My Experience Eating Lunch in the Dining Room at Embarkation Aboard the Sapphire

[2pbears]

 

Not that I care about the meal (both times we ate at the International Cafe and loved the experience, probably moreso than being grudgingly served in the dining room). I just wish they would get their story straight! Somehow it doesn't seem quite right to announce it as a competitive advantage for Princess and then fail to deliver.

 

Is the International Cafe always open on embarkation day?

[rcacace]

Is the International Cafe always open on embarkation day?

 

Absolutely.

[2pbears]

Absolutely.

Great News!

[sunshine426]

It seems to me that you are totally missing the point.......

 

If Princess promotes the MDR lunch then they need to serve it without hassling the passengers who want to eat a quiet relaxing lunch. I should not have to "pry" the door open and "demand my rights". I do not want to fight them. The dining room staff are supposed to understand the basics of customer service and not engage in a battle with me (and yes sometimes it is a battle). If there are staffing issues that prevent them from serving lunch in the MDR, then the head waiters and maitre d' need to take this up with Princess management. It is not a smart business practice to put the customer in the middle!!!

 

I agree, I don't want to start the cruise with a battle. And by the way Jamie, Rich and I are on the Sapphire Princess 11/28 cruise. Can't we tempt you to join us!!

[coiran]

Absolutely.

 

All of the ships do not have the International Cafe yet, and, the food and ambience in the DR is better! I will continue to go there.

 

Ron

[billet]

All this talk of battles to eat and long lines in the Horizon. I must be very lucky because I have yet to find it a hassle to either get the food or sit down on embarkation day. I must be doing something wrong to make the start of my cruise so enjoyable. I must admit the MDR option sounds like a good thing for us and a bad deal for the staff.

[rcacace]

All this talk of battles to eat and long lines in the Horizon. I must be very lucky because I have yet to find it a hassle to either get the food or sit down on embarkation day. I must be doing something wrong to make the start of my cruise so enjoyable. I must admit the MDR option sounds like a good thing for us and a bad deal for the staff.

 

It's all in how you perceive it. Some people do feel it's to much of a hassle & I suppose they never eat there, even during the cruise while at sea. In all the years of cruising we only had a line up one time at the Horizon & later found out it was caused by a surprise health inspection which just about closed down one side of the buffet.

[rdsqrl]

All this talk of battles to eat and long lines in the Horizon. I must be very lucky because I have yet to find it a hassle to either get the food or sit down on embarkation day. I must be doing something wrong to make the start of my cruise so enjoyable. I must admit the MDR option sounds like a good thing for us and a bad deal for the staff.

Laughing --- I so totally agree with you. Why do so many talk about the buffet as though it were a bad day in Fallujah? I don't generally like buffets at all, but geez, it's not like I'm dodging mortar fire or standing in Soviet-era bread lines to get my fried scallops and salad.

[lolane1]

lolane: If it is in the Embarkation Day "Patter" (which is the daily Newsletter and activity sheet distributed to all the cabins), then the specified dining room should be open and is open.

 

ceilidh1: Was it a Princess Patter or an instruction letter with the 2nd cruise cabin card? If it was a Patter, this is a new way. In all our B2B we received a letter. One Dining Room is always open for "In-Transit" pax.

 

We had a similar experience on the Golden last week. We were initially told no by the person at the door, but when I explained that the purser had sent us to the dining room, she relented and seated us (this entire transaction lasted maybe 20 seconds). The wait staff and maitre'd were both wonderful and accomidating. It was just the person at the door. I would hate to have her job! (I personally think that she is discouraged from seating people, at the same time people are requesting seats.) In the end there were only four tables that were utilized during the meal. The food and service were great.

 

BTW- the Patter said "Donatello Dining Room- Fiesta Deck 6- Open sitting lunch: Noon to 1:30"

 

Sultan_SFO: Thanks, but I read the experience from TracieABD which said the Patter advertised the Donatello Dining Room was open but experienced resistance when they wanted to be seated. You are right, the dining room was open but you just couldn't easily get in. :o

[Schplinky]

I must admit the MDR option sounds like a good thing for us and a bad deal for the staff.

 

 

Well, staying in and cleaning your room while you're at the pool is a bad deal for them, too. Do you clean your own room every few days and tell the staff to skip yours? I honestly dont' understand this idea that it's a bad deal for the staff to be asked to provide the services that the line offers. Do you leave the disco at midnight and tell the DJ that you were sure he'd want to go to bed earlier?

[Colo Cruiser]

Laughing --- I so totally agree with you. Why do so many talk about the buffet as though it were a bad day in Fallujah? I don't generally like buffets at all, but geez, it's not like I'm dodging mortar fire or standing in Soviet-era bread lines to get my fried scallops and salad.

 

Yes but if you were....you have no tray to defend yourself. :eek:

[spingal]

I agree, I don't want to start the cruise with a battle. And by the way Jamie, Rich and I are on the Sapphire Princess 11/28 cruise. Can't we tempt you to join us!!

