Reserved seating

[islandwoman]

Does RCL have reserved seating in the buffet and the theater for suites guests on all of its ships and all of its itineraries?

I am considering booking a transpacific RCL cruise and need to know whether as a mere balcony passenger, I would have to eat my lunch in my cabin (like I did on the Brilliance) because there are no seats available in the buffet.

[spookwife]

never seen it for the buffet ever. a few ships allow Suites and Pinnacles to bring their plates from the buffet into a specialty dining venue to eat( Chops is a popular place that may also even offer a small cooked to order breakfast)

 

no not all ships offer reserved seating in any theater. in fact many of them that do the seating area is NOT the best place to get a good view anyway. the very largest ships you reserve a spot( but not a particular seat so you still need to be in line early enough to have your pick.)

 

if you were 'forced' to eat in your cabin, you did not look hard enough for an open seat or ask a crew member to help you. even at the busiest time of day in the buffet we never wandered for more than 5 minutes looking for a table.

[Merion_Mom]

Does RCL have reserved seating in the buffet and the theater for suites guests on all of its ships and all of its itineraries?

I am considering booking a transpacific RCL cruise and need to know whether as a mere balcony passenger, I would have to eat my lunch in my cabin (like I did on the Brilliance) because there are no seats available in the buffet.

 

Reserved seating in theater for suite guests on all ships? Yes.

 

Buffet? No. Very few if any. *I* have never seen it at all. I have seen tables with reserved for handicapped signs, but not for suites.

 

Nor have I ever been unable to find a seat in the Windjammer.

[islandwoman]

even at the busiest time of day in the buffet we never wandered for more than 5 minutes looking for a table.

Perhaps that's because a portion of the buffet seating area on your ship was not blocked off for suites passengers. Which ship was that or might I ask which ships have you sailed that did not have an area in the buffet blocked off for suites seating? And were these short or long cruises?

never seen it for the buffet ever.

[islandwoman]

Buffet? No. Very few if any. *I* have never seen it at all. I have seen tables with reserved for handicapped signs, but not for suites.

That's good news. Perhaps I can sail Royal Caribbean again after all.

 

It was the Brilliance of the Seas on a 7-day New England cruise in fall 2015 where I experienced the reserved suites seating in the Windjammer and overcrowding in the rest of the buffet.

[reallyitsmema]

That's good news. Perhaps I can sail Royal Caribbean again after all.

 

It was the Brilliance of the Seas on a 7-day New England cruise in fall 2015 where I experienced the reserved suites seating in the Windjammer and overcrowding in the rest of the buffet.

 

We have sailed the ship and itinerary and did not see reserved seating in the WJ. We did see reserved seating in the WJ on the Jewel on that same itinerary, but it was in the private dining area off the WJ that most people don't even know exists. It was used for Autism on the Seas first ever, young adult sailing.

 

Where was the reserved seating for suites you saw?

[Desert Cruizers]

We always head to the outside area of the WJ for lunch. If we see people at a table and there are empty chairs, we will politely ask if we may join them.

[islandwoman]

We have sailed the ship and itinerary and did not see reserved seating in the WJ. We did see reserved seating in the WJ on the Jewel on that same itinerary, but it was in the private dining area off the WJ that most people don't even know exists.

Where was the reserved seating for suites you saw?

In a small area adjacent to the main seating area. It was quite obvious, not someplace most people wouldn't know exists.

[reallyitsmema]

In a small area adjacent to the main seating area. It was quite obvious, not someplace most people wouldn't know exists.

 

Not sure where you mean as the seating areas are on the right and the left and also outside. The area I saw reserved was on the left as you entered the WJ and was through a sliding doorway, if you look at the deckplans, you can see a small, squarish area that is beside the bathrooms. A lot of times you will see officers go into that dining area.

 

What ship are you considering booking? People will be able to give you their experiences for that ship, which might be completely different than what you experienced on Brilliance.

[Spurschick]

I agree with others. Yes had to wait for tables at times. We try to not go at the height of peak times. Even if the WJ is busy you don't have to eat in your cabin. The WJ is not the only option for lunch.

[kernow]

I'm not sure it exists on Brilliance anymore, we were in a suite on the recent TA and although the letter in the cabin mentioned the reserved seating in the Windjammer, I never saw it. I have to admit that I never looked too hard though, the few times that I got food from the Windjammer I carried it outside to eat by the pool area.

 

Julie

[cb at sea]

They usually use one of the "specialty" restaurants for "suite seats" for the WJ during breakfast and lunch...so check on that, if you're in a suite. You still get your own buffet food, but can carry it to a different seating area.

 

If you see empty seats at a large table, you can certainly sit in them! We've offered additional seats to those searching, and have seated ourselves with others, if there are no smaller tables avail....

[spookwife]

Perhaps that's because a portion of the buffet seating area on your ship was not blocked off for suites passengers. Which ship was that or might I ask which ships have you sailed that did not have an area in the buffet blocked off for suites seating? And were these short or long cruises?

 

EN, GR, NAV and LIB so far. the one area for 'gold card holders' was literally half a dozen tables just outside of Chops and was there for overflow forma he Breakfast( they typically did not open up the entire DR for seating) . so sorry, I don't buy that the WJ was completely blocked from you no matter what time of day you patronized it. quite often a few extra steps yields you a plethora of seating. in fact more than once we brought our meals back to the Solarium.

[cruisegirl1]

They usually use one of the "specialty" restaurants for "suite seats" for the WJ during breakfast and lunch...so check on that, if you're in a suite. You still get your own buffet food, but can carry it to a different seating area.

 

If you see empty seats at a large table, you can certainly sit in them! We've offered additional seats to those searching, and have seated ourselves with others, if there are no smaller tables avail....

 

There any many ships that do not have a specialty restaurant adjacent to the Windjammer to specialty restaurant seating is not always an option.

 

To the OP - I have seen a sign noting an area of the windjammer for suite seating. I don't recall which particular ship or which itinerary. I do recall that I came upon the sign toward the end of the cruise and was surprised to see it. The signage was at the entrance ( to the left) but there was no sign when walking from the back of the buffet towards the entrance. If one entered and walked to the right, there was no way to earn of this area. Hence, we sat in that area once or twice and had no idea it was restricted seating till the end of the sailing.

 

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

M

[islandwoman]

What ship are you considering booking? People will be able to give you their experiences for that ship, which might be completely different than what you experienced on Brilliance.

Good idea. I'll do that when the cruise I want is posted.

[RosieRoo]

Might this be what you are talking about?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2420590

 

I've never seen it, but it must exist.

[islandwoman]

Might this be what you are talking about?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2420590

 

I've never seen it, but it must exist.

 

Yes.

[billsgal]

On Serenade right now,no reserved WJ seating. However, did fjords and transatlantic on this ship in August, and they had a section of the WJ for gold cards only, so it may not only vary ship to ship, but also cruise to cruise. Large numbers of gold cards on all three cruises, so I have no idea how they determine when to make a separate area.

 

Separate area was to the left of the entrance, in a glassed area behind sliding doors. Very empty most times during the August cruises, and all cruises were pretty much sold out.

 

 

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[brabrant10]

On the breakaway last August -there was a section in the theatre reserved for haven cliental

 

 

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