Specialty restaurant package- how to book restaurants and times

[IDL]

Traveling on the Beyond in January and purchased a special restaurant package.  My understanding is upon boarding we can reserve the actual restaurants and times as we can’t do that in advance.  My question whom actually does this; is there a specific desk setup to handle this or do we need to go to each individual restaurant we want to book. 

[keesar]

1 hour ago, IDL said:

Traveling on the Beyond in January and purchased a special restaurant package.  My understanding is upon boarding we can reserve the actual restaurants and times as we can’t do that in advance.  My question whom actually does this; is there a specific desk setup to handle this or do we need to go to each individual restaurant we want to book. 

We went to one of the Specialty Restaurants and booked there.  One stop for making reservations.  Or if there are stations set up in the foyer upon entering the ship, you could do it there.  The downside of a package is that the days and times may not be available to you.  So plan on being flexible and get there early.

 

[sweep2907]

Also the most popular restaurants like Eden are often sold out before the cruise. Now despite what some people say they do not hold reservations back for sailing. We boarded at 1105am and one of the first on Beyond recently and went straight to book Eden, they only had a 9pm on the last night and said it was fully booked. That is not to say if you get friendly with manager or are in a top suite, they will not suddenly find a table but just making you aware.

[riredsox]

I had a 5 night package on a 9 night cruise and boarded the Beyond early.  I went straight to the specialty restaurant desk and they said I couldn’t book Eden and Fine Cut was available 1 night at 5:30.  I left my room number and told them if I couldn’t book Eden and Fine Cut was not available for after 8:00 to please cancel my whole dining package.  I got an alert on the app 1/2 hour later Eden was suddenly available and Fine Cut at 8:30.  

[IDL]

36 minutes ago, riredsox said:

I had a 5 night package on a 9 night cruise and boarded the Beyond early.  I went straight to the specialty restaurant desk and they said I couldn’t book Eden and Fine Cut was available 1 night at 5:30.  I left my room number and told them if I couldn’t book Eden and Fine Cut was not available for after 8:00 to please cancel my whole dining package.  I got an alert on the app 1/2 hour later Eden was suddenly available and Fine Cut at 8:30.  

I like that approach as it is very disingenuous of Celebrity to sell specialty restaurant packages in advance that do not allow you to actually book the restaurants until onboard and then inform you they are not available- bit of shell game. 

[Texter2]

31 minutes ago, IDL said:

I like that approach as it is very disingenuous of Celebrity to sell specialty restaurant packages in advance that do not allow you to actually book the restaurants until onboard and then inform you they are not available- bit of shell game. 

We bought a discount package last year and made reservations when we boarded. We made all of our reservations at Fine Cut and were able to get the restaurants we wanted and the days and times we wanted. They will have availability, but might need to be flexible regarding restaurants and times. This year, we paid full price and booked restaurants and times beforehand. It is a trade off, and not worth the small savings on package, for us. 

[Huddler]

1 hour ago, Texter2 said:

We bought a discount package last year and made reservations when we boarded. We made all of our reservations at Fine Cut and were able to get the restaurants we wanted and the days and times we wanted. They will have availability, but might need to be flexible regarding restaurants and times. This year, we paid full price and booked restaurants and times beforehand. It is a trade off, and not worth the small savings on package, for us. 

I booked us for Eden, Fine Cut,  Rooftop Garden Grille, and Raw on 5, without any package, but got the days and times we wanted.  I dont want to have to beg and plead to get to a decent reservation time.

[keesar]

On our Beyond cruise, we booked beforehand and got the days and. times we wanted.  On board, we met a couple in a high end suite and they ended up on a waiting list for Eden.  We really liked Eden.

 

For an upcoming cruise in February,  those restaurants are filling up fast.

[NMTraveller]

Do it as soon as you board.  Go to a specialty restaurant to book.  I also understand that you can do it on the app.

 

I am looking at what specialty restaurants and times are available for my cruise and they are booking up fast.

 

With the specialty package you may not get the times or the restaurants you want.  

 

This time I booked the restaurants without the package...

