Question about Online booking for specialty restaurants

[kekilia]

First, let me say I love the ability to book specialty restaurants online and the website is so easy to navigate, giving you a button for each restaurant and a calendar of available dates, then available times on that date. :)

 

However, I have a few questions about booking which I can't figure out online. First, one of the first steps in booking online is to choose your preference for dining alone, with another booked party or to share your table. What if I want to dine alone sometimes, with a booked party another time, and to share my table another time. I don't know how to do that. Do I just pick the preference and then book just one reservation, then go back and choose a different preference to book another reservation? I kind of wanted to book a table for 2 the first time around and then share the second time (we get 2 reservations in each restaurant).

 

Also, can I invite a group from my roll call to join me and book them online even if they don't have priority to book yet? If so, what info do I need to book this?

[bitob]

Each reservation is separate. You can choose to share or dine alone for each one. You may only invite fellow cruisers with same or better booking priority. In other words a suite passenger cannot invite someone in an outside. The way to handle is to book to share, tell your friends to do the same at same time and then work with maître d to arrange to dine together

[Mura]

First, let me say I love the ability to book specialty restaurants online and the website is so easy to navigate, giving you a button for each restaurant and a calendar of available dates, then available times on that date. :)

 

However, I have a few questions about booking which I can't figure out online. First, one of the first steps in booking online is to choose your preference for dining alone, with another booked party or to share your table. What if I want to dine alone sometimes, with a booked party another time, and to share my table another time. I don't know how to do that. Do I just pick the preference and then book just one reservation, then go back and choose a different preference to book another reservation? I kind of wanted to book a table for 2 the first time around and then share the second time (we get 2 reservations in each restaurant).

 

Also, can I invite a group from my roll call to join me and book them online even if they don't have priority to book yet? If so, what info do I need to book this?

 

 

First of all, you book one restaurant at a time when you are eligible. So, let's say you want to dine alone in Toscana, just say "table for two" (or however they phrase it). If you decide later that you want to add someone else to your reservation, you can do it at that time. (Then proceed to the next restaurant and date.)

 

Technically, your guests also have to be eligible at that time to book. So -- I believe you are in an OC. Let's say you want to add a couple who are in a PH or Veranda cabin. You need to wait until they are eligible and THEN add them.

 

If you are willing to share with strangers, say you are willing to share.

 

If you know to begin with who you want to join your table, you will need to have their booking numbers available.

 

The thing is, you won't be booking all restaurants at the same time. So you just go one by one. Choose your dates and whether you want to share, etc.

 

When we were in an OC we found the butler did miraculous things in getting us reservations once we were on board -- but even so we needed the others guests' booking numbers.

 

Remember, also, that the specialty restaurants have set menus that do not change. I know that plenty of people insist on dining in a specialty restaurant every night ... we are not among them! One (or maybe two on a longer cruise) are sufficient for us. There have been cruises when we didn't bother with the specialty restaurants at all.

 

We like the GDR and we like Terrace. Since we're usually in a suite that lets us dine in our room, after a long day on shore we like that option as well. That makes it even less necessary for US to book the specialty restaurants.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Lots of people who post on CC prefer Red Ginger. We don't! That's because we prefer Szechuan food to "asian fusion" ... it's not that we've hated the few dinners we've had there, it's just not our favorite and we don't make it a point to book RG unless people we want to dine with prefer it. Our personal favorite on the "O" ships I Jacques.

 

Again, not everyone agrees! You will have to decide which restaurants you prefer when you are finally on board ...

 

Mura

[Queen of DaNile]

I believe you can invite guests who are not yet eligible to make their own reservations. Our date to make reservations was 18-Feb, my sister's was 19-January. She included our name when she made all of her specialty reservations and we immediately received confirmations as her guests.

