Concierge confirms 75% hold on reservations plus other info

[luckyinpa]

I see questions about the specialty dining and making reservations on here all the time so I wanted to add my 2 cents since I now have experience. I booked late for my cruise so most things were not online to book. I picked 3 restaurants for 3 people and wrote to the concierge with my request.

 

The answer to my 1^st request was received 1 hour after I made it:  

 

“I was able to pre book Q and Teppanyaki. The other request were not available  at this time but were noted internally. (see below)  Please confirm this with your concierge onboard upon arrival.

 

Reserve 3 guest 12/24 Cagney’s 7:30pm, add 1 guest 12/25 Teppanyaki 7:15pm; interested in Jersey Boys 12/26 early show if available.”

 

Of course I had a question regarding 12/25 because to me it sounded like I only got the reservation for 2, but this being my 1^st experience, I wasn’t sure what was going on. So I wrote back and 1 week later got this:

 

“Only 25% of available seating is released to pre-book, the rest is left to be done onboard. Your Concierge onboard downloads the internal messages, as below, 2 days prior to sailing and taps into that remaining 75%. Dinner reservations are only done under one guest’s name with a table size. Teppanyaki does not take reservations for uneven numbers. There was nothing available for 4 guests (as I did with Q), and your preferred time was available for 2 guests. Your Concierge onboard will speak with the Restaurant Manager and adjust that count to 3 guests.”

 

I hadn’t seen the comment about the concierge reading messages 2 days before the cruise so that was interesting. So in theory all this should be taken care of by the time I board. I hope. Also one question I had, and see on here a lot is, there are no reservations for odd numbers. You should always book for the next number up as the seating will work out that way. And I noticed they booked me just for 1 in cagneys to hold the reservation but there shouldn’t be any problems with that. Also don’t freak out when you just see a reservation under just one name. rest assured after my cruise ill be confirming if this all worked out or not.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

prime time dining will sell out quickly on embarkation day. On our last couple of cruises, popular restaurants like Cagney’s totally sell out all day all times by 1:00-2:00 on embarkation day. 
 

The onboard concierge actually has the ability to “over sell” sold out restaurants. There is a limit to how much they can oversell and if you wait too long, even the concierge can’t get you a table. 

[sns1009]

I always have trouble pre booking restaurants online for 3 people.  I've found when I put in 4 it lets me pre book when at 3 nothing is available.  As a group of 3, they always put us at a table for 4 anyway so hopefully no harm is done.  

[LrgPizza]

Your concierge is full of it if they tell you that Teppanyaki doesn't take reservations for 3.  It kind of makes we wonder about the rest of what you were told. 

 

[Love my butler]

1 hour ago, LrgPizza said:

Your concierge is full of it if they tell you that Teppanyaki doesn't take reservations for 3.  It kind of makes we wonder about the rest of what you were told. 

 

I wonder about everything everyone at NCL tells me.  The only person I have faith in is usually the General Manager.  Most of the rest, on ship and on shore, either mislead or are simply ignorant.

[BirdTravels]

The pre-concierges are just minimum wage guest relations personnel at a call center. Any data they provide us just stuff they spout off to make themselves feel important with no guarantee of Accuracy. 

[FLAHAM]

Even when a specialty restaurant is showing "sold out" for desired times, I have had pretty good luck (perhaps 75 percent) in getting seated within 15 minutes by just showing up at the time. 

[Bianca0917]

Just wondering where you got the email address for the concierge? Are you in the Haven or do we all have access to this? Thanks!

[Sauer-kraut]

One of the perks for booking a  Suite.

[Bianca0917]

1 minute ago, Sauer-kraut said:

One of the perks for booking a  Suite.

Thx. Got it. 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Bianca0917 said:

Just wondering where you got the email address for the concierge? Are you in the Haven or do we all have access to this? Thanks!

Haven or Suites guest. But not Concierge Suite guests.