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

[alibabacruisers]

It was from Princess and does not show up.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, alibabacruisers said:

It was from Princess and does not show up.

It is well-documented on here - and I have seen it myself - that DMW does not always recognize your SD credits and apply them.  Not sure at all why some are recognized and not others.  Still a mystery.  And they don't seem to have a broad-brush fix.  If they can do anything, it is by individual guest.  You can call into Princess and use the call tree options to get to a rep that specializes in DMW.

[Tedferg]

1 hour ago, alibabacruisers said:

It was from Princess and does not show up.

Isn't there also the option to pay via credit card and then get OBC from Customer Services. A hassle but important if you want to reserve a special time.

[Astro Flyer]

41 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Isn't there also the option to pay via credit card and then get OBC from Customer Services. A hassle but important if you want to reserve a special time.

Definitely a hassle for us.
 

Guest Services on Discovery would not issue us OBC for our pre-paid CG reservation when DMW would not use our complimentary dinner credit. Instead said it’d be a chargecard refund within 2 weeks which was the length of our cruise. The $58 was not credited to our chargecard so a day before the end they begrudgingly issued refundable credit. Two months later we’re still waiting for our refundable credit check ($260+)…definitely a hassle! 😳

 

[Ombud]

On 5/25/2022 at 5:04 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. 

What has you believing that's not possible? Is it personal experience or just posts on here? I've only been on 3 cruises since the restart. I did DMW on the 1st one & had different staff each night. I skipped it on the next 2 and had the same 2 top (or the next table over) with the same HW / W / Asst W with my same pot of tea each meal. (Deck 6 Midship). Same people in the next table over (I'm at the end of 1st row of 2 tops).  Why is my experience so different here?? Is it because I eat around 6:30?

[mya603]

My favorite thing about dining in the MDR was going whenever I wanted to and being seated at a table with people I had yet to meet.  Made lots of new friends that way.

 

[Princess Chatterer]

On the Island Princess is seemed that there were fierce podium arguments in the MDRs every night.  I don't think the podium staff had a clue as to who had reservations and where ahead of time.  They did check your pendant when you arrived, sometimes multiple re-checks.  We learned two things.  Avoid the club class dining rooms and just show up without a reservation because that was faster.  The fastest way of all to be quickly seated was to dine right after the first show.

 

The old Princess way of using buzzers was much better.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Princess Chatterer said:

On the Island Princess is seemed that there were fierce podium arguments in the MDRs every night.  I don't think the podium staff had a clue as to who had reservations and where ahead of time.  They did check your pendant when you arrived, sometimes multiple re-checks.  We learned two things.  Avoid the club class dining rooms and just show up without a reservation because that was faster.  The fastest way of all to be quickly seated was to dine right after the first show.

 

The old Princess way of using buzzers was much better.

If you have club class there is no wait or reservation needed. Plus you get addition food choices. Why would you pay for club class and not use it

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

If you have club class there is no wait or reservation needed. Plus you get addition food choices. Why would you pay for club class and not use it

On our recent cruise, we had CC...just sayin'...you don't always get additional dishes...we didn't. Standard menu with no additions. I asked the waiter and he just gave me a "I have no idea what you're talking about look".

[memoak]

3 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

On our recent cruise, we had CC...just sayin'...you don't always get additional dishes...we didn't. Standard menu with no additions. I asked the waiter and he just gave me a "I have no idea what you're talking about look".

I have had club class for multiple cruises and always had additional choices. You should have talked to the host

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

I have had club class for multiple cruises and always had additional choices. You should have talked to the host

Didn't think of that. However, I never saw anyone else getting anything that wasn't on the menu.

[Airwavey]

If I wanted to have something to eat at a ridiculous time overnight eg 2am or 3 am say, what options do I have? If any

[capriccio]

20 minutes ago, Airwavey said:

If I wanted to have something to eat at a ridiculous time overnight eg 2am or 3 am say, what options do I have? If any

The International Cafe in the Atrium and room service.

[FlaMariner]

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. 

 

It's possible for you to have the same wait staff but you have to understand and start practicing so you can succeed at this very challenging request you have....

 

From our 3/12 Sky cruise....

 

If you like the waiters on night 1 yet you are stuck at one of those tables for 2 that are only 12" from another table for 2, look around and find and record the table number

 

On night 2, ask for that table. Have a back up ready also.  Do not lolly gaggle.  Be firm. 

 

On night 3, ask the tall man in the suit at the door if you can by pass the long queue of folks waiting and simply go to your table.  He will tell you "NO, you must present yourself and your papers (medallion) at the kiosk each evening"

 

On night 3, ask the tall man in the suit at the door if you can have that table every evening and that you promise to be on-time.  He will tell you "not guaranteed"

 

On night 4 thru 13, stand in the line and be prepared to beg and plead for your table.  Some days you will be granted quick access, other nights the tall man in the suit will need to be consulted.  Always act very grateful and cheerful for this special accommodation you are requesting.

 

In the end, it can be done but you must work it.  Start practicing.

 

(Meanwhile, we will be cruising on Holland America Line...can't handle the table drama again)

[memoak]

38 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

It's possible for you to have the same wait staff but you have to understand and start practicing so you can succeed at this very challenging request you have....

 

From our 3/12 Sky cruise....

 

If you like the waiters on night 1 yet you are stuck at one of those tables for 2 that are only 12" from another table for 2, look around and find and record the table number

 

On night 2, ask for that table. Have a back up ready also.  Do not lolly gaggle.  Be firm. 

