Specialty Restaurant Reservations-Panorama

[Rockypoint]

We are booked for the Panorama in April 2020 and I just noticed on the website that if I want to make a reservation for a specialty restaurant it looks like you now have to pay in advance instead of having it charged to your sign and sale card while on board.  Not a huge deal but we are traveling with a group as we have done in the past and usually one person in our party would make the reservation for the steak house in advance for all of us and then we would all pay separately with our sign and sale cards.  Anyone know if there is a way to make a reservation and not pay in advance?

 

Also, I thought the Panorama was gong to have the Bonsai Teppanyaki restaurant but it's currently not a choice on the website when I go to the reservation area for specialty restaurants for our cruise.  Maybe this is because it will be a new ship and hasn't sailed yet so not everything is on the website yet for this cruise and it's still a ways away???

 

Just guessing, but also FTTF has not been offered yet, hoping it will show up as a choice eventually, the Carnival website says FTTF will be offered on the Panorama starting with departures in February 2020.

 

Hoping maybe more will be added as choices on the website as the cruise gets closer.  🙂 

 

Thanks!

[cathyz]

We're on the Panorama next March and I made steakhouse and teppanyaki reservations several weeks ago without paying, but I have confirmation emails for both.  The teppanyaki restaurant is very small so they're probably sold out on the night you're requesting.

[Wanna_Cruize]

I'm wondering about this also. However, my question is what the menus are going to be for the MDR during this cruise. Will they be the same as they currently have on Miracle that's doing that 7-nt itinerary right now? I'd like to review the menu first so I can decide what nights we may want to go to the Specialty Dining. 

[cathyz]

39 minutes ago, Wanna_Cruize said:

I'm wondering about this also. However, my question is what the menus are going to be for the MDR during this cruise. Will they be the same as they currently have on Miracle that's doing that 7-nt itinerary right now? I'd like to review the menu first so I can decide what nights we may want to go to the Specialty Dining. 

I'm sure you can get into the steakhouse and other restaurants once on the cruise, but I think since teppanyaki is so small with only 2 or 3 seatings per night, they'll fill up quickly before hand.

[geoffrywillhardt]

Yeah they must have updated this in the last week or two. When I booked our reservations it was the old way, and we got a confirmation email a few days later. Now when I go look you have to add it to the cart and pay for it. Not sure I like this system but I imagine it will cut down on the number of people that reserve and cancel. Honestly it took Carnival a week or so for one of our reservations and I was worried we didn't get it so I put in for an alternate date so now I have two reservations. While it was not my original intent to book multiple nights I'm now thinking about holding on to both reservations until we get on the ship and I can check out the menu for each night and then decide which night I would like to keep and which I would like to cancel. Who knows maybe its things like this that lead to Carnival changing the system to pay upfront. To many people booking specialty for every night then canceling if they find that the MDR menu is to their liking. I also wonder what the refund policy is like. Im gonna shoot John a message on Facebook and maybe he will clear things up a bit.  

[geoffrywillhardt]

Johns response: 

 

Hello mate and yes indeed we are starting this but at the moment it is not for everyone and only a percentage of people who book online are being asked to pre pay. You can get a refund if you cancel within 24 hour and with the large groups there should not be a problem and if there is I will be here to help. We are indeed doing this to cut down on the number of last minute cancellations which prevents others from booking. Hope this is Ok and if you need anything I am here for you. Cheers. 

 

So that being said if I were you and you want to book a reservation for a large group and not prepay I would message John and see if there is any way that he can put the reservation through for you. Obviously there are no guarantees but if everyone wants to pay with there own S&S card that's what I would try. 

[Rockypoint]

Thanks so much for the info!

[Rockypoint]

15 hours ago, cathyz said:

I'm sure you can get into the steakhouse and other restaurants once on the cruise, but I think since teppanyaki is so small with only 2 or 3 seatings per night, they'll fill up quickly before hand.

the website doesn't even give you a choice to pick a night for the teppanyaki, it's like it's not a choice.

[cathyz]

6 minutes ago, Rockypoint said:

the website doesn't even give you a choice to pick a night for the teppanyaki, it's like it's not a choice.

Maybe it's completely sold out for the entire cruise?   

[Rockypoint]

10 hours ago, geoffrywillhardt said:

Johns response: 

 

Hello mate and yes indeed we are starting this but at the moment it is not for everyone and only a percentage of people who book online are being asked to pre pay. You can get a refund if you cancel within 24 hour and with the large groups there should not be a problem and if there is I will be here to help. We are indeed doing this to cut down on the number of last minute cancellations which prevents others from booking. Hope this is Ok and if you need anything I am here for you. Cheers. 

 

So that being said if I were you and you want to book a reservation for a large group and not prepay I would message John and see if there is any way that he can put the reservation through for you. Obviously there are no guarantees but if everyone wants to pay with there own S&S card that's what I would try. 

Stupid question, but how do you send John Heald a message?

[Greektreats]

I would like to know how to send John a message as well.  We are a group of 8 couples traveling together in February and are interested in reserving some specialty dining.

Edited October 15, 2019 by Greektreats

[jimd909]

I just made two dining reservations for my December 2020 cruise on Panorama and wasn't asked to prepay. It might be that it's only two of us on each reservation.

[Rockypoint]

I decided to go ahead and call Carnival and the gal I spoke with said the the specialty restaurants are changing to pre-pay to make a reservation in advance.  She said users that still see the "old web-site" can still make reservations without pre-payment but those that are on the"new web-site" only have the option to pre-pay.  I know the Carnival web-site looks different to me these days so I must be on the "new version".  She was able to help me go ahead and make reservations the old way though on her end.  She set them up for me and couldn't explain why I didn't see the teppanyaki restaurant as a choice but she was able to book it for me.

 

So it sounds like they are slowly changing to pre-pay to make reservations for the specialy restaurants.  I'm personally not crazy about that change, but oh well, such is life.

[coevan]

4 hours ago, Rockypoint said:

Stupid question, but how do you send John Heald a message?

 

His FB page

[geoffrywillhardt]

8 hours ago, Rockypoint said:

Stupid question, but how do you send John Heald a message?

 

7 hours ago, Greektreats said:

I would like to know how to send John a message as well.  We are a group of 8 couples traveling together in February and are interested in reserving some specialty dining.

If you go onto his Facebook page and click on the posts tab you can post a question to his wall and it will show up under the community tab. He will answer every question or have his 2nd in command Jacinta answer if he is busy. Keep in mind if you ask and question and he answers and you have a follow up question you must post a whole new question otherwise he won't see it. 😁

[cdm289]

Under my Panorama reservation I have seen the new system where you "add to cart" and pre-pay but now my reservation is back to the old way to make a reservation for the restaurant and do not pre-pay so it has flipped back and forth for me.  Not sure why it changed to the new system and then back to the old system but anyone who just wants to make a reservation and not prepay, keep trying back.  

[geoffrywillhardt]

3 hours ago, cdm289 said:

Under my Panorama reservation I have seen the new system where you "add to cart" and pre-pay but now my reservation is back to the old way to make a reservation for the restaurant and do not pre-pay so it has flipped back and forth for me.  Not sure why it changed to the new system and then back to the old system but anyone who just wants to make a reservation and not prepay, keep trying back.  

Also you might check on a phone or other mobile device. When I looked on my phone it allowed me to without pre paying. 

[Ronanc]

Same.  When I made a reservation using my phone a few days ago I did not have to pay. 

[Rockypoint]

I just now checked and all specialty restaurants were showing and I didn't have to pre-pay to make a reservation.  I'm sure it's temporary and will flip back to pre-pay soon.

 

😂