Fixed Seating Pax Having it Both Ways

[Pam in CA]

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

They say that but in actuality, don't practice it. If you might be late for dinner, i.e., have a late tour, it would be considerate if you let the Maitre d' and/or your fellow diners know you might be late so they know where you are.

[Momma Mojito]

They say that but in actuality, don't practice it. If you might be late for dinner, i.e., have a late tour, it would be considerate if you let the Maitre d' and/or your fellow diners know you might be late so they know where you are.

 

We were there every night at the time we had reserved.

[MaryPoppinz]

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.

 

I think that's pretty gauche behavior, so I wouldn't actually do it. :)

[Iamcruzin]

I think that's pretty gauche behavior, so I wouldn't actually do it. :)

I have to agree with you. But, if you were nice and just asked if it would be possible to fill and empty spot in traditional for a night I think they would be able to arrange it once everyone has been seated. I honestly think the whole dining experience has turned into a joggling act for these Maitre D's. I have never experienced a wait at anytime dining. It is probably do to the fact that we are willing to be seated with whoever and wherever. I think the waiting comes to play when asking for smaller tables and window seats. If that's what the people in traditional are using anytime dining for then I agree that they need to make a reservation in one of the specialty restaurants or eat in the buffet. They will always have the best of both worlds just for the fact that they have a choice of the buffet or restaurants. I also think that the only ones who are suffering from all of this are the passengers who actually want traditional and are waitlisted.

[5:00_Somewhere]

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.

 

It's funny, the founder and former CEO of my company (also something of a customer service organization) had a saying that I've never forgotten: "The customer may not always be right, but they're never wrong." The point being, you can enforce the rules so long as you do so in a way that doesn't make the customer feel like they're being told they're wrong. In my experience, for the most part, that's how Princess has handled situations where I've witnessed them trying to explain to someone why something is not possible due to the rules. Unfortunately, as Pam says, that doesn't work 100% of the time because there will always be people who feel the rules never apply to them and/or will throw temper tantrums to get their way (I couldn't believe the numbers of such people on this past cruise, by the way.) But, for the most part, I've found (in my business) it's an approach that works.

 

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.

 

Actually, I am not willing to concede that in this instance; on other ships, perhaps, but not here. On the Diamond we were surprised how inflexible they were about such things, and about how they seemed to be about a year behind the curve in general. For that reason, it did not surprise me at all when this couple related this story. I do admit that I was not there at the time, of course, so do not know for certain, but just based on my own personal observations in other situations, it seemed believable.

[rcacace]

 

Actually, I am not willing to concede that in this instance; on other ships, perhaps, but not here. On the Diamond we were surprised how inflexible they were about such things, and about how they seemed to be about a year behind the curve in general. For that reason, it did not surprise me at all when this couple related this story. I do admit that I was not there at the time, of course, so do not know for certain, but just based on my own personal observations in other situations, it seemed believable.

 

We haven't been on the Caribbean P since 2007 & even then I had no problems with the jeans but then again maybe mine were the "acceptable" type. I suppose this is how all the different versions of acceptability come about.