Why don't people like to eat at a specialty restaurant on the first night?

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Since you want to nit pick about terminology, on a line we frequently cruise on that does charge for specialty restaurants we  always have complimentary specialty dinners by reason of loyalty program status, so we're dining at no charge to us while others are paying for the same meal . Again, whether on a cruise line that doesn't charge for specialty restaurants (which you object to calling specialty restaurants) or on a cruise line that does charge for specialty restaurants we have never paid paid a specialty restaurant meal.

Talk about nit picking.  I do not particularly object to calling anything anything: rather I simply mentioned that some lines refer to their extra charge venues as “specialty restaurants”. ——   while some people like to redefine a word by noting its context.

Edited December 15, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[Hlitner]

DW and I actually do like to dine in specialty restaurants on the first night.  Why?  On some lines, where we must pay for the specialty restaurants, there is often a discounted rate (up to 50%) on the first night.   But having cruised for over 50 years we know that the first night usually spawns some confusion (among passengers) in the MDR that caused delays at the door along with longer queues.  We have found it is the perfect night to avoid the MDRs.  I should add that we always do open sitting options so do not have an assigned table/waiter.  In fact, most of the cruise lines we now cruise do not even offer traditional dining having moved to an open dining scheme.

 

Hank

[lisiamc]

The only reason I wouldn’t book a speciality restaurant on the first night is if the regular restaurant is offering Prime Rib, a particular favourite of mine. Otherwise, the first night is often a good choice for speciality dining.

[bonsai3s]

1 hour ago, Shmoo here said:

Did they do anything about it?

Well, they did the best they can and we just learned from it...

* They couldn't/wouldn't confront the passengers who "took our table".

*  They moved us to another table...ended up being a nice, quiet spot.

*  We learned to always check our table location when we first board.

*  I am old and happily retired...in my younger years, I would've dealt with this in a different manner that would probably had gotten me thrown off the ship.

[jsn55]

2 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Well, since you asked, no one said nobody likes to eat in the specialty restnts on night one.  😀

I think this current topic emerged after Gene Sloan, the cruise guy on The Points Guy, stated it a couple of days ago.  

[jsn55]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

One of the businesses I owned and operated was a travel agency. To say a "good TA" offers comped specialty restaurants isn't remotely true. In some cases the comped specialty restaurant is actually coming from the cruise line, which has comped it to the TA to encourage bookings. Many "good TAs'" offer incentives that are far more financially beneficial to their clients than a specialty restaurant comp such as commission rebates, onboard credits and prepaid gratuities . Even if a TA doesn't offers little in the way of financial incentives to their clients their advice and their advocacy for the client in the event of an issue with the cruise line can be invaluable. A good TA can have access to a whole different level of corporate personnel than you would be able to enlist for help on your own.

"To say a "good TA" offers comped specialty restaurants isn't remotely true."  

Well, that's what my TA gets for us, among lots of other things.  So I think it's very true.   

[ldubs]

10 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

I think this current topic emerged after Gene Sloan, the cruise guy on The Points Guy, stated it a couple of days ago.  

 

I see.  If he said that nobody like to eat in specialty restnts then he is obviously wrong.   

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

On the first evening, even if we don't eat in the Main Dining Room, we take the time to say hello to our waiter and make sure we have the table we requested.

 

* Only happened once, but we learned from it...we didn't show up the first night in the Main Dining Room.  We showed up the second night...and find that our table location had been moved.  I asked the waiter and he said "Sir, that's your table...the number is on the table".  I said "We checked the location of our table earlier today when we first boarded...and our table was over next to the window."  I asked the headwaiter who checked the seating chart...he apologized and agreed that our table should have been by the window. We then observed the passengers seating "at our original table location" laughing and snickering. We learned later that these, (fill in the profanity here) passengers, moved our table number to another table...moved their table number to ours...to get the table next to the window.

 

WOW.....this is a new one I never heard.... Nerve......WOW.......

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

WOW.....this is a new one I never heard.... Nerve......WOW.......

Well, that’s what must be expected —- considering the sorts of people cruise lines will sell to these days.

[9tee2Sea]

I can only tell you my reason for not eating in specialty the first night.  It has been my experience that on the first night, all the staff, Kitchen help, cooks, etc, are looking to impress you on the very first night.  All the food is fresh, the staff is looking forward to a new set of people. You get to see what the menu is going to be like during your cruise ( except for the daily specials).  Specialty restaurants menus never change. I go to the MDR the first night to meet the staff and just enjoy a busy restaurant.  I go to specialty restaurants when I want a slower pace and want to eat something special.  Although, since I have become a really good cook, I am not enjoying the Specialty Restaurants as much.  Lots of times I say I can make better, but at least I don't have to do all the clean up, so that is a BIG plus.

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Well, that’s what must be expected —- considering the sorts of people cruise lines will sell to these days.

Yep, I can think of a couple of phrases that would pertain to those folks and one would be

"YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID"😮

[BklynBoy8]

Again all this conversation about food, seating, assignments, dining room troubles, etc.....

 

We make our assignments, we go to the ship, we board, we have lunch and wander, se e the ship out and head for dinner. 

 

No worries,  no troubles, seating as requested,  enjoy the meals, rest, entertainment etc....

 

No problems occur and we enjoy the voyage...We're we on the same ship?

 

[Sea42]

We prefer the smaller, quieter atmosphere of the specialty restaurants on the first night. But for us it has never been a travel day so I can see where that would make a difference. I would probably opt for room service in that case.

We also never do fixed dining in the MDR so I'm not concerned about showing up on the first night, meeting the waitstaff or whatever. I love that we all have choices that work for us!

[Joebucks]

14 hours ago, jsn55 said:

"To say a "good TA" offers comped specialty restaurants isn't remotely true."  

