Chance of Clearing First Seating Waiting List???

[eandersen]

We're still #331 on the waiting list for first seating for the Caribbean Princess on December 3rd. Do we have any hope of making it through the list before we sail??? Sigh.

[PhoneGoddess]

We started at #2xx (I don't remember the exact number) on the wait list about 3 months ago for first seating on the Oct 27th Crown sailing. We're now down to #26. It can happen!

[barbarah33]

All 6 of us managed to clear for the October 27th Crown sailing. Don't give up hope. The list does move after final payments are due as people don't make them or cancel their reservations. Then, when it gets closer to sailing and people start changing their minds it will move along again. There are no guarantees but you do still have a shot!

[Perki]

I just booked for Crown in April '07 and am waitlisted for 2nd seating, how do I find out how many are on the list?

 

Also, if by the time we board we find we are not set for 2nd seating yet, can we go to the Maitre'd the first day on board and get changed to it then - like on other cruises if you get 1st and wanted 2nd you just get it changed onboard the 1st day.

 

Does anyone know how many people they can fit in each scheuduled sitting - I really do not want anytime seating and didn't think it would be that hard to get 2nd but now it sounds like it may be an issue - HELP!!!

[Princess Patches]

The highest number I have had and cleared the first seating waitlist is just over 200 but anything is possible. Even if you don't clear the waitlist go see the Maitre D' immediately after you board the ship and tell him your preference. He will set up a time and place to meet the first afternoon of the cruise to request dining changes.

 

After you board the ship, your dining waitlist number does not matter. It is first come first serve so inquire promptly after boarding. Even when I didn't get my desired dining arrangements prior to boarding I have always be able to get into traditional dining at least by the second night of the cruise by making the request after I boarded.

 

Perki- Your cruise personalizer on the Princess website will show your number on the waitlist.

[cherylandtk]

Perki, your waitlist position number shows up on the personalizer page, log in and you will see it. You can ask to be changed, but do realize that only 1/3 of the ships passengers can be assigned to the traditional seatings, which is around 500 people each for early and late. The other 2000 passengers are assigned to Anytime dining.

[chelledun]

For January and crossing my fingers. I wouldn't mind trying anytime either though.

[cruiseco]

What sometimes happens is that a group (maybe 200) will be slow in making their request so the group supervisor will be talked into holding 200 seats in both seatings for a while until it gets ffigured out. When you see that both early and late seatings are waitlisted it's a pretty good bet that's what's going on. At some point the group supervisor, if there's no word from the TA, will just have to flip a coin and all of a sudden you can shoot up the waitlist.

[negc]

What sometimes happens is that a group (maybe 200) will be slow in making their request so the group supervisor will be talked into holding 200 seats in both seatings for a while until it gets ffigured out. When you see that both early and late seatings are waitlisted it's a pretty good bet that's what's going on. At some point the group supervisor, if there's no word from the TA, will just have to flip a coin and all of a sudden you can shoot up the waitlist.

 

Previous posts on this topic, indicate that getting traditional dining when you are as high as you are on the waitlist is not very likely. Your best bet, as others have said, is to approach the maitre'd as soon as possible after you board to see if you can be accommodated. A little financial incentive might even improve your chances. However, when a ship's dining rooms are set up so that only one-third of the passengers can be accommodated in the traditional dining room, if you have fifty percent of the passengers requesting traditional dining, something has to give. A seemingly logical solution would be to designate another of the 'anytime dining rooms' for traditional but that kind of logic seems lost on the officials at Princess. You might want to accept that, despite your preference, you will have to adjust your expectations and try to replicate a traditional dining experience (making reservations for the same time and servers) in anytime dining. Good luck.:)

[BURWASHT]

Last year we we're waitlisted #269 for first seating, the first night I gave the Matre'D a NICE bottle of wine and just like that we got a table for the rest of the trip!!!!!

[Golfette]

Good luck! We took Anytime Dining rather than waitlist - which in our case, on the Sapphire Princess, meant NO DINING except before 5:30 or after 8:30. If you want to eat around 5 p.m., there shouldn't be a problem in Anytime, but if you don't want to end up in the buffet every nite as we did, either accept the late sitting or go to another cruise line. We will never do "Anytime Dining" again.:eek:

[Jacqueline]

I've never had more than a 15 minute wait with anytime dining. But I always ask to be seated at a large table, as I find that this is the most fun.

There is a lot to be said for not rushing back from excursions to be ready for first seating. It takes the pressure off in the late afternoon.

You can plan your day around what you want to do, rather than what time you must eat.

As to the previous poster, there is no dining prior to 5:30. Usually one of the anytime rooms OPENS at 5:30 and the other one at 6pm...

This experience is based on several cruises since the anytime came into play.Previously, I always loved the fixed times, but I have come to see that there are definate advantages to no being locked into a set time.

Typically, I get the same wait staffs repeating and also my table mates, to the point where we buy each other bottles of wine with dinner. Its really fun !