Is the dining package worth it?

[Seville2Cabo]

14 minutes ago, Cruisingrampy said:

So another question with the udp i see some saying playmakers is included but on the site it says al a carte is a 35 dollar credit. Just looking for.some clarification 

Not sure I can eat $35 of food at Playmakers - considering with my wife, it is $70 of food

[Ourusualbeach]

27 minutes ago, Cruisingrampy said:

So another question with the udp i see some saying playmakers is included but on the site it says al a carte is a 35 dollar credit. Just looking for.some clarification 

Playmakers just like Johnny Rockets and Portside BBQ are all $20 not $35

[ARandomTraveler]

16 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Agree.  It's also something to satisfy the people who have an emotional need to "have the best".  

 

As I see it, the meals you'd get in the specialty restaurants might be a little step-up on vacation, but spending that same money at home to eat out on a night when you just don't want to cook is a big step-up.  

I got the UDP, not because I have an emotional need to have the best, but because I thought the $208/person was a negligible price to pay to open up all the options on the ship. I figured it would be nice to be able to go wherever we felt like, without having to wonder if it's included or not, and for the lowest possibly price available if we did so. At $208, even if we decide to eat in the windjammer every day, I won't feel like it was wasted money because the main goal for me was to open up the option, not to get my moneys worth or to feel like I got the best food.

 

I've never been on an Oasis class ship before, and it's entirely possible that once we try it, I'll feel like it was more food choices than we had time to enjoy, but since there are so many extra restaurants on this class of ship, it seemed worth the small up-charge to try it out. 
 

Edited September 15, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[trey420]

It's only worth it if you really want to try them out.  Honestly the 3 day package is more than enough if you've tried em already. 

[Joebucks]

I can understand why some like it. As a whole, people are overly obsessed with bundles, "included" offers, "free", etc. There is plenty of food on a cruise. To spend $500 to get marginally better food, isn't a huge value to me. I'd rather use that money for going out to dinner at home, where I don't have all of those free meals. When we cruise, we'll do a specialty venue or 2 as a nice treat to maintain some variety. 

[rudeney]

On 9/14/2022 at 7:55 AM, Mum2Mercury said:

Agree.  It's also something to satisfy the people who have an emotional need to "have the best".  

 

Cruising itself is an emotional need, so why not buy what makes us happy?  I don't find the MDR to be bad, but it's just very average mass-prepared "banquet food".  For this next cruise, the UDP is only slightly more expensive than the hotel room in Boston the night before the cruise.   Given the overall price we're paying for the entire trip, it's a very inexpensive add-on.  It's not a need to have the best, just a desire to enjoy more intimate dining venues and individually prepared meals. 

[vjmatty]

8 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I got the UDP, not because I have an emotional need to have the best, but because I thought the $208/person was a negligible price to pay to open up all the options on the ship. I figured it would be nice to be able to go wherever we felt like, without having to wonder if it's included or not, and for the lowest possibly price available if we did so. At $208, even if we decide to eat in the windjammer every day, I won't feel like it was wasted money because the main goal for me was to open up the option, not to get my moneys worth or to feel like I got the best food.

 

I've never been on an Oasis class ship before, and it's entirely possible that once we try it, I'll feel like it was more food choices than we had time to enjoy, but since there are so many extra restaurants on this class of ship, it seemed worth the small up-charge to try it out. 
 

 

I would find this reasoning to provide a much better value to me if it were logistically possible to just walk into any specialty restaurant whenever you want to eat, without the necessity of making reservations.  Obviously that doesn't work due to the number of people having the UDP, but it would be nice not to have to preplan all of your dining for the entire cruise.

[rudeney]

46 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

I would find this reasoning to provide a much better value to me if it were logistically possible to just walk into any specialty restaurant whenever you want to eat, without the necessity of making reservations.  Obviously that doesn't work due to the number of people having the UDP, but it would be nice not to have to preplan all of your dining for the entire cruise.

 

I would greatly prefer to be able to walk in when I want, and you are right that UDP is probably the reason why I can't.  I feel certain that RCCL introduced the UDP simply because they had empty seats in the specialty restaurants and this was an easy way to fill them.  I remember prior to UDP, they were always trying to sell specialty dining with discounts and other incentives, and quite often there were plenty of open tables.  

[vjmatty]

23 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

I would greatly prefer to be able to walk in when I want, and you are right that UDP is probably the reason why I can't.  I feel certain that RCCL introduced the UDP simply because they had empty seats in the specialty restaurants and this was an easy way to fill them.  I remember prior to UDP, they were always trying to sell specialty dining with discounts and other incentives, and quite often there were plenty of open tables.  

