Waitlisted for Traditional Dining

[Jazzie]

We were waitlisted last year in the 60 number range. We never did get to traditional. We were on board early and the first stop was to try and change it, but no luck. We did not try the second day as some have suggested.

 

Turns out that PC wasn't so bad. We had horrible tablemates the first night, and were glad that we didn't have to sit with them for a week. Later in the week we were able to have dinner with people we met on excursions and on-board, something not possible in traditional dining.

 

I agree that the balance of space in traditional vs PC seems to be off, as there is always a wait list for traditional. But as with other things in cruising, you make the most of the situation and enjoy yourself anyway. The dining situation is not a deal breaker for me.

How do you list your Roll Call as a hyperlink on the bottom of your note?? I see several posters list their cruises on the bottom as well.

[wrp96]

Go into your roll call. Select and copy the link to that page. Go into User CP and Edit Signature. Paste the link into your signature.

[AkSusan]

Just go into User CP - first one on blue line upabove - and under settings, edit signature. That's where you'd put what you wanted then.

 

Susan :)

[AkSusan]

Just go into User CP - first one on blue line upabove - and under settings, edit signature. That's where you'd put what you wanted then.

 

Susan :)

[AkSusan]

Sorry double posting.

 

Susan :)

[DesrtDrmr]

Thanks, bdjam. We had only had traditional dining on the Crown and Regal, so didn't realize that they didn't have the second dining room. We had traditional on the Star the first time, and then, my Mom and I did a short 4 day cruise on that ship, and had PC because we booked so late. I didn't realize there were THREE dining rooms on that ship. Mom and I booked same table, same waiters, same time each evening. It was pretty much a traditional experience. Last time we were on the Sun, we had traditional, and a table mate from H#*++, which caused one couple to never show up after the first meal, and the other two couples to come and go. Personal Choice is certainly better than that experience!! The Island is the one we booked traditional and then changed. We truly enjoy the traditional cruise experience, and love getting dressed up, and living a bit more formally than we do at home, and I do wonder if all this different dining is going to end up with fast food type places on the ships, where you pay for your meals, like the airlines.

[KittyB]

With regard to seeing the Maitre D about a switch from late dining to early, is a tip required for that service? If so, how much?

[ehschief]

We were wait-listed on the Star in Oct. We went to the Maitre 'd and got assigned sitting in the personal choice dining room. We were assigned at 6:15 pm and had the most terrific wait staff and everyday the same tabel just like traditional..there were 10 of us and we could not have been luckier!!

[negc]

We were wait-listed on the Star in Oct. We went to the Maitre 'd and got assigned sitting in the personal choice dining room. We were assigned at 6:15 pm and had the most terrific wait staff and everyday the same tabel just like traditional..there were 10 of us and we could not have been luckier!!

 

Glad it worked out for you. Princess probably points to you as proof that Anytime Dining is a "popular success", even though you basically replicated "traditional dining". I think that most of your "luck" was due to the time you requested. If you had been able to get that same table every night at 8pm, I'd be more impressed.

[aggieastrosfan]

If you had been able to get that same table every night at 8pm, I'd be more impressed.

 

We were actually able to do this last December on the Grand. We had a group of 8, and a standing reservation at 8 for the week with the best waiter I've ever had. Our group grew to 10 or 12 on some nights, and we never had a problem reserving the smaller table in our waiter's section for the overflow.

[negc]

We were actually able to do this last December on the Grand. We had a group of 8, and a standing reservation at 8 for the week with the best waiter I've ever had. Our group grew to 10 or 12 on some nights, and we never had a problem reserving the smaller table in our waiter's section for the overflow.

That is wonderful. If there were more reports like this, I might revise my opinion about how Princess' Choic works, and people wouldn't have been as unhappy to be waitlisted for anytime dining. Unfortunately our friends who were on the Caribbean Princess at approximately the same time had the exactly opposite experience.

[wdblake]

We just got back from the Sun and had requested traditional dining. We ended up with personal choice. We went to the Maitre d' and he gave us a standing reservation for the entire cruise. Same table for 2 every day at 6pm.

We found we liked the personal choice service better because it was quicker. Waiters don't have to serve alot of tables at the same time. The dining rooms were identical. Just make sure you arrange a standing reservation.

[alolewis]

I was like you and on the waitlist for Traditional, slowly moved from 339 to 280, finally at 194 day of cruise. Assumed with that mamny people on waitlist would not gte it. Went to the Personal Choice dining room, the second day of the cruise (we were so excited we actually forgot to eat the first night) about 6>:15 and were told the diining room was full, all the pagers ahve been given out and the list was so long that they had no idea when they could seat us but to go to the late seating in the other dining room and they could accommadate us there, which we did. This was the only night we had a problem and found that we actually enjoyed the flexibility of the Personal Choice, never again did we have to wait. Sometimes did the early show and ate dinner after the show or if we had a late lunch due to shore excursions or whatever ate a late dinner, etc. I will admit I was wrong on thinking I wanted the Traditional dining, am now sold on Personal Choice. I would prefer the same waiter but since we ate at all differant times and sometimes didn't know when we were going to eat until about 5 minutes prior, did not make a reservation. Should have carried small bills so I could tip the waiters in addition to the service charge but did not as the ship waqs cashless and never remember to get cash out of the safe (not required, I just tip more for good service and even the "bad" waiters were working hard)

[sandikai]

When our group of 8 booked our cruise October 13, for the Golden sailing January 28, '06, we were #116 on the 2nd seating waitlist. Yesterday it was at #66, and today we received our confirmation for our 2nd seating traditional. Good luck.

