Fixed Dining Waitlist Question

[SeaMystique]

Hi all,

I requested early fixed dining (6 PM) when I booked our next cruise (Ruby to Mexico, 10/18) last week. Cruise Personalizer said we were #23 on the waiting list.

That list has shrunk, and shrunk, and now we are confirmed for 6 pm dining.

What happened to all those people ahead of us? They wouldn't be canceling this early, would they? Where did those 23 parties go in a week??

Thanks,

Sylvia

[shredie]

It's usually a case of people getting moved around.

[SeaMystique]

Sorry I'm dense, but who gets moved and why?

[caribill]

Hi all,

I requested early fixed dining (6 PM) when I booked our next cruise (Ruby to Mexico, 10/18) last week. Cruise Personalizer said we were #23 on the waiting list.

That list has shrunk, and shrunk, and now we are confirmed for 6 pm dining.

What happened to all those people ahead of us? They wouldn't be canceling this early, would they? Where did those 23 parties go in a week??

 

Yes they would.

[cherylandtk]

Sorry I'm dense, but who gets moved and why?

People who wanted Anytime but were placed by their TA into fixed dining and didn't reaiize it, people who had to cancel, people who wanted a different dining time and cleared their wait list, people who changed their mind about their dining choice.

[paul929207]

People change their mind about which cruise to take. Or something came up and they can't do this one

[rjack22]

Don't count on getting the 6:00 PM seating even if confirmed. We were confirmed for the 6:00 seating on the Royal last week and as it turned out the 6:00 seating was eliminated. We were assigned the 5:30 early traditional seating. This was a big disappointment to us as 5:30 is just a little too early to eat and the late seating is much too late. Next time we will try Anytime.

[TomCruises]

Hi all,

I requested early fixed dining (6 PM) when I booked our next cruise (Ruby to Mexico, 10/18) last week. Cruise Personalizer said we were #23 on the waiting list.

That list has shrunk, and shrunk, and now we are confirmed for 6 pm dining.

What happened to all those people ahead of us? They wouldn't be canceling this early, would they? Where did those 23 parties go in a week??

Thanks,

Sylvia

 

Who cares! You got the dining arrangement you want! You should be so lucky and happy! A lot of people do not enjoy eating at 6pm when on vacation. Some, after a full day of activities, may wish to enjoy some relaxation or even a nap before dining, thus, many prefer 8:15p as not to be rushed. Also, many mature cruisers like to eat at the early seating!

Lastly, people change their minds on dining preference, but more importantly "CANCEL" their cruise all together making way for folks like you!

[Kruznut]

What I don't understand is how does one go from #65 on a waitlist up to #93. Any thoughts on that ?

[shredie]

What I don't understand is how does one go from #65 on a waitlist up to #93. Any thoughts on that ?

 

That doesn't make sense, I agree. If you change your dining time in the personalizer, it will delete the first time, so if you were at 65, then changed for whatever reason and then changed back, the old 65 spot would be gone. That's the only reason I can think of, but I doubt that's your situation.

[Kruznut]

No, I did not change a thing ! I checked one time and it had went up to #97. Do you think I should call Princess about this ?

[shredie]

No, I did not change a thing ! I checked one time and it had went up to #97. Do you think I should call Princess about this ?

 

I would. I have never gone up on waitlist.

[COMBOY]

Hi all,

I requested early fixed dining (6 PM) when I booked our next cruise (Ruby to Mexico, 10/18) last week. Cruise Personalizer said we were #23 on the waiting list.

That list has shrunk, and shrunk, and now we are confirmed for 6 pm dining.

What happened to all those people ahead of us? They wouldn't be canceling this early, would they? Where did those 23 parties go in a week??

Thanks,

Sylvia

 

I work in the travel industry and yes people do cancel up to departure for many reasons...job, illness, medical, etc. If they have insurance then they aren't out any $$$. It could be people switched from traditional to MTD and back. It could be the sailing was oversold and Princess' inventory department successfully moved people to other sailing dates or ships freeing up dining wait list. It also could be that the dining allotment is initially fixed (less then actual seating capacity) and as the sailing get closer that open up additional inventory confirming those on wait list. We as passengers have no idea how the internal dining wait list works. It a system Princess has worked out to provide fairness to all passengers. Those passengers that don't clear the wait list will just have to do MTD or will try to get fixed dining once on board the ship. The only way to avoid a wait list is to book early.

