Is it hard to get reservations in specialty restaurants?

[Rahi]

If I don't have a suite is it hard?

[AFAMILY]

If I don't have a suite is it hard?

 

Book early. You can make reservations 48 hours in advance if you're in a balcony or higher. On embarkation day, go straight to the reservations desk as you enter the ship and make that nights' reservation. Some restaurants fill-up early, especially for prime dinner times.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)

[uppitycats]

Maybe. I think it depends a lot on when you want to eat. On another board I've "talked" to lots of folks (couples, not large groups!) who didn't bother to make reservations at all, but simply walked up to the door and asked..and were seated within 10 minutes. But then they were midwesterners like we are...and eat between 5-6:30....

[helpthejuggler]

Not as hard as it used to be. Only Teppenyaki was hard to get into for us.

Now that they all have a charge, the main dining rooms are busier.

[terrymtex01]

Not as hard as it used to be. Only Teppenyaki was hard to get into for us.

Now that they all have a charge, the main dining rooms are busier.

 

Agree completely with this. Of the three cruises we have been on Teppenyaki is the only one that we could not have walked up to the restaurant of our choice and eaten at the day we wanted to. We did always make reservations.. however the only one that I have seen come close to being completely full other than Teppenyaki is Le Bistro.

 

I DO recommend making reservations if possible though.

[Vyhanek]

I agree it used to be A LOT harder to get a reservation.

I think now that the surcharges have increased people have reached their price point.

 

I think the same thing is true with those soda cards. It used to be that you could justify the soda card for the week. Then the price went up to the point where customers think twice about it. Customers actually consider how many days they will be away from the ship in port and they consider the increased soda card and say "No Thanks".

 

I made my own personal observation on my last NCL cruise on the Jewel last spring. It doesn't seem that it was as hard to get a reservation for ANY restaurant (it used to be you would have to be IN LINE and waiting to make the reservation the moment the opened up. The phone lines would be jammed for hours with people trying to call from their rooms and you would feel really LUCKY to get any reservation!) NOT so anymore!

 

I didn't notice people buying the soda cards like crazy either.

[TrinaLC]

Where is the reservations desk?

[terrymtex01]

Where is the reservations desk?

 

Usually it is some where near the front desk.. At the very least the front desk will be able to direct you to the reservations desk.

[AFT_LOVER]

48 hours to book specialty restaurants from your balcony cabin including mini-suite which is a deluxe balcony not a suite (why NCL doesn't cange the name already). Just pick up the phone & book for 2 days 2 days in advance instead of walking to the atrium to meet with the booking agent who is for OV & inside folks who have took daily.

 

 

 

If I don't have a suite is it hard?

[Toyz711]

any cabin can call for a reservation...any phone on the ship, not just from your cabin. on the star and the spirit, the desk is right in the main lobby, near the customer service desk.

we would ask at the dining venue, to see what the reservations look like for the next day or 2. we don't like schedules, as we are deciding where to eat...we will go and ask if they can fit us in that night. so far that has worked every time, maybe not for right then...but we got in that night:D

for larger parties, walking up won't work...:eek:

[newmexicoNita]

only one we had trouble with was Tappeyakis. oh and on our last cruise we tried to make them for the Italian restaurant on the Star, we tried for the last night (this is when it was still free) we couldn't get them. The earlier in the cruise, the better.

 

Nita

[98Charlie]

In my own experience over the past year or so I have found the speed and success in making reservations has depended on the ship and itinerary. On our recent Sun repo cruise, it was fairly easy to get reservations within 12 horus or less at many of the reservation only restaurants outside of Teppenyaki and the Italian restaurant.

 

However, on our Spirit cruise last Nov. most of the reservation only restaurants filled up early in the cruise.

 

Sun repo cruise seemed to have a huge number of buffet eaters on the ship where the Nov. Spirit cruise seemed to have a majority of pax who preferred to eat in sit-down dining. Interestingly enough, the Sun cruise was a repo to Alaska and down to SF where weather for outside dining in the buffet was not very comfortable most nights, while evening dining on the Spirit cruise, rt out of NOLA, was quite enjoyable. :confused:

 

 

Personal opinion is as NCL continues to tout the newer pay to eat restaurants, Le Bistro is losing in popularity. When we first started cruising NCL it was hard to get into Le Bistro any night. However, back then it was the only specialty restaurant on the ships.

 

Last Sept. on the Star it was almost impossible to get a reservation in the Italian Restaurant while reservations in SoHo and even Cagney's were fairly open on a last minute notice. Teppeynaki was almost always booked far ahead, however.

 

Dianne

[flarad]

I think it depends on how full the ship is. On our Dawn cruise last March we couldn't walk into any of the specialty restaurants. We eat early 5:30 - 6:00 and tried walk up a couple of times. Both times the restaurants were apparently not busy but we were turned down. The only thing we could figure is they must have had reservations coming in soon. We walked right into the dining rooms though, no problems. We also had no trouble booking at the reservations desk (which is located in the buffet area) or calling for reservations. They did need to be made very early on the day before or the restaurant was booked, but again, our ship was very full.