When did Princess stop allowing

[pamwinn]

you to order dinner during dinner hours to be served in your cabin? When we were on the Sapphire in June we ordered in for the second formal night. Is this no longer an option on any of the ships? That is disappointing as we typically dressed for one formal night, then dined in our cabin on the other.

[TorontoTL]

I've never known that you could order off the dining room menus for room service. My understanding is that you can order from the menu if you are in a suite rather than a regular cabin though.

[ahracer]

Seems to be a rather new policy. I'm not sure if it is on all ships or not.

 

Scott

[starsjohn]

I developed cold one night on the Tahitian Princess, and decided to stay out of the dining room just in case it might be contagious. My room steward brought me the full evening's menu and I had the regular full course meal that everyone else had.

 

John

[spongerob]

That would be a new development. As far as I've understood, anything being served in the dining room has been available for room service. The only difference with suites is that menus are delivered to your cabin in advance.

[Toto2Kansas]

Actually, I think some people don't realize that they must contact room service to have a diningroom menu delievered to them. They look at the posted room service menu in their cabin and think that is all they can order, not true. You can have the menu delivered and just call in your order. :o We have never had a problem doing this.

[spongerob]

Toto - read the Live From Dawn Princess thread. Apparently there have been changes, at least on that cruise...:(

[Toto2Kansas]

Thanks SR, will do that. ;)

[pamwinn]

I hope that is still the case Toto. My husband especially, but me too :p can eat a lot of Lobster tails. On Lobster formal night, we dress-up for a little while and stroll the atrium having pictures taken here and there, then we go get comfortable and order Lobster dinners for 4 in our cabin. I've just read a couple of posts where people have said it can no longer be done. I hope they are mistaken.

[Toto2Kansas]

I just read the report! :confused: Personally, I think this is something I will test the waters in on our next Princess Cruise before I totally believe it. I think this would have been all over the internet by now if the rules have changed.

 

Now, let me explain a bit more.

There have been times when we have asked different staff onboard ship and they have said 'definitely not, you can not order off the diningroom menu for room service'. Then we have picked up the phone, called room service and had a dinner menu delivered and ordered straight from it. So, maybe another instance of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing? I have never asked in the dining room about room service before as that is like asking apples about oranges. So, we need a few of the next Princess cruisers to pick up that phone and call room service and see what happens before I bring the jury back in on this one.

[Desertbelle]

It was me who reported this from the Dawn Princess. We just returned yesterday.

 

On the first formal night my daughter's baby started to act up during the meal. Rather than disturb those around us she took the baby to the cabin expecting to be able to order off the diner menu in the cabin. Room service said absolutely not. The next evening we asked the head waiter if this was correct. He said it was a new Princess policy. He then offered to her, since she had the baby, the option of coming to the dining room and he would bring to her a plate of food she could take to her cabin.

 

Then on another night my nephew, 16 years old, called down to room service during dinner to order chicken strips off the childens dinner menu and was refused.

 

I can only tell you what we experienced and what we were told on the Dawn...I can't speak for any other ships. I sincerely hope this is not a new Princess policy as I know there are a lot of families who look forward to eating their meals in their cabin for whatever reason.

[Toto2Kansas]

Desertbelle-I am sure that is what you ran into.....................and sorry to hear about it. But I think this needs to be tried on a variety of Princess ships before anyone gets real upset about it. At times Princess will test certain policy changes on different ships to see how they fly. I think if they end up making a fleet wide change that they will have to expand their regular room service just a bit or passengers will be up in arms about it.

 

Heck, it was just October when we took full advantage of this perk and ordered a full meal in our cabin on the tiny Tahitian Princess.

 

So, a challenge to anyone sailing Princess this month on any of their ships. Pick up that stateroom telephone and see if you are able to have a dining room menu delivered to you so you might order off of it. Just make sure it is within normal dining times.

I know we all would certainly appreciate your feedback.

[NoNoNanette]

I'd love to hear from RECENT GRAND CRUISERS on this subject. I was hoping to do lobster on our balcony for the second formal night.

