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

[AJMissal]

On 8/18/2021 at 4:58 PM, Kay S said:

But I don't want ATD.  I want what they have said they will provide:  same wait staff, same table, same time.  We are traditional cruisers (sticks-in-the-mud?) and Princess is not giving us what we want.  We are seriously reconsidering our Princess loyalty.  If we didn't have a load of FCC to use up...  We do have a booking on HAL after this.

I agree. I’ve only ever cruised Princess. And this will be my new husbands first cruise.  The one thing I’ve always loved is showing up at the same table with same waitstaff each night and getting to know them personally.  I will miss that on our January cruise.  What a mess up like you said. 

[Katarina5391]

Are dinner items on the MDR menu generally available on the room service menu as well? How much will I be missing out if I order room service for dinner every night? I would love to still have steak, lobster, escargots, and other seafood dishes, plus dessert! Would rather dine in the MDR every night and enjoy the great company of fellow cruisers but I'm going to be traveling with my mom who is immunocompromised and I've got to be more cautious than usual. Thanks for your advice!

[capriccio]

2 hours ago, Katarina5391 said:

Are dinner items on the MDR menu generally available on the room service menu as well? How much will I be missing out if I order room service for dinner every night? I would love to still have steak, lobster, escargots, and other seafood dishes, plus dessert! Would rather dine in the MDR every night and enjoy the great company of fellow cruisers but I'm going to be traveling with my mom who is immunocompromised and I've got to be more cautious than usual. Thanks for your advice!

Not unless you are in a full suite.  In that case you can order off the MDR breakfast (but why bother since the full suite breakfast in Sabatinis is incredible), lunch on sea days, and dinner menus.  All food is delivered at the same time (so don't order ice cream for dessert unless you intend to start with dessert).

[JF - retired RRT]

There are some items on the room service menu from the specialty restaurants. You can see them here: https://profcruise.com/oceannow-delivery-menu-2022/

[Katarina5391]

1 hour ago, capriccio said:

Not unless you are in a full suite.  In that case you can order off the MDR breakfast (but why bother since the full suite breakfast in Sabatinis is incredible), lunch on sea days, and dinner menus.  All food is delivered at the same time (so don't order ice cream for dessert unless you intend to start with dessert).

Thanks! Darn, I’m in a regular balcony. I don’t mind eating dessert before the entree though!

[Katarina5391]

49 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

There are some items on the room service menu from the specialty restaurants. You can see them here: https://profcruise.com/oceannow-delivery-menu-2022/

Thanks! It’s great that items from Sabatini’s and Crown Grill will still be available to us homebodies.

[memoak]

5 hours ago, Katarina5391 said:

Are dinner items on the MDR menu generally available on the room service menu as well? How much will I be missing out if I order room service for dinner every night? I would love to still have steak, lobster, escargots, and other seafood dishes, plus dessert! Would rather dine in the MDR every night and enjoy the great company of fellow cruisers but I'm going to be traveling with my mom who is immunocompromised and I've got to be more cautious than usual. Thanks for your advice!

I really don’t get it. Are you planning to spend the entire cruise in your stateroom ?  If not how are going to be avoid being around others 

[Userclown]

On 5/26/2022 at 2:24 PM, Katarina5391 said:

Thanks! It’s great that items from Sabatini’s and Crown Grill will still be available to us homebodies.

Funny story! We loved the calamari from Sabatinis! It was on the APP menu, so we ordered it. It was delivered to our room and while we were enjoying it, we received a message that it could not be served and the order was cancelled!! We ate every bite and didn’t have to pay for it! Clearly all of this is a work in progress and will never be the same from one cruise to another! I bet if you let them know your issue, they will step up! Enjoy!

[Steelers36]

On 5/25/2022 at 8:04 AM, dixechik said:

I agree. I’ve only ever cruised Princess. And this will be my new husbands first cruise.  The one thing I’ve always loved is showing up at the same table with same waitstaff each night and getting to know them personally.  I will miss that on our January cruise.  What a mess up like you said. 

Don't give it up.  Speak to DR mgmt and let them know what you want.

[billco]

On 5/26/2022 at 7:42 AM, Katarina5391 said:

Are dinner items on the MDR menu generally available on the room service menu as well? How much will I be missing out if I order room service for dinner every night? I would love to still have steak, lobster, escargots, and other seafood dishes, plus dessert! Would rather dine in the MDR every night and enjoy the great company of fellow cruisers but I'm going to be traveling with my mom who is immunocompromised and I've got to be more cautious than usual. Thanks for your advice!

