Regata Australia dining options

[PearlK]

Travelling January 2025 Australia and New Zealand. Understand dining reservations fill up quickly. Any recommendations?

[basor]

20 minutes ago, PearlK said:

Travelling January 2025 Australia and New Zealand. Understand dining reservations fill up quickly. Any recommendations?

There are 2 specialty restaurants on Regatta and, depending upon your type of cabin and length of cruise, you are guaranteed a certain number of reservations at each restaurant.  The number of reservations you are entitled to and the date you can make your reservations is noted on your invoice or in your account under "Manage reservations". The Grand Dining Room is open seating and no reservations.  You can also check for additional reservations at the specialty restaurants daily onboard.

[DoulaAnn]

Book your guaranteed reservations as early as you can on the app in order to have a chance to get the times you want. I think the level of stateroom dictates when you can start booking.

 

After you are onboard, go to the dining reservations desk (there may be quite a line the first day) and try to get additional ones. If I recall, we were told we had to wait until everyone had a chance to make their guaranteed. (I keep wondering why they didn't do it in advance, but I guess they had a reason).

[jondfk]

You don't say how long your cruise is, but "Australia / New Zealand" suggests to me two weeks or more.  That's good news because, in our experience, reservations onboard become much easier to get on longer voyages.  Everyone wants their allotted days, but not everyone wants to go a third of forth time (in general).  Book as early as your allowed, join the queue once onboard to get additional nights / "better" times.  We love Polo Grill and are quite lukewarm to Toscana, others feel just the opposite, my advice try both and decide for yourselves.

 

Also, once onboard it's well worth stopping by the check in desk at either near the opening time to check for cancellations.  Quite a lot of folks make reservations, but then find themselves less interested on the day and either don't show up or go to the GDR instead, in the latter case, the GDR will cancel the reservation once they are seated freeing up space in the specialty.

 

Happy sailing.

 

 

[mamaclark]

3 hours ago, DoulaAnn said:

Book your guaranteed reservations as early as you can on the app in order to have a chance to get the times you want. I think the level of stateroom dictates when you can start booking.

 

After you are onboard, go to the dining reservations desk (there may be quite a line the first day) and try to get additional ones. If I recall, we were told we had to wait until everyone had a chance to make their guaranteed. (I keep wondering why they didn't do it in advance, but I guess they had a reason).

When did Oceania get an app? 

[DoulaAnn]

Oops, my bad. Should have been "on the website". I had been told they were working on an app that was to come out this year, but I'm not holding my breath. If it's as challenging to use as the website, I'm not sure I want it.