Can you request a dining room ahead of time?

[canadarocks]

We have early dining on the Crown next year. Based on our cabin location we want to dine in the mid-ship dining room. Can I have my TA request that ahead of time? 

Edited March 27, 2019 by canadarocks

[jagsfan]

2 minutes ago, canadarocks said:

We have early dining on the Crown next year. Based on our cabin location we want to dine in the mid-ship dining room. Can I have my TA request that ahead of time? 

The simple answer is no. 

Each restaurant is already designated as Fixed (Traditional), Anytime or a mix. 

I can tell you that we have previously always done early Traditional and have been stuck all the way aft. 

Request Anytime and I’m guessing you will be assigned midship. 

[Astro Flyer]

As jagsfan posted you cannot request a specific dining room.

 

Although it’s been my experience that based on the time for early traditional dining I will know which dining room I’ll be assigned.  The later time has always be in the deck 6 aft dining room;  the earlier time has been one of the midship dining rooms which has an early traditional seating before becoming anytime sometime after 7:00.

[Coral]

1 minute ago, Astro Flyer said:

As jagsfan posted you cannot request a specific dining room.

 

Although it’s been my experience that based on the time for early traditional dining I will know which dining room I’ll be assigned.  The later time has always be in the deck 6 aft dining room;  the earlier time has been one of the midship dining rooms which has an early traditional seating before becoming anytime sometime after 7:00.

Though the aft dining room is used for early also. The mid-ship is "additional space" because early used to fill up all the time and they needed more space. I am always aft when I go early.

 

Answer to "OP" is "no".

[NavyVeteran]

The Crown Princess has three main dining rooms - the Botticelli Dining Room on Deck 6 aft, the Da Vinci Dining Room on Deck 6 midship, and the Michelangelo Dining Room on Deck 5 midship.

 

On their ship with three dining rooms in this configuration, Princess has early traditional dining in two dining rooms (one aft and one midship) and late traditional dining in one dining room (aft). The start time for the two traditional dining room is normally different with the midship dining room starting a little earlier than the aft dining room.

 

If your cruise lists three start times for traditional dining (two early and one late), then select the earliest start time - and it should be in the midship dining room.

 

Check as soon as you are onboard. If you are assigned to the other dining room, you can request the maître d' to change it.

 

So, the answer to OP is normally "Yes". Select the earlier of the two early times for the midship dining room.

Edited March 27, 2019 by NavyVeteran

[skynight]

Navy Veteran is correct. On boarding day the maitre'd will have afternoon hours. Visit if you are not happy with your assigned DR.

Early TD in the deck 6 mid ship DR will probably be 5pm. There is no late seating mid ship. The DR turns into anytime at 7:30.

[Astro Flyer]

26 minutes ago, Coral said:

Though the aft dining room is used for early also. The mid-ship is "additional space" because early used to fill up all the time and they needed more space. I am always aft when I go early.

 

Answer to "OP" is "no".

NavyVeteran explained in more detail which has always been my experience...the later time for early traditional dining has been in the aft deck 6 dining room;  the earlier time for early traditional dining has been in one of the two midship dining rooms.  

 

Based on the time that’s a way to know about which dining room will be assigned to early traditional seating.  While it’s not possible to request a specific dining room by requesting the earliest time for early traditional dining it would be in a midship dining room which the OP prefers.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Astro Flyer

[canadarocks]

I should have explained that we aren't "newbies" to the Crown. We were just on her in January and we were assigned early dining at 5:00pm in the Botticelli DR (aft). That worked fine as our cabin was close by. The mid-ship DR's early dining was at 5:15pm. But on the Cruise Personalizer there are only two booking options for traditional dining, 5:00pm & 7:15pm. I was just curious if you could specify your choice of DR before boarding. 

 

Looks like that's not the case, thanks. I'll wait until we board to change it if necessary.

(We had to do that on the CB on the cruise right before our Crown one this year)

Edited March 27, 2019 by canadarocks

[Astro Flyer]

5 minutes ago, canadarocks said:

I should have explained that we aren't "newbies" to the Crown. We were just on her in January and we were assigned early dining at 5:00pm in the Botticelli DR (aft). That worked fine as our cabin was close by. The mid-ship DR's early dining was at 5:15pm. But on the Cruise Personalizer there are only two booking options for traditional dining, 5:00pm & 7:15pm. I was just curious if you could specify your choice of DR before boarding. 

 

Looks like that's not the case, thanks. I'll wait until we board to change it if necessary.

(We had to do that on the CB on the cruise right before our Crown one this year)

Thanks for the update that there are now only 2 choices for traditional dining times unlike previously when there were 2 early & 1 late times.

[Colo Cruiser]

The only thing that will probably be certain is the aft DR Botticelli will be traditional dining.

 

Every cruise can be tweaked by the Maitre d as far as DR usage and traditional dining times.

 

The best way to handle your request would be to see the MD at the time/[lace listed in the Patter on embarkation day.

It is usually held in one of the DR's between 2p and 3:30p.

He has the power to address your request.

[Coral]

19 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Thanks for the update that there are now only 2 choices for traditional dining times unlike previously when there were 2 early & 1 late times.

When I was on the Crown, there were only 2 choices also. We always have aft rooms so it worked.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Coral

[Astro Flyer]

2 minutes ago, Coral said:

When I was on the Crown, there were only 2 choices also. We always have aft rooms so it worked.

Thanks...learned at least one new thing today. ☺️

[RDC1]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

Though the aft dining room is used for early also. The mid-ship is "additional space" because early used to fill up all the time and they needed more space. I am always aft when I go early.

 

Answer to "OP" is "no".

There used to be two different early traditional times, one 15 minutes before the other.  The earliest time was the mid ship early traditional, late anytime, the second time is the main early traditional dining room on deck 6 stern.

 

Now there is only 1 early time.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by RDC1

[RDC1]

Now that Princess has been successful in getting people to fill late traditional, I expect that their next move will be to consolidate early traditional in the stern dining room and to make the mid ship dining room which has been early traditional/late anytime to be anytime all of the time.  That matches with the change to a single early traditional time.

[NavyVeteran]

I should have commented that my experience is a little dated - before all the latest changes to dining times. It appears from some of the other comments that things may have changed since then.

[Coral]

4 hours ago, RDC1 said:

There used to be two different early traditional times, one 15 minutes before the other.  The earliest time was the mid ship early traditional, late anytime, the second time is the main early traditional dining room on deck 6 stern.

 

Now there is only 1 early time.

 

 

I know. And before there was 2 early dining times there was 1.  Princess has changed things around a few times.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Coral