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Specialty restaurants


bremonk
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Hello

We are booked on our first Oceania cruise in September in the Baltic. Looks like we can make reservations in mid July. So, here is the question:

 

How many times can we go to each restaurant? The cruise is 12 days.

 

Thanks for sharing your expertise...

 

 

 

 

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How many dining reservations am I allowed in each specialty restaurant?

Guests are permitted to make the following reservations in our specialty restaurants - which vary by ship, category and length of cruise:

 

Marina and Riviera

Owner’s Suite, Vista Suite and Oceania Suite

Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant

Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant

 

Penthouse Suite

Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant

 

Concierge Level Veranda, Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Stateroom

All cruises: 1 reservations at each restaurant

 

Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena

Concierge Level Veranda and above

Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant

Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant

 

All other categories

Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant

 

When can I make reservations in the specialty restaurant?

Specialty restaurant reservations may be made in advance in the Booked Cruises section of My Account on our website, or by phone, according to the schedule below, and may be changed up until 7 days prior to sailing. Reservations must be paid in full prior to making reservations. Reservations may also be made onboard. Guests with priority embarkation privileges (Concierge and above) will have Priority Reservations from 11:00am until 1:00pm in Polo Grill. Guests in other staterooms can make their specialty restaurant reservations from 1:00pm - 5pm.

 

Owner’s Suite, Vista Suite and Oceania Suite

Advance reservations may be made on the date final payment is due and has been received, which varies between 90 and 150 days, depending on length of sailing.

 

Penthouse Suite

Reservations may be made 75 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full.

 

Concierge Level Veranda

Reservations may be made 60 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full.

 

All Other Categories

Reservations may be made 45 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full.

 

 

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/faq/

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Please go to Oceania’s website, with your Booking Number in hand.

 

1. Log into the website.

2. Hit tab that says “My Account “

3. Booking Number in hand list your cruise.

4. Once established, click on “manage this booking “

5. Click on the “Dining “ tab

 

That website will answer multiple questions specific to your cruise. You will need to do all these steps in the future if you choose to book your Specialties reservations on line.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

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How many dining reservations am I allowed in each specialty restaurant?

Guests are permitted to make the following reservations in our specialty restaurants - which vary by ship, category and length of cruise:

 

Marina and Riviera

Owner’s Suite, Vista Suite and Oceania Suite

Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant

Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant

 

Penthouse Suite

Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant

 

Concierge Level Veranda, Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Stateroom

All cruises: 1 reservations at each restaurant

 

Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena

Concierge Level Veranda and above

Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant

Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant

 

All other categories

Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant

 

When can I make reservations in the specialty restaurant?

Specialty restaurant reservations may be made in advance in the Booked Cruises section of My Account on our website, or by phone, according to the schedule below, and may be changed up until 7 days prior to sailing. Reservations must be paid in full prior to making reservations. Reservations may also be made onboard. Guests with priority embarkation privileges (Concierge and above) will have Priority Reservations from 11:00am until 1:00pm in Polo Grill. Guests in other staterooms can make their specialty restaurant reservations from 1:00pm - 5pm.

 

Owner’s Suite, Vista Suite and Oceania Suite

Advance reservations may be made on the date final payment is due and has been received, which varies between 90 and 150 days, depending on length of sailing.

 

Penthouse Suite

Reservations may be made 75 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full.

 

Concierge Level Veranda

Reservations may be made 60 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full.

 

All Other Categories

Reservations may be made 45 days prior to sailing, if the booking is paid in full.

 

 

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/faq/

 

This really should be a sticky here. Maybe Joe could do it for us.

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You can eat unlimited times at specialty restaurants. Just go to the restaurant desk and tell them you are willing to eat at a table with other guests, particularly at a later seating. No prohibition, just depends on openings.

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You can eat unlimited times at specialty restaurants. Just go to the restaurant desk and tell them you are willing to eat at a table with other guests, particularly at a later seating. No prohibition, just depends on openings.

 

1+ there is no limit... while you get a limited number of pre cruise reservations, once on board you can get as many as there are reservations available.... just check with the restaurant dest daily to see whats available. it is not a big problem and there is no extra charge like on other lines like crystal

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Not so sure the above info is correct on unlimited seatings. If one is on a 10 day or less cruise and staying Concierge or lower, I will guarantee they won’t get a reservation every night.

