Dining Reservations

[CJANDH]

Can anyone help me understand how to make dining reservations for my upcoming cruise in March. I have an account and the web page correctly shows my booking details. But I cannot get the links to "onboard activities" , "special requests" and "destination experiences" to work. They don't seem to be actual links.

I am booked in a residence suite that states I have priority for dining reservations. Is there something I am missing?

[Wheelhouse]

Call to make dining reservations.  It was very easy.

[CJANDH]

7 minutes ago, Wheelhouse said:

Call to make dining reservations.  It was very easy.

Who do I call? Should I do it through my TA?

[Wheelhouse]

 

1 minute ago, CJANDH said:

Who do I call? Should I do it through my TA?

Call Explora directly.  You don't need the TA.  

[CJANDH]

Just now, Wheelhouse said:

 

Call Explora directly.  You don't need the TA.  

Thanks.

[CJANDH]

I called as suggested. Very smooth experience. Polite young lady booked my dining in the two specialty restaurants on the days I wanted and at the time I wanted. She then explained that I could ask my Butler to get me extra reservations if I wanted them once on board. Good customer service from head office. I am looking forward to my cruise even more now.

[RJ2002]

We will be on our first Explora cruise soon, for just a short six night West Coast segment.  
 

For those here who have sailed Explora already, what would your recommendation for a dining strategy?   We would like to experience as much as possible, but give the limited number of evenings onboard, we want to make the best of it.  
 

We enjoy all cuisines.  
 

 

[KJB416]

5 hours ago, RJ2002 said:

We will be on our first Explora cruise soon, for just a short six night West Coast segment.  
 

For those here who have sailed Explora already, what would your recommendation for a dining strategy?   We would like to experience as much as possible, but give the limited number of evenings onboard, we want to make the best of it.  
 

We enjoy all cuisines.  
 

 

I would book Marble and Sakura on the first two nights and if you like them, then go to the reservation agent on deck 5 outside the Crema Cafe and see if you can get another nights reservation at each of those places.
 

Go to med yacht club and Fil Rouge the other two nights. Sakura is open for lunch (Sushi bar only) so you can try that as well. We would hit the Emporium Marketplace (the buffet) for oysters, crab/shrimp and a cocktail pre dinner every night. We thought Emporium was great for breakfast and lunch.  Their dinner offerings were very good as well, but with only 6 nights I’d just try to get in again to wherever you enjoyed most and if nothing stood out then go to Emporium for dinner. 
 

Enjoy your cruise  

[Stickman1990]

5 hours ago, KJB416 said:

Sakura is open for lunch (Sushi bar only) so you can try that as well

A friend onboard at the moment sent this lunch menu for Sakura - it’s certainly more than sushi - what makes you say sushi bar only?

 

I doubt anyone would be expecting the full dinner menu to be on offer at lunch time 

 

 

 

[RJ2002]

7 hours ago, KJB416 said:

I would book Marble and Sakura on the first two nights and if you like them, then go to the reservation agent on deck 5 outside the Crema Cafe and see if you can get another nights reservation at each of those places.
 

Go to med yacht club and Fil Rouge the other two nights. Sakura is open for lunch (Sushi bar only) so you can try that as well. We would hit the Emporium Marketplace (the buffet) for oysters, crab/shrimp and a cocktail pre dinner every night. We thought Emporium was great for breakfast and lunch.  Their dinner offerings were very good as well, but with only 6 nights I’d just try to get in again to wherever you enjoyed most and if nothing stood out then go to Emporium for dinner. 
 

Enjoy your cruise  

 

Very helpful advice, thank you.

 

Does Explora have an evening "welcome aboard" affair at the beginning of the cruise?  We are most familiar with Regent, which frequently does something like that on the second evening after embarkation.  Not that we always attend, but on Regent it can impact the dining venues with the number of guests hitting the restaurants right after the reception.  Just curious.

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

12 minutes ago, RJ2002 said:

 

Very helpful advice, thank you.

 

Does Explora have an evening "welcome aboard" affair at the beginning of the cruise?  We are most familiar with Regent, which frequently does something like that on the second evening after embarkation.  Not that we always attend, but on Regent it can impact the dining venues with the number of guests hitting the restaurants right after the reception.  Just curious.

 

Second night at 9:45 pm.  

[uktog]

Welcome aboard is very low key

 

Re Sakura at lunchtime DH and I shared the bento box poolside one lunchtime. It was delicious and just the right amount of food 🍲 

[KJB416]

3 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

A friend onboard at the moment sent this lunch menu for Sakura - it’s certainly more than sushi - what makes you say sushi bar only?

 

I doubt anyone would be expecting the full dinner menu to be on offer at lunch time 

 

 

 

Yes, you’re correct and I don’t know what I was thinking about sushi only at lunch. Thanks so much for posting the menu since my in-laws are going with us in April and I sent the pictures of the menus previously provided, possible by you, and I couldn’t find the lunch menu for Sakura. 
 

