Ultimate Dining Package?

In October my soon to be wife and I will be going on the Harmony of the Seas for a 7 night honeymoon cruise. We have a nice ocean view balcony reserved and paid for by my father as a wedding gift (Thanks Dad!) and now I am trying to determine the extras. Specifically, what I am looking for is recommendations on the ultimate dining package. Normally I would stick to the Main Dinning room on my cruises but seeing as how this is a special cruise for us, and her first, I was thinking of kicking it up a notch. Is the dining package the way to go or should we pick maybe 2 nights for the special dining and stick to the main dining for the rest of the trip? Any other recommendations for a honeymoon must have?

For us, we don't ever go to the MDR for a few reasons:

1- Scheduled time- don't want to sit with strangers, got a table with people that either had kids that acted up or somebody who was very loud and people that didn't speak English.

2- MTD- usually always some type of wait

3- Service is slow and a hit or miss, the servers are overworked and have too many tables to handle

4- Food is just the typical banquet quality

We always get the Ultimate Dining Package, its just $24 a day per person and so much worth it, the food is much better than what you get in the MDR and service always excellent for us. We prefer 150 Central Park as being our best, then Giovanni's...Chops always never been good for us, but again better quality/selection of meat than what you get in the MDR

The best menu's to me are the two formal evenings, one is lobster night. So if you don't choose the 7 night package, I would suggest the 5 night package...also, you can make reservations anytime you want and have the atmosphere as being in a regular typical size restaurant rather than having thousands of people dining the same time.

We always get the Ultimate Beverage Package, even if you drink 5 drinks, a specialty coffee and a bottled water you get back your money, its nice to have unlimited drinks and not worry about charges being on your stateroom bill that are now yours.

For us, we don't ever go to the MDR for a few reasons:

 

1- Scheduled time- don't want to sit with strangers, got a table with people that either had kids that acted up or somebody who was very loud and people that didn't speak English.

 

2- MTD- usually always some type of wait

 

3- Service is slow and a hit or miss, the servers are overworked and have too many tables to handle

 

4- Food is just the typical banquet quality

 

We always get the Ultimate Dining Package, its just $24 a day per person and so much worth it, the food is much better than what you get in the MDR and service always excellent for us. We prefer 150 Central Park as being our best, then Giovanni's...Chops always never been good for us, but again better quality/selection of meat than what you get in the MDR

 

The best menu's to me are the two formal evenings, one is lobster night. So if you don't choose the 7 night package, I would suggest the 5 night package...also, you can make reservations anytime you want and have the atmosphere as being in a regular typical size restaurant rather than having thousands of people dining the same time.

 

We always get the Ultimate Beverage Package, even if you drink 5 drinks, a specialty coffee and a bottled water you get back your money, its nice to have unlimited drinks and not worry about charges being on your stateroom bill that are now yours.

Sad but true..(y)(y)

I too am considering the ultimate dining package for our first cruise on the Allure in October. Kind of worried that I may be missing out on the dining room, though I would really like to try the specialty places too. Though I assume if for some reason or another we found a dinner to not be to our liking, we can still hit up a dining room with the MTD if we happened to be hungry still. Though I can't possibly image that being the case. Though my husband just likes some of the appetizers on the main dining menu.

For a well rounded review, I feel like I would somehow be missing out on the dining room if we did all specialty. Then others seem like it just isn't all that big a deal anyway.

I have until October I suppose to decide. Is the $24 per day pretty much as low as that package is ever offered?

While we usually eat at specialty restaurants 5 of the 7 nights there is no way I would purchase the ultimate package. We find there are a couple of port days where we are too tired or got too much sun to enjoy a specialty restaurant and to eat at a specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner just does not appeal to us. The 5 day package suits us fine without spending the extra for the ultimate.

While we usually eat at specialty restaurants 5 of the 7 nights there is no way I would purchase the ultimate package. We find there are a couple of port days where we are too tired or got too much sun to enjoy a specialty restaurant and to eat at a specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner just does not appeal to us. The 5 day package suits us fine without spending the extra for the ultimate.

I think I will do the 5 day plan. The extra 2 days cost almost $180 more which makes no sense to me.

I think I will do the 5 day plan. The extra 2 days cost almost $180 more which makes no sense to me.

With the Ultimate, you also get lunches in specialty restaurants on sea days, and boarding day if your ship offers it.

