How many advance Speciality Restaurant reservations on 27 day cruise?

[cruiserchuck]

I am thinking about booking a 27 day cruise (Barcelona to Cape Town) on the Riviera this November.  I found the information linked below on Oceania's website (dated as of 2018), which states that on the Marina and Riviera, for a Concierge Veranda and below, you only get one pre-cruise reservation per restaurant, no matter how long the cruise is.  

 

https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005477653-How-many-dining-reservations-am-I-allowed-in-each-specialty-restaurant

 

I received a call from Oceania today, presumably since I was on their website yesterday checking the pricing on the cruise.  I asked the rep about the advance specialty dining reservations, and she said she would look it up and send me an email.  In the email, she stated I would get 3 reservations per restaurant.  

 

Does anybody have recent experience with this issue?  

[Torquer]

As far as I know that information is still correct from the URL you mention.  However, is it really one 27-day cruise, or is two or more segments that you booked as a single cruise (in other words, a B2B)?  Single 27-day cruises are pretty rare with O.  If it is really two or more segments, then you would get the number of reservations for your class for each of those segments.

[mauibabes]

If I recall on a couple of our 20 plus day cruises, you get one reservation in each restaurant IN ADVANCE. You ARE eligible for three but the second and third round of reservations are made when on board Riviera. By the way, Do Not waste one of your Specialty Allocations for the first night because when you board in Barcelona, head straight to the Deck 5 Reservation Desk and the Staffer will give you any available restaurant reservation because there is NORMALLY a lot of availability in the Specialties that night.  
Depending on your Stateroom Category, you may pick up many more reservations based on availability and a willingness to share a table and dinner time flexibility. FYI, if in a PH or other Suites, your Butler can provide you with Course by Course Room Service from any of the Specialties. If you can’t get enough, you can always book an evening in Privee or La Reserve to  assuage your pallet.  
 

We will be on the cruise before yours so we will make sure there are a few of our favorites left for you.  Here you go with a few suggestions: Duck and Watermelon salad, Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass, DW loves her Teriyaki Beef (aka Filet Mignon), the Rack of Lamb in Red Ginger, anything from the Oil and Vinegar cart in Toscana and bread basket, Gramma’s Lasagne Bolognese, Dover Sole filleted at your table anywhere, the Sea Bass in a Philo dough for two, French Onion soup or Pumpkin soup in Jacques, and the BEAT GOES ON!  
 

It will be a tough 27 days but you can handle it 🙏🤞

Mauibabes

[Eloise4Ever]

Cruiserchuck, I was recently advised on a phone call with an Oceania rep that I would only receive one advance reservation per specialty restaurant on a 32 day Grand Voyage. I believe it's  the cruise after the one you're looking at as it's on Riviera and departs Cape Town in December 2024. That 32 night cruise is not being sold in shorter segments as far as I can tell. It's odd that you would receive very different information about the cruise from Barcelona to Cape Town as I don't think that's being sold in multiple segments either.

[mauibabes]

@Torquer

I saw this trip advertised and it is 27 days.  It was a new release by Oceania about 2-3 weeks ago and announced in a Press Release about 4 new cruise offerings.

Mauibabes

[cruiserchuck]

Thanks for the information.  I just looked again at the email from the Oceania rep, and it stated I would get three reservations per restaurant, but did not mention how many could be made in advance.  During my call, I had asked about how many reservations I would get in advance, and she told me she needed to look it up.  So she may have answered a different question than I asked.  

[clo]

2 hours ago, cruiserchuck said:

Thanks for the information.  I just looked again at the email from the Oceania rep, and it stated I would get three reservations per restaurant, but did not mention how many could be made in advance.  During my call, I had asked about how many reservations I would get in advance, and she told me she needed to look it up.  So she may have answered a different question than I asked.  

Not at all answering you. But would you be satisfied with 12 reservations for your trip?

[cruiserchuck]

8 minutes ago, clo said:

Not at all answering you. But would you be satisfied with 12 reservations for your trip?

 

Yes, I would be satisfied with 12.  On my recent 10 day cruise, I was not able to get any extra reservations, even though I went to the reservation desk every morning.

 

I was interested in information about the advance reservations to help me determine if it was worth upgrading to Concierge to be able to make reservations earlier.  If all Concierge and below cabins can only make 4 advance reservations, then I feel there is no need to pay more upfront to be able to make reservations 15 days earlier.

[clo]

1 minute ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

Yes, I would be satisfied with 12.  On my recent 10 day cruise, I was not able to get any extra reservations, even though I went to the reservation desk every morning.

 

I was interested in information about the advance reservations to help me determine if it was worth upgrading to Concierge to be able to make reservations earlier.  If all Concierge and below cabins can only make 4 advance reservations, then I feel there is no need to pay more upfront to be able to make reservations 15 days earlier.

Please tell me you did some followup on this. Not just complaining.

[Happy Trails1]

We are booked on a 23-day cruise on Riveria - staying in veranda, not concierge-level stateroom. We’re on 2 cruise segments. We were able to book each specialty restaurant twice (8 total) 45 days prior to sailing. 

[Mrs f.]

On 1/25/2024 at 7:10 PM, cruiserchuck said:

I am thinking about booking a 27 day cruise (Barcelona to Cape Town) on the Riviera this November.  I found the information linked below on Oceania's website (dated as of 2018), which states that on the Marina and Riviera, for a Concierge Veranda and below, you only get one pre-cruise reservation per restaurant, no matter how long the cruise is.  

 

https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005477653-How-many-dining-reservations-am-I-allowed-in-each-specialty-restaurant

 

I received a call from Oceania today, presumably since I was on their website yesterday checking the pricing on the cruise.  I asked the rep about the advance specialty dining reservations, and she said she would look it up and send me an email.  In the email, she stated I would get 3 reservations per restaurant.  

 

Does anybody have recent experience with this issue?  

Tomorrow we are booking Concierge Veranda for that cruise. I'll see what my TA says.   

[Mrs f.]

According to the O site, on RIVIERA , for a 27 day cruise it is 1 reservation per reservation for Concierge Veranda. We just booked yesterday. 

Edited January 30 by Mrs f.