Saver fare dinner sitting - can I change it?

[5498jjk]

We’re thinking of booking Early Saver fares on an Aurora cruise next year. If we are allocated different sittings for dinner (2 separate cabins), can we change this once we’re onboard either to Freedom or our preferred sitting? Or is it better for us to choose Select to guarantee we are able to eat dinner together?

 

I’d be very grateful for any help with this as I’d rather not pay Select fare if I can help it!

[pete14]

If you have linked the bookings, there is probably a better chance of you being given the same sitting and probably the same table. However, there are no guarantees even on select. It may be possible to change onboard if you don’t get what you want but don’t bank on doing so. After all, those who book select pay more for their cruise and first consideration for dining preference is a benefit they pay for. 

[Selbourne]

Changing to Freedom may be challenging as it’s often full, but if you are happy dining late there is almost always availability on 2nd sitting. As has been said, best bet is to link the two bookings. You’ll then hopefully end up on the same sitting and if fixed dining, same table. 

[FangedRose]

1 hour ago, 5498jjk said:

I’d be very grateful for any help with this as I’d rather not pay Select fare if I can help it!

Cheeky!

 

If you want the benefits of Select Fare you need to pay Select Fare!

Edited September 9 by FangedRose

[Waju]

I find the staff on the door at the restaurants are usually really helpful if you talk nicely to them!  

[kalos]

https://www.pocruises.com/deals/select-price

[Bill Y]

3 hours ago, 5498jjk said:

We’re thinking of booking Early Saver fares on an Aurora cruise next year. If we are allocated different sittings for dinner (2 separate cabins), can we change this once we’re onboard either to Freedom or our preferred sitting? Or is it better for us to choose Select to guarantee we are able to eat dinner together?

 

I’d be very grateful for any help with this as I’d rather not pay Select fare if I can help it!

As has been said before get the two bookings linked, I agree with @Selbourne that on Aurora  there is normally plenty of capacity on second sitting (20:30). On Aurora in April there was a podium outside the Meridian restaurant on embarkation day to to deal with dining requests this was staffed from three PM.

[Selbourne]

3 hours ago, FangedRose said:

Cheeky!

 

If you want the benefits of Select Fare you need to pay Select Fare!

I think that’s a little unfair, and I say that as someone who has booked all but 2 of our many cruises as Select. When you book a Select fare you are usually able to guarantee your choice of Freedom, 1st or 2nd sitting. That’s the sole dining benefit. You express a table size preference but it’s never guaranteed.
 

When you book a Saver you may or may not be allocated your preferred dining, but there is nothing to be gained by refusing a customer a switch if it is possible. They want customers to be happy and it would just be mean spirited and pointless to just refuse point blank when there is availability. Booking a Saver does not mean that you can’t request a change once onboard, but you have to take your chances. You might be lucky, you might not. 
 

As it happens, our last cruise on Aurora was one of the cruises we booked as a Saver. We were allocated 2nd sitting, which we were happy with, but we didn’t like the table we were allocated. We enquired about switching to Freedom but were told it was full. Had we booked Select we could have guaranteed that. Anyhow, we were offered a different table on 2nd sitting that we were much happier with. 
 

So, just to be clear, booking a Saver means that you are allocated a dining option but it has never meant that you cannot ask to change it if you don’t like it. 

Edited September 9 by Selbourne

[FangedRose]

41 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I think that’s a little unfair, and I say that as someone who has booked all but 2 of our many cruises as Select. When you book a Select fare you are usually able to guarantee your choice of Freedom, 1st or 2nd sitting. That’s the sole dining benefit. You express a table size preference but it’s never guaranteed.
 

When you book a Saver you may or may not be allocated your preferred dining, but there is nothing to be gained by refusing a customer a switch if it is possible. They want customers to be happy and it would just be mean spirited and pointless to just refuse point blank when there is availability. Booking a Saver does not mean that you can’t request a change once onboard, but you have to take your chances. You might be lucky, you might not. 
 

