Sapphire Princess dining rooms

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

Sooo, this will be our first Princess cruise and I am a little confused about the different dining rooms. We are a large group (21) and wanted traditional dining early. Looking at the cruise personalizer, it looks like we have been given anytime dining. Was that done because we are such a large group?

I also am a little confused as to which dining rooms are anytime and which are TD like a MDR.

Do you think we can speak w/somebody on board as soon as we board to get that changed or should we just accept it and try to get as close together as possible in the anytime dining? We are use to MDR on other cruise lines. Thanks for any advice :)

[mtaylor04]

Did you book through Princess or a TA? You could try calling who you booked through to see if you can be changed, however, it looks like you sail next month, so they may not be able to change it this late.

 

I'd start by calling, if that doesn't work go see the maître d’ as soon as you get on the ship and see if you can switch to traditional.

 

Enjoy your first Princess cruise :) the Sapphire is a beautiful ship

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

I thought long and hard about calling her. She is new and I think a little overwelmed at the number of us. We are not really a picky group, but most of us would like to sit together. We will probably just speak to someone when we get on board. I am really more interested in learning about the different dining rooms.

[Pia1913]

I thought long and hard about calling her. She is new and I think a little overwelmed at the number of us. We are not really a picky group, but most of us would like to sit together. We will probably just speak to someone when we get on board. I am really more interested in learning about the different dining rooms.

 

The menus in all diningrooms are identical, but each one has a ""signature" item which never changes.

[SissyG]

If you are unable to get traditional dining you might speak to the Maitre'd in the anytime dining room and make reservations for as many tables near or next to one another as you need for the same time each night. Since you are a large group they may accommodate your request rather than having 21 people show up at the same time needing to be seated.

[captainron]

I thought long and hard about calling her. She is new and I think a little overwelmed at the number of us. We are not really a picky group, but most of us would like to sit together. We will probably just speak to someone when we get on board. I am really more interested in learning about the different dining rooms.

 

With a group of 21 wanting to sit together, you are limiting your seating. Having to set aside a section of the MDR for a group that size means that other folks cannot be seated. In addition, you must remember that MDR tables are (on Princess if I recall) for a maximum of 8 persons which means that you will be looking for a group of three tables for eight.

 

The third table pax may end up sharing their "digs" with other passengers who are not in your "Group of 21". Remember that in the MDR, table positions are pre-determined so that the number of pax per wait section is equalized (to the max possible) to facilitate the same workload/serving time per wait team.

 

As others have suggested, speak to the Maitre' d once onboard (Call the DINE line). If you wish to sample the different DRs onboard, I doubt that you will be able to get a standing reservation for a specific time given your move from one DR to the other. That, I believe is th reason that your TA has got you down for AT dining.

 

Either way, enjoy your cruise.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[bjkTX]

We haven't been on the Sapphire yet (Mar 2012) but I'm assuming the dining room situation is the same as it is on similar ships - three dining rooms, all pretty much the same with the same menu, with one or two designated for anytime, and the other(s) for traditional. You don't lose/gain anything in either situation - other than the constant discussion about traditional vs anytime and getting to know the wait staff :-)

[karatemom2]

I am really more interested in learning about the different dining rooms.

 

There are four different dining rooms available to Anytime Diners. The Savoy has the look of an elegant steakhouse and offers pork chops as a signature dish. The Pacific Moon has an Asian theme and its special is a shrimp/scallop sizzling noodles dish. The Santa Fe has a New Mexican Tex/Mex feel and offers guacamole and chips as well as Chicken Fajitas. The Vivaldi is used for traditional diners for early seating, but opens to anytime diners at 8 p.m. and offers Ossu Bucco as its signature dish.

[cdngrl]

I thought long and hard about calling her. She is new and I think a little overwelmed at the number of us. We are not really a picky group, but most of us would like to sit together. We will probably just speak to someone when we get on board. I am really more interested in learning about the different dining rooms.

i taravelled with a larger group, not quite as big as yours, and the ship put us all together for fixed seating in one of the anytime rooms. it was arranged once we had boarded.

