New Traditional Dining Time coming out

[velvetred]

It makes sense to me. There were two anytime dining rooms and one traditional dining room under the old system on the majority of the ships. So, if there were lots of people unaccommodated for traditional dining, it seems like the correct thing to do is split the 3 dining areas to better meet the needs of guests. I think it is great - in my experience, I never heard or read of people being waitlisted for open or anytime dining - it was always for traditional dining. In fact, I personally experienced not being able to get traditional dining on a Princess cruise. Kudos to Princess for making this welcome change.

[chamima]

They are using one of the anytime dining rooms for this seating

 

We’re pleased to announce that an additional Traditional Dining seating is now available on your upcoming voyage. The new seating time at 5:30 pm is in response to the high demand we’ve received for our 6:00 pm seating, and will be offered in a separate dining room. If you wish to change your current dining selection to the new 5:30 pm Traditional seating time, please call 1-800-PRINCESS to book, as space is limited.

Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you aboard soon!

 

It will not interfere AT ALL with Traditional Dining in the original dining room.

 

Like a herd of cattle. Round"em up & move'em out! Crack!

 

:cool: Are you absolutely sure of this? :rolleyes:

 

So what you're saying is that

1 room will be totally Traditional

1 for Anytime

and another divided in half. Part Traditional & Anytime? :eek:

 

 

I'm not saying anything. This is a quote from an email from Princess!

[MandE-UK]

We were on Star last year and the dining time for first sitting was 5.30pm.

We found this far too early, particularly after shore excursions or formal nights. Many other people must have thought the same way as many tables were regularly only half full. The occupants having elected to change to second sitting or anytime dining. It became embarrassing for the wait staff and the managers, but obviously the orders had come from on high. A better time would be 6pm.:cool::cool:

[Feelin' Nauti']

I'm not saying anything. This is a quote from an email from Princess!

They are using one of the anytime dining rooms for this seating

 

It will not interfere AT ALL with Traditional Dining in the original dining room.

:rolleyes:

 

Well the Email doesn't really specify which room.

Maybe they'll section off the Horizon Court. :D

[tothemall&beyond]

I'm a little confused. You're saying there are THREE Traditional seatings, i.e., "Early, Traditional 1st and 2nd"? As for the dining time, that's not much of a difference for the Coral/Island. It was 5:30pm for Early (1st) and 7:30pm (2nd) for Late on my January cruise. For my Crown cruise this summer, late dining is listed in my cruise personalizer as at 8:15pm.

 

FYI, I can't see a 5:15pm Early seating on many itineraries, in particular the Med. Most ports, the ship doesn't sail until 6pm and passengers aren't due onboard until 5:30pm. I suspect the adjusted times are not going to be fleetwide but rather depend on the ship and itinerary, which has always been the case.

 

I agree it doesn't make sense on many itineraries such as Med, but they are doing it on Med cruises. We are sailing a Med/TA in Oct on Ruby, and Princess sent us an email offering the early (5:30) dining.

 

Even 6:00 was too early, so we certainly won't do 5:30. But I do wonder WHERE they'll put the Early Dining??? Sharing one DR with Anytime?

[janina]

The three traditional seatings are on all ships, except for the small ships.:)

[BalconyGal]

It also doesn't make sense in the caribbean. People are still just coming in from the beach at 4:30 or so. But I guess the people who are going to the beach all day wouldn't be the 5:30 dinner type anyway. :o

[spongerob]

The ships with three anytime dining rooms are a mess already, why would adding another time 45 minutes before the old time causing overlap from the new early time possibly be a better solution? :eek:

They are a mess (partly) because so many people want to eat early, go to the early show, and go to bed. They couldn't get early seating so they piled up in Anytime around 6 PM, making it tough for those who want anytime but eat later. Now they'll get in and out just that little bit quicker, and the galley staff will be able to prepare for the onslaught. It can't get worse, so it has to get better. Capisce? :)

[Cuizer2]

I am on the Caribbean Princess in July.

Did you book thru a TA, or directly with Princess? I booked directly with Princess, but I imagine that the TA got the email instead for those who used a TA.

 

I booked through a TA and my e-mail came directly from Princess.

[Coral]

They are a mess (partly) because so many people want to eat early, go to the early show, and go to bed. They couldn't get early seating so they piled up in Anytime around 6 PM, making it tough for those who want anytime but eat later. Now they'll get in and out just that little bit quicker, and the galley staff will be able to prepare for the onslaught. It can't get worse, so it has to get better. Capisce? :)

 

I tend to agree also.