 

On night 3, ask the tall man in the suit at the door if you can by pass the long queue of folks waiting and simply go to your table.  He will tell you "NO, you must present yourself and your papers (medallion) at the kiosk each evening"

 

On night 3, ask the tall man in the suit at the door if you can have that table every evening and that you promise to be on-time.  He will tell you "not guaranteed"

 

On night 4 thru 13, stand in the line and be prepared to beg and plead for your table.  Some days you will be granted quick access, other nights the tall man in the suit will need to be consulted.  Always act very grateful and cheerful for this special accommodation you are requesting.

 

In the end, it can be done but you must work it.  Start practicing.

 

(Meanwhile, we will be cruising on Holland America Line...can't handle the table drama again)

We just always book Club Class mini suites or full suites. Takes care of the problem

[FlaMariner]

20 hours ago, memoak said:

We just always book Club Class mini suites or full suites. Takes care of the problem

 

We just always book in steerage so we get to beg at the dining room kiosk to the tall man in the dark suit.  

 

It all works out.  LOL.

[G&T Cruisers]

We will be cruising on the Island and will be going with our friends who have booked Club Class where we have not but we want to dine together will we be able to join them in Club Class or do they have to join us and if so will they still get the Club Class menu 

[NavyVeteran]

3 minutes ago, G&T Cruisers said:

We will be cruising on the Island and will be going with our friends who have booked Club Class where we have not but we want to dine together will we be able to join them in Club Class or do they have to join us and if so will they still get the Club Class menu 

You may not join them in Club Class. They may join you in the main dining room.

 

The extra Club Class menu item is only available in the Club Class dining room, so they will not be able to order it in the main dining room.

[memoak]

13 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

You may not join them in Club Class. They may join you in the main dining room.

 

The extra Club Class menu item is only available in the Club Class dining room, so they will not be able to order it in the main dining room.

This is correct   If a CC passengers dines in the regular portion of the dining room they will not be offered anything over the regular menu.  Non CC passengers are not allowed to dine in CC

[brownie9]

On 6/3/2022 at 2:15 PM, mya603 said:

My favorite thing about dining in the MDR was going whenever I wanted to and being seated at a table with people I had yet to meet.  Made lots of new friends that way.

 

Can you just show up and get a table or do you have to use the App and sign in for a time?  I don't care if a sit alone or with strangers, I just don't want to be stuck to a certain time? I could be buzy with something else.

 

[JF - retired RRT]

34 minutes ago, brownie9 said:

Can you just show up and get a table or do you have to use the App and sign in for a time?  I don't care if a sit alone or with strangers, I just don't want to be stuck to a certain time? I could be buzy with something else.

 

Yes. But you may have to wait for a table.

[Nebr.cruiser]

6 hours ago, brownie9 said:

Can you just show up and get a table or do you have to use the App and sign in for a time?  I don't care if a sit alone or with strangers, I just don't want to be stuck to a certain time? I could be buzy with something else.

 

We did that in March on the Discovery inaugural cruise.  We do eat later--usually after the first show, but only had a wait of around 5-7 minutes the first night.  After that, seated right away or within a minute or two.

 

There were three in our party.  We aren't particular as to where to sit or who our waiters are.  One funny thing--I've mentioned this before on this site--one night the girl who was sent off to find us a table came back after a bit very confused as she couldn't find a table for three!  Umm--yep, a table for four works!

 

On this brand new ship some things were definitely not worked out yet!  Especially staff.

[Thrak]

On 5/25/2022 at 5:04 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. 

 

We just disembarked (May 14) from Royal Princess. We did a 12 day Alaska cruise. We cruised with friends who like to dine early and aren't very "techy" so they asked if I could make the dining reservations. (For some reason the app works pretty well on my phone.) I booked the 4 of us for the same time (5:40 PM) every night.

 

When we boarded the dining room I had chosen was closed. D'Oh! No matter, we went to the dining room we were assigned. The first night as we were leaving I asked at the door if we could have the same table and staff again every night. They weren't real confident that would happen. The second night we were shown to a different table. Every night after that we were at the same table with the same staff. If we showed up together we were all escorted to the table. If one couple arrived before the other we were escorted to the same table and, when the other couple arrived, they were escorted to the same table. It was like regular dining used to be. I was surprised and pleased. Service was excellent.

[Neil_c]

I cannot understand this desire to book the same table and time months before a cruise, we have never booked on any ship.

Just got off Sky 4 June cruise. We dined about the same time 7pm each night. we shared 1st night got on well with 2 of the other couple on the table then from then on asked for a table for 6 and said happy to share to make up a bigger table. I think the maximum wait was 30 seconds. We do not mind if it different wait staff each time (in fact we had same waiter 3 times). We do not  need staff to know us, happy to order what we want. 

[Nicole&Pete]

On 6/15/2022 at 3:47 PM, Neil_c said:

I cannot understand this desire to book the same table and time months before a cruise, we have never booked on any ship.

Just got off Sky 4 June cruise. We dined about the same time 7pm each night. we shared 1st night got on well with 2 of the other couple on the table then from then on asked for a table for 6 and said happy to share to make up a bigger table. I think the maximum wait was 30 seconds. We do not mind if it different wait staff each time (in fact we had same waiter 3 times). We do not  need staff to know us, happy to order what we want. 

Hi

 

We are on the Sky in a weeks time, how full was the ship out of interest?

 

which restaurant were you in that gave you this fast service?

 

thank you