Dining?

[asda]

Hi. I'm asking this question again,as the other post I started as gone crazy.

 

Have recent cruise passengers been able to change there allocated dining time. On either select, early or saver fares?

 

We have booked early saver and requested freedom ( you get a choice but not guaranteed)

And our parents booked select and have got freedom dining.

 

If we don't get freedom dining its not a problem there's lots of other places to dine on Ventura. And our parents can join us ( speciality, beach house. Glass house and buffet)

 

Does anyone know if guest have changed their allocation.?

[molecrochip]

Anyone can request to change their dining allocation once on board. It's done on a first come first served basis not based the fare you've paid. On our recent cruise, the head waiter had a line you could join from 3pm to make your requests.

 

We were on a saver fare and got the change we requested. We spoke with some Select fare passengers who got their chosen preference. They had since changed their mind and were also queuing to change their allocation.

 

 

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[heywood]

The answer seems to be that there is a possibility. It has always been that there are queues around 3pm but probably that the queues are now much longer.

Knowing whether people have been able to change wouldn't really help because there are so many variables, not least the number of passengers who are satisfied with their allocation on your particular cruise.

[asda]

Thanks for your answers. They are all still arguing on the other post.

[heywood]

Thanks for your answers. They are all still arguing on the other post.

 

 

Sshhhh - don't tell them you are here! ;)

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

[dgs1956]

Sshhhh - don't tell them you are here! ;)

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

 

Ha Ha.

That's what the Forum should be about.

Passing information and a bit of fun.

Sorry to go off track.

David

[daiB]

Hi. I'm asking this question again,as the other post I started as gone crazy.

 

 

 

Have recent cruise passengers been able to change there allocated dining time. On either select, early or saver fares?

 

 

 

We have booked early saver and requested freedom ( you get a choice but not guaranteed)

 

And our parents booked select and have got freedom dining.

 

 

 

If we don't get freedom dining its not a problem there's lots of other places to dine on Ventura. And our parents can join us ( speciality, beach house. Glass house and buffet)

 

 

 

Does anyone know if guest have changed their allocation.?

 

 

An interesting post elsewhere, from someone off a recent cruise said that as a saver passenger it was very easy to move, but only if you wanted to move to second sitting. Which at the moment would appear to be least popular. Because they were giving up a first sitting place they could move.

 

Those wanting to move to first on the other hand were dealt with on the basis of when they booked. So the earlier you booked the easier it would be.

 

 

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[twighlightstar]

Pleasantly surprised to read that people on saver fares were still able to change as not being able to choose your option is one of the ways p&o are trying to persuade people to pay select instead of saver!!

[daiB]

Pleasantly surprised to read that people on saver fares were still able to change as not being able to choose your option is one of the ways p&o are trying to persuade people to pay select instead of saver!!

 

 

They are only able to change if it suits the company and there is a passenger on select who wants to move the other way. So the move is for the benefit of the select passenger not the saver passenger.

 

 

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[dgs1956]

They are only able to change if it suits the company and there is a passenger on select who wants to move the other way. So the move is for the benefit of the select passenger not the saver passenger.

 

 

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We were on a back to back. First 2 weeks we were on a Saver and were on 1st sitting and second 2 weeks we were on Select and on Freedom. The restaurant manager offered to change the Freedom Dining to 1st Sitting which we declined but was unable to change the first two weeks to Freedom as there were "hundreds" on the waiting list to change.

In other words Dai, I would agree with the point you are making.

[molecrochip]

Only if it suits then company and there is a passenger who wants to move the other way. Doesn't have to be a select passenger who you swap with. We ended up with the table from the passengers behind us - they were on a saver fare too.

 

What savers don't get is an advance preference.

 

 

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[molecrochip]

We were on a back to back. First 2 weeks we were on a Saver and were on 1st sitting and second 2 weeks we were on Select and on Freedom. The restaurant manager offered to change the Freedom Dining to 1st Sitting which we declined but was unable to change the first two weeks to Freedom as there were "hundreds" on the waiting list to change.

