Specialty Dining Reservations

[Astro Flyer]

The recent Princess shore excursion policy change now requires full payment to pre-reserve a shore excursion beginning in summer 2017. That prevents us from pre-reserving a tour & using OBC to pay during the cruise. Even though we can still use OBC to book a tour onboard if tours are available, it further restricts how we can use OBC.

 

Checking my January cruise on the Star there is a new option to make "Specialty Dining Reservations" by making pre-payment. It's possible to book a specialty restaurant on a specific day at either 5:30, 7:30 or 9:30. While some passengers will be happy about this change, those of us who book onboard may not be able to get a reservation to use OBC to pay for it.

 

Here's their statement: "Any reservations using onboard credits or promotional specialty dining credits must be made onboard the ship. Additional dates and times may be available onboard. Once onboard, please call the DINE line to inquire about additional times, or to use an onboard or specialty dining credit to make reservations".

 

My recent cruise booking experiences have been that cruise fares are generally higher & complimentary OBC & gratuities reduce the net cost of my cruise. This change further devalues the complimentary OBC by making it less likely that I could use it for tours & now for specialty dining. I understand their need to be profitable but they're giving me more OBC while making it more difficult to use it.

 

I know that pre-payment for tours & restaurant reservations are done this way on other cruise lines and that Princess is making these changes because it "brings us in line with standard industry practice". Since Princess no longer wants to be a cruise leader and instead a follower of other cruise lines, there are now two fewer things that have kept Princess as our best cruise option.

 

I've attempted to make this post as objective & informative as possible but I understand that not everyone will feel the same way which is to be expected.

Edited November 14, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[IECalCruiser]

Although the "bean counters" have figured this will increase revenue, I believe the lack of differentiation and less value to OBC will eventually force a drop in Princess fares to be able to compete. IMHO, shortsightedness on the part of Princess.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[caribill]

I know that pre-payment for tours & restaurant reservations are done this way on other cruise lines and that Princess is making these changes because it "brings us in line with standard industry practice". Since Princess no longer wants to be a cruise leader and instead a follower of other cruise lines, there are now two fewer things that have kept Princess as our best cruise option.

 

 

100% agree

 

There have been many posts by people wanting the ability to book specialty restaurants in advance.

 

Well, now they have that ability, but they cannot use OBC to pay for it.

 

Sometimes you get what you ask for and it is not what you expected.

 

I wonder now how they will handle the "free" specialty restaurant embarkation day reservations for those in suites.

[jennybenny]

The recent Princess shore excursion policy change now requires full payment to pre-reserve a shore excursion beginning in summer 2017. That prevents us from pre-reserving a tour & using OBC to pay during the cruise. Even though we can still use OBC to book a tour onboard if tours are available, it further restricts how we can use OBC.

 

Checking my January cruise on the Star there is a new option to make "Specialty Dining Reservations" by making pre-payment. It's possible to book a specialty restaurant on a specific day at either 5:30, 7:30 or 9:30. While some passengers will be happy about this change, those of us who book onboard may not be able to get a reservation to use OBC to pay for it.

 

Here's their statement: "Any reservations using onboard credits or promotional specialty dining credits must be made onboard the ship. Additional dates and times may be available onboard. Once onboard, please call the DINE line to inquire about additional times, or to use an onboard or specialty dining credit to make reservations".

 

My recent cruise booking experiences have been that cruise fares are generally higher & complimentary OBC & gratuities reduce the net cost of my cruise. This change further devalues the complimentary OBC by making it less likely that I could use it for tours & now for specialty dining. I understand their need to be profitable but they're giving me more OBC while making it more difficult to use it.

 

I know that pre-payment for tours & restaurant reservations are done this way on other cruise lines and that Princess is making these changes because it "brings us in line with standard industry practice". Since Princess no longer wants to be a cruise leader and instead a follower of other cruise lines, there are now two fewer things that have kept Princess as our best cruise option.

 

I've attempted to make this post as objective & informative as possible but I understand that not everyone will feel the same way which is to be expected.

 

Where did you find you were able to book dining? I looked at my cruise in March and did not see where I could book dining on the Royal.