As it happens, our last cruise on Aurora was one of the cruises we booked as a Saver. We were allocated 2nd sitting, which we were happy with, but we didn’t like the table we were allocated. We enquired about switching to Freedom but were told it was full. Had we booked Select we could have guaranteed that. Anyhow, we were offered a different table on 2nd sitting that we were much happier with. 
 

So, just to be clear, booking a Saver means that you are allocated a dining option but it has never meant that you cannot ask to change it if you don’t like it. 

But the op specifically states that they want to guarantee that they are seated together, they also they want this Select Fare benefit without paying for it. Cheeky is at the lower end of adjectives I could have used!

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

But the op specifically states that they want to guarantee that they are seated together, they also they want this Select Fare benefit without paying for it. Cheeky is at the lower end of adjectives I could have used!

You are misquoting them. They are asking if they’d be better to book Select in order to guarantee sitting together.
 

However, it has never been an exclusive benefit of a Select booking that you can guarantee to sit together. As others have said, the best way to achieve that is to link the bookings. Linking bookings is available for anyone, regardless of whether they book Select or Saver. If you link bookings you will normally be seated together. 
 

With respect, I think you are misunderstanding what Select gives you when it comes to dining versus a Saver. There is one benefit and one alone, and that is the ability to choose (and usually have confirmed at the time of booking) your choice of Freedom, first or second sitting. That’s it. If you book a Saver you are allocated one that may or may not be your preference, but you can change it on board if there is availability. That has always been the case and loads of people do it, so it’s a perfectly reasonable question. You probably stand a better chance of getting your preferred table size booking Select, but that is never guaranteed. 

[5498jjk]

Thanks all. We’re not fussy about our cabin location or OBC/parking/coach transfers; I just didn’t understand if we could try and amend our dinner time once we’re onboard, if necessary.

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, FangedRose said:

But the op specifically states that they want to guarantee that they are seated together, they also they want this Select Fare benefit without paying for it. Cheeky is at the lower end of adjectives I could have used!

No they don’t.

 

Add to that the fact that the op is new to CC, just 3 posts. Not a very warm welcome when they asked a perfectly reasonable question which thankfully @Selbourne answered in a courteous and helpful manner as he always does.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, FangedRose said:

But the op specifically states that they want to guarantee that they are seated together, they also they want this Select Fare benefit without paying for it. Cheeky is at the lower end of adjectives I could have used!

I am not aware that P&O operate a ranked tier system for any of their passengers, even if in the lowest category inside cabin on a saver fare all passengers should be treated the same. As long as the passenger accepts the possible dining limitations, they should be treated the same in all other respects, and be able to switch dining if there is space available.

[9265359]

18 hours ago, 5498jjk said:

If we are allocated different sittings for dinner (2 separate cabins), can we change this once we’re onboard either to Freedom or our preferred sitting?

 

For those who want to change what they have been allocated there is normally a process where at one of the restaurants (or it may be somewhere like the Limelight club on the bigger ships) a stand is set up early afternoon after the lunch service has finished where the restaurant manager will take requests.

 

And the important thing to note is that they are requests.

 

If the request can be filled then they will try to do it - and they make clear that it might not be possible for the first night.

 

Some requests seem to be easier than others - early sitting to late doesn't seem to be an issue, and freedom to late doesn't seem to be an issue.

 

However others are far more unlikely to achieve a result, such as late to early or fixed to freedom on a ship with limited freedom dining.

 

Similarly if the request is for a table for two that depends on the ship, some have lots and it is likely possible, particularly if you have chosen a late sitting, but on others there is no chance.

 

Also on P&O it seems that being at the front of the queue to ask to change does help as they don't seem to use any other ranking, so first on the list to ask to move from say this time to that time gets it, whereas on Cunard they appeared to use other factors to determine who they allocated changes to first.