Is it that you can sit at the sushi bar at dinner with no reservations?  I can’t remember what it is about this and if it’s still available?  

[as3369]

19 hours ago, KJB416 said:

I would book Marble and Sakura on the first two nights and if you like them, then go to the reservation agent on deck 5 outside the Crema Cafe and see if you can get another nights reservation at each of those places.
 

Go to med yacht club and Fil Rouge the other two nights. Sakura is open for lunch (Sushi bar only) so you can try that as well. We would hit the Emporium Marketplace (the buffet) for oysters, crab/shrimp and a cocktail pre dinner every night. We thought Emporium was great for breakfast and lunch.  Their dinner offerings were very good as well, but with only 6 nights I’d just try to get in again to wherever you enjoyed most and if nothing stood out then go to Emporium for dinner. 
 

Enjoy your cruise  

Does the Emporium offer fresh oysters every night?

[KJB416]

41 minutes ago, as3369 said:

Does the Emporium offer fresh oysters every night?

They did on our cruise in August. 

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, as3369 said:

Does the Emporium offer fresh oysters every night?

They certainly did back in September - lovely plump and tasty French oysters - sumptuously delicious. They were there some lunchtimes towards the end of the cruise as well 

[Hlitner]

16 hours ago, as3369 said:

Does the Emporium offer fresh oysters every night?

It was a bit of a crap shoot when we were aboard (Sept-Oct).  They sometimes had fresh oysters at both lunch and dinner, sometimes at dinner only, and other times there were none.  As you can imagine, it is a supply issue and we happened to be in Canada/NE where oysters were available at every port.  They also had wonderful raw crab claws (at dinner).

 

Hank

[Host Jazzbeau]

18 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

They certainly did back in September - lovely plump and tasty French oysters - sumptuously delicious. They were there some lunchtimes towards the end of the cruise as well 

How do they get fresh French oysters?  Or were you sailing near France?  [I'm truly asking – always wondered how ships get fresh fish for sushi etc.  Especially in light of many reports that all fish on ships is frozen.]

[kelleherdl]

7 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

How do they get fresh French oysters?  Or were you sailing near France?  [I'm truly asking – always wondered how ships get fresh fish for sushi etc.  Especially in light of many reports that all fish on ships is frozen.]

When I spoke to Franck one evening at a reception he assured me that their oysters were from Brittany. So they were in fact only serving French oysters. We sailed both the Iceland/Canada crossing and in the Caribbean, same oysters. They were fabulous. EJ is MSC, they know how to manage a supply chain. Well, most of the time. 😏

Edited January 13 by kelleherdl

[PaulMCO]

On 1/12/2024 at 9:44 PM, as3369 said:

Does the Emporium offer fresh oysters every night?

Yes they have (dinner only) but do not get your expectations very high, they are not the best with a bitter after taste.  Have tried them three times.  I am trying to find out where the current lot are from.  
 

@Host Jazzbeau and the sushi is frozen.  One day they would have yellow tail and next day magically it appeared.  

Edited January 14 by PaulMCO

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Yes they have (dinner only) but do not get your expectations very high, they are not the best with a bitter after taste.  Have tried them three times.  I am trying to find out where the current lot are from.  
 

@Host Jazzbeau and the sushi is frozen.  One day they would have yellow tail and next day magically it appeared.  

So there's 'fresh' and there's 'fresh.'  We're spoiled for fresh lobsters since for two weeks every July we are in Acadia National Park and have lobster every day – lobster that had breakfast in the ocean that morning!  I wonder when those oysters left their beds?

[PaulMCO]

On 1/14/2024 at 3:35 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

So there's 'fresh' and there's 'fresh.'  We're spoiled for fresh lobsters since for two weeks every July we are in Acadia National Park and have lobster every day – lobster that had breakfast in the ocean that morning!  I wonder when those oysters left their beds?

found out the sources of oysters.  First was Italy, then from France.   Current batch is from Denmark.

[breadandbutter]

On 1/12/2024 at 9:31 AM, uktog said:

Welcome aboard is very low key

 

Re Sakura at lunchtime DH and I shared the bento box poolside one lunchtime. It was delicious and just the right amount of food 🍲 

Could you order this pool side, or did you pick up in Sakura and take with you?

Thanks 

[uktog]

51 minutes ago, breadandbutter said:

Could you order this pool side, or did you pick up in Sakura and take with you?

Thanks 

I went in and ordered it at Sakura and they brought it out to my lounger- I told them where we were sitting

[commodoredave]

We are staying in a balcony cabin. Does one have to be in a residence to call ahead of the cruise for dining reservations, or is it also available to the proletariat class?

Edited January 23 by commodoredave