Anytime dining is not at "any" time on the Diamond!

[bdjam]

[font=Bookman Old Style]I thought that Diamond and Sapphire had the new concierge software that was supposed to help alleviate these issues. My understand was that they encouraged reservations – which you were supposed to be able to make for [i]Anytime[/i] – but that they also kept a percentage of the restaurant non-reserved for walk ins. Also, the concierge software was supposed to be able to sit you in a different restaurant if the one you walked up to was full. I find it incredulous that they would not allow tables to be shared – seems that would be the way to get people through the restaurant. I don’t agree that first come first served would quite fit the Anytime definition, however. The idea of the dining room is the same as a land based restaurant. Where I come from, if I go to a restaurant at a peak dining time without a reservation, they tell me how long I’ll have to wait. In order to be able to sit anyone Anytime, there would have to be enough seats in the dining room for the full ship’s population.[/font]

[font=Bookman Old Style]I keep saying it – Traditional is the only way to go.[/font]
[font=Bookman Old Style][QUOTE] [font=Verdana]The dining system is referred to as "Anytime Dining" on the Diamond and
it was Personal Choice on the Golden 9 months ago, as well as the Star a year ago.[/font][/QUOTE][font=Bookman Old Style]This is not correct. Personal Choice – since its inception - is the Princess moniker for the style of cruising it offers and part of that program is Anytime Dining. Personal Choice features are offered on ships that do not have the Anytime Dining option. The definition has been muddied over time. [/font]

[font=Bookman Old Style]Again, it's interesting that some people love the system and some hate it.[/font][/font]

[bardgal]

I think that the point of this thread has also become as muddied as much as Anytime vs PC - This thread is about the chaos of PC/Anytime on the DIAMOND and by design association, the Sapphire. These two ships, with their four smaller PC dining rooms, and their reservation system, and, having worked in the restaurant industry, I have to say STAFF.... has lead to HUGE problems on these two ships. The other ships really have no bearing on this thread. And since it seems to be particularly the DIAMOND getting the brunt of the complaints here on this board, I have to say, that my guess it is largely the STAFF'S fault. Now, I have no idea what they are doing differently than the Sapphire, perhaps the Sapphire is taking more reservations? I don't know, but there must be a reason that the Diamond is getting more complaints.

I am boarding her in five days, and this is my first time with PC dining, as I am a die-hard Late Traditionalist, and am scared to death that this will be a nightmare. However, knowledge is power, and I am forming a plan to attempt to thwart the oncoming chaos into bliss.... and there is always room service....

But I agree - something must be done. This should not be the problem it is right now, and why does it seem to be a bigger problem on the Diamond than the Sapphire??

[bdjam]

[QUOTE]However, knowledge is power, and I am forming a plan to attempt to thwart the oncoming chaos into bliss[/QUOTE] [font=Bookman Old Style]The key to a successful Anytime Dining experience on Diamond/Sapphire seems to be knowing what you’re doing and how the system works. I would suggest a read of the Cruise News Daily, as usual, has come up with a great article which details the system on Diamond Princess. [/font]

[font=Bookman Old Style]Go to the website, search on Diamond Princess and read “Personal Choice Gets More Complex” – the information here can probably help future cruisers.[/font]

[font=Bookman Old Style][url="http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com/"]http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com/[/url][/font]

[bcs819]

The Diamond does have very new software for this. One of the reasons the Maitre D' made my reservations himself was that when we got there, the person working the reservations desk was not able to get in to the system. He explained that his password was no longer working and no one knew why. Something else I noticed on the printout was that they blocked us off at our table for an hour and a half. This was really not enough time the first three nights as the service was slow. Not sure what happened to the reservations for our table after us as we were not done at the reserved 'end' time and we didn't dawdle like some people did. As far as not sharing, we did see 2 women eating alone at a table for 4 the last three nights in Pacific Moon. The first night we were there I heard them at the waitstand and they said they knew they had a reservation for 4 but the men decided to do the buffet. They were asked if they wanted to share their large table with others and they said no. This is where there is a huge flaw in this system. 2 of 4 showed up and wasted 2 spaces. Princess was over a barrel because they had to seat them, and there didn't seem to be enough tables for 2. Yes, I think this was selfish on their part but it left Princess in the lurch because there was no backup to accomodate them otherwise. The worst part was they ate at that table for the rest of the week. If they continue to take reservations, maybe they should institute a "Use it or lose it" policy. If you don't show up for your reservation, and don't call and cancel it, you should lose your reservations for the rest of the trip. These folks knew well ahead of time the men weren't going to dinner. You only have to hit one button on the phone to call and cancel (which I did the night I went to the buffet).

