Ultimate Dining Package on Icon OTS

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

5 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Have to tell you we just ended up today with the same situation as yours, but for an upcoming Celebrity cruise.  Had three individual nights purchased last November and tonight saw a better price for a three night package.  Called Celebrity and they canceled the November purchase, reinstated the OBC used plus credited the difference back to my CC, repurchased it at the new lower price and listed it on our planner over the phone. 

 

The only thing they couldn't do was preserve the original days and times as they were done individually originally and with the package they use the placeholder for day one and we will book them (as I described earlier) on board.

 

Could have done the transactions as well on line with the planner but wanted to be sure the OBC was credited back in a timely manner to be applied to the new booking at the same time, so we called instead.  Worked well.

Thanks for the update!

 

I'm tempted to keep our reservations until we're onboard to try and keep the same reservations, but I guess the risk there is that I don't get the refunds.

 

Hopefully we won't have any trouble getting early reservations as we have young kids and they don't typically like to have dinner any later than 5-5:30.

 

Thanks again!

[leaveitallbehind]

27 minutes ago, CruisematicVA said:

I'm tempted to keep our reservations until we're onboard to try and keep the same reservations, but I guess the risk there is that I don't get the refunds.

You will then have two separate purchases on the books when you board, correct?  They will still give you a refund for the one you cancel, however it likely will be in the form of an on board credit, not a refund to your CC.  I would think since it was a direct purchase by you and not from any ship sponsored OBC, the OBC issued would be refundable, meaning you can cash out any unused portion at the end of the cruise.  (And if any was from a ship OBC, that amount would remain as a ship OBC and would not be refundable, but would be used first against your on board charges with any extra refundable portion used last, and any extra from that given back to you). 

 

Up to you but in our experience we have been able to get a mix of days and times on board the were good for us.  Whatever you decide I hope it works out well for you.

Edited March 10 by leaveitallbehind

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

10 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

You will then have two separate purchases on the books when you board, correct?  They will still give you a refund for the one you cancel, however it likely will be in the form of an on board credit, not a refund to your CC.  I would think since it was a direct purchase by you and not from any ship sponsored OBC, the OBC issued would be refundable, meaning you can cash out any unused portion at the end of the cruise.  (And if any was from a ship OBC, that amount would remain as a ship OBC and would not be refundable, but would be used first against your on board charges with any extra refundable portion used last, and any extra from that given back to you). 

 

Up to you but in our experience we have been able to get a mix of days and times on board the were good for us.  Whatever you decide I hope it works out well for you.

I appreciate all the friendly help, thank you!

 

I'm sure we will use more than any OBC so I think we'll go that route and see how things go for the most important meals/times and for any open spots, we will book onboard.

 

Bon voyage!

[RFerrington]

36 minutes ago, CruisematicVA said:

I'm tempted to keep our reservations until we're onboard to try and keep the same reservations, but I guess the risk there is that I don't get the refunds.

Just keep in mind that there is a cancellation period that has to be met.  I think it's 24 hours in order to get a refund....so if you wait until you get onboard to cancel any of your pre-paid reservations and one or some of them are within the 24 hour cancellation period, you might have an issue.  I've read different experiences with different people on this one so I'm not saying it WILL happen, just that it MIGHT happen.

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Just now, RFerrington said:

Just keep in mind that there is a cancellation period that has to be met.  I think it's 24 hours in order to get a refund....so if you wait until you get onboard to cancel any of your pre-paid reservations and one or some of them are within the 24 hour cancellation period, you might have an issue.  I've read different experiences with different people on this one so I'm not saying it WILL happen, just that it MIGHT happen.

Noted - sounds like we need to make sure we don't make any of those reservations for day 1 in that case.

 

Thank you for that!

[ocdb8r]

A few observations from me:

 

1) as to the original question, when we buy the UDP we do not visit the MDR at all.  Has nothing to do with food quality or comparing the two; simply, we cruise RCCL enough that when we have the UDP we want to make the most of the UDP options.  The RCCL MDR menus are fairly static across the fleet, so we know we'll get to enjoy the MDR food on a cruise when we don't buy the UDP.  We used to look at the MDR menu's for the week and were occasionally tempted to skip a UDPrestaurant when there was a menu we particularly liked (but in the end, always concluded we'd get whatever it was on our next cruise). Now there is virtually no rotation in menu for the MDR, so even less incentive to skip a UDP option (in our minds);

 

2) agee with the assessment that UDP on the Icon doesn't make as much sense as the Oasis class ships where there are BOTH more UDP options and fewer interesting alternatives.  For a first time Icon cruise, I'd feel like I was missing out if we dedicated ourselves to the UDP given all the new and interesting non-UDP options.  It's a strange dynamic and we're watching UDP adjustments for the Icon closely as I suspect RCCL will have to tweak things here or they're going to see much lower UDP yields on this ship.

