Specialty restaurants are not showing up for purchase

[Linda W.]

When do the specialty restaurants open up for purchase?  Our cruise isn’t until next Feb. but even though we are in the YC thought we might book the steakhouse one night.  (Butchers).  I have read it is good.  

[smokeykat]

They will show up about 60 days out.

[Nautical way]

We are having the same issue trying to set up reservation for specialty restaurants for cruise leaving in two weeks tried calling MSC and MSC customer service was unable to set it up over phone. Do MSC take reservations before getting on board ship????

[tscoffey]

On Divina pre-cruise we had 3 options:

Butcher’s cut for $99 apiece

Combo Butcher’s cut and Galaxy Sushi for $75 each

Deluxe Butcher’s cut (forgot the price).

 

These were all alcohol-centric, so that is of no interest to us.

 

Onboard I inquired about booking essentially an ala carte visit to Galaxy Sushi. They had that as an option (we ended up cancelling it though).

Fantasia has a precruise option for essentially an ala carte visit to Butcher’s Cut for $39. I plan to book that once or twice, depending on what my wife wants.

[RudiRatlos]

39 minutes ago, Nautical way said:

Do MSC take reservations before getting on board ship????

 

No. You can pre-book and pay, but reservations can only be made on board.

[AtSeaWithChris]

2 hours ago, smokeykat said:

They will show up about 60 days out.

The packages should be available sooner than that as we booked the 3 Dining experience at about 70-75 days out. It should be online under your booking as an add-on 

1 hour ago, tscoffey said:

On Divina pre-cruise we had 3 options:

Butcher’s cut for $99 apiece

The one for $99 is the Butcher's Cut Chefs Table

[morpheusofthesea]

Just a tip on Specialty Restaurant packages. One might want to wait to purchase specialty restaurant packages until one reads the 'limited' menu one is confined to. Also in the Daily Planner on our cruise Day 3, "special lunch discount of 20% for a la carte menu at Butcher's Cut, Ocean Cay, Kaito Sushi and Kaito Teppanyaki. Day 4 Food Tasting Tour tasting all specialty restaurants, complimentary, accompanied with a glass of sparkling wine. (All in attendance entered in a drawing for 20% off on their a la carte reservation including a bottle of wine.) Also Day 4 Sushi "all you can eat" $33 +15% service charge lunch and dinner. Day 5 Ocean Cay "Surf and Surf" , choice of appetizer, main course of broiled lobster tail with shrimps and dessert, $60 +15% service charge. Or 20% off dinner from a la carte Ocean Cay menu + 15% service charge. Day 6, "Amigo Night Special Deal", a special dinner discount of 30% for a la carte menu in ALL Specialty Restaurants +15 % service charge. Day 7, repeat of "All you can eat" sushi (same as above). Also, "Brunch in Butcher's Cut" $12 (no mention of service charge).

[Tierun]

I found the onboard specials to be better than the limited dining experience menus.

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

4 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Just a tip on Specialty Restaurant packages. One might want to wait to purchase specialty restaurant packages until one reads the 'limited' menu one is confined to. Also in the Daily Planner on our cruise Day 3, "special lunch discount of 20% for a la carte menu at Butcher's Cut, Ocean Cay, Kaito Sushi and Kaito Teppanyaki. Day 4 Food Tasting Tour tasting all specialty restaurants, complimentary, accompanied with a glass of sparkling wine. (All in attendance entered in a drawing for 20% off on their a la carte reservation including a bottle of wine.) Also Day 4 Sushi "all you can eat" $33 +15% service charge lunch and dinner. Day 5 Ocean Cay "Surf and Surf" , choice of appetizer, main course of broiled lobster tail with shrimps and dessert, $60 +15% service charge. Or 20% off dinner from a la carte Ocean Cay menu + 15% service charge. Day 6, "Amigo Night Special Deal", a special dinner discount of 30% for a la carte menu in ALL Specialty Restaurants +15 % service charge. Day 7, repeat of "All you can eat" sushi (same as above). Also, "Brunch in Butcher's Cut" $12 (no mention of service charge).

This is helpful.  Is there a BC a la carte lunch menu or brunch menu posted somewhere convenient on MSC website?

Edited April 18, 2023 by Steeler Nation At Sea

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

For a company supposedly interested in becoming a dominant player in the cruise industry - they seem to suck at a lot of things!

 

Tom 

[missnd]

I am on the Virtuosa in two weeks and don't have any options to book Specialty Restaurants either.  I called and the guy read off the options and prices to me, but then when I asked why I wasn't seeing those options online, on the website or the app, he told me they were all sold out for my cruise.  I don't believe he was telling the truth, as others on the cruise still see options available to book.  Probably just wanted to get me off the phone.

 

I'm traveling solo and booked fairly last minute through the US site for a Southampton based cruise.  Not sure if any of those factors weigh into why it's not available to me, but, yeah, definitely some issues with the MSC site.  🤨

[morpheusofthesea]

46 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

For a company supposedly interested in becoming a dominant player in the cruise industry - they seem to suck at a lot of things!

 

Tom 

Undoubtedly. All the more important to make out ones own personal list of what one really wants and needs from a cruise ship.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

38 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Undoubtedly. All the more important to make out ones own personal list of what one really wants and needs from a cruise ship.

 

For the ship, shoreside, and the website to all work well together. This would help to minimize onboard surprises. Most onboard surprises are not of a positive nature.

 

We have the occasional issue on other lines (where one hand does not know what the other is doing), but it seems to be more common with MSC - just from what I've read on here. 

 

Looking forward to seeing for myself on 4/27 !

 

Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DGP1111]

On 4/17/2023 at 4:57 PM, Nautical way said:

. . .  tried calling MSC and MSC customer service was unable to set it up over phone . . .

 

Ditto that same result from my recent call to MSC.  Once the agent eventually listened to my reason for calling and requesting assistance (described below) he attempted and failed as well. His reply after quite a while on hold was, "Oooo, that's not supposed to happen." 🙄

 

 

On 4/17/2023 at 5:38 PM, RudiRatlos said:

 

No. You can pre-book and pay, but reservations can only be made on board.

 

I fully understand that reply and agree that has been my own understanding as well, but . . .

Oddly/ironically it is their requirement for me to select my dining time for the restaurant when placing the order online in advance, when clicking on "Add to my cruise". (I embark a week from tomorrow)

For starters, the 2-meal description includes the name of a restaurant that doesn't even exist on the ship (Seaside). It's incorrect on the "See details" description as well.

In order to add/purchase the package, I must choose a dining time for Kaito Sushi Bar, which is not even supposed to be one of the choices.  I have zero intentions to eat a sushi meal (Bleech, for me), but no one could/would confirm that I could change it to Ocean Cay Restaurant once onboard.

They truly are a pathetic mess with that online presence. 

 

8 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

For a company supposedly interested in becoming a dominant player in the cruise industry - they seem to suck at a lot of things!

 

Tom 

 

<< insert "La" song here >>

You saw that one coming, didn't ya??  See you both soon. 

'