Chef's Table Question

[cruisegal#116]

Perhaps this question has been covered at some point so please forgive me for for asking again.

 

We are due to make our Specialty Dining Reservations tomorrow for our Midnight Sun Cruise in June and in looking at the Viking website it appears that the Chef's Table has fixed seating times of either 6:00pm or 8:30pm. Is this correct?

 

While I would prefer to pick a dining time of say 7:00pm or 7:30pm I just want to be prepared when I go online tomorrow to make my reservations if I am locked into the 6:00pm or 8:30pm slots.

 

Also, if you could give any opinion of which time slot would work better with shipboard activities that would be appreciated as well.

 

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

[KyOh]

No, you are free to select your time. Once on board, be sure to check the menu for the evening you have booked. Some of the menus are better than others! Or you just may not like the one you are scheduled for. It is very easy to change your reservation at the desk at the entry to the World Café. They will have all the dinner menus and can tell you what nights they are available.

[CDNPolar]

I am going to suggest that the times you are allotted to book will depend on your level of Stateroom. Some can book several times in each specialty and some two, some one, and some get no advance bookings... The higher priced Staterooms get to book before you (Depending on what you are paying) and therefore you may or may not get a lot of selection. Also, you may or may not be limited by the number in your party for dinner. Our DV6 Stateroom allowed us 1 booking in each specialty dining room and when we went to book we ONLY had 6:30pm or 8:30pm for a table for 2. You are not able to see all booking times - only the ones left when you go to book based on the number of people in your party. Be prepared for the open spots to go quickly too - I mean within hours of opening the bookings... Good luck!

[English Voyager]

How easy, or otherwise, is it for a solo traveller to obtain a reservation for a speciality restaurant?

[cruisegal#116]

Thank you KyOh and CDN Polar.

 

We are very fortunate to be sailing in a Penthouse Junior Suite so we are able to make our Dining Reservations fairly early in the game at 80 days out.

 

We are on the East Coast and so are aware our reservations open at midnight Pacific time consequently 3:00am for us. I don't think I will set the alarm for 3:00am tonight but will probably get up around 5:30am to try to get these reservations done.

 

We can make 3 reservations for both Manfredi's and the Chef's Table. I do have a list of my preferred dates and times for each Restaurant and I will be looking for Tables for Two.

 

When we booked our Shore Excursions last week we had no trouble getting exactly what we wanted so we are hoping the Dining goes just as well. I will report back tomorrow on how we make out.

[Peregrina651]

Thank you KyOh and CDN Polar.

 

We are very fortunate to be sailing in a Penthouse Junior Suite so we are able to make our Dining Reservations fairly early in the game at 80 days out.

 

We are on the East Coast and so are aware our reservations open at midnight Pacific time consequently 3:00am for us. I don't think I will set the alarm for 3:00am tonight but will probably get up around 5:30am to try to get these reservations done.

 

We can make 3 reservations for both Manfredi's and the Chef's Table. I do have a list of my preferred dates and times for each Restaurant and I will be looking for Tables for Two.

 

When we booked our Shore Excursions last week we had no trouble getting exactly what we wanted so we are hoping the Dining goes just as well. I will report back tomorrow on how we make out.

 

Don't forget that the menu at the Chef's Table changes every three days and that the first night of the cruise is not necessarily night 1 of a new rotation. If you allow 2 nights between reservation, you will be sure to get hit the next rotation. Once you get on board, you can check which meals are actually be served and make any adjustments to your reservations.

[CDNPolar]

How easy, or otherwise, is it for a solo traveller to obtain a reservation for a speciality restaurant?

 

I don't think that it will be difficult at all. You would have just the same opportunity as anyone else - based on your Stateroom level you should be able to book what anyone in your category can book. The only thing that I am thinking is that the automated booking system may not be built to book single reservations?

 

If it were me, I would call Viking and ask them to assist you booking,

 

I have seen twice now a single person dining in the specialty dining room.

 

We had difficulty booking one of the excursions and I called Viking and there must have been a glitch in the system because they said that they had lots of availability.