Perhaps it's not all ships?

Edited November 14, 2016 by jennybenny

[Pushka]

Cant prebook for December Princess Diamond either.

[Astro Flyer]

Where did you find you were able to book dining? I looked at my cruise in March and did not see where I could book dining on the Royal.

Perhaps it's not all ships?

At the top of my Cruise Personalizer is a new option of "Specialty Dining Reservations" which goes to the reserve & pay functions. It further states to "Be sure to pay immediately in order to confirm your selected reservation time once added to cart".

 

I don't know if it's being implemented fleetwide & maybe others will post about it's availability. It probably isn't available on our Royal cruise next October because it's too early to make reservations.

[skynight]

Here is the customer unfriendly business model:

Add Club Class Dining for passengers that wish to pay about $100/pp/day additional fare for certain cabins.

Reduce the quality of standard dining

Add prepay for specialty dining to to scare passengers into thinking they will not be able to get a good reservation or good meal once on board.

Reduce the ability to use OBC.

Hire a French Chef to service a new French restaurant.

Remove lounges, like they did on the Majestic, and add new pay dining.

Remove formal nights and become NCL

[Happy2cruise]

Here is the customer unfriendly business model:

Add Club Class Dining for passengers that wish to pay about $100/pp/day additional fare for certain cabins.

Reduce the quality of standard dining

Add prepay for specialty dining to to scare passengers into thinking they will not be able to get a good reservation or good meal once on board.

Reduce the ability to use OBC.

Hire a French Chef to service a new French restaurant.

Remove lounges, like they did on the Majestic, and add new pay dining.

Remove formal nights and become NCL

Regarding Specialty Dining, IMHO if we have a large OBC why would I prepay:confused:. If the days or times we want are not available, we just don't go;)

[dfields1814]

One way you can use your OBC to pay for a specialty dinner if the OBC it isn't that much, say $100. Just go to the casino, put $100 on your cruise card, then cash out. Take the cash to the services desk and have them put it on your account.

[Sea Hag]

Hmmm. For use, cruising has never been all about the food, so we've been fine with main dining room rather than specialties. Even though we've definitely noticed a decline in both food and service. On our two upcoming cruises we, along with nearly everybody else, got OBC. Which we planned to use for specialty dining and/or shore excursions.

 

So, here's my take on all this, and it leaves out the part about "bringing Princess in line with the others."

 

Cruise prices have gone up. Fair enough, since everything else has too. When I compare the current cruise costs to our first cruise in 1991, it's not bad at all. Given that, I can live with some quality reductions. Can't have everything.

 

But I can't get around the feeling of bait and switch, where Princess is handing out really hefty OBC and then making it harder to use it.

[OCruisers]

Regarding Specialty Dining, IMHO if we have a large OBC why would I prepay:confused:. If the days or times we want are not available, we just don't go;)

 

Same here .... We just won't go.

[latebloomer56]

So sad about the shore excursion bookings. I don't want to pre-pay period. I use our OBC toward these every trip last trip we got 500. from our cc company. Guess after summer 2017 we will be waiting to book on board. Just hate the lines which is another reason to book early. I only book what I know we are going to want to do though I know some folk's book several items then cancel most when they board.

Oh well as somebody else said no longer a leader but a follower couldn't agree more :(.

[grouchomarx]

That is a shame to hear they've changed their policies on shore excursions. It was one of the things I appreciated about Princess, not having to prepay, and leaving the option of changing your mind later on. Now they are just like NCL and Royal in that regard. I guess everyone is heading in the same direction eventually. However, it is nice you can pre-book specialty dining ahead of the cruise, now I won't have to rush to dial the DINE line once on board.

[Pushka]

Every other cruise line I've been on is prepay. Cunard and Celebrity require it also.

[geoherb]

One way you can use your OBC to pay for a specialty dinner if the OBC it isn't that much, say $100. Just go to the casino, put $100 on your cruise card, then cash out. Take the cash to the services desk and have them put it on your account.

That doesn't make any sense to me. Why put $100 on your account, cash it out, then pay it back to your account?