Edited March 19, 2015 by Queen of DaNile
clarity

[wally_bushy]

Generally that is the rule, however our TA was able to arrange for friends in a std balcony to be invited to our reservations (earlier than they should according to the website) in Toscana and Polo. We are in a PH and could book earlier than them and due to the "power" of a good TA and their contacts it was made possible

[Mura]

I believe you can invite guests who are not yet eligible to make their own reservations. Our date to make reservations was 18-Feb, my sister's was 19-January. She included our name when she made all of her specialty reservations and we immediately received confirmations as her guests.

 

My experience has been that I can do that when I call Oceania to make the reservation. If I have tried to make an "early" reservation online, it has never gone through. I usually receive a message along the lines of "the party has not completed their reservation".

 

Mura

[LHT28]

Well apparently you can now invite people to join you if they are at a later booking date

I just did that

Our friends cannot book until April 3rd but I added them to our reservation this morning... online

 

Lyn

Edited March 19, 2015 by LHT28

[Mura]

Good to know, Lyn. Very recently I tried to add a couple to our reservation for our April cruise on Marina. We will be in a PH3, they are in a B veranda. It was too early for them to book but I thought I'd try anyway. No luck.

 

But calling an individual at Oceania got the reservation made with no problem.

 

Mura

[LHT28]

Good to know, Lyn. Very recently I tried to add a couple to our reservation for our April cruise on Marina. We will be in a PH3, they are in a B veranda. It was too early for them to book but I thought I'd try anyway. No luck.

 

But calling an individual at Oceania got the reservation made with no problem.

 

Mura

 

Maybe now the website is working better you can do it

i will keep checking to make sure their res sticks

 

Lyn

[pinotlover]

Perhaps O has learned that it is easily to have people call and do this, in an orderly fashion, than have the long lines at the dining reservation desk on board trying to accomplish the same thing.

[LHT28]

Perhaps O has learned that it is easily to have people call and do this, in an orderly fashion, than have the long lines at the dining reservation desk on board trying to accomplish the same thing.

 

You could always call or add people to the RES but you had to wait until both parties were eligible to book according to their cabin CAT

[bitob]

That means that all u need is a friend in a higher category to circumvent the date restriction. Some will not be happy

[pinotlover]

Under the previous, and still on-line system, if one made their reservation sharing, their table and the entire time slot at that restaurant could be filled with cruisers from higher cabin classes. So before, it might be necessary for the party to take a different (typically later or even a different night) time slot to have their reserved table. As bitbob suggests, it appears if one has a friend in a higher suite they can now make reservations for all on their earlier dates.:confused:

 

Oh well! I've never starved aboard ship!

[Queen of DaNile]

My sister in a PH made the reservations on line that included us in a lowly veranda - sooner than we could. We've since "moved up" :)

[pinotlover]

As I'm reading this I guess the new policy allows the Go Next people to find one in their group in a PH or above and make reservations for the entire group based on their availability dates. Great new benefit just announced. I wonder if it will become a new part of the Roll Call Forum. Looking for higher suite categories to get earlier dining reservations. :eek:

[ORV]

As I'm reading this I guess the new policy allows the Go Next people to find one in their group in a PH or above and make reservations for the entire group based on their availability dates. Great new benefit just announced. I wonder if it will become a new part of the Roll Call Forum. Looking for higher suite categories to get earlier dining reservations. :eek:

 

Yes, but if I read this correctly then everyone would have to eat together.

[pinotlover]

orv;

 

So I guess then O must define "together". Is a table for eight together or two (2) tables of 6 at the same time slot together, or both?

 

Only time I see this being significant is on extensive port cruises when there is only one or more "day at sea". Most people like to have one of their specialties either on that day, or the night before. If you're on an R ship with only two specialties and the upper suites can fill the restaurants on those nights between themselves and their lower cabin buddies (leaving those in concierge with earlier reserving rights out), I think you'll have a problem. But as I said "no one ever starves on these ships".