 

On my last cruise - I was waitlisted in the 700's for First Traditional dining. And this was on a port intensive trip.

[Colo Cruiser]

. It can't get worse, so it has to get better. Capisce? :)

 

 

It just has. :rolleyes:

[Cruise Junky]

I think it's a great idea if they can make it work. People don't like being forced into Anytime so hopefully this will create more space for traditional

[Feelin' Nauti']

I booked through a TA and my e-mail came directly from Princess.

Same here.

 

I received it even though I requested Anytime.

[Feelin' Nauti']

I think it's a great idea if they can make it work. People don't like being forced into Anytime so hopefully this will create more space for traditional

That's the key word " if".

 

People don't like being told when to eat either. ;)

[Cruise Junky]

That's the key word " if".

 

People don't like being told when to eat either. ;)

 

But if you don't like being told when to eat, that's when you chose Anytime. I've never heard anyone whining about not being able to get Anytime, it's always the other way around. This seems to be a step in the right direction of fixing that.

[JLC@SD]

I would think that the new early time traditional sitting will be great for those traveling with toddlers that like to eat around 5.

[Pam in CA]

Evidentally I did not state my opinion so that you would know what I was saying. People who sign up for traditional dining and then for whatever reason, do not go to the assigned dining room at the assigned time, but instead go to one of the anytime dining rooms. Their traditional seats are empty and others who wanted traditional seating, but couldn't get it because it was full, would like to have had those seats. These people really have freedom of choice for dining. On any night, they can go traditional, anytime, buffet, or specialty restaurant. I don't think it's fair for them to go to the anytime dining rooms at a busy dinner time.

 

If there are not any cruisers who book traditional and then often go for anytime dining, I guess I need to apologize for my opinion.

But that's a problem anyway because Princess doesn't enforce their policy of not allowing Traditional passengers to be seated in Anytime. The new dining time doesn't change or make that worse. We all need to write on the comment card that Princess needs to enforce this policy. HAL does and as a result, their Open seating works far better than Princess'.

[bhopal21]

. We all need to write on the comment card that Princess needs to enforce this policy. HAL does and as a result, their Open seating works far better than Princess'.

 

Absolutely Pam, I could not agree more.

 

Mike:)

[WestCoastCruzinator]

Does anyone know who's on first? :o

[bhopal21]

Does anyone know who's on first? :o

 

That is what I was thinking as well.

 

This is an option folks, that's all.

 

If you are not interested pretend it is the art auction and skip it.

 

Mike:p

[rdsqrl]

I agree that 5:15 time is ridiculous too.

 

It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry went to Florida to visit his parents and they had to eat at the buffet at 4:00 in the afternoon so they could get the $1 discount. :eek:

Instead of Early Dining, the 5pm seating might just as well be called Del Boca Vista Dining. Or Nursery Dining.

I'm with Shogun -- I'd like even later dinner times. We had 8:30 on a Med cruise and that was getting closer to perfect.

[Cuizer2]

This seems to be a step in the right direction of fixing that.

 

On a ship you should say that it is a step in the starboard direction.

[Cruise Junky]

On a ship you should say that it is a step in the starboard direction.

 

LOL smart ar** ;)

[pris993]

Currently Princess lists that early time on the website for some ships, with a footnote that reads: "Additional Traditional seatings on select voyages".

 

Shown for Coral, Diamond, Golden, Grand, Island, Sea, Star.

 

Not a lot of difference between 5:30 and 6:00 ... I wonder if this will pose a logistics issue with guests funneling into the dining room at two overlapping times. At the very least, it could be disruptive to the service and normal atmosphere of the venue.

 

Wonder how Princess would determine how much of the dining room would be dedicated to that earlier time. Also, it isn't as tho all the tables would be turned at the same time as would be the case with one early and one late seating.

 

I agree with the possibility of this being disruptive to service and atmosphere in the MDR. We experienced something simiilar on our last HAL cruise when folks from anytime dining were encouraged to go the traditional dining on the last night midway through the service. I was sorry we did not go to a speciality restrauant on the last night given the lack of service and atmosphere.

[HKM]

We received notice of additional traditional dining being offered at 5:30 on our upcoming cruise on the Sea Princess. The notice indicated the 5:30 seating will not be in the main dining room but in an alternate location. The email did not specify the location.