What's a "courtesy dinner reservation?"

[Sizzlechest]

The three night dining package states:

 

Experience three of our specialty restaurants and enjoy great savings when you purchase the 3 Night Dining Package for your cruise vacation. A courtesy reservation will be made for the first night of your cruise based on your preferred dining time. You will receive your courtesy reservation confirmation in your stateroom on the first day of your cruise. All additional reservations or changes to your courtesy reservation must be made once onboard at any specialty restaurant.

 

What's a "courtesy dinner reservation" and how does it differ from the additional reservations? What if I don't want to go to a specialty dining location on the first two nights? Also, which specialty restaurants are a la carte? The three night dining package is pretty much useless for these locations.

[Clarea]

The ship will (may) make a reservation at one of the eligible restaurants for your first night.  This can be changed onboard pending space availability.

[Ourusualbeach]

The terms of the package state that one dinner must either be on night one or two.  They may or may not let you change that.  You won’t know until you board so if that is a deal breaker then don’t buy the package.  

 

The only a la carte restaurant is Izumi.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Ourusualbeach

[kernow]

With Izumi you get an allowance per person if you have the package, I think it's $35pp

[Sizzlechest]

1 hour ago, kernow said:

With Izumi you get an allowance per person if you have the package, I think it's $35pp

 

The 3 night package is $99 ($33 per restaurant) so the $35 is a wash.

 

The only advantage of using the package at an a la carte place like Izumi would be if you wanted to go to Izumi but didn't want to use the package for all three other specialty dining visits. You don't get a discount at the a la carte place, but at least you get money back that you would have lost by not using it.