Dinner Reservations, sigh...

[ChemistBabe]

We are now 39 days out from our trip and I have been unable to make any dinner reservations.

(I have been trying for about two weeks now.)

 

I get an error message on the app.  I've tried using the web version with no success either.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks!

[robbinsca]

8 minutes ago, ChemistBabe said:

We are now 39 days out from our trip and I have been unable to make any dinner reservations.

(I have been trying for about two weeks now.)

 

I get an error message on the app.  I've tried using the web version with no success either.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks!

I find the Princess App to be very unfriendly to users. One obstacle I had was getting my payment method entered properly. Until I was able to do that I was blocked from many features. You might want to check to see if that registered properly.

 

My issue was that DW was listed as primary passenger, and there is no link to add me as an authorized user, just what looks like a notes page. Poorly designed!

[cynbar]

Are you on Sun Princess? We are on the 6/15 cruise and are also unable to make any reservations. I understand from these boards that no one sailing after May has had them open up. I agree, very frustrating. And think of the logjam if multiple cruises open up on the same day. I hope we get this straightened out before embarkation day or it will be a free for all, not a relaxing or pleasant way to start a vacation. Yes, is is frustrating, especially because the other Princess ships seem to allow dining reservations after final payment. I am Platinum with Princess and that hasn't helped at all (other ships allow Platinum and Elite to reserve dining earlier.)

[ChemistBabe]

We are on the Sapphire Princess on June 8.  comingsoon. can't make reservations...

 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Gave it 3 tries on our last cruise and handled it on board.  Will do the same for upcoming cruises.  Unless trying to eat at 6pm or easy to sort on board.

[kywildcatfanone]

Aren't you better off making them onboard anyway do you can pick your table?

[Steelers36]

3 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Aren't you better off making them onboard anyway do you can pick your table?

Guests cannot just pick a table.  You might ask for a section or area of preference, but tables just aren't there for the picking all that precisely.

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, ChemistBabe said:

We are now 39 days out from our trip and I have been unable to make any dinner reservations.

(I have been trying for about two weeks now.)

 

I get an error message on the app.  I've tried using the web version with no success either.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks!

It would have helped to provide us with the error message.  As mentioned, is your credit card properly entered and are all other pre-cruise steps completed?

 

A workaround for may folks has been to access DMW via the web version of the App.  IDK your error message, but it could be that the App thinks you are not Ocean Ready or you have a bad data element.  Depending on what the issue is, you may be blocked in the web version as well.

 

You can call into Princess and use the phone tree selections to get to DMW help and see what they can do.

[kywildcatfanone]

2 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Guests cannot just pick a table.  You might ask for a section or area of preference, but tables just aren't there for the picking all that precisely.

I haven't eaten in the DR for a few years, but you used to could walk in look around pick a table you like and reserve it.

[Steelers36]

Just now, kywildcatfanone said:

I haven't eaten in the DR for a few years, but you used to could walk in look around pick a table you like and reserve it.

Not really working that way.  Best to ask for an area and they see what they can do.  No wandering around looking for something of interest.

[ChemistBabe]

Yes, I am fully checked in, fully paid 39 days before cruising...  

 

Here is a screenshot of the error.

 

[beg3yrs]

34 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

It would have helped to provide us with the error message.  As mentioned, is your credit card properly entered and are all other pre-cruise steps completed?

 

A workaround for may folks has been to access DMW via the web version of the App.  IDK your error message, but it could be that the App thinks you are not Ocean Ready or you have a bad data element.  Depending on what the issue is, you may be blocked in the web version as well.

 

You can call into Princess and use the phone tree selections to get to DMW help and see what they can do.

I've got the same issue and we're 34 days from boarding.

 

We're all good with check-in. Paid in full for months now, medallion will be shipped and in the green lane.

 

On the Sun Princess June 1. Have been able to make a Spellbound reservation but nothing else.

 

The web-based version of the App won't even get into DMW so that's a no-go.

 

I suspect on May 1 or soon thereafter reservations will be available.

[kywildcatfanone]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Not really working that way.  Best to ask for an area and they see what they can do.  No wandering around looking for something of interest.

Hmm.  Do you just go the first night at either your assigned time or whenever ready and pick a table that way?  I liked it when you could claim what you wanted before the service started.

