Food and dining on P&O ships

[TigerB]

4 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

 

I do love the Katsu chicken curry and rice in the Quays.

 

Unusual choice for breakfast, but each to their own!😂

 

Try the vegan options from Fusion when the need for snackage arises; we've never been disappointed.

[Colsers]

On 3/30/2023 at 5:20 PM, Colsers said:

Thank you. Do you have to reserve the freedom restaurants on your phone like on Arvia or is it a physical queuing system rather than virtual?

I'll post this question again as it's been merged and may have been lost in the thread. Hoping someone can answer. Many thanks.

[glennbtn]

I am on Iona now and been told to use the app to book freedom dining 

[Colsers]

2 minutes ago, glennbtn said:

I am on Iona now and been told to use the app to book freedom dining 

Sorry I should have posted my original question. It's the Brittania ship, I wondered if they are working the freedom restaurant like Arvia, as in preferred booking on "my holiday" website or are they still having physical queuing as they did when I was on it in 2020?

[terrierjohn]

24 minutes ago, Colsers said:

Sorry I should have posted my original question. It's the Brittania ship, I wondered if they are working the freedom restaurant like Arvia, as in preferred booking on "my holiday" website or are they still having physical queuing as they did when I was on it in 2020?

The bigger ships are trying to mainly use the virtual queuing system, which is probably the best and fairest for passengers, and most sensible for the restaurant managers to minimise queueing.

[majortom10]

Used virtual booking on the App for dinner in MDR on Iona recently. Excellent as joined virtual queue as leaving cabin by time we got to restaurant our table was ready.

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by majortom10

[Fionboard]

Poster is asking about Britannia. 

[majortom10]

5 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Poster is asking about Britannia. 

30 pages of responses on a thread titled " Food and Dining on P&O ships" think we will get answers about all ships on all current ships.

[Fionboard]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

30 pages of responses on a thread titled " Food and Dining on P&O ships" think we will get answers about all ships on all current ships.

See post 730. I cannot answer as I only do fixed on Britannia.

[majortom10]

2 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

See post 730. I cannot answer as I only do fixed on Britannia.

But not everyone is responding on this thread to post #730 but on general as thread title states. I certainly wasn't responding to #730

 

[Fionboard]

4 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

But not everyone is responding on this thread to post #730 but on general as thread title states. I certainly wasn't responding to #730

 

Maybe someone can then. 

[davecttr]

Booking dining opened today for Arvia's 16th April cruise. Checking the Chefs Table the Celebration nights are Wednesday 19th and Friday 28th, both sea days with a sea day following. Weather permitting of course. 

[Bill & Ben]

On 1/19/2023 at 10:27 AM, amajaa said:

Does anyone know if you can book it for both formal/celebration night on Iona or if you are limited to just the one? 

I think just once but it was very good.  We both had the beef wellington and enjoyed it.  

[Son of Anarchy]

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

Booking dining opened today for Arvia's 16th April cruise. Checking the Chefs Table the Celebration nights are Wednesday 19th and Friday 28th, both sea days with a sea day following. Weather permitting of course. 

We booked for Chefs Table earlier this morning.  As well as getting our dining in for a couple of other evenings.  Will be having a relaxing Sunday afternoon exploring the other options.  I noticed Meridian dining times only went up to 18:30, well for the particular day we wanted.

 

[Cruising Nomads]

On Iona the Chefs Table can be booked for all the Formal Nights on the cruise you are not limited. 

[Son of Anarchy]

20 minutes ago, Cruising Nomads said:

On Iona the Chefs Table can be booked for all the Formal Nights on the cruise you are not limited. 

Same with Arvia.  Meant to post earlier that we booked for both formals.

[amajaa]

2 hours ago, Bill & Ben said:

I think just once but it was very good.  We both had the beef wellington and enjoyed it.  

Since I posted the question we have been on Iona and yes you can book for both formal nights. We went to the first one but cancelled the second and just went to the MDR.

[Harry Peterson]

If you take a look at some of the old menus here, even on Cunard, you might actually think the food’s improved!
 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334809743530

[smokey01]

3 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

We booked for Chefs Table earlier this morning.  As well as getting our dining in for a couple of other evenings.  Will be having a relaxing Sunday afternoon exploring the other options.  I noticed Meridian dining times only went up to 18:30, well for the particular day we wanted.

