specialty dining

[Lvntrvl]

We are new to Oceania, so I apologize if this has been covered before. We are traveling with another couple and have reserved a B3 veranda which allows each of us one reservation in each of the 4 specialty restaurants. Does this mean that we have a total of 4 reservations per group or 8 if we are guests at each other's tables?

[Woofa]

Just 4.  Your booking number is required for them to make a reservation for you or vice versa.  That reservation will will disappear from your cart.

[Lvntrvl]

thank you for your quick response.

[thebsinmiss]

I have seen various posts about specialty restaurants not being busy later in the evening (last sitting) or even people being asked by Oceania staff if they would like to eat in a specialty restaurant tonight (ie not busy and offering sittings to get people in) 

 

If we book/use our 4 specialty restaurants and we ask if they have any openings on another night can you get another sitting if its not busy ?  Based on past cruises I could see eating at Red Ginger on multiple occasions.  If they are slow it would seem to be a win win but who knows what management would say about that.

 

Anyone managed to get more specialty dinners ?

[AMHuntFerry]

19 minutes ago, thebsinmiss said:

I have seen various posts about specialty restaurants not being busy later in the evening (last sitting) or even people being asked by Oceania staff if they would like to eat in a specialty restaurant tonight (ie not busy and offering sittings to get people in) 

 

If we book/use our 4 specialty restaurants and we ask if they have any openings on another night can you get another sitting if its not busy ?  Based on past cruises I could see eating at Red Ginger on multiple occasions.  If they are slow it would seem to be a win win but who knows what management would say about that.

 

Anyone managed to get more specialty dinners ?

Additional reservations (after embarking) seem to mostly depend on length of cruise; a 7 night cruise has a low probability of extra specialty dining, while a 20 night cruise almost guarantees extra nights. Other factors are number of empty cabins (if any), number of sea days, whether a segment is part of a longer itinerary, etc.

[Snaefell3]

1 hour ago, thebsinmiss said:

people being asked by Oceania staff if they would like to eat in a specialty restaurant tonight

The Terrace Cafe and GDR are sized with the assumption that many more folks will be dining in specialties than is normal on other cruise lines.  When that doesn't happen (most frequently on an embarkation day) the crew will actively seek specialty volunteers to balance the load.

 

On the other hand, a 7-day cruise on a 4-specialty ship means they've guaranteed pax more days in specialties (4) than in TC/GDR (3), so there are few unclaimed specialty slots to hand out, even after they've made extra slots by starting service at 6pm instead of 6:30pm.

 

On a sold-out 7-day cruise on the 2-specialty Regatta, we had a choice of restaurants when snagging an extra specialty visit on Day #1, and no chance, no how, of anything after that.

 

[CTCruiser76]

Can someone explain how Specialty dining works on O?

 

For example, if on the Insignia and in Concierge Class, how many times can one visit the 2 specialty restaurants on a 7-night cruise? 

 

or just explain how it works overall, as I can't find an explanation on their website. 

[Snaefell3]

1 minute ago, CTCruiser76 said:

Can someone explain how Specialty dining works on O?

 

For example, if on the Insignia and in Concierge Class, how many times can one visit the 2 specialty restaurants on a 7-night cruise? 

 

or just explain how it works overall, as I can't find an explanation on their website. 

In a Concierge, you are going to get 1 guaranteed reservation in each specialty restaurant per cruise or segment.  You can get more on a space-available basis when on board by asking each day at the "Dining Reservations" desk.  Folks in suites can have their butlers do that for them -- and I suspect the butlers know enough about the daily timing to get better odds.

 

The other important thing to know about reservations is that the top suites have had a head-start on choosing day, time and private/shared table.  Then the Penthouse suites get their ...2 weeks?  Then you get your choices from what's left.  Then the poor folks in "steerage".  You make your pre-cruise reservations, first-come-first-serve, on O's website starting at 12:01am ET on the day reservations open for you.

[CTCruiser76]

Thank you for the explanation. 

[DENIE]

If on a 10-day or so cruise on one of the ships with 4 specialties, you can often get an "extra" specialty by going to the reservation desk on embarkation and inquiring.  On our Riviera and Vista cruises the last 2 years, we snagged an extra Red Ginger restaurant on embarkation day because they had availability.  No guarantees, but always worth asking. 

[ORV]

Let's add this from the O website. They don't have Vista on the website yet. 

 

• Owner’s Suite, Vista Suite and Oceania Suite 
  Advance reservations may be made on the date final payment is due and has been received until 7 days prior to sailing, which varies between 90 and 150 days, depending on length of sailing. 
• Penthouse Suite 
  Reservations may be made 75-7 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full.
• Concierge Level Veranda 
  Reservations may be made 60-7 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full. 

All Other Categories 
Reservations may be made 45-7 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full. 

 

and then this:

 

Guests are permitted to make the following reservations in our specialty restaurants - which vary by ship, category and length of cruise: 

Marina and Riviera 
Owner’s Suite, Vista Suite and Oceania Suite 
Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant 
Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant 
Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant 

Penthouse Suite 
Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant 
Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant 

Concierge Level Veranda, Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Stateroom 
All cruises: 1 reservations at each restaurant 

Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena 
Concierge Level Veranda and above 
Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant 
Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant 
Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant 

All other categories 
Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant 
Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant 

[CTCruiser76]

Awesome you finding that on their website.....Ive been looking for something like that but was having no luck. 