[bardgal]

[quote name='bdjam'][font=Bookman Old Style]The key to a successful Anytime Dining experience on Diamond/Sapphire seems to be knowing what you’re doing and how the system works. I would suggest a read of the Cruise News Daily, as usual, has come up with a great article which details the system on Diamond Princess. [/font]

[font=Bookman Old Style]Go to the website, search on Diamond Princess and read “Personal Choice Gets More Complex” – the information here can probably help future cruisers.[/font]

[font=Bookman Old Style][url="http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com/"]http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com/[/url][/font][/QUOTE]
What a great article bdjam! I am just wondering why it's changed in a few months. The article implies you can get a reservation at 7:30pm, and at least on the Diamond, that doesn't seem to be the case. We've already decided to shoot for 8/8:30.

[Cruisin'40]

I am a little concerned we are waitlisted for early traditional. However I was hoping to try the PC dining as have heard so many good things about it, but am now a little nervous as to what to do. We tend to eat fairly early, so we may be fine in PC. I think I will watch the reviews the next couple months and keep my name on the waitlist for traditional just in case...:confused:

[K D cruiser]

Hi, Now I'm confused. We had personal choice on the Star and just loved it. Never had to wait for a table and we ate with different people every night. They just filled up the tables as people arrived just like they do for breakfast or lunch in the dining room.

I didn't know they have changed it to reservations. Is this just for the big ships, or for the Dawn also? We signed up for PC for the Dawn and I hope we don't have to make a reservation. I agree that reservatons are not "anytime."

[gcconure]

Too many people making reservations and not willing to dine with others are causing many of the problems with personal choice dining.

People who are anti-social and won't dine with others and are unhappy with the policies may find land based resorts or staying at home and dining at your local restaurants a better option.

[melissa_bel]

KD,
It's only concerning the Diamond and Sapphire.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Hope they sort out all this mess in the next month so we can have some stress free dining in November.:D

[calikak]

My parents were on the Diamond last June/July and did anytime dining, mainly because they booked at the last minute and traditional was full. It was their first cruise and they had no idea how the system worked until they got on the ship. They said they would call each daytime (not sure if morning or afternoon) to make a reservation, but were told that there were no spaces open earlier than 8:30. They were disappointed by this, because they found it tough to get a seat in the shows after dinner. I think they never tried just showing up to see if anything was open at the time they really wanted to eat, they just went with whatever reservation they were able to make. I don't think they understood that if they just showed up, a table might be open, even though they couldn't get a reservation when they called. In addition, they told me that they ate several times in Vivaldi because the other dining rooms were all filled up. My mom said she didn't know she could have ordered something from another dining room while in Vivaldi. Perhaps if they had had more information about their options and the likelihood of getting a table earlier by just showing up, they would have enjoyed personal choice dining more.

Regardless, they enjoyed the food and the waitstaff and their fellow diners very much and it wasn't by any means something that spoiled their trip or anything. In fact, as soon as we picked them up at the pier, the first words out of my mom's mouth were "So when do we go on the next cruise?" :) We're sailing with them on the Golden next May and are doing traditional second seating, so they can try having the same wait staff every night, which is my favorite part about traditional dining...then again, I've always had great wait staff and entertaining tablemates!

[skarletohara]

Thank you bardgal for pointing out that the original post is simply limited
to the Diamond Princess. I am not bashing the whole Personal Choice/anytime
dining concept. I'll say it again, I loved the way PC worked on the Star and the Golden.

