Fixed Seating Pax Having it Both Ways

[pedirn]

Another two cents from me.... I think the Sea Princess is one of those ships that is not equiped to handle anytime dining. Yes you can call for reservations in the morning but try calling at 8AM. You are on hold for about 15 minutes and then are told that you can only have a reservation at 5:30 or 8:00. Nothing in between. Isn't that just traditional dining with another name? We have tried it both ways...with and without a reservation. Without we waited about 45-50 minutes and then were seated. But the service was not up to par. The poor waiter was trying to get us our appetizers while all his other tables were on their main courses or dessert. I think there are just some ships that are not laid out for anytime dining. We had great experiences on the Diamond and the Sapphire but they were designed with anytime dining in mind. Keep in mind, we are not asking for a seperate table...we are willing to share. There was one night when we were actually escorted to the traditional dining room and seated there. Not sure why but have heard of others being seated up there also.

 

Chris

[rcacace]

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..

 

These days if you get there an hour late they'll still seat you.

[Pam in CA]

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.

While you are right that the customer is always right, in reality, they often aren't. :( If Princess were clear and consistent with how they manage their own rules, people would obey them. Only spoiled brats would get upset. When you have customers throwing tantrums (which I've seen time and again) to get what they want, that doesn't make it right and IMHO, means the tail is wagging the dog with the result being chaos.

[palolake]

We're just off the Star Princess and they checked our cards every night in the anytime dining rooms. And we also saw a couple groups turned away.

[sultan_sfo]

Only possible in Late Trad. Early Trad have to vacate table so waiters can set up tables before Late Trad enter the dining room.

 

These days if you get there an hour late they'll still seat you.

[rcacace]

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.

 

There must have been something about his attire other than just his jeans & shirt that barred him from being admitted. They are fairly lenient about the types of jeans they approve of & unless they had patches or were filthy they're always OK.

[SeaDawg]

I know this subject has been covered in the past, but I just wondered if anyone knows whether or not Princess will ever start following their own rules and not allow pax who signed up for a fixed table and eating time in one dining room to also avail themselves of the convenience of anytime dining by showing up there when it suits them. . .

 

Is that really a rule? I've never cruised with Princess or been on a ship that had Anytime Dining, so I'm not familiar with the AD rules. I tried to find this rule on the Princess website but I must be looking in the wrong place. I would appreciate any help in locating this rule. Thanks!

[Richard]

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.?

 

It all depends on the ship. Some ships you can make a reservation for any time and some ships limit reservations to before 6 and after 8. I have been successful in making a reservation for the next night as I was leaving the dining room. As I said it all depends...

Richard

[morriscats]

While you are right that the customer is always right, in reality, they often aren't. :( If Princess were clear and consistent with how they manage their own rules, people would obey them. Only spoiled brats would get upset. When you have customers throwing tantrums (which I've seen time and again) to get what they want, that doesn't make it right and IMHO, means the tail is wagging the dog with the result being chaos.

 

Pam, I so agree with you. I remember way back when (not saying how far back) when rules meant something and we abided by them. We knew what "church clothes" were and we knew what "formal" meant. Now the ships will use those terms but do not enforce them and I guess I can't blame those who know they don't have to abide by the rules so they don't. I know I am not a spoiled brat but if I don't "have" to dress up formal then I won't. Not casual - but not quite formal either. If they said what they mean and mean what they say I think it would be easier on all. But sadly, I think those times are gone.

[KKMKEM]

I got off the Star on 6/14. The last night in Victoria they turned the traditional dinning room into anytime dinning because of the port time. I would rather starve than eat in the Horizon Court. It had strange choices that were cooked poorly.

[snowman]

Just a quick note. I am on the Sea Princess right now and have anytime dining. They are checking our cards every night when we enter the dining room. I have seen them turn people away who were signed up for traditional dining.

 

Chris

Thats great, it's about time!!!

[MaryPoppinz]

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.

 

If as the customer I am always right, then I should have no problem with insisting that I be seated in the Traditional Dining room on those nights that the mood strikes me, even though I am assigned to Anytime Dining....right?

[boating girl]

Thats great, it's about time!!!

 

I agree. People choose their dining time and if they are lucky to get their preferred time, they should not expect to dine in anytime where many of the people have been assigned when they did not get early traditional.

[GrannyLorr]

We have just booked our first Princess cruise. I had read on the Princess website about "anytime dining". That option works best for us, but as I was making the booking online, only the Traditional early and late dining times came up to be checked. I chose the late, but would much prefer the anytime......now I am wondering if anytime is available on the ship we will be sailing on....Dawn Princess? If it is, how do we change our dining option? (I must admit I didnt read EVERY post in this thread so hope my question hasnt already been answered!!)

