Princess - Personal Choice Dining Options

In 2005 on Caribbean Princess we were able to choose Personal Choice
dining and then make a reservation for the same time and the same table
for the remainder of the week. This allowed us to eat earlier than
traditional 2nd seating and still have the same wait staff through the
week. I hear that this option of keeping the same table each night
using Personal Choice no longer exists and that you now have to take
whatever table is avaialble at your requested time.... ?

We just went on the Crown a couple of weeks ago and I spoke to the Maitre'D
himself the firs day of the cruise. We were a group of 10 and wanted to eat
at the same table and only four of us were confirmed for early seating
traditional. He suggested that we take a 6pm res at the PC dining room and
we would have the same table same waiter all week. I was confused but he
reasured me. Told me to just give them any of our cabin numbers and it
would be in the system.

We showed up and the girl at the PC dining room said no way that they do not
do that. They did not honor it. We had to make sure to show up at six,
when the dining room was not so busy, to make sure to get one of the few big
tables on the ship. Even then, we ended up getting different tables and
waiters every time. But we never had any trouble getting a table right away
as the dining room was nearly empty at six.


"poolboy" wrote in message
oups.com...
In 2005 on Caribbean Princess we were able to choose Personal Choice
dining and then make a reservation for the same time and the same table
for the remainder of the week. This allowed us to eat earlier than
traditional 2nd seating and still have the same wait staff through the
week. I hear that this option of keeping the same table each night
using Personal Choice no longer exists and that you now have to take
whatever table is avaialble at your requested time.... ?

When we were on the Crown we didn't reserve a PC time but did go at
about the same time each night, give or take 10 minutes, requesting the
same table and server the first 2 nights. after that it was automatic.
We'd show up and they'd tell us to go right to that table, that they
kept it open for us.

Paul


In article ,
"Caribbean Girl" wrote:

We just went on the Crown a couple of weeks ago and I spoke to the Maitre'D
himself the firs day of the cruise. We were a group of 10 and wanted to eat
at the same table and only four of us were confirmed for early seating
traditional. He suggested that we take a 6pm res at the PC dining room and
we would have the same table same waiter all week. I was confused but he
reasured me. Told me to just give them any of our cabin numbers and it
would be in the system.

We showed up and the girl at the PC dining room said no way that they do not
do that. They did not honor it. We had to make sure to show up at six,
when the dining room was not so busy, to make sure to get one of the few big
tables on the ship. Even then, we ended up getting different tables and
waiters every time. But we never had any trouble getting a table right away
as the dining room was nearly empty at six.


"poolboy" wrote in message
oups.com...
In 2005 on Caribbean Princess we were able to choose Personal Choice
dining and then make a reservation for the same time and the same table
for the remainder of the week. This allowed us to eat earlier than
traditional 2nd seating and still have the same wait staff through the
week. I hear that this option of keeping the same table each night
using Personal Choice no longer exists and that you now have to take
whatever table is avaialble at your requested time.... ?

The option still exists.

--Tom

"poolboy" wrote in message
oups.com...
In 2005 on Caribbean Princess we were able to choose Personal Choice
dining and then make a reservation for the same time and the same table
for the remainder of the week. This allowed us to eat earlier than
traditional 2nd seating and still have the same wait staff through the
week. I hear that this option of keeping the same table each night
using Personal Choice no longer exists and that you now have to take
whatever table is avaialble at your requested time.... ?

Hi, Tom and all,

To clarify, the Princess practice of accepting "standing reservations" in
the PC dining room appears to vary from ship to ship and even from voyage to
voyage.

We have successfully transformed PC assignments to "standing reservations"
on the Dawn, Star, Sun and, most recently, Grand over Thanksgiving week.
However, there is a current post on Cruise Critic to the effect that during
last week's Grand voyage, a sign was posted in the anytime dining rooms to
the effect, "We are sorry but we are unable to accept standing
reservations." There are also several posts complaining about the current
Maitre D', who is not the same very gracious and skilled MD we had over
Thanksgiving. Reading between the lines, I gather the decision to offer
"standing reservations" is solely within the discretion of the Maitre D' on
board when you cruise.

By my observation, Princess is experiencing difficulty meeting the dining
expectations of a high percentage of passengers assigned to PC. On the
cruises we've taken, the demand for traditional seating has been strong
enough to warrant a reversal of general practice, e.g., they should have had
2 traditional dining rooms plus 1 PC dining room instead of 1 trad and 2 PC.
YMMV

Diana Ball
Austin, TX


"Tom K" wrote in message
...
The option still exists.

