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Traditional Dining


b_elissa_d
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You don't mention which cruise line, but that should not matter.  As paul929207 indicates, traditional dining is a placeholder to confirm a regular time and table for your dining.  But you can eat in any of the other specialty restaurants on board by paying their fee, or choose the buffet instead.  The MDR is just what is included in your base cruise fare.  But as he also mentioned, if at a table with others please let your waitstaff know the days you plan to not be there so they don't delay the dining service at your table awaiting your arrival.  Even if seated alone it would be a courtesy to your waitstaff to let them know.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited by leaveitallbehind
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In the past, on Princess, your asked your cabin number if your not recognized. This lets them know what dinning room and table assignment. I have read of traditional dinners being turned away from anytime. I can only imagine that was a sea day. Port day and you have early seating with the new times, can't see them turning anyone away.

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7 hours ago, Seadog & Sea Hag said:

If you have Traditional dining, don’t listen to the whining, just use the anytime dining if it’s more convenient 

Read on these boards within the month, traditional pax being turned away from any time. Been about ten years, but I want to say I saw similar event in person.

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19 minutes ago, jlp20 said:

Read on these boards within the month, traditional pax being turned away from any time. Been about ten years, but I want to say I saw similar event in person.

Well l have never been turned away and have been asked for my stateroom number on many occasions 

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21 minutes ago, Seadog & Sea Hag said:

Well l have never been turned away and have been asked for my stateroom number on many occasions 

Congratulations, no one commented on your personal experiences. Others have posted to these boards this has happened in the past. Policies of the MDR are run by the maitre d, not Princess. This is why questions re: shorts, hats, formal wear etc get varied responses depending who's has the position for that cruise.

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41 minutes ago, jlp20 said:

Congratulations, no one commented on your personal experiences. Others have posted to these boards this has happened in the past. Policies of the MDR are run by the maitre d, not Princess. This is why questions re: shorts, hats, formal wear etc get varied responses depending who's has the position for that cruise.

Congratulations to you too. CC is all about personal experiences, maybe you don’t have any 

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In our experience with Princess, we always booked "Traditional Seating". On any evening, we could visit any of the specialty restaurants or buffet, frequently having our table mates join us. If we missed the traditional seating time, you could check the Anytime restaurants and provided they had no queues, we have never been denied a table.

 

If you visited an Anytime Restaurant at the same time as your Traditional time, you would most likely be directed to your assigned dinning venue.

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On 11/16/2018 at 3:00 AM, b_elissa_d said:

If you are booked in for traditional dining do you have to stick with it everynight or can you also go to other restaurants?

 

Sorry, some posters forget this is for sharing of general information. On Princess, you can attempt to switch traditional/anytime anytime/traditional ONE TIME once on board. 

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3 hours ago, jlp20 said:

Sorry, some posters forget this is for sharing of general information. On Princess, you can attempt to switch traditional/anytime anytime/traditional ONE TIME once on board. 

 

 

I think you can "attempt" as many times as you want... :classic_biggrin:

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4 hours ago, jlp20 said:

Sorry, some posters forget this is for sharing of general information. On Princess, you can attempt to switch traditional/anytime anytime/traditional ONE TIME once on board. 

I am not aware of any Princess Policy that restricts a passenger from requesting the Maitre'D to change dinning assignments. In our experience, requests are normally approved, provided space is available.

 

On our 1 and only cruise where we booked late and couldn't get Traditional Dinning, we ended up with exceptional table mates on the first evening. We went to the Maitre'D requesting we all stay together (group of 8). No room in the traditional restaurants, so he blocked off a table for 8 every night in the Anytime restaurant and ensured we had the same waiters every night.

 

In our experience it is entirely at the discretion of the Maitre'D.

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If someone does not want traditional dining, they can request a change on boarding day.

For those who do have traditional dining, it is just courteous to let your tablemates and/or waitstaff know if you won't be there the next night (or ever again).  We have done many cruises on which we were given our requested 6-top table, with no other tablemates.  If we asked to be combined with others, we've been told "Mr. and Mrs. X and Mr. and Mrs. Y are booked at this table; we can't release those seats".  X and Y never showed up.  Very disappointing.

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1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

If someone does not want traditional dining, they can request a change on boarding day.

For those who do have traditional dining, it is just courteous to let your tablemates and/or waitstaff know if you won't be there the next night (or ever again).  We have done many cruises on which we were given our requested 6-top table, with no other tablemates.  If we asked to be combined with others, we've been told "Mr. and Mrs. X and Mr. and Mrs. Y are booked at this table; we can't release those seats".  X and Y never showed up.  Very disappointing.

 

I do not do TD but if I did, I would have just gone to another table that was also almost empty and asked if the people wanted to share.  You have to be proactive.  What are they going to do - kick you off the ship.  If you are a bit shy, you could call for the Matre d' and just told him what you were going to do before moving.

 

DON

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On 11/18/2018 at 8:46 AM, shipgeeks said:

If someone does not want traditional dining, they can request a change on boarding day.

For those who do have traditional dining, it is just courteous to let your tablemates and/or waitstaff know if you won't be there the next night (or ever again).  We have done many cruises on which we were given our requested 6-top table, with no other tablemates.  If we asked to be combined with others, we've been told "Mr. and Mrs. X and Mr. and Mrs. Y are booked at this table; we can't release those seats".  X and Y never showed up.  Very disappointing.

 

When I first read this I thought you wanted a 6 top all to yourselves.  I hadn't heard of that before and was thinking you must have a lot of pull.  

 

Anyway, If you had the 6-top by yourselves, I guess you didn't worry about space for multiple entrees!  :classic_biggrin:

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On 11/16/2018 at 6:00 AM, b_elissa_d said:

If you are booked in for traditional dining do you have to stick with it everynight or can you also go to other restaurants?

 

 

You have the option of going to your assigned dining time, or you may eat at the buffet or one of the specialty restaurants, any night. What you cannot do is go to the traditional dining rooms other than at your assigned time, and on most lines you cannot go to the "anytime" dining area.

 

If you are on a line like NCL that does nto have traditional ldining you can eat in any restaurant at any time.

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