Traditional Dinner-Grand Princess

[snoopy124]

I am a little bit confused with all of these dining options. We are signed up for Traditional dining. What happens if we don't want to have a big sit down dinner? Can we go elsewhere? What other places can you eat in without paying an additional fee? Can we then go back the next day to our traditional table?

Also, do they give you meals to go if you want when you go off the ship?

[rdsqrl]

If you want to skip dinner in the dining room, you can go to the Horizon Buffet for dinner, which is free. The Grand also has two alternative restaurants, Sabatinis and Sterling Steakhouse, both of which have a fee attached (about $20, I believe). No reservations are needed for the buffet, but reservations are required for the two alternative restaurants. If you avail yourself of one of the above options, it's a nice idea to let your dining companions/headwaiter know you won't be in the dining room that night. And yes, the next night, you can go right back to your assigned table in Traditional Dining.

They don't do meals to go; I wouldn't think they'd be allowed as most ports frown on people bringing fresh fruit/vegetables ashore.

Hope this helps.

[LuvTheGoodLife]

Diners who chose Traditional Dining option can use the buffet or the extra pay restaurants for evening meal alternatives to the dining room. Traditional diners are not supposed to use the Anytime Dining rooms unless they make the switch permanently to Anytime (thus allowing someone on the Traditional Dining waitlist to take your place.) The meal service, menus and dress codes are exactly the same in Anytime Dining but you are not restricted to a set time and pre-assigned tablemates.

 

If you wish to use buffet or extra pay restaurants a few nights and eat at your assigned time and table in Traditional dining the other nights, it is polite to let your waitstaff and table mates know the night before, so they do not delay the meal waiting for you to arrive.

 

If you do not think you will be using your assigned Traditional dining spot the majority of nights, it might be better to change to Anytime dining. This allows someone who wants Traditional dining and is waitlisted to move off the waiting list.

 

After 5 Princess cruises, we are major fans of Anytime dining. We decide on the extra pay restaurants for a few nights and make reservations on Day 1 after embarkation. We then 'wing it' the rest of the nights and decide on buffet dining or the Anytime dining rooms as our schedules, hunger levels, evening plans dictate. Some nights we do a snack from the buffet and then late dining. Other times, we do early evening meal and have dessert up at the buffet late night.

 

As to your To Go meal question when in port, you are not provided with meals to take off the ship in ports. Most ports have restrictions preventing fresh fruit, meats or any non-packaged food from being taken off the ship. Plan to buy meal in port or return to ship for lunch.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise.

[Pam in CA]

Amost no ports allow you to take anything other than packaged and sealed food off the ship and there could be serious fines or repercussions for doing so. In other words, you can buy a sealed package of crackers from the ship's store and as long as the seal hasn't been opened, bring it off the ship. The only place I've been that has had packaged lunches prepared by Princess has been in Manaus, Brazil and those were for a specific all-day Princess tour where we were in the jungle with no place to eat.

[Cruisin' Chick]

As stated above, you can go to the Horizon Court for dinner or other meals. You don't have to follow the "dress code" there (just don't go in your bathing suit or without shoes).

 

You can also order in room service, but it's generally a limited menu (like salad and sandwiches). It's free, but it's customary to tip a couple of dollars upon delivery.

 

Another option is going to the poolside grill or pizzaria (if on this ship) before they close at 6pm. Our daughter did this quite a bit on our last cruise.

 

Most likely you won't be allowed to take anything but pre-packaged food off the ship (I like to stash a Powerbar or Balance Bar in my purse). You can always return to the ship at any time (or not even leave the ship) to eat. Some shore excursions will offer a lunch if they run all day, but you would be informed this ahead of time. Of course, many people want to try out the local cuisine.