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

[gfu100]

Hi all,

 

First time cruise, finally happening (hopefully) after 2 cancellations due to Covid. We will be on the Caribbean Princess on June 4th. I have a question about the dining areas available to reserve on the Medallion app. My app allows me to choose between the Palm Dining room or the Coral Dining room. I read the Palm Dining area was for club class only. Although we have mini-suites, it is not designated “club class”. Is this a mistake, or are they opening the Palm DR for everyone? I just don’t want to make the reservations and then have them turn us away once we arrive because we are not club-class. Thanks in advance if anyone can help with answers!

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, gfu100 said:

Hi all,

 

First time cruise, finally happening (hopefully) after 2 cancellations due to Covid. We will be on the Caribbean Princess on June 4th. I have a question about the dining areas available to reserve on the Medallion app. My app allows me to choose between the Palm Dining room or the Coral Dining room. I read the Palm Dining area was for club class only. Although we have mini-suites, it is not designated “club class”. Is this a mistake, or are they opening the Palm DR for everyone? I just don’t want to make the reservations and then have them turn us away once we arrive because we are not club-class. Thanks in advance if anyone can help with answers!

Only a small section of the DR is set aside for CC.

[Ombud]

On 4/25/2022 at 10:25 AM, cruisingram1 said:

just large enough for a small person to squeeze through while they shove their butt in the face to the person on the other side.

A smallish person could walk right through on the Ruby Princess. Maybe they removed 1 table?

 

At any rate, I only had 1 person ask to join me. Social dictates that I acquiesce  ..... has anyone declined that request? He didn't check in just walked in as if he was joining someone he knew (he wasn't). WWYD? Can you give me a reply as I'm sure it'll happen again. 

[muchofamuchness]

7 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

AskOceanMedallion@carnival.net. Or call in and select MC App help option.  If emailing, send full booking information and that DMW not working for you.

 

Thanks. If it helps others, I actually managed to resolve it by uninstalling the app and reinstalling it - maybe there was something in the cache that was stopping it...

[chamima]

21 hours ago, Ombud said:

A smallish person could walk right through on the Ruby Princess. Maybe they removed 1 table?

 

At any rate, I only had 1 person ask to join me. Social dictates that I acquiesce  ..... has anyone declined that request? He didn't check in just walked in as if he was joining someone he knew (he wasn't). WWYD? Can you give me a reply as I'm sure it'll happen again. 

 

If I understand your question correctly you were alone at a table for 2 and some random person walked in and asked if he could join you at your table.

My response (and I'm VERY non-confrontational !!) would have been "I'm sorry, I prefer to dine alone."  You owe that (rude) person nothing. Just because he is Mr. Chutzpah doesn't mean you owe him anything.

[Ombud]

Then he rattled on!!!! 😶 Next time I'm just saying "NO I prefer to eat alone" unless I personally know them. 

[odie1024]

I have read through a number of these posts and we will be sailing our first Princess cruise mid June on Royal. If I understand this correctly for anytime dining we need a reservation? I have been sailing NCL and could just walk up to the hostess station and be seated most times immediately. We prefer to eat between 7-7:30 will that be a problem? Thanks, any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Astro Flyer]

45 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

I have read through a number of these posts and we will be sailing our first Princess cruise mid June on Royal. If I understand this correctly for anytime dining we need a reservation? I have been sailing NCL and could just walk up to the hostess station and be seated most times immediately. We prefer to eat between 7-7:30 will that be a problem? Thanks, any advice is greatly appreciated.

You have the option to either make reservations or to walk up to be seated which might have a slight delay.
 

When we had a 6:00 reservation would see lines at the dining room’s entrance at about 7-7:20. Later times apparently have fewer delays than earlier.

[Nebr.cruiser]

You don't have to have a reservation but depending on when you want to eat there may be some wait line.

 

On our Discovery cruise: we like to eat later and always went to the first show and then to the dining room--probably around 8 or a little before.  We never had more than a 5 minute wait and usually less.  We never had reservations.  

 

If you want to eat at a very popular time, it may take longer to get seated.  I'm not sure  but think 7-7:30 would be a longer wait.

