Have you heard this B4 about Princess

jacketwatch · March 8, 2007

Hello: I have read elsewhere a strong suggestion that getting a traditional, fixed seating dinner on Princess is becoming problematic. It has been suggested they prefer to have you use their anytime dining option and that unless you submit your request well in advance you may not get a traditional seating time assigned to you. I have not had an issue B4 with them and ahve not heard of this at all. What is your experience in this matter please. Thank you, Larry :cool2:

Dan · March 8, 2007

We didn't have an issue with our cruise last year, but we booked and made the request almost a year in advance. I did read on the larger boards that people on our sailing were waitlisted for fixed seating. I also had heard they had one dining room set for traditional and 3 for personal choice, and they ended up using 2 for each. Makes you wonder how popular personal choice is when they have so many people wanting traditional.

jacketwatch · March 8, 2007

The person who brought this matter to my attn. who also is a TA/cruise specialist made that point too.

Mebert · March 8, 2007

I don't know about Princess but I prefer traditional seating even if the other option exists. I just like to know that I can walk in at the same time and sit at my assigned table without a bit of wait.

I can always get a snack before or after dinner if I get hungry, which I'm never really hungry because I'm eating all day. :biggrin:

Bathfizzy · March 9, 2007

I just got back from a cruise on the Crown Princess and I did not have a problem with being offered traditional seating. I booked the cruise in Sept. 2006 and was given the later seating time of 8:15 p.m. but I found it too late to have a huge meal all the time so my travel agent waitlisted me for the earlier seating but we were 176th on the waitlist. Since I get cranky if I don't eat, I switched to the anytime dining option and it worked for us. We were able to go to either the Da Vinci or Michaelangelo restraunt between 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. Once at the restarunts we were given the option to share with others which we did and also to sit alone which we also did but we got chatty with the other couples beside us. So for me, the anytime dining worked great as the food comes faster. :biggrin:

jacketwatch · March 9, 2007

Actually I'll tell you something about how to jump the waitlist. Our friends are going w/ us in June on the Star Princess. Due to incredible bungling by their TA they did not get cross referenced w/ us for dinner until about 6 wks. after the booking. Last week they were #254 on the waitlist for first seating. My friend called Princess yesterday, spoke with a supervisor and told her if he did not get seating w/ us he would cancel his reservation. And he meant right then and there! He also mentioned that he had cruised B4 though never w/ Princess and had never had this problem. Well he doesn't have it anymore. :biggrin:

He is now confirmed seating w/ us. How do you jump the waitlist? Just the way he did it. :biggrin:

And I must give credit to Princess for being customer savvy. They may have helped themselves by making a new customer.

Spikesgirl · March 9, 2007

We always go with the traditional dining and haven't had a problem. We usually sign up for the first seating when we make our reservations with our TA and have never had a problem. This might stem from the fact, however, that we traditionally sail with the smaller ships and they don't have an option for Anytime. Didn't have problems making our ressies for the Grand, however, so we shall see.

Charlie

attagirl · March 9, 2007

I think that one thing a person must do, especially if you have never cruised before. Is to be sure and ask questions, now this is easier said than done, because if you do not know what to ask then you just will not ask.

When people cruise for the first time they should thoroughly read through all the information and brochures so that they have an understanding of what is happening.

As more and more people find the funds to cruise, the more you will have to think that it is becoming hard to get a fixed reservation. Rememeber when you could walk into a restaraunt and not have to wait or make reservations. Cruises ship dinners are the same. Even though many people opt to not choose a time, others do not know that it is recommended that they choose a specific time and arrange it.

jacketwatch · March 9, 2007

Thanks for the reply attagirl. Is this your first post here? Welcome to CC! :biggrin:

sailingrose · March 11, 2007

If you don't book far out enough you might have trouble getting your seating choice. Happened to us on our Caribbean cruise and I hated PC dining. Will never do it again JMHO. We just booked for November and we got confirmed 2nd seating. If I couldn't have gotten it confirmed, I wouldn't have gone.