew to be open he would go ahead and seat them anyway. If not he would simply refer them to one of the other dining rooms.

 

Unfortunately, I was evacuated from the Sapphire when she arrived in Hong Kong after having a heart problem and being stabilized by the fantastic medical staff in the Sapphire's Med. Center. Missed the final week of the cruise and missed saying goodbye to all the Staff who had served us throughout.

 

Thank goodness for the Princess Care Insurance package... (don't leave home without it!) ...After a week in hospital in HK I was flown home - First Class - with a Doctor in tow. All expenses were eventually re-imbursed and after several procedures I am now well again and looking forward to returning to the Sapphire Princess for her re-positioning cruise from Sydney to LA - April 14th. Hopefully will get to see some of the crew members we missed saying goodbye to if they are still aboard.

 

Also, hope we get the same table in the Vivaldi Dining Room for traditional early seating. Much preferred this Dining room to the International (the Main Traditional Diningroom ) which has even fewer tables for 2 , smaller and in inconvenient positions as I remember (for lunch and breakfast).

 

Happy cruising to everyone. Happy Dining too! We were very happy with the food on the Sapphire and our wait staff - Abraham and Agnieska - were superb!

 

 

 

Glad all turned out OK. :)

[AlaskaGolden]

I was on the Sapphire last Fall on a cruise from Vancouver to Bangkok and had traditional seating in the Vivaldi room at about 6:00pm each night. It turned into the Anytime Dining at 8:00pm.

 

We were at a good table for 2 (141) and could see the entrance. About 6:30 - 7:00 practically every evening you could see obvious "anytime" diners strolling in unaware it was Traditional seating - but the M'd was very accommodating (Pedro) - he would look around and if there was a table he knew to be open he would go ahead and seat them anyway. If not he would simply refer them to one of the other dining rooms.

 

...looking forward to returning to the Sapphire Princess for her re-positioning cruise from Sydney to LA - April 14th...

 

Zawmor - This is helpful. If we go to dinner around 7 PM (a bit later than usual for us), we may actually be able to eat in the Vivaldi as a Anytime Diners. Glad you are OK, and will be returning to the Sapphire the day we disembark. We'll keep her in great shape for you!

[drummondcreek]

We cruised on Princess because of anytime dining. the system has worked pretty well on every princess ship, except Sapphire. They too eagerly promoted making reservations for the anytime dining rooms to the point that if you showed up at the dining room without one, you could not get seated until 8.

 

The problem is partially the 4 different dining rooms. Too small to rotate people through easily. Also kind of pointless because they all have the same menu and very little different atmosphere. Really just a wall dividing the usual princess 2 anytime dining rooms into 4. May have been good in theory but doesn't work.

[Colo Cruiser]

The problem is partially the 4 different dining rooms. Too small to rotate people through easily. Also kind of pointless because they all have the same menu and very little different atmosphere. Really just a wall dividing the usual princess 2 anytime dining rooms into 4. May have been good in theory but doesn't work.

 

 

I agree. :)

[AlaskaGolden]

I agree. :)

 

Well, we are fairly well organized and plan ahead. We'll be sure to make reservations for each day. On our last cruise, we never did eat at the buffet (Horizon) for dinner. May have to keep that as an option if things don't go as planned! :)

[Colo Cruiser]

Well, we are fairly well organized and plan ahead. We'll be sure to make reservations for each day. On our last cruise, we never did eat at the buffet (Horizon) for dinner. May have to keep that as an option if things don't go as planned! :)

 

 

Other then the seafood buffet on the Crown/Caribbean/Emerald I will not eat dinner at the Buffet.

I usually always go to the dining room for breakfast/lunch. :)

[negc]

Cool Cruiser & irvjacque - Thank you for confirming what I thought might be the case. We're early Anytime eaters and our upcoming cruise on the Sapphire is close to 100%, so we won't be eating in the Vivaldi. We were looking forward to trying four different restaurants during the 12 days. Feel a bit cheated!

