Ultimate Dining Package

I was wondering if anyone has tried this new Ultimate dining package option? It sounds like a great deal if you are into the specialty restaurants but I think there is some confusion on how it works. We were just on Allure and did not get this package, but I asked about it. One of the head specialty restaurant people told me that you only got 7 days worth of meals with it...so if you wanted to go to one at lunch, you could not go to one at dinner on that day. However, on RCCL's website it says, "For one low price, you can enjoy dinner at our specialty restaurants every night of your sailing. And as an added perk, you’ll also get to eat lunch in our specialty restaurants on sea days."

So I am getting ready to cruise again on Allure and this sounds like a great option if the lunch is an added perk...especially since Sabor is no longer a la carte and is instead $19 per person for lunch. Any one try this out yet???

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I just made a reservation and my RCCL cruise planner mentioned the Ultimate Package. Her explanation matched the website info, not what the person told you while you were sailing on the Allure. You can call the cruise planner desk to double check though. So even though we have not booked it I received the same info over the phone as is on the website.

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I was wondering if anyone has tried this new Ultimate dining package option? It sounds like a great deal if you are into the specialty restaurants but I think there is some confusion on how it works. We were just on Allure and did not get this package, but I asked about it. One of the head specialty restaurant people told me that you only got 7 days worth of meals with it...so if you wanted to go to one at lunch, you could not go to one at dinner on that day. However, on RCCL's website it says, "For one low price, you can enjoy dinner at our specialty restaurants every night of your sailing. And as an added perk, you’ll also get to eat lunch in our specialty restaurants on sea days."

So I am getting ready to cruise again on Allure and this sounds like a great option if the lunch is an added perk...especially since Sabor is no longer a la carte and is instead $19 per person for lunch. Any one try this out yet???

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We've got this booked for Harmony coming up in September. All the info we've seen has indicated that it's all nights plus lunch on sea days, which for us is ten meals. All in all, at $169ish pp, we view it as a solid value for $17/meal which is a hefty discount in most places (especially considering the a la carte credit for restaurants is $50, and the covers for dinner at 150, Chops, and Wonderland are quite hefty alone). For not much more than the 5-night package you sure seem to get a lot of extra value IMO.

Only tough thing is we're booked in two Central Park Balconies (party of four) both of which include a dinner for two at Jamie's, which is essentially pointless with the package. We are trying to get a switch to Boardwalk since the soda packages will at least retain their value.

Anyone know if the Jamie's thing is swipe-based or if you get like a coupon or something you could just give to someone? Might be a nice thing to do if we can't actually use it ourselves.

Wondering if you can book the Ultimate Dining package on board or only in advance using cruise planner?

Thanks!

Wondering if you can book the Ultimate Dining package on board or only in advance using cruise planner?

 

Thanks!

They were pushing it (among other packages) on Oasis big time on the first day. You pretty much could not walk 10 steps without another crew member stopping you and pushing something or another.

Does the package cover also Bottomless Galley Brunch? It is served on lunch time but term brunch is used though.

I bought the Ultimate dining package for my 6/18 Oasis cruise. The package does cover lunch on the sea days. The $50 credit for Izumi made it well worth it. Also, for Izumi they will let you do take out and they let you share your food with others that don't have the package.

Also, the fine print I had read stated it did not cover Chef's Table and Izumi Hibachi. The staff in Izumi said I could do the Hibachi for lunch without being charged extra.

I loved having the package and would definitely do it again!

Thanks everyone! Great info.

I think the 7 days were 1 meal a day in the evening. So you could not go to 2 specialty restaurants on the same evening

We've got this booked for Harmony coming up in September. All the info we've seen has indicated that it's all nights plus lunch on sea days, which for us is ten meals. All in all, at $169ish pp, we view it as a solid value for $17/meal which is a hefty discount in most places (especially considering the a la carte credit for restaurants is $50, and the covers for dinner at 150, Chops, and Wonderland are quite hefty alone). For not much more than the 5-night package you sure seem to get a lot of extra value IMO.

 

Only tough thing is we're booked in two Central Park Balconies (party of four) both of which include a dinner for two at Jamie's, which is essentially pointless with the package. We are trying to get a switch to Boardwalk since the soda packages will at least retain their value.

 

Anyone know if the Jamie's thing is swipe-based or if you get like a coupon or something you could just give to someone? Might be a nice thing to do if we can't actually use it ourselves.

Quite a few people have reported here that the perks of a Central Park or Boardwalk balcony are NOT transferable.

Quite a few people have reported here that the perks of a Central Park or Boardwalk balcony are NOT transferable.

Thanks. I think we did come up with a somewhat useful application which is that since it seems Jamie's is open on embarkation on Harmony nowadays we can use the benefit for that lunch.

