Strategy for dining reservations

We're on the Explorer in December, and being new to Regent, we'd like to know how others make their dining reservations ... for example, how far apart do you space them, on which days (sea days vs. port days), how often you repeat a restaurant, and your favorite specialty restaurants.

Is it necessary to make these reservations ASAP or can we wait until we're on the ship? And does Regent have gala nights? If so, should we try to avoid dining in a specialty restaurant on a gala night? Thank you!

Cannot comment on the specific restaurants on Explorer, as we have yet to sail on her, but we have always enjoyed all the dining venues on Regent's other ships :)

You will be able to make one reservation per speciality restaurant on-line prior to boarding. Choose your preferred dates/times and decide whether you wish to share with others

Our strategy is to space out the reservations and to choose evenings when we know that we will not have had a long, tiring excursion during the day or an early start the following day

You should make your reservations on-line as soon as the booking window opens in order to have the best chance of obtaining your preferences

When you are on-board you will have the opportunity to make further reservations, depending on availability

Not quite sure what you mean by a Gala Night, but Regent does occasionally have an evening deck BBQ. When they do the speciality restaurants are normally closed to free up the staff

Enjoy your cruise

On board reservations or changes to reservations are often possible if you have real flexibility about when to dine, and especially if you're willing to share a table. But Flossie is absolutely correct that it's best to secure reservations as soon as you're able. The date when you can book reservations will be on your confirmation documents. (I believe that some people even stay up until midnight in order to do their on-line booking the minute it's available.) My memory, btw, is that you're able to make 2 reservations per each week of travel. I.e. if you're aboard for 14 nights, you can arrange for 4 speciality restaurants during your cruise.

My favorite specialty restaurant, I am sure, would be Pacific Rim. Alas, I don't think we'll manage to sail on the Explorer, but you'll have the pleasure of booking there. We've always enjoyed each of the specialty restaurants on the other ships (and the other restaurants as well!), including Signatures, which some don't like, but which has been changed on Explorer to something even better, one hears. (Chartreuse) We like Prime 7 a lot.

What Flossie said about when to dine in the specialty restaurants makes good sense. I would also say that we often enjoy dining in one of the specialty restaurants on our first night aboard.

Gala Night: Perhaps what you mean is the Captain's Reception, which is usually the 2nd night of a cruise. The menu in Compass Rose is often even more special that night (but it's always special), and some people tend to dress up a little more. We enjoy the ambience in CR on that night, so we tend not to choose specialty. Note: After the Captain's Reception (introductions, hors d'oeuvres, champagne, etc), there's always a huge surge towards Compass Rose. If you leave the reception a bit early (or don't attend at all, but I'd suggest attending since it's your first time on Regent), you'll miss the lines.

Have a super cruise! Wish we could be aboard!

Agree that you should make dining reservations online as soon as they open up. If you haven't done so already, go to the Regent website to set up your account https://www.rssc.com/myaccountlogin.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fmyaccount%2f . After your account is set, you can enter your December cruise. Once that is set up you can book excursions and make dining reservations (excursions have been available for some time for your cruise).

In addition to the Captain's Reception night, there is a special menu for Captain's Farewell - usually the 2nd to the last night of the cruise. On this night the crew puts on a wonderful show (Krew Kapers), and the officers and crew come out onstage afterwards. This is another night when Compass Rose gets slammed after the conclusion of the event.

I would space your reservations out. We like to book a specialty restaurant for the last night - no particular reason other than the smaller dining venues are a bit more romantic and it is a nice place to make a final toast before departing the ship the next morning.

On the Explorer, Pacific Rim is the most difficult reservation to get so I would book that first (poss, while this is a very popular new restaurant, the four of us that dined there were a bit disappointed - hopefully things are more on point now). The second hottest new restaurant on the Explorer is Chartreuse but, for some reason, it is easier to get a reservation there than in Pacific Rim.

Depending upon the length of your voyage and how open you are in terms of the times you are willing to dine and your willingness to share a table, you should be able to get additional reservations on board (particularly on nights when the ship is in port late). We found the "new" menu in Compass Rose to be so good that having one reservation in each specialty restaurant was enough. We enjoyed dining there almost every night (with one night in Sette Mari) .

Hope that you have a great cruise. The Explorer is a wonderful ship and handles the seas well!

We're on the 2 week December cruise also. Today we were able to book our reservations. We're in an F1 suite - which may be why were only allowed 3 reservations (one per restaurant). We may change our last name to Smith and take our chance on other nights :)

My memory, btw, is that you're able to make 2 reservations per each week of travel. I.e. if you're aboard for 14 nights, you can arrange for 4 speciality restaurants during your cruise.

I think your memory may be deceiving you; it is one reservation per restaurant per cruise, unless your cruise is made up of multiple segments:

"Guests may pre-book one dinner reservation in Prime 7 on voyages aboard all ships, one dinner reservation in Signatures on voyages aboard Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager, and one dinner reservation in Chartreuse and Pacific Rim on Seven Seas Explorer. Multiple pre-booked reservations in each restaurant are permitted only on Grand Voyages, with one reservation allotted per voyage segment. Guests may contact the Maître D' once onboard to request additional reservations, if available. Compass Rose and Sette Mari At La Veranda do not require reservations"

Thank you all for your responses. While dining reservations for the holiday Panama Canal cruise don't open for another week, I wanted to be prepared. So many dining venues to try!

(Also, I guess unlike Crystal and other lines, Regent doesn't have 'gala' nights, where more formal dress is recommended and the menu is more elaborate.)

