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Food and dining on P&O ships

Tablelamp

By Tablelamp,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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Colsers

Colsers

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, TigerB said:

 

You're welcome.🙂

What's your desired time for eating? I was able to book a table for four at 18:30 every evening; that though was as soon as the bookings opened on the Cruise Planner, at least two weeks before we sailed.

There could be several reasons why your desired time may not be available. One reason may be that you are joining mid-cruise and folk already onboard may have taken the available slots. Or they are popular times, so are being kept back for the virtual queuing system. Also, we sailed from Southampton, so everyone was in the same boat (pun intended) and all had the same chance of picking slots.

It may well be that, once you are on board, you may strike lucky in booking on My Holiday. If you get lucky on your first attempt but cannot book other nights, you could approach the restaurant host with a smile and ask if you could get the same slot each evening. Asking costs nothing!😉

Our desired time of 7.30 or 8pm will possibly be more popular so these are maybe held back for virtual or physical queuing on the day. Dining and entertainment bookings have opened on cruiseplanner for our cruise but as I say only 5-6pm pre bookable. Having cruised many times before but only twice previously on P&O, fixed seating, we've never had the "pleasure" of freedom dining so were a bit confused about the ability to pre book some dining slots and entertainment but not for the whole cruise.

Indeed we may be lucky whilst onboard either online or approaching the host, however I'd rather have had that all booked up in advance so to completely relax onboard. 🤗

I do wonder how cruise newbies find this complicated (imo) system of booking or just turning up, for dining and entertainment only whilst onboard via smartphones. I bet there will be a few bewildered souls onboard in the dining and theatre queues for a few nights 😉

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TigerB "Live from...." Rare

TigerB

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, amajaa said:

Sorry another question, how does the Limelight Club work as regards seating? Is it first booked gets the best seats or first in the queue on the day? 

 

I have a feeling that tables are assigned by the restaurant host or head waiter, and may bear no relation to order of booking or arrival. I say that because we were by no means one of the first to arrive, and we were assigned two tables together fairly close to the performance area.

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happy v

happy v

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, amajaa said:

Sorry another question, how does the Limelight Club work as regards seating? Is it first booked gets the best seats or first in the queue on the day? 

I think it is in order of booking. We had two bookings and the one we had booked earliest had seats nearer the front. Your place in the queue on board had no relevance 

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amajaa

amajaa

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

I have a feeling that tables are assigned by the restaurant host or head waiter, and may bear no relation to order of booking or arrival. I say that because we were by no means one of the first to arrive, and we were assigned two tables together fairly close to the performance area.

 

13 hours ago, happy v said:

I think it is in order of booking. We had two bookings and the one we had booked earliest had seats nearer the front. Your place in the queue on board had no relevance 


Thanks both I was hoping to book onboard to use OBC but perhaps might just have to book before . 
 

Do you still get your Peninsular discount if you book beforehand?

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Colsers

Colsers

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, amajaa said:

 


Thanks both I was hoping to book onboard to use OBC but perhaps might just have to book before . 
 

Do you still get your Peninsular discount if you book beforehand?

Yes amajaa, we got ours 👍

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TigerB "Live from...." Rare

TigerB

Posted
Posted
57 minutes ago, amajaa said:

 


Thanks both I was hoping to book onboard to use OBC but perhaps might just have to book before . 
 

Do you still get your Peninsular discount if you book beforehand?

 

21 minutes ago, Colsers said:

Yes amajaa, we got ours 👍

 

....and you get a 20% discount for booking before you board.

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Clodia

Clodia

Posted
Posted

I am on Iona on March 4th, and have made bookings for as many restaurants as possible because I am travelling solo and don't want to share since covid.

What are my chances of a table for one in the MDRs, or will I have to have room service any night I cannot get into the onboard available places like the Keel & Cow, the Glass House or the Olive Grove?

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TigerB "Live from...." Rare

TigerB

Posted
Posted
25 minutes ago, Clodia said:

I am on Iona on March 4th, and have made bookings for as many restaurants as possible because I am travelling solo and don't want to share since covid.

What are my chances of a table for one in the MDRs, or will I have to have room service any night I cannot get into the onboard available places like the Keel & Cow, the Glass House or the Olive Grove?

It shouldn't be a problem; I have frequently seen solo diners in the MDR.

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scarlet ohara

scarlet ohara

Posted
Posted

There were single diners in the Olive Grove, Beach house, Sindhu and Epicurean each time we were in them the last 3 weeks. 
We didn’t manage to get into Olive Grive in the evening. On G303 there was no pre booking or booking on board- it was all turn up and get a pager. No virtual queue for it either. On G304 it was booking only, but was fully booked for evenings from the first time we tried. It never appeared on the “app” at all. We were advised to try at lunchtime, but were in port most days.

 

It would be helpful if P&O would be consistent with each restaurant as to whether they are pre bookable before boarding or onboard as that might help lessen confusion 

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terrierjohn

terrierjohn

Posted
Posted
On 2/18/2023 at 11:22 AM, Selbourne said:


Hence my question 😂 If I can’t book for all 6 of us, we would end up with 3 tables for 2, which would then need unravelling when we turn up. I’d also like to get our Caribbean tier discount on all 6 covers, especially as I’m paying!

The app only reserves your bookings, if you all turn up together the MDR host will put you all on one table.

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thornegirl

thornegirl

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, davecttr said:

On Iona a couple of weeks ago the Glass House was open but not for food until 3pm. The Peninsular club lunch was packed so I found a quiet place in the buffet

Thanks for the information, wonder if the Quays is open.  If not, buffet it is then to the Glass House for drinks.

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EM35

EM35

Posted
Posted

On Aurora last summer (August 2022) you could book freedom dining on the app with the the queue opening about 15 minutes before the dining room did. I used the app without any problems but people certainly did just turn up at the restaurant and they would give you them a pager if they didn't have any tables available. 

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Selbourne "Live from...." Rare

Selbourne

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, thornegirl said:

Thanks for the information, wonder if the Quays is open.  If not, buffet it is then to the Glass House for drinks.


That’s a good question. I’d also like to know if The Quays is open during embarkation. We find the priority boarders lunch to be underwhelming and avoid the buffet like the plague, so have always gone straight to the Glasshouse for lunch, which is no longer an option. 

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