[Lisa63]

Oh my -- I was thinking of having dinner on our balcony after renewing our vows on board. Recent Diamond cruisers, please chime in...

[jeniceglassman]

It's not allowed on the CP. :(

[msiowa]

I haven't sailed on Princess since December 2001 and will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess over New Year's. I have to admit, reading these boards, I'm a bit apprehensive about the changes in Princess since my last sailing.

 

Because we travel with young children, my family members have often dined in their cabin. Now it seems this service isn't available.

 

I've only sailed on Celebrity and Princess and have felt they are pretty comparable with Princess doing some things better and Celebrity doing other things better.

 

With the changes, especially this one, I'm thinking Celebrity has become far better than Princess. I'll be curious to see if enough people complain whether Princess changes its mind. Or whether this will be my last Princess cruise.

 

Looking forward to the sun!

Joanie

[Toto2Kansas]

I am beginning to wonder if this isn't happening on the ships that they offer the special 'extra charge' balcony breakfast and dinner on? If you think about it, why would anyone order the Ultimate Balcony Dinner or Balcony Breakfast when they could order almost the same thing from room service for free? But if all that would be available from room service is the basic room service menu, then more people would order the special 'extra charge balcony meal'.

I know they were beginning this a while back and did not have it available fleet wide yet. It sure makes sense that they would stop offering full meals in staterooms if they were pushing the paid meal service in the staterooms, and they were sure pushing the breakfast option when we were on the Sun last spring.

 

Interesting.................now I am beginning to wonder about this........... :confused:

[NoNoNanette]

Speaking of the BALCONY BREAKFAST...

 

Has anybody done this? What did it consist of. Price seems attractive to me.

[mafig]

Toto, I was thinking the same thing at first, but then I read somewhere that the special balcony dinner was only available for four cabins per night. Don't know if that's true or not.

 

 

Also, there are some people who chose to not dress up on formal nights. They do not want to go to the buffet because they want lobster. We always tell them "well order room service.!" Guess not, not any more at least.:confused:

[Toto2Kansas]

mafig, I had heard the same thing about only 4 Ultimate Balcony Dinners per evening on any given cruise................which just doesn't sound right to me. I think this is going to be something that we will have to play the 'wait and see' game with as it all just isn't adding up in my mind. :eek:

[Murphey]

We were just on the Star in November...we had a complete dinner on our balcony from room service. Our room service steward even brought wine glasses and opened our bottle of wine for us. After dinner, we went to a show, and when we returned, everything was gone! It was wonderful.

[kruisey]

If this is a new ruling no Dinner Menu served in cabins. My feelings are this that there should be some that are allowed. Examples-: Parents with young babies and children who might feel more comfy...kids might eat more and not get distracted if they eat with their parents in the cabin. Honeymoon couples its their special time. Instances where one in a couple is not well and the partner does not wont to be far away from the other at this time. Special anniversary where a couple wont privacy again at this special time.Handicapped person that also feels more comfy eating in their cabin.

Very eldery couple that find it difficulties with walking.

Ok I have had my say............

[taxatty]

Speaking of the BALCONY BREAKFAST...

 

Has anybody done this? What did it consist of. Price seems attractive to me.

We did the balcony breakfast on the Diamond last summer on Tracy Arm day. Fabulous scenery, excellent champagne, food and service. Well worth it for $20.

Les

[NoNoNanette]

That sounds like a winner already, Les!

 

What did you have? Do you order off of a menu?

[Justmetalkin]

On the CB 11/06, I had dinner in the dinning room with CC friends we had met. DW wasn't feeling well (due to the "patch" we think) and stayed in the room.. When I returned I called room service and asked if I could order from the dr menu for her. It was Italian nite. At first I was told no, but when I semi quoted the dinner menu they said "oh no problem" She had a nice dinner in 15-20 min... all was exactly as in the dinning room except no salad dressing.... lol.... I called and offered to go to the dining room to get some (wanted to go walking!). They had salad dressing at the room in 5 min.. garnished like a course in itself...