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I had the package on Oasis 5/21 sailing. I could tell most cruise members were new with the package on my sailing, as it just launched a few weeks prior.

Izumi called our cabin and invited us for dinner there with our package at Hibachi. I thought this was strange since it says this is excluded in the package. They let us get the combo dinner (two meats) with our package ($50pp price for combo).

I went to Sabor every sea day for lunch (now $19pp) and it was included, which was really nice.

I never stepped foot into the windjammer or main dining room, since I had the package. I did enjoy Park Cafe a few times for breakfast, lunch day 1.

Overall I really enjoyed the dining package, I bought them again for upcoming cruises.

With the Ultimate Dining Package do you book the restaurants before your cruise or while on the cruise?

You book the reservations once you are on the ship. The hostess in Izumi was assigned to help me book all my reservations. I gave her my list of the restaurants with preferred days and times and she them all up for me (after she set everything up the reservations were on my stateroom TV).

Interesting note - only 22 people bought the ultimate package on my 6/18 Oasis cruise.

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So at the risk of sounding the alarm bells here, I am just wondering if anyone has brought this up at all. We are on symphony next thanksgiving and have prepaid gratuities on our reservation so it's all done and paid for by he time we get on the ship. On past cruises we have left extra money for our stateroom attendant, the waiter and the assistant waiter in addition to the recommended pre-paid amounts. If someone does the ultimate dining package, do the grat amounts change since you are never in the dining room? Or do the server part essentially transfer over to the speciality dining server? We also left grat for our speciality dining server when going to them. I just would love to do this on symphony when we go, just thinking of what I know my husband will ask! Thanks!

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So at the risk of sounding the alarm bells here, I am just wondering if anyone has brought this up at all. We are on symphony next thanksgiving and have prepaid gratuities on our reservation so it's all done and paid for by he time we get on the ship. On past cruises we have left extra money for our stateroom attendant, the waiter and the assistant waiter in addition to the recommended pre-paid amounts. If someone does the ultimate dining package, do the grat amounts change since you are never in the dining room? Or do the server part essentially transfer over to the speciality dining server? We also left grat for our speciality dining server when going to them. I just would love to do this on symphony when we go, just thinking of what I know my husband will ask! Thanks!

The standard gratutity covers your servers at breakfast and lunch too, not just in the dining room at dinner.

So at the risk of sounding the alarm bells here, I am just wondering if anyone has brought this up at all. We are on symphony next thanksgiving and have prepaid gratuities on our reservation so it's all done and paid for by he time we get on the ship. On past cruises we have left extra money for our stateroom attendant, the waiter and the assistant waiter in addition to the recommended pre-paid amounts. If someone does the ultimate dining package, do the grat amounts change since you are never in the dining room? Or do the server part essentially transfer over to the speciality dining server? We also left grat for our speciality dining server when going to them. I just would love to do this on symphony when we go, just thinking of what I know my husband will ask! Thanks!

 

 

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They (the system) knows where you eat and sends your gratuities there. [emoji4]

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They (the system) knows where you eat and sends your gratuities there. [emoji4]

 

 

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So this might be opening pandora'a box here, but when y'all eat at a speciality restaurant, do you guys leave an additional gratuity? I have been on 13 cruises but now this ultimate dining package is making me want to make sure I am not screwing the servers over since they work so hard!

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So this might be opening pandora'a box here, but when y'all eat at a speciality restaurant, do you guys leave an additional gratuity? I have been on 13 cruises but now this ultimate dining package is making me want to make sure I am not screwing the servers over since they work so hard!

Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. Depends on the service.

This package is being advertised for an upcoming 5 night cruise I have booked for $120. That's with the supposed 60% off. :eek: Full price definately not worth it. I don't want to feel like I have to eat in a specialty restaurant on sea days for lunch (as I only have 2) to get value for money. Personally I think the 5 night package is better value.

JMHO.

So this might be opening pandora'a box here, but when y'all eat at a speciality restaurant, do you guys leave an additional gratuity? I have been on 13 cruises but now this ultimate dining package is making me want to make sure I am not screwing the servers over since they work so hard!

 

 

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The price for Specialty dining also includes the gratuity part for Specialty dining. The "normal" service charged won't be affected due to that. Basically you are paying more for service on normal restaurants since you still pay for service in there even though you don't use their service on evening and sea days. Actually in that sense waiters are getting more.

This is some great info, thanks everyone

We are trying this on our 5 night cruise leaving Saturday so I will be sure to update to this thread when we get back! (We are adults only and hoping this will help avoiding some of the kids on a summer cruise.)

We just bought tbe package for our August 20th cruise on Oasis. Looking forward to your reviews.