In other words Dai, I would agree with the point you are making.

 

 

If there were hundreds then they were probably passengers who could request an advance preference and were wait listed. It's right that a wait list gets deal with before anyone gets to change.

 

 

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[scotlanders]

Set seating times on cruise ships are getting less & less popular. We regularly see tables of 8 & 10 where only 2 people turn up.I don't always want the company of strangers when I'm on holiday Sometimes hubby & I like to sit alone. If P&O give young families second seating then likely there will be a half empty table which is a shame for those who like to meet new table companions. So even if you've paid the higher fare your cruise can still be negatively affected by this policy.

 

I sail on Azura soon with my daughter & baby grandson & we will eat at times to suit my grandson irrespective of time allocated by P & O & I know we will not starve.

[cruisegirl999]

People on saver fares should not be given the option to change full stop. I booked 2 days after bookings opened and had to go freedom as first sitting was wait listed and I don't want 2nd sitting. I would be very unhappy if a saver fare got preference over my booking.

[Charleyben]

How could these pariahs of the cruise industry think for one moment that they would be able to change their dining arrangements? They should consider themselves lucky that they are being fed at all!

 

Why P And O are even allowing them to travel in the same shuttles as the select passengers is beyond my comprehension. Indeed they should only be allowed to sit behind pillars in the theatre and use the buffet restaurants when select passengers have had their fill.

 

In all seriousness late bookers have historically had the choice of whatever dining arrangements are still available. By the time saver fares come on stream the select passengers have already had their choice. Not very many people pay select fares when saver prices are available.

 

If a select passenger is wait listed for dining arrangements and overlooked in favour of a saver, this would be solely down to P and O not getting their act together.

 

Whilst we are on the subject does anybody have any thoughts on how P & O can make things any more difficult for those lower than low saver bookers? We must put an end to these freeloaders!

[gadabout60]

People on saver fares should not be given the option to change full stop. I booked 2 days after bookings opened and had to go freedom as first sitting was wait listed and I don't want 2nd sitting. I would be very unhappy if a saver fare got preference over my booking.

 

Cruisegirl999

 

No-one is saying that a saver gets preference over a select fare

But if all select fares are sorted, what skin is it off your nose if savers can get their choice?

[molecrochip]

Agreed, everyone that I've read on here who is suggesting that savers have a preference is suggesting the order of priority is as follows:

 

Select fare

Select fare - waitlist

Early saver (by default all Early saver fares are waitlist)

Saver (lowest and final allocation)

 

As for on ship changes, why should someone on a select fare who has already had their preference have a second preference (aka a change) ahead of someone who has booked a saver fare and had no preference. Booking a select fare does not give a passenger the right to keep changing their mind in preference to everyone else. It gets them one preference up to the point that the allocations are done. Once on board, everyone is then equal. It has to be the way otherwise you create a Cunard class system.

[Antmadmanda]

How could these pariahs of the cruise industry think for one moment that they would be able to change their dining arrangements? They should consider themselves lucky that they are being fed at all!

 

 

 

Why P And O are even allowing them to travel in the same shuttles as the select passengers is beyond my comprehension. Indeed they should only be allowed to sit behind pillars in the theatre and use the buffet restaurants when select passengers have had their fill.

 

 

 

In all seriousness late bookers have historically had the choice of whatever dining arrangements are still available. By the time saver fares come on stream the select passengers have already had their choice. Not very many people pay select fares when saver prices are available.

 

 

 

If a select passenger is wait listed for dining arrangements and overlooked in favour of a saver, this would be solely down to P and O not getting their act together.

 

 

 

Whilst we are on the subject does anybody have any thoughts on how P & O can make things any more difficult for those lower than low saver bookers? We must put an end to these freeloaders!

 

 

Hahaha!

 

 

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[Judewri]

Question people please ...shortly going on only our 2nd cruise ever and with p and o like last year .....booked early saver and we have chosen our dining preference ..late ..table for 2 ....late is more important than table size but nowhere does it give this option to tell them which is more important to us ie would prefer late any table size rather than early for 2 ....any ideas .... If I ring them will they just send me away with a flea in my ear ??????