Edited October 22, 2023 by NMTraveller

[publicpersona]

The most recent X cruise I took, there was a podium outside Murano for booking all specialty restaurants. As I stood in that line, I used the app to book and it was much faster. Sometimes you can connect to ship wifi in the terminal and start booking but make sure the voyage has turned over. 

Edited October 22, 2023 by publicpersona

[hcat]

3 hours ago, Huddler said:

I booked us for Eden, Fine Cut,  Rooftop Garden Grille, and Raw on 5, without any package, but got the days and times we wanted.  I dont want to have to beg and plead to get to a decent reservation time.

we did that on EDGE months in advance  yet the nasty maitre in Fine Cut still tried to bump us to a much later time without notice..

 

We found  this out a day ahead when we went to confirm.. The much later time  did not work for us, and he refused to budge..Also got quite testy when we told him to cancel the res. 

 

 Eventually  he relented as the scene got louder. We cancelled the remainder of our specialty dining res to avoid any further insult!  Found out this happened to others in EDEN on EDGE..they split family group of 6 into 2 at diff times. They also cancelled!

 

We will try Fine Cut on ASCENT on boarding night .and confirm all our other res  

[kathynorth]

2 hours ago, publicpersona said:

The most recent X cruise I took, there was a podium outside Murano for booking all specialty restaurants. As I stood in that line, I used the app to book and it was much faster. Sometimes you can connect to ship wifi in the terminal and start booking but make sure the voyage has turned over. 

 

Sorry if my questions seem redundant, but some of the aboe posts seem like they are referencing booking a specific restaurant precruise. Did you purchase a multi-night specialty dining package precruise? Were you able to use the app to choose the restaurant and dining times for your specialty dining package? If yes then I'd definitely plan to try this on our next cruise. 

[publicpersona]

1 minute ago, kathynorth said:

 

Sorry if my questions seem redundant, but some of the aboe posts seem like they are referencing booking a specific restaurant precruise. Did you purchase a multi-night specialty dining package precruise? Were you able to use the app to choose the restaurant and dining times for your specialty dining package? If yes then I'd definitely plan to try this on our next cruise. 

I did not. I would think you could book restaurants the same way, but I do not know that. 

[kathynorth]

2 minutes ago, publicpersona said:

I did not. I would think you could book restaurants the same way, but I do not know that. 

 

Thanks for clarifying!

[hcat]

we did not book a package..just indiv venues.. dates and times we wanted 

 

E + can get a discount for Specialty but we'll use that for  lunches

[wanderlust58]

This happened to me just yesterday. When I bought a package, I had no idea you couldn’t book ahead.  I called the Captain’s Club and had a chat with them.  I was offered reservations, but only after 8, way later than we wanted to eat.  There was no way I was going to join that scrum to book immediately upon boarding.  What a crap way to start a vacation!  After some discussion, the agent and I decided to cancel our package and rebook us at the going rate (with the E+ discount) without any problem at exactly the times we wanted for three nights.  However, to do that, it cost me a total of $50 more.  I used OBC to buy the original package and to make up the difference for the privilege of booking ahead, but I’ll never buy a package again, nor will we eat at a specialty restaurant.  Bait and switch is no way to treat customers.  

[manmachine]

20 hours ago, IDL said:

I like that approach as it is very disingenuous of Celebrity to sell specialty restaurant packages in advance that do not allow you to actually book the restaurants until onboard and then inform you they are not available- bit of shell game. 

Or as I call it:  “Celebrity 101.”

[Cruise a holic]

We have the unlimited dining package.  As soon as we board, we go to a kiosk for restaurant reservations.  Sometimes we go the the suite concierge to assist.  Now that butlers are really not available, we also go to one speciality restaurant and they book all for us.

[NMTraveller]

22 hours ago, IDL said:

I like that approach as it is very disingenuous of Celebrity to sell specialty restaurant packages in advance that do not allow you to actually book the restaurants until onboard and then inform you they are not available- bit of shell game. 

It has become harder to book specialty restaurants with a dining package due to the cuts in the MDR that are driving people to more specialty dining...

