Booking for specialty restaurants on Royal Princess?

[Janie1229]

Does anyone know how soon you can book at the specialty restaurants? Does not look available prior to the cruise, and I cannot remember how soon you can request once on board.

 

Specifically interested in Crown Grill.

 

Thanks!

[SwissDave]

Just go straight to crown grill when you board. Someone will be there to take bookings.

[Pam in CA]

Specialty restaurants cannot be pre-booked before boarding. After boarding, either call the DINE line or go to the restaurant and make your reservation. This applies to all Princess ships, not just the Royal.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Pam in CA

[worldspan]

Incredible after all these years you still cannot pre-book a specialty restaurant on Princess. Where are they, in the dark ages ?

 

Worldspan

135 cruises (and no more!)

Edited June 24, 2015 by worldspan

[Colo Cruiser]

Does anyone know how soon you can book at the specialty restaurants? Does not look available prior to the cruise, and I cannot remember how soon you can request once on board.

 

Specifically interested in Crown Grill.

 

Thanks!

 

As soon as you board head to the CG and make your booking. :)

[Colo Cruiser]

Incredible after all these years you still cannot pre-book a specialty restaurant on Princess. Where are they, in the dark ages ?

 

 

Dark ages or not, it works just fine the way it is. :cool:

[HUNKY]

Janie - believe it or not, but you can't prebook your Sanctuary spots either! Nothing wrong with a company being a late adopter. Just sets the bar higher when they introduce prebooking. Gives you a reason to get onboard early and avoid the buffet!

[fishywood]

Incredible after all these years you still cannot pre-book a specialty restaurant on Princess. Where are they, in the dark ages?

 

To me the real "dark ages" policy is found on the ships that require pre-payment to make a specialty restaurant booking--meaning you are locked out of using any OBC you have.

 

And I sure as heck cannot name a single land restaurant I frequent where reservations are so dear to me that I would prepay for my meal months in advance in order to secure one. And as much as I like Crown Grill (and Crabshack on my last cruise) same goes for even the best restaurants at sea.

[Astro Flyer]

Dark ages or not, it works just fine the way it is. :cool:

It also works best for me & never had a problem making a specialty restaurant reservation.

To me the real "dark ages" policy is found on the ships that require pre-payment to make a specialty restaurant booking--meaning you are locked out of using any OBC you have.

 

And I sure as heck cannot name a single land restaurant I frequent where reservations are so dear to me that I would prepay for my meal months in advance in order to secure one. And as much as I like Crown Grill (and Crabshack on my last cruise) same goes for even the best restaurants at sea.

And on my most recent RCI cruise there was a 25% cancellation fee within 24 hours of the reservation time...I prefer the Princess procedure.

[HUNKY]

Prepaying specialty dining on Celebrity gets you a discounted price. According to their website up to 31% off. That's probably why some people like to prepay.

[Woobstr112G]

Specialty restaurants cannot be pre-booked before boarding. After boarding, either call the DINE line or go to the restaurant and make your reservation. This applies to all Princess ships, not just the Royal.

 

My advice would be to go to the restaurant directly after boarding as I've often experienced problems getting someone to even answer the DINE line when I call. This was the case for our recent 3 day getaway cruise which resulted n all the reservations (yes, I know it was a short cruise) being taken......

 

Bob

Edited June 25, 2015 by Woobstr112G

[skynight]

Prepaying specialty dining on Celebrity gets you a discounted price. According to their website up to 31% off. That's probably why some people like to prepay

Does that bring the price below the $25/pp or $20/pp that you pay on Princess? Just wondering how to compare.

 

"Incredible after all these years you still cannot pre-book a specialty restaurant on Princess. Where are they, in the dark ages ?"

 

It isn't the experience that they are trying to sell. Never had an issue with Princess reserving on board, for us it works fine just as it is. No cancellation fees either. Some cruises are busier than others.

[caribill]

 

"Incredible after all these years you still cannot pre-book a specialty restaurant on Princess. Where are they, in the dark ages ?"

 

 

Many people want to eat in the specialty restaurant on an evening they do not like the menu in the main dining room. Some want to eat there in a formal evening and some want to not miss the formal evenings in the main dining room.

 

Before the cruise you can guess which evening you would like to eat in a specialty restaurant, but you do this without knowing for sure the other information.

 

Does Celebrity provide this type information months before a cruise to allow one to select which evening to book a meal in a specialty restaurant?