 

At the end of the day they want you to be happy and will try and accommodate you as you will likely come back as another customer and give them more money, so they are not going to punish you and say 'tough luck you didn't pay select fare, ha ha ha, sucks to be you'. But 'try' is the key word - if there are no tables on that sitting or in that restaurant because they have all be allocated to those who paid select then there are no tables.

[FangedRose]

2 hours ago, 9265359 said:

 

For those who want to change what they have been allocated there is normally a process where at one of the restaurants (or it may be somewhere like the Limelight club on the bigger ships) a stand is set up early afternoon after the lunch service has finished where the restaurant manager will take requests.

 

And the important thing to note is that they are requests.

 

If the request can be filled then they will try to do it - and they make clear that it might not be possible for the first night.

 

Some requests seem to be easier than others - early sitting to late doesn't seem to be an issue, and freedom to late doesn't seem to be an issue.

 

However others are far more unlikely to achieve a result, such as late to early or fixed to freedom on a ship with limited freedom dining.

 

Similarly if the request is for a table for two that depends on the ship, some have lots and it is likely possible, particularly if you have chosen a late sitting, but on others there is no chance.

 

Also on P&O it seems that being at the front of the queue to ask to change does help as they don't seem to use any other ranking, so first on the list to ask to move from say this time to that time gets it, whereas on Cunard they appeared to use other factors to determine who they allocated changes to first.

 

At the end of the day they want you to be happy and will try and accommodate you as you will likely come back as another customer and give them more money, so they are not going to punish you and say 'tough luck you didn't pay select fare, ha ha ha, sucks to be you'. But 'try' is the key word - if there are no tables on that sitting or in that restaurant because they have all be allocated to those who paid select then there are no tables.

That is the point I was trying (clumsily it seems) to make. If you want to "guarantee" (the ops wording) a dining option you need to pay Select Fare.

[ElmaLee]

On 9/9/2024 at 3:54 PM, 5498jjk said:

We’re thinking of booking Early Saver fares on an Aurora cruise next year. If we are allocated different sittings for dinner (2 separate cabins), can we change this once we’re onboard either to Freedom or our preferred sitting? Or is it better for us to choose Select to guarantee we are able to eat dinner together?

 

I’d be very grateful for any help with this as I’d rather not pay Select fare if I can help it!

You can indicate your preferences for dining (early/late/freedom) if you have a Saver fare.  Do this in line.  No guarantees but likely to be granted.  If both parties do this you could then ask for a table for 4 at MDR.

[UKCruiser999]

If you want to choose your own dining arrangements then purchase the Select Fare that offers that service. The Saver Fare is lower price for a reason.

[9265359]

11 hours ago, UKCruiser999 said:

If you want to choose your own dining arrangements then purchase the Select Fare that offers that service. The Saver Fare is lower price for a reason.

 

You have utterly misunderstood P&O's fares.

 

The Select fare is higher because it has a number of benefits including, to quote P&O, "First priority for dining style on ships offering both freedom and Club Dining, and first priority for seating time and table size for Club Dining".

 

"First priority" - a key phrase you seem to have completely overlooked.

 

Saver fares are not excluded from requesting a particular type of dining or time of dining, but those requests can only be done onboard and those requests obviously come after the process of meeting the first priority requests of Select fare passengers.

 

[Selbourne]

39 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

 

You have utterly misunderstood P&O's fares.

 

The Select fare is higher because it has a number of benefits including, to quote P&O, "First priority for dining style on ships offering both freedom and Club Dining, and first priority for seating time and table size for Club Dining".

 

"First priority" - a key phrase you seem to have completely overlooked.

 

Saver fares are not excluded from requesting a particular type of dining or time of dining, but those requests can only be done onboard and those requests obviously come after the process of meeting the first priority requests of Select fare passengers.

 

Exactly. It’s surprising how many people misunderstand this. The biggest advantage of Select booking IMHO is the ability to choose your specific cabin. With a Saver there is a risk of being allocated a cabin in a less desirable location (noise disturbance etc).
 

