Fixed Seating Pax Having it Both Ways

[Momma Mojito]

We were a group of six last year on the Crown and were wait listed for TD. When we talked to the Maitre'D he suggested we reserve the same table at the same time every night. This worked out well for all of us. I can't remember how long he said that our table would be there for us but if we weren't there within the time limit the table was given to someone else.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

This is a pet peeve of mine, and for the life of me, I don't understand why some passengers are inconsiderate enough to think that it's OK if they take up 2 tables for the evening. How long will the waits be in anytime if many of the traditional diners are there? Common sense should tell them that this is not OK. I prefer anytime but I hate to see the posts here that brag about traditional diners who managed to get into anytime (and we all know we have seen them.) !

 

The key word here is "common sense".

 

Bill

[donna5]

I have talked to quite a few TA's on cruises and they say they automatically put their customers into early Trad. since it fills up so fast. What a crock. If the TA's don't explain the procedure and do this and they try to get in Anytime, the maitre'd should tell them it is their TA's fault and to take it up with them.

 

And the people that decide to take up traditional and not let the maitr'd know they want to change to anytime, just don't care about anyone else but themselves.

 

I agree if you miss your traditional you can wait until later when anytime opens up. But just because you are in port late, doesn't justify trying to get into anytime during the busy time. They should seat anytimers waiting first and then trad. after the anytimers have been seated. That is why depending on our itinerary and port time, we make a decision on the dining venue we will choose.

[partsman_ba]

I agree if you miss your traditional you can wait until later when anytime opens up. But just because you are in port late, doesn't justify trying to get into anytime during the busy time. They should seat anytimers waiting first and then trad. after the anytimers have been seated.

 

So what if they seat a bunch of trads in the anytime dining room, filling all the tables, just before you show up, and you have to wait for a table? I say trads who miss their time can go to Horizon, specialty or room service. Not like anytimers can just walk up and go into trad!

[vickie_bernie]

I like the last posters comments, how about

 

Anytimers who can't get a table in anytime go to traditional ten min after the late or early seating and be given the spots that are not filled.

[sultan_sfo]

Not spots but "tables" that are empty. We in trad do not wish to have our trad "table" turned into anytime dining,

 

I like the last posters comments, how about

 

Anytimers who can't get a table in anytime go to traditional ten min after the late or early seating and be given the spots that are not filled.

[vickie_bernie]

Not spots but "tables" that are empty. We in trad do not wish to have our trad "table" turned into anytime dining,

 

good point - however we have had friends in trad who said their table mates have show up sporatically and wished they could get new table mates but can't because they are not sure if and when scheduled ones will show up. That is so inconsiderate.

 

we in anytime don't want to wait for tables because traditioners want the best of both worlds, not fair to those who want trad and can't get it...

 

guess nothing will solve the problem except for Princess to enforce...now how to get them to do that --

 

Question: Would you be annoyed if Princess turned you away from Anytime dining room if you had Traditional?

 

Also would you be annoyed if you had Traditional but didn't eat there for a few days and then your spot was given away to someone on the waitlist?

[sultan_sfo]

To Both Questions: Our Answer is No!

 

I agree that Anytime should not allow Trad.

 

On one cruise we wished to change our Trad Table to another that was empty for the first 2 nights. Maitre D' said unless those who were assigned told him that they wished to give up their table he could not switch us! We told him to call them. Again -- No he could not call them!

 

Princess has an obsession with "Ratings" of everything. In our one and only NCL cruise we found the service to be more friendly because ratings did not seem to run the lives of the service crew members/

 

 

Question: Would you be annoyed if Princess turned you away from Anytime dining room if you had Traditional?

 

Also would you be annoyed if you had Traditional but didn't eat there for a few days and then your spot was given away to someone on the waitlist?

[penny1]

We were on the Caribbean Princess in May & after the first night we were asked to show our room card every night at anytime dining. We were very happy to do so as it is a peeve of ours too that some people think it is OK to switch back & forth. This was the first time we had been asked to show our cards on any of our cruises. Hope it is something that will become policy on all the ships. I don't think being in port late is an excuse to go to anytime. You know the port times when you choose your dining preference & should plan to eat in the buffet if you want extra time in port. The last time we were able to actually get early traditional there were 2 empty chairs at our table every night. The waiter kept asking where the other couple was. None of us had any idea as they were not there from day one. You would have thought that someone would have tried to contact them so the next person on the "waitlist" could have been moved to traditional. We saw empty places at other tables too.