[AMHuntFerry]

31 minutes ago, CTCruiser76 said:

Awesome you finding that on their website.....Ive been looking for something like that but was having no luck. 

Go down to the bottom of the website. There is a link to FAQs (I didn't find it for quite a while). Use caution though...some of the FAQs are outdated, so be especially wary of pre-pandemic info.

[shepherd really]

17 hours ago, thebsinmiss said:

I have seen various posts about specialty restaurants not being busy later in the evening (last sitting) or even people being asked by Oceania staff if they would like to eat in a specialty restaurant tonight (ie not busy and offering sittings to get people in) 

 

If we book/use our 4 specialty restaurants and we ask if they have any openings on another night can you get another sitting if its not busy ?  Based on past cruises I could see eating at Red Ginger on multiple occasions.  If they are slow it would seem to be a win win but who knows what management would say about that.

 

Anyone managed to get more specialty dinners ?

I've been on Marina since last Wednesday on a 20-day cruise and have eaten dinner in Red Ginger, Tuscana, and Polo Grill in the last 6 evenings. Only Polo Grill was pre-booked.  Extra specialty dining reservations do not affect the pre-booked reservations.  They are in addition to, not in lieu of, the pre-booked reservations.  Tonight will be my second time in Red Ginger on this cruise.  

 

I am reasonably certain it will not be my last unless I choose not to seek another reservation.  

[Cruisedreamer1]

If you are willing to eat at 8 pm your chances are better of getting a reservation beyond your alloted spots.

[thebsinmiss]

Have to account for the time changes but the other couple we are on the cruise with regularly eat dinner after 8 or 9 pm.   Booking specialty restaurants at those time should not pose an issue, now getting them up and off the ship at 8 am might be another issue !

 

Either way we are really looking forward to the upcoming cruise.

[lorimay]

Just beware with the really late dinner reservations. We were on the Riviera and asked for an additional reservation in Jacques. The only opening was an 8:30 reservation. We showed up at 8:30 and all the tables were still full. They can't always perfectly time when people are done eating. We waited at least 15 minutes to be seated, not a big deal for us. Finally, we are seated and the room starts clearing out. By the time we got our main courses (and we are pretty fast eaters) there was only one table left. You would think service would be fast with so few customers, but it was very slow. We weren't even finished with our mains when they started vacuuming around us. Not a pleasant experience. It was clear they weren't happy we were there.

[bbqoug]

23 hours ago, DENIE said:

If on a 10-day or so cruise on one of the ships with 4 specialties, you can often get an "extra" specialty by going to the reservation desk on embarkation and inquiring.  On our Riviera and Vista cruises the last 2 years, we snagged an extra Red Ginger restaurant on embarkation day because they had availability.  No guarantees, but always worth asking. 

Great information. Where is the reservation desk on the R-Class ships?

[mauibabes]

Ditto, don’t waste a Specialty reservation on the first night unless you have a special occasion and you want a specific restaurant and not just willing to take one based on availability. 
Like DENIE said, we have gone that route for years and always had an extra dinner in a Specialty on Embarkation Day. 
Mauibabes

[clo]

2 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

Ditto, don’t waste a Specialty reservation on the first night unless you have a special occasion and you want a specific restaurant and not just willing to take one based on availability. 
Like DENIE said, we have gone that route for years and always had an extra dinner in a Specialty on Embarkation Day. 
Mauibabes

We were willing to share a 4-top to go to Jacques. Super nice couple. We didn't become 'friends' but had a totally nice meals.

[DENIE]

12 hours ago, bbqoug said:

Great information. Where is the reservation desk on the R-Class ships?

Hi bbqoug.

 

Not sure about that, we've only been on the Riviera and Vista, but I would suspect it would be in the main lobby where all of the other guest services are.  

[babysteps]

12 hours ago, bbqoug said:

Great information. Where is the reservation desk on the R-Class ships?

Deck 5 starboard, top of the 'grand' stairs just forward of the aft elevators. One level up from reception. On same level as shops/GDR etc

[bbqoug]

13 minutes ago, babysteps said:

Deck 5 starboard, top of the 'grand' stairs just forward of the aft elevators. One level up from reception. On same level as shops/GDR etc

Thank you for the information. We will likely head there on embarkation day to see if there are any tables available for that night.

[Snaefell3]

1 hour ago, bbqoug said:

Thank you for the information. We will likely head there on embarkation day to see if there are any tables available for that night.

Check first, lunch second.  Reservations are handed out 1st come, 1st serve.

[Snaefell3]

15 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

Check first, lunch second.  Reservations are handed out 1st come, 1st serve.

Hmmm.  An *important* second thought...

 

Start by checking the GDR 1st night menu.  There is no set 1st night menu, so the normal rotation *might* have cued up someone's favorite.

 

I know if I wasted my DW's chance for Beef Wellington on an extra specialty, I'd spend the rest of the voyage hiding out in a lifeboat.

🫣