 

I’m disappointed as we can only book upto 6:30pm in Meridian or Zenith. I was wanting 8pm, an email received on 10th March said 

 

Book even more restaurants before your holiday

For your holiday on Arvia, we’re offering advance dinner bookings for more dining venues, including Freedom restaurants. This gives you more peace of mind if you want to fit mealtimes around the entertainment you’ve booked, or simply ensure you experience the restaurants that whet your appetite the most. Reservation times are available throughout the evening on a first-come, first-served basis.

I took this to mean MDR could be booked throughout the evening. Maybe it will open up later.

 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, smokey01 said:

I’m disappointed as we can only book upto 6:30pm in Meridian or Zenith. I was wanting 8pm, an email received on 10th March said 

 

Book even more restaurants before your holiday

For your holiday on Arvia, we’re offering advance dinner bookings for more dining venues, including Freedom restaurants. This gives you more peace of mind if you want to fit mealtimes around the entertainment you’ve booked, or simply ensure you experience the restaurants that whet your appetite the most. Reservation times are available throughout the evening on a first-come, first-served basis.

I took this to mean MDR could be booked throughout the evening. Maybe it will open up later.

 

The virtual queue system will enable you to book the restaurant of your choice at any time you are ready to eat, with very little waiting time until you're advised your table is ready, and hardly any queue when you reach the restaurant. So there really is no need to worry about pre booking, that's how Freedom Dining should work.

.

[smokey01]

7 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

The virtual queue system will enable you to book the restaurant of your choice at any time you are ready to eat, with very little waiting time until you're advised your table is ready, and hardly any queue when you reach the restaurant. So there really is no need to worry about pre booking, that's how Freedom Dining should work.

.

I know that, it has worked well enough each time I have been on Iona. That said if I could book 8pm I could just get on with my day knowing when I need to start getting ready for dinner. With the virtual queue I always end up getting ready early in case the queue is bad that night. Instead of relaxing on my balcony sipping wine or whatever I am glancing at my phone looking at the queue. Note freedom dining is not something I crave. I know when I would prefer to eat, if Iona/Arvia had traditional dining I would do that.

 

One of my Iona cruises last year did allow me to book 8pm each night and it was a much more relaxing evening because of it.

 

 

[Fionboard]

Why can't they have one dining room with fixed dining like the other ships. It is obviously wanted and would solve some of the problems! 

[Son of Anarchy]

1 hour ago, smokey01 said:

I’m disappointed as we can only book upto 6:30pm in Meridian or Zenith. I was wanting 8pm, an email received on 10th March said 

 

Book even more restaurants before your holiday

For your holiday on Arvia, we’re offering advance dinner bookings for more dining venues, including Freedom restaurants. This gives you more peace of mind if you want to fit mealtimes around the entertainment you’ve booked, or simply ensure you experience the restaurants that whet your appetite the most. Reservation times are available throughout the evening on a first-come, first-served basis.

I took this to mean MDR could be booked throughout the evening. Maybe it will open up later.

 

We were a bit surprised that the MDR bookings only went up to 18:30.  I think pretty much all those early times have now gone.

 

Struggling booking Beach House.  Get to the payment page, computer then says availability changed so cancelled.  Go back to time selection, still available!  Re-try, happens again.  Have tried three different time for the same day with same result.  I'm trying to spend money!!!

 

BTW - Beach House appears to have a 20% discount (compared to £9.50 when we booked on board Iona in December), plus Peninsula discount.  Maybe why computer says no? 🤔

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Fionboard said:

Why can't they have one dining room with fixed dining like the other ships. It is obviously wanted and would solve some of the problems! 

There are no problems,  only the discussions on social media that lead passengers to believe that they need to pre book everything, otherwise their holiday will be ruined.

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

There are no problems,  only the discussions on social media that lead passengers to believe that they need to pre book everything, otherwise their holiday will be ruined.

That's pretty much it

 

Any problems ask someone to help on board and without fail the staff will do their very best to make people happy and remove the stress

 

We are a nation of worriers and natterers

 

My mum's the worst for that!!!

 

Lol