My advice would be for someone who is immunocompromised not to travel on a cruise ship. Even with all the precautions there continue to be people who test positive during the cruise and have to be quarantined.

[JF - retired RRT]

Wanna know why I follow this thread?

I'm waiting for the first post from someone who says, "I booked same table, every night. The first night I was shown to my table (just like they used to do for TD) and after that just walked in and sat down".

Hope springs eternal.🙏

[billco]

On 5/20/2022 at 1:46 PM, FlaMariner said:

 

Our experience on the Sky in March.....

 

We had same time, same dining room, same table for two requested but after day 2 when we found our perfect "table for two" and asked if we could just come there on time every evening the assistant manager said it could not be guaranteed and we would need to go thru the line.....We did all that and we got the table every evening (sometimes we had to beg more than others, whatever) but again, "no guarantee" but we got it...but what a hassle it was.   

 

 

 

We recently completed a 25 day cruise on the Enchanted Princess. We had DMW at 5:30 every night in Amalfi Dining Room. I think it was the second night, our server told us if we liked him to just just ask the hostess to make a note of his name and our table number and we would be seated there every night. It worked. In fact, after a few nights the hostess would just wave us through after noting our room number.

[billco]

6 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Wanna know why I follow this thread?

I'm waiting for the first post from someone who says, "I booked same table, every night. The first night I was shown to my table (just like they used to do for TD) and after that just walked in and sat down".

Hope springs eternal.🙏

It appears I might have been writing my post at the same time you were writing yours.

[JF - retired RRT]

29 minutes ago, billco said:

It appears I might have been writing my post at the same time you were writing yours.

Great minds think alike.😉

[JF - retired RRT]

33 minutes ago, billco said:

We recently completed a 25 day cruise on the Enchanted Princess. We had DMW at 5:30 every night in Amalfi Dining Room. I think it was the second night, our server told us if we liked him to just just ask the hostess to make a note of his name and our table number and we would be seated there every night. It worked. In fact, after a few nights the hostess would just wave us through after noting our room number.

A partial solution. Glad it worked for you!

[Sailingbear]

Newbie DMW and Medallion Class App user. I'm confused. About 2 months out from sailing and tried to make DMW reservations with the App. Originally was unable to find anything other than table for the two of us with private dining eventhough we prefer to share a table. Working the Roll Call for our sailing to see if any others want to join together for a larger table. In the meantime, thinking it may be best to reserve a table to share (since now some show). So I think made that reservation for every night (a bit earlier than I would prefer yet assume better to have something) yet can't tell from the APP if the reservation really happened. How do I check? Will it be a problem to go back, add guests to our booking, and try again for a different table size and possibly different time? If so, any suggestions?

[Userclown]

50 minutes ago, Sailingbear said:

Newbie DMW and Medallion Class App user. I'm confused. About 2 months out from sailing and tried to make DMW reservations with the App. Originally was unable to find anything other than table for the two of us with private dining eventhough we prefer to share a table. Working the Roll Call for our sailing to see if any others want to join together for a larger table. In the meantime, thinking it may be best to reserve a table to share (since now some show). So I think made that reservation for every night (a bit earlier than I would prefer yet assume better to have something) yet can't tell from the APP if the reservation really happened. How do I check? Will it be a problem to go back, add guests to our booking, and try again for a different table size and possibly different time? If so, any suggestions?

I think the Medallion APP is still a work in progress! It is like working with anything techy. Keep trying, be patient and know that on board they will do what they can to make you happy. 

[Userclown]

7 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Wanna know why I follow this thread?

I'm waiting for the first post from someone who says, "I booked same table, every night. The first night I was shown to my table (just like they used to do for TD) and after that just walked in and sat down".

Hope springs eternal.🙏

We have cruised with Princess 3 times, November, December, and March. It was exactly like you describe. Reserved same time every night, table for two, showed up on time and were taken to our table promptly. All on the Caribbean Princess with low occupancy. So much fun and so perfect. 

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Sailingbear said:

Newbie DMW and Medallion Class App user. I'm confused. About 2 months out from sailing and tried to make DMW reservations with the App. Originally was unable to find anything other than table for the two of us with private dining even though we prefer to share a table. Working the Roll Call for our sailing to see if any others want to join together for a larger table. In the meantime, thinking it may be best to reserve a table to share (since now some show). So I think made that reservation for every night (a bit earlier than I would prefer yet assume better to have something) yet can't tell from the APP if the reservation really happened. How do I check? Will it be a problem to go back, add guests to our booking, and try again for a different table size and possibly different time? If so, any suggestions?

