Large group PC dining

[Kambird]

I have read about PC versus traditional dining here, but I still am wondering about large group personal choice dining. We are booked for the Grand in March and there are seven of us in the family. We are waitlisted for traditional, but signed up for PC right now. My question is, will we have a nightly wait for PC dining? How long? Can we reserve a time each night for PC dining? Starting the very first night or after that?

 

This is my first time with PC dining, and all I can imagine is that we will have a long wait like we do whenever we go out to eat in restaurants. I really don't want to have to do that nightly.

 

Any input?

 

Thanks.

 

Kam

[houstoncruisers2001]

I personally think that to be on the safe side that you might want to make a reservation each night. Back in December, 2004, we were with a large group on the Grand and after waiting on the first night we made a reservation for the other six nights. They usually won't seat you though, UNTIL your whole party is present and accounted for.

[cherylandtk]

If your group will eat before 6 or after 8 (as you would if you had gotten into Traditional) then you will have an easier time of it. You can usually make a standing reservation (same time/table) at these hours, but not beween 6-8. Ask when get onboard.

 

If you cannot make a reservation, or choose not to, and there is a wait at one of the Anytime rooms when you show up, check the other one. Often there is a wait at the Deck 6 room and no wait at the Deck 5 room immediately below.

 

Don't show up at 7 expecting immediate seating with a large group. Table turns are about 1.5 hours, so anyone showing up from opening (5) to about 6:30 can usually be seated. It is then busy until about 8 when most of the folks who arrived between 6-7 finish. If you do end up waiting, it will be about 15 minutes, maybe 20 with a larger group. (Don't know about restaurants where you live, but around here a wait of 1-1.5 hours is pretty common any night of the week.)

[Clutterlady]

You can do all that has been mentioned above, but last year on the Golden we had 6 in our party at PC dining. We ate between 7 & 7:30. Only had to wait once (15 min.) on first formal night. It's probably a hit and miss thing, but do check both dining rooms. Never wanted to make reservations as that defeated our purpose of choosing PC dining. They give you a pager and you can sit at a bar and enjoy a cocktail.

 

Have a great cruise!!

[lagrutke]

You may get lucky and get moved to traditional. We had a group of 15 and were waitlisted for early traditional at #156. A few days before sailing we were still at that number. When we embarked our card was marked for traditional dining, all 15 of us! This was a sold out cruise too!

[Kambird]

Thanks everyone, for your swift responses. I think I have a better feel for the situation. You have eased some of my worries.

 

Kam