Dining times

[meow!]

If I counted correctly, there are 166 cabins in category A and above. Assuming double occupancy (which is what the ship does to advertise capacity), that would be 332 passengers, each with 4 guaranteed specialty reservations, or a requirement for 1328 seats. There are 176 cabins in category B and below, which would be 352 passengers with 2 reservations each gauaranteed for a total of 704 seats. The grand total is 2032 seats. This is skewed by singles in some cabins and the possibility of triples or quads in others (which doesn't happen often on O), but is a good working number.

Assuming your numbers are right, and I read somewhere that the two specialty restaurants can only seat 90 each. So for the typical 12 night voyage, there are 2,160 seat-nights, pretty close to accomodating all the passengers once/twice in each restaurant! So unless some passengers foresake their quota, and if the ship is full, the chances of your going to a specialty restaurant more than your quota is slim; but then if people eat reasonably fast, each seat can take more than one sitting per night!

[paulista1950]

"That's why there is plenty of opportunity for anyone to request additional nights. However, there are certain times that are more popular than others -- it's more difficult to get a reservation on sea days, for example. We have found that it's easier to get a additional reservation on the last night (although I may now regret giving away one of our little secrets). In three cruises, one of which was non-concierge, we have never been denied a reservation for the evening we requested it, but we have had to be flexible in the times. It's also easier to get additional reservations if you have party greater than 2 or are willing to share a table."

 

This is all I wanted to know

[hondorner]

This is all I wanted to know

LOL, I always supply more information than is needed, it's part of my OCD trait. :o

[hondorner]

... but then if people eat reasonably fast, each seat can take more than one sitting per night!

Some people are there for the evening; there seems to be no pressure to push people out to use the tables again. That seems to be the number one complaint about "anytime" dining on other cruise ships. But, enough people "eat and run" that they can get two seatings, and sometimes even three seatings, per table. They offer scheduled times of 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30. The 7:30 tables tend to sit empty until that time, but the 6:30 tables are often reset for 8:30.

 

Some of my info comes from staff; much of it is from "people watching" in 22 visits to the specialty restaurants.