--Tom

"poolboy" wrote in message
oups.com...
In 2005 on Caribbean Princess we were able to choose Personal Choice
dining and then make a reservation for the same time and the same table
for the remainder of the week. This allowed us to eat earlier than
traditional 2nd seating and still have the same wait staff through the
week. I hear that this option of keeping the same table each night
using Personal Choice no longer exists and that you now have to take
whatever table is avaialble at your requested time.... ?

We go with PC because the traditional 2nd seating time is about 1/2
hour later than we like to eat but we still want the option of keeping
the same waitstaff throughout the week. I would imagine that we're not
alone in this preference.

Ernie D.


On Dec 15, 1:29 pm, "D Ball" wrote:
Hi, Tom and all,

To clarify, the Princess practice of accepting "standing reservations" in
the PC dining room appears to vary from ship to ship and even from voyage to
voyage.

We have successfully transformed PC assignments to "standing reservations"
on the Dawn, Star, Sun and, most recently, Grand over Thanksgiving week.
However, there is a current post on Cruise Critic to the effect that during
last week's Grand voyage, a sign was posted in the anytime dining rooms to
the effect, "We are sorry but we are unable to accept standing
reservations." There are also several posts complaining about the current
Maitre D', who is not the same very gracious and skilled MD we had over
Thanksgiving. Reading between the lines, I gather the decision to offer
"standing reservations" is solely within the discretion of the Maitre D' on
board when you cruise.

By my observation, Princess is experiencing difficulty meeting the dining
expectations of a high percentage of passengers assigned to PC. On the
cruises we've taken, the demand for traditional seating has been strong
enough to warrant a reversal of general practice, e.g., they should have had
2 traditional dining rooms plus 1 PC dining room instead of 1 trad and 2 PC.
YMMV

Diana Ball
Austin, TX

"Tom K" wrote in ...



The option still exists.

--Tom

"poolboy" wrote in message
roups.com...
In 2005 on Caribbean Princess we were able to choose Personal Choice
dining and then make a reservation for the same time and the same table
for the remainder of the week. This allowed us to eat earlier than
traditional 2nd seating and still have the same wait staff through the
week. I hear that this option of keeping the same table each night
using Personal Choice no longer exists and that you now have to take
whatever table is avaialble at your requested time.... ?- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -

In article , D Ball
wrote:

By my observation, Princess is experiencing difficulty meeting the dining
expectations of a high percentage of passengers assigned to PC. On the
cruises we've taken, the demand for traditional seating has been strong
enough to warrant a reversal of general practice, e.g., they should have had
2 traditional dining rooms plus 1 PC dining room instead of 1 trad and 2 PC.
YMMV

I am for a complete reversal. Back to all traditional dining. In my
opinion Princess was a better cruise line when it was all traditional.
They can provide a sit down menu in the Lido area for those who don't
want traditional.

--
Charles

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:32:04 -0500, Charles
wrote:

I am for a complete reversal. Back to all traditional dining. In my
opinion Princess was a better cruise line when it was all traditional.

Hi Charles,

FWIW, Princess would like to go 100% to Personal Choice. This has
been their goal since they introduced this concept.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
--

Charles wrote:
In article , D Ball
wrote:


By my observation, Princess is experiencing difficulty meeting the dining
expectations of a high percentage of passengers assigned to PC. On the
cruises we've taken, the demand for traditional seating has been strong
enough to warrant a reversal of general practice, e.g., they should have had
2 traditional dining rooms plus 1 PC dining room instead of 1 trad and 2 PC.
YMMV


I am for a complete reversal. Back to all traditional dining. In my
opinion Princess was a better cruise line when it was all traditional.
They can provide a sit down menu in the Lido area for those who don't
want traditional.

I would like to see two traditional dining rooms and leave one PC for
those who prefer it. Let them go PC and keep on complaining.lol

sue

Charles wrote:
In article , D Ball
wrote:

By my observation, Princess is experiencing difficulty meeting the dining
expectations of a high percentage of passengers assigned to PC. On the
cruises we've taken, the demand for traditional seating has been strong
enough to warrant a reversal of general practice, e.g., they should have had
2 traditional dining rooms plus 1 PC dining room instead of 1 trad and 2 PC.
YMMV

I am for a complete reversal. Back to all traditional dining. In my
opinion Princess was a better cruise line when it was all traditional.
They can provide a sit down menu in the Lido area for those who don't
want traditional.

--
Charles

I'm with you there Charles. Personal Choice dining was brought in by
those cruisers that "didn't want to be regulated on their vacations."
Now, when they can't get what they want, Personal Choice is to blame.
I say, send them all on NCL Freestye and give us back the two
Traditional Dining times on Princess.

Lola in Hamilton