How easy it is to get into the speciality restaurants

[KeithJenner]

There have been a number of threads on here recently with people asking whether they will be able to get restaurant reservations if they wait until they board.

 

When I've sailed previously I have always kept an eye on the restaurant boards and with a few exceptions (mainly Le Bistro towards the end of a cruise), there is always lots of availability, so this time, on the Spirit, I decided to take a picture of the boards each day to prove to those people who are concerned that you can get in without making reservations prior to sailing.

 

I will just mention that I wouldn't have such confidence if I was on a sailing where the UDP was being offered for free, but otherwise this was fairly typical based on my observations on other ships. As I had previously noted, Le Bistro can get full towards the end of the cruise (Days 7 and 9 were last nights depending on where you sailed from).

 

There is just one Teppenyaki table on the Spirit, which is why it was always full. I'd book Teppenyaki early on any ship.

 

Here's the pictures. As you can see, other than on a couple of occasions, you could walk in just about anywhere. In pictures where the first few columns are shown as unavailable this was generally because I took the picture after that time:

 

Day 2 (Sea Day) 6pm - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ikp72dh3yrcuoey/Day%202%20%28Sea%20Day%29%206pm.jpg

 

Day 3 (Port Day) 6.30pm - https://www.dropbox.com/s/xkesilldc19gwl4/Day%203%20%28Port%20Day%29%206.30pm.jpg

 

Day 4 (Sea Day) 7.30pm - https://www.dropbox.com/s/zoncya7u9whc9io/Day%204%20%28Sea%20Day%29%207.30pm.jpg

 

Day 5 (Port Day) 7.30pm - https://www.dropbox.com/s/bcnpaizpf5gf1s0/Day%205%20%28Port%20Day%29%207.30pm.jpg

 

Day 7 (Sea Day) 1pm - https://www.dropbox.com/s/45nshxeip2ook07/Day%207%20%28Sea%20Day%29%201pm.jpg

 

Day 8 (Port Day) 7.30pm - https://www.dropbox.com/s/qq9uxvsgpron1m4/Day%208%20%28Port%20Day%29%207.30pm.jpg

 

Day 9 (Sea Day) 7.30pm - https://www.dropbox.com/s/u63wpr3qv8y7r50/Day%209%20%28Sea%20Day%29%207.30pm.jpg

 

Hopefully this will give some people some reassurance that you don't have to plan all your meals before sailing.

Edited April 29, 2014 by KeithJenner

[khaide612]

This is great! I've experienced similar availability on the Jewel in the middle of the summer and during Christmas week where both ships were packed.

[JohnCoMo]

I am traveling with 15 people on the Pearl in June to Alaska. Have never been on NCL before. We will probably want to have a few dinners together. Because there are so many of us, should we make reservations prior to departure or do you think we'll be ok to do so once on the ship as long as we are flexible? I tried to make reservations online in advance but 8 people is the largest number you can select.

[KeithJenner]

As long as you are flexible then you should be fine booking onboard. With that number of people I would go to the reservations desk reasonably early on the cruise and speak to them about it though.

 

Whilst there are quite a few spaces available, a group that size could mean that your choices are a bit limited if you wait until the day you want to eat, for example.

[JohnCoMo]

As long as you are flexible then you should be fine booking onboard. With that number of people I would go to the reservations desk reasonably early on the cruise and speak to them about it though.

 

Whilst there are quite a few spaces available, a group that size could mean that your choices are a bit limited if you wait until the day you want to eat, for example.

 

Thanks! What about the main dining rooms? Is it hard to get a few tables close to each other in them for the nights where we may not want to reserve a specialty restaurant.

[KeithJenner]

Thanks! What about the main dining rooms? Is it hard to get a few tables close to each other in them for the nights where we may not want to reserve a specialty restaurant.

 

I don't know really, but I have read on here that groups have been able to make reservations in the MDR's. Again, it's worth speaking to someone soon after boarding.

 

You may be spread over a couple of tables though. When we were of on Breakaway we had a few solo's meals with quite large groups and there were no very large tables that could accommodate everyone.

 

From my memory, on the Pearl I think there may have been some larger tables in the Summer Palace, but still probably not enough for 15. I wasn't looking for them though, so I could be wrong.

[medicalma'am]

We have cruise with large groups and made a reservation in Le Bistro for 16 once. They made two long tables next to each other in the 'outer' section (on the Star) and we got to listen to the pianist there during dinner. One other time (also on the Star another cruise) we mad a table for 14 in the main dining room without trouble twice. They had no trouble accommodating us at the last minute with a short wait.

[rajones007]

We dine at specialty restaurants more often than not, and we never make reservations. (The obvious exception would be at Tepanyaki.) We've never had a problem getting a table in a decent location. Even Moderno and Cagneys on the Epic = not a problem at all. We just walk up and they ask if we have reservation. We say we don't, they take our card, swipe it, clickity clickity click on the keyboard for a few seconds *, grab some menu's, and walk us to a table.