 

the sapphire has the traditional main dining room (deck 6 aft).

it has 4 anytime dining rooms, 2 on deck 5 midship, 2 on deck 6 midship:

vivaldi, deck 5--italian themed--used for early seating traditional overflow, then anytime. special is osso buco

savoy, deck 5--steakhouse, but classy dark wood...--special is a pork chop

santa fe, deck 6--mexican themed. special is fajitas

pacific moon, deck 6--asian--special is a rice noodle dish with scallops and prawns

 

edit: ah katate mom2 you are a much faster typer than i am!

[chipmaster]

Good luck, I had very poor luck in getting my group of 11 togather. THey only did limited reservations daily and were often, closed for additional bookings very early. We only managed to get our party seated togather at one of the few tables for 10 by waiting at anytime 10' early.

 

THe stated policy was they only reserve 1/2 of the tables with the others held for anytime.

 

Given your large party you will almost for certain be split up and probably not close togather unless you get traditional and a block of tables or if you go right at opening.

 

good luck.

 

Sooo, this will be our first Princess cruise and I am a little confused about the different dining rooms. We are a large group (21) and wanted traditional dining early. Looking at the cruise personalizer, it looks like we have been given anytime dining. Was that done because we are such a large group?

I also am a little confused as to which dining rooms are anytime and which are TD like a MDR.

Do you think we can speak w/somebody on board as soon as we board to get that changed or should we just accept it and try to get as close together as possible in the anytime dining? We are use to MDR on other cruise lines. Thanks for any advice :)

[Pam in CA]

We haven't been on the Sapphire yet (Mar 2012) but I'm assuming the dining room situation is the same as it is on similar ships - three dining rooms, all pretty much the same with the same menu, with one or two designated for anytime, and the other(s) for traditional. You don't lose/gain anything in either situation - other than the constant discussion about traditional vs anytime and getting to know the wait staff :-)

Nope. The Diamond and Sapphire have a different design in that the two Anytime dining rooms were each split in half to create four smaller dining rooms. Like other Princess ships, the menu is the same as in the Traditional dining room but on the Diamond/Sapphire, there is one "signature" dish for each related to the dining room's theme that doesn't change.

 

The four Anytime dining room design was originally intended to have theme menus in each, i.e., PacRim (Pacific Moon), Italian (Vivaldi), Southwest (Santa Fe), and steak (Savoy, which was originally called the Sterling.) That flopped and within six months, they all had the same menu with one item from each theme on the menu. You can order any of these "signature" dishes in any of the dining rooms. I can't remember what they are but I believe it's ossa bucco in the Italian and fajitas in the Santa Fe.

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

Thank you so much, exactly what I was looking for!

[caribill]

As others have suggested, speak to the Maitre' d once onboard (Call the DINE line). If you wish to sample the different DRs onboard, I doubt that you will be able to get a standing reservation for a specific time given your move from one DR to the other. That, I believe is th reason that your TA has got you down for AT dining.

 

 

 

The OP's group was assigned to anytime for one of two reasons:

a) The Traditional dining room was full for the seating they requested; or

b) The TA did not know how to link all the reservations together for traditional.

 

If the OP and the group had requested traditional, they should be on a waiting list for it with anytime being the default if the waitlist does not come through.

 

Also, if they had wanted the early traditional time, they might be interested in the new earlier fixed seating which is now offered.

 

Should call the TA to find out why they are in anytime and make sure they are on the waitlist for traditional and the reservations are linked. Should ask about the new earlier fixed seating if they are interested in this.

 

Sorry if the TA is "overwhelmed," but that is why she (and her agency) get a commission for all these bookings.

[geoherb]

Are there two of the dining rooms open for breakfast and lunch? If so, which ones are they?

[karatemom2]

Are there two of the dining rooms open for breakfast and lunch? If so, which ones are they?

 

There is only one dining room, the main traditional dining room, open for breakfast each day.

[ndsumfun]

this is great info! Thanks!

[BalconyGal]

I love the way the sapphire/diamond have the 4 AD dining rooms. You are going to have a great time no matter what!:)