Dine My Way & all new Dining questions since cruising restart!!

[DavidsNana]

I decided I better check the dining reservations that I made for my son and I for our 27 Feb cruise.  Well, the app said we have a private table for 2 each night but in two separate dining rooms on each night.  I had made reservations for one dining room early on and then cancelled them and re-made the reservations in the other dining room.  So don't know why it was now showing both sets of reservations.  I  didn't think it was able to do that as supposed to get a message saying another reservation already exists and I had cancelled all of the first ones before making the second ones.  So I re-cancelled the duplicate reservations again just now.  Hope things don't get changed but will keep checking.

[gardenbunny]

Another update:  Went to Amalfi tonite to get the table that we had last night and people were sitting there!  Went back to front desk and Alana told us that table has been reserved all week and were not there last night.

So here we go again….they sat us at another table that was nice. and good wait staff.  So, asked as we were leaving if we could have that table for last night….yep you guessed it - nope, that table has been reserved but they were not here tonight!

But Alana promised us she would find a nice table for us again…..

I know this was first experience but so far not a fan 🙃. 

Even more questions to add to my list of how this DMW works - if you reserve a table weeks before cruise begins and when you show up and like it and decide to reserve entire cruise, do you have to tell them on nights you are not using it?

But I will have a few weeks to further my education on this topic - booked today Panama Canal 10 day on Emerald for March 13.

 

[Steelers36]

8 hours ago, wineglass said:

when I go to dine my way for our Discovery Princess cruise in March, it only gives me the option of “party shares a table with others” or “party spread across multiple tables”. There is no private table for your party option. Our party are only 3 people. We have always asked for a private table for 4. Has anyone else seen this result?

Yes I got this a lot on many nights of a B2B2B we have.  It was likely partly due to the fact that only one DR is available in DMW for these voyages in OCT.  All you can do is keep trying.  How many DR's does it offer when you attempt to make a res?  They may only be using two if occupancy level is low.

 

Last resort - get to a DR early on Day 1 and ask.  Perhaps space will magically open up once on board?

 

[Steelers36]

36 minutes ago, gardenbunny said:

Another update:  Went to Amalfi tonite to get the table that we had last night and people were sitting there!  Went back to front desk and Alana told us that table has been reserved all week and were not there last night.

So here we go again….they sat us at another table that was nice. and good wait staff.  So, asked as we were leaving if we could have that table for last night….yep you guessed it - nope, that table has been reserved but they were not here tonight!

But Alana promised us she would find a nice table for us again…..

I know this was first experience but so far not a fan 🙃. 

Even more questions to add to my list of how this DMW works - if you reserve a table weeks before cruise begins and when you show up and like it and decide to reserve entire cruise, do you have to tell them on nights you are not using it?

But I will have a few weeks to further my education on this topic - booked today Panama Canal 10 day on Emerald for March 13.

 

Even before DMW, folks who had booked TD were expected to inform their waiters as a courtesy if they were not coming the next night.  A problem is if the change of plans comes at "last minute" in the afternoon of same day.  I imagine few did anything (but I recall going into the DR one night to tell our waiters we were going to a SDR).

 

With MC App, it is easy to cancel a single night or change to a different dining arrangement and the other nights remain as booked.

 

The problem is that the DMW feature does not book a physical table when you make a res and despite Princess mktg "promise", there is no promise or guarantee that you are going to have same table in same DR every night.  That is poor and not right.  There is supposedly some sort of "team" that reviews the DMW bookings and makes actual table number assignments.  IDK much about this mysterious process, but supposedly was or has been people at HQ.  You would think they would be placing people with full voyage bookings at the same table each night. 

 

Unfortunately, I think DMW bookings go into a big black box and what happens in there is a mystery and out comes random table assignments.

[PacnGoNow]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Even before DMW, folks who had booked TD were expected to inform their waiters as a courtesy if they were not coming the next night.  A problem is if the change of plans comes at "last minute" in the afternoon of same day.  I imagine few did anything (but I recall going into the DR one night to tell our waiters we were going to a SDR).

 

With MC App, it is easy to cancel a single night or change to a different dining arrangement and the other nights remain as booked.

 

The problem is that the DMW feature does not book a physical table when you make a res and despite Princess mktg "promise", there is no promise or guarantee that you are going to have same table in same DR every night.  That is poor and not right.  There is supposedly some sort of "team" that reviews the DMW bookings and makes actual table number assignments.  IDK much about this mysterious process, but supposedly was or has been people at HQ.  You would think they would be placing people with full voyage bookings at the same table each night. 

 

Unfortunately, I think DMW bookings go into a big black box and what happens in there is a mystery and out comes random table assignments.

