Glitch Causes Dining Reservation Snafu on Carnival-Owned Line

Guests booking dining options aboard various P&O Cruises ships have encountered technical difficulties over the past few days, prompting the cruise line to send a notification email about issues with the booking system.

While not all guest reservations were impacted, travelers who were not able to successfully make reservations will now need to wait until much closer to their departure date to complete bookings.

Technical Problems With P&O Cruises Dining Reservation System

The opportunity to enjoy different luxurious and exotic dining experiences aboard the same cruise ship is alluring to many travelers, and foodie cruisers often seek to make reservations for various specialty restaurants onboard as soon as possible.

Recent technical problems with P&O Cruises’ dining reservation system, however, has caused cancellations and missed bookings for many guests. The extent of the problem has been so challenging that the cruise line has notified guests that it is aware of the difficulty and is working on repairs.

In the meantime, however, travelers may not be able to successfully make dining reservations until much closer to their cruise departure date. This could cause anxiety for culinary-minded travelers and may create even more difficulties as hundreds or thousands of guests try to process dining reservations in the days before sailing.

“We’re sorry to inform you that we’ve been experiencing some issues with our dining booking system in My P&O Cruises. If you’ve tried to make any dining reservations that you weren’t able to check out, then we apologise for any confusion caused,” the email notification read.

Not all guests had difficulties, however, and any travelers who were successful in making reservations through the booking system will have those arrangements honored for their cruise. If guests were unable to check out and confirm their purchase, they will need to try again closer to their travel date.

“All existing bookings will be honoured,” the email confirmed. “Any new reservations you would like to make will be available for you to book 14 days before your holiday starts.”

The difficulties are being addressed and the cruise line hopes to be able to open dining reservations earlier than 14 days before sailing. If that is possible, booked guests will be notified.

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In the meantime, P&O Cruises is asking that travelers not contact customer service for assistance, as they are not able to book individual guests’ dining reservations.

“Please note, our Customer Contact Centre will not be able to share any further information or make any dining reservations over the phone at this time,” the email concluded.

Which Ships?

Booked guests have reported these dining reservation difficulties on several of P&O Cruises’ seven ships, including Aurora, Ventura, Iona, and others. P&O Cruises is owned by Carnival Corporation & plc, but no other Carnival-owned line is impacted.

The technical glitches appear to be fleetwide at this time, but are being addressed as quickly as possible.

To ensure they are able to reserve the restaurants they want onboard, booked guests should prioritize which dining experiences are most important to their cruise vacation plans so they can make those reservations first.

Staying in close contact with the cruise line will ensure guests are aware of exactly when restaurants become available for booking, and being flexible with their dining time preferences can help everyone be able to book the restaurants they prefer.

Once onboard, passengers can also seek assistance from dining room staff or guest services to confirm or adjust reservations if necessary.