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No Dining Room Lunch for Embarkation?

cruzysuzy

By cruzysuzy,
in Princess Cruises

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cruzysuzy

cruzysuzy

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Just got off the Star Princess for a 10 day Mexico cruise and there was no dining room option for lunch for the embarkation. I even went so far as to physically check all three dining rooms.

 

Is this a perk that Princess plans to discontinue?

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geoherb "Live from...." Rare

geoherb

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The Princess website still lists it as an option under the "1st Day Dining" FAQ: "Shortly after we welcome you onboard your spectacular Princess ship, you're invited to relax and dine at the Horizon Court or in one of the ship’s multiple dining rooms." I know they do close the doors promptly. Were you there in time?

Edited by geoherb
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erni

erni

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My son just got off the Star also and had told me that there weren't any dining rooms open on embarkation. I just figured they had gotten there late (even though they boarded a little after noon) or went to the wrong dining room. We always go to the dining room because my husband is in a wheelchair and it makes things SO much easier for me in the dining room. We board the Star in Jan. and will be VERY disappointed if the dining room isn't open.

 

They didn't have any horror stories about the new terminal - in fact had great things to say about it. Liked the drop off area. They were home, in the City, by 10 am.

 

Sue

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IECalCruiser

IECalCruiser

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Occasionally there is no DR open for lunch on embarkation day. On a three day coastal on the Coral there was no DR open but that is the only cruise where that has happened to us in the last five years since it started being offered to everyone.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

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Princess Patches

Princess Patches

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Lunch is still served in the dining room on embarkation day from 12:00-1:30 pm. It is not always listed in the Patter. On the Crown in October it was not listed but was served. After we did not see it listed in the Patter, we physically went to the midship dining room to check to see if it was being served.

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tjcletsgo

tjcletsgo

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Lunch is still served in the dining room on embarkation day from 12:00-1:30 pm. It is not always listed in the Patter. On the Crown in October it was not listed but was served. After we did not see it listed in the Patter, we physically went to the midship dining room to check to see if it was being served.

 

I will be boarding the Crown in a few weeks, can you tell me what dining room serves embarkation lunch?:)

 

Thanks so much!

 

Janie

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Snowbird

Snowbird

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We boarded the Island Princess on Oct 27 for a 15-day Panama Canal cruise. Boarded around 12:15 and were able to eat in the Bordeaux DR for lunch. There were very few people in there and they closed the doors promptly at 1:30. Not sure if it was listed in the Patter as being open; I knew it was open so didn't even check the Patter. I do think they try to keep the fact the DR is open on the down-low though. It was the first cruise for our traveling companions and when we met them in the atrium before going into the DR, they said they had asked a crew member (not sure who--maybe their room steward) who told them the only option for lunch was Horizon Court. Took some convincing on our part that we could indeed go into the DR because the other couple insisted it wouldn't be open.

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bigenna

bigenna

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I have gotten so used to every staff member on every ship tell us the dining room is not open for lunch on embarkation day.

We no longer ask and don't check the Patter, just head to one of the mid ship dining rooms and enjoy a nice unhurried first day lunch.

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D'Shadow

D'Shadow

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Just got off the Star Princess for a 10 day Mexico cruise and there was no dining room option for lunch for the embarkation. I even went so far as to physically check all three dining rooms.

 

Is this a perk that Princess plans to discontinue?

 

We were also on this cruise. We had a copy of the Princess info that said a dining room would be available. However, we were told the dining room was unavailable due to a 'closed' event.

 

On a previous cruise this year, we were told it was unavailable and when we replied we always had lunch in the dining room, they found us a table. It was nearly empty! I think it would be a nice Elite perk.

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shredie

shredie

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Posted (edited)
I have gotten so used to every staff member on every ship tell us the dining room is not open for lunch on embarkation day.

We no longer ask and don't check the Patter, just head to one of the mid ship dining rooms and enjoy a nice unhurried first day lunch.

 

Yes. They always tell you to go the buffet. I do as you do. I go find the dining room and walk in.

Edited by shredie
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Whoo

Whoo

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We have always been told the dining room is closed, also - and to go to the Horizon Court. A few times the dining room doors have been closed - so it appears that it is closed - but when we go in, we are greeted and seated at a table. We do make sure we get there well before 1:30 pm - one reason we get to the port very early!

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bigenna

bigenna

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We have always been told the dining room is closed, also - and to go to the Horizon Court. A few times the dining room doors have been closed - so it appears that it is closed - but when we go in, we are greeted and seated at a table. We do make sure we get there well before 1:30 pm - one reason we get to the port very early!

 

Yes, that is exactly what happened on our Oct 20th cruise on the Grand. Door was closed with a waiter posted outside who advised us Horizon Court was open. When we said that we always start our cruise with lunch in the dining room, he let us in to an almost empty room. The wait staff were very relaxed and friendly and appeared not at all put out that we were there. BTW we were also in there by noon

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JimmyVWine Great Review Rare

JimmyVWine

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We have always been told the dining room is closed, also - and to go to the Horizon Court. A few times the dining room doors have been closed - so it appears that it is closed - but when we go in, we are greeted and seated at a table. We do make sure we get there well before 1:30 pm - one reason we get to the port very early!

 

Believe it or not, this is my single biggest gripe/pet peeve with Princess. I absolutely hate the fact that they lie to passengers and set up an "us vs. them" mentality during the very first hour on the very first day. There is no worse way to kick off a cruise or create a bad first impression than to have a stern maitre'd belittling you and telling you something that is patently false and over such a trivial issue as lunch. If the cruise line does not want to offer a sit down lunch, that is their choice. But if they are going to offer it, then lying about not having one is unconscionable. If I were CEO for a day, I would fire every employee who lied to passengers about having an MDR lunch available on the first day. (And to be fair, on our Sapphire cruise last year, we were seated near the host station at Alfredo's during our embarkation lunch and after the seating area filled up, when guests asked what other options there were for lunch, the head waiter was quick to point out that the International dining room was open. Good for him.)

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Princess Patches

Princess Patches

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Also just off the Star, no dining room lunch offered on embarkation. Also 2 weeks prior on the Star,dining room was for Bon-Voyage only. Hope this isn't fleet-wide.

 

I have seen this posted about the embarkation day lunch several times now. It puzzles me because I have been on over 20 cruises and have never failed to have lunch in the dining room on embarkation day.

 

I wonder if passengers possibly misunderstood that they could not have lunch. I noticed when I had lunch in the dining room on embarkation day on the Crown last month that the BVE group was seated near the windows on the starboard side and the remaining passengers were seated near the windows on the port side of the dining room. No one was being seated in the entire middle section of the dining room.

 

The BVE group entered the dining room through the doors on the starboard side and the other passengers entered through the doors on the port side. No one was crossing across the middle of the dining room. I am wondering if passengers who tried to enter through the starboard side doors were told it was the BVE group only. They then assumed lunch was not being served for them and left without going around to the port side doors or being told to go around to the port side doors. They were very few passengers on the port side eating lunch (6-8 tables?).

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