Top Floor Dining Packages

[ellbon]

I book for every single night we are at sea-sailong all day- or sailing by 6 pm.. many nights we sail at 8 and ii just grab something somewhere. That includes room service.

 

On Quest on day one of each cruise i just say between 8 and 830 and I get in.. i relax with a drink at the bar first.

 

better to have planned than not get in.. next cruise i will look for the person on the pier.

 

Also the only time i found it busy was the 2 for 1 cruises. But since i eat late i always got in

[cruisedudes]

Any thought that the large OBC allowances have increased the number of reservations?

[cruzluvers]

Imagine what it's like on ships where there is no up-charge for the specialty restaurants. To get our two guaranteed specialty reservations on our upcoming Regent cruise for the dates we want, we'll be signing in at 1am on August 25th on the Regent web site. If we're lucky, we'll get a table for two for my wife's birthday. If we're able to book any additional reservations once on-board, it will be at shared tables for four or six. This is luxury?

 

I suspect Oceania, where there is also no up-charge, would work similarly. It can be argued whether the food served in specialty restaurants is worth the up-charge, but, for me, it's worth it for the access.

 

Having sailed on Oceania three times, I can say that it is not the same as Regent. You may not get the first one or two nights, but after that it was easy to book an evening for the two of us.:)

[marinaro44]

3: Dining may be "free" to suite passengers but as it is included as a selling point of suites then I believe I am entitled to be miffed if I could not get it unless I booked all days on first day.

Specialty dining is a selling point to anyone booking any stateroom on an Azamara ship. Those in suites have no up-charge (that's the "selling point" for suite passengers, not guaranteed reservations), others pay an up-charge. That's the only difference.

 

First-come, first-reserved--as the maitre d' said.

Edited July 16, 2014 by marinaro44

[dln929]

Specialty dining is a selling point to anyone booking any stateroom on an Azamara ship. Those in suites have no up-charge (that's the "selling point" for suite passengers, not guaranteed reservations), others pay an up-charge. That's the only difference.

 

First-come, first-reserved--as the maitre d' said.

Marinaro, it's tricky language on the Azamara website. It says "Complimentary seating throughout the voyage in specialty dining restaurants" which (to me at least) is open to interpretation, one of which would be the conclusion that if you want to eat there any night during your voyage, there ought to be availability for you. Now of course it's a horse of a different color as to when that seat might open up.... in which case it might be prudent to make reservations in advance. ;)

[procter]

Once again Azamara promise one thing and deliver another.

I agree with Deidre.

 

I quote from 2015 Brochure.

"As our suite guest you will enjoy complimentary dining in Aqualina and Prime C (reservations recommended)"

NOTE not compulsory!!

This to me means that speciality dining is treated as dining in Discoveries i.e. Turn up and eat.

Additionally they also offer what is also almost certainly impossible

 

Quote " plus premium 24 hour service from

restaurant menus"

 

Reading that you could reasonably assume that means that anything on "restaurant menus" should be available 24 hours a day.

[marinaro44]

Once again Azamara promise one thing and deliver another.

I agree with Deidre.

 

I quote from 2015 Brochure.

"As our suite guest you will enjoy complimentary dining in Aqualina and Prime C (reservations recommended)"

NOTE not compulsory!!

This to me means that speciality dining is treated as dining in Discoveries i.e. Turn up and eat.

Additionally they also offer what is also almost certainly impossible

 

Quote " plus premium 24 hour service from

restaurant menus"

 

Reading that you could reasonably assume that means that anything on "restaurant menus" should be available 24 hours a day.

You can't be serious. Really. Your expectations as described above are simply off the wall.

[procter]

Marinaro44

 

Obviously in some ways I agree with you BUT if that is what Azamara put in their brochure surely it is reasonable to expect them to honour it.

If it had said 24 hour room service then that is fair enough but it does NOT it specifically states as quoted above.

 

FYI we love the on-ship experience but are more than P d off with the continual mistakes etc. made by Azamara H O .

[Arizonasunshine]

How do the new dining packages impact Club Suite occupants who get no cost access to the specialty restaurants? Will the ability to get a table be less if more people take advantage of the packages? One of the things that we really liked was to make an impromptu decision on where to eat. What now?