 

3) as to your idea to make individual reservations ahead of time and cancel on-board, this is a long standing strategy many Cruise Critic folks have employed.  As mentioned above, effectively when you cancel on-board, it get's credited to your on-board account and can be refunded at the end of the cruise if you still have a balance.  HOWEVER, I will note that there have been several reports lately of a) people being hassled about cancelling their reservations on-board and b) a refusal to let them keep their reservation times for use with the UDP.  This is a mess of RCCL's creation and they had committed to permitting pre-cruise reservations with the UDP, but it's yet to be seen.  We have never had trouble getting some sort of reservations, but have faced some complexity trying to weave it in with entertainment bookings.

Edited March 11 by ocdb8r

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

13 minutes ago, ocdb8r said:

A few observations from me:

 

1) as to the original question, when we buy the UDP we do not visit the MDR at all.  Has nothing to do with food quality or comparing the two; simply, we cruise RCCL enough that when we have the UDP we want to make the most of the UDP options.  the RCCL MDR menus are fairly static across the fleet, so we know we'll get to enjoy the MDR food on a cruise when we don't buy the UDP.  We used to look at the MDR menu's for the week and were occasionally tempted to skip a UPD restaurant when there was a menu we particularly liked (but in the end, always concluded we'd get whatever it was on our next cruise). Now there is virtually no rotation in menu for the MDR, so even less incentive to skip a UDP option (in our minds);

 

2) Agee with the assessment that UDP on the Icon doesn't make as much sense as the Oasis class ships where there are BOTH more UDP options and fewer interesting alternatives.  For a first time Icon cruise, I'd feel like I was missing out if we dedicated ourselves to the UDP given all the new and interesting non-UDP options.  It's a strange dynamic and we're watching UDP adjustments for the Icon closely as I suspect RCCL will have to tweak things here or they're going to see much lower UDP yields on this ship.

 

3) as to your idea to make individual reservations ahead of time and cancel on-board, this is a long standing strategy many Cruise Critic folks have employed.  As mentioned above, effectively when you cancel on-board, it get's credited to your on-board account and can be refunded at the end of the cruise if you still have a balance.  HOWEVER, I will note that there have been several reports lately of a) people being hassled about cancelling their reservations on-board and b) a refusal to let them keep their reservation times for use with the UDP.  This is a mess of RCCL's creation and they had committed to permitting pre-cruise reservations with the UDP, but it's yet to be seen.  We have never had trouble getting some sort of reservations, but have faced some complexity trying to weave it in with entertainment bookings.

This is all super helpful and appreciated... Thank you!

 

Point #3 is especially helpful.

 

We caught the UDP at a price where it was very close to what we were paying for specialty dining reservations for only 4 of the 7 nights, so upgrading at that point became a no-brainer.

 

With that said, I agree... For a ship this big, I'm very surprised there aren't more specialty dining options. I know it's a game of tradeoffs for RCCL when deciding what to do with the space onboard, but there aren't as many options as you would expect given the size.

[ocdb8r]

3 minutes ago, CruisematicVA said:

With that said, I agree... For a ship this big, I'm very surprised there aren't more specialty dining options. I know it's a game of tradeoffs for RCCL when deciding what to do with the space onboard, but there aren't as many options as you would expect given the size.

For us, the loss of Central Park 150 is a big negative as this has been our favorite UDP location and we almost always spent two nights there.  Our Chops experiences have never been as good as Central Park 150.  Effectively you've lost Central Park 150 and Wonderland (plus the Mason Jar on Wonder) with the only (dinner) additions on Icon being either FREE or not covered by the UDP.

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

8 minutes ago, ocdb8r said:

For us, the loss of Central Park 150 is a big negative as this has been our favorite UDP location and we almost always spent two nights there.  Our Chops experiences have never been as good as Central Park 150.  Effectively you've lost Central Park 150 and Wonderland (plus the Mason Jar on Wonder) with the only (dinner) additions on Icon being either FREE or not covered by the UDP.