[Tedferg]

14 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

On our Discovery cruise: we like to eat later and always went to the first show and then to the dining room--probably around 8 or a little before.

Isn't first show at 7:30?

 

[Nebr.cruiser]

28 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Isn't first show at 7:30?

 

You are right!  So we went directly from the show and were at the dining room at about 8:20 to 8:50. 

[Tedferg]

23 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

You are right!  So we went directly from the show and were at the dining room at about 8:20 to 8:50. 

Thanks, I asked because we have thought of doing that but 8:20 dinner is a little late for us.

[Nebr.cruiser]

3 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks, I asked because we have thought of doing that but 8:20 dinner is a little late for us.

It is a little late, but I confess that we usually had a snack at the International Cafe or buffet in the late afternoon!  To tide us over, you know?😉

[Tedferg]

26 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

It is a little late, but I confess that we usually had a snack at the International Cafe or buffet in the late afternoon!  To tide us over, you know?😉

That's a great idea, adds flexibility!

[wowzz]

20:20 is a great time for dinner.  Mid-afternoon snack, followed by afternoon drinks, followed by sail away drinks, then freshen up, pre dinner drinks, and voila,  dinner time !

Why would anyone want to eat earlier? 

[Tedferg]

10 minutes ago, wowzz said:

20:20 is a great time for dinner.  Mid-afternoon snack, followed by afternoon drinks, followed by sail away drinks, then freshen up, pre dinner drinks, and voila,  dinner time !

Why would anyone want to eat earlier? 

If dinner is over in an hour, then OK, otherwise too close to bedtime for digestion. Especially after a tiring port day.

[Nebr.cruiser]

15 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

If dinner is over in an hour, then OK, otherwise too close to bedtime for digestion. Especially after a tiring port day.

Works just fine if your usual bedtime is 2 AM!  Yep, nightowl here.

[Tedferg]

Just now, Nebr.cruiser said:

Works just fine if your usual bedtime is 2 AM!  Yep, nightowl here.

🙂

 

[wowzz]

19 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

If dinner is over in an hour, then OK, otherwise too close to bedtime for digestion. Especially after a tiring port day.

But surely, after a tiring port day, you need to relax, have a drink,  have a shower, have another drink etc. Why the need to eat as soon as you get back on the ship ? 

[Tedferg]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

But surely, after a tiring port day, you need to relax, have a drink,  have a shower, have another drink etc. Why the need to eat as soon as you get back on the ship ? 

Back onboard 5'ish, beer for me, cabin for DW. White wine back to cabin for DW - feet up, shower, cocktail at 6:30, dinner 7:00. Show at 9:30, nightcap 10:00 back to cabin 10:30. Putting dinner later messes this up. I do see early show and 8:20 dinner would work.

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, Tedferg said:

Back onboard 5'ish, beer for me, cabin for DW. White wine back to cabin for DW - feet up, shower, cocktail at 6:30, dinner 7:00. Show at 9:30, nightcap 10:00 back to cabin 10:30. Putting dinner later messes this up. I do see early show and 8:20 dinner would work.

Personally,  we think the shows on Princess are pretty abysmal, so we arrange our evenings around our own time scale,  not around a fairly average singer and dancers. 

[Tedferg]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Personally,  we think the shows on Princess are pretty abysmal, so we arrange our evenings around our own time scale,  not around a fairly average singer and dancers. 

Fair comment, except for 'abysmal', just part of cruising for us and mostly just four nights out of seven for us.

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Fair comment, except for 'abysmal', just part of cruising for us and mostly just four nights out of seven for us.

Understood - perhaps abysmal was a bit strong. Underwhelming might be better.

We only do 14+ nights cruises, so have more nights to enjoy ourselves. 

I'm impressed that your wife can get back to your cabin at 5 and be out for cocktails at 6:30 !  How do you do that ?😃

[Tedferg]

21 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I'm impressed that your wife can get back to your cabin at 5 and be out for cocktails at 6:30 !  How do you do that ?😃

Sometimes I have to slip out at 6:30 on my own and wait in Crooners 🙂

 

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, wowzz said:

But surely, after a tiring port day, you need to relax, have a drink,  have a shower, have another drink etc. Why the need to eat as soon as you get back on the ship ? 

Because we're hungry?