 

One of the diminishing advantages of booking concierge suites is the ability to make earlier specialty dining reservations. If O institutes policies that diminish that perceived benefit, they are only diminishing a perk derived from paying a premium for booking concierge. Whether that is smart, on O's part or not, is yet to be realized.

[LHT28]

Yes, but if I read this correctly then everyone would have to eat together.

 

I am thinking the same thing ;)

You can book a table for 8 maximum

 

If you can find several people in suites & they book a table for 8 at the same time slot then it may be a problem :D

 

The loophole will be blocked soon

[LHT28]

One of the diminishing advantages of booking concierge suites is the ability to make earlier specialty dining reservations. If O institutes policies that diminish that perceived benefit, they are only diminishing a perk derived from paying a premium for booking concierge. Whether that is smart, on O's part or not, is yet to be realized.

 

I would not get your knickers in a knot

We have an A cabin & there were still plenty of slots open

 

the OS & OC suites I think can book every night if they choose but others only get their allotted number of reservations no matter who invites them

 

Usually we do sharing & see who we get to meet :D

[bitob]

orv;

 

 

 

So I guess then O must define "together". Is a table for eight together or two (2) tables of 6 at the same time slot together, or both?

 

 

 

Only time I see this being significant is on extensive port cruises when there is only one or more "day at sea". Most people like to have one of their specialties either on that day, or the night before. If you're on an R ship with only two specialties and the upper suites can fill the restaurants on those nights between themselves and their lower cabin buddies (leaving those in concierge with earlier reserving rights out), I think you'll have a problem. But as I said "no one ever starves on these ships".

 

 

 

One of the diminishing advantages of booking concierge suites is the ability to make earlier specialty dining reservations. If O institutes policies that diminish that perceived benefit, they are only diminishing a perk derived from paying a premium for booking concierge. Whether that is smart, on O's part or not, is yet to be realized.

 

 

I agree 100%

The value of booking cc class will be diminished

 

On a future o cruise we are in a suite. Friends have an inside. If we invite them when we make our reservations they will jump to the head of the line. I foresee problems.

[ladysail2]

I agree 100%

 

On a future o cruise we are in a suite. Friends have an inside. If we invite them when we make our reservations they will jump to the head of the line. I foresee problems.

 

How is that a problem? Isn't the point that you want to eat with your friends who reside in an Inside cabin? They would only get one reservation at that restaurant...and wouldn't it be with you? Or...would they get the dining day with you plus their own reservation choice...meaning that they could eat in that specialty restaurant twice.

 

I'm not sure I understand the problem. Just wondering..

[orchestrapal]

I agree 100%

The value of booking cc class will be diminished

 

On a future o cruise we are in a suite. Friends have an inside. If we invite them when we make our reservations they will jump to the head of the line. I foresee problems.

 

They will be using their one visit wether you book it or they do. Those in suites are paying for their privileges and your feints in the inside are note!

[bitob]

Here is problem

Assume twenty ph cabins invite friends in inside and outside cabins. Those are 20 dining times/slots not available to those in cc class who are waiting to book. The number could be higher.

[Pet Nit Noy]

They will be using their one visit wether you book it or they do. Those in suites are paying for their privileges and your feints in the inside are note!

 

If by "their privileges" you mean the occupants of the PH or higher, we agree. Those cruisers have paid for an earlier chance to make specialty restaurant bookings. But their friends in a lower price cabin did not. However, the cabin dwellers are enjoying the advantage of the PH occupants' early eligibility date.

 

Oceania's new policy means people paying for the same class cabin are being handled based on who they know rather than what they paid. It's literally a case of friends in high places...

[bitob]

Precisely. And if every suite occupant invited friends in non cc cabins to each of their dining slots there would be crumbs left for cc cabins

 

Not a good plan imo

 

I also foresee uncomfortable situations where cruisers ask fellow cruisers in suites to invite them so that they can get a preferred slot on a sea day

 

All in all a bad move

Edited March 21, 2015 by bitob