[mrgabriel]

2 hours ago, wanderlust58 said:

After some discussion, the agent and I decided to cancel our package and rebook us at the going rate (with the E+ discount) without any problem at exactly the times we wanted for three nights.  However, to do that, it cost me a total of $50 more.  I used OBC to buy the original package and to make up the difference for the privilege of booking ahead, but I’ll never buy a package again, nor will we eat at a specialty restaurant.  Bait and switch is no way to treat customers.  

We have been wondering if Celebrity offers only unpopular times to those with the discounted dining packages. There are never ‘good’ times available in advance. We now make reservations then call the specialty dining desk a couple of days in and better times are always available. 
 

Depending on the ship, we’ll still eat in specialty dining. We’re much less likely to on the E class ships because the prices are exorbitant. After paying $500+ per person per day, I shouldn’t have to drop another hundred bucks a person for a meal. 

[RichYak]

39 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

It has become harder to book specialty restaurants with a dining package due to the cuts in the MDR that are driving people to more specialty dining...

Don't worry. Celebrity has responded to this shift by cutting OBC which will drive people right back to the free dining venues.

[wanderlust58]

36 minutes ago, mrgabriel said:

We have been wondering if Celebrity offers only unpopular times to those with the discounted dining packages. There are never ‘good’ times available in advance. We now make reservations then call the specialty dining desk a couple of days in and better times are always available. 
 

Depending on the ship, we’ll still eat in specialty dining. We’re much less likely to on the E class ships because the prices are exorbitant. After paying $500+ per person per day, I shouldn’t have to drop another hundred bucks a person for a meal. 

Normally, I would agree with you.  Spending even more money when you've already paid once for eating doesn't sit well with me either.  But this time, we are in the MDR, not Blu.  After reading the voluminous criticisms of the MDR, and scanning the Tuscan's menu, I decided to take the speciality dining plunge.  We'll see how it goes.

[Oceangoer2]

41 minutes ago, mrgabriel said:

We have been wondering if Celebrity offers only unpopular times to those with the discounted dining packages. There are never ‘good’ times available in advance.

There are 'good times' available in you book months ahead or try as soon as you confirm your cruise if it's a late booking.  If waiting until just before the cruise you take what is left.   Same as any 'special' land restaurant.  I'm changing one 6pm reservation from one day to another;  I have to take 8:30pm which is the earliest time available.  My reservation isn't part of a package.  There are waiting lists so perhaps register with the maitre d'.   That's the downside of dining pkgs...cheaper (not much) but perhaps times are not suitable. 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Oceangoer2

[NMTraveller]

47 minutes ago, mrgabriel said:

We have been wondering if Celebrity offers only unpopular times to those with the discounted dining packages. There are never ‘good’ times available in advance. We now make reservations then call the specialty dining desk a couple of days in and better times are always available. 
 

Depending on the ship, we’ll still eat in specialty dining. We’re much less likely to on the E class ships because the prices are exorbitant. After paying $500+ per person per day, I shouldn’t have to drop another hundred bucks a person for a meal. 

I book specialty dining once it becomes available by the night.  There are times available then.

 

Three or four months out the earlier times start booking up...

[Huddler]

16 hours ago, hcat said:

we did that on EDGE months in advance  yet the nasty maitre in Fine Cut still tried to bump us to a much later time without notice..

 

We found  this out a day ahead when we went to confirm.. The much later time  did not work for us, and he refused to budge..Also got quite testy when we told him to cancel the res. 

 

 Eventually  he relented as the scene got louder. We cancelled the remainder of our specialty dining res to avoid any further insult!  Found out this happened to others in EDEN on EDGE..they split family group of 6 into 2 at diff times. They also cancelled!

 

We will try Fine Cut on ASCENT on boarding night .and confirm all our other res  

I would NOT accept a different reservation time either, particularly since I booked it months in advance when the time I wanted was available.  If they only had late dinning times, I would have never made the reservation in the first place.  Bumping me to a different time to accommodate a "more important customer", who obviously failed to make a reservation online, would make me believe they didnt value my business and I would cancel every reservation in all Specialty restaurants.  So, I completely understand your reaction, but I wonder why they assumed they can just move your reserved time without even asking/notifying you about it until you inquired.  What if you had simply arrived at your reserved time, and they had given your table away?  That would have been an even 'louder" conversation.