[negn]

On our last cruise, unable to make reservations via app.   Called Princess and they said did it for me

[Steelers36]

38 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Hmm.  Do you just go the first night at either your assigned time or whenever ready and pick a table that way?  I liked it when you could claim what you wanted before the service started.

PCL cancelled meeting the MD ( now DRO) after the restart and introduction of DMW.  I predict it may return with the new 3-way dining program which formally includes TD again.  Even so, when you visited the MD, you would make a request and he would offer something.  You were looking at a DR map of tables.  Never heard of walking about.

 

Anyway, what I have been doing is arranging our own TD setup with a fixed table and wait staff and then we just walk in and go to it and no lines, etc.

 

[DallasGuy75219]

35 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Hmm.  Do you just go the first night at either your assigned time or whenever ready and pick a table that way?  I liked it when you could claim what you wanted before the service started.

You can't walk in and pick a table. Period.  At least not until the upcoming MDR changes are effective.

 

At best you can ask for a table in a certain section or with a specific wait team, or a 2- or 4- top, or a table by a window, perhaps.  Just because you see a table empty (and even set) doesn't mean their's a wait team available to work it as soon you sit down. 

 

Once the upcoming MDR changes are effective and there is assigned dining agan, you can probably get your assigned table changed, but only to another table that's available, not to any table of your choosing. 

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, beg3yrs said:

I've got the same issue and we're 34 days from boarding.

 

We're all good with check-in. Paid in full for months now, medallion will be shipped and in the green lane.

 

On the Sun Princess June 1. Have been able to make a Spellbound reservation but nothing else.

 

The web-based version of the App won't even get into DMW so that's a no-go.

 

I suspect on May 1 or soon thereafter reservations will be available.

I wish any posters unfamiliar with DMW and Princess dining (not you of course) would list the ship they are on because the situation where Sun dining is being released close to sail dates compared to the rest of the fleet where it is open from booking (Elite and Platinum), is a whole different issue.  It isn't a software or data issue where the Sun (or Star) is concerned.

[LACruiser88]

Just now, kywildcatfanone said:

I haven't eaten in the DR for a few years, but you used to could walk in look around pick a table you like and reserve it.

We have been cruising Princess for years, we have never seen this before!

[kywildcatfanone]

10 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

You can't walk in and pick a table.

Yes, I realize from responses you can't do that anymore.  Oh well...

[kywildcatfanone]

7 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

We have been cruising Princess for years, we have never seen this before!

We did it for all our cruises years ago.  Was nice to get your table selected when you embarked and know you were getting one you wanted.  Especially a table for 2.  Those rows where they separate the tables by six inches aren't really what I would call tables for 2.

[Hillmom]

On the Sapphire now. Pre cruise zero reservations available. In cruise dining after 7 doesn't appear to be an issue, if you are willing to share. Before seven is awful. Avoid especially Ms. Witchy pants Marianna in the International dining room at dinner only ( seating "hostess"). She seems to feel you have a lot of nerve asking to eat.

[OccasionalSanta]

I haven't been a fan of Dine My Way since it was introduced. This is probably because we tend to not want to eat on any particular schedule except for when we hit the specialty restaurants. I kinda hope that the new system, which I hear will be rolling out this Fall, will be a little better. 

 

In general, I have found that day 1 of the cruise tends to be a nightmare for walk-ins, but the rest of the cruise is not bad. If I can't make a reservation for a specialty restaurant, I have always had luck chatting with the maitre d' early in the evening and being flexible about coming back an hour or so later

[Alaska05]

1 hour ago, Hillmom said:

On the Sapphire now. Pre cruise zero reservations available. In cruise dining after 7 doesn't appear to be an issue, if you are willing to share. Before seven is awful. Avoid especially Ms. Witchy pants Marianna in the International dining room at dinner only ( seating "hostess"). She seems to feel you have a lot of nerve asking to eat.

Oh no.  We have reservations in the International DR for our upcoming 14 day Alaska cruise on the Sapphire.

[Hillmom]

29 minutes ago, Alaska05 said:

Oh no.  We have reservations in the International DR for our upcoming 14 day Alaska cruise on the Sapphire.

If you have reservations the International Dining room is great! If you don't, eat late.

[juksing]

Seeing the error message this may seem crazy but are you using the app on your phone or iPad?  I see similar error messages when trying to do anything through the princess app on my tablet but on my phone everything works fine, all devices and apps are up to date.