With the Ultimate, you also get lunches in specialty restaurants on sea days, and boarding day if your ship offers it.

I forgot about that. I think the 5 day plan is the deal for us. I don't really see us going crazy on lunch. Probably eat poolside on sea days.

Thanks...you’ve helped me make my decision!

I would just go for 5 night package , I just think it’s too much food in a day to do both lunch and dinner

My thoughts...we like the dining room. We like meeting people. We also like the specialty restaurants but we usually hurt ourselves there :) Too much, too rich, too good. We find the main dining room to be good as we don't need gourmet, rich food every night. We typically cruise for our anniversary so we'll do Chops or something that night but stick with the dining room the rest of the time making the night in Chops that much better.

Also if you have a limited budget like most of us do, maybe the money would be better spent on excursions? Anyway, congratulations on whatever you do and I hope she loves the cruise!

We purchase the 5 night dining package as there is no way we could eat a huge lunch and then have dinner. To me, we'd waste the lunch part of the Ultimate Dining Package.

I haven't sailed on Harmony, but will be in January, but on Allure we have had an extra night given to us by our TA and that just left us one night to decide where to eat. Last cruise we had dinner the last night in the Windjammer. It was OK, not great, but OK.

One thing I liked on Allure was that we had dinner in Chops, our fav restaurant, on the second formal night, lobster night. I know that lobster is served in the MDR that night and our first cruise on Allure we went there that night and waited forever in the MTD line even though we had reservations. This last time I asked our server in Chops if lobster was available at no charge that night and he said yes. So, we had surf n turf with a small filet and the lobster. I plan to do the same on my next Allure trip.

I have heard many that love 150 Central Park, but no one I sail with will go there. I don't want to go alone, so I just go to the places we all like. We are looking forward to going to Jamie's on Harmony and I hope we enjoy it more than Giovanni's on Allure.

I don't think we will hit Wonderland as once again, the menu doesn't appeal to my family. I think it would be a fun place to try though.

Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure your honeymoon will be wonderful. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and the best of luck to both of you.

We are sailing on our first RCCL cruise in October. We are only doing a 5 night and it is an older ship. We will be on Brilliance of the Sea. Do they offer the dining packages on all ships? Can you tell me how I find out about it? price? what's offered?

Thanks so much!

We are sailing on our first RCCL cruise in October. We are only doing a 5 night and it is an older ship. We will be on Brilliance of the Sea. Do they offer the dining packages on all ships? Can you tell me how I find out about it? price? what's offered?

Thanks so much!

If the packages are offered on your cruise, they will be listed (along with prices) in your Cruise Planner on Royal's website.

We have the UDP for the first time on our upcoming cruise on the Freedom. I know Chops is open for lunch on boarding day, but will it be included in the package?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We have the UDP for the first time on our upcoming cruise on the Freedom. I know Chops is open for lunch on boarding day, but will it be included in the package?

Yes.

We are sailing on our first RCCL cruise in October. We are only doing a 5 night and it is an older ship. We will be on Brilliance of the Sea. Do they offer the dining packages on all ships? Can you tell me how I find out about it? price? what's offered?

Thanks so much!

We had 5 night package on brilliance , normally about 105 plus tip

Has anyone been able to get Izumi Hibachi included with the Ultimate Dining Package? It seems if they are offering $30 towards “a la carte” venues, that you could just pay the extra $15 to cover the $45 Hibachi charge?

We did the UDP on the Rhapsody in January, having only 3 restaurants to choose from in Izumi, Chops, and Giovanni's. We rotated each night, and did Izumi for the lunches as it was a lighter meal than the others. We got a deal on it in a bundle with the UBP ($61/day/person for both). I never saw it go below $168 for the 7 nights on its own. The package was awesome, and we had the same server in each restaurant each time we went, so it was like having a dining room server. They learned our names, preferences, etc. just like you would have in the MDR. There was enough on the menus to try different things each night. Makes it hard to consider sailing Royal again without the UDP, although it is not offered for our 4 night Enchantment in June since Chops is the only specialty.

Has anyone been able to get Izumi Hibachi included with the Ultimate Dining Package? It seems if they are offering $30 towards “a la carte” venues' date=' that you could just pay the extra $15 to cover the $45 Hibachi charge?[/quote']

 

 

I have tried to get the Hibachi restaurant included, but if one reads the very fine print when one goes to purchase the package, it states that Hibachi is NOT included.