 

(* - the clickity click is probably a quick note to the cook telling him to spit in our food because we didn't make a reservation.)

Edited April 29, 2014 by rajones007

[meatball_nyc]

Good info. Thank you. Hope you had a good cruise, KJ.

 

 

Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

[Winchester Ranger]

It's real easy if you're a Haven guest - you get priority according to our concierge (who booted some unlucky soul out of their slot to give us the time we wanted).

 

Sorry unknown couple :o

[kdzkatz]

It's real easy if you're a Haven guest - you get priority according to our concierge (who booted some unlucky soul out of their slot to give us the time we wanted).

 

Sorry unknown couple :o

 

Personally, had I known I was getting someone booted out of their time slot I would have asked for a different time or different restaurant...I'm pretty sure :o So did they contact the non Haven guest and tell them they have had their reservation revoked? I would be one unhappy cruiser. What good is a reservation if it isn't held?

[KeithJenner]

When I was in a suite on the Pearl, I still made my reservation through the normal method. We got the reservation for 15 minutes later than the time we asked for, with no risk of anyone else getting booted.

 

I've heard a few stories about people getting evicted from lifts, or having reservations moved to make way for suite passengers, so only asked the butler or concierge for things which I couldn't see any risk of such things happening.

[rajones007]

RE: bumping 'regular' passengers in favour of suite passengers....

 

I personally think that's a load of baloney. That's probably something the staffs will tell you they did just to make you feel special and elite and give them a bigger tip. But I seriously doubt they actually do it.

 

In all my time at CC, I have never, not once, read that a 'regular' passenger was bumped from their dinner reservation. Somebody would have mentioned it by now.

 

So yeah, that's a bunch of hooey.

 

The priority dinner reservations they claim they give suite passengers is merely the ability to book earlier than other passengers (up to 72 hours prior, I think), and a choice of more preferable table (if possible.) There's no "Well, Mr. Money Bags is a suite passenger so somebody needs to tell Mr. Inside Cabin guy he can't eat at Le Bistro tonight."

Edited April 30, 2014 by rajones007

[LrgPizza]

It's real easy if you're a Haven guest - you get priority according to our concierge (who booted some unlucky soul out of their slot to give us the time we wanted).

 

 

 

Sorry unknown couple :o

 

 

If I actually believed that was happening, I would never set foot on an NCL vessel again, suite or no suite.

 

 

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[Winchester Ranger]

RE: bumping 'regular' passengers in favour of suite passengers....

 

I personally think that's a load of baloney. That's probably something the staffs will tell you they did just to make you feel special and elite and give them a bigger tip. But I seriously doubt they actually do it.

 

In all my time at CC, I have never, not once, read that a 'regular' passenger was bumped from their dinner reservation. Somebody would have mentioned it by now.

 

So yeah, that's a bunch of hooey.

 

The priority dinner reservations they claim they give suite passengers is merely the ability to book earlier than other passengers (up to 72 hours prior, I think), and a choice of more preferable table (if possible.) There's no "Well, Mr. Money Bags is a suite passenger so somebody needs to tell Mr. Inside Cabin guy he can't eat at Le Bistro tonight."

 

I can only go off what they told me - priority reservations for suite passengers.

[Fishbait17]

I can only go off what they told me - priority reservations for suite passengers.

 

Yes, you get "priority", but they won't boot someone to make room for you, and it's something I would NEVER expect. I've been in suites for years (from Penthouse to Garden Villa) and this has never happened to my knowledge. There have been many, many times I have been unable to get restaurant reservations for the time/location I wanted. This is often solved by adjusting the time requested, but once in a while we can't get in to the restaurant at all without at least a day or two notice (Cagney's and Teppanyaki mainly, but twice in Le Bistro as well). For example, on my last sailing, we had to adjust our requested time for both of our Cagney's reservations, even on one with four day's notice, and this was in a Deluxe Owner's Suite. They do occasionally hold a table or two for late booking suite guests, but with so many suites, it is filled pretty quickly.

 

"Priority" simply means that if you and a non-priority couple both show up for a 7pm reservation, and there is one table available right away and one with a short wait while setting or clearing, you will get the first table. You also get to reserve a little earlier than non-suite guests. I have found that suites don't even usually get the better table locations, sometimes yes, but definitely not automatically.. This was especially true on the Breakaway in Le Bistro, where we waited over an hour for an inside table on both of our reservations...

 

Being in a suite makes things easier, but doesn't put others at an inconvenience. It's very nice, but it's not a completely "no hassle, no trying" way to travel. With all your months of research and expectations of the "suite life", I really hope you are not disappointed on your sailing!

 

Robin

Edited April 30, 2014 by Fishbait17

[Fishbait17]

If I actually believed that was happening, I would never set foot on an NCL vessel again, suite or no suite.

 

 

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Agreed, and I only sail in suites!

 

Robin