Island Princess dining

[tinykygal]

Learned we are #36 on 2nd seating MDR. There was some discrepancy at the beginning as to the exact times of MDR for our Alaskan cruise.

5:15 is too early for us and the buffet is an option but not our desire.

Have any of you been pleased with My Time Dining on this ship?

We had an awesome wait staff on RCCL Legend; however, Carnival and Celebrity were the poorest excuse for My Time Dining. Think: 45 min for water, diners having to ask for bread, etc.

Need to make a decision soon or as soon as we board.

Is it correct that Princess automatically charges gratuities for MDR?

We have cruised several times but auto gratuities were only for room stewards and My Time Dining.

Thanks for your comments .

[skynight]

Learned we are #36 on 2nd seating MDR. There was some discrepancy at the beginning as to the exact times of MDR for our Alaskan cruise.

5:15 is too early for us and the buffet is an option but not our desire.

Have any of you been pleased with My Time Dining on this ship?

We had an awesome wait staff on RCCL Legend; however, Carnival and Celebrity were the poorest excuse for My Time Dining. Think: 45 min for water, diners having to ask for bread, etc.

Need to make a decision soon or as soon as we board.

Is it correct that Princess automatically charges gratuities for MDR?

We have cruised several times but auto gratuities were only for room stewards and My Time Dining.

Thanks for your comments .

Anytime Dining(ATD) on Island Princess.

You can make reservations for ATD by calling the DINE line, but there are set times, maybe like 5:30 and 5:45 and then again 7:30 and 7:45. You can walk in at anytime, but may have to wait for the surge to clear. We always request a table to share, they are a lot easier to get than a table for two. The Island Princess has two MDR's. The Provence, deck 6 is used for traditional fixed seating and the Bordeaux, Deck 5 is split. Some of the tables are used for very early seating fixed dining and others are used for ATD. My experience on Princess, I have been on both the Island and Coral twice each, is if you wish to dine late in ATD, there isn't much of a problem. Early dining is more of an issue. However, each cruise is different and depends on the passenger demographic. You have to 'feel' it out the 1st couple of days. The 1st night can always be difficult. Many times we skip the DR on the 1st night and eat at the buffet, at the grill, or just have pizza. We have also booked one of the surcharge restaurants for the first night, they provide less 1st evening confusion.

 

I have not had an issue with service in the DR's, but larger tables, 8 and 10, at times are slower than tables of 6. We normally request a table for 6 to share if we can get it.

 

Princess charges a Hotel Charge of $11.50pp/day ($12.00 for mini and full suites). The amount is posted to your on board account each evening. This covers all tips for the room steward, all dining waiters and others that you may not see. Many passengers provide additional tips to their room steward and to MDR waiters in traditional or ATD, and to waiters in the surcharge restaurants, Sabatini's and Bayou Steakhouse. All drinks have a 15% grat. added at the time of purchase.

 

Menu and dress is the same in Fixed seating and ATD.

 

Hope this information helps.

Edited June 11, 2014 by sknight

[san diego sue]

Was on the Island in April. A good portion of the anytime dining room was used for fixed dining. We were assigned there. Noticed the same people around us the whole two weeks. There was so many that wanted fixed dining they just opened the anytime to them too. This left so little room for people that didn't have fixed.This was a Panama Canal cruise. I think in Alaska more will want anytime than fixed. The viewing is so beautiful you hate to go into dining room and miss out on seeing it.

We leave for Alaska in three weeks and are doing anytime(on the Star).So if you want the fixed,you will probably end up with it, especially if you want late sitting. Alaska cruises have lots of families sailing and with kids they eat early.

Edited June 11, 2014 by san diego sue

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I think you're going to find that Princess has similar waits for their anytime dining just like the other cruise lines especially at the popular times. Most likely they won't take reservations after 6 PM & before 8 PM plus making reservation on the phone each morning is very time consuming and if you don't do it first thing in the morning they'll have already given out their allotment of (2 & 4 place) reserved tables.

[Colo Cruiser]

Learned we are #36 on 2nd seating MDR. There was some discrepancy at the beginning as to the exact times of MDR for our Alaskan cruise.

5:15 is too early for us and the buffet is an option but not our desire.

Have any of you been pleased with My Time Dining on this ship?

We had an awesome wait staff on RCCL Legend; however, Carnival and Celebrity were the poorest excuse for My Time Dining. Think: 45 min for water, diners having to ask for bread, etc.

Need to make a decision soon or as soon as we board.

Is it correct that Princess automatically charges gratuities for MDR?

We have cruised several times but auto gratuities were only for room stewards and My Time Dining.

Thanks for your comments .

 

If you are still on the waitlist when you sail see the MD at the time/place listed in the Patter on embarkation day. Usually its in one of the DR's. He can take care of any dining issues you have. ;)

 

Gratuities are charged to your shipboard account and cover several departments.

[jagoffee]

I have bad news for you. I have used a version of anytime dining on RCCL, Celebrity, and Princess. I did not an issue with any of them. But I can say that Princess was certainly not significantly different than RCCL or Celebrity except that you could not make reservations prior to boarding on Princess. I did not take advantage of that option, so it was not important to me.

 

The bottom line is if you did not enjoy Anytime dining on RCCL and Celebrity you will probably not enjoy it on Princess. I suggest you try to get late traditional dining once you are on board.