 

Hope you get the times and days you want.

[English Voyager]

CDNPolar,

 

Thank you for your helpful advice which I will act upon once booking for my grade of accommodation is opened.

[cruisegal#116]

I promised I would report back on our experience with booking the Specialty Restaurants this morning.

 

We did get up at 5:30am eastern time so we could get this done before we left for work. We were allotted 3 reservations in both Manfredi's and Chef's Table.

 

We had absolutely no trouble getting tables for 2 on any of the days we wanted and at the times we preferred either 7:00pm or 7:30pm in most cases or in one or two instances at 8:00pm wanting a later time due to the days activities.

 

I found the reservation system easy to use and actually made and then changed two of the reservations to different days after thinking more about our choices. We were done before 6:00am.

 

Now we can sit back and relax with most of our to do list done. I printed out our calendar but will check back on a weekly basis to make sure Viking does not randomly change any of our reservations. I will also check our tour tickets once we get on board to make sure our departure times are the ones we selected and re-confirm all of the dining reservations at that time.

[Azulann]

Good to know how the reservation system works and you got the times you wanted.

Did you book your excursions separately ? Or all at once for both types of reservations?

[Fpacifico]

I promised I would report back on our experience with booking the Specialty Restaurants this morning.

 

We did get up at 5:30am eastern time so we could get this done before we left for work. We were allotted 3 reservations in both Manfredi's and Chef's Table.

 

We had absolutely no trouble getting tables for 2 on any of the days we wanted and at the times we preferred either 7:00pm or 7:30pm in most cases or in one or two instances at 8:00pm wanting a later time due to the days activities.

 

I found the reservation system easy to use and actually made and then changed two of the reservations to different days after thinking more about our choices. We were done before 6:00am.

 

Now we can sit back and relax with most of our to do list done. I printed out our calendar but will check back on a weekly basis to make sure Viking does not randomly change any of our reservations. I will also check our tour tickets once we get on board to make sure our departure times are the ones we selected and re-confirm all of the dining reservations at that time.

 

Congratulations, now sit back and enjoy

[cruisegal#116]

Azulann,

 

Our Shore Excursions opened for reservation last Wednesday at 87 days prior to departure for our Category Cabin.

 

Dining Reservations opened 7 days later at 80 days for us.

 

I don't know what category cabin you are in but that will determine how many days in advance of sailing both the Shore Excursions and Dining will open. They do not open on the same day. Dining is always 7 days after Shore Excursions.

[Azulann]

Thanks for that information. We are in Deluxe Veranda DV3, can book 60 day out.

We do have a couple of ship excusions we do want to reserve beyond the included ones.

The dining options we can wait till we board. There are four of us in three different states , so making a reservation for chef table can be done when we are all together. I know we will not go hungry no matter where we eat. We do like to eat late most evenings. We are use to 8:30 seating when we sailed in Europe last summer. It was us and the Europeans in the MDR most nights!

[CDNPolar]

I promised I would report back on our experience with booking the Specialty Restaurants this morning.

 

We did get up at 5:30am eastern time so we could get this done before we left for work. We were allotted 3 reservations in both Manfredi's and Chef's Table.

 

We had absolutely no trouble getting tables for 2 on any of the days we wanted and at the times we preferred either 7:00pm or 7:30pm in most cases or in one or two instances at 8:00pm wanting a later time due to the days activities.

 

I found the reservation system easy to use and actually made and then changed two of the reservations to different days after thinking more about our choices. We were done before 6:00am.

 

Now we can sit back and relax with most of our to do list done. I printed out our calendar but will check back on a weekly basis to make sure Viking does not randomly change any of our reservations. I will also check our tour tickets once we get on board to make sure our departure times are the ones we selected and re-confirm all of the dining reservations at that time.