 

The $30 credit does NOT apply in Hibachi. It is for the sushi side of Izumi. I don't know if the credit is $30 or $35 as I don't eat sushi.

 

We purchased the 5 night package for Allure this summer and ended up purchasing Hibachi for night 1 as a separate purchase,

Hi. My family of 6 including 4 kids cruised on the Allure in August 2018. My husband and I did the ultimate dining package and it was well worth it. The service is definitely much better then previous mdr on previous cruises. The ultimate package also includes lunch during sea days. The dining times are definitely more flexible so you can make reservations around your show reservations since you're suppose to make reservations for those. Also, depending on the age of your children and their schedule while onboard, ie camp activities... you can have the kids dine with the camp usually from 5-7pm when the camp is usually closed. They may beg to be allowed to do this so they can eat with their new friends or you can feed the children at the Windjammer around that time and have them ready for camp opening at 7pm. The Windjammer's maitre 'd named Memish from Turkey is amazing. He is great with the kids. The windjammer staff are top notch especially when he's around. Make sure to bring singles and tip the windjammer personel as you go along. They definitely appreciate that. Then you can have your long awaited date night at the speciality restaurant or catch a comedy show that you normally wouldn't be able to catch because you didnt want to toll children to those. You can make a late reservation around 9 or 930pm and pick up the kiddos around 925 and head over for dinner together. If the kids are 5 and under they are complimentary 6-11 or 12 are $10 cover. I HIGHLY recommend 150 Central Park. Ask for Orlando or Brian they were awesome. We became regulars there. The cacoon chairs were very comfy and the service was top notch. I wasn't impressed with Sabors mexican restaurant. You may want to skip that. The ac wasnt working at the time and the food wasnt that good. We even used the package for Johnny Rockets. The hibachi place is not included in the package. You will only get 20% off if you decide to patron that venue. I suggest tipping the specialty restaurant waiters in cash as you would normally do at a restaurant. Especially if you think you'll be back. They will appreciate that and remember you for it. Plus, you know it will go to them directly. Then you can adjust your gratuities to a cash basis at the service desk so you can pay your room steward and anyone else that made your trip all the better. Also, don't forget the unlimited photo package if you like taking pictures. Digital and prints for around $320. You can take as many photos as you want. Eshana of London from pets at sea/ adventure ocean is a sweet lady. And the lady next door at the bakery/ben n jerry ice cream parlor. Overall, I did not miss the mdr. Especially knowing that my food is freshly prepared for me when I ordered it and the wait staff aren't overloaded as in the mdr. Plus, think of it this way you take a gamble as to who they have serving in the mdr. The speciality restaurants usually have the best waiters. :);)

quote=mom2tcdx2;55810541]I too am considering the ultimate dining package for our first cruise on the Allure in October. Kind of worried that I may be missing out on the dining room, though I would really like to try the specialty places too. Though I assume if for some reason or another we found a dinner to not be to our liking, we can still hit up a dining room with the MTD if we happened to be hungry still. Though I can't possibly image that being the case. Though my husband just likes some of the appetizers on the main dining menu.

For a well rounded review, I feel like I would somehow be missing out on the dining room if we did all specialty. Then others seem like it just isn't all that big a deal anyway.

I have until October I suppose to decide. Is the $24 per day pretty much as low as that package is ever offered?

Ultimate Dining Plan all the way. I’ve done it on three of my last four cruises and will be on my next two cruises.

Getting lunches on sea days and even able to get a lunch/snack at Sabor before dinner on a port day makes it all worth it.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ultimate Dining Plan all the way. I’ve done it on three of my last four cruises and will be on my next two cruises.

 

Getting lunches on sea days and even able to get a lunch/snack at Sabor before dinner on a port day makes it all worth it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You were able to use the package for a snack at Sabor on port days? Did not know you could do that.

You were able to use the package for a snack at Sabor on port days? Did not know you could do that.

Indeed I did on my last cruise a couple weeks ago on Harmony and on Oasis last November.

I talk about my ultimate dining and pictures in both my live reviews.

"Live" From The Oasis of the Seas. November 12-19, 2017.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2563426

"Live" From Harmony of the Seas. September 8-15, 2018 - Eastern Itinerary

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2676684

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Follow d you on your Harmony cruise and the food looked great!