BDJam: As for the Diamond Princess' new software, I cannot comment on that. I did read cruisenewsdaily several months ago and there was an article
that explained the new dining system and how it was supposed to work out
wonderfully. Well, I can tell you that there is something wrong
with the Diamond's special software system, otherwise there wouldn't have
been so many disgruntled passengers. And I found it unacceptable to be told that we'd have to wait one hour or hour and a half. And I live near your town , BDjam, and yes, I do expect to wait at peak dining hours without a reservation. However, most of the waits in our town have been 20 to 40 minutes, not the one hour plus that the maitre'd was quoting us.

Be that as it may, whether one wishes to refer to it as a Personal choice
of Anytime dining vs. traditional, it is also my personal choice to show up
at the "anytime" dining room when I want. And apparently it is Princess'
choice to turn away hungry passengers (on the Diamond)

All I'm saying is that they better get a better system. How about NO reservations and give the passengers a pager just like they do on the Star?

I never heard anyone complaining about that system.

[SaylorGirl]

[quote name='gcconure']Too many people making reservations and not willing to dine with others are causing many of the problems with personal choice dining.

People who are anti-social and won't dine with others and are unhappy with the policies may find land based resorts or staying at home and dining at your local restaurants a better option.[/QUOTE]


Excuse me . . . Since when does preferring to dine with your spouse or with your friends or family only make a person "anti-social"? I insist on a table for two when I travel with my DH and it is up to the cruise lines to be able to offer those tables. I didn't realize that a cruise ship had a policy that you had to sit with a table of strangers. I don't feel the need to take a "land based" vacation because I want some romantic time with my DH.

[spongerob]

SaylorGirl, your comment is precisely why one needs to understand the limitations on what is being offered and be able to work within the system as designed, or come up with alternatives that allow you to do what you want to do. The dining rooms on ships are trying to feed a large number of people in a short time. The easiest way to make best use of the space and staff is to have larger tables. Tables for two are somewhat limited in number.

You also need to understand that the way things are set up are based upon decades of experience taking care of passengers at sea. The systems that they have developed allow them to be efficient in their service. Unfortunately, what you want conflicts with the existing paradigm. You can insist all you want, but if there isn't a table for two available at the time you want, you're out of luck.

At the risk of causing further anger, I somewhat agree with the observation that many of the complaints about Anytime dining come from those who want to eat alone or with their group. There is nothing wrong with that. You just need to be aware the system in place might not be geared towards providing that request for more than a limited number of people, and set your expectations accordingly.

[calikak]

I'm not angry, but my parents didn't eat by themselves, they ate with strangers. My dad is one of those people who can have a long conversation with any random stranger he meets anywhere (well, just about, anyway) so he and my mom were more than happy to sit with strangers. Nevertheless, they were unable to get a reservation for earlier than 8:30. Had they known that they could have just shown up with the procrastinators and gotten a table, they probably would have done that, but being first-time cruisers, they didn't know, so they just waited until their reserved time, figuring there weren't any tables available earlier, since they couldn't get a reservation. I'd make the same assumption going to a land-based restaurant, so it makes sense that a first-time cruiser would also make that assumption. Next time they do Anytime Dining (which may be never if they like Traditional dining after they try it with us next year), they'll know better. If they hadn't booked their cruise so late, I would have told them to beg and plead to get into Traditional dining, because for a first-time cruiser, I think it's a better option. There's a lot less thinking involved and you don't need to know much about the system; you just show up at your assigned time and they serve you.

[HeartofTexas]

We had problems with the PC dining on the Sapphire and I think we talk about them in our return review. There was quite a bit of confusion about the alternative dining rooms, the number of people we had reservations for (8 and they didn't honor the reservation), and the fact that we were told just because we had traditional we could make a reservation at any of the other dining rooms at any time. Over all it was not a good experience and I can certainly see why someone would not be pleased with this approach to dining.