However, with the onset of the ‘Bid to Upgrade’ system, those paying Select prices are often sacrificing the major benefit that they have paid extra for by booking a Select fare, as if you are successful in your bid you are allocated a cabin of P&Os choosing…….just the same as if you’d booked a Saver for that grade in the first place, probably at a lower price 🤔

 

As for dining, many people don’t seem to appreciate that table size is never guaranteed whatever type of fare you pay. Select passengers will rightly get priority but having talked to many passengers who booked Savers, and from our own personal experience on our last P&O cruise when we booked a Saver, the crew will do everything that they can to accommodate requests. We were allocated 2nd Sitting table of 8. Our preference was a table for 2. We asked about switching to Freedom but that was full and there were no dedicated tables for 2 remaining on 2nd Sitting. However, they gave us a table for 8 for our sole use, which was also in a much better position than our originally allocated table as we were right by a window! At no stage whatsoever was it implied that as we had booked a Saver fare that we had to just put up with what we had been allocated. 
 

Sometimes the price difference between Saver and Select fares (especially once you factor in any OBC that you get with a Select fare) makes booking the Select fare a no brainer. Also, if you are going on a ship that still has Club (fixed) dining but you absolutely must have Freedom dining, then a Select booking is advisable, as once on board the Freedom dining restaurant may well be full. However, if going on one of the newer ships (that are 100% Freedom dining) or if you are happy with 2nd Sitting on the older ships (where there is almost always availability) then if there are big savings to be made with a Saver then I would be very tempted to save the money. 

Edited September 14 by Selbourne

[terrierjohn]

35 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

 

You have utterly misunderstood P&O's fares.

 

The Select fare is higher because it has a number of benefits including, to quote P&O, "First priority for dining style on ships offering both freedom and Club Dining, and first priority for seating time and table size for Club Dining".

 

"First priority" - a key phrase you seem to have completely overlooked.

 

Saver fares are not excluded from requesting a particular type of dining or time of dining, but those requests can only be done onboard and those requests obviously come after the process of meeting the first priority requests of Select fare passengers.

 

Select fares do have other benefits, saver fares cannot be transferred if you find you can no longer travel on thOSE dates, and they normally don't have any OBC.

[9265359]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Exactly. It’s surprising how many people misunderstand this

 

It certainly is.

 

A Select fare comes with many benefits, but what it doesn't entitle someone to do (which some here seem to believe) is to demand that those on Saver fares are not entitled to request (request not demand) a different dining option once the preferences of the Select fare passengers have been dealt with.

 

[Megabear2]

Well we have just had 22 on select fares and asked for 2 tables of 8 and a 6 near each other on 1st sitting. All marked confirmed on our bokings, we even made special links with P&O to achieve this.  Result? 3 tables of 6 one side of the room two next to each other the remaining one in a different aisle. The other table for 4 was on the opposite side of the restaurant.  We thought we had planned it meticulously so we could change around who we sat with nightly. Not a hope and despite lots of very pleasant conversations with the restaurant it couldn't be changed.

[Selbourne]

53 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well we have just had 22 on select fares and asked for 2 tables of 8 and a 6 near each other on 1st sitting. All marked confirmed on our bokings, we even made special links with P&O to achieve this.  Result? 3 tables of 6 one side of the room two next to each other the remaining one in a different aisle. The other table for 4 was on the opposite side of the restaurant.  We thought we had planned it meticulously so we could change around who we sat with nightly. Not a hope and despite lots of very pleasant conversations with the restaurant it couldn't be changed.

Sorry to hear that but, yet again, it confirms what many of us are saying. A Select booking can guarantee you 1st sitting, 2nd sitting or Freedom, but it never guarantees your table size and that aspect is never confirmed. Table size is always a preference, even if you book Select in a suite! Most people booking Select will get what they prefer, but not all. People mistakenly think that the word ‘confirmed’ refers to the table size as well, but it doesn’t. It just confirms Freedom, 1st or 2nd sitting. It’s unfortunate that your contact at P&O was unaware of this. It’s a great shame that this couldn’t be resolved on board. I guess that the sheer size of the group was the stumbling point?
 

