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Specialty restaurant reservations - travelling with friends


spuds
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We will be travelling with another couple on our first Oceania cruise in August. We can reserve at table at the specialty restaurants in early July. We want to dine with our friends so wondering if each couple should reserve a table for 2 people early July and then change to a table of 4 once on board ?? We are not early diners... if we start around 7:30 - 8:00 that would be great!

 

We would appreciate your recommendations.

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We will be travelling with another couple on our first Oceania cruise in August. We can reserve at table at the specialty restaurants in early July. We want to dine with our friends so wondering if each couple should reserve a table for 2 people early July and then change to a table of 4 once on board ?? We are not early diners... if we start around 7:30 - 8:00 that would be great!

 

We would appreciate your recommendations.

 

The first thing that you will probably want to consider is that there is only one Show per evening on Oceania, usually starting around 9:30pm.

 

Secondarily, if you're reserving in July for an August cruise, that means the folks in the upper categories will already have made their plans.....you'll need to be very flexible.

 

If you and your friends are sailing in similar cabin categories, it is best to give all of the booking #'s to one person who will call Oceania early on the day that Reservations open.

 

Online booking works, but getting seated at the same table is easier on the telephone.

 

It is worth noting at this point that regardless of whose reservation secures the table, every visit to a Specialty counts against that passengers # of guaranteed reservations.

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JMO

I would book the 4 of you at the same time if you are in the same Cat cabin

When you go to the reservations link just say NO to sharing then add a guest

have the other parties booking number so you can all be seated together

 

If all else fails call Oceania & ask them to help you

you do not want to wait until you are onboard to try & get tables together

They make of the table seating plan ahead of time & the Maitre'D s are not too thrilled when you show up & ask to be seated with your friends ..(I have tried) ;) they do comply but not happily

Back in the early days of Oceania this may have worked but now it seems everyone wants to dine in the Specialties as often as they can

thinking the GDR is less than stellar like dining on main stream lines

 

We prefer the GDR

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We are on the Riviera August 5-22. We booked our speciality restaurants for the full trip. We reserved "sharing" tables.

 

You will be seated with whoever the Maitre'd chooses to seat you with not with friends you are travelling with if that is what you are thinking

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I was just wondering about this. Hubby and I are in a suite, mom and dad aren't. I can reserve a table for4 each night then.

 

You can

 

But you need to wait until your parents time slot for booking opens up & then you can only book their allotted number of reservation online ahead of time

This is how it is suppose to work but I am sure the Suite dwellers will say otherwise

 

You could ask for more once onboard or dine in your suite

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You can

 

But you need to wait until your parents time slot for booking opens up & then you can only book their allotted number of reservation online ahead of time

This is how it is suppose to work but I am sure the Suite dwellers will say otherwise

 

You could ask for more once onboard or dine in your suite

 

I've read different reports here. I personally don't know.

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When you go to book your specialty reservation at the suite allotted time, you can add your traveling friends to the reservation using their booking number. You can only do that for the number of booking that they are allowed but from my experience, you can do it early for them.

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I've read different reports here. I personally don't know.

Yes we probably read the same posts ;)

 

We have only booked A.B & C cabins so when I book reservation with friends I have had to wait until they can book if they are in a lower Cat

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If the entire group makes full payment prior to the required date, the highest category person can establish reservations for the group. The number of reservations will be based on category.

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So there is the answer

 

you need friends in higher cabin Cat to book up the time slots you want early in the process if you are one of the peons in the B or lower cabins

 

So what is the point of having the different booking time slots for the different categories just let everyone book once they have made final payment

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Lyn;

 

Depending upon your personal arrangement, PIF dates are 3-6 months before sailing. Well before Specialties reservations begin. Most cruisers don't have friends , in higher suites, that want to dine with them regularly.

 

Additionally, I'm sure that O has lots of data on cruise cancellations after PIF. They probably want to delay restaurant reservations as long as possible to limit that impact on that reservations system!

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Lyn;

 

Depending upon your personal arrangement, PIF dates are 3-6 months before sailing. Well before Specialties reservations begin. Most cruisers don't have friends , in higher suites, that want to dine with them regularly.

sounds like they have a new system where people CAN (if the choose) book others that are in the lower Cat earlier than their time slot

 

The old system you had to wait until people in the lower Cat time slot opened up

We had an A cabin our friends were in an inside ...I had to wait until 45 day mark before I could book so I could invite them to get a table for 4

 

Some people have posted they did not even get their allotted number of reservations

 

Not everyone wants to eat at 9pm

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you are in a suite you can book your friends who are not at the same time when suite booking opens. We did that on Riviera. Their quota is then finished! Of course you may get more on board. Butlers can help you get more. You do have to have their booking ref.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Thanks everyone for your feedback. We are both in category B so our reservation time has not opened up yet. If we want to be sure of eating together we will probably try to book at the same time (referencing both booking numbers).

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Thanks everyone for your feedback. We are both in category B so our reservation time has not opened up yet. If we want to be sure of eating together we will probably try to book at the same time (referencing both booking numbers).

That may not work

Better if only one of you makes the reservation for both or call Oceania to book them

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That may not work

Better if only one of you makes the reservation for both or call Oceania to book them

 

Thanks... that is what I meant. One of us will make the reservation and reference both booking #'s at the same time.

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