Specialty dining package on RCCL

[Marken]

Am thinking about booking a 3 night dining package on our upcoming cruise but I read somewhere that staff were continually wandering around offering specialty dining at 50% off during the cruise.  Pre-cruise dining package is 30% off so if they are offering 50% off on the ship I will wait.  Has anyone recently returned or is on a ship that can offer some help.

Thanks   Marg

[leaveitallbehind]

While there is the likelihood of offers made on board for packages and individual venue discounts, there absolutely is no guarantee of this or that the pricing would be at 50% off.  That is not a set policy or offer amount.  

 

If you feel that the current planner pricing is attractive than I would suggest booking it.  The best way to compare is to look at the total package price and take that average and then compare that to the individual venue pricing for those restaurants you would be considering.

 

Otherwise you can take your chances with on board offers but there is no way to predict if they would be better that the planner pricing, and I would say in our experience, typically not.  They may possibly not be as attractive as well.

 

Also most package offers to which you are referring typically occur early in the cruise.  Individual venues may offer their own at different times during the cruise as well as the first night or two.

 

In our recent three cruises since October there were specials to be found on board, primarily through the individual venues.  However the advance planner pricing was attractive for packages.

Edited May 4, 2022 by leaveitallbehind

[J0Y0US]

1 hour ago, Marken said:

I read somewhere that staff were continually wandering around offering specialty dining at 50% off during the cruise.

 

When?

 

Thing is cruises are fuller now than they were back in November. It will be even fuller come summer and so on.

 

They likely offer those discounts when they don't have the bodies in the seats for the night which could more regularly occur when the ship is "empty" than when its "full".

 

If you don't care if you go or spend more money then wait. Otherwise I would simply book it ahead of time to lock in whatever discounts royal is running as a special for your cruise (and keep checking back).

[rebeccac]

Another thing to keep in mind is that the prices of various packages seem to keep going up these days, so there is no guarantee that 50% off later will be less than 30% off now.  

[Sunshine3601]

On our January sailing that had less than 40% capacity they were offering 50% off speciality restaurants but on our March sailings that were near 80% capacity the deals were nowhere near as good when capacity was substantially less.     Our Head Waiter in MDR did get our Son and his Fiance a fabulous deal for Izumi for dinner but that was an exception to offers others were getting.  

If they have low bookings for specialty restaurants for your sailing then you may get a better deal but unknown until you get onboard.   

I would Not count on getting an offer onboard for 50% off especially if your sailing during prime season and a full ship.       

[Marken]

Thanks everyone!  I think I will go ahead and book it.