Question about Online booking for specialty restaurants

[wally_bushy]

Perhaps another way of looking at the issue is that as a higher category I have the privilege of booking to dine with friends regardless of their category.

Remember this is just a view of the same situation. Don't shoot me!

Edited March 21, 2015 by wally_bushy

[Pet Nit Noy]

Perhaps another way of looking at the issue is that as a higher category I have the privilege of booking to dine with friends regardless of their category.

Remember this is just a view of the same situation. Don't shoot me!

 

You've always had the ability to dine with friends regardless of their category! Under the old policy, Oceania simply required those meals take place in the GD or the Terrace Cafe.

 

There's an saying -- with many variations -- that goes something like "Your freedom to swing your fist ends at my nose." Oceania can and should offer privileges to higher paying customers without metaphorically hitting other people in the nose.

 

Anyone who reads this board now knows that some people cruising in the same category are getting a privilege that is not tied to their category. Between people bragging about special privileges they get because of the TA they use -- privileges they wangle from Oceania not from the TA's company -- and the new deal that lets suite cruisers boost their friends ahead of their eligibility date, Oceania is sending a very questionable message.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[LHT28]

It is probably a glitch in the website with all the playing around with it

 

I would not get too upset

 

What about those of us who do not use all of their allotted reservations I am sure they are not holding them for us

Edited March 21, 2015 by LHT28

[Mura]

Oceania may not be holding them, but I remember being called by Renaissance personnel practically begging us to book the restaurants ... at least they knew they could release our reservations, however.

 

That being said, Ren isn't/wasn't Oceania!

 

Mura

[wally_bushy]

You've always had the ability to dine with friends regardless of their category! Under the old policy, Oceania simply required those meals take place in the GD or the Terrace Cafe.

 

There's an saying -- with many variations -- that goes something like "Your freedom to swing your fist ends at my nose." Oceania can and should offer privileges to higher paying customers without metaphorically hitting other people in the nose.

 

Anyone who reads this board now knows that some people cruising in the same category are getting a privilege that is not tied to their category. Between people bragging about special privileges they get because of the TA they use -- privileges they wangle from Oceania not from the TA's company -- and the new deal that lets suite cruisers boost their friends ahead of their eligibility date, Oceania is sending a very questionable message.

 

Good shot:cool:

Knew it would come

[fairbourne]

Well can I put another point of view.

 

If all those booking in suites invite their "non-suite" pals and they use their speciality reservation for that night at shared tables, then surely that frees up a lot of space for other nights and as an added bonus, more tables for two!!!

 

I'm sure Oceania will sort this out if it's upsetting so may people! :rolleyes:

[bitob]

It does not "upset" the me. I do not book a cc cabin as I see no benefit to it at all. The earlier date for booking the specialties may be an incentive for some to book cc. Just an observation about the potential consequences of this new policy

[Paulchili]

Another point of view.

What if you are in an OC and your family (children/SIL/BIL) are in an OV. If you cannot invite them to dine with you when you make the reservation, by the time they can make it there may be no space/time available for them to dine with you. That does not seem right either.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Another point of view.

What if you are in an OC and your family (children/SIL/BIL) are in an OV. If you cannot invite them to dine with you when you make the reservation, by the time they can make it there may be no space/time available for them to dine with you. That does not seem right either.

 

If the point of dining with others is the pleasure of their company, why would that experience not be just as successful in the GD or in the Terrace Café? What is so important about the combination of inviting company and eating in the specialty dining rooms? I am not being snarky. I truly don't understand this attitude that a successful shared meal needs to take place in a specialty restaurant. How did people cope under the old staggered eligible date system?

Edited March 22, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[bitob]

Another point of view.

 

What if you are in an OC and your family (children/SIL/BIL) are in an OV. If you cannot invite them to dine with you when you make the reservation, by the time they can make it there may be no space/time available for them to dine with you. That does not seem right either.

 

 

Booking a suite does not give you the extra benefit of dining with others -- whether relatives or friends -- in the specialties at the expense of fellow cruisers who have paid for the privilege of having better options for booking times in the specialties.

 

Booking a suite gives you the listed privileges on the o website. Nothing more. They pay more they get more. But

 

You don't get the best seats in the theater

You don't get a special table in the gdr

You don't go to the head of the line in the buffet or gdr

You don't get reserved seats in Martinis at happy hour

You have no guarantee that others in lesser cabins can dine in the specialties when you do

 

Suite benefits are spelled out

Cc benefits are spelled out

 

This new scheme erodes cc benefits

 

 

As I said we don't book cc

We Don't even care if we eat in the specialties. They have become old and boring

 

The policy is ill conceived in terms of fairness to those who spend more for cc benefits

[LHT28]

Another point of view.

What if you are in an OC and your family (children/SIL/BIL) are in an OV. If you cannot invite them to dine with you when you make the reservation, by the time they can make it there may be no space/time available for them to dine with you. That does not seem right either.

 

The best way to do it :D

Book everyone in a Top suite

after final payment book the reservations so you are all together in the Specialties

Get your TA to get some of the members in your party a big downsell to OV with a large cash rebate

 

play the game like some others here do :rolleyes:

[Paulchili]

If the point of dining with others is the pleasure of their company, why would that experience not be just as successful in the GD or in the Terrace Café? What is so important about the combination of inviting company and eating in the specialty dining rooms? I am not being snarky. I truly don't understand this attitude that a successful shared meal needs to take place in a specialty restaurant. How did people cope under the old staggered eligible date system?

 

 

Also not being snarky, but....

I intend to share our meals with our family on most (if not all) nights that we will eat in the MDR (hardly ever) or at the Terrace. This would be so on all nights but 4.

However, for the 4 reservations that I may have for the specialties, why should I eat there alone or worse, with strangers, when family will also have 4 reservations. We all would certainly prefer to eat with each other.