It seems to me it would also be a lot safer during covid times to do TD.  You would be around the same people, wait staff every night and so much easier to contact trace.  If you have a positive going to a different table every night, just think how many people that person could infect?   They say 1 person can infect 40-70 people at a time.  I just don’t understand why PCL would change this?

 

Of course, I think the personal touch would be lost with the waiters and friends that you met during the past TD sitting at your table.  Just seems like going into a regular restaurant at home.  Nothing special.  Those encounters every night are special and good for the staff and the guests.  Look how the learn about your likes and dislikes every evening.  They are ready to make your dining experience smooth and special.
 

Rant over!
 

[nocl]

16 hours ago, gardenbunny said:

Another update:  Went to Amalfi tonite to get the table that we had last night and people were sitting there!  Went back to front desk and Alana told us that table has been reserved all week and were not there last night.

So here we go again….they sat us at another table that was nice. and good wait staff.  So, asked as we were leaving if we could have that table for last night….yep you guessed it - nope, that table has been reserved but they were not here tonight!

But Alana promised us she would find a nice table for us again…..

I know this was first experience but so far not a fan 🙃. 

Even more questions to add to my list of how this DMW works - if you reserve a table weeks before cruise begins and when you show up and like it and decide to reserve entire cruise, do you have to tell them on nights you are not using it?

But I will have a few weeks to further my education on this topic - booked today Panama Canal 10 day on Emerald for March 13.

 

If you are not going to be in the dining room then yes you should cancel your reservation for that evening.  Though if you do not show up within a certain time frame for your reservation it will be released for others to use the table.

 

With the system you can get the same table, but you also might not.

 

We found that if you book the same dining room and same time before the start of the cruise the system will generally assign you to the same table, though when you check it, they will give you the table number, so you cannot just walk to your table without checking in.

 

If you did not schedule the dining room for a night, then decide to dine there and make a new reservation during the cruise, you may or may not get your normal table.  Best to talk with the head waiter for that dining room the night before.  It would be nice if they would assign table numbers so you could read them on the app when the tables are assigned to the reservations.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, nocl said:

It would be nice if they would assign table numbers so you could read them on the app when the tables are assigned to the reservations.

Absolutely.  (Although the actual table numbers are supposedly not known until close to sail date, but still could be shown if they programmed it that way).

[Dbld777]

2 hours ago, nocl said:

We found that if you book the same dining room and same time before the start of the cruise the system will generally assign you to the same table, though when you check it, they will give you the table number, so you cannot just walk to your table without checking in.

 

If you did not schedule the dining room for a night, then decide to dine there and make a new reservation during the cruise, you may or may not get your normal table.  Best to talk with the head waiter for that dining room the night before.  It would be nice if they would assign table numbers so you could read them on the app when the tables are assigned to the reservations.

There were no table numbers on any tables on our recent cruise. I don't think there is any connection between your reservation in DMW(even when reserved for the same time and a private table each night in the same dining room) and a table number. According to a recent post, even if you get told that you can have the same table each night, you may find someone sitting at that table the next evening when you arrive. Of course this process may differ on each ship and maybe some ships will continue to use table numbers. Has anyone seen evidence that the DMW app assigns or connects your reservation to a table number?

 

The other concern is that things that some of the dining room managers are making happen now, with low passenger counts, may be totally impossible when the ships are sailing full.

 

[nocl]

16 minutes ago, Dbld777 said:

There were no table numbers on any tables on our recent cruise. I don't think there is any connection between your reservation in DMW(even when reserved for the same time and a private table each night in the same dining room) and a table number. According to a recent post, even if you get told that you can have the same table each night, you may find someone sitting at that table the next evening when you arrive. Of course this process may differ on each ship and maybe some ships will continue to use table numbers. Has anyone seen evidence that the DMW app assigns or connects your reservation to a table number?

 

The other concern is that things that some of the dining room managers are making happen now, with low passenger counts, may be totally impossible when the ships are sailing full.

 

I was on the Majestic.  There were table numbers, the same little plate that was on Princess ships pre-Covid.  When you checked in at the entrance of the dining room each night, the person there would scan the medallion and would then tell you what your table number was.  If it was the same one that you had been using you could then just go walk to the table.  If it was not one you were familiar with one of the wait staff would lead you to it.

 

Seemed quite efficient.

[PacnGoNow]

4 minutes ago, nocl said:

I was on the Majestic.  There were table numbers, the same little plate that was on Princess ships pre-Covid.  When you checked in at the entrance of the dining room each night, the person there would scan the medallion and would then tell you what your table number was.  If it was the same one that you had been using you could then just go walk to the table.  If it was not one you were familiar with one of the wait staff would lead you to it.

 

Seemed quite efficient.

Sounds like the old days!  Sure hope other ships do this.

