Question about dining on Princess

[Sonchyne4U]

We are thinking of booking an Oct. cruise on Princess Sapphire. It has been many years since we sailed on Princess and are not familiar with the "anytime dining". If we choose assigned dining, does that mean we can't go to any of the other restaurants. Please explain before I mess up somewhere. We just returned from a cruise on NCL and did the freestyle dining (you didn't get a choice), and I wasn't really pleased with the complete freestyle dining. I really enjoy getting to know my waitstaff during the week. Need some suggestions. Thanks

[jimneycrkit]

Sign up for traditional dining , early or late seating if you want the same wait staff each night. You are then free to go to either of the optional dining rooms on any night but won't lose your spot and table for the rest of the cruise. If you do PC dining then you have to make a reservation where you want to eat for each night. If you switch during the cruise to PC , meaning you actually eat in one of those dining rooms then you lose your table in traditional. When I eat in one of the alternative restaurants I always tell my waiter that I am doing that so they don't wait for you or hold up the rest of the table.

[Speechless]

The most consistent complaint I hear about diamond and sapphire are how disorganized PC dining is.

 

Which is why I did traditional on the diamond - to avoid the headaches.

It worked out wonderfully for us.

 

If sapphire is the same way - a menu from each of the PC dining rooms will be available at the traditional dining room on certain nights, so you can choose items from either the traditional menu or alternative menu, or both.

[ripleysmom]

It doesn't appear as though the Sapphire has nearly the problems that the Diamond has. That being said you would probably be better off requesting traditional as opposed to PC dining.

[argosy]

We are thinking of booking an Oct. cruise on Princess Sapphire. It has been many years since we sailed on Princess and are not familiar with the "anytime dining". If we choose assigned dining, does that mean we can't go to any of the other restaurants. Please explain before I mess up somewhere. We just returned from a cruise on NCL and did the freestyle dining (you didn't get a choice), and I wasn't really pleased with the complete freestyle dining. I really enjoy getting to know my waitstaff during the week. Need some suggestions. Thanks

 

If you choose assigned dining, that simply means that you'll have the same table, the same server each night, unless you go to the alternative restaurants that have an extra charge attached. You can go to the ones that have a service charge without losing your place in assigned dining/traditional dining.

 

You will NOT be able to use the PC dining rooms (that have no service charge) without losing your place in the assigned dining room.

[snowcamper]

one complaint I had with the PC dining was that it was harder to make sure you got out of the dining room at the appropriate time to catch the entertainment, the big shows. The timing for those works perfectly with the traditional dining schedule. I didn't have to worry about planning what time to eat!

[rkacruiser]

I sailed on Star Princess on her January 30th sailing and enjoyed a Second Seating dinner in the Amalfi Dining Room. Two observations about Personal Choice Dining:

 

1. Twice, I had pre-dinner Happy Hour at the Atrium Bar with a view of the entrance to the Capri Dining Room, one of the two PC Dining Rooms. I could hardly believe my eyes: I saw people actually lining up, waiting to be seated. Why would someone pay what one has to pay for a cruise to "line up" to have dinner? To be fair, there were those who had the gizmo that "lights up and makes noise" to indicate that their table was ready that they had been given at the door of the Dining Room. Why those who were waiting in line did not have those, I do not know.

 

2. I talked to several people during the cruise who had PC Dining, and the majority said they would not select that option again. They prefered having a set dining time, table, and waitstaff.

[MauiLuvr]

I have only had traditional dining thus far (4 cruises) so I can't speak from personal experience about PC dining; however, I have read a lot of posts about it. In my opinion, the ONLY reason for me personally to consider switching to PC dining would be because, on some islands and on some itineraries, it is difficult to get back to the ship, get ready for dinner, and arrive in the dining room by 6:15 for early traditional dining (which is the time we prefer to eat).

 

For example, on the Western Caribbean itinerary, we had a formal night on a night that we'd been snorkelling and shopping in the hot sun all day and REALLY were not in the mood to have to rush to jump into an evening gown.