What ships do not offer Anytime Dining?

[bjkTX]

I guess I just figured all Princess ships offered it, but I questioned our TA about the "Early Dining Confirmed" on the Personalizer for a cruise we just booked for Alaska next year on the Royal Princess and we were told it isn't offered on the Royal.

 

Is that the case on all the smaller Princess ships?

[chrysalis]

That is correct...none of the 3 "R" class ships have anytime dining. There is only one dining room, and it is traditional only, but there is a buffet, and Sterling and Sabitinis

[paul929207]

The three small ships do not offer Anytime Dining. These are the Pacific, the Royal and the Tahitian/Ocean Princesses. They only have one dining room and it is used for Traditional Dining.

[Pam in CA]

The previous posters are correct; no Anytime dining on the Royal Princess. However, there is a waitstaffed area of the buffet with a limited menu (doesn't change) at night that's pretty good. Plus there are the specialty restaurants.

[Oca]

We are booked on the Dawn Princess in October and there is no Anytime Dining on it as well.

[Pam in CA]

We are booked on the Dawn Princess in October and there is no Anytime Dining on it as well.

The Dawn sails out of Australia and is operated differently. Likewise the Sun Princess. Their sister ship, the Sea Princess, has Anytime dining.

[Oca]

Pam, can you tell me what you mean by 'operated differently'? I know that the charges that are incurred on board are calculated in Australian dollars and that there are Australian electrical outlets in the cabins. I also assume that a majority of the passengers are Australian. Are there any other differences on the Dawn that you know of that could affect our cruise?

[Pam in CA]

Pam, can you tell me what you mean by 'operated differently'? I know that the charges that are incurred on board are calculated in Australian dollars and that there are Australian electrical outlets in the cabins. I also assume that a majority of the passengers are Australian. Are there any other differences on the Dawn that you know of that could affect our cruise?

I don't know much other than the cabins are configured differently, the dining options are different and as you said, there are Australian outlets in the cabin. Also, as you said, your onboard account is in Australian dollars plus the Dawn's itineraries are marketed in Australia. These are, I believe, the major differences but there could be more. The Dawn and Sun Princess have two dining rooms but they are both Traditional dining rooms as opposed to the Pacific/Royal/Ocean which have only one dining room which is why these ships don't offer Anytime. With the Dawn and Sun Princess, they could offer Anytime but they don't.

[Toto2Kansas]

We are booked on the Dawn Princess in October and there is no Anytime Dining on it as well.

 

It's a shame they changed this on the Sun and Dawn when they began sailing to/from Australia. We have Austrailan friends that were very disappointed when they switched to only traditional dining.

 

The Sun and Dawn always offered both before they underwent the changes made when heading downunder! :(

 

I swear I remember other changes such as minimal charges for some things that used to be included, like the pizza restaurant in the Atrium (sorry can't remember the name of it right now). Maybe I am remembering wrong, but I know there was some grumbling going on about a few things that were changed once the ships left. Didn't they also add many more four berth staterooms after these ships left us to increase the passenger capacity onboard? Maybe on the P&O section there might be a mention of them?

[Pam in CA]

Didn't they also add many more four berth staterooms after these ships left us to increase the passenger capacity onboard? Maybe on the P&O section there might be a mention of them?

Yes, I believe they did. :(

[sue2539]

When the Regal Princess came out to Aus to join P&O Australia as Pacific Dawn they added lots of extra berths and started charging for things like pizza, burgers, room service etc.

 

Sun and Dawn Princess havn't added extra berths to cabins and don't charge for extras like pizza or room service.

 

I don't know why they changed the anytime dining preferences to all traditional as all of P&O Australia now have gone over to anytime.

 

Sun and Dawn Princess are marketed here in Australia as "Premium Cruising". It seems people who have experienced other ships, such as Diamond Princess etc, are questioning the use of the word "Premium". Though after cruising on ships like P&O Pacific Sun, where theyve sqashed 1900 passengers on a 23 year old 47000 tonne ship, Sun and Dawn Princess could be classed as Premium.

 

In June, Dawn Princess is having a refit so that should spruce her up a bit.

[paul929207]

I don't know much other than the cabins are configured differently, the dining options are different and as you said, there are Australian outlets in the cabin. Also, as you said, your onboard account is in Australian dollars plus the Dawn's itineraries are marketed in Australia. These are, I believe, the major differences but there could be more. The Dawn and Sun Princess have two dining rooms but they are both Traditional dining rooms as opposed to the Pacific/Royal/Ocean which have only one dining room which is why these ships don't offer Anytime. With the Dawn and Sun Princess, they could offer Anytime but they don't.

I have read on these boards that the autotip is lower on the Australian cruises. I think it is $8A/day.

[dbh62ark]

I keep hearing that Princess staff members read the boards, so here's some food for thought. I don't know why Princess hasn't handled dining on these smaller ships (we're sailing the Royal June 1) the same way that Oceania has with the open dining. This is a significant negative for passengers on the type of port intensive itineraries that these small ships sail.

 

Donna

[Toto2Kansas]

I keep hearing that Princess staff members read the boards, so here's some food for thought. I don't know why Princess hasn't handled dining on these smaller ships (we're sailing the Royal June 1) the same way that Oceania has with the open dining. This is a significant negative for passengers on the type of port intensive itineraries that these small ships sail.

