Specialty Restaurant - Timing for Reservations

So it's an honor system?

I would not say it is an honour system more the luck of the draw :evilsmile:

You go to the reservation desk in the morning & ask if there are any openings that night

if there are you may get the extra reservation

they can put your name on the list incase anyone cancels then they will notify you or send the invitation to your cabin

You get the Guaranteed amount of reservations & any extras are just luck

I would not say it is an honour system more the luck of the draw :evilsmile:

 

You go to the reservation desk in the morning & ask if there are any openings that night

 

if there are you may get the extra reservation

 

they can put your name on the list in case anyone cancels then they will notify you or send the invitation to your cabin

 

You get the Guaranteed amount of reservations & any extras are just luck

OK so you're saying you can only make the allowed number online in advance of the cruise. That's what I thought.

But StanandJim posted this

The way that it works is that nobody is prohibited from making ANY number of reservations, but you ARE asked to wait until everyone aboard has had a chance at reserving before you book more than your GUARANTEED Number.

OK so you're saying you can only make the allowed number online in advance of the cruise. That's what I thought.

 

But StanandJim posted this

 

which makes it seem like you can make more than that allowed number in advance, since what was posted makes no sense if you're only allowed to make your extra reservations the day of the meal.

I believe in Jim and Stan's response, the operative phrase is:

OK so you're saying you can only make the allowed number online in advance of the cruise. That's what I thought.

 

But StanandJim posted this

 

which makes it seem like you can make more than that allowed number in advance, since what was posted makes no sense if you're only allowed to make your extra reservations the day of the meal.

Ok

You can book your allotted number of reservations online before the cruise

after that you can try to get more reservation on the ship by asking at the reservations desk

They do not usually book days in advance onboard IME

People that are not used to Oceania think they need to dine in the Specialties to get quality meals like on the main stream lines

The GDR & the Terrace Cafe have quality food as well

YMMV

People that are not used to Oceania think they need to dine in the Specialties to get quality meals like on the main stream lines

The GDR & the Terrace Cafe have quality food as well

YMMV

We totally agree. The food in the GDR is wonderful and the menus change every day. In the specialty restaurants, the menus remain the same and after a couple of visits, that's enough for us.

So my day has come to make reservations, and it did open up at midnight. I was able to get 6:30 reservations for 2 people at a shared table at both Polo Grill and Toscana on two sea days. If I wanted our own table, the available times were less but I think I still could have gotten 6:30 every day. Hopefully some fellow CC cruisers will want to join us.

Forgive me, but you are seriously overthinking all of this. The Specialty Restaurants are very nice but not the be all and end all.

You will be meeting, ahem, a boatload of new people on the cruise.

If you are even the least bit sociable, you're going to want to have dinner with at least a few of those newbies and your pre made reservations will interfere with that.

The good news is that some of our best cruising friendships were created in the Grand Dining Room on nights when we canceled Specialty reservations in order to dine with a new friend

...... makes folks realize that you value them :cool:

Enjoy!!!

Hopefully some fellow CC cruisers will want to join us.

not too worry the ship personnel will put someone at your table maybe even 6 others :D

Enjoy

Forgive me, but you are seriously overthinking all of this. The Specialty Restaurants are very nice but not the be all and end all.

 

You will be meeting, ahem, a boatload of new people on the cruise.

 

If you are even the least bit sociable, you're going to want to have dinner with at least a few of those newbies and your pre made reservations will interfere with that.

 

The good news is that some of our best cruising friendships were created in the Grand Dining Room on nights when we canceled Specialty reservations in order to dine with a new friend

...... makes folks realize that you value them :cool:

 

Enjoy!!!

This is so true we have made life long friends on cruises and they visit us and we visit them as well even across the pond.