There's also the Chef's Table and Empire Supper Club, both of which we'll be doing but neither is covered 100%.

 

We were disappointed to see Wonderland removed... Not because we have heard the food is good (quite the opposite), but because it looked like it was a fun experience our kids would enjoy.

 

We haven't done an Oasis-class ship but with Icon pricing being so high I could see that being our next Royal booking (or perhaps Utopia).

[sdear]

Does anyone know if the UDP is valid on embarkation day for lunch?

 

Thanks   

[Kreative03]

On 3/10/2024 at 6:44 AM, CruisematicVA said:

We scored a great deal on the UDP a couple days ago that ends up being cheaper than the specialty dining meals we had booked and gives us the option to a specialty restaurant for every lunch and dinner.

 

My question is, if you had the UDP, would you still enjoy a couple meals in the MDR, or would you eat every meal in a specialty restaurant?

 

When we were on the Celebrity Ascent over Christmas, we didn't get to one of their MDRs until night 5 and we realized then that their MDRs are significantly better than we would ever been in we wished we would have enjoyed them a couple more times turn our cruise.

 

Is the MDR on the Icon icon as good as they are on the Celebrity Ascent or is it more your typical crowded MDR with average food and service?

 

Just off Icon with UDP and a couple of things to note

 

1)Booking onboard left us with limited availability when it came to dining times in most if not all venues. This included MDR.

 

2) Large group dining was almost impossible to accommodate booking onboard.

 

3) MDR quality and service was outstanding. I’ve noticed on the first few months of new ships they tend to hit it out of the park and that is the current case onboard. We did MDR twice.

 

4) We used UDP for Playmakers but never ended up using Basecamp or  Izumi in the Park credits based on how we used the ship.

 

5) We found Chops and Izumi lacking relative to prior experiences. We did Giovanni’s twice and all courses disappeared. We made the decision to skip a second Chops to head back there and took literally any time they would give us.

 

happy to answer anything else 

[rrraydon]

I purchase the UDP on my cruises. I've cruised 8 times since last summer. I went to the MDR once and the WJ once.

[Cruise a holic]

We just got off the Icon,   We had the unlimited dining package.  We were in a suite but enjoy the specialty restaurants.  We dined in Chops for dinner twice and lunch once- Giovanni's twice for dinner and once for lunch, Hooked for dinner once and Hibachi once (got sick from seafood at Hibachi)  They actually charged additional some Entertainment charge- but no entertainment! Empire supper club was super expensive- addition $140 pp with the dining package so no dinner at that venue for us. Didn't eat sushi as not to our liking.  

We had daily breakfast-except one in Coastal Kitchen-  other lunches in windjammer, the grove and aqua dome market.  We really enjoyed- Chops, Giovanni's, and Hooked-  We certainly got value with the package which we purchased on sale. Clearly ate too much as I gained 5 pounds.

 

 Enjoy your cruise

Edited March 17 by Cruise a holic

[RoperDK]

7 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

 

We certainly got value with the package which we purchased on sale. Clearly ate too much as I gained 5 pounds.

 

 Enjoy your cruise

I've always avoided the UDP because of the quantity of food.  On Oasis class, we rely mostly on Coastal Kitchen with an occasional specialty dining meal.  We cruise in suites mostly.  We are now cruising on older ships without Coastal Kitchen and I was wondering about the value of the UDP.  I know you don't have to order a ton of food, but it would be tempting for us.  What are your strategies or do you just go for it and not worry about the quantity of food? 

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, RoperDK said:

I've always avoided the UDP because of the quantity of food.  On Oasis class, we rely mostly on Coastal Kitchen with an occasional specialty dining meal.  We cruise in suites mostly.  We are now cruising on older ships without Coastal Kitchen and I was wondering about the value of the UDP.  I know you don't have to order a ton of food, but it would be tempting for us.  What are your strategies or do you just go for it and not worry about the quantity of food? 

Just go for it and don't worry about the quantity. Did 7 nights on Ovation, three nights in Vancouver then 10 nights on Quantum... Wow,,,, came home 17 pounds heavier, took close to a month to lose it all.. but I will do it again.  And I am 74 next month.

