Trip Bacon — The secret ingredient to the perfect getaway logo
Trip Bacon

Why NO ONE Can Get Princess Dining Reservations 😳 | Full-Time Cruiser Reveals the Fix

Living On Cruise Control
Living On Cruise Control
🥈Expert
👁️ 8K views📅 3 months ago⏱️ 17:03
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsTips & Advice🥈Expert Creator
🧍 Best for SoloVeteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

I've been cruising now full-time on Princess cruise ships mostly.

I was not able to make any dinner reservations for this entire 4 months ahead of time.

I was pretty frustrated to be honest.

He personally said, 'Make a list of the restaurants and the time of where you want to go this entire time that you're on the Star Princess.'

Creator's Tips & Advice

Download the Princess app and book reservations well in advance.
Call the dine line (outside number) with a prepared list of restaurants and times.
Go to specialty restaurants or main dining rooms immediately upon boarding to book in person.
Cancel reservations at least 24 hours in advance to avoid fees.
Share feedback with guest services or management if you encounter issues.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Wasting vacation time standing in linesMake reservations in advance so you don't have to wait.
Not knowing which restaurants to chooseWatch the creator's upcoming food tour videos to research options.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhy is it so hard to get dining reservations on Princess ships?
QHow can I secure dining reservations before boarding?
QWhat should I do if I can't get reservations on the app?
QHow do I handle dining issues once I am onboard?
QIs it worth it to complain to management?

Topics Covered

Dining Specialty2 Sad BaconService Crew4½ Happy BaconBooking Process1½ Sad BaconLoyalty Program2½ Happy BaconCrowd Capacity2 Sad Bacon

Port Highlights

Bise
Fort Lauderdale
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

Today’s video is all about the dining reservation challenges happening onboard the Star Princess (and across Princess Cruises overall) — and what YOU can do to avoid frustration, secure the restaurants you want, and save valuable vacation time. Every day I’m hearing from passengers on the Star Princess, in my Facebook groups, and in YouTube comments who are struggling to: • book reservations before boarding • secure times once onboard • use their Premier dining benefits • navigate the Princess App dining system After living full-time on Princess since January 2025, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned — including tips, workarounds, and my own personal experience getting dining access sorted after a very rocky start. Whether you're sailing the Star Princess, Sun Princess, Discovery, Enchanted, or any Princess ship, these strategies will help you book smarter, avoid long waits, and maximize your cruise experience. If you're 40+, love to cruise, or are planning a future Princess vacation, this video will save you time, money, and stress — because bougie on a budget means enjoying every minute without wasting any of it. 💙 ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Welcome to Living on Cruise Control 00:20 – The growing dining reservation challenges 01:20 – Why large groups MUST book early 02:00 – Using the Princess App (and why it often shows “no availability”) 03:15 – Booking dining before your cruise vs. onboard 04:05 – Using the Princess “Dine Line” phone number 05:00 – What to do immediately when boarding 06:05 – Going directly to dining venues for faster results 07:20 – My upcoming full food tour series (menus, hours, costs, reviews) 08:05 – Using the onboard dine line (5555) — pros + cons 09:20 – Cancellation rules: main dining rooms vs. specialty restaurants 10:10 – The Star Princess dining chaos: my real experience 13:00 – Speaking with Guest Services & leadership response 15:10 – Why sharing feedback (kindly) truly matters 16:40 – Encouragement to advocate for yourself onboard 17:45 – Final tips + bougie on a budget reminders 18:20 – Outro — see you on a future cruise! 🎰 HOW I EARN FREE CRUISES (DON’T MISS THIS VIDEO!) Learn exactly how I get free cruises through casino comps and how you can too → 👉 https://youtu.be/ixETU4mDUGY 🌎 JOIN THE COMMUNITY • YouTube Cruise Community Membership → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCezCmLQfm5m1a-8cefMAWhA/join • Patreon — Cruiser Casino Comp Community → https://www.patreon.com/LivingOnCruiseControl • Living On Cruise Control Facebook Page → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572283514391 • Star Princess 2026/2027 Season Facebook Group → https://www.facebook.com/groups/1164071521929221 • Sun Princess 2026–2027 Season Facebook Group → https://www.facebook.com/groups/824496840358572 • Instagram → @LivingOnCruiseControl #PrincessCruises #StarPrincess #CruiseTips 🧭 ABOUT LIVING ON CRUISE CONTROL I’m Laura — a solo female Gen-X traveler living full-time on cruise ships. I share honest reviews, dining tips, casino strategies, travel budgets, and inspiration to help you design a life you don’t need a vacation from. Because if not now, then when? 💫