[caribill]

We have just booked our first Princess cruise. I had read on the Princess website about "anytime dining". That option works best for us, but as I was making the booking online, only the Traditional early and late dining times came up to be checked. I chose the late, but would much prefer the anytime......now I am wondering if anytime is available on the ship we will be sailing on....Dawn Princess? If it is, how do we change our dining option? (I must admit I didnt read EVERY post in this thread so hope my question hasnt already been answered!!)

 

 

Just call Princess (if you booked directly with them) or your Travel Agent and ask to be changed to anytime.

[Iamcruzin]

If as the customer I am always right, then I should have no problem with insisting that I be seated in the Traditional Dining room on those nights that the mood strikes me, even though I am assigned to Anytime Dining....right?

I will bet if you insisted they would find a place for you to sit since it seems that many of the traditional people don't show up for one reason or another. Give it a try next sailing and let us know what happens. I would do it myself but I really don't want anything to do with traditional dining.

[rdsqrl]

We have just booked our first Princess cruise. I had read on the Princess website about "anytime dining". That option works best for us, but as I was making the booking online, only the Traditional early and late dining times came up to be checked. I chose the late, but would much prefer the anytime......now I am wondering if anytime is available on the ship we will be sailing on....Dawn Princess? If it is, how do we change our dining option? (I must admit I didnt read EVERY post in this thread so hope my question hasnt already been answered!!)

I believe that the Dawn, while she is sailing in Australia, only has Traditional Dining, not Traditional and Anytime.

[newkim]

what about the anytime diners that make reservations.........to be true anytime dining, you should just show up when you are ready to eat. It is frustrating to wait for a table in anytime dining and walk into the dining room that has empty tables that are reserved. That isn't fair either. Some of those tables are empty the entire time we are eating. Anytime should be anytime for all that are signed up for anytime dining when they are ready to eat. Traditional diners in the TDR or HC or speciality restaurants but not the anytime dining.

[yyzatcqq]

I believe that the Dawn, while she is sailing in Australia, only has Traditional Dining, not Traditional and Anytime.

 

Correct. Trad only :(

[rdsqrl]

what about the anytime diners that make reservations.........to be true anytime dining, you should just show up when you are ready to eat. It is frustrating to wait for a table in anytime dining and walk into the dining room that has empty tables that are reserved. That isn't fair either. Some of those tables are empty the entire time we are eating. Anytime should be anytime for all that are signed up for anytime dining when they are ready to eat. Traditional diners in the TDR or HC or speciality restaurants but not the anytime dining.

That's not the fault of those who make reservations and don't show up; that's the fault of a maitre d' who doesn't know how to manage the dining room. Tables with reservations should be, as in a land restaurant, given away after a 10-minute grace period -- it's not like those folks are stuck in a traffic jam on the Promenade Deck! Otherwise, for those of us who prefer Traditional and can't get it because of the ridiculously long waitlists, reservations in Anytime at the same table with the same waiter at the same time permits us to enjoy the experience we prefer, with no skin off your nose if we're showing up on time every night. Don't take that option away just because of the bad behaviour of a few and the lack of skills of a few dining room managers.

[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.

 

I wrote this a few posts back but wanted to let you know that I don't feel we should be banned from the anytime DR because it was no fault of ours that we didn't get a table there.

 

Oh, you forgot to mention that we could order room service. By the way the

OP who said they would not eat in the horizon court, we found the food there to be ver good

[paul929207]

That's not the fault of those who make reservations and don't show up; that's the fault of a maitre d' who doesn't know how to manage the dining room. Tables with reservations should be, as in a land restaurant, given away after a 10-minute grace period -- it's not like those folks are stuck in a traffic jam on the Promenade Deck! Otherwise, for those of us who prefer Traditional and can't get it because of the ridiculously long waitlists, reservations in Anytime at the same table with the same waiter at the same time permits us to enjoy the experience we prefer, with no skin off your nose if we're showing up on time every night. Don't take that option away just because of the bad behaviour of a few and the lack of skills of a few dining room managers.

I disagree, while t is the fault of the Maitre D' for not recognizing the no-show. It is also the fault of the passengers who made the reservation and then did not show.

[rdsqrl]

I disagree, while t is the fault of the Maitre D' for not recognizing the no-show. It is also the fault of the passengers who made the reservation and then did not show.

You're right, of course -- I could have worded it better. Let's say, "It's not ENTIRELY the fault of those who no-show."

[paul929207]

You're right, of course -- I could have worded it better. Let's say, "It's not ENTIRELY the fault of those who no-show."

That I can agree with. A table should not be left vacant for the evening when a reservation does not show. That is the Maitre D's fault.

[Momma Mojito]

That I can agree with. A table should not be left vacant for the evening when a reservation does not show. That is the Maitre D's fault.

 

We were told that they would only hold our table for a certain length of time...Sorry I can't remember the exact time.