I did email Corporate about my concerns over the lack of TD on many ships and really am concerned sitting in a different table every night.  I ranted earlier about that.  We will see what they say. 
If you love TD please let PCL know your feelings too.

 

[nocl]

1 minute ago, PacnGoNow said:

Sounds like the old days!  Sure hope other ships do this.

I did email Corporate about my concerns over the lack of TD on many ships and really am concerned sitting in a different table every night.  I ranted earlier about that.  We will see what they say. 
If you love TD please let PCL know your feelings too.

 

On my last 7 day cruise we ate in the dining room 5 nights, private table for two.  Scheduled in advance using the app.  Got the same table each night.  One night we were not originally scheduled for the dining room, had specialty originally scheduled, but decided to cancel. Stopped by the head waiter the night before to make sure we got our same table.

[PacnGoNow]

Just now, nocl said:

On my last 7 day cruise we ate in the dining room 5 nights, private table for two.  Scheduled in advance using the app.  Got the same table each night.  One night we were not originally scheduled for the dining room, had specialty originally scheduled, but decided to cancel. Stopped by the head waiter the night before to make sure we got our same table.

That’s great.  I’ll have to go on the Magestic!  Thank you for sharing.

[gardenbunny]

Seems like the key is to definitly book your reservation for table-type you prefer (private or share) for your entire party and time desired immediately when DMW is available on the app for your cruise!  And make sure your party is linked to your cruise reservation number.

At what time (number of days before cruise)  does that typically open?

[Steelers36]

6 hours ago, Dbld777 said:

There were no table numbers on any tables on our recent cruise.

Now there is a new piece of news.  Seems to me all the DR staff would have to have all the tables memorized.  The new way of dining continuous to be mysterious to someone like me not cruising since the Return to Sea.

 

I do understand this is not the case on all ships.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Steelers36

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, gardenbunny said:

Seems like the key is to definitly book your reservation for table-type you prefer (private or share) for your entire party and time desired immediately when DMW is available on the app for your cruise!  And make sure your party is linked to your cruise reservation number.

At what time (number of days before cruise)  does that typically open?

If you are Elite or Platinum Captain's Circle member, DMW is supposed to be immediately available.  Otherwise, it is available for booking after making Final Payment (which can also be done earlier than the deadline).

 

When DMW was released in early June, they grandfathered all existing bookings - regardless of CC Member status.  Since then, the new policy should be in effect, but I think I may have read of instances where some non-status folks were getting into DMW. 

[nocl]

6 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

That’s great.  I’ll have to go on the Magestic!  Thank you for sharing.

Will be interesting to compare with the Grand starting on the 19th.

[MustangGT]

Currently on the Regal.  No table #’s.  It appears Allegro is the closest to TD.  After our first night snafu in Concerto, we are being treated amazingly well in Allegro!

[PacnGoNow]

36 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

Currently on the Regal.  No table #’s.  It appears Allegro is the closest to TD.  After our first night snafu in Concerto, we are being treated amazingly well in Allegro!

I wonder if that is going to be the same on other ships?  Aft MDR?

[Steelers36]

Thinking time to ask this one.  Is anyone on a Regal cruise after say, mid-year, seeing more than one DR available when booking in DMW?  All I see is Concerto offered for October voyages.

 

[startedwithamouse]

10 hours ago, nocl said:

Will be interesting to compare with the Grand starting on the 19th.

On the Grand for 10 nights last month and same table and wait staff for all nights. We were shown the table at embarkation day lunch.  It was perfect location, as we had requested on the app. Also, Grand had table numbers. 

[TERESAh]

10 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Thinking time to ask this one.  Is anyone on a Regal cruise after say, mid-year, seeing more than one DR available when booking in DMW?  All I see is Concerto offered for October voyages.

 

 

[TERESAh]

When I tried to use dine my way for my 2/10 cruise got note it wasn’t available as making changes and to try later which I have for several days but keep getting same message.

[WildBlueYonder64]

2 hours ago, TERESAh said:

When I tried to use dine my way for my 2/10 cruise got note it wasn’t available as making changes and to try later which I have for several days but keep getting same message.

We sail on the Majestic on 4/2 and were able to make our reservations. We're Ruby, so no special privileges

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, TERESAh said:

When I tried to use dine my way for my 2/10 cruise got note it wasn’t available as making changes and to try later which I have for several days but keep getting same message.

If you are paid in full, keep trying.  DMW often comes back with that - especially when attempting to book for full voyage (all nights at once). 

[TERESAh]

Thanks tried again and got same message  “ sorry dine my way not available right now” try later “ maybe I’m doing something wrong I’m just going into ocean now and hitting dine my way. Our cruise is a month away so paid in full