Edited June 25, 2015 by caribill

[worldspan]

Dark ages or not, it works just fine the way it is. :cool:

 

No, it does not always work fine. My experience is unless you are part of the initial mob scene stampede to get on the ship you might not as I have been unable to get your desired time on your desired date. Given that the main dining room food is cheap banquet food, specialty restaurants are particularly important to me but having to "play the game" to get a time you are happy with, well I no longer play that game. I just don't sail to begin with.

 

Worldspan

[riclop]

Does anyone know how soon you can book at the specialty restaurants? Does not look available prior to the cruise, and I cannot remember how soon you can request once on board.

 

Specifically interested in Crown Grill.

 

Thanks!

 

Go in person when you board, go right away because they go fast.

[Colo Cruiser]

No, it does not always work fine. My experience is unless you are part of the initial mob scene stampede to get on the ship you might not as I have been unable to get your desired time on your desired date. Given that the main dining room food is cheap banquet food, specialty restaurants are particularly important to me but having to "play the game" to get a time you are happy with, well I no longer play that game. I just don't sail to begin with.

 

Worldspan

 

 

I know right!

[dickinson]

On our most recent Royal cruise we tried to make a reservation at the CG on a day we did not really care for the MDR menu. Unless we wanted to eat at 8:30 pm they said they had no reservations. We instead had to make reservations about 5 days out. (We wanted about 6:30 pm). We had a delicious meal however the place was half empty. I wonder how many people were turned away on the evening we were there? I don't know the reason but guessed that maybe many people may have had a free dinner from some of the promotions and either never showed up or cancelled last minute.

[HUNKY]

If a specialty restaurant is half empty at a prime dining time, the system is not working. Many fine dining restaurants charge a no show fee, or at least ask that cancellations are made a day or two in advance.

 

It's time for Princess to enable multiple ways to make and or modify reservations. Yes, this includes reserving a table in advance before the cruise. Online or via phone beforehand. Once onboard, in person, via the Dine Line, or from an onboard app or via your stateroom TV.

 

I'd hate to be the manager of the Crown Grill and have to explain why my daily revenue target was missed by 50%.

[dickinson]

I like not being able to book in advance. I prefer being able to decide last minute to see if there are any tables available. Even though it did not work for us this time I was still able to book just another date. If you could do it in advance we could have been told everything was all sold out. It would be the luck of the draw if we contacted them when there was a cancellation.

[Colo Cruiser]

I'd hate to be the manager of the Crown Grill and have to explain why my daily revenue target was missed by 50%.

 

 

Staffing, staffing, staffing. The Head Waiter does what he can with the staff provided. He does not need to explain anything. This shortage/staffing level started a year or so after the CG came online in mid 2006 onboard the Crown Princess.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[HUNKY]

Where would you rather work? In the MDR, or in the CG where you're more likely to sell wine AND get additional tip above the cover charge? Aren't the specialty restaurants staffed with the same crew each night anyways?

[SwissDave]

No, it does not always work fine. My experience is unless you are part of the initial mob scene stampede to get on the ship you might not as I have been unable to get your desired time on your desired date. Given that the main dining room food is cheap banquet food, specialty restaurants are particularly important to me but having to "play the game" to get a time you are happy with, well I no longer play that game. I just don't sail to begin with.

 

Worldspan

 

 

So if you are no longer sailing, why are you complaining?

[sh2738]

Incredible after all these years you still cannot pre-book a specialty restaurant on Princess. Where are they, in the dark ages ?

 

 

 

Worldspan

 

135 cruises (and no more!)

 

 

I agree only with it being out of place to not be able to reserve a specialty dining online before the cruise. I find it very interesting because you can reserve essentially anything else online, spas, drink packages, excursions, request regular dining times and styles. Don't understand why princess hasn't adapted this yet. Went on RCL last year and loved that I could book a specialty restaurant ahead of time. Yes if you just want to go when you don't like the MDR or similar situation the. Booking in advance wouldn't work for you. But fir others, such as myself, who have specific days that we would like to go, for a celebration for example, being able to pre book would be wonderful. I hope princess will eventually add this feature.

[weedpindle]

So here is a scenario. For pre-booking reservations of those restaurants, those of us who book way way out, usually when the cruise opens,or even book later but still early, reserve all the spots for the Crown Grill, sometimes just because they can, and those who book the last half of the cabins have no chance to get a spot. At least the way it is now, if you pay attention and don't tarry, chances are you can get a reservation.