[vickie_bernie]

On one cruise we wished to change our Trad Table to another that was empty for the first 2 nights. Maitre D' said unless those who were assigned told him that they wished to give up their table he could not switch us! We told him to call them. Again -- No he could not call them!

 

that is sad, did they ever show up?

[wavefairy]

Hi Richard:

 

On previous cruises with Princess we have been able to do call ahead seating in the anytime dining room. Is this still an option.?

[sultan_sfo]

It was a 10-day cruise and we were 4 of us. On the 5th night, a couple showed up -- probably not the original 4 or 2.

 

that is sad, did they ever show up?

[Cruisin' Chick]

I agree that if you have traditional dining (my preference), you shouldn't be allowed in the anytime dining room. If we didn't make our seating for any reason (which happened just once in 15 days on our last cruise when our daughter was feeling iffy around dinner time), we would just go to the Horizon Court. Not a problem for us. I believe that of our tablemates, one party ate in the speciality dining rooms twice and the rest of the time in the t.d., one person ate in the t.d. all of the nights, and her brother missed a couple of meals (watching bowl games in the lounge) and I'm guessing did the buffet.

 

Maybe Princess should just explain the types of dining a bit better for both TAs and passengers. And have the maitre'ds enforce it better. I think more people would be happy this way, too.

[caribill]

I think Princess own description of the dining options is a big part of the problem. Nowhere do they explicitly state that "passengers assigned to traditional dining are not entitled to use the anytime dining rooms for dinner".

 

 

2009 Cruise Answer Book, page 23, the "Note" 2/3rds of the way down the page covers switching from traditional to anytime.

[Momma Mojito]

2009 Cruise Answer Book, page 23, the "Note" 2/3rds of the way down the page covers switching from traditional to anytime.

 

Don't you wish everyone would read this?

[paul929207]

Don't you wish everyone would read this?

I just wish the Maitre D' would read it.

[cynbar]

Actually, this brings up an interesting point. Wouldn't it make sense for the Maitre d' to check with those who don't turn up for their traditional tables, and see if they have any intention of showing up? Each individual waiter could give him the info from their tables, and someone could just contact them, that info should be readily available. I'll bet the ratings would go way UP if some people were allowed to join traditional during the cruise. I can't imagine this would take a great amount of effort.

[5:00_Somewhere]

I do have to say I think it would be helpful to all passengers if the DR staff across the line interpreted and enforced the rules uniformly.

 

As mentioned in other posts recently, we just sailed on the Diamond they they seemed to stick to the rules/guidelines pretty closely (if not always the current guidelines.) We had Anytime Dining noted that the Anytime Dining personnel did check our cards and I did see them turn away Traditional Diners in line before us one evening. We also saw them inform a passenger in front of us that he would have to remove his baseball cap before entering the dining room for lunch (which I thought was appropriate, but which the passenger didn't appreciate overmuch.) But, we also were on an excursion with a couple who were upset that they were turned away from the dining room on a non-formal night because the husband was wearing (nice) jeans with his collared shirt and loafers, after they had been specifically told by their TA that was now acceptable attire on Princess.

 

p.s. - and I want to be clear that I am not intending to start yet another conversation about appropriate DR attire. I was just citing examples of inconsistent "rule enforcement" from ship to ship.

[Stevesan]

I do have to say I think it would be helpful to all passengers if the DR staff across the line interpreted and enforced the rules uniformly.

 

As mentioned in other posts recently, we just sailed on the Diamond they they seemed to stick to the rules/guidelines pretty closely (if not always the current guidelines.) We had Anytime Dining noted that the Anytime Dining personnel did check our cards and I did see them turn away Traditional Diners in line before us one evening. We also saw them inform a passenger in front of us that he would have to remove his baseball cap before entering the dining room for lunch (which I thought was appropriate, but which the passenger didn't appreciate overmuch.) But, we also were on an excursion with a couple who were upset that they were turned away from the dining room on a non-formal night because the husband was wearing (nice) jeans with his collared shirt and loafers, after they had been specifically told by their TA that was now acceptable attire on Princess.

 

p.s. - and I want to be clear that I am not intending to start yet another conversation about appropriate DR attire. I was just citing examples of inconsistent "rule enforcement" from ship to ship.

 

The Maitre d' was being a bit too picky. Cruise Answer Book. page 15:

 

"Inappropriate dinner wear such as.....casual jeans (with fraying and/or holes) are not permitted....."

