No booking needed in MDR on future Iona cruise

[Interestedcruisefan]

18 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

Thanks for your solution, I'd never of thought of that

My pleasure 

 

[Leomins]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

No the passengers who want to get something  ahead of others are causing the queues

Eglesbrech said: 

So P&O  are creating more queues now. NB ICF.

Eglesbrech’s comment above was in regards to the Limelight club and is completely correct. Limelight bookings used to open 12 weeks before the cruise start date and tables were allocated as they were booked so the early bookers always got the best tables. As P&O have changed this system to first to arrive choose their table, they have created queues.

 

You belittle people queuing for a Limelight table with your above comment. Aren’t you ‘wanting to get something ahead of others’ by prebooking yourself?

[Interestedcruisefan]

15 minutes ago, Leomins said:

Eglesbrech said: 

So P&O  are creating more queues now. NB ICF.

Eglesbrech’s comment above was in regards to the Limelight club and is completely correct. Limelight bookings used to open 12 weeks before the cruise start date and tables were allocated as they were booked so the early bookers always got the best tables. As P&O have changed this system to first to arrive choose their table, they have created queues.

 

That's what I believe to be the case from my experience on Arvia and Iona

 

Arvia as a guest in Limelight and Iona walking past the queue before Limelight even opened its doors

[lancashire_cruisers]

15 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

In fairness Iona doesn't get that many people upset by her now she's bedded in.the "problem" ship appears to be Arvia.

 

I enjoyed very much Selbourne's live from Iona and would welcome another one as I'm sure many would.  

 

 

I’ll see what the ‘temperature’ is like on this board over the next few weeks and decide then. 

[Eglesbrech]

24 minutes ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

I’ll see what the ‘temperature’ is like on this board over the next few weeks and decide then. 

Like Megabear I would be interested to read a live from if you have the time / inclination to write one.
 

Either way have an excellent cruise.

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, Leomins said:

 

You belittle people queuing for a Limelight table with your above comment. Aren’t you ‘wanting to get something ahead of others’ by prebooking yourself?

 

When I pre-book a venue or event that I can then plan a nice evening around before and after

 

I'm not pre-booking a specific seat or table just a timeslot in a venue

 

And because we don't enjoy physically queuing we will sacrifice getting a good spot for having a nice drink or meal before etc

 

I also realise that if something needs pre-booking and I don't pre-book in time I may be disappointed. That's life.

 

Others as well as pre-booking value where they are sitting at an event more than me and are prepared to queue to make that happen. Personal choice for them to do so. Totally understand if people choose to do that. But don't then complain about the queue if you've chosen to create/join it when you don't need to?

 

Surely thats fair enough?

 

I don't complain about queues on cruise ships big or small because I just avoid the queues! 

 

Re Limelight I guess allocating tables for those that pre-book based on when they book is also fair. However logistically will not be as efficient seating people like that in the bigger Limelight venues. Who knows. Best to have tables seated together as they arrive and served efficiently together by the waiting staff compared to randomly when guests arrived and are dotted around a larger venue.

 

Same as normal restaurants. That try to keep tables together and served together as they arrive rather than dotting people around 

 

Far more efficient for waiting staff and service like that reduces lots of walking to all corners of the restaurant randomly from the start 

 

There's usually some method behind what others may think as madness

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

When we couldn't pre-book theatre we would invariably have to rush desserts and/or drinks to go to a theatre show early enough to be sure of seats 

 

That is unnecessary stress to me. Sure you can chat when you get there

 

But equally you can chat whilst not rushing drinks or desserts

 

And pre-planning something is what people do in the normal world all the time

 

Nobody dreams of turning up to the theatre on the off chance they might be allowed in in the real world

 

Anybody who wants to do that. Still can as it happens. And take pot luck. As they could before. Nothing has been taken away from them. Sometimes they will be able to get in. Sometimes they won't.

 

But don't make those who are happy to pre-plan have to rush pre theatre like the old days when pre-booking takes that need away

 

Would be huge backward step. A little bit of extra civilisation was brought in  when they  allowed passengers the choice to pre-book theatre and the need to physically queue for any period of note or rush to the theatre was removed 

 

What's to complain about really?

 

I haven’t been complaining. Never had cause to complain aboard on over 25 cruises. I’m just putting my view across which is that I like to relax on holiday. Never had a tight schedule pre-planned and decide in the early evening what we’d like to do. A holiday is a chance to get away from ‘normal life’ in my view anyway. And I repeat, we never felt any stress before the app was introduced. Not that I get stressed by the app, but I don’t want to be looking at my phone all the time. In fact, we hardly ever used to carry our phones around the ship before the app was introduced as there was simply no need. Just a few times to take a few photos. 
 

App or no app, we like to get to the theatre early if possible. And we don’t have to rush dinner as we usually go the later show.  It’s all very well you saying that you can easily go up or down a level. Not as easy when elderly parents have walkers, or have had joint replacements etc. There as so many people who aren’t disabled, but do have mobility issues to some degree or another.   
 

 

[Host Sharon]

This thread about booking in the MDR has been completely hijacked. This is contrary to CC Guidelines. If it continues I will lock the thread. 

[Jazzytelly]

As an elderly couple 70s/80s we would be very upset if you can't pre-book the MDR . We always eat early and it's great to know we are booked in. 

 

Computers came into common use definitely in the 80s not sure if it was before as we lived abroad. So unless you are in your late 80s or 90s or older most people would be computer literate now. 

 

We are on Arcadia soon and hope we can pre-book but I have the awful feeling we might not be able to. 

[Ardennais]

3 hours ago, Jazzytelly said:

As an elderly couple 70s/80s we would be very upset if you can't pre-book the MDR . We always eat early and it's great to know we are booked in. 

 

Computers came into common use definitely in the 80s not sure if it was before as we lived abroad. So unless you are in your late 80s or 90s or older most people would be computer literate now. 

 

We are on Arcadia soon and hope we can pre-book but I have the awful feeling we might not be able to. 

Early Fixed dining is available on Arcadia so would tick the eating early box. 
 

As an aside, my mother has just turned 80 and is the only one of her sizeable group of friends able to use a computer. She worked in admin for many years and was introduced to computers through work. I know of many households around here who don’t have wi-fi or any smart devices. There are many people, of all ages, who aren’t computer literate. 

 

 

 

[CarlaMarie]

11 hours ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

I’ll see what the ‘temperature’ is like on this board over the next few weeks and decide then. 

 

As others have said it would be great to read your live thread or review of your cruise. Have a wonderful cruise!