[SaylorGirl]

Spongerob - I was only replying to the fact that a previous poster called anyone not willing to share a table "anti-social". I am not complaining about PC dining. I LOVE PC dining and I sail on Princess for that reason. I am only willing to sit at a table for two and if I have to wait 30 or 40 minutes I will do so and not complain. I am merely stating that they do offer tables for two and those that choose to ask for them should not be considered "anti-social". I have sailed since 1984 and I do remember the "traditional days" I choose not to do traditional for that reason. I will always champion for PC dining. But my original point is that a table for two does NOT make a person "anti-social".

I feel a great problem from waiting in the PC dining rooms is from those that are crossing over from the traditional dining rooms and I feel that is wrong. .

[spongerob]

No, it doesn't make you anti-social. We all have our reasons. We enjoy dining with others, but sometimes have to "take a break" for a night by going somewhere else to give our social skills, tact, and diplomacy a bit of a rest. :)

[sue d. miller]

Saylorgirl, Wanting a table for two does not make you anti-social at all!! When I cruise we have a large table, because we travel with our family. If I were to go alone with my husband, I would wait for a table for two. Actually I am quite social, but at dinner, we like quiet time to catch up!!! :)

[dosi]

[quote name='sue d. miller'] If I were to go alone with my husband, I would wait for a table for two. Actually I am quite social, but at dinner, we like quiet time to catch up!!! :)[/QUOTE]


We like a table for two so that no one else will have to listen to us fight :D :D !!!

[sue d. miller]

LOL!! That is why that stuff is packed!!!!!

[Shipkicker]

[size=3][font=Times New Roman]Here is my two cents worth. Just returned from a cruise on Sapphire, followed by two cruises on Diamond, B2B. [/font][/size]

[font=Times New Roman][size=3]First the good stuff: We were upgraded to the Grand Suite on Sapphire (a one night cruise, but we took it) and had dinner in our suite. I called the reservation number and asked if we could dine in our cabin. They must have a caller ID system as they knew it was the grand suite calling. I was told they would have their best waiter and asst. waiter serve our meal. In addition, they quickly delivered the dining room menu and the menu for Sterling as I requested. We placed our order and it was delivered promptly on time by two wait staff. This suite has a table in the dining room that can seat eight easily. The staff set up the dining room table just as in the dinging room, table cloths, silver, etc. The meal was served and was delicious.[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=3]Then we moved to the Diamond, no suite here. On the first of our two Diamond cruises our friend (and T/A) was aboard. She made reservations for each night at 6:20 p.m. This is a little early for us, but we enjoyed the time with our friends and had no problems with the dining. The second cruise on the Diamond, our friends disembarked, and we were on our own. This cruise was my 18th with Princess and without a doubt the worst dining experience of all 18 cruises. We have never made reservations for any dining since the inception of PC or anytime (whatever it is now) and never had a problem getting seated in the venue of our choice. After the first two days, we realized we needed reservations. We were offered 6:20 p.m. or 8:20 p.m., no earlier and no later and never for the day we called, always the next day or later. One evening we showed up at the Sterling Steakhouse at 7:00 p.m. and were seated immediately without a reservation after being told we could not get a reservation at 7:00 p.m. This is how we played it the rest of the cruise. If one would not seat us we would make our way to another and eventually would get seated. As others have noted, there were always several empty tables. There were three of us on this cruise and for dinner we were always seated at a table for four, never at a large table with other passengers. We did not request this and were never asked if we would dine at a large table with others. We would have enjoyed a large table. At lunch and breakfast, we were almost always seated at a larger table with other passengers.[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=3]Anytime Dining/Personal Choice does not exist on the Diamond Princess. You can make a reservation for 6:20 p.m. or 8:20 p.m. In my opinion there is no difference (except for 10 minutes) between first and second seating in the traditional dining room. Although we enjoyed the grand suite, I will not sail the Diamond again.[/size][/font]

[sue d. miller]

Hi Ship!! Welcome home!!! :)

[Shipkicker]

[quote name='sue d. miller']Hi Ship!! Welcome home!!! :)[/QUOTE]Thanks Sue. We had a great time!

[spongerob]

Welcome back, Ship, aka Mr. High Society.:)