Specialty Restaurant Reservations For Solo Diners?

[3OfDiamonds]

I was attempting to book reservations for specialty dining via the chat on NCL’s website and was told that solo diners, as well as reservations with an odd number of guests, could not be booked prior to boarding.  Is this actually the case?  If so, am I going to run into availability issues if I am forced to book onboard?  Just seems really odd that they can’t figure out how to pre-book solo diners and reservations for odd numbers of guests 🧐🤨  lol if anybody has directions to get to the reservation desk on the Jewel as quickly as possible, that would be appreciated 😅  Thanks in advance for any constructive insight/advice 😎

Edited January 10, 2023 by 3OfDiamonds

[www3traveler]

As a solo passenger on The Jewel a number of times, I just show up when a restaurant opens and can usually be seated within a few minutes.

 

To answer your question the Resturant Resevations Desk is in the lobby on Deck 7 sharing a very large space with Guest Services.

 

Enjoy   The Jewel is a wonderful ship with a great staff.

[shof515]

not true, make your reservations as part of 2 and call it a day

[3OfDiamonds]

1 minute ago, shof515 said:

not true, make your reservations as part of 2 and call it a day

I was going to do this (was running into glitches when I tried though, hence the chat), but the person I spoke to on the chat said I could be charged extra if I did this; I think I will follow www3traveler’s lead per their reply 🙂

[dbrown84]

I travel solo and I use the app to make a reservation and didn't have a problem.  My cruise is in April and I made my reservation right after final payment

[European_CruiseGirl]

Just now, 3OfDiamonds said:

I was going to do this (was running into glitches when I tried though, hence the chat), but the person I spoke to on the chat said I could be charged extra if I did this; I think I will follow www3traveler’s lead per their reply 🙂

What you were told is complete nonsense. You will not be charged more if you book a table for two and then go there alone. 

[dbrown84]

Just now, dbrown84 said:

I travel solo and I use the app to make a reservation and didn't have a problem.  My cruise is in April and I made my reservation right after final payment

ahhh, I take that back.  I just checked, and it looks like I made a reservation for 2.  I guess I've always done it for 2.  Never had a problem just showing up by myself

[Russiamomm]

5 minutes ago, European_CruiseGirl said:

What you were told is complete nonsense. You will not be charged more if you book a table for two and then go there alone. 

This.  Book the table for two.  They only charge for whoever shows up.  I’ve never had an issue booking a table online.  Just book for two.  For larger odd numbered parties book the next number up.  

[European_CruiseGirl]

The table for two is the smallest size table they have. So even if you’d book the table for one while on the ship they will still seat you at a table for two. 
 

Btw if some crazy person would try to charge you double then at least on a la carte restaurants the solution would be easy. ”Ah my ghost friend here is ordering just a glass of ice water as he is not really hungry just know”. Nobody says that you need to order xyz amount of food at a restaurant. 

[phoenix1181]

You can book a table for 2 at the ala carte restautants with no problem because you're charged based on your meal.  I did it last month.  Not sure how it would work for the fixed price places like Teppanyaki.

[hallux]

Just now, phoenix1181 said:

Not sure how it would work for the fixed price places like Teppanyaki.

As long as the person doing the booking has at least one "available" FAS meal they can book one of the cover-charge venues for as many people as they want.  If their FAS meals have already been accounted for in the system by another booking they can't book without being charged even if they intend to use a FAS meal there and pay for an a-la-carte.

[phillygwm]

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

not true, make your reservations as part of 2 and call it a day

I've done this.  Same for any odd number of people in a party, just go to the next number.

[barbatkins]

You can call NCL and they will make your reservations for one person

[KeithJenner]

8 hours ago, phoenix1181 said:

You can book a table for 2 at the ala carte restautants with no problem because you're charged based on your meal.  I did it last month.  Not sure how it would work for the fixed price places like Teppanyaki.

The only difference for us with Teppanyaki is that when we get onboard we let them know that there are only three of us, so that they can make the other place available for someone else.

 

I don’t think that they always bother doing anything about it though.

Edited January 11, 2023 by KeithJenner

[hallux]

8 hours ago, barbatkins said:

You can call NCL and they will make your reservations for one person

and this is simply not necessary.  One person is going to sit at a table for two, so it doesn't matter if you make a reservation for one or two.  It's a lot of stress over something that doesn't need to be stressful.  When you show up at the venue and they ask about the second person, just indicate that you're solo, it's not like it hasn't happened before.

[mickeychicky]

21 hours ago, 3OfDiamonds said:

I was attempting to book reservations for specialty dining via the chat on NCL’s website and was told that solo diners, as well as reservations with an odd number of guests, could not be booked prior to boarding.  Is this actually the case?  If so, am I going to run into availability issues if I am forced to book onboard?  Just seems really odd that they can’t figure out how to pre-book solo diners and reservations for odd numbers of guests 🧐🤨  lol if anybody has directions to get to the reservation desk on the Jewel as quickly as possible, that would be appreciated 😅  Thanks in advance for any constructive insight/advice 😎

We have 3 in one of our reservations and we booked online.  Just booked for 4 because that was the only option for our party size.  Just book for 2.  They are going to sit you at a table for 2 anyway, just like they are going to sit us at a table for 4 when there are only 3.

Edited January 11, 2023 by mickeychicky

[MeHeartCruising]

As a solo traveler, I’ve always made reservations for 2 when I wanted to do so in advance of the cruise.  On my most recent cruise, I thought I’d be nice and notify them on the first day of the cruise that I was just one person, in case that mattered to them.  All that did was get my entire first reservation cancelled because the person didn’t know how to modify a reservation.  After she fumbled with it, she just told me it didn’t matter.  She thought she had fixed the first reservation, but when I later checked it on the tv, it was gone.  I had to reschedule it.  
 

I just tell them that I am dining alone when I arrive.  No big deal. 

[kochleffel]

I just book for two. Sometimes I meet someone who wants to share the table; otherwise I just tell them when I arrive that I'm on my own. It makes no difference to the restaurant--a party of either one or two will be seated at a two-top. I haven't had to deal with booking at a fixed-price restaurant while having no FAS available.

[kelib]

As a solo traveler I ask if you prefer to dine alone? I have gone to specialty restaurants with people I have met on the cruise. Also if you chose to go to the solo meetups, sometimes a good solo host will arrange dinner at one of the specialty restaurants.