specialty restaurant reservations

[cruisingxpert]

15 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Can someone tell me if you are still having trouble with the restaurant times as Oceania has not changed anything and we  are trying to figure out if it is a glitch in the system..

Jancruz1

My booking window for specialties opens at 12:01 am tonight.  Will let you know what happens.

[Jancruz]

5 minutes ago, cruisingxpert said:

My booking window for specialties opens at 12:01 am tonight.  Will let you know what happens.

 

5 minutes ago, cruisingxpert said:

My booking window for specialties opens at 12:01 am tonight.  Will let you know what happens.

Thanks

Jancruz1

[cruisingxpert]

11 hours ago, Jancruz said:

Can someone tell me if you are still having trouble with the restaurant times as Oceania has not changed anything and we  are trying to figure out if it is a glitch in the system..

Jancruz1

Just booked all 4 specialty reservations for 7:30 pm.  Had no problem.  Pinotlover must have had some gremlins playing on their computer.

[Jancruz]

1 hour ago, cruisingxpert said:

Just booked all 4 specialty reservations for 7:30 pm.  Had no problem.  Pinotlover must have had some gremlins playing on their computer.

Thanks for letting me know,, Much appreciated!!

Jancruz1

Edited November 24, 2021 by Jancruz

[pinotlover]

9 hours ago, cruisingxpert said:

Just booked all 4 specialty reservations for 7:30 pm.  Had no problem.  Pinotlover must have had some gremlins playing on their computer.

😂. Perhaps so! Either (a) the gremlins had my computer; or (2) the gremlins only come out when attempting to book multiple early (6:30 &7:00) reservations. You didn’t test option 2. Time will tell, hopefully for all concerned it was #1.

 

I am willing tobet one could book all the 9:00 they wanted! 👍

[espmass]

I booked all 4 restaurants for 6:30 and 7 for our 2/7 cruise with no trouble. 

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

😂. Perhaps so! Either (a) the gremlins had my computer; or (2) the gremlins only come out when attempting to book multiple early (6:30 &7:00) reservations. You didn’t test option 2. Time will tell, hopefully for all concerned it was #1.

 

I am willing tobet one could book all the 9:00 they wanted! 👍

Does the system allow you to change your current booked time to your preferred time. (Assuming the time is available)

[Ski Mom 2]

We are new to Oceania and I have a couple of questions. We have sailed on Windstar and reservations for specialty restaurants are made on board after you’re checked in. (Smaller ships=less specialties=easier to do in person). 
 

How do you really decide which restaurant on which night so far in advance? 

What happens when I meet some other fun couples on the ship and want to go to dinner with them? What if one of us has specialty dining set up that evening? Are you limited to GDR if you want to be flexible?

 

And how is the GDR? There’s such a big deal made about specialty dining reservations it makes me wonder about the GDR. 
 

We are excited about Oceania and have until January 2023 to figure it all out but a girls gotta dream!

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Ski Mom 2 said:

We are new to Oceania and I have a couple of questions. We have sailed on Windstar and reservations for specialty restaurants are made on board after you’re checked in. (Smaller ships=less specialties=easier to do in person). 
 

How do you really decide which restaurant on which night so far in advance? 

What happens when I meet some other fun couples on the ship and want to go to dinner with them? What if one of us has specialty dining set up that evening? Are you limited to GDR if you want to be flexible?

 

And how is the GDR? There’s such a big deal made about specialty dining reservations it makes me wonder about the GDR. 
 

We are excited about Oceania and have until January 2023 to figure it all out but a girls gotta dream!

It is  a hard decision  but just pick a night & time that suits you

If you wait until you board there may or may not be any openings

 You can always try to change the reservation but do not count on that happening unless you are in a top suite  😉

 

If you want to join people you meet onboard you could always try to see if there are spots open the same evening  if not meet before or after  your dinner

 

You can always eat in the GDR or the Terrace with others  if you do not have Specialty  reservation

 The food in the GDR is the same quality ingredients .. more choices than the Specialties which have the same menu daily

 

You can always order room service if you do not feel like "going out"  after a long day ashore

Enjoy

[Redtravel]

Have never had any problem booking specialty dining until now.  I was online at midnight last night when my category opened for reservations.  We got our allotted 4 reservations. However, we had to pick times that were not our first choice.  We got 2 @ 6:30 and 2 @ 8.  Most of the tables for two were gone.  Previously, we liked dining with others.   With covid, we chose to dine at tables for two.  Looks like there were many others doing the same.  We were not surprised.  We are flexible.  

[cayman09]

Sorry that you didn't get your preferred times, perhaps your assumption about more tables for two due to Covid is the answer. What is your cabin category?

