Regal Princess - when can I make open seating dinner reservations in the MDR? When for the Specialty Dining?

[PaperSniper4]

Subject lines says it all. We're booked on the Regal Princess out of Galveston. Our booking invoice says we have Open Seating. (out of curiosity, what are the traditional dining times if that still exists on Princess?). I wonder when I can make dinner reservations for our MDR meals and also for the specialty dining venues like the Crown Grill. We normally prefer to eat around 1800/6pm at home and we'd like to try to keep that general time.

 

Thanks for information from those who have cruised Princess lately....we have not.

 

 Doug

[CC Rider 69]

As I have it, no traditional dining (6 & 😎 on Princess. It's open, make your MDR reservations via the Princess APP. It's really easy, and yes you can do CG on there as well.

[Rick&Jeannie]

"Traditional set" dining has been replaced by Anytime Dining...you pick where/when you would like to eat (as long as there are time slots available to book.) 

I have seen 2 different lines of thought as far as when you can actually book. Some say only after final payment...but I suspect that is only for those without loyalty status. We are Platinum tier and I have always been able to book as soon as I book the cruise. *Maybe* this is affected by when I book the cruise...IDK; I've never really sat down to figure that out. 

 

For the easiest way to book dining (in my opinion) use the "web version" of the app which is available in the cruise personalizer on the very first tab that comes up (summary?)...NOT the dining tab. (Strange, I know. )  scroll down just a bit and look for a VERY small text link that says "Try our web version". If you blink you'll miss it! I don't know why they tend to "hide" it such. I think it's much easier to book your dining on a larger screen such as a desktop/laptop/tablet rather than a small phone screen...but that's just me!

[Wonders By Wallis]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

We are Platinum tier and I have always been able to book as soon as I book the cruise.

You are correct. Platinum gets to book dining early.
captains-circle-loyalty-benefits.pdf (princess.com)

[Rick&Jeannie]

Just now, Wonders By Wallis said:

You are correct. Platinum gets to book dining early.
captains-circle-loyalty-benefits.pdf (princess.com)

Good to know!  I really was not sure about that because we've been Platinum for some time...I've gotten used to it without even thinking!

[PaperSniper4]

Ahhh........ gonna answer my own question. I found my notes from our last Princess cruise. We are Platinum level. Last time I make our anytime dinner reservations about 3-4 months out. We're not booked a specialty dining venue before, since Plus just started including those, but I am assuming I can book those about the same time.

 

 Doug

[MamaStang]

On 1/25/2024 at 2:24 PM, Wonders By Wallis said:

You are correct. Platinum gets to book dining early.
captains-circle-loyalty-benefits.pdf (princess.com)

Hoping you also have the answer to this Wallis.  We just earned Platinum after our last cruise and will be sailing again in the fall.  Definitely want to book specialty restaurants as soon as they are available to us.  I'll do a chat with Princess I guess but no harm in asking - do you know how far out Platinum is able to book?  

[Wonders By Wallis]

9 minutes ago, MamaStang said:

Hoping you also have the answer to this Wallis.  We just earned Platinum after our last cruise and will be sailing again in the fall.  Definitely want to book specialty restaurants as soon as they are available to us.  I'll do a chat with Princess I guess but no harm in asking - do you know how far out Platinum is able to book?  

All I've been able to find is this, "Platinum and Elite Captain’s Circle members, guess what? You can make reservations right away (before final payment). You get your pick of venues and times in appreciation for your loyalty!"

[jean-lynd]

I am not Platinum or Elite, I am in a balcony cabin and I have not made final payment. I cruise in July and I was able to make my dinner reservations a couple of weeks ago. I hope this helps!

[crowdraven87]

I sail on Halloween and have already booked MDR, Sabatini's and CG. First time cruising. There is 1 path in the app that says I have to wait but another path that let me do it right after booking. 

[PaperSniper4]

13 hours ago, Wonders By Wallis said:

All I've been able to find is this, "Platinum and Elite Captain’s Circle members, guess what? You can make reservations right away (before final payment). You get your pick of venues and times in appreciation for your loyalty!"

I am platinum and cannot book using OBC, but can book specialty dining using my credit card for our cruise March 2025. So that's about 13 months in advance at least.

 

 Doug

[PaperSniper4]

11 hours ago, jean-lynd said:

I am not Platinum or Elite, I am in a balcony cabin and I have not made final payment. I cruise in July and I was able to make my dinner reservations a couple of weeks ago. I hope this helps!

MDR reservations or specialty dining reservations? If the latter, did you use OBC or your credit card?