 

It also says:

 

"Shoes must be worn" :D

[Iamcruzin]

This is one of the problems, i.e., TAs telling clients that they can switch back and forth. Another is Maitre d's going overboard not to upset passengers and letting them switch back and forth. I've been on several cruises that on nights when the ship stays in port late, traditional diners can go into their dining room at any time. In other words, it's "open seating" in the traditional dining room that night.

 

My few experiences with HAL's "As You Wish Dining" (their Anytime) have made me a believer in how it should be done. Every single person in your group's card is checked and recorded; if you don't have AYWD, you don't get in. If you want to switch to AYWD, you must request permission and only after receiving approval in writing may you go to AYWD. That approval is not guaranteed.

 

IMHO, Princess bends their own rules way too much out of fear. If they enforced their rules unilaterally and without question, and communicated clearly, there wouldn't be many of the issues discussed on this board.

 

While I agree with Pam I know what it is like to be in the customer service business. The bottom line is the customer is always right no matter what the rules are set by the company.

 

With all of the dining choices available now, specialty restaurants, Chef’s Table, Ultimate Balcony Dining, Buffet, International Café, and Vines I don’t know how traditional dining can be the same experience as it was years ago before all of the choices. There must be tables and seats empty every night . We book anytime dining and I never had to wait and I have no idea if I was eating at the same table with traditional passengers who have snuck in.

[ggprincess2004]

The maitre'd really does control what happens from ship to ship, in regard to enforcement of "the rules". We appreciate those who are consistent, and look at the cards for the anytime dining room, enforce the dress code that is published, and make themselves available to passengers regarding dining issues.

 

We also appreciate head waiters who pay attention to the diners in their section, and take the time to stop by and chat with passengers for a few minutes.

 

Perhaps if Princess put a signage outside both the traditional and anytime dining rooms explaining the rules in two clear polite sentences, it would advance understanding of the "rules" for those that have been misinformed. Of course, it would do nothing to deal with those that know the rules do not apply to them. But it would be a start.

[donna5]

So what if they seat a bunch of trads in the anytime dining room, filling all the tables, just before you show up, and you have to wait for a table? I say trads who miss their time can go to Horizon, specialty or room service. Not like anytimers can just walk up and go into trad!

 

I was referring to after 8PM when it winds down. Not during the busy times.

[donna5]

Yes they really need to check the card more often. On the 4 day Golden in May we were in Anytime and when there was a line in front of us I noticed they were checking cards and telling The Trad. to go to the other dinningroom. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people don't even know they are signed up for Traditional or what Trad even is.(Some of the new cruisers.)

 

:DMaybe Princess needs to have an online cruise for or one that is sent out if you are not booking on line with the rules and each passenger has to initial every rule and sign that they understand the rules.:p

 

Remember when there was only Traditional and they would close the doors after about 15 minutes and if you weren't there, Tough luck?

 

I have also notice a few times when we were on the Dawn and the Golden in Late seating that there were many empty tables and sometimes they would bring people in and fill up those tables(I assumed they were from a line in Anytime, since it was never the same people.) The onetime on the Dawn, we were actually on a waitlist for late tradtional and went to talk to the maitre'd on embarkation day (he was busy, but a favorite Head Waiter we have know was there and he took our info) and we got a phone message later that day the we were now in Late seating. I don't know why there was a waitlist for that, because it was half empty.

[FLACRUISER99]

A big help would be to put the Dinning room names on your Sea Pass not just Dining Room:ANY. BTY the Sea Princess had Rigoletto on their card and they did check as Petrin posted.

[mpk218]

Yes they really need to check the card more often. On the 4 day Golden in May we were in Anytime and when there was a line in front of us I noticed they were checking cards and telling The Trad. to go to the other dinningroom. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people don't even know they are signed up for Traditional or what Trad even is.(Some of the new cruisers.)

 

:DMaybe Princess needs to have an online cruise for or one that is sent out if you are not booking on line with the rules and each passenger has to initial every rule and sign that they understand the rules.:p

 

Remember when there was only Traditional and they would close the doors after about 15 minutes and if you weren't there, Tough luck?

 

I have also notice a few times when we were on the Dawn and the Golden in Late seating that there were many empty tables and sometimes they would bring people in and fill up those tables(I assumed they were from a line in Anytime, since it was never the same people.) The onetime on the Dawn, we were actually on a waitlist for late tradtional and went to talk to the maitre'd on embarkation day (he was busy, but a favorite Head Waiter we have know was there and he took our info) and we got a phone message later that day the we were now in Late seating. I don't know why there was a waitlist for that, because it was half empty.

 

Thats exactly what they should do now . If you are late to TD by 15-20 minutes , the table opens up to a stand by..