Interestingly enough, Prime 7 was the most difficult reservation for us to get on our current cruise. Chartreuse was the easiest. I like them all, though my favorite currently is pacific rim.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

flossie: For sure, I don't know the fine details of the dining rules. This past May we were on a 14 day Alaska cruise, and we had 2 specialty restaurants each of the two weeks. Not sure whether that was a back-to-back kind of thing or just a 14 day cruise. It would be strange if someone got 2 reservations on a 7 day cruise, and still only 2 on a 14 day cruise or 17 day cruise?

flossie: For sure, I don't know the fine details of the dining rules. This past May we were on a 14 day Alaska cruise, and we had 2 specialty restaurants each of the two weeks. Not sure whether that was a back-to-back kind of thing or just a 14 day cruise. It would be strange if someone got 2 reservations on a 7 day cruise, and still only 2 on a 14 day cruise or 17 day cruise?

Your Alaska cruise was considered a back-to-back (we were booked on it and cancelled). It was confusing because it was being sold as one cruise but one could also book the two separately. In terms of dining reservations, even on a 30 night cruise you only get to make one online reservation per specialty restaurant.

flossie: For sure, I don't know the fine details of the dining rules. This past May we were on a 14 day Alaska cruise, and we had 2 specialty restaurants each of the two weeks. Not sure whether that was a back-to-back kind of thing or just a 14 day cruise. It would be strange if someone got 2 reservations on a 7 day cruise, and still only 2 on a 14 day cruise or 17 day cruise?

It may be 'strange' but that is Regent's rule on advance reservations (as my Post 6 above)

I can only assume that your 14 day cruise was made up of two 7-day segments.....................or you received exceptional treatment

Thanks for the corrections to what I posted. I was trying to be helpful in answering OP's question, and I'm always glad when more knowledgeable folks correct any mistakes I make.

So here we are 6 years later and the same question thrives; when the website opens up for dinner reservations, is that at 12:01am? We are in the Explorer Suite so I believe we have priority schedule for reservations but who knows? Does Pacific Rim still fill first? We are sailing for 12-nights and I was hoping to book Prime 7 twice. Is that reasonable?

Flatravelers:  The more things change; the more they stay the same.  Your posting indicates being on either Explorer or Splendor.  Thus, the Pacific Rim option is yet, another alternative dinner option.   (Prayer Wheel outside Explorer; not there on Splendor.) 

There has been no change in the last six years as to Regent's policy to ensure each guest--regardless of suite designation--is "guaranteed" one seating at each specialty restaurant.  Timing and flexibility also remain the same.  

Yes, it is 12:01am, East Coast Time.  This is based on Regent's HQ location at Miami.  (Which we visited in March, 2017.  Cocktail party "meet and greet" arranged by our TA's consortium as one of several pre-cruise "events" incident to the Explorer's debut TA sailing from Miami, via Barcelona, to Venice.)   This was our first opportunity to take spins on that Prayer Wheel.  

We are West Coast time at Redmond, WA.  So--considering the three-hour time difference:  Sign-on, our Local Time.  Also take into account all variables enumerated in earlier, historical posts as to a specific anticipated itinerary.  Planning to do an extended (7 + hour) land tour--including lunch--on a particular day is THE key factor in scheduling alternative restaurant visits.  Of course, considering the current COVID environment, no assurance that a particular land excursion will actually go; or, if it does, do you really-really want to be on it).  

Another factor:  We always leave room for one or two visits to Sette Mari, which, while not requiring a reservation, benefits by showing up around 6:30pm.  Thus:  

Initial night:  Go for Pacific Rim.  Not a lot of other folks there.  This early booking increases chances of getting a second visit, even on a relatively-short (7 to 12-day) itinerary.  Experience on our most-recent October-November '21 14-day Explorer visit:  Penultimate afternoon lunch at La Veranda:  Staff from Pacific Rim surveyed guests advising open seats were available at all dining times for that evening.  Now, realize this was our specific experience.  And, Explorer was sailing at only 60% passenger occupancy level.   

Second night:  Always at Compass Rose (CR) re: "Captain's Reception" dinner.  Every CR menu has been great; there tend to be even more "specialties" available on that second night. 

Ensuing nights:  Have never scheduled back-to-back nights at specialty restaurants.  Again, it depends on your particular itinerary. 

As to a second Prime 7 opportunity:  Again, based on reality that Regent ships will probably continue to cruise at less than full passenger capacity:  Flexibility remains the KEY.  Would you share a table with another couple?  Are you willing to consider a seating time, earlier or later, than your preferred time?  When we wanted, and sought, a second Prime 7 seating:  always successful. 

Also:  Make visits, as necessary, to Regent's Dining Reservations Deck 5 office for updates as to availability.    

The Past, in this current environment, is not necessarily Prologue to the future.  But--given Regent's normal response to a reasonable request for anything has been, "Of Course"--fear not.  There is no downside to this. 

Compass Rose never disappoints.  If you give Staff adequate heads-up (24 to 48 hours' notice), you can have any special meal you wish.  And, of course, dishes from Prime 7 as entree' options are always on the standard menu.  

GOARMY!

2 hours ago, FlaTravelers said:

So here we are 6 years later and the same question thrives; when the website opens up for dinner reservations, is that at 12:01am? We are in the Explorer Suite so I believe we have priority schedule for reservations but who knows? Does Pacific Rim still fill first? We are sailing for 12-nights and I was hoping to book Prime 7 twice. Is that reasonable?

I think your butler could get you in Prime 7 even 3 times if you wished, being in Explorer suite

Our cruise leaves in about 6 weeks. Just spoke to Regent the other day. They said they are currently only booking their ships to a capacity of no more than 50% so reservations should not be a problem no matter what category you are in.

  We are NOT in a suite & had no problem getting the times we wanted. Wonderful because we like to eat as early as possible & sometimes that was hard to book....in the good old days !