 

Sandi

 

Golden

January 28, 2006

[Jazzie]

Just go into User CP - first one on blue line upabove - and under settings, edit signature. That's where you'd put what you wanted then.

 

Susan :)

Thanks for your help WRP96 and AKSusan!

[aaerobear]

I am so glad the Regal has traditional dining. It just didn't work for us on NCL.

 

Ed/Jeff

[Cruisin' Chick]

As others have stated, I don't understand why Princess can't be more flexible about traditional dining, even if they cordoned off one of the other dining rooms for this purpose. If there is a big waiting list for traditional dining, should TPTB at Princess take that as a sign. For some people, traditional is their "Personal Choice."

[Mr B]

We were on the Star in October this year. We requested later traditional and were waitlisted until a couple of days before we sailed when the website showed us as confirmed. When we arrived at our dining room we were told that we didn't have a reservation. A couple of minutes of conversation ensued and we were about to walk away but then asked to see the Maitre'd who looked at his list and - yes there we were.

 

However we were on a table of 6 and the 3rd couple never showed up all week and indeed the dining room was never more than 3/4 full the whole week. So if people weren't able to get the traditional dining of their choice that week I don't know what's going on because there was certainly enough space. And this was a completely full cruise.

[baileyboy]

Upon boarding the CB 11/12, we were still waitlisted at 118 for 1st seating traditional. Maitre'd told us to do PC that evening, and we'd be notified by noon the following day if they could accommodate us. We ate in the Coral that night, and liked going to dinner when we were ready for it, not when the clock said to go. Got notification the next day we could get 1st seating, but never went; we found we preferred PC. We ate in the Coral the first two nights, then in the Palms the rest of the trip, as it was quieter with fewer kids and groups. We never waited for a seat, sat at 2-tops a few nights (which we'd never get with traditional), and with groups a few nights, depending on our mood.

 

There are trade-offs. The downside is not getting to know servers, tablemates, etc., which I believe adds to the cruise experience, but the flexibility suited us, and we'd opt for PC again instead of traditional. I do think that the service is compromised when the servers know they may never see you again. Overall, we were not impressed with the service; though we had one or two waiters who were wonderful, most seemed lacksidasical and uninterested in going beyond the basics.

 

I still pose the eternal question: If one is forced to PC when one prefers traditional, is it truly PC dining?

[negc]

I still pose the eternal question: If one is forced to PC when one prefers traditional, is it truly PC dining?

Only when you realize that PC stands for Princess' Choice and not Personal Choice.:D

[bdjam]

Interesting. The latest Captain’s Circle mailing I’ve received notes one of the amenities for Circle members is guaranteed Traditional Seating…

[CruiseFever]

I just found out we are waitlisted for early dining on CB 1/14/06. We are

# 101 and 104. Does anyone have any idea what my chances are of getting it? My TA says if I don't get confirmed to go to the Maitre'd and he will take care of it. Is it that easy? We are really big traditional dining fans. Of course we will have a great cruise no matter what, just wondering what our chances are.

 

Susan

 

Odds are you're not going to make it. Sorry. Your TA is right though, get to the dining room asap upon boarding and board early. Nevermind that it says they'll entertain dining changes at 1PM, go before that. Someone will be there.

 

IF you can't get into Traditional Fixed Dining (and I bet you can) don't feel as though you've "lost out" and will have a lousy dining room experience.

 

Make the best of it.

 

We got down to #85 before our Golden cruise and decided to give Anytime Dining a shot.....kinda. We picked a waiter and table the first night and requested them for the rest of the cruise. In that we like to dine early and were waiting for the Anytime dining room (the Palm) at 5:00 we were technically in the "first seating" of Anytime Dining. Same table, same waiter and for the most part the same people in the dining room at that time. I think that's about the closest way you can get to Traditional Fixed if assigned otherwise.

 

On the cruises that followed though we did Anytime Dining as intended, showing up when it fit our schedule to do so.

 

What I like about Anytime Dining is being able to eat when we want to and not at the fixed time (duh). What that translates to me to mean is that we don't have to frame our evening around when it is we have to eat.

 

Often, when meeting other passengers that we "clicked" with and would like to spend more time with the question would come up: "What seating do you have?" on ships that did not offer the flexibility of Anytime Dining. We've sweet-talked Maitre d's in the past to be able to sit with our new friends at dinner. With Anytime Dining that's not necessary.

 

We just arrive some time during serving hours and eat.

 

I guess we're lucky or something because we've never had much of a wait and always had excellent service and food. My commitment to spreading that word was punctuated recently by two sailings on two different lines other than Princess on which the service and food were less than stellar. Not bad but not as good.

[coo359a2]

I have read many posts about going to the dining room and asking the maitre d' to change to traditional seating when waitlisted. But which dining room do you go to meet with the maitre d'.

[Druke I]

Coo359a2

 

Often, the first day's Princess Patter will state where the Maitre 'D is that day - as he is busy trying to accomodate various requests - expect a line.

[negc]

Interesting. The latest Captain’s Circle mailing I’ve received notes one of the amenities for Circle members is guaranteed Traditional Seating…

 

Very interesting, indeed. Wonder why they would offer such an amenity when the party line is that "anytime dining" is so overwhelmingly successful and popular?

Of course it may just result in a longer wait list for those who aren't in Captain's Circle as yet. Is the amenity for all members of Captain's Circle or only for those in higher tiers?