Reservations Really Needed for Horizon Specialty Restaurants?

[Watergal60]

Will be on Horizon on 21st of September with a group of 8, and already booked for Steakhouse on 2nd night.  Just wondering, with all the other choices of restaurants, just how popular are these restaurants and should we make reservations now?  Most of the group is really undecided which day to eat in which restaurant!

[jbethel11]

5 hours ago, Watergal60 said:

Will be on Horizon on 21st of September with a group of 8, and already booked for Steakhouse on 2nd night.  Just wondering, with all the other choices of restaurants, just how popular are these restaurants and should we make reservations now?  Most of the group is really undecided which day to eat in which restaurant!

Given the size of your group, it wouldn't hurt to make a reservation. As far as I know, you a free to change any reservations made. 

[crewsweeper]

Yes do make a reservation.  Not all can handle a large group at a single table.  And prime times get booked quickly.

 

As I recall the layouts in the Steakhouse, JiJis and Capitano's  are long tables for large groups, no round tops.

[jimbo5544]

Especially the Steakhouse, I would be surprised if a large group could just do a walk up, the Hibachi as well.

Edited July 17, 2019 by jimbo5544

[PhillyFan33579]

I would definitely make a reservation, if still available, for the Bonsai Teppanyaki Steakhouse. Reservations for this restaurant usually fill up fast due to the limited number of seats in the restaurant. 

[jimbo5544]

10 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I would definitely make a reservation, if still available, for the Bonsai Teppanyaki Steakhouse. Reservations for this restaurant usually fill up fast due to the limited number of seats in the restaurant. 

LOL, I was drawing a blank on the name, thanks.....  it’s still early for my brain apparently.

[Bases5]

FYI 

 We are cruising on the Horizon Sept 1  I requested reservation in January for the steak house and Teppanyaki and even that far in advance they could not fill our selected time.  We worked it out different times  but these 2 tend to book up in advance.

[csj092809]

10 hours ago, Watergal60 said:

Will be on Horizon on 21st of September with a group of 8, and already booked for Steakhouse on 2nd night.  Just wondering, with all the other choices of restaurants, just how popular are these restaurants and should we make reservations now?  Most of the group is really undecided which day to eat in which restaurant!

Hi! I am on that sailing, as well! I pre-booked all my specialty dining just to make sure I could get the time I wanted. And I know the Teppanyaki books up pretty quickly (from what I have heard and read). We will be in the Steakhouse the 2nd night , as well, but we go super early so we can not worry about rushing to get to shows and stuff 🙂 

[JJ Sefton]

1 hour ago, Bases5 said:

FYI 

 We are cruising on the Horizon Sept 1  I requested reservation in January for the steak house and Teppanyaki and even that far in advance they could not fill our selected time.  We worked it out different times  but these 2 tend to book up in advance.

 

Making reservations months in advance, that sounds worse than a Disney trip.

[coevan]

We have 8 tops walk in every day. Why is the Steakhouse different from any land restaurant? We have walked in the Steakhouse several times and were always seated. I can't imagine telling a prospective customer, no I don't want your business. BTW, We have never seen the Steakhouse full.

[TomCruise48]

12 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I would definitely make a reservation, if still available, for the Bonsai Teppanyaki Steakhouse. Reservations for this restaurant usually fill up fast due to the limited number of seats in the restaurant. 

I wouldn't be surprised to find that Bonsai Teppanyaki is already filled with advance reservations.  There may be a few open slots, but probably not for 8 guests.  We booked for only 2 persons as soon as Carnival opened up advance reservations for this venue, many months before our cruise, and still could not get our first choice date and time.

[coevan]

Teppanyaki is definitely a different story, of course you need reservations as they seat everyone at once. 

[PhillyFan33579]

8 hours ago, coevan said:

We have 8 tops walk in every day. Why is the Steakhouse different from any land restaurant? We have walked in the Steakhouse several times and were always seated. I can't imagine telling a prospective customer, no I don't want your business. BTW, We have never seen the Steakhouse full.