 

We enjoyed a lot of specialty dining on our last Princess cruise because we had so much onboard credit to use. We ate at the Crown Grill, Sabatini's, Crab Shack, and had an Ultimate Balcony Dinner. Everything was wonderful. We won't have that much credit for our upcoming cruise on the Caribbean. Our credit won't cover our daily gratuities.

 

When I checked my booking (for next month), there's a link to "view options" for specialty restaurants, but once I click on it, I don't get the ability to make reservations. The only one that gives a precruise booking option is Ultimate Balcony Dining, but it's not online booking, just the item numbers to order by phone.

[pablo222]

I don't know if it's being implemented fleetwide & maybe others will post about it's availability.

 

When I click that, I get a server error.

 

I decided I wasn't hungry after all.

[SpareBrew]

I'm on the Star in February and I can see it too.

[msmoger]

I certainly understand the OBC concern. However, one thing nobody seems to have mentioned, and is a concern for me, I don't want to have to "plan" our vacation dining schedule months (or even weeks) in advance. We always select Anytime Dining just for this reason. I'm hoping we won't get shut out of any reservation we might want. We do tend to eat later, but more like 8:00 or 8:30, not 9:30

[Gladysgoing]

I can see the Specialty restaurants under onboard reservations now but don't see any way to pre-reserve. I'm on the Regal December 11.

[Colo Cruiser]

Its too bad that its changing. :(

[caribill]

So sad about the shore excursion bookings. I don't want to pre-pay period. I use our OBC toward these every trip last trip we got 500. from our cc company. Guess after summer 2017 we will be waiting to book on board. Just hate the lines which is another reason to book early. I only book what I know we are going to want to do though I know some folk's book several items then cancel most when they board.

Oh well as somebody else said no longer a leader but a follower couldn't agree more :(.

 

Easy to avoid the lines. Just fill out the excursion reservation forms and drop them in the box or slot for that purpose at the shore excursion desk.

 

Do this as soon as you board and your reservations will likely be taken care of before the desk opens up for business for those on the long line.

[Aussieflyer]

So sad about the shore excursion bookings. I don't want to pre-pay period. I use our OBC toward these every trip last trip we got 500. from our cc company. Guess after summer 2017 we will be waiting to book on board. Just hate the lines which is another reason to book early. I only book what I know we are going to want to do though I know some folk's book several items then cancel most when they board.

Oh well as somebody else said no longer a leader but a follower couldn't agree more :(.

 

Well that probably goes some way to explaining the policy. Princess like any business needs to schedule third party providers for excursions. If people have been booking multiple excursions then cancelling them, it makes it so much more difficult for the company. In this case some people's selfishness has come home to roost.

[latebloomer56]

Easy to avoid the lines. Just fill out the excursion reservation forms and drop them in the box or slot for that purpose at the shore excursion desk.

 

Do this as soon as you board and your reservations will likely be taken care of before the desk opens up for business for those on the long line.

 

 

Oh now I remember been so long ago that I went to the excursion desk. I always know what I want before we go so I will just bring my list and presto I will be done on board.

Thanks

[latebloomer56]

Well that probably goes some way to explaining the policy. Princess like any business needs to schedule third party providers for excursions. If people have been booking multiple excursions then cancelling them, it makes it so much more difficult for the company. In this case some people's selfishness has come home to roost.

 

I know it drives me nuts when folk's tell me they do this and just as bad is when they book TD and go to ATD most nights.

[greenie082756]

As far as the dining reservation in the specialty restaurants, we have always booked them when we board for the first dinner.

 

On our last cruise we ate in specialty twice. Used our OBC for it. Had no problems what so ever with the date and time. Called the dine line for the second dinner two days before we wanted to eat.

 

What has changed apparently is being able to book on line but like the excursions they want you to pre pay.

 

Well heck never did before and I do not think we will have to later. These specialty restaurants are not that busy. I'm thinking that is why they are doing this.

:D

 

Can't go through it, gotta go around it!

 

I'll start reserving dinner and excursions when I get on the ship. We can't drink all of the OBC :eek: