Diamond - No Open Seating?

[RJ2002]

We just booked a Diamond cruise for next month, sort of last minute. It is one of the Japan cruises. We were told by the travel agent, after consultation with Princess, that this cruise does not have Open Seating for dinner, due to "cultural" considerations.

 

Just curious if any one else has heard about, or experienced, this?

Edited April 9, 2016 by RJ2002

[GUT2407]

So, do they make all 5 restaurants Traditional?

 

Wonder if it's just that ATD is booked out?

[fishywood]

A member who blogged from a B2B from Yokohama last year reported this as well.

 

And it says so on the website under Food and Dining/What's Included:

 

ANYTIME DINING℠

Our Anytime Dining option – a Princess original – allows you the freedom to eat with whomever you wish, and whenever you like – just as you would at a fine restaurant – between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. You can have a table for two one evening and join a group for a festive meal the next. The choice is yours.

 

Not available on Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess (while in Australia), or Pacific Princess. Not available on Diamond Princess while in Japan.

[easyboy]

A member who blogged from a B2B from Yokohama last year reported this as well.

 

And it says so on the website under Food and Dining/What's Included:

Thanks for this info.

[RJ2002]

A member who blogged from a B2B from Yokohama last year reported this as well.

 

And it says so on the website under Food and Dining/What's Included:

 

Thanks! I missed that on the website.

[hel0013]

Our Grand Asia cruise in October doesn't have ATD either... Only TD.

[NCruiser2012]

So how does this work? Are you assigned a dining room? Do you have to eat at that dining room every night?

[Husky61]

So how does this work? Are you assigned a dining room? Do you have to eat at that dining room every night?

 

Yes you are assigned a dining room on TD, and you can eat there every night if you wish at the designated time. However you can eat at the other dining venues that are not the MDR if and when you want.

[SadieN]

Yes you are assigned a dining room on TD, and you can eat there every night if you wish at the designated time. However you can eat at the other dining venues that are not the MDR if and when you want.

 

 

Adding on.....

You are assigned a dining time and table. Same waiter and table mates every night.

 

 

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[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

It looks like the Diamond Princess only offers Traditional Dining when it is based in Japan, but sometimes offers Anytime Dining when it is sailing in other regions. I currently have two cruises booked on the Diamond Princess. My first cruise on the ship (July 17, 2016 Circle Japan) only has Traditional Dining. However, my second cruise on the ship (Feb. 19, 2017 Malaysia/Thailand sailing from Singapore) offers both Traditional Dining and Anytime Dining.

 

Chuck

Edited April 11, 2016 by seacruise9

[hel0013]

Hi,

 

It looks like the Diamond Princess only offers Traditional Dining when it is based in Japan, but sometimes offers Anytime Dining when it is sailing in other regions. I currently have two cruises booked on the Diamond Princess. My first cruise on the ship (July 17, 2016 Circle Japan) only has Traditional Dining. However, my second cruise on the ship (Feb. 19, 2017 Malaysia/Thailand sailing from Singapore) offers both Traditional Dining and Anytime Dining.

 

Chuck

 

Our cruise in October is Singapore to Beijing with one port in Japan with Traditional Dining only.

[wdrl]

We didn't realize that we were limited to Traditional dining either when we booked a circle Japan cruise for August 4, 2018. You'd think the system wouldn't let you sign up for anytime dining. We found out about a month later that we had to select a dining time.

[hel0013]

In the last few weeks ATD became available on our October cruise with a wait list on both TD sittings.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[windsor26]

The reason given is that on those itineraries there could be cultural difficulties while eating so open seating is not recommended

[JF - retired RRT]

So, do they make all 5 restaurants Traditional?

Just the main dining rooms.

Wonder if it's just that ATD is booked out?

ATD doesn't have a limit, since ATD passengers can show up "whenever" at either dining room.

Once we went to ATD and both were full at that time, the Maitre D' sent us to the TD dining room. Apparently a lot of the TDs were in the ATD.:eek:

[cheeky_minx]

In the last few weeks ATD became available on our October cruise with a wait list on both TD sittings.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Looks like we are on the same cruise in October... just checked personaliser - Yes ATD now available... but our TD which WAS confirmed as 7.45pm for two is now waitlisting #56...

I did call Princess a while back and they said ATD definitely not availalable - they must have changed their minds ...

[hel0013]

Looks like we are on the same cruise in October... just checked personaliser - Yes ATD now available... but our TD which WAS confirmed as 7.45pm for two is now waitlisting #56...

I did call Princess a while back and they said ATD definitely not availalable - they must have changed their minds ...

 

 

If you're already confirmed for 7:45 it should still be confirmed. The waitlist shows in the drop down menu if you want to change your dining preference.

 

Check your personalizer where it should look something like this... :)

[WupperAV]

When we sailed Diamond out of China they did not have it. Japanese are Germaphobic, lots of them wear masks which I think is funny because it's the ones that stop germs from passing outward, not surgical. may have something to do with that too.

[hel0013]

When we sailed Diamond out of China they did not have it. Japanese are Germaphobic, lots of them wear masks which I think is funny because it's the ones that stop germs from passing outward, not surgical. may have something to do with that too.

 

My understanding is the ones wearing masks aren't feeling 100% so they wear them so they don't spread their germs onto others.

[SwissDave]

When we sailed Diamond out of China they did not have it. Japanese are Germaphobic, lots of them wear masks which I think is funny because it's the ones that stop germs from passing outward, not surgical. may have something to do with that too.

 

Why do you think it's funny? It's common for the Japanese to do that if they are sick so they do not spread germs about, the masks are not there to stop them taking germs in.

[Coral]

When we sailed Diamond out of China they did not have it. Japanese are Germaphobic, lots of them wear masks which I think is funny because it's the ones that stop germs from passing outward, not surgical. may have something to do with that too.

 

They are considerate. They don't want others to catch their germs when they are ill.

[Pushka]

When we sailed Diamond out of China they did not have it. Japanese are Germaphobic, lots of them wear masks which I think is funny because it's the ones that stop germs from passing outward, not surgical. may have something to do with that too.

 

 

You have that the wrong way round. It means that the wearer of the mask has a cold and doesn't want to infect YOU!

 

Good to see others are aware of this act of politeness.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Pushka

[cheeky_minx]

If you're already confirmed for 7:45 it should still be confirmed. The waitlist shows in the drop down menu if you want to change your dining preference.

 

Check your personalizer where it should look something like this... :)

 

Thanks for that ... ours is the same as yours pic... just the waitlist #56 alongside threw me a bit...