Day of boarding and dining rooms

on day of boarding I know lunch is available in Horizon Court but I was told that one of the main dining rooms is open and serves sit down lunch. I don't recall ever seeing this onprevious cruises but I remember the last time on the Crown the line for Horizon was out into the hall with the elevators. It was ridiculous. Going to be on her Friday and was hoping for dining room.

There is lunch in one of the dining rooms from 1-2.30. It will be listed in the Patter in your cabin. If you miss that you can often have a peaceful lunch in Alfredo's or the International Cafe. On Day 1 many cruisers do not know these are not extra charge spots!

We've always found one of the MDRs open on embarcation day. Check the two nearest midships, and probably one will be open. Don't let them steer you to the buffet.

Just off the Crown on 1/7/18. Lunch on embarkation was in Da Vinci MDR on deck 6, 12-130.

I've always seen one of the main dining rooms open for lunch but they try to dissuade you from going there. You almost have to insist on them telling you where it is at times. Even with that, they might ask you what you are looking for when you go there. 'I am looking to be seated for lunch' is what I tell them. Well, never felt too welcomed there but have enjoyed it, nevertheless.

And ... never have I gone where it is open past 1:30. I wouldn't try showing up at 2:00 or 2:30 unless the patter absolutely states that. Just because I've never seen it doesn't mean it can't happen. But, I've gone at least a dozen times and at 1:30, no more entry allowed.

We were on the Crown in December and had lunch in the dining room on Deck 6. It was open from 12 to 1:30.

Lunch always from 12-1:30....best to get there by 1:25 or doors might be closed. And don't expect to spend all afternoon there, as they need to number and set up the tables.

Another lite option is the international cafe....if we get on the ship before 12 that is our first stop, for a drink & snack...then we move on to the dining room. If we arrive after !;30 we select something a little more filling. We have not gone to the HB in years.

Enjoy!

Princess always has one dining room open on embarkation day.

The Patter will let you know the time & place. The one shown is from the Royal but it's similar to all the other ships.

But if you ask almost any staff member which dining room is open for lunch they will tell you to go to the buffet. The sit down lunch option is a secret for CC members! :cool:

But if you ask almost any staff member which dining room is open for lunch they will tell you to go to the buffet. The sit down lunch option is a secret for CC members! :cool:

How can it be a secret when the DR doors are open & they advertise it in the patter?

How can it be a secret when the DR doors are open & they advertise it in the patter?

Don't recognize "tongue in cheek" when you see it? I am sure suec12 meant it that way?!:halo:

There is lunch in one of the dining rooms from 1-2.30. It will be listed in the Patter in your cabin. If you miss that you can often have a peaceful lunch in Alfredo's or the International Cafe. On Day 1 many cruisers do not know these are not extra charge spots!

As others have mentioned, the MDR Lunch hours are 12:00 to 1:30. Also, no Alfredo's on the Crown. However, other options (other than the IC as mentioned) are the Trident Grill and the Pizza Bar on the Lido Deck.

Don't recognize "tongue in cheek" when you see it? I am sure suec12 meant it that way?!:halo:

It didn't come across for me.

Thanks again and I get the point. The line doesn't get carried away encouraging you to eat in the dining room. Frankly on the 22 princess cruises I have been on I've never known it an option nor have I ever been told it was an option. Sure could have used it last year on the Crown when the buffet line was out the door and ridiculous. We may not board in time for the dining room option as we are driving about 5 hours to Lauderdale tomorrow morning and probably won't get to park n go until around 1. Yes sadly Alfredos is not available except on the Royal and Regal. Such a great place to have lunch. We do get to use the new terminal at pier 2 as we are the only ship in port that day. No major traffic and a sea of passengers.

We have never had an issue with eating lunch in one of the dinning rooms the day we board. Never have had wait staff discouraging us either. We have always been welcomed with open arms. We to the MDR for lunch about every other cruise as sometimes there is too much food in the buffet and we always have early seating for dinner. Don't want to be full before we go to dinner.