 

Donna

 

Donna, I agree, that sure would solve the problem (but probably create more problems when all the passengers got back to the ship around the same time and all wanted to enter the diningrooms for dinner within a few minutes of each other). Open seating is something I have never tried, but it sounds so much nicer than a set dining time on a port intensive cruise.

I detest a rigid schedule for meals while on vacation.

[Mapu]

I keep hearing that Princess staff members read the boards, so here's some food for thought. I don't know why Princess hasn't handled dining on these smaller ships (we're sailing the Royal June 1) the same way that Oceania has with the open dining. This is a significant negative for passengers on the type of port intensive itineraries that these small ships sail.

 

Donna

 

I agree! I also think having formal nights is an issue that Princess seems unwilling to change. Oceana and Azamara both use the same small size ships and have open seating without formal nights. Our first experience with open seating was on Windstar prior to anytime dining was initiated on Princess. It was a wonderful relaxed atmosphere without formal nights. Nobody seemed to miss the formal attire! gail

[dbh62ark]

Nobody seemed to miss the formal attire! gail

Yes, and especially having to drag extra clothes thousands of miles to wear for a few hours. That's just not my idea of vacation.

 

Donna

[Crzn-Life]

Donna, I agree, that sure would solve the problem (but probably create more problems when all the passengers got back to the ship around the same time and all wanted to enter the diningrooms for dinner within a few minutes of each other). Open seating is something I have never tried, but it sounds so much nicer than a set dining time on a port intensive cruise.

I detest a rigid schedule for meals while on vacation.

 

We were on the Pacific for b2bs in September which were port intensive. They had open seating the nights the overnight tours were expected back because those tours would arrive late, i.e. after 1st seating. It wasn't fun. If the ship is full as it was on these cruises, having open seating didn't make for happy pax. It's bad enough that the 3 little ships have only the 1 dining room and the DR is usually pretty full, especially 1st seating. Having everyone try to make reservations or eat at the same time isn't pretty. Someone else wrote that there are 2 speciality restaurants, but they are never open on the same day; they alternate, so that means only 1 specialty restaurant, the buffet and the DR on the Pacific & Ocean is available. At least on the Royal, the buffet becomes a bistro at night where you can get pizza and a few other things.

[Druke I]

We've been on the Pacific Princess, with its traditional dining, and have been with Oceania, with the open seating dining, three times.

 

The open seating works very well on the R class ships, and even on a port-intensive cruise like the Baltics, finding a table at dinner was never a problem (at least for us, and we tend to eat early).

 

Oceania also has both alternative restaurants open every night, reservations required, rather than having them open on alternate nights like Princess.

 

Oceania, although somewhat more expensive, has become our favorite line. Oceania's "country club casual" dress code works very well, and certainly simplifies packing.

[Pam in CA]

Donna, I agree, that sure would solve the problem (but probably create more problems when all the passengers got back to the ship around the same time and all wanted to enter the diningrooms for dinner within a few minutes of each other). Open seating is something I have never tried, but it sounds so much nicer than a set dining time on a port intensive cruise. I detest a rigid schedule for meals while on vacation.

I've been on several cruises that had (non-disembarkation) overnights or very late port departure on the old and new Royal Princess and the dining room was "open" seating those nights. It seemed to work out well. However, those nights were when they knew there would be a lot fewer passengers onboard for dinner.

[dbh62ark]

We were on the Pacific for b2bs in September which were port intensive. They had open seating the nights the overnight tours were expected back because those tours would arrive late, i.e. after 1st seating. It wasn't fun. If the ship is full as it was on these cruises, having open seating didn't make for happy pax. It's bad enough that the 3 little ships have only the 1 dining room and the DR is usually pretty full, especially 1st seating. Having everyone try to make reservations or eat at the same time isn't pretty. Someone else wrote that there are 2 speciality restaurants, but they are never open on the same day; they alternate, so that means only 1 specialty restaurant, the buffet and the DR on the Pacific & Ocean is available. At least on the Royal, the buffet becomes a bistro at night where you can get pizza and a few other things.

Well, I hear what you're saying but after sailing the Insignia, I have to say that Oceania handles it beautifully. And Princess is a big ol' company that has more resources, so Princess should be able to figure it out too.

 

Donna

[DrivesLikeMario]

What is the buffet like on the Ocean/Royal/Pacific? Is it comparable to the other Princess ships?

[Toto2Kansas]

What is the buffet like on the Ocean/Royal/Pacific? Is it comparable to the other Princess ships?

 

Sailed only on the Tahitian so far. One word describes the buffet, "SMALL". Nothing like the larger ships offer. A very compact buffet with about 1/4 the food choices is what we found on the Tahitian.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Sailed only on the Tahitian so far. One word describes the buffet, "SMALL". Nothing like the larger ships offer. A very compact buffet with about 1/4 the food choices is what we found on the Tahitian.

 

 

Thanks - that's what I figured. ;)

[Go-Bucks!]

Sailed only on the Tahitian so far. One word describes the buffet, "SMALL". Nothing like the larger ships offer. A very compact buffet with about 1/4 the food choices is what we found on the Tahitian.

 

 

And it says on the Princess site that it's only open until 6pm., so I guess if you miss your time in the dining room (maybe on an excursion) then you'll be stuck with room service. :(

[DrivesLikeMario]

Oh - that's not good! There will be some nights that I won't want to go to the dining room after being on a 8-10 hr. tour in Europe. :(