 

In the past I have made similar comments about the Steakhouse. However, when we were on Breeze a few weeks ago, every table in the Steakhouse was filled (there might have been a few empty chairs). That is the first time I have witnessed that.  A couple we became friendly with on the cruise said the Steakhouse was packed a few nights later when they ate there. 

[jimbo5544]

21 hours ago, JJ Sefton said:

 

Making reservations months in advance, that sounds worse than a Disney trip.

Actually sounds like a royal cruise....

[jimbo5544]

13 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

In the past I have made similar comments about the Steakhouse. However, when we were on Breeze a few weeks ago, every table in the Steakhouse was filled (there might have been a few empty chairs). That is the first time I have witnessed that.  A couple we became friendly with on the cruise said the Steakhouse was packed a few nights later when they ate there. 

We have seen people turned away many, many times from walk ups.  On a related note regarding the Steakhouse, there was a discussion on the main thread a while back regarding the bar and whether you can just go there for a drink before dinner (anywhere).  At the time I said yes and was taken to task, John posted a day or so that of course you can go there for a drink (when open) without dining.  Thought I would bring it up here so anyone interested will know it.

[Bases5]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

Actually sounds like a royal cruise....

LOL  I thought the same thing when I posted this

[bar1068]

I thought I'd toss this in here relating to specialty reservations, particularly for the steakhouse. A sort of frustration we encountered back in May 2018 with the steakhouse on the Sunshine.

We made reservations onboard for the steakhouse, we are not pre-cruise planners for many things cruise related. The reservation we had was for 8:30, later than we like/prefer, but the "risk" we take waiting until we board. However, we tried to do something we had successfully done on past cruises with later than we preferred steakhouse reservations. We showed up at the steakhouse around 8pm...thinking we could get in earlier than our reservation time. Host was nope, we're booked, you have to wait until your reservation time. A scan of the tables showed, easily 75% of the tables were empty. I pointed this out to the host, who insisted, those were for existing reservations. I did not push it, we left found the nearest bar and had a drink, then returned at our assigned reservation time only of course to find, those same empty tables, still empty, and remained empty the entire time we were there. 

Someone tried to explain the steakhouse is not staffed for full capacity, which I felt is total BS. We have been in steakhouses on other ships at times and it was jumpin with most tables full. I tend to think it's the reservation system.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, bar1068 said:

I thought I'd toss this in here relating to specialty reservations, particularly for the steakhouse. A sort of frustration we encountered back in May 2018 with the steakhouse on the Sunshine.

We made reservations onboard for the steakhouse, we are not pre-cruise planners for many things cruise related. The reservation we had was for 8:30, later than we like/prefer, but the "risk" we take waiting until we board. However, we tried to do something we had successfully done on past cruises with later than we preferred steakhouse reservations. We showed up at the steakhouse around 8pm...thinking we could get in earlier than our reservation time. Host was nope, we're booked, you have to wait until your reservation time. A scan of the tables showed, easily 75% of the tables were empty. I pointed this out to the host, who insisted, those were for existing reservations. I did not push it, we left found the nearest bar and had a drink, then returned at our assigned reservation time only of course to find, those same empty tables, still empty, and remained empty the entire time we were there. 

Someone tried to explain the steakhouse is not staffed for full capacity, which I felt is total BS. We have been in steakhouses on other ships at times and it was jumpin with most tables full. I tend to think it's the reservation system.

I think you are correct (about it being the system).  One of the things we have learned over the years is that the staff is trained over and over to follow the rules.  When changes are made (and to us they may seem small and trivial) it takes time and effort for the staff to incorporate into their process.  We may not understand that, but that is how it is.  I believe this falls under the same principle.

[coevan]

54 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

We showed up at the steakhouse around 8pm...thinking we could get in earlier than our reservation time. Host was nope, we're booked, you have to wait until your reservation time. A scan of the tables showed, easily 75% of the tables were empty

 

 

this is what happens when she has no financial interest. we have never been turned away even without a reservation