[Kruznut]

I think I will give them a call and find out what exactly is going on with that.

[jagsfan]

I've seen waitlists evaporate just like that many times. Some of the waitlist can be placeholders, not real people, to leave room for adjustments. Sometimes tables are added in the dining room, had that happen to us more than once. There is a lot of moving around before a cruise, dining room, dining time, table size, as well as people moving cabins, which affects which dining room they are assigned to.

Just be happy you cleared the waitlist and look forward to a great cruise.

[peety3]

Some of the ships offer three TD seatings: an early and a late in one DR, and an early in a second DR. I think Princess makes that third TD waitlist-only until the waitlist is long enough to justify offering it. When they do offer it, it drastically impacts the service/wait for AD as they end up with only one DR for AD until that TD leaves. As a result, reservations for AD are only possible at opening time or 7pm and later.

[caribill]

Don't count on getting the 6:00 PM seating even if confirmed. We were confirmed for the 6:00 seating on the Royal last week and as it turned out the 6:00 seating was eliminated. We were assigned the 5:30 early traditional seating. This was a big disappointment to us as 5:30 is just a little too early to eat and the late seating is much too late. Next time we will try Anytime.

 

Which dining room did you have for traditional?

 

If it was Allegro, then you were in the true early traditional dining room.

 

If it was not Allegro, then you were in the extra early traditional dining room.

 

If the Patter each day did not show Allegro in its list of dining rooms open for dinner, then possibly a large group on board had been assigned to it for the entire voyage.

[rjack22]

It was Allegro but I fail to see what difference that makes. When I booked I had the choice of 5:30, 6:00 or 8:15. Three choices. I didn't request the dining room, only the 6:00 PM time that was a choice when I booked and it was confirmed. By the time we stepped onboard the 6:00 PM had been eliminated....period, if it even ever existed.

Edited March 14, 2015 by rjack22

[caribill]

It was Allegro but I fail to see what difference that makes. When I booked I had the choice of 5:30, 6:00 or 8:15. Three choices. I didn't request the dining room, only the 6:00 PM time that was a choice when I booked and it was confirmed. By the time we stepped onboard the 6:00 PM had been eliminated....period, if it even ever existed.

 

OK, so you were in the real traditional dining room.

 

One can only guess why it was at 5:30.

 

Maybe there was a demand for 5:30 and not so much for 6:00 so the two were combined for the time there was a demand.

 

In general the designated time in advance of a cruise is usually a place holder and not the actual time. We were on one B2B in late traditional and both were confirmed for 8:00 PM. It ended up that the first segment was at 7:45 and the second segment was at 8:15.

[shredie]

Actual dinner time has been all over the place for me the past couple of years. Six might be 5:30, and 8 is often 7-something. I guess it varies from ship to ship.

[spcl4cs_gal]

So when my traditional dining is listed as 5:30pm Waitlist #1, that means I am first in line or there are a number of lists. Have never been waitlisted in the past. :confused:

[shredie]

So when my traditional dining is listed as 5:30pm Waitlist #1, that means I am first in line or there are a number of lists. Have never been waitlisted in the past. :confused:

 

You are first in line. You will undoubtedly clear the list in time.

[Thrak]

So when my traditional dining is listed as 5:30pm Waitlist #1, that means I am first in line or there are a number of lists. Have never been waitlisted in the past. :confused:

 

You should be first in line but don't be surprised if you get onboard and find they have moved you to 5:15. They did it to us and it is just way too early. 6:00 would be much better.

[spcl4cs_gal]

You should be first in line but don't be surprised if you get onboard and find they have moved you to 5:15. They did it to us and it is just way too early. 6:00 would be much better.

 

I'm used to eating dinner at 5pm anyway so 5:15 wouldn't be all that bad.

[victory2020]

I believe there is no such thing as 6pm dining. I have always been confirmed for 6 & it's been 5:30 - once even 5:15. I mentioned it to a maitre'd on the Crown once & he said "there is no such thing as a 6:oo seating".