Dining with friends on another sitting

we have booked freedom dining on the Azura with two friends. Another two friends have booked a saver fare and won't know what dining they have allocated until boarding. Does anyone know how likely it will be tha t P and O will allow them to join our table as most likely I believe they will get first sitting?

we have booked freedom dining on the Azura with two friends. Another two friends have booked a saver fare and won't know what dining they have allocated until boarding. Does anyone know how likely it will be tha t P and O will allow them to join our table as most likely I believe they will get first sitting?

I think this is one of those where you need to ask P&O as your friends gave up the chance to eat with you for definite when they booked a saver fare. If they allowed them to change then this sort of makes the idea of a select fare pointless and not worth paying for.... if that makes sense.

I think the best policy for all under these circumstances is the people on both bookings request that they become linked. Both parties need to advise the cruise line either direct or via their travel agent that this is what is wanted. As Presto has pointed out that you booked on Select Fare tariff and are far more likely to get your requested dining arrangement. However your friend have booked under a Saver Fare tariff and are less likely to get a preferred option and of course they have not requested a dining arrangement as this is not offered on the Saver Fare tariff. My conclusion is therefore if you link bookings both parties might end up with a less favourable dining allocation but you will likely dine as a foursome. Which is your priority you could even end up win win.

Regards John

There are two Freedom Dining restaurants and one Club Dining so the chances are higher that your friends get Freedom. Failing that either you can change to Club or they can request to change to Freedom. That's the downside of a Saver Fare.

we have booked freedom dining on the Azura with two friends. Another two friends have booked a saver fare and won't know what dining they have allocated until boarding. Does anyone know how likely it will be tha t P and O will allow them to join our table as most likely I believe they will get first sitting?

As poster JohnWatson has said, get a link code from P&O or via your TA

As you have already opted for your requested dining options, get the link code then forward it to your friends who should then get it added to their booking via P&O or their TA.

You then should be ok.

Our friends and us had linked booking but we allocated different dining options

As poster JohnWatson has said, get a link code from P&O or via your TA

As you have already opted for your requested dining options, get the link code then forward it to your friends who should then get it added to their booking via P&O or their TA.

You then should be ok.

I don't see how one couple that are on Select and one on Saver can get a linked booking. That would make it pointless saying you can't choose dining option on a Saver Fare.

I don't see how one couple that are on Select and one on Saver can get a linked booking. That would make it pointless saying you can't choose dining option on a Saver Fare.

When you book on a Select Fare tariff your exact cabin is chosen by you, You can definitely have the cabin if you have specified "no upgrades" but your dining request is just that, a request and however early you booked it still may be denied. This is simply because an extraordinary number of passengers may all have said "second sitting" for example and all gone for the select fare tariff. There is a finite number of places on this and if more passengers have "requested" second than places are available then some will not get this allocation.

If the cruise line has linked bookings, then it seems straight forward to me that the "pair" would have to default to "saver fare status" in terms of priority for being selected for a particular dining style option. In this way I feel it likely that a pair of mixed bookings would be accommodated lower down the rankings and probably be disappointed in the style outcome but they would dine together and I see no reason for this upsetting the status quo on dining when on a saver fare tariff.

It should be realised by all that there are only three options, 1st sitting, 2nd sitting and freedom dining. Everybody will end up with one of them whatever their fare type. This brings in to close scrutiny the benefit of Select Fares. Is it worth it when you could still end up dining how you prefer by chance on a saver fare, and nobody knows your preference as there is no opportunity to request anything? If you do choose "Select" and permit upgrades your cabin might be a higher grade but exactly where you don't want to be located. You are far more likely to get your dining option but may not. There are a lot of hidden problems when booking and most travel agents are not going to see all the implications when booking and advise you accordingly. I remember the days of Easy Jet when you could pay an extra £7 or whatever for "earlier boarding" and I thought to myself, if everybody paid the extra money, the situation simply defaults to how it was in the first place - all boarding together in a herd. Only difference, airline pockets a load of cash.

Regards John

We choose 2nd Fixed Sitting and this seems the least popular of the 3 choices so on a Select Fare we are almost certain to get our choice and equally pretty certain to get to dine with our friends on a table for 4 due to linking the bookings.

Have tried freedom on P&O, Celebrity and Princess and have always switched to Fixed after a couple of days - we just don't like freedom - queues for requested table size and meals seem very rushed. Freedom seems good in principle but have found the reality a bit lacking.

I would advise the OP to link the bookings and then go and see the Maitre'D when they board to try to get all of them on the same dining option and table

Our friends and us had linked booking but we allocated different dining options

I don't see how one couple that are on Select and one on Saver can get a linked booking. That would make it pointless saying you can't choose dining option on a Saver Fare.

You cannot usually get dining options on a saver fare, but you can ask to be linked for dining purposes.

Perhaps the TWID code had a computer glitch, or your TA or other party did not add your TWID code to their booking But it should work, as it saves time and trouble for the maitre'd to sort out on boarding, as you were given a TWID they would try and sort it on boarding.

When you book the most expensive fare, the company usually does its best to accommodate your wishes with whom you wish to dine with, irrespective of the fare the others have paid.

https://www.completecruisesolution.com/email_bulletins/Linked%20Bookings%20Online%20PO.pdf

I think this is one of those where you need to ask P&O as your friends gave up the chance to eat with you for definite when they booked a saver fare. If they allowed them to change then this sort of makes the idea of a select fare pointless and not worth paying for.... if that makes sense.

While you are right, in some respects the select / saver is a bit of a joke anyway.

You select a cabin and unless you know to add the do not upgrade you get moved to the one above the disco or under the buffet as an "upgrade". Lots of newbies get caught out by this.

You book an early saver fare a year ahead for say £1000 and someone else books a select fare 3 weeks before the cruise in a better grade of cabin for £600. Who really has more right to their choice of dining? And yes this does happen.

We sampled Fred Olsen the other weekend with friends who had booked the equivalent of Select early on and we had made a late booking on the equivalent of Saver fare. We were able to link our bookings and requested that we shared a table. However, whereas we were able to pay an extra £2 pp pn to go on the same dining sitting as our friends, we could not choose to join them in their restaurant. But they were able to choose to join us in our restaurant, the main one. In the event, we boarded and found that we had been allocated to their table in their restaurant after all. Interesting to sample different procedures. Fred Olsen does not do Freedom Dining.