Specialty Dining Packages

We are cruising on the Dawn in March and with our reservation we got the free SDP. Since so many of the restaurants are a la cart now and there is no charge when they are booked on line, can I make reservations for my 3 free nights on line so I guarantee that I get the dates and times I prefer? My husband and I are also both platinum now and get the free dinner for 2 x2, can I make reservations for those as well? I'm just hearing so many horror stories about everything being booked up once they are on the ship and end up not being able to use their dining packages. Does anyone have any experience with this?

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You can make your reservations 90 days before you sail (or 100 days before if staying in a suite).

Even if the online reservations fill up, there are still more slots to fill while onboard.

About 25% of tables are available on line. We are just off the Gem. In the past , picking times while sailing was not to big a hassle. Now, with so many packages sold,and if you are ok with planning, you can make reservations while waiting to embark. We made one reservation but did not think to make all (which is a pain to us

since we like to plan around evening activities). After one day, we were scrambling for times in the specialties.

Yes you can make reservations online for all. We did this last cruise on the Dawn and glad we did. The reservations booked up quick once onboard. We like to eat early every night so this is not an issue for us booking ahead.we did find that with the 4 night UDP we got as a perk and 2 nights platinum dinners we only got to eat else where 1 night and would have preferred more nights to just dine in mdr or o'sheehans. Next cruise we are sticking with our free platinum dinners and going freestyles the rest of the time for 7 night cruise. Our 14 night cruise we booked we are taking the 4 night SDP and our 2 night free platinum and doing the rest in mdr or o'sheehans.

Yes you can make reservations online for all. We did this last cruise on the Dawn and glad we did. The reservations booked up quick once onboard. We like to eat early every night so this is not an issue for us booking ahead.we did find that with the 4 night UDP we got as a perk and 2 nights platinum dinners we only got to eat else where 1 night and would have preferred more nights to just dine in mdr or o'sheehans. Next cruise we are sticking with our free platinum dinners and going freestyles the rest of the time for 7 night cruise. Our 14 night cruise we booked we are taking the 4 night SDP and our 2 night free platinum and doing the rest in mdr or o'sheehans.

We have always enjoyed the specialty dining and could always just make reservations the day of or just did walk up with no reservation and could always get in without a problem but it seems that is no longer the case.

So you just went on line like you were going to pay for a specialty restaurant and booked all of your reservations including your 2 free platinum dinners and had zero charged?

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The link in my signature has a guide to booking speciality restaurants, especially where the platinum meal is involved.

Hope it helps.

We have always enjoyed the specialty dining and could always just make reservations the day of or just did walk up with no reservation and could always get in without a problem but it seems that is no longer the case.

 

So you just went on line like you were going to pay for a specialty restaurant and booked all of your reservations including your 2 free platinum dinners and had zero charged?

 

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When booking an a la carte restaurant, Cagneys, Le Bistro, La Cucina, the charge will always be $0 at booking. If booking a cover charge restaurant, Moderno or Teppanyaki, the cover will be charged at booking unless you have SDP and book them first. The first three booked will fall under the SDP as far as the booking system is concerned. You can apply the SDP onboard where you wish, regardless of the order you booked them.

When booking an a la carte restaurant, Cagneys, Le Bistro, La Cucina, the charge will always be $0 at booking. If booking a cover charge restaurant, Moderno or Teppanyaki, the cover will be charged at booking unless you have SDP and book them first. The first three booked will fall under the SDP as far as the booking system is concerned. You can apply the SDP onboard where you wish, regardless of the order you booked them.

Thanks punkincc!

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The link in my signature has a guide to booking speciality restaurants, especially where the platinum meal is involved.

 

Hope it helps.

Thanks for the info Keith!

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and if you have 2 adults 2 kids just never add the kids that can be very challenging to book with the plan.

and if you have 2 adults 2 kids just never add the kids that can be very challenging to book with the plan.

Why's that? We never have any problem booking for more than two.

The link in my signature has a guide to booking speciality restaurants, especially where the platinum meal is involved.

 

Hope it helps.

I meant to tell you that is was exactly the information I was looking for - when I did a search I couldn't find anything.

Great info Keith.

