Oosterdam Alaska dining questions

[port msp]

Hello,

We just booked a last minute trip on Oosterdam, Alaska 7nt rt out of Vancouver. Can someone tell me which nights are formal nights? I'm guessing Day 2, the first sea day, and Day 5 Glacier Bay or Day 6 Ketchikan. Does the Le Cirque evening in The Pinnacle occur on a formal night? And if so, which one? It looks interesting. As this is last minute, I'd like to at least try and make some reservations for Pinnacle, Canaletto, and possibly Le Cirque. As we've booked a Neptune Suite, would I be better off having the concierge book the reservations once we're on board?

 

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You would be best to book your own reservations as soon as possible. The concierges can only do so much -- once the Pinnacle and Le Cirque are filled -- that is it.

If you go to HAL's site, log in, click onto your reservation, open dining options, there you can book the Pinnacle and see what night Le Cirque will be. Have your credit card handy as you must pay in advance.

Looking at your itinerary, I can't see HAL having a formal night when you are in Ketchikan until 6 PM -- Open Seating begins at 5:15. So I would count on the second formal night being the day you cruise Glacier Bay.

[port msp]

You would be best to book your own reservations as soon as possible. The concierges can only do so much -- once the Pinnacle and Le Cirque are filled -- that is it.

If you go to HAL's site, log in, click onto your reservation, open dining options, there you can book the Pinnacle and see what night Le Cirque will be. Have your credit card handy as you must pay in advance.

Looking at your itinerary, I can't see HAL having a formal night when you are in Ketchikan until 6 PM -- Open Seating begins at 5:15. So I would count on the second formal night being the day you cruise Glacier Bay.

 

Thank you for your reply. My thought about waiting for the concierge (probably mistakenly) was that I'd think they'd hold some reservations for suite passengers. Making the suite concierge service seem worthwhile when they are able to get you a reservation last minute. I've called hotels directly, last minute, and have been told they're all booked. I've then called the concierge service that comes with one of my credit cards and they've miraculously been able to get me a room in the "booked" hotel.

 

I checked and the Le Cirque evening is the Glacier Bay day, which I assume is a formal night. I called HAL to ask about formal nights, and the gentleman answering the phone said they have no way of knowing which nights they'd be. I kid you not. So, I asked how that could be as they've been doing this itinerary all summer. He said the Capt sets the formal nights each cruise. He said he could tell me how many formal nights there were, just not which nights they'd be. I found that pretty hard to believe, but thanked him and hung up.

 

The more I look at it, the other formal night has to be the first sea day. All the other port departures are too late for early seating, which you pointed out. I guess I'm a bit surprised that someone who has sailed this itinerary hasn't posted an answer. Thanks again for your quick response KK.

[Linda&Vern]

Thank you for your reply. My thought about waiting for the concierge (probably mistakenly) was that I'd think they'd hold some reservations for suite passengers. Making the suite concierge service seem worthwhile when they are able to get you a reservation last minute. I've called hotels directly, last minute, and have been told they're all booked. I've then called the concierge service that comes with one of my credit cards and they've miraculously been able to get me a room in the "booked" hotel.

 

I checked and the Le Cirque evening is the Glacier Bay day, which I assume is a formal night. I called HAL to ask about formal nights, and the gentleman answering the phone said they have no way of knowing which nights they'd be. I kid you not. So, I asked how that could be as they've been doing this itinerary all summer. He said the Capt sets the formal nights each cruise. He said he could tell me how many formal nights there were, just not which nights they'd be. I found that pretty hard to believe, but thanked him and hung up.

The more I look at it, the other formal night has to be the first sea day. All the other port departures are too late for early seating, which you pointed out. I guess I'm a bit surprised that someone who has sailed this itinerary hasn't posted an answer. Thanks again for your quick response KK.

 

(1) Unfortunately, once the Pinnacle is booked full, even the Neptune Lounge Concierges cannot get a reservation. They will try, but many times suite guests have not been able to get a night/time they want.

 

(2) The gentleman at HAL was correct. The Captain determines what nights will be formal. Each ship would determine that based on a number of things. Hopefully someone who has sailed that same itinerary this year on the same ship will have an answer for you.

 

Have a great cruise!

Edited August 26, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your reply. My thought about waiting for the concierge (probably mistakenly) was that I'd think they'd hold some reservations for suite passengers. Making the suite concierge service seem worthwhile when they are able to get you a reservation last minute. I've called hotels directly, last minute, and have been told they're all booked. I've then called the concierge service that comes with one of my credit cards and they've miraculously been able to get me a room in the "booked" hotel.

 

I checked and the Le Cirque evening is the Glacier Bay day, which I assume is a formal night. I called HAL to ask about formal nights, and the gentleman answering the phone said they have no way of knowing which nights they'd be. I kid you not. So, I asked how that could be as they've been doing this itinerary all summer. He said the Capt sets the formal nights each cruise. He said he could tell me how many formal nights there were, just not which nights they'd be. I found that pretty hard to believe, but thanked him and hung up.

 

The more I look at it, the other formal night has to be the first sea day. All the other port departures are too late for early seating, which you pointed out. I guess I'm a bit surprised that someone who has sailed this itinerary hasn't posted an answer. Thanks again for your quick response KK.

 

You are welcome

A couple of times after we had seen the main dining room menu, we wanted to eat in the Pinnacle and the concierges could not get us a table. So I speak from experience.

[sail7seas]

Pinnacle Grills on the various ships do not reserve tables for suite guests. If all the tables they will be filling on a given night are reserved, there are no more bookings available.