 

Good to hear! I doubt that you will see any changes to your excursion reservations or dining reservations before the ship sails... The dining will most likely be ok. The excursions however may change but that will happen on the fly during the cruise. Not major changes but small ones... This happens because of numbers confirmed when they close the reservation system and then a lot the resources. We had small changes to excursion departure times. You absolutely MUST go to your Viking Daily that is delivered to your Stateroom every night at turndown and check carefully when and where you are to meet for your excursion. Sometimes you will go to the theatre to meet - sometimes a dining room - and sometimes on shore at the port.

 

I think one of the things I love about Viking and the way they stage the excursions, is that you are never in line with hundreds of others to come or go... It is so easy on Viking.

[Etexvrc]

LOVE Manfredi's. Chef's table, not so much.

 

But everyone's tastes are different.

Have fun, and do yourself a favor and order the calamari at Manfredi's!

[cruisegal#116]

CDNPolar -- Thanks for your input. I see you are currently sailing on the Viking Sky and have been following along on that thread. Thanks for taking the time to post and to answer questions.

 

I always read the Daily for the following day when I get back to my room in the evening but I will pay particular attention to the Excursion Information.

 

Etexvrc -- We are both very adventuresome eaters and are actually looking forward with anticipation to the Chef's Table and what it might have to offer. Manfredi's is a given. Who doesn't like Italian?:)

 

There isn't one aspect of our upcoming trip that we aren't looking forward to with great anticipation. We are expecting it to be one of our best.

[Peregrina651]

Good to hear! I doubt that you will see any changes to your excursion reservations or dining reservations before the ship sails... The dining will most likely be ok. The excursions however may change but that will happen on the fly during the cruise.

 

Actually, there have been a number of posts in the past about Viking making changes to excursion reservations without informing the passengers effected--and I don't mean on the fly once you are on board. It happened to us on our June cruise.

 

Since we knew from reading about it here on Cruise Critic, we watched our reservations carefully and we double checked out tickets once we boarded the ship. Without telling us, Viking had changed our ticket times for one of our shorex. We were traveling with another couple whose time slot had not been changed. We had careful consulted and chosen the times we wanted for the various excursion. We were each able to get the times we wanted, so that all was fine. However, we checked our tickets when we boarded and immediately saw that one of us had been reassigned to a different time slot. We went right to the shorex desk to have it remedied. We were lucky and were able to have it fixed but sometimes it can't be done.

 

 

I have heard other horror stories that are far worse than what happened to us. People who have booked one tour in the morning and then booked a private afternoon tour finding that their time slots have been changed (and we aren't talking a minor adjustment of timing but completely moved to a different time slot). I have heard of large groups (8-10 people) who worked hard to get the time slots the same and then worked with Viking Customer Service to get things fixed when tour slot were changed for some and not others, then only to find once they board the ship the further changes have been made. Things like this should not happen and certainly not without discussing it with the effected guests before making the change, let alone not informing them at all that a change had been made.

 

 

Fortunately, I can say that there hasn't been a major rant about reservation snafus in a while but that does not mean that it doesn't happen and I continue to sail with the attitude that shorex excursions aren't a done deal until I have those timed tickets in my hand and have checked them for errors. In the meantime, I make a screenshot of my reservations when I make them and continue to monitor them for changes thereafter. If you are making complicated plans that involve multiple tours in one day or multiple couples, then you should be doing the same.

[Cadodge]

How easy, or otherwise, is it for a solo traveller to obtain a reservation for a speciality restaurant?

We saw a couple of solo travelers eating in the specialty restaurants with no problem. They were well served. As a suggestion, if you are traveling alone but would like some companionship at a meal, you may want to ask the cruise director if any of the show cast members may be available to join you. These young people (mostly late 20s or early 30s) are wonderful and outgoing, serve as hosts and hostesses when you board and really enjoy the treat of not having to eat at the crew's cafeteria. We did this, and were well rewarded with a fine time of conversation and learning about the ship from a different perspective.

[roothy123]

Thanks for the info on this thread. I just came on here to see how Chef's Table reservations were currently being handled. I notice MVJ says you can book between the opening time and closing time, however, when we cruised before (in their first year of cruising) they had set times. Nice to know we don't have to pick what we want!