About 25% of tables are available on line. We are just off the Gem. In the past , picking times while sailing was not to big a hassle. Now, with so many packages sold,and if you are ok with planning, you can make reservations while waiting to embark. We made one reservation but did not think to make all (which is a pain to us

since we like to plan around evening activities). After one day, we were scrambling for times in the specialties.

We are going on the Gem in a couple of months, but we hate making reservations for dinner ahead of time - we usually just do it day-by-day depending on the events that particular day.

Did you have trouble just getting the specific times you wanted, or were you having trouble getting ANY reservations for places like Moderno, Cagney's, Le Bistro, etc?

Thanks!

Why's that? We never have any problem booking for more than two.

as i recall if you book teppanyaki it tries to charge you for the kids. it was something weird like that. however of course if you get the kids menu its free and id rather not worry about fighting for a credit at the table. the chef is very nice and gives them enough free food that its more than enough.

i dont remember if i had the same issue booking ocean blue or not.

as i recall if you book teppanyaki it tries to charge you for the kids. it was something weird like that. however of course if you get the kids menu its free and id rather not worry about fighting for a credit at the table. the chef is very nice and gives them enough free food that its more than enough.

 

 

 

i dont remember if i had the same issue booking ocean blue or not.

My experience has always been that if the person booking has the package then nobody gets charged.

I have booked Moderno and Teppenyaki a few times for the three of us and have never had to pay.

If you have had a different experience then that does change things a bit. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has had this happen.

I booked online before the cruise, but could only get later times, like 9:30 pm. They only book 25% of tables pre-cruise. When you board the ship, there is still 75% of the reservations open. As soon as we got on the ship, we went straight to where the reservations were being made and changed the times to earlier.

And one more note, one night we wanted to eat earlier, so just went to Cagney's and asked if they could take us. We only had to wait 5-10 minutes and they got us a table.

Two questions please:

1) Do SDP include gratuity? I know we can pay more if the service is good but otherwise is the gratuity included?

2) Likewise, if I pay the cover charge ($45 set charge or whatever) to get in to that restaurant for dinner, is gratuity included in that?

Thanks much!

Two questions please:

 

1) Do SDP include gratuity? I know we can pay more if the service is good but otherwise is the gratuity included?

 

2) Likewise, if I pay the cover charge ($45 set charge or whatever) to get in to that restaurant for dinner, is gratuity included in that?

 

 

Thanks much!

1.) Yes, you paid the "service charges" for the free SDP - that was the gratuity. If you chose to pay more - that is up to you.

2.) Yes, if pay a cover charge to go to a specialty restaurant that includes the gratuity.

Thanks!

The gratuity is added to the charges, rather than being included in them.

So, 18% is added to your bill in a speciality restaurant, and is added to the price of the dining package.

It is not included in the quoted prices.

Thanks, seems like it is cheaper by a considerable amount to buy the dinner package. A 4 dinner package costs $100, so would be paying $25/dinner. Many of the main courses alone cost that much.... :)

So I will end up paying $100 + $18 = $118 = 4 dinners (and I have the UDB so drinks will be free for me)

Thanks!

Yes, a $100 package would cost you $118.

In my opinion, I you are having 3+ meals then the package is the way to go.

Yes, a $100 package would cost you $118.

 

In my opinion, I you are having 3+ meals then the package is the way to go.

Even if you are only having one meal in Le Bistro or Cagneys it is very possible that it is cheaper to buy a 3 meal package even if you don't use the other two meals, depending on what you want to order.

Even if you are only having one meal in Le Bistro or Cagneys it is very possible that it is cheaper to buy a 3 meal package even if you don't use the other two meals, depending on what you want to order.

I'd certainly agree that the cost of two meals in the a la carte places could mean that a dining package is worth it, but most people would struggle to eat enough in one meal.

Three starters (picking the most expensive ones), a soup, the most expensive entree, 5 sides and a couple of desserts would just about do it according the the latest menus I have.

Do I have to wait until I'm on board to buy 3 meal SDP, using non-refundable OBC, for the "3rd" passenger in our cabin? Our booking only including dining for the first 2 people and some OBC for each of the first 2 people.

I assume if I "prepurchase" SDP for 3rd person, it will just be charged to my credit card and I won't be able to use my OBC to pay for it. So I assume I have to wait until on board to use my OBC to buy the SDP for the 3 person in our cabin.