P&O - How do you get into the main dining restaurant (not the buffet)?

Hey everyone, I’m sorry if this question isn’t in the right place. I couldn’t find a specific P&O community.

So, my question is pretty simple. To get into the main dining restaurant, do you just tell them your cabin number or do you need to swipe in, or is there something else you need to do?

Thanks in advance!

The following is a copy of the original post to record the post as it was originally written.

u/AdsTheMan

Hey everyone, I’m sorry if this question isn’t in the right place. I couldn’t find a specific P&O community.

So, my question is pretty simple. To get into the main dining restaurant, do you just tell them your cabin number or do you need to swipe in, or is there something else you need to do?

Thanks in advance!

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You just walk in and talk to the maitre d’.

I’ve never cruised with P&O, but this is how it works on the other cruise lines I’ve used.

I’ve been on three P&O cruises, and they have something called My Holiday. It’s not really an app, but more of an onboard internet page you can use. You can book a table or join a virtual queue that will notify you when your table is ready.

Alternatively, you can just walk up to the restaurant’s front desk and ask if there are any available tables.

It depends on the ship. If the ship has ‘freedom dining’ (like Iona and Arvia), you either queue up and give your cabin number or join a virtual queue through the My Holiday web page.

On some ships, you might be assigned a specific dining time. In that case, you will be shown to your table on the first night, and after that, you just head straight to your table at the designated time.

Some ships use a mix of these two options, so it depends on the ship you’re on!

Most cruises assign you a table number and timeslot either before boarding or when you get your keycard. Then you show up at your assigned time.

Kim said:
Most cruises assign you a table number and timeslot either before boarding or when you get your keycard. Then you show up at your assigned time.

Unless you choose ‘any time dining’ (or whatever it’s called on that cruise line). In that case, you show up whenever you want to eat, and they seat you as soon as a table is available. You can also join a virtual queue or make a reservation through an app.

@Ripley
That sounds interesting! I haven’t seen that option before, but we usually go on EU lines. I guess that’s more common in the USA?

Once you’re on the ship, you’re good to go. It’s not like someone can just walk onto the ship from the street and head up to dinner.

You can pre-book through the My Holiday app if the ship has that option. I personally like to book for formal nights since it can get busy in the specialty restaurants. You can also join the queue for the main dining rooms and get an alert when your table is ready.

If you’re having trouble with the app, you can ask at the front desk of the restaurant or book through the reception.

It’s the same as going to any other restaurant. You check in with the host/maître d’, give your room number, and they’ll take you to your seat.