 

For those on longer cruises 15+ days, the Specialties ( along with food) tend to wear out and that last week additional reservations are fairly easy. No so the first week.

 

Everything is in the computer. O knows where you have eaten your meals. A couple years back, O was limiting how many Specialties dinners those below PH were getting. Getting an additional reservation was not dependent upon where you were in line up each morning, but more dependent upon how many other Specialty meals you had.

 

If one believes Dan’s post and think that if they show up every night at a restaurant’s door looking for a stray opening they will get in ( especially on a two Restaurant R ship) , you’re going to be disappointed.

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If one believes Dan’s post and think that if they show up every night at a restaurant’s door looking for a stray opening they will get in ( especially on a two Restaurant R ship) , you’re going to be disappointed.

So you're saying if you show up and there are empty tables for which they do not have a reservation that night that they will not seat you?

 

BTW I got email from Oceania a couple of weeks ago encouraging me to make dining reservations for my August cruise. Only problem is I cannot make them until July 10th because of my cabin type (I knew this but tried anyway when I got the email). Oops.

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So you're saying if you show up and there are empty tables for which they do not have a reservation that night that they will not seat you?

Ah, but an empty table is not an accurate indication that the table is free..

Oceania_Cruises_CRUISELINE-ON-BOARD_1425.jpg

As you will learn when you DO make your reservations the reserved party may be arriving in 15 minutes or a half an hour from when you see it empty.

Toscana-Interior.jpg

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dont know about computors and cabin stuff I take 10 to 21 day cruises and it has been my experience, being flexible as to share and time, that I have yet to be shut out.... That's my experience ... your may be different. That it is always possible to be shutout, but so is getting a reservation too...

 

Also when the ship begins to move about a bit a lot of no shows happen. They only hold a reserved time for 15 to 20 min then it goes free !

I get my reservations, however, not at the restaurant front door but in the morning in Terrace at the desk or in the lobby on O ships.

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Not so sure the above info is correct on unlimited seatings. If one is on a 10 day or less cruise and staying Concierge or lower, I will guarantee they won’t get a reservation every night.

 

For those on longer cruises 15+ days, the Specialties ( along with food) tend to wear out and that last week additional reservations are fairly easy. No so the first week.

 

Everything is in the computer. O knows where you have eaten your meals. A couple years back, O was limiting how many Specialties dinners those below PH were getting. Getting an additional reservation was not dependent upon where you were in line up each morning, but more dependent upon how many other Specialty meals you had.

 

If one believes Dan’s post and think that if they show up every night at a restaurant’s door looking for a stray opening they will get in ( especially on a two Restaurant R ship) , you’re going to be disappointed.

 

I could not have said it better myself.

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I could not have said it better myself.

 

Ah, but an empty table is not an accurate indication that the table is free..

 

As you will learn when you DO make your reservations the reserved party may be arriving in 15 minutes or a half an hour from when you see it empty.

So are you both saying that even if the restaurant has available reservations for the night they will not seat passengers who have already dined there and stop by to see if they can eat there again? I'm not talking about tables that are currently empty but have reservations booked for later (or even current but late arriving).

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The seating capacity, in those restaurants, exceeds the service capacity. The number of people seated is proportional to the number O believes it can provide outstanding service to, not the number of chairs.

 

Likewise, by rotating tables, people are able to get in at or around their reservation time, not after someone has left, the table cleared, and re set up! A different definition of service than that provided by the “ flip that table “ brands that schedule every table every 50 minutes. One will always see empty tables in the Specialties because that is the way the system is planned.

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Dining, in the Specialties, is an 1.5 - 2 hour treat of good to great food and excellent service. The first serving, at 6:30 typically, will fill about half the Restaurant because that is all the staff they have to service that many people. When the next wave comes in at 7:30, there will be empty tables to accommodate all and the wait staff will have time to give most of their attention to the newly arrived. The 6:30 Group will, at that time, be fully ordered, and half way through their meals only requiring some ongoing service and food delivery. As that 6:30 Group leaves, their tables will be prepared for a later arriving group to start over again. A different dining experience than most are accustomed.

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So are you both saying that even if the restaurant has available reservations for the night they will not seat passengers who have already dined there and stop by to see if they can eat there again? I'm not talking about tables that are currently empty but have reservations booked for later (or even current but late arriving).