 

I think it makes sense for you to book something.  Just look for Private or Sharing - whichever you prefer.  From my experience looking at four voyages we have booked, it is usually the Private space that is gone in some or many timeslots and Sharing option is not a problem. 

 

My advice on the RC is if you find a suitable group size - say 6 or 8 (whatever you all are wanting) - that you then designate one couple as the lead and they obtain the Princess Booking Numbers for the other couples and add them as Travel Companions.  Then, use DMW to book a Private table and include all of the Travel Companions.  Once this is done, each of the couples will see the booking in their DMW info in the MC App.  If a couple elects to do SD in the Crown Grill, for example, they can make a booking for two and will be absent in the MDR table for that night.  Since you have a Private table, non one else would end up joining - unless you advise the door folks that a couple is missing and you are happy to accept a walk-up or another couple looking to share. 

 

To check what you have in DMW, you start it up and then select the individual evening option and you can scroll through the dates of your voyage at the top of the next screen and tap on any date and see what the reservation is.

 

[donswife]

On 5/26/2022 at 11:21 AM, Katarina5391 said:

Thanks! Darn, I’m in a regular balcony. I don’t mind eating dessert before the entree though!

Many of the items from the MDR menu are available in the buffet, and often it is not crowded at dinner time, so if your mom is comfortable leaving the cabin and eating outside or in a quiet corner of the buffet dining area, that would be an option. There are also nice options at the grill by the pool, pizza by the pool, and (on most ships) the International cafe, that you can enjoy outdoors or bring back to your cabin. If you plan to do that, pack a flat tray to carry food on, they are not usually available on the ship.

[KKB]

We have ATD for our July cruise.

Hopped on the app today & booked our set daily time & a table for 2. 

Not 100% sure it will be the same table, we shall see. 

We do enjoy having the same wait staff nightly but have had less of that the last 10 years on all the lines we have sailed so we roll with it.

[cruisegal415]

I received an email today from Princess telling me to book my specialty dining.  )We made full payment last week).  Went on and logged in and it said you can only make dining reservations through the Medallion app.  Ok.  Went on the app, clicked on Dining, tried to make specialty reservations, it said it's too early.  Then why did I get an email telling me to do it? I thought once you make full payment you can go on and make specialty dining reservations. 

 

Recently sailed Celebrity, we were able to buy a package that included 3-4 specialty restaurants in advance, then make the reservations for whichever ones we wanted.  I guess Princess doesn't offer that option?

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, cruisegal415 said:

I received an email today from Princess telling me to book my specialty dining.  )We made full payment last week).  Went on and logged in and it said you can only make dining reservations through the Medallion app.  Ok.  Went on the app, clicked on Dining, tried to make specialty reservations, it said it's too early.  Then why did I get an email telling me to do it? I thought once you make full payment you can go on and make specialty dining reservations. 

 

Recently sailed Celebrity, we were able to buy a package that included 3-4 specialty restaurants in advance, then make the reservations for whichever ones we wanted.  I guess Princess doesn't offer that option?

You received a boiler-plate marketing email that indicates what you OUGHT to be able to do.  However, the MC App - and especially DMW - has a mind of its own and it controls what you CAN do.

 

You can try calling Princess and listen to the phone tree options and you can get through to a rep that supposedly can help with DMW reservations.  Give it a try and let us know.

[alibabacruisers]

I have been able to use the book the "reserve the same time each day" function.  I removed one day so I can book the specialty restaurant which I have a complimentary gift to use.  When I select the restaurant the "free" choice is not listed; only the pay $29pp choice.  Can anyone tell me what I need to do or is there a tip to get it to go through?  Thanks in advance.

[highloyo]

28 minutes ago, alibabacruisers said:

I have been able to use the book the "reserve the same time each day" function.  I removed one day so I can book the specialty restaurant which I have a complimentary gift to use.  When I select the restaurant the "free" choice is not listed; only the pay $29pp choice.  Can anyone tell me what I need to do or is there a tip to get it to go through?  Thanks in advance.

I think it depends on how you got the complimentary gift. If through Princess a credit on the app would show up. If through a travel agent you might have to redeem it on board.