 

If you feel cheated by having your dining room choices reduced from Four to Three, and then only during the early dining hours, consider how those guests who request traditional dining but are forced to accept anytime dining because the ONE traditional dining room is filled to capacity, must feel. It looks like Princess is actually showing a bit of flexibility by trying to accommodate those of its guests who want traditional dining. It also appears that not all of the Vivaldi dining room is being turned into an "early traditional" dining room, only enough tables to accommodate the numbers of its guests who asked for it. I, for one, think Princess should be commended for showing some concern for all of its guests and think that your inconvenience by their action is relatively minimal. If they continue to show this concern for all of its guests and perhaps extend it to more of their ships when necessary, I will have to reconsider my opinion that both styles of dining cannot successfully co-exist on a cruise ship.:)

[AlaskaGolden]

...I, for one, think Princess should be commended for showing some concern for all of its guests and think that your inconvenience by their action is relatively minimal...:)

 

Agree the situation (who said inconvenience?) is easily handled. Just think Princess might update their marketing & web site with this information instead of continuing to say there are four anytime dining rooms. At most, there are 3 1/2. Doubt we'll be the first to be surprised that one of the four dining room may not be available for an early dinner.

 

Having two anytime dining rooms and one traditional seems to work well on the other (non-Diamond/non-Sapphire) Grand Class ships. One just needs to book early to get the desired choice of seating for traditional dining -- realize this may not always be possible.

[DanJ]

When we were on Sapphire 2 years ago, they had traditional in the International for 2 seatings, and 2 seating traditional in the Santa Fe. I asked the MD about this, as I thought those 4 mid-ship dining rooms were for anytime, and he said they had such a long waiting list for traditional that they set it up this way.

 

I'm curious as to what that magic number is that they decide to set up more traditional seatings, as we were well into the 300's on the waiting list for first seating on CB a couple months ago. It would be pretty easy to set up, say, the starboard side of the Coral dining room as traditional, and people enter there, while anytimer's can enter on the port side as they usually do.

[4cats4me]

We cruised on Princess because of anytime dining. the system has worked pretty well on every princess ship, except Sapphire. They too eagerly promoted making reservations for the anytime dining rooms to the point that if you showed up at the dining room without one, you could not get seated until 8.

 

The problem is partially the 4 different dining rooms. Too small to rotate people through easily. Also kind of pointless because they all have the same menu and very little different atmosphere. Really just a wall dividing the usual princess 2 anytime dining rooms into 4. May have been good in theory but doesn't work.

 

 

I concur as well -- been on the Sapphire twice and the sister ship, the

Diamond twice, and the anytime situation was nuts. Not a problem,

however, if you stroll in around 8:15 to 8:30...

[AlaskaGolden]

I concur as well -- been on the Sapphire twice and the sister ship, the

Diamond twice, and the anytime situation was nuts. Not a problem,

however, if you stroll in around 8:15 to 8:30...

 

4cats4me - Please explain how "the anytime situation was nuts." We are very good getting around chaos. Just need to know some definition of this chaos! :)

[NewPennCruiser]

We cruised the 1/21 Auckland to Sydney transit on Sapphire with anytime dining and really had no issues immediately getting a table whenever we wanted one. We also tend to eat early and went to dinner every night between 5:30 and 6:00. As previously mentioned, the Vivaldi Dining Room was traditional seating early and opened for anytime dining later. Since we ate early, we usually rotated throughout the other 3 dining rooms and chose the Savoy on most evenings late in the cruise as we got used to particular servers in that dining room and enjoyed the service there. Remember that the same menu is offered in every dining room except each dining room does have a "signature dish".

 

We usually ate at a table for 2 although opted to share a table with others a couple of nights. The offer was always made to us when going into the dining room and we were always immediately seated no matter which seating arrangement we chose. When we got on the ship we heard that she was sailing full so we were a little concerned about how crowded the dining rooms might be but there never seemed to be a line. Others have stated there were issues so I suppose it can be different from cruise to cruise, but we had no complaints and enjoyed all our meals. Maybe we were just lucky. If you notice a particular dining room with a long line, simply try one of the other dining rooms.

 

Dave