Well, that's what my TA gets for us, among lots of other things.  So I think it's very true.   

 

Please do not post this type of misleading "matter of fact" type of stuff. Your likely $5000+ cruise has a different business model than someone's weekend Caribbean cruise who is now expecting a steakhouse dinner to be comped because that's what they read online. It's like saying "good car dealerships give out a $5000 rebate". Yet you bought a BMW and someone else is trying to buy a KIA.

[Markanddonna]

16 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

WOW.....this is a new one I never heard.... Nerve......WOW.......

Something similar happened to us on a Med cruise. We also checked our table location once onboard. When we arrived at the restaurant for dinner, we noted the table numbers were changed and we now were seated by the kitchen door. The concierge explained that the entire dining room for that seating was given to a tour group from mainland China and their passengers were given our table. He found a very nice table at a different restaurant for us. This was pre pandemic. 

[ldubs]

21 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

On the first evening, even if we don't eat in the Main Dining Room, we take the time to say hello to our waiter and make sure we have the table we requested.

 

* Only happened once, but we learned from it...we didn't show up the first night in the Main Dining Room.  We showed up the second night...and find that our table location had been moved.  I asked the waiter and he said "Sir, that's your table...the number is on the table".  I said "We checked the location of our table earlier today when we first boarded...and our table was over next to the window."  I asked the headwaiter who checked the seating chart...he apologized and agreed that our table should have been by the window. We then observed the passengers seating "at our original table location" laughing and snickering. We learned later that these, (fill in the profanity here) passengers, moved our table number to another table...moved their table number to ours...to get the table next to the window.

 

I wonder what would have happened if you had showed up for dinner.  It would have been kind of embarrassing for them if they would have made them move.    

[navybankerteacher]

6 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

Please do not post this type of misleading "matter of fact" type of stuff. Your likely $5000+ cruise has a different business model than someone's weekend Caribbean cruise who is now expecting a steakhouse dinner to be comped because that's what they read online. It's like saying "good car dealerships give out a $5000 rebate". Yet you bought a BMW and someone else is trying to buy a KIA.

A “comp” does not have to be massive - one free laundry service on a one week Caribbean cruise is still a “comp” — which is the kind of thing  a good travel agent who is interested in building a relationship will arrange for his/her client.

[bonsai3s]

2 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I wonder what would have happened if you had showed up for dinner.  It would have been kind of embarrassing for them if they would have made them move.    

We would never know, but upon reflection...

 

* Someone with authority should've spoken to those passengers.

* I will give the passengers the benefit of the doubt...they can easily say they didn't move the table number.  They can easily say the assistant waiter, waiter, or another passenger moved the table number.

* But you know that gut feeling you get, when you see someone laughing and snickering at you...it's a big tell...brings you back to 5th grade.

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

We would never know, but upon reflection...

 

* Someone with authority should've spoken to those passengers.

* I will give the passengers the benefit of the doubt...they can easily say they didn't move the table number.  They can easily say the assistant waiter, waiter, or another passenger moved the table number.

* But you know that gut feeling you get, when you see someone laughing and snickering at you...it's a big tell...brings you back to 5th grade.

 

IDK, from the description, I'm pretty sure those passengers were the culprits.  Anyway, I think we are all in agreement it was a dumb move whoever did it.  

[Hlitner]

11 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

Please do not post this type of misleading "matter of fact" type of stuff. Your likely $5000+ cruise has a different business model than someone's weekend Caribbean cruise who is now expecting a steakhouse dinner to be comped because that's what they read online. It's like saying "good car dealerships give out a $5000 rebate". Yet you bought a BMW and someone else is trying to buy a KIA.

We do not like to refer to comped amenities.  Instead, we point out that using the right cruise agency will usually yield 7-10% of discount, OBCs, or amenities.  These will be over and above anything offered by the cruise line.

 

Hank

[Joebucks]

4 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

A “comp” does not have to be massive - one free laundry service on a one week Caribbean cruise is still a “comp” — which is the kind of thing  a good travel agent who is interested in building a relationship will arrange for his/her client.

 

But the topic here was clearly about specialty dining. Are there any examples of cheap cruises getting these free

[ldubs]

40 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

But the topic here was clearly about specialty dining. Are there any examples of cheap cruises getting these free

 

We got one once for Sabatini's on a Princess cruise.  We were not staying in an expensive cabin.  I'm not sure why we got it.  Probably a special promo or something.   It isn't usual for us, but other TA's may vary.    

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

But the topic here was clearly about specialty dining. Are there any examples of cheap cruises getting these free

But the post to which you took exception was about travel agent "comps".   Is there any thread on these boards which adheres rigidly and exclusively to the narrowest understanding the original theme?

 

In any event we were once "comped" for an otherwise extra charge dinner by the TA through whom we booked a HAL seven day Caribbean cruise in a basic veranda cabin.  Yes - it wasn't a three day Bahamas boat ride on Carnival or NCL - but it was, in fact, a "cheap cruise".

Edited December 17, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[kochleffel]

On 12/14/2022 at 5:35 PM, njhorseman said:

We always go to a specialty restaurant the first night. Why fight the mobs in the dining room when you can eat in a relaxed uncrowded venue.

 

That's what I usually do. On embarkation night, the MDR is sometimes slammed, not only because few people choose specialty dining that night, but also because the embarkation sequence puts everyone on the same schedule and most haven't yet planned any activities that would alter it.

[MBMGWM]

When my DH and I sail together, we typically have our first night's dinner in the buffet, as we like to linger after sail away and don't want to bother with the crowds in the main dining room.  In January, I'm sailing solo and have booked a specialty restaurant for the first night.  I feel that will be a nice way to start my adventure!