Princess moving to anytime dining only?

[cantstopcruising]

I think the TA is saying they are going to offer Anytime Dining which means the TA doesn't know it's available now. Get a new TA:eek:

[Pia1913]

Just booked the CB for 01/31/2010 and my TA said that they were 99% certain that Princess was only going to be offering anytime dining in the Caribbean starting Jan 2010. I reluctantly chose this option but I prefer the early seating for the same reasons most people that prefer early do.

 

My question is has anyone else heard of this? Should I call my TA and ask for the early seating?

 

I think your TA told you that because early dining is already waitlisted. Call your TA now and tell him/her what you want. If there's no availability, get waitlisted.

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........I hate hearing TA's giving erroneous information.

[Coral]

Heck - I am one of the few who thinks this may possibly be true (based on speaking with no one and knowing nothing).

 

Having two different types of dining has got to be complicated - it wouldn't surprise me if Princess tries a ship or two in the Caribbean and tries all Anytime to see how it goes. I have no doubt these ideas get tossed around at corporate tables or surveyed amongst travel agents on what their clients may think.

 

I personally like Traditional dining but I agree with some of the points above that travel agents may automatically choose first or second dining and once their client gets onboard, they choose anytime. Though, hopefully this is becoming less and less an issue as many cruise lines now have the combination of dining. It does seem like a juggling issue on the ships when Princess is trying to seat people in anytime dining when there are tables empty in traditional even though there is a waitlist of 100 plus for traditional. I (and others) see issues here.

[roe2ship]

I have to disagree, I feel the TA may not want to deal with the witlist issue in Trad and just sticks them in anytime.

 

I also think trad is even more popular now with all the anytime issues of having to wait.

I agree somewhat about the TA, in my previous post I did mention I think it happens rarely.:)

 

As far as the anytime issues of having to wait, I personally and thankfully never had that problem, I know some do. If in fact the anytime dining issues are getting worse, it could be that more and more passengers prefer that or the most likely scenario is those who are confirmed in traditional are using both dining rooms.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I think your TA told you that because early dining is already waitlisted. Call your TA now and tell him/her what you want. If there's no availability, get waitlisted.

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........I hate hearing TA's giving erroneous information.

 

I was thinking this was the case: it's already waitlisted and the TA doesn't want to bother.

 

I hope traditional doesn't go away either.

[Glesca]

I was thinking this was the case: it's already waitlisted and the TA doesn't want to bother.

 

I hope traditional doesn't go away either.

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this, but isn't the evening entertainment built around the early and late dining times?

So I would say traditional is in their best interests.

Just an early morning thought.:)

[nicknack]

Just booked the CB for 01/31/2010 and my TA said that they were 99% certain that Princess was only going to be offering anytime dining in the Caribbean starting Jan 2010. I reluctantly chose this option but I prefer the early seating for the same reasons most people that prefer early do.

 

My question is has anyone else heard of this? Should I call my TA and ask for the early seating?

 

True or not, it's a great idea. There will be plenty of tables for two, with no waiting at any time.

[billco]

The TA might be right. I booked a September Alaskan cruise in May and was told I was 538 on the waitlist for Early Traditional Dining. So, I am 99.6% sure we will be doing Anytime.

[rcacace]

Great idea- If you want to call it TD then do so, and be seated with a group at a the regular early or late dining time. If you like AD - treat it as such. It'll be the same DR but at a different section and since there's no big difference between the two dining options everyone will be satisfied.

[donna5]

I agree that TAs may force people into fixed seating but this probably happens rarely since there is usually a waitlist. I think the issue is more with passengers who are aware of both options, request traditional and then take advantage of anytime as they please once on board.

 

My point is that just maybe traditional is not as popular as some believe or want to believe.

 

I have talked to several TA's on cruises and they say they put their people in eary Traditional right away since it fills up so quick. I also didn't get the idea that they explained this to their clients. If Princess notices this is happening a lot with certain TA's and their customers don't want to do Traditional then they need to do something with those TA's.

[nomars_girl]

I have talked to several TA's on cruises and they say they put their people in eary Traditional right away since it fills up so quick. I also didn't get the idea that they explained this to their clients. If Princess notices this is happening a lot with certain TA's and their customers don't want to do Traditional then they need to do something with those TA's.

 

That's probably the case. I know our TA booked us in early traditional without asking us what we wanted. I never eat that early even at home. Late traditional would have been ok, but I prefer to eat when I'm hungry and not when it is "time" to eat.

[negc]

Just as the OP's TA "forced" him/her into Anytime, some TAs will force people into Traditional Fixed, especially first time cruisers who may not know about the choices.

 

Once they are on board, they realize traditional fixed is not what they want. This is what can result in the empty tables.

 

Also, some people prefer to eat in the dining room only on formal nights and use the buffet the other nights. This can result in the empty seats for most of the nights.