 

When we were on our Norwegian cruse we ate in the MD with a couple who were in a Club World Owners Suite. They claimed that they had no priority when it came to getting reservations in the specialty restaurants. I was quite surprised and questioned him about it. He was adamant and stated that they were eating in the MD because the only time he could get in a specialty restaurant that day was 9:30 p.m.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Arizonasunshine

[marinaro44]

With 42 suites and two specialty dining rooms that have, I'm guessing, less than 40 tables combined, plus 300+ additional non-suite staterooms, I'd say it's unrealistic to expect an "impromptu" table whenever you happen to walk in. That's why it says "reservations recommended."

 

The fact that it doesn't say "required" doesn't mean there will always be a table for someone who doesn't bother making a "recommended" reservation. It means that, should there be a table available when you walk in and ask, they will give it to you, and not send you away just because you didn't make a reservation.

[BaltiGator]

There are potential solutions to this problem that would satisfy both the suite guests and the rest.

 

My suggestion is that Azamara should permit only suite guests to make reservations in the specialty restaurants on the first day of the cruise (the first night excepted, of course). It might be helpful to inform suite guests during pier check-in that they have an exclusive window (after which it's everyone's game) so they are advised to make their reservations that first day.

 

If Azamara doesn't like this particular approach, there are surely other creative ways to keep everyone happy. But giving suite guests no particular priority for making reservations, while at the same time striving to fill the specialty restaurants so that availability becomes severely limited for everyone, is not a good combination. Specialty restaurant dining is a perk for the suites; if it's too hard to use that perk, then it loses its value to the paying customer.

[procter]

Baltigator.

I made that exact suggestion when on my last cruise when 2 for 1 was announced in Pursuits newsletter.

I queried why it would not have been possible to have a letter delivered to suite guests 24 hours earlier that there would be this free for all.

This would have enabled them to at least be able to book forward and then Azamara would have known exactly how much "space" they had.

As it was we had to amend our dining times from 8.30 to 6.30 to be able to continue to dine there as we received no prior notice of changes.

 

No real answer was given other than "Miami" was in charge.

[marinaro44]

Everyone on-board should have an equal opportunity to make reservations in specialty restaurants. If anything needs to be done, it should be to limit the number of reservations that can be made, so everyone has that opportunity.

 

The only perq for suite guests is that there is no charge to dine in the specialties. Nowhere does it say they are entitled to dine there every night, or even whenever they might choose.

[Bloodaxe]

Everyone on-board should have an equal opportunity to make reservations in specialty restaurants. If anything needs to be done, it should be to limit the number of reservations that can be made, so everyone has that opportunity.

 

The only perq for suite guests is that there is no charge to dine in the specialties. Nowhere does it say they are entitled to dine there every night, or even whenever they might choose.

 

That is exactly has it was in the early years of Azamara, you could only book for 2 speciality meals at the start of your cruise.

You had to ask later in the cruise if you wished to book more after everyone that wanted to had been given time to book.

I only found out recently that the rules had been changed, in my opinion it was much better before.

[maryann ns]

Being a person who likes fine dining, but not spending money on a suite, not being able to eat in the specialty restaurants at least twice would be a deal breaker for me.

[troywest]

PROBLEM 1

They try to push everyone to 6:00 or 6:30 because 7:00 to 8:30 fills quickly

 

SOLUTION 1

Reduce the price for early seatings and increase the price for late seatings, so that demand balances.

 

 

PROBLEM 2

Specialty dining fills quickly

 

SOLUTION 2

Allow ONE reservation only during first day - Additional reservations ONLY 24 hours after time of sailing

 

 

ALSO - Provide a pre-cruise booking procedure for ONE reservation per cabin.

[workingtocruise-59]

I think that the suggestion that only suite guests could book on embarkation day would mean that all suite guests ( who wanted to dine in Prime C or Aqualina) would automatically book every night for one or other of the speciality restaurants.

The problem that may arise is that they could cancel/not show and then other guests who might have booked would be denied the opportunity.

I know that this has happened on previous cruises and the specialities have been less than full.

They could offer a wait-list but, personally, I need to plan when dining in Prime C/ Aqualina and pace myself during the day.....

[BaltiGator]

Everyone on-board should have an equal opportunity to make reservations in specialty restaurants.