[Brayman]

Question people please ...shortly going on only our 2nd cruise ever and with p and o like last year .....booked early saver and we have chosen our dining preference ..late ..table for 2 ....late is more important than table size but nowhere does it give this option to tell them which is more important to us ie would prefer late any table size rather than early for 2 ....any ideas .... If I ring them will they just send me away with a flea in my ear ??????

 

Probably, but I would think table size is the last of their concerns and it would more likely turn out the way you would wish. But don't blame me if it doesn't :)

[Judewri]

Cheers Brayman ...won't blame you ...haha .....

[dgs1956]

2nd sitting is always easier to accomodate and I would think most would prefer a larger table so chances are you may get what you want. You won't be able to do anything until you get your allocation on board.

Emjoy your cruise.

David

[clivep]

They are only able to change if it suits the company and there is a passenger on select who wants to move the other way. So the move is for the benefit of the select passenger not the saver passenger.

 

This may be the case for sitting changes but not for table size changes.

 

Having just returned from Adonia on a Saver fare, this was my experience of the dining allocation…

 

The announcement that cabins were ready came just before 2pm. Once in our cabin we found our allocated dining to be table of 6 in second sitting. This was perfectly acceptable although we would ideally prefer a table for 2 so I went to see the restaurant manager to see if I could get it changed.

 

In the restaurant notices stated:

The restaurant manager would be available from 2.30pm.

Priority would be giving to earliest bookings.

No tables of 2 were available.

1st sitting was full.

 

At that point there was only one couple waiting to request a change. They had expressed a preference (so not on a Saver fare) for 1st sitting but had been given 2nd. Whilst I was there a couple turned up who had booked a saver fare and got 1st sitting but wanted 2nd. They agreed to swap tables and waited for the manager to arrive to arrange this.

 

I returned to my cabin and went back at about 2.20 only to find the manager already there and only 2 couples queuing. When I saw the manager I said that I knew there were no tables for 2 available but politely asked if he would wait-list me in case anything turned up. He put me on his list which had all of about 3 lines on it. Later that afternoon a new table allocation note was delivered to our cabin with our table for 2 (actually a table for 4 with 2 empty seats).

 

I was very pleased to see that the on-board dining allocations were being handled as per the t’s and c’s and the manager was able to use his discretion in line with what my P&O Personal Cruise Specialist had informed me before the cruise. The "AND CANNOT BE CHANGED" wording about the dining allocation that appeared on the booking confirmation was not in the t’s and c’s and was plainly incorrect.

 

The dining experience was excellent with our waiters, Mandeep and Vikash, being the best we’ve had on all our cruises.

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Civep

Perhaps you were accommodated by the polite manner of your request and not a "Demand".

I have always found a polite request goes a far way,happy cruising to you.

[kathsmum]

How could these pariahs of the cruise industry think for one moment that they would be able to change their dining arrangements? They should consider themselves lucky that they are being fed at all!

 

Why P And O are even allowing them to travel in the same shuttles as the select passengers is beyond my comprehension. Indeed they should only be allowed to sit behind pillars in the theatre and use the buffet restaurants when select passengers have had their fill.

 

In all seriousness late bookers have historically had the choice of whatever dining arrangements are still available. By the time saver fares come on stream the select passengers have already had their choice. Not very many people pay select fares when saver prices are available.

 

If a select passenger is wait listed for dining arrangements and overlooked in favour of a saver, this would be solely down to P and O not getting their act together.

 

Whilst we are on the subject does anybody have any thoughts on how P & O can make things any more difficult for those lower than low saver bookers? We must put an end to these freeloaders!

 

We had booked a back to back on Azura next March having to book select so that we would get priority for premium flight. Didn't think we could manage another until we saw the extra OBS for bookings made by 30th June, as the this covered the difference between select/saver couldn't resist a cruise to the Norway in August with the benefits of select. We do tend to spend rather a lot!