Edited March 17 by taglovestocruise

[ah33919]

I just got off the Icon. I went with a party of 5 (2 cabins). I purchased  UDP for 1 person (me) and prepurchased a Hook lunch, an Izumi dinner, and a Chops dinner for the other 4 peeps at a reduced rate. I was able to score UDP for $320 and after my on board credit of $225 it ended up costing me $95. Before I left I purchased a small/medium "Insulated Casserole Carrier for Hot or Cold Food, Lasagna Holder for Picnic" on Amazon. Before you step on the ship there is a Specialty dining rep in the terminal and a just made a BUNCH of random reservations for myself (UDP) at various restaurants throughout the ship. During the week, I would get pizza's to go at Giovanni's, cheesecake or apple pie desserts from Chops. Sushi from Izumi's, Loster rolls from Hooked........All to go. (or had the option to sit down and eat by myself)

 

Here's the best part... The UDP also gives you $20 per day credit for A la carte restaurants.

Chicken wings at Playmakers, Lettuce wraps at Pier 7, food at Base Camp......credit totaling up to $140 for the week.

 

It was one of the best decisions of the trip (until you get tired of eating food)

[Lulu2623]

On 3/24/2024 at 4:13 AM, ah33919 said:

I just got off the Icon. I went with a party of 5 (2 cabins). I purchased  UDP for 1 person (me) and prepurchased a Hook lunch, an Izumi dinner, and a Chops dinner for the other 4 peeps at a reduced rate. I was able to score UDP for $320 and after my on board credit of $225 it ended up costing me $95. Before I left I purchased a small/medium "Insulated Casserole Carrier for Hot or Cold Food, Lasagna Holder for Picnic" on Amazon. Before you step on the ship there is a Specialty dining rep in the terminal and a just made a BUNCH of random reservations for myself (UDP) at various restaurants throughout the ship. During the week, I would get pizza's to go at Giovanni's, cheesecake or apple pie desserts from Chops. Sushi from Izumi's, Loster rolls from Hooked........All to go. (or had the option to sit down and eat by myself)

 

Here's the best part... The UDP also gives you $20 per day credit for A la carte restaurants.

Chicken wings at Playmakers, Lettuce wraps at Pier 7, food at Base Camp......credit totaling up to $140 for the week.

 

It was one of the best decisions of the trip (until you get tired of eating food)

Can you confirm everything at Basecamp is covered?  I have heard mixed messaging on that.  What about Izumi in the Park?  Covered now or not?  Do you need reservations at Pier 7 or is it a drop in like Playmakers?

[ah33919]

On March 16th, everything was covered at Basecamp (up to $20). I never made any reservations at Pier 7 or Playmakers and I got both (7 and Play) to go along with Giovanni's Pizza and desserts from Chops (many nights). The clam chowder at Hooked was amazing but I never got it to go. It does throw them for a little bit of a loop because they're not used to a single reservation to go but after they verify your UDP they accommodated. Remember, the  UDP gives you only $20 per day credit total for A la carte restaurants. "hope this helps.

[ah33919]

Milkshakes on Deck 16 were not included.

[alishac]

17 minutes ago, ah33919 said:

On March 16th, everything was covered at Basecamp (up to $20). I never made any reservations at Pier 7 or Playmakers and I got both (7 and Play) to go along with Giovanni's Pizza and desserts from Chops (many nights). The clam chowder at Hooked was amazing but I never got it to go. It does throw them for a little bit of a loop because they're not used to a single reservation to go but after they verify your UDP they accommodated. Remember, the  UDP gives you only $20 per day credit total for A la carte restaurants. "hope this helps.

Do you have to make reservations to take advantage of the to go option? DId you try just walking up without a reservation and asking for something to go?

[ah33919]

4 minutes ago, alishac said:

Do you have to make reservations to take advantage of the to go option? DId you try just walking up without a reservation and asking for something to go?

 Before you step on the ship there is a Specialty dining rep in the terminal and a just made a BUNCH of random reservations for myself (UDP) at various restaurants throughout the ship for lunch and dinner. I didn't go to all of them but I figured that they had to give you the food (to go or not). For to go dinners at specialty restaurants (with the exception of Giovanni's pizza), I tried to make sure I had a reservation for that evening (I never went exactly at my reserved time). There's only 4 specialty place, same peeps working every night. They got used to me and knew who I was. I'm going to guess, not too many people do this. The specialty restaurants have a major fear of negative reviews/feedback for some reason so they are VERY accommodating, especially if you have a reservation and have paid for UDP.

[ah33919]

Oh, and I almost forgot. Even though the gratuities were prepaid for the UDP, I would ALWAYS throw the maitre d $5 when I got something to go. Just a habit.