You know far more about Cunard than me, but my understanding from the forums is that they pay more attention to things like loyalty tier and booking date when it comes to table preferences and, from what I’ve seen, that extends to table locations as well. 

[Megabear2]

49 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Sorry to hear that but, yet again, it confirms what many of us are saying. A Select booking can guarantee you 1st sitting, 2nd sitting or Freedom, but it never guarantees your table size and that aspect is never confirmed. Table size is always a preference, even if you book Select in a suite! Most people booking Select will get what they prefer, but not all. People mistakenly think that the word ‘confirmed’ refers to the table size as well, but it doesn’t. It just confirms Freedom, 1st or 2nd sitting. It’s unfortunate that your contact at P&O was unaware of this. It’s a great shame that this couldn’t be resolved on board. I guess that the sheer size of the group was the stumbling point?
 

You know far more about Cunard than me, but my understanding from the forums is that they pay more attention to things like loyalty tier and booking date when it comes to table preferences and, from what I’ve seen, that extends to table locations as well. 

I think I've misled you! It wasn't a group booking of 22 although that's how many we were.  We had meticulously linked in groups of 8 x 2 and 1 x 6 meaning that we had three linked groups, each with a different connecting number.  When I say "confirmed" I meant all three groups were confirmed as early sitting, not table size but P&O had indicated we would be allocated tables based on these three groups even if they were not together.

 

What actually happened on table allocation was the groups of 8 were split with 6 being on one table and the remaining 2 elsewhere sharing with others.  One couple were given a 2 top originally.  

 

When we boarded myself and my brother (the organiser of the trip) went with the restaurant manager to see what could be done and the arrangements I mentioned in my post were the result, not ideal but at least the groups were just our people.

 

Re Cunard I've always got exactly as requested if I'm on a Cunard fare and on my CWC by dining preferences are noted and generally adhered to whatever type of fare.

 

Interestingly my booking for Alaska next September is the first time I've ever seen my booking marked as "Requested" rather than "Confirmed" as I've asked for second sitting table of 8.  Will be interesting.

Edited September 14 by Megabear2

[Selbourne]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I think I've misled you! It wasn't a group booking of 22 although that's how many we were.  We had meticulously linked in groups of 8 x 2 and 1 x 6 meaning that we had three linked groups, each with a different connecting number.  When I say "confirmed" I meant all three groups were confirmed as early sitting, not table size but P&O had indicated we would be allocated tables based on these three groups even if they were not together.

 

What actually happened on table allocation was the groups of 8 were split with 6 being on one table and the remaining 2 elsewhere sharing with others.  One couple were given a 2 top originally.  

 

When we boarded myself and my brother (the organiser of the trip) went with the restaurant manager to see what could be done and the arrangements I mentioned in my post were the result, not ideal but at least the groups were just our people.

 

Re Cunard I've always got exactly as requested if I'm on a Cunard fare and on my CWC by dining preferences are noted and generally adhered to whatever type of fare.

 

Interestingly my booking for Alaska next September is the first time I've ever seen my booking marked as "Requested" rather than "Confirmed" as I've asked for second sitting table of 8.  Will be interesting.

Ah, I see. Yes, I had misunderstood. Apologies. That’s not good is it. You did everything you should by linking the bookings, so something clearly went wrong. As you say, your linked groups should have been seated together.
 

I guess it still demonstrates that, aside from which sitting you get, Select isn’t the be all and end all of ensuring that you get exactly what you want!

 

Have you been on your Britannia Club cruise yet? Even though our only remaining booked cruise is with Cunard, I still tend to look at the P&O board rather than Cunard one for some reason 😂 I’m hoping that you will like the Club dining arrangement as much as we did🤞