Specialty Restaurant Reservations

[SweetPease]

Looking for advice on when to reserve for the 4 specialty restaurants on Marina in March for South Pacific cruise. First time on O and not sure if there are nights we should avoid booking for any reason. I know we will be allowed to reserve one night in each prior to the cruise and want to make sure we take advantage of that opportunity. Thanks!

[alexandra cruiser]

I look at the ports and what shore excursions available or on own.Then figure what time I ll return,try to avoid the nites we have very active plans and a late return to ship.We prefer to eat earlier(7 or so) ,this way we can relax and not have to rush.Even have had room service when tired and just not in mood after hectic day to even dress again,,eat in robe.

Seems most reserve them on sea days,and they tend to fill up first.

I do it as soon as available,last time we got earlier date to reserve and 2 times at ea.due to PH cabin.A nice perk.:)

[LHT28]

I would reserve then as soon as the date you can book them comes

I usually book for nights when we are back on the ship early so no rushing

 

You have more options on the time if you are willing to share

 

Enjoy

 

Lyn

[SweetPease]

Thanks for insights and advice. Have marked calendar for first day possible to reserve. Hoping we will be able to get another day or two once onboard. :)

[suec12]

we will be in a standard balcony cabin - how far ahead of time can we book? thanks

[caviargal]

we will be in a standard balcony cabin - how far ahead of time can we book? thanks

 

 

45 days.

[caviargal]

Thanks for insights and advice. Have marked calendar for first day possible to reserve. Hoping we will be able to get another day or two once onboard. :)

 

Our cruise was at 75% occupancy and we were never able to get another in any of the restaurants. We were in a PH which we thought would make it easier and we were willing to share but simply could not get any additional reservations.

[alexandra cruiser]

Our cruise was at 75% occupancy and we were never able to get another in any of the restaurants. We were in a PH which we thought would make it easier and we were willing to share but simply could not get any additional reservations.

 

wonder about that.Tried with butler,calling,and showing up there.But NO.Maybe its becoming the policy(unwritten)or something.??

We could have ordered room service from these,but not eat there,odd?:confused:

[SweetPease]

Well, darn! Had read on another thread that people had no problems getting extra reservations. Oh well. We'll still try. Who knows maybe we'll get lucky.:rolleyes: on another note, Caviargirl, is there somewhere to check and see what the occupancy rate is for the cruise at this point?

[caviargal]

wonder about that.Tried with butler,calling,and showing up there.But NO.Maybe its becoming the policy(unwritten)or something.??

We could have ordered room service from these,but not eat there,odd?:confused:

 

We did the same: butler, concierge and showing up at the times suggested. Never worked and we were disappointed.

[Paulchili]

We did the same: butler, concierge and showing up at the times suggested. Never worked and we were disappointed.

 

On multiple cruises (10+) on both R & O ships we have never had any problem getting extra reservations in specialty restaurants.

Sometimes just a couple, other times more. Staying mostly in veranda cabins but occasionally in PH (on T/A crossings).

Luck of the draw?

[Mura]

Well, darn! Had read on another thread that people had no problems getting extra reservations. Oh well. We'll still try. Who knows maybe we'll get lucky.:rolleyes: on another note, Caviargirl, is there somewhere to check and see what the occupancy rate is for the cruise at this point?

 

 

It can depend on the cruise. Sometimes you have lots of passengers (like us) who aren't that interested in dining in the specialty restaurants. We go to them, we just tend not to go as much as we could. We were just on an 18 day cruise where we could have been in a specialty restaurant 12 times but we only used 5 of those reservations. (We did eat in our suite twice.)

 

Other times you have a passenger component where just about everyone wants to eat in the specialty restaurants.

 

So it's impossible to predict in advance if you can get extra reservations or not.

 

Mura

[newbie60]

Agree that it's luck of the draw. On our recent 10 day cruise, we had four pre-booked online and then picked up two additional in Toscano while on board. One was at a shared table w/ folks we met on Cruise Critic the first night out and the other was a reservation made at 10 am for 7:30 that evening.

 

It did appear that the extra reservations were much more available at either Polo or Toscano and we chose Toscano because they have broader menu.

[SweetPease]

Thanks for the additional input. We don't want to dine in a specialty restaurant every night, but would like to add 1-2 more nights if possible. We don't mind sharing a table. Always fun to dine with others and develop new relationships :)

[doubledobles]

Try reserving Jacques restaurant early in the cruise. They serve a wonderful dish of mussels, which by the fourth or fifth day are gone. This has happened to me twice.

[SweetPease]

Thanks, doubledobles. We love Mussels and this helps with planning out which restaurant to book when! I am hoping we can get into Jacques a second time as well. ;)

[wp bob]

Depending on your time zone, log in the night before your reservations open because they start taking them at midnight or 1am in Miami. Don't wait til the morning.

[SweetPease]

Carolyn and Bob-- thanks for the advice. I was actually wondering if they would open it before 8 AM. Now, 60 days out... Do I count the first day of the cruise as day one? :confused:

[Mura]

Thanks, doubledobles. We love Mussels and this helps with planning out which restaurant to book when! I am hoping we can get into Jacques a second time as well. ;)

 

I also vouch for the mussels. They are wonderful.

 

And I, too, couldn't get them a second time ... but that was towards the end of the cruise and so not surprising. I wasn't aware that the lifetime of their "availability" was as short as 4-5 days, however!

 

Both times I had them was on the first night of the cruise ...

 

Mura

[edgee]

Carolyn and Bob-- thanks for the advice. I was actually wondering if they would open it before 8 AM. Now, 60 days out... Do I count the first day of the cruise as day one? :confused:

 

Your restaurant reservation availability date should be on paperwork you get when you book your cruise.

[SweetPease]

Thank you Edgee. I don't think we will receive fromTA until after booking opens up. I've got it on my calendar and will just start trying the first day I think it should be available. Thanks again!

[LHT28]

Thank you Edgee. I don't think we will receive fromTA until after booking opens up. I've got it on my calendar and will just start trying the first day I think it should be available. Thanks again!

 

Did you not get an invoice when you booked your cruise?

 

the date for the restaurant reservations is usually on the same page as the itinerary

[SweetPease]

Yes, we did get an invoice, but there is no mention of specialty restaurant reservations :(. Thanks for the thought.

[JimandStan]

Yes, we did get an invoice, but there is no mention of specialty restaurant reservations :(. Thanks for the thought.

 

Perhaps you are not looking in the right place.

On Page 3 of the four page "Guest Statement", just below the Itinerary for your particular Voyage, there should be a section for "Specialty Dining Reservations" which specifies the date when online reservations will open.

[SweetPease]

Thanks Jim & Stan, but honestly, there is no mention of it. :confused: the only invoice I Have is the one provided via email by my TA. Is there perhaps a document on Oceania's site that might tell me? I haven't located it under my booking. :(

Edited January 2, 2014 by SweetPease
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