Making specialty dining reservations pre-cruise on the medallion app questions

[corgigrl]

Ok, just got off the phone with a medallion app navigator and I’m more confused than before I called! Long story, but I’ll try to be brief. We have an Alaska cruise tour in May booked. We are traveling with my sister and BIL. Two separate bookings, both Premier, but bookings are linked so we can make dining reservations together. We have both made final payment so as I was told we could make specialty dining reservations at that time I attempted to book on the app for all of us so we could have a table for 4. App showed we have a dining credit so I booked the first night we wanted for all of us. Immediately I was was charged for all 4 people. Not wanting to pay for all 4 and risk our dining credit getting screwed up I canceled. Not happy to have to essentially  pay again for something I already paid for in my cruise fare. But, no harm, no foul.  
 

So now I spent hours over the next few days trying to talk to someone about this. After 3 failed attempts and hours of my life that I’ll never get back on hold I was told that you will get a credit once you get onboard. The agent couldn’t tell me how I would get this credit. Does it go back to my credit card (how many months later) or onboard credit that I won’t need? Can I be reasonably sure that the dining credits would get credited to the right booking?  Is there a way for us to book individually and request a table for 4?  Why do they do it this way? I don’t think she really understood my question, which in the end boils down to how do I ensure that we can get a table for 4 without carrying a charge for eight meals for at least 4 months? Should we book individually and request a table for 4 once we get onboard, or just wait till we board?  Of course I know I could ask my sister the pay up front for their meals. The point is, I shouldn’t have to!

[mrkjones61]

We took an Alaska cruise in August of 2022 and had 3 specialty dining credits. We tried to make reservations several weeks in advance and they wanted to charge our credit card. We waited until a couple of weeks prior to the cruise and tried again. That time, at the check out window, our dining credits showed up.

We are taking a cruise on the Regal in a few weeks with another couple. They are linked to our booking, however when we try to make specialty dining reservations, they want to charge us for all 4 people. We have booked individually for the same time and will  call the dining line once we are on the ship and merge the two reservations.  We like the ability to make reservations in advance with the app, but the process with specialty dining and multiple couples need to be improved.

 

[corgigrl]

10 minutes ago, mrkjones61 said:

We took an Alaska cruise in August of 2022 and had 3 specialty dining credits. We tried to make reservations several weeks in advance and they wanted to charge our credit card. We waited until a couple of weeks prior to the cruise and tried again. That time, at the check out window, our dining credits showed up.

We are taking a cruise on the Regal in a few weeks with another couple. They are linked to our booking, however when we try to make specialty dining reservations, they want to charge us for all 4 people. We have booked individually for the same time and will  call the dining line once we are on the ship and merge the two reservations.  We like the ability to make reservations in advance with the app, but the process with specialty dining and multiple couples need to be improved.

 

Exactly my thought. We will try again after I speak with my sister. We will probably book individually and merge them onboard. I also really don’t want to pay ahead of time for something I’ve already paid for, but at the same time we want to be sure to get the nights and times we wanted. Do you know if you get onboard credit (which I won’t need) or does it go back to the credit card (which I would have already paid off)?

[Steelers36]

13 hours ago, corgigrl said:

  Is there a way for us to book individually and request a table for 4?  ........................ Should we book individually and request a table for 4 once we get onboard, or just wait till we board?  ............... The point is, I shouldn’t have to!

NO.  IMO, no guest should be making multiple reservations for SD as you occupy multiple tables and take away opportunity for other guests.  Taking up 3 tables is especially bad IMO.  It doesn't get you what you want and you may not be able to get a 4-top at the same time in the end.

 

And NO, you should not have to pay when holding SD credits.  I have found that function largely working for me last year.

 

13 hours ago, mrkjones61 said:

...........We have booked individually for the same time and will  call the dining line once we are on the ship and merge the two reservations. 

 

We like the ability to make reservations in advance with the app, but the process with specialty dining and multiple couples need to be improved.

 

Again, IMO, no guest should be booking multiple tables and then wait until on board to try and fix it because you are occupying multiple tables and taking space from other guests. 

 

Of course the process and the App need improvements - especially when making a res with multiple cabins and each cabin having SD credits.

 

Supposedly, the App DineMyWay specialists (there is a Princess phone tree option to get to them) should be able to help make a res.  Otherwise, yes, you are out the money to make a res in advance.  But it is Refundable OBC, so you are not forced to spend it on board or lose it.

 

Making a res on board has not been a problem for me.  I do it on embarkation afternoon.

[corgigrl]

I understand where you are coming from. I wanted to avoid that. I did speak to a “DineMyWay specialist”. I was looking for a way to make a reservation for 4 using dining credits from two bookings. How hard can it be? Good to know that it is refundable OBC at least.

[ccr1956]

How do you get a Dine My Way specialist? I reserved 3 SD for our upcoming cruise next week and they charged my card rather than use my Obc.

[Ginster1]

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I just recently did myself as well. Here’s what I have learned:

- The Medallion App is archaic and unfortunately it is what it is.

 

- The only (fair and logical) way to make a Specialty restaurant reservation ahead of time is to use the Medallion App and link your two other guests and then pay the total on your credit card.

 

- If you try to go to Guest Services once you are onboard to use your on board credits (OBC), yes they will apply them but they will cancel your Specialty Dining reservations and instruct you to either go to the restaurant or call them to make a new reservation. There is no guarantee that you will get the same date/time you had previously.

 

- Yes, the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing and it’s ridiculous!

 

- The Princess Representatives now have very little control over dining reservations. They now all refer you to the App. And according to the Princess Rep. (whom I insisted she speak to her supervisor) Princess is unable to override the App to give you a cash refund and can only provide you with OBC

.

I hope my experiences have helped.