 

Karen!!! I am definitely tempted and wish I could!!! I will on the 11/22 Golden Hawaii cruise with the entire family!!! One of these days!!! Why don't you and Rich go back to Hawaii with us???? ;);):D

[TracieABD]

Yes but if you were....you have no tray to defend yourself. :eek:

Just a healthy dollup of hand sanitizer!:D

[spingal]

well, staying in and cleaning your room while you're at the pool is a bad deal for them, too. Do you clean your own room every few days and tell the staff to skip yours? I honestly dont' understand this idea that it's a bad deal for the staff to be asked to provide the services that the line offers. Do you leave the disco at midnight and tell the dj that you were sure he'd want to go to bed earlier?

 

Right on!!!!!!!!!!!

[lolane1]

Well, staying in and cleaning your room while you're at the pool is a bad deal for them, too. Do you clean your own room every few days and tell the staff to skip yours? I honestly dont' understand this idea that it's a bad deal for the staff to be asked to provide the services that the line offers. Do you leave the disco at midnight and tell the DJ that you were sure he'd want to go to bed earlier?

 

Oh, this thread is turning too funny for words!!

[sunshine426]

Karen!!! I am definitely tempted and wish I could!!! I will on the 11/22 Golden Hawaii cruise with the entire family!!! One of these days!!! Why don't you and Rich go back to Hawaii with us???? ;);):D

 

We weren't going to cruise at all this year, but the prices got us. We've wanted to do this itenerary for several years so it felt like a win win to us. Have a great time in Hawaii, are you going to scuba dive? I think you told me that scuba diving was not the best on the Mexican Riveria cruises, would you say that also about the snorkeling?

 

Tell the family Hello from us and who is Jack?

 

Karen

[rcacace]

Well, staying in and cleaning your room while you're at the pool is a bad deal for them, too. Do you clean your own room every few days and tell the staff to skip yours? I honestly dont' understand this idea that it's a bad deal for the staff to be asked to provide the services that the line offers. Do you leave the disco at midnight and tell the DJ that you were sure he'd want to go to bed earlier?

 

I don't, but at the same time I don't expect him to be there 24/7 either just because I feel like staying up a little later.

There are limitations to everything.

You must get upset at 11PM when they begin to limit the buffet items. After all they do advertise there is food 24/7. :rolleyes:

[Schplinky]

[/color]

 

I don't, but at the same time I don't expect him to be there 24/7 either just because I feel like staying up a little later.

There are limitations to everything.

 

You're blurring this to make a better argument but all I'm expecting is for the cruise line to deliver what they're advertising. You're trying to make that seem like a cruelty toward the staff.

 

I wouldn't expect the DJ to stay late but if he stopped playing music at 11 and said that although the Patters says he should play until 1, a more considerate passenger would understand that he likes more sleep, that would annoy me and I wouldn't feel like a primadonna for saying so. You might criticise and talk about how hard they all work but it would still strike me as wrong for them to advertise one thing and deliver another.

[rcacace]

You're blurring this to make a better argument but all I'm expecting is for the cruise line to deliver what they're advertising. You're trying to make that seem like a cruelty toward the staff.

 

I wouldn't expect the DJ to stay late but if he stopped playing music at 11 and said that although the Patters says he should play until 1, a more considerate passenger would understand that he likes more sleep, that would annoy me and I wouldn't feel like a primadonna for saying so. You might criticise and talk about how hard they all work but it would still strike me as wrong for them to advertise one thing and deliver another.

 

I can understand your viewpoint but I still have to ask myself one question. Why does the staff usually want to steer you towards the buffet on most ships? Is it because they don't like working or they're to tired to tend to your needs? Granted that they do advertise the DR as being open on embarkation day but I truly feel it's an upper management decision to attract business that the ships staff cannot fulfill with the staff on hand that particular day since it's usually the only day they get a few hours off for personal needs. I understand that some people have mobility problems & it is a great inconvenience to force them to the buffet line and perhaps the published info should state it as such.

[swdke]

What is "in transit" supposed to refer to anyhow?

[ceilidh1]

[quote name='sultan_sfo']lolane: If it is in the Embarkation Day "[B]Patter[/B]" (which is the daily Newsletter and activity sheet distributed to all the cabins), then the specified dining room should be open and is open.

ceilidh1: Was it a Princess Patter or an instruction letter with the 2nd cruise cabin card? If it was a Patter, this is a new way. In all our B2B we received a letter. One Dining Room is always open for "In-Transit" pax.[/quote]


We got both. We received a separate letter with instructions on where to go/what to do for our new cruise card. We also received a patter in our staterooms the turnaround night. The front page was slightly different to the patter that embarking passengers received in that it had info about the International Dining Room being open and a few other points for in transit passengers. The rest of the patter was the same, just the front page. It may have been due to the fact there were so many passengers doing both legs of the cruise...not sure!

[swdke]

What is the lunch menu like for the dining room?

[caribill]

[quote name='swdke']What is the lunch menu like for the dining room?[/quote]

It is a typical ship lunch menu for the dining room. Nothing really special for the first day.

[caribill]

[quote name='swdke']What is "in transit" supposed to refer to anyhow?[/quote]


"In transit" means you were on the just completed voyage and will continue on the next voyage.

You are not a departing passenger or an arriving passenger.

[coiran]

[quote name='caribill']It is a typical ship lunch menu for the dining room. Nothing really special for the first day.[/quote]

Of the many times that we have dined in the DR upon embarkation (which is allways) the menu has been limited to two or three entres - They usually have an excellent salmon dish.

Ron