How do I make specialty dining reservations pre-cruise with a dining package?

Apologies if this is answered somewhere else, but free time is in short supply at the moment.

I was told by Captains Club that if you have a specialty dining package, there is no way to make reservations prior to boarding the ship. I can see that it's possible to make individual reservations in Cruise Planner, but then I'm being charged full price for a separate reservation.

I've seen comments from people that suggest it is possible to make a reservation, even when you have a package, so how is this done? Is there a particular number to call or email to use?

The best Captains Club has said they can do is email the ship my request, which "may or may not" be honored.

I'll be on Reflection on April 27, but I'd like to have reservations secured now for certain nights.

Thanks in advance!

Ken

I had the same issue. My TA says in this case they make the reservations for you in their choice of restaurants and time. They always schedule the first one on the first night. However, she said when you get on board the first thing you do is go to the Restaurant and change your reservations to what you want. It doesn't sound ideal however that is what I was told. I'd love to hear if there is another way around it.

For our next Silhouette sailing, Dinning Package in the Cruise planner only gives me the option to select the hour for the first night, I can't select which one I want to go. Once onboard You need to go any Specialty Restaurant to select your options.

The Captains Club rep was correct. With the dining packages you make your reservations when you board the ship. When you purchase the package you are asked to select a time (sometimes also night 1 or 2) for your first dinner but no restaurant choice, this is necessary to process the transaction. If you are assigned a restaurant for the first dinner you can change it when you board and are making the other reservations.

If there is a particular night, time & restaurant you want for a special occasion the only way to guarantee you will get that is to book it at full price.

When we boarded the Equinox, we went to Murano and the manager there set us up with reservations for the whole cruise in all the restaurants. Helps to have an idea of your choices (day/restaurant) going in.

Yes, you can email Domy Valdes who is in charge of Reflection and see if he will reserve your restaurants and times for you. I did mine through him the last few years..

Domyvaldes@rccl.com. I do not think he works on weekends. You do have to have your plan purchased before emailing him. Also, send you dates, times and size table. Otherwise, wait till you board...

It always works for me. I did it for our cruise from Civi....

I went through many people with Celebrity until I found Domy...He is great! Just know that he has to email the different restaurants and get their replies. You should have enough time and nothing to lose by trying! I purchased the three dinner package for my DH and myself with OBC.

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We had the dinner package on our last cruise, can't remember if we had th e9 or 10 night, but we ended up with about 12 out of 14 nights eating in the specialties, I posted our experience on my review, but basically, I won't book the discounted package again, as we were given two options onboard: dine at 6 or dine at 8:30, the meals were great, but eating at 6 or 6:30 when it wasn't dark until midnight was awful.

I plan on eating a few nights in Tuscan grill next cruise, but I won't do it without a 7pm reservation. ;) Good luck to the OP, on your cruise the specialties might not be busy, & you'll be fine, on ours they were busy each night.

Thanks - see you soon!

Yes, you can email Domy Valdes who is in charge of Reflection and see if he will reserve your restaurants and times for you. I did mine through him the last few years..

Domyvaldes@rccl.com. I do not think he works on weekends. You do have to have your plan purchased before emailing him. Also, send you dates, times and size table. Otherwise, wait till you board...

It always works for me. I did it for our cruise from Civi....

I went through many people with Celebrity until I found Domy...He is great! Just know that he has to email the different restaurants and get their replies. You should have enough time and nothing to lose by trying! I purchased the three dinner package for my DH and myself with OBC.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Yes, you can email Domy Valdes who is in charge of Reflection and see if he will reserve your restaurants and times for you. I did mine through him the last few years..

Domyvaldes@rccl.com. I do not think he works on weekends. You do have to have your plan purchased before emailing him. Also, send you dates, times and size table. Otherwise, wait till you board...

It always works for me. I did it for our cruise from Civi....

I went through many people with Celebrity until I found Domy...He is great! Just know that he has to email the different restaurants and get their replies. You should have enough time and nothing to lose by trying! I purchased the three dinner package for my DH and myself with OBC.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Does he do this for all ships or only the Reflection? If not many he can provide us with his counterparts for the other ships. We have packages booked on the Eclipse and Edge.

The Captains Club rep was correct. With the dining packages you make your reservations when you board the ship. When you purchase the package you are asked to select a time (sometimes also night 1 or 2) for your first dinner but no restaurant choice, this is necessary to process the transaction. If you are assigned a restaurant for the first dinner you can change it when you board and are making the other reservations.

 

If there is a particular night, time & restaurant you want for a special occasion the only way to guarantee you will get that is to book it at full price.

And you can change your embarkation day reservation to another day!

One of the reasons I hate to book dining packages beforehand. Depending on the cruise (more difficult on shorter cruises - 7 days or less), you may get onboard and find that all your preferred dining times are already booked up. Frustrating. I realize you are getting a discount by booking a package, but I don't understand why they can't just allow you to book your restaurants ahead of time like anyone else.

What I usually will do on these shorter cruises is wait until I am onboard and then immediately go to one of the specialty restaurants and ask the maitre d' if they can give me a discounted price by creating my own 'package'. We generally can get 30% off when doing 3 nights. If the times and dates will not work, I just play it by ear day-to-day checking in with them about availability and discounts.

On longer (10+ nights) cruises, we always book when we are onboard. We generally sail in AQ, so we ask our waiter in Blu to help us arrange the dining we want on a day by day basis (that is, we ask to see the next day's menu and if we are not thrilled with it we try to book a specialty for the next day). We have gotten discounts ranging from 30% to 50%. This seems to work especially well on S class where the Blu restaurant is near the other specialty restaurants and the staff all seem to know each other restaurant to restaurant.

Does he do this for all ships or only the Reflection? If not many he can provide us with his counterparts for the other ships. We have packages booked on the Eclipse and Edge.

I believe he does have another ship, but do not quote me on that. Others have said that this is a fluke or that it is because I am in a suite or????? It certainly does not hurt to try. He can only say no....or they changed that rule or whatever...I even booked dinners for 6 of us on Edge's speciality dining, but not with Domy. Someone else is in charge of Edge, but the rules, I believe, have changed on that ship!

I did receive those in charge of certain ships...I hope this also works for you, as I am not a special Celebrity customer!