“The Love Boat” Rolls Out Three Main Dining Options on All Princess Ships

After a busy day exploring ashore or just having a fabulous, fun day at sea, we’re usually eager for dinner! Last month, The Meandering Traveler cruised on the new 4,300-guest Sun Princess, and had the pleasure of learning about — and testing — one of the three main dining options unveiled for that “Love Boat.”

Even better, “The Love Boat” line has now announced that it will debut this new trio of dining room choices across its fleet. It’s a great idea given that no two people think alike. Certainly, no two cruise guests do when it comes to what they identify as their perfect main dining experience.

Some travelers are traditionalists. They prefer a fixed time for dinner, either an early or late seating. Other guests, in contrast, prefer to dine when they want, showing up anytime in the main dining room.

But in Princess’ thinking, there should be a third option — a reserved time of the guest’s choosing. We couldn’t agree more.

(Shown above is the three-level main dining room that debuted earlier this year on the new Sun Princess. Photo by Susan J. Young.)

Three Main Dining Options on “The Love Boat”

So, Princess is now debuting the ultimate in flexibility. Moving forward, all Princess ships will offer three table service options. Separate dining rooms will be designated for each of the three table options.

So, guests will choose one of these:

• Traditional Dining: Guests will select from either an early or late seating every evening.
• Reservable: Travelers will tell Princess what time they’d like to dine and make a reservation. So, they can dovetail their dining time with what they’ve planned for that day. They can dine either early or late within the restaurant’s opening hours. Most importantly, they’ll have a fixed time of their own choosing, and just show up.
• Open Seating: This is just how it sounds. Guests can walk in anytime. We tried this on Sun Princess and loved the options including “All Day Breakfast” and other tasty menu items.

Of course, all three options are also supplemented by the line’s OceanNow. With that exclusive service, guests can order anything, anytime, plus receive their food anywhere on board.

The Love Boat: Success with Sun Princess

The decision by Princess to make this main dining move follows the successful implementation on Sun Princess, where “The Love Boat” has introduced a new, three-level dining room. “Our guests have been delighted with the dining flexibility aboard Sun Princess,” says Sami Kohen, vice president of food and beverage, Princess Cruises.

So, he says the concept is going fleetwide. “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 adds.

When Will It Begin Fleetwide?

Timing-wise, the new main dining approach will debut on all Princess ships for departures on or after September 14, 2024. What’s good to know?

To support these changes and the transition to the new system, Princess will cancel any main dining reservations that have already been made for voyages sailing September 14 and beyond. That’s the case for all ships except Sun Princess.

Main dining reservations for guests sailing through September 13, 2024, will NOT be affected. Starting on June 17, booked guests will also be able to use the Princess App ahead of their voyage.

So, they can choose traditional seating in a dedicated dining room with the same waiter, same table and same time each night. Or, they can alternatively select flexible dining, allowing them to enjoy dinner at any available time and table size of their choosing in either the Reservable or Open Seating dining rooms.

Important to Know

“This change does not affect guests’ specialty dining reservations,” adds Shelby Steudle, president, Pavlus Travel. “Nor does it impact guests booked in suites or reserve collection accommodations. They’ll enjoy a dedicated dining room on Princess ships, where no reservations are required.”

For more information about Princess Cruises, visit the line’s website. For information and booking of a Princess cruise, check out the information below and give Pavlus Travel a call or chat online.

“The Love Boat” always gets much interest from cruisers, so readers might also check out our past blog that includes interview comments from Jill Whelan. The actress played “Vicki,” Captain Stubing’s daughter, in the original TV series.

And enjoy any upcoming cruise you’re planning this year! Across the cruise industry, many lines including Princess are debuting new options. So, bon appetit!