[CintiPam]

3 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Have never had any problem booking specialty dining until now.  I was online at midnight last night when my category opened for reservations.  We got our allotted 4 reservations. However, we had to pick times that were not our first choice.  We got 2 @ 6:30 and 2 @ 8.  Most of the tables for two were gone.  Previously, we liked dining with others.   With covid, we chose to dine at tables for two.  Looks like there were many others doing the same.  We were not surprised.  We are flexible.  

We ended up exactly the same as you last night, with two reservations at 6:30 and two at 8. I prefer leisurely dining and in the past enjoyed playing evening trivia before the nightly show. I was very happy with how fast and efficient the process went this time around after all the reports on this thread. The times available actually were a slight improvement on those we got on our last Riviera cruise that debarked in Miami on March 10, 2019.

 

@cayman09, we are in a B1.

[tipsygirl]

We will be on Riviera in February, Concierge cat. Just made my reservations for 3 of the Specialty restaurants. (. Not Red Ginger because of a dietary issue.) I noticed under “Frequently asked Questions “ on O’s website that guests in Concierge and above can make Specialty Restaurant reservations on boarding between 11:00 & 1:00. Does this only apply to the 1 reservation per restaurant if not already booked, or can additional reservations be booked at this time?

[pinotlover]

30 minutes ago, tipsygirl said:

We will be on Riviera in February, Concierge cat. Just made my reservations for 3 of the Specialty restaurants. (. Not Red Ginger because of a dietary issue.) I noticed under “Frequently asked Questions “ on O’s website that guests in Concierge and above can make Specialty Restaurant reservations on boarding between 11:00 & 1:00. Does this only apply to the 1 reservation per restaurant if not already booked, or can additional reservations be booked at this time?

Upon boarding, when the Specialty Reservations desk is open one can :

 

1. Make reservations for any restaurant, not previously booked, to fulfill their restaurant reservation guarantee; and/or

 

2. Make a reservation, as available, for a Specialty restaurant that evening.

[tipsygirl]

We had  been sailing on Crystal for several years before the pandemic. Their process on specialty restaurants was to allow a total number of reservations and allow you to use your reservations as you chose across their 3 restaurants. Any additional reservations resulted in a small charge.

due to dietary issues I cannot dine in Red Ginger. Would I be able to substitute a second reservation in another restaurant?

[pinotlover]

4 minutes ago, tipsygirl said:

We had  been sailing on Crystal for several years before the pandemic. Their process on specialty restaurants was to allow a total number of reservations and allow you to use your reservations as you chose across their 3 restaurants. Any additional reservations resulted in a small charge.

due to dietary issues I cannot dine in Red Ginger. Would I be able to substitute a second reservation in another restaurant?

Typically not. You can certainly ask though. Oceania is typically extremely cautious about things like cross contamination of dishes and they don’t use msg. We don’t have a need to know your issues, but I’m sure you’ll have to explain/justify them to Oceania to get any considerations.

 
I have dietary issues with the PG, can I get extra reservations at Jacques? 😂 probably Not!

[LHT28]

52 minutes ago, tipsygirl said:

 

due to dietary issues I cannot dine in Red Ginger. Would I be able to substitute a second reservation in another restaurant?

Just go to the reservations desk early  in the day & ask for  what reservations may be open for that evening in the other Specialties

no guarantee 

but they will put you on the list for that evening

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, tipsygirl said:

We had  been sailing on Crystal for several years before the pandemic. Their process on specialty restaurants was to allow a total number of reservations and allow you to use your reservations as you chose across their 3 restaurants. Any additional reservations resulted in a small charge.

due to dietary issues I cannot dine in Red Ginger. Would I be able to substitute a second reservation in another restaurant?

 

You can also speak with Red Ginger about your dietary restrictions.

We've found just about all restaurants (land and sea) very willing to try to make a particular dish without whatever ingredient(s) cause difficulties.

And if they can't do that with a specific dish, they'll just tell you and see if they can make something else special for you.

But give them time.

For example, if one asks for a soup with low/no sodium, they'd need to have advance notice if the soup is made in batches.  They may want to know the day before in some cases.

We were asked to let them know approximately what time we'd want to eat in similar situations, so they could try to have <whatever> as fresh as possible, etc.

 

And they've always (Oceania and elsewhere) been careful to ask if cross-contamination was a concern.  In our cases, fortunately, that is not, and it makes the food prep easier obviously.  But if it had been, they'd take appropriate care with the preparation.

 

However... when far from medical care, it's probably prudent not to take risks just in case some "cross-contamination protocols"... fail... 

 

GC