 

Says who? This isn't a democracy, it's a business. Almost all lines have a perk of one kind or another with either limited availability, or none at all, for lower-priced cabins. An example of this is the private pool areas that some lines now offer exclusively to their suite guests. There's no "equal opportunity" there, nor should there have to be. We aren't talking civil rights here.

 

Now, if Azamara chooses to continue using a business model in which all guests have equal opportunity to book the specialty restaurants, so be it. And if doing so means that the restaurants get booked up too fast, to the frustration of some suite guests, so be that as well. Of course, some such suite guests may decline in the future to cough up the dough for a suite, or may take their business elsewhere. That may work out OK for Azamara. Or it may not. This simple fact remains: a perk that is difficult to cash in on loses its value to the paying customer.

[BaltiGator]

If anything needs to be done, it should be to limit the number of reservations that can be made, so everyone has that opportunity.

 

This approach would yield exactly the opposite of what Azamara is evidently trying to accomplish, namely, to encourage more bookings in the specialty restaurants.

[BaltiGator]

I think that the suggestion that only suite guests could book on embarkation day would mean that all suite guests ( who wanted to dine in Prime C or Aqualina) would automatically book every night for one or other of the speciality restaurants.

The problem that may arise is that they could cancel/not show and then other guests who might have booked would be denied the opportunity.

 

True, but this happens now anyway. I've been on several ships where I went to the specialty restaurant booking center on the first day of the cruise and was told that certain evening times were already booked up, only to find later in the cruise that many bookings got canceled.

 

Now, this phenomenon might indeed happen more often if Azamara were to give suite guests a 24-hour head start, and that might indeed lead to increased frustration of other guests. Azamara would have to weigh that against the increased frustration of suite guests who aren't able to properly enjoy their perk in the first place. Only Azamara can decide what is best for its business. And the market will decide if Azamara makes the right call.

[BaltiGator]

PROBLEM 1

They try to push everyone to 6:00 or 6:30 because 7:00 to 8:30 fills quickly

 

SOLUTION 1

Reduce the price for early seatings and increase the price for late seatings, so that demand balances.

 

I think this is a great idea. But I'm sure someone will say everyone should have equal opportunity to dine at whatever hour they please. ;)

[2fromTO]

Another solution would be for suite guests to dine-in and order room service from the specialty restaurant menus. Can't get more exclusive than that.

[themoon]

While I unsderstand it is a perk for suite guests, I have trouble believing that anyone pays the average $1000 extra for that $175 benefit, just as I'm sure the free small bottles of booze in the suite are also not the reason most people book a suite. A suite is worth it for the extra space, and perhaps to some, the Butler service, but deciding to book one or not based on the specialty restaurant availability seems like overkill.

[marinaro44]

I've been a guest at one of the dinners hosted in the library. The setting was beautiful, the food superb, the wines special. HOWEVER it was impossible to talk to anyone other than the people I was seated next to because the table is so big. Conversation across the table was virtually impossible without shouting. It would have been a good idea to seat spouses/partners separately, but they didn't. (Hey, I can talk to my husband any time.;)) It was an interesting evening.

Heike did exactly this at her table on our recent Baltic cruise on Journey, and it worked out very well.

[beachseeker]

While I unsderstand it is a perk for suite guests, I have trouble believing that anyone pays the average $1000 extra for that $175 benefit, just as I'm sure the free small bottles of booze in the suite are also not the reason most people book a suite. A suite is worth it for the extra space, and perhaps to some, the Butler service, but deciding to book one or not based on the specialty restaurant availability seems like overkill.

 

It is not the only reason, but it is a published perk that Azamara appears to be unable to fulfill on some (sounds like more often than not) voyages. Not sure if there is a solution but perhaps instead of unlimited access, maybe 2 nights free for suites so that all passengers booked in a suite have an opportunity to take advantage of a published perk. The specialty dining is a valued perk for us and one we were very disappointed that we were not able to use more than once. If I sail Azamara again, I now know that I must make any reservations that I want at the pier. Not being able to book a specialty restaurant unless it us booked while boarding, whether sailing in a suite or not, is a negative IMO. Enough to cause us not to choose Azamara? Probably not, but it did affect our overall enjoyment of the cruise.