really concerned about what PC dining on the Diamond is turning into

[CruisinTex]

seagarsmoker,
here, here =clap =clap =clap Give that man a cigar!
You said exactly what I wanted/was trying to say, but you said it so much better!
I realize there are people who definitely want PC to begin with and can't understand anyone who has PC making a standing reservation. I completely agree that there is a very serious problem and Princess just doesn't want to face the fact that maybe PC isn't working. Forcing people who want traditional dining into a PC situation is only going to create more PC standing reservations. My solution was one traditional dining room, one PC dining room for reservations (this would be the overflow from traditional) and one completely PC. That'll never happen, though, since that would basically be admitting defeat.

 

[rogerpl]

Hi Beryl, I should have posted we are a group of seven so little chance to dine with new folks. Since we are a large group will that be a problem getting a PC table.

 

[ljeanbrown]

We had PC dining on the Grand and like Roger, think for us that the early seating is too early and the late too late . So when we had PC dining we went around 7:00-7:30 each night and it was great. Sometimes we had to get a beeper and wait maybe 10 min. but that was fine we just looked at the shops for a few minutes and before we knew it our beeper was going off. I heard a lot of people getting or making reservations for specific times, but it still worked out just going when we wanted to.

 

[Beryl]

Roger, I think with a group your size I would go ahead and try to get reservations.

Cruisin Tex, I think your idea about using the different dining rooms is not a bad one. I have read that Holland America is trying something similar by staggering dining times on their ships. Though I don't know the exact times they serve dinner it works something like this....

6:30pm first seating lower level dining room
7:00pm second seating upper level dining room
7:30pm thrid seating lower level
8:00pm fourth seating upper level

Maybe that would please more people more of the time

One thing I do know....I have never heard anyone complain that they went hungry on a ship! :grin

 

[bcs819]

I love traditional dining and will be very upset if I don't get it. This was my only complaint about our last cruise on Princess - they totally screwed up our dinner. We were waitlisted traditional late seating. Then before we left we were confirmed traditional late seating and I was an ecstatic girl. Then we get on the ship and we find out that yes we were confirmed late traditional, BUT NOT TOGETHER.....grrrr....after complaining immediately, they made us traditional, but not in the main dining room. This was fine with me as long as I didn't have to make a reservation, wait for dinner and had the same staff every night, EXCEPT, one night we go to dinner and there were people at our table....grrrr...they gave us another table at the same waiter's area but I love traditonal dining and am pretty easygoing but will make a stink if I get stuck making reservations every night. If that's the case I may as well stay on land...

 

[maw]

I am with PEB I am also a diabetic and had asked for early traditional dining but we were assigned PC. We liked our waiters the first evening (one had pushed wheel chair when we embarked for me) We enjoyed couple we were seated with. We requested as we left dining room to have the same table and waiters each evening at the same time. This was arranged for us. We were very pleased the next night to find that the couple we had been seated with had also requested it. . I would have preferred a larger table in traditional early but none was available. It did work out with the reservation for us. Sorry some do not think this was fair , but for me it was a health issue.

 

[bostongal]

Maw - I have no problem with anyone making reservations in the PC dining rooms and don't consider it unfair if it means that I have to wait. I understand that everyone has different needs and if it means that I spend some more time having a cocktail before my next feeding, so be it.

I think it's great that you were able to take a negative (not getting early Traditional) and make PC work for you.

I can't wait to try PC dining and know that no matter how it works it won't affect my vacation - beats having to cook it and clean up after it ~LOL.

Meg

 

[sneekpeek]

Another thing to consider is that with PC dining you can have a table for two every night. My husband is a bit anti-social so he wanted the tables for two. We did make our reservations the second we got on the ship last week but it wasn't because of a time factor. There are several tables for two, but if you don't have a reservation they will put you at a bigger table with other people.

The tables for two are close together so I had a great time talking to all my neighbors!

 

[rogerpl]

An early review fron the C.P. writes of too many reservations for P.C. dining making for long waits. We will still stick with it as i prefer to eat later than earlier but it would seem a shame to not to eat earlier once without having to make a reservation. But who cares we'll be cruising in a little over 30 days.

 

[red stripe]

The main thing that Princess did wrong with the PC was to not monitor it.. and this might be why it was a mess for you Mary Ann..

This was our observation.. a few cruises ago.. when we went on a cruise alone for a change :grin

Now we like late traditional, we request to sit at a large table, and we enjoy getting to know our table-mates as the week goes on.
Instead of spending every evening introducing ourselves to new people.. and never getting past the "what is your name? where do you live.. work... how many cruises.. and on and on" But that is us.

So we booked the late trad. On second night the dining room was almost empty.. and we were the only ones at our table for 8. As it happened.. we knew someone else on-board.. and they were also the only ones at their table for 8. and another couple were alone at yet another table for 8...

We did not understand this, as we had talked to many people that day that were as much as number 75 wait-listed for late traditional..

This went on night after night.. we asked if our friends could sit with us, as it is depressing to be sat at these big tables on your own.. but we were all told no. because in spite of the fact that no one ever showed up.. these seats were assigned.

Eventually in the cruise, we went on strike, and 6 of us formed our own table.. and told the staff that we were not sitting alone any more.

We checked out the PC dining rooms, and found them to be packed..
A few inquires brought this to light..

no one checks your card when you walk into PC.. so a lot of people that had asked for traditional dining were eating in there every night!

This is not fair to those that asked for PC to be fighting for the same tables with people that already HAD a table in another dining room.
It also was not fair to those that wanted Trad.. and were wait listed the whole cruise..

We asked our waiters one night if it did not bother them that the dining room was bare. Their answer.. <font color = red>>"oh no, it makes our work easy, and we will get out tips anyway, as it is taken out automatically"</font>

For this to work it HAS to be monitored.. and that meant that if you sign up for PC, your card should have perhaps a large yellow dot on it, and you flash it at the door staff as you enter.. if you present a card with Trad on it, then you should be told nicely that you are in the wrong dining room.
If they say they changed their mind and now want PC, they should have to inform someone.. get the yellow dot.. and free up their seats in the Trad dining room for someone that wants them.

Just our observations..
cheers,
red stripe

 

[Einstein]

=yeah what PEB, Seagarsmoker, and red said. :grin IMO I know people select PC dining to meet their flexibility needs but it causes havoc with the operations of the ship. With the flexibility the shows are difficult to regulate with the irregular flow of diners and therefore its a must to get to the popular shows 30 mins prior to starting. For the EXTREEMELY popular shows some paxs NEVER get to see them because PC dining allows the option to view both shows by the sam paxs if they wish. I know the notion is that PC dining is suppose to relieve the stress of eating EVERY night at the same time NO matter what but IMO I believe it is causing more stress for those that opt for the PC Dining option as well as MORE stress for those that choose Traditional and then can NOT be a part of the nightly activities due to overcrowding. I still beleive IMO that Carnival handles the dining option the BEST of ALL cruiselines by staggering their dining hours at 1 hour intervals and HAL has now started doing this as well so we shall get to experience that setup in OCT> again and see how it works. As red mentions .. I think the PC Dining could operate a LOT smoother if they would just monitor it BETTER. :thumb

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