Too much to eat? :confused:

They must be force feeding people these days.;)

Well when we went on our first Princess cruise I had read on these boards about the MDR option. So as we were boarding I asked several staff as we were moving along which dining room was open - they all said go to the buffet. The others I was with thought I was a bit crazy when I insisted there was an open dining room and went off to find it on my own. Yes, when we got there we were very well treated. But only by reading these boards would I have known to persist - and by the way, thanks to those who posted this info last spring before our Alaskan cruise.

Great information since on our last cruise folks had parked themselves at the tables. After our third attempt to cruise thru we went to our room. This was in the Horizon and most were done eating. Now we can try the MDR. Yeah!

Well when we went on our first Princess cruise I had read on these boards about the MDR option. So as we were boarding I asked several staff as we were moving along which dining room was open - they all said go to the buffet. The others I was with thought I was a bit crazy when I insisted there was an open dining room and went off to find it on my own. Yes, when we got there we were very well treated. But only by reading these boards would I have known to persist - and by the way, thanks to those who posted this info last spring before our Alaskan cruise.

The reason why this happened is because quite honestly many staff members don't know about it....when we came back to princess a few years ago I got the run around like you did, I even had a ships officer tell me I could only get food on the lido deck.

On some ships is does show in the Patter from what I have been told the main reason for its inception was B2B cruisers,and now they have BVE...on many sailings, so it is available to everyone......

Not sure what all the fuss is over getting into the MDR for lunch after you have just gotten on the ship.. We did it once, what a waste of time when you are prolly going back to the same mdr for dinner.

Now I will state we are merely Platinum boarders, but we get up early, drive down, and are usually among the first Platinum priority boarding.

A light 'lunch' in the HC is fine with us - usually, no waiting, and in and out on our schedule, not the servers in the mdr

meh:evilsmile:

Well when we went on our first Princess cruise I had read on these boards about the MDR option. So as we were boarding I asked several staff as we were moving along which dining room was open - they all said go to the buffet. The others I was with thought I was a bit crazy when I insisted there was an open dining room and went off to find it on my own. Yes, when we got there we were very well treated. But only by reading these boards would I have known to persist - and by the way, thanks to those who posted this info last spring before our Alaskan cruise.

Ditto in December 2014. On our second cruise the head waiter told us that the MDR was for people with small appetites :'), big appetites go to the buffet! ;p

However on the next cruise, a Golden repositioning cruise, the MDR wasn't open for those embarking in Sydney. The cruise had originated in Melbourne but was also sold as a Sydney embarkation cruise. I presumed the closed MDR was because it wasn't the first port of embarkation but recently I've seen comments that Golden doesn't always have an MDR open on embarkation day which is interesting. The buffet on that cruise was a zoo! Very unpleasant.

I have experienced many times. When you ask a crew member which dining room is open for lunch after embarkations. They ALL say it is only in the buffet. You have to hunt for it.

Not sure what all the fuss is over getting into the MDR for lunch after you have just gotten on the ship.. We did it once, what a waste of time when you are prolly going back to the same mdr for dinner.

 

Now I will state we are merely Platinum boarders, but we get up early, drive down, and are usually among the first Platinum priority boarding.

 

A light 'lunch' in the HC is fine with us - usually, no waiting, and in and out on our schedule, not the servers in the mdr

 

meh:evilsmile:

I know this is silly question but what is MDR & HC We are coming from canada and travelling all night ,,no food.. we arrive at 7 in morning, going straight to ship will be needing any thing to eat lol before we fall asleep .

pudzzy44,

The MDR is the main dining room and HC is Horizon Court, the buffet on Lido deck.

Leigh

I have experienced many times. When you ask a crew member which dining room is open for lunch after embarkations. They ALL say it is only in the buffet. You have to hunt for it.

Is it really that hard to find?