[sept10dsm]

When we sailed last summer they had a great fish and chips lunch on 2 sea days that was included. VERY GOOD. It was in the specialty restaurant.

[Tedferg]

Island Panama Canal April 1st sailing. We had ATD and only had ~ 15 minute wait twice. We juggled around show times to miss dinner crowd. We went to the early On The Bayou show and had late ATD with no wait. Recommend doing the early show!

[tinykygal]

We don't mind waiting for awhile to be seated. What frustrates me is that I am learning that traditional dining guests often decide they can't make it on time, either accidental or by choice, so they change to MTD.

 

What would you suggest for us? 5:15 is too early. Should we leave as is and as previously mentioned, see the MD upon arrival?

A new CC friend took special care to call Princess and ask that we be linked. They gave him the info, told me to call and it was all set. I called and was told NO WAY.

 

So just deal with it onboard? DH doesn't understand and no help.

 

Doesn't 5:15 sound early for traditional dining? I was fine with website stating 5:30 and 6:15. Don't know what happened.

 

Thank you!

[sept10dsm]

I judge dinner time by time in port as well. If many later nights, I really wouldn't want an early assigned time. When we were on the Island last year we just did anytime due to being in Alaska and later back to ship times. At home we tend to eat earlier rather that late so that late dinner was just too late. We had no problem being seated when we arrived for dinner and we requested a table for 2 each time. We went around 6 - 6:30 pm on average.

[hmtsai]

Just a thought... since I will also be on Island for Alaska soon.

 

I'm from California and there's a 1 hour difference between Alaska and California. So if I have an early dining time at 5:15PM, that means 6:15PM in California, which sounds not too early, right? Actually, it's probably about my usual dinner time.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

We went to the early On The Bayou show and had late ATD with no wait.

 

Can you tell me if the "On the Bayou" show had a number in it with a rowboat?

[windsor26]

Traditional Dining 2nd sitting on Island Pruincess was 7.30 which was excellent timing.

I do not remember a boat on the show but I may have missed it.

[waltd]

Can you tell me if the "On the Bayou" show had a number in it with a rowboat?

 

Would it be the one in the swamp with what looked to me like the living dead. If so then yes.

[Tedferg]

Would it be the one in the swamp with what looked to me like the living dead. If so then yes.

 

Yes I believe it did have a row boat. The show is unique to Island and Coral because of their three stage configuration. Mid main stage with small satellite stage either side. It is in the Universe lounge, where some sight lines are not too good. So another reason to get there early. Really enjoyed the show.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Just a thought... since I will also be on Island for Alaska soon.

 

I'm from California and there's a 1 hour difference between Alaska and California. So if I have an early dining time at 5:15PM, that means 6:15PM in California, which sounds not too early, right? Actually, it's probably about my usual dinner time.

 

That's right, Alaskan Time is an hour behind Pacific Time.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Cruisin' Chick

[jagoffee]

We don't mind waiting for awhile to be seated. What frustrates me is that I am learning that traditional dining guests often decide they can't make it on time, either accidental or by choice, so they change to MTD.

 

What would you suggest for us? 5:15 is too early. Should we leave as is and as previously mentioned, see the MD upon arrival?

A new CC friend took special care to call Princess and ask that we be linked. They gave him the info, told me to call and it was all set. I called and was told NO WAY.

 

So just deal with it onboard? DH doesn't understand and no help.

 

Doesn't 5:15 sound early for traditional dining? I was fine with website stating 5:30 and 6:15. Don't know what happened.

 

Thank you!

 

I would leave it as is and see the MD upon arrival. If you cannot get late seating I would change to anytime at that time. I would never take a 5:15 PM traditional dining time. Even your past experiences with Anytime type dining is not good it is better than 5:15 PM IMO. As I said before my experience as all been good and it is always our first choice.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

Would it be the one in the swamp with what looked to me like the living dead. If so then yes.

 

Yes I believe it did have a row boat. The show is unique to Island and Coral because of their three stage configuration. Mid main stage with small satellite stage either side. It is in the Universe lounge, where some sight lines are not too good. So another reason to get there early. Really enjoyed the show.

 

Recently that number was cut from the show on the Coral due to broken equipment. It was gone for three cruises. I thought it was one of the better parts of the show & if it's returned yet.

At least they still have it on the Island.

[JEH]

Never have had an issue with Anytime Dining , the service provided by the wait staff has always been excellent.

[tinykygal]

Thank you for your replies.

I was shocked when I was notified of the dining times.

I am not sure why it was changed. 2nd seating is at 5:45. Strange to me.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thank you for your replies.

I was shocked when I was notified of the dining times.

I am not sure why it was changed. 2nd seating is at 5:45. Strange to me.

 

Second seating late traditional at 5:45??? :eek:

[caribill]

Thank you for your replies.

I was shocked when I was notified of the dining times.

I am not sure why it was changed. 2nd seating is at 5:45. Strange to me.

 

I think you have been assigned to first seating.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Basically it means that there are two first seatings usually between 5:30 and 6. The earliest will be in one of the dining rooms that is used for anytime dining (if there's more than one). As that first group of diners are finishing and leaving their tables, anytime diners are brought in.

 

The late traditional seating will be sometime around 8 or 8:15.