Over the years, cruise lines have introduced different dining styles to satisfy the changing needs of their guests.
From traditional dining options that offer early and late time slots to reserved seating and an eat-anytime-you-want style, many come and go and come again.
Most luxury lines—like Silversea, Seabourn, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises—allow passengers to book reservations or dine in the main dining room as walk-in diners.
However, Princess Cruises’ April 13 announcement says it is reintroducing all three styles. Beginning September 14, cruisers can choose between traditional, reservable, and walk-in-anytime dining setups.
| Fans of traditional dining can attend an early or late dinner seating. Those with fixed schedules can reserve specific times. Meanwhile, spontaneous folks get a dining venue specifically for walk-ins. According to Princess Cruises, this allows passengers to enjoy the “ultimate in flexibility and choice.” Guests only need to use the company’s OceanNow app to take full advantage. |
Sami Kohen, the cruise line’s vice president of food and beverage, said passengers can select from any of the three setups or switch things up. “Now, whether guests prefer an early seating every evening, or change things up every night, or even change their mind, these flexible dining options ensure that their dining preference is effortlessly accommodated,” he explained.
Though its fleetwide implementation will take until mid-September, the flexible system has already won guests over on the Sun Princess. The new vessel has made this possible with its three-story dining room, each floor offering one of the three styles.
“Our guests have been delighted with the dining flexibility aboard Sun Princess and we’re pleased to extend the concept to all the other ships in our fleet,” announced Kohen.
To make room for the new system, the main dining room reservations of passengers sailing on September 14 onwards (except Sun Princess) will be canceled.
If the change affects your itinerary, you can register your dining preferences on the OceanNow app beginning June 17, even before your embarkation date.
Remember, you can book the same table, waiter, and schedule every night or enjoy more flexibility by dining any time at Princess Cruises’ open seating and reservable dining rooms.