On other cruises where we cruise alone, this would not be the case.

I am sure that this would not be a unique scenario for just us - many people cruise with family or close friends and not all of them are in the same category.

[kekilia]

You don't get the best seats in the theater

You don't get a special table in the gdr

You don't go to the head of the line in the buffet or gdr

You don't get reserved seats in Martinis at happy hour

You have no guarantee that others in lesser cabins can dine in the specialties when you do

 

Hey, Oceania!!! I want those things!:D. New way to attract more money to the top suites. Right now, it is really just square ft. :D:D

 

Heck, I'd settle for reserved seats in Martinis at happy hour!

Edited March 22, 2015 by kekilia

[ladysail2]

I understand now, it's a space issue with inviting the non-cc's at the same time as the cc is making the dinner reservation.

 

I suppose what Oceania could do is simply allow the cc to book their reservation and if they try to link a non-cc reservation, it's simply rejected by the system until such time that the non-cc is allowed to do their reservations. If space is still available at the table with the cc, then it will be allowed at that time.

 

Nothing's perfect.

 

Does Oceania allow one to downgrade after final payment?? :confused:

[Pet Nit Noy]

I intend to share our meals with our family on most (if not all) nights that we will eat in the MDR (hardly ever) or at the Terrace. This would be so on all nights but 4. However, for the 4 reservations that I may have for the specialties, why should I eat there alone or worse, with strangers, when family will also have 4 reservations?

 

The answer to your question is that you've chosen a family vacation on a public cruise ship with certain policies that are at odds with your preference for doing something. You didn't choose to vacation on a privately chartered boat (or private villa or private anything). But please read to the end of my post since you'll see I'm really not criticizing you. My quarrel is with Oceania not with individual cruisers.

 

Here's the text from the Oceania's FAQ about Dining:

 

"When can I make reservations in the specialty restaurant?

 

Online Reservations (pre-cruise)

 

•Please visit the Already Booked section of our website to make your dining reservations. Restrictions do apply so make sure you read our Reservation Rules before attempting to make reservations." (Added emphasis)

 

On the "My Booked Cruises" page, there's a "To-Do List. Under dining, I've been given a very specific date when I will be allowed to make online reservations. There's no asterisk next to that date which adds words to the effect, "Unless you're traveling with friends and family in a higher priced category, in which case just use their earlier eligibility date."

 

But look at post #4 in this thread. Or look at post #5. Or post #7. Or post #8.

 

Oceania has a stated policy about online restaurant reservations. That policy is not confusingly worded. It does not appear to invite honest differences in interpretation. However, assuming the four posts I cited are accurate, in practice Oceania seems to be perfectly happy to offer exceptions to the policy if certain travel agents make the request or if the cruiser phones rather than uses the web site.

 

I think this is a poor business decision for Oceania to make. If Oceania is going to state a regulation, they should adhere to their own rules. If they don't intend to enforce those regulations, they should delete them from the web. The current, chaotic situation is very harmful to Oceania's credibility and reputation.

 

Right now, we've got a situation when you (and others in a similar situation) will read posts 4, 5, 7, and 8, and say, "I want to try to get that benefit for myself and my friends or family." That's entirely understandable.

 

But cruisers below Penthouse level are looking at the same set of facts and saying, "Why should I have fewer time slots to choose from because I'm not traveling with higher-category friends/family? What else can I expect on my cruise that will be unfairly implemented?"

 

Oceania has created this situation. Oceania can fix this situation.

[bitob]

Deleted

Edited March 23, 2015 by bitob

[Paulchili]

Pet Nit Noy,

You made some good and fair points. I can live with these Oceania policies as I have for all our previous O cruises. If Oceania will grant our wishes with their "new" policy it would be nice; if not, we will book when all our categories can book.

I am sure it will work out one way or another and I am certain that we will enjoy the cruise no matter what :)

[LHT28]

The answer to your question is that you've chosen a family vacation on a public cruise ship with certain policies that are at odds with your preference for doing something. You didn't choose to vacation on a privately chartered boat (or private villa or private anything). But please read to the end of my post since you'll see I'm really not criticizing you. My quarrel is with Oceania not with individual cruisers.

 

Here's the text from the Oceania's FAQ about Dining:

 

"When can I make reservations in the specialty restaurant?

 

Online Reservations (pre-cruise)

 

•Please visit the Already Booked section of our website to make your dining reservations. Restrictions do apply so make sure you read our Reservation Rules before attempting to make reservations." (Added emphasis)

 

On the "My Booked Cruises" page, there's a "To-Do List. Under dining, I've been given a very specific date when I will be allowed to make online reservations. There's no asterisk next to that date which adds words to the effect, "Unless you're traveling with friends and family in a higher priced category, in which case just use their earlier eligibility date."

 

But look at post #4 in this thread. Or look at post #5. Or post #7. Or post #8.

 

 

I was one of those posters

As I said before I think it was something that slipped through the cracks when the new website was being put into use

 

It has always been as the policy stated

 

I thought when I booked my res I would just see if I could add guests & usually it will say they are not eligible yet

This time it took their res

 

I am sure this will be fixed soon if it has not been fixed already

Some glitch they maybe were not aware of

The website is still a work in progress

 

Many other issues that you could get knotted up over

[Pet Nit Noy]

I was one of those posters. As I said before I think it was something that slipped through the cracks when the new website was being put into use. It has always been as the policy stated

 

I thought when I booked my res I would just see if I could add guests & usually it will say they are not eligible yet . This time it took their res

 

The website is still a work in progress

 

Your mitigating circumstances are duly noted. In the remaining examples , the cruisers made reservations by dealing with a human.

 

Many other issues that you could get knotted up over

 

What's your point?