 

More often it has been Princess which has "forced" passengers who requested "traditional dining" into anytime. One need only read the many posts on this subject to come to that realization. Why is there this insistence that the only reason people choose "traditional" is that they are either inexperienced, ignorant or have been misled by their TAs? :confused: Seems to be a syndrome of "blame everyone except the perpetrator (Princess) when people are forced into anytime dining". While empty seats may be visible on occasion in traditional dining rooms when guests have chosen to dine in a specialty restaurant or at the buffet, the absence of "anytime" diners, whatever their reason might be, isn't going to be apparent to the casual observer.:rolleyes: If there is any truth to the claim that "traditional" diners arbitrarily choose to dine in the anytime dining rooms once they are onboard, and I seriously doubt it, a simple solution would be to have their seapass cards checked when they appear at the room and request to be seated.

[terrierjohn]

The TA might be right. I booked a September Alaskan cruise in May and was told I was 538 on the waitlist for Early Traditional Dining. So, I am 99.6% sure we will be doing Anytime.

Then of course there are the cruises with waitlists on all 3 dining options!!!:confused::p;)

[caribill]

Then of course there are the cruises with waitlists on all 3 dining options!!!:confused::p;)

 

 

Maybe a wait, but never a waitlist for Anytime. Anytime is for the 2400 passengers who could not get into the Traditional dining room.

[negc]

Then of course there are the cruises with waitlists on all 3 dining options!!!:confused::p;)

 

And yet with that many people on the waitlist, Princess can't find a way to reconfigure their dining rooms to accommodate those people? It isn't as if they don't have advance notice of how the demand breaks out. It would seem that all that it would take would be a bit of flexibility and perhaps using a relatively small section of one of their anytime dining rooms for those who have asked for traditional dining.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[coiran]

Then of course there are the cruises with waitlists on all 3 dining options!!!:confused::p;)

 

We have always Anytime and have never waited more than 5 minutes for a table - we usually make a reservation early in the day - however - even when we have forgotten we have never had a major wait.

Ron

[caribill]

And yet with that many people on the waitlist, Princess can't find a way to reconfigure their dining rooms to accommodate those people? It isn't as if they don't have advance notice of how the demand breaks out. It would seem that all that it would take would be a bit of flexibility and perhaps using a relatively small section of one of their anytime dining rooms for those who have asked for traditional dining.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

 

Actually, with a waiting list that long, it looks as if two dining rooms should be used for traditional, at least for the first seating.

[Cruisin' Chick]

And yet with that many people on the waitlist, Princess can't find a way to reconfigure their dining rooms to accommodate those people? It isn't as if they don't have advance notice of how the demand breaks out. It would seem that all that it would take would be a bit of flexibility and perhaps using a relatively small section of one of their anytime dining rooms for those who have asked for traditional dining.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

I've read on this board that sometimes that does happen...there are tables set up in the A.D.R. for traditional dining.

 

I think Princess can't call their dinner dining "personal choice" if they're not allowing people to have their choice.

[Pia1913]

I've read on this board that sometimes that does happen...there are tables set up in the A.D.R. for traditional dining.

.

 

They did that when we were on the Diamond to Hawaii in 2007.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Actually, with a waiting list that long, it looks as if two dining rooms should be used for traditional, at least for the first seating.

 

They did that when we were on the Diamond to Hawaii in 2007.

 

Maybe they should do this whenever there is a waitlist for traditional. Then this nonsense about reserving tables in anytime will seem even more silly. Let's face it, if you reserve a specific table for a specific time every day....isn't that traditional dining?

[nicknack]

Let's face it' date=' if you reserve a specific table for a specific time every day....isn't that traditional dining?[/quote']

 

No, because you can't get a table for two in traditional.

[negc]

I've read on this board that sometimes that does happen...there are tables set up in the A.D.R. for traditional dining.

 

I think Princess can't call their dinner dining "personal choice" if they're not allowing people to have their choice.

 

Unfortunately they can and do call it that and I seriously doubt that anyone can do anything about it except point out the unfortunate reality:rolleyes:.

[soupbones wife]

We were on an HAL ship and requested traditional. We got traditional all right, but as the only table as such in an Anytime dining room. Had same tablemates and waiter, but people up and about all dinner long. Hated it! Do not like HAL, either.

[Pia1913]

We were on an HAL ship and requested traditional. We got traditional all right, but as the only table as such in an Anytime dining room. Had same tablemates and waiter, but people up and about all dinner long. Hated it! Do not like HAL, either.

 

When did Holland America switch to an anytime choice?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

When did Holland America switch to an anytime choice?

 

Hi Pia,

They have had it for a while.

Upstairs is traditional, and downstairs is

"As you wish Dining",

however we found it more as they wish

as if you tried to book, were offerred first or second sitting times :eek: