Star embarkation any main dining room lunch options

[bostonfred]

We leave Tuesday. Will main dining room be open for lunch? ....just hoping..thanks

[senior lady]

Yes, noon -1:30   

 

[bostonfred]

Thanks...

[Astro Flyer]

1 hour ago, bostonfred said:

We leave Tuesday. Will main dining room be open for lunch? ....just hoping..thanks

 

If you ask staff they’re told to direct you to the buffet.  On my cruises which dining room is rarely listed in the Patter so we check both midship anytime dining rooms off the Piazza to see which one is open for lunch.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Astro Flyer

[skynight]

Most likely Portofino DR deck 6 mid ship. Check there first.

[Husky61]

1 hour ago, Astro Flyer said:

 

If you ask staff they’re told to direct you to the buffet.  On my cruises which dining room is rarely listed in the Patter so we check both midship anytime dining rooms off the Piazza to see which one is open for lunch.

Interesting, in all of our cruises we have never been directed to the buffet. Who told you that staff has been directed to tell you to go to the buffet?

[waltd]

Just now, Husky61 said:

Interesting, in all of our cruises we have never been directed to the buffet. Who told you that staff has been directed to tell you to go to the buffet?

Different strokes for different folks.   It does happen.   Guess you were just one of the lucky ones that it didn't happen to.   On one of our cruises we asked which dining room was open for lunch.  The staff person I asked said it was not open and go to the buffet.    I eventually found the dining room that was open. It has been reported many times on CC.   

[Coral]

Every once in awhile it is the aft dining room. Must go to aft elevators and then down.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Coral

[screamingreen]

We embarked the Star in Seattle on 9/22/19. We didn't ask anyone and just went to the Portofino dining room. The hostess was a little sarcastic and said the menu was very limited for lunch. Had us look at the menu before seating us. Was a little surprised how few people were there.

[geoherb]

It has been several years since we have been directed to the buffet, but I don't doubt that some people still get that answer. We just check the Patter to find out which dining room is open. One time, though, we dilly-dallied around, not realizing that it opened at 11:30 on that ship.

[HappyCruiserettu]

6 hours ago, screamingreen said:

We embarked the Star in Seattle on 9/22/19. We didn't ask anyone and just went to the Portofino dining room. The hostess was a little sarcastic and said the menu was very limited for lunch. Had us look at the menu before seating us. Was a little surprised how few people were there.

I always check the Patter. Look on the back, under "dining" It will give the hours for each dining room for the day. One of the MDR's will be open, usually until about 1:30. Generally, very few people there, mostly experienced Princess cruisers. I always get the Beef Tenderloin. It is delicious!

 

[Aus Traveller]

On countless cruises we have been directed to the buffet and, when we have said that we would be going to the dining room, the staff member has insisted it would not be open. In one case, the Cruise Director told us it wasn't open and that "in all his years working on Princess, the MDR hadn't ever been open on embarkation day".

 

Now, we just smile and go to the dining room anyway. Only once, when we got there we were told the dining room was closed because there was a private function. I think it might have been lunch for travel agents who were touring the ship.

[Husky61]

16 hours ago, waltd said:

 It has been reported many times on CC.   

And if it has been reported on CC, it must be true.🙄

[waltd]

Got it!   If it hasn't happened to you then everyone else is lying and it's fake news.   Give me a break.

[Coral]

10 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

On countless cruises we have been directed to the buffet and, when we have said that we would be going to the dining room, the staff member has insisted it would not be open. In one case, the Cruise Director told us it wasn't open and that "in all his years working on Princess, the MDR hadn't ever been open on embarkation day".

 

Now, we just smile and go to the dining room anyway. Only once, when we got there we were told the dining room was closed because there was a private function. I think it might have been lunch for travel agents who were touring the ship.

When I was on the Sapphire last time, I walked to Deck 7 aft elevators and there was someone telling people that the dining room was closed for a private event (with out them saying why they wanted to take the aft elevators). Some turned away. I promptly got in the elevator and went downstairs and the dining room was open.

 

The odd thing is that the person was stationed at the elevator IMO to tell people not to go to the dining room. I can't think of why else he was there.

 

I have no clue why employees are instructed to act like this.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Coral

[JF - retired RRT]

18 hours ago, screamingreen said:

We embarked the Star in Seattle on 9/22/19. We didn't ask anyone and just went to the Portofino dining room. The hostess was a little sarcastic and said the menu was very limited for lunch. Had us look at the menu before seating us. Was a little surprised how few people were there.

I'm not surprised at all, if she treats everyone the way she treated you.

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

When I was on the Sapphire last time, I walked to Deck 7 aft elevators and there was someone telling people that the dining room was closed for a private event (with out them saying why they wanted to take the aft elevators). Some turned away. I promptly got in the elevator and went downstairs and the dining room was open.

 

The odd thing is that the person was stationed at the elevator IMO to tell people not to go to the dining room. I can't think of why else he was there.

That's disappointing. Good thing you knew better.

[Smokeyham]

I've had a number of similar experiences, on Princess and on NCL, where if you ask which restaurant is open for lunch they will tell you to go to the buffet.  As others are saying, some persistence is required and you can usually find the restaurant that is open.  However, on my last cruise I was turned away at the actual restaurant and was told it was only open to suite guests and others.  

 

The irony is that if you were on the now discontinued Bon Voyage Experience you were taken to a restaurant, which would imply that is what passengers do upon embarkation.