 

Same thing happened to us on Celebrity just before the pandemic.  They were desperately trying to sell their specialty dining and gave us half price.... and even then the restaurant was half full.  

[ARandomTraveler]

10 hours ago, vjmatty said:

 

I would find this reasoning to provide a much better value to me if it were logistically possible to just walk into any specialty restaurant whenever you want to eat, without the necessity of making reservations.  Obviously that doesn't work due to the number of people having the UDP, but it would be nice not to have to preplan all of your dining for the entire cruise.

I agree 

[Jasukkie]

For me, the value isn't about the food but the service. I like the smaller, quieter experience. I'm also a big fan of Windjammer for dinner, which is very different from breakfast and lunch time. Just not a MDR fan.

[Morecruisesplz]

17 hours ago, trey420 said:

It's only worth it if you really want to try them out.  Honestly the 3 day package is more than enough if you've tried em already. 

Yes. We did 5 on a 8 night. Got old fast.

[blueslily]

On 9/12/2022 at 9:18 AM, bruzin_for_a_cruizin said:

I got you!

 

Total paid (incl. grat) was USD$788.16 for 4 people, or 197.04 per person for 7 nights. That's $28 per day and I never even had to set foot in the Windjammer.

 

As someone upthread said, calculate the cost of the UDP into your total cruise budget, and if it all rolls up into a number you can live with, sail with the UDP. I keep a spreadsheet for all my cruises to track costs and show me the end-cost per-person/per-day. This past cruise on Symphony, even with the UDP and drinks for 3 of 4 of us (youngest child is only 20) was my best priced cruise ever. 

 

Wow, that is very close to my "up to 45%" off price for my upcoming Symphony sailing. Hahaha, Royal is funny.  I'm glad you were happy with that price for you and your family.

 

I agree with others on here that's it's not really about the percentage listed because that's often not a true reflection of a price. It's there to encourage purchase. The difference between your price paid and my price does not add up math wise if I pay attention to the percentages. I just like the bottom line price. Then I determine if it's ok to buy or not.

 

And, I like the Windjammer, lol. I think it serves its purpose for being able to get some food quick. 🙂

[blueslily]

22 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I got the UDP, not because I have an emotional need to have the best, but because I thought the $208/person was a negligible price to pay to open up all the options on the ship. I figured it would be nice to be able to go wherever we felt like, without having to wonder if it's included or not, and for the lowest possibly price available if we did so. At $208, even if we decide to eat in the windjammer every day, I won't feel like it was wasted money because the main goal for me was to open up the option, not to get my moneys worth or to feel like I got the best food.

 

I've never been on an Oasis class ship before, and it's entirely possible that once we try it, I'll feel like it was more food choices than we had time to enjoy, but since there are so many extra restaurants on this class of ship, it seemed worth the small up-charge to try it out. 
 

 

I'm looking forward to the day when $208/pp is negligible for me  🙂

[blueslily]

On 9/14/2022 at 4:05 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

Playmakers just like Johnny Rockets and Portside BBQ are all $20 not $35

 

So, how does that work?  Thanks

[crazyank]

17 hours ago, rudeney said:

I remember prior to UDP, they were always trying to sell specialty dining with discounts and other incentives, and quite often there were plenty of open tables.  

this is still happening, at least on the Med cruises we have been on so far this year.  Good discounts on board and plenty of open tables.

[taglovestocruise]

17 hours ago, blueslily said:

 

So, how does that work?  Thanks

Order what you want and no charge up to $20. Very hard for a husband and wife to hit the $40.00 mark. If you do go over, at least at Playmakers, they ring you out and start a new tab.  

[jp2746]

• We have been on several RC cruises.  This year we decided to do the UDP and I think we will probably do it again next cruise.  We really enjoyed the restaurants and my husband said that he doesn't want to go back to the dining room.  With the lunches and dinners we feel that we got our money's worth.  BUT... that price is way too high for four nights.  If we were on that cruise my husband would be walking back to the MDR with me.  There is a limit to splurging for us. 

[Roybthered]

At the start-up of cruising last year from the UK (post Covid) we did the first 4 night out of Southampton on Anthem and then a couple of months later a 5 night out of Southampton around the UK. We purchased the UDP for both and really enjoyed it due to the intimacy of it rather than the MDR (that we both have no issues with on any of our previous cruises).  We are sailing on Odyssey at the end of September out of Rome and have booked the UDP for those 9 nights and got a good deal when booking. If you think it is worth it and it enhances your holiday (vacation) then get it, if not and you are happy to either eat at all the free venues or pay as you dine at specialty restaurants then do that.