 

 Doug

Edited February 10 by PaperSniper4

[jean-lynd]

11 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

MDR reservations or specialty dining reservations? If the latter, did you use OBC or your credit card?

 

 Doug

Main Dining Room - I could have booked Specialty but I don't have any OBC so I would have had to pay for it. Not interested enough in it to do that.

[PaperSniper4]

11 hours ago, jean-lynd said:

Main Dining Room - I could have booked Specialty but I don't have any OBC so I would have had to pay for it. Not interested enough in it to do that.

Apparently even with OBC, we cannot cannot book specialty before boarding if we only want to book using that OBC. Kinda sucks IMO. 😩

 

 Doug

[Abercrombie2019]

2 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Apparently even with OBC, we cannot cannot book specialty before boarding if we only want to book using that OBC. Kinda sucks IMO. 😩

 

 Doug

You can only use OBC to book excursions prior to boarding.  If you book specialty dining in advance, it will ask for a credit card number and you will be charged as soon as the reservation is made.

[JordanF]

We are booked on the Emerald Princess for February 20, 2026.  Not a typo--2026.  We are Gold status, fwiw.  I downloaded the app today, and made MDR reservations for all 16 nights! Yes, more than two years in advance.  This was unexpected, but pleasant!

[marys350]

On 1/25/2024 at 1:22 PM, Rick&Jeannie said:

For the easiest way to book dining (in my opinion) use the "web version" of the app which is available in the cruise personalizer on the very first tab that comes up (summary?)...NOT the dining tab. (Strange, I know. )  scroll down just a bit and look for a VERY small text link that says "Try our web version". If you blink you'll miss it! I don't know why they tend to "hide" it such. I think it's much easier to book your dining on a larger screen such as a desktop/laptop/tablet rather than a small phone screen...but that's just me!

 

Thank you for this suggestion. I am just gold status and was able to make all of my main dining room reservations this morning for my Emerald Princess sailing for February, 2025 using the "web version" of the app. After I submitted my reservation for each day and time, it confirmed the reservations. However, I didn't receive email confirmation and I wasn't able to find a list of my dining reservations anywhere in my cruise personalizer. Any suggestions about where they should be listed? I haven't downloaded the app to my phone yet.

 

[cruisepest]

Folks,

 

You used to be able to book specialty dinning before using a credit card. I would highly recommend you do this if you want a reservation as the do fill up. This was the only way on the app. when it first launched. Then when you get on board the pursers staff will issue a credit to your card so you can use your OBC or free dinning credits. The free dinning now is working on the app but only the person who's name is on the credit card can book specialty dinning for the two of you.  We just did the last week and my wife had to book our dinning on her phone. I got a weird error message even though the app. showed I had dinning credits.

[Rick&Jeannie]

@marys350

You will not get an email confirmation of dining reservations, except potentially the charge made for a specialty dining slot.

 

To confirm your regular MDR slots, just go back into the web version and look at and click on each day.  Your reservation should show for that day.

Edited February 12 by Rick&Jeannie

[mikro47]

Can anyone confirm the name of the MDR on regal Princess? The app seems to suggest there are 3. Allegro, Concerto and Symphony.

[cruisinsince75]

The only two that I have found for the Regal that you can book ahead are the Concerto and Symphony.  

[Rick&Jeannie]

54 minutes ago, mikro47 said:

Can anyone confirm the name of the MDR on regal Princess? The app seems to suggest there are 3. Allegro, Concerto and Symphony.

There are 3 dining rooms available...not sure why @cruisinsince75 says only 2 are available to book.  Perhaps just another app glitch (if they were trying to do so via the app.)  You *should* be able to book all 3 (assuming there is an open time slot...)

[mikro47]

18 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

There are 3 dining rooms available...not sure why @cruisinsince75 says only 2 are available to book.  Perhaps just another app glitch (if they were trying to do so via the app.)  You *should* be able to book all 3 (assuming there is an open time slot...)

Do you happen to know if the same menu is served at all 3? My wife has Celiac disease and we have indicated this in the app. She will be ordering her meal for the following day at dinner the night before and don't want to mess things up if we change dining rooms. I'm thinking to be safe we should probably stick with the same DR. Sorry. Lol! Expecting you to know these specifics is a little much unless you happen to have sailed on the Regal before.

[cruisinsince75]

59 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

There are 3 dining rooms available...not sure why @cruisinsince75 says only 2 are available to book.  Perhaps just another app glitch (if they were trying to do so via the app.)  You *should* be able to book all 3 (assuming there is an open time slot...)

I did mine on the web version and only got the two options to reserve for our November cruise.  Checked it just now on the old app version and all three options are there.  Very weird.  

[cruisinsince75]