 

There are no absolutes. Sometimes you can get extras, sometimes not. Just try once on board and see what happens. .

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So are you both saying that even if the restaurant has available reservations for the night they will not seat passengers who have already dined there and stop by to see if they can eat there again? I'm not talking about tables that are currently empty but have reservations booked for later (or even current but late arriving).

 

I'm saying that the process is not quite as simple as the question which you are asking.

The object, from Oceania's point of view, is to give every passenger the opportunity to experience the specialty restaurants.

Every passenger will not be aware of how the reservation system works, so, when a passenger requests additional reservations, the number of "unreserved" passengers must be taken into consideration.

Once it has been established that everyone aboard has had a fair shot, the number of remaining reservations are distributed à la minute in a manner which the restaurant Captains deem most equitable, i.e. a controlled version of "first come first served".

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Stan&Jim;

 

It was explicitly explained to me, it’s not a 1st come first serve system. Leaving out the hierarchy pecking order of suites, what I have witnessed and experienced is that O accepts requests for additional ( or primary) reservations at the desk from 9:00-13:00, at which time that stop taking requests. After 13:00, they shift through all the requests and allocate out the reservations.

 

Priority is given to those that haven’t got their guaranteed reservations. Then priority by suites. However, for PH and below, priority is also given to those with lesser Specialties dining. If the computer shows Dan has eaten 6 extra times that cruise in a Specialty and Joe only 1 extra, Joe will have priority whether he stood at the desk at 9:30 or 12:30.

 

We were typically notified after about 3:00 if we had secured a seating. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

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they usually do not seat walk ins

you go to the res desk in the morning & ask if there are openings

 

you may or may not get extra reservations

 

 

I disagree with this We have gotten reservations by going to the restaurant itself right after they have opened, and they have seated the first wave of people and we have gotten a table. However, we have been turned away twice as much as we have been accommodated. This really only works if you are on a long cruise and the second half of that cruise. They are much more accommodating when they know others have had their chance.

And quite frankly, we had better luck using the concierge lounge guy to make extra reservations. However, that was the only time we were in that level of cabin.

Edited by KS&JW
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I disagree with this We have gotten reservations by going to the restaurant itself right after they have opened, and they have seated the first wave of people and we have gotten a table. .

I stand corrected

 

A couple of years ago there was a big to do about walk ups getting reservations when others followed the procedures were denied reservations

 

thought that walk ups were discontinued

 

 

I might give it a try then

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It’s a little of both (above). On our last O cruise this past winter, IF there were no other pre asked for reservations (taken earlier in the day), and they still had a couple of spots open, they would allow walk ins, however as KS&JW stated, you will be turned away if they had a full time slot. We were told that there can be for any number of reasons, late no-shows, and they do call the Suite/cabin, first to verify, but if they have the opening, they will sometimes allow walk ups.

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I disagree with this We have gotten reservations by going to the restaurant itself right after they have opened, and they have seated the first wave of people and we have gotten a table. However, we have been turned away twice as much as we have been accommodated. This really only works if you are on a long cruise and the second half of that cruise. They are much more accommodating when they know others have had their chance.

And quite frankly, we had better luck using the concierge lounge guy to make extra reservations. However, that was the only time we were in that level of cabin.

 

This ^^ - showing up at the Specialty Restaurant of choice after the service has started.

We did this at the recommendation of one of the managers/Maitre d's (not sure just what the "title" of the gentleman was that time).

 

IF they see they have "vacancies" and no one else has been signed up/assigned from earlier requests, then they know they've got extra space. (Obviously, this requires "enough time" to complete a full meal, and not delay someone arriving later, etc.).

 

Other times, it's been suggested that we show up at a later time (time specified) when they'll better know, in case several diners spent less time, etc. It's been explained then that there may *not* be availability, but if there is, they won't know until towards the end of the evening.

 

However, this apparently "works" early or late in the cruise. What matters isn't so much how many others have/have not dined at the specific restaurant, but who is - or more importantly, isn't - on a list for that night.

A dining space is perishable. If there is a space that will be available, unexpectedly (or not), it can't be "saved" for someone else who will inquire later in the trip.

 

Note that this is NOT about "reservations". The "strategy" only involves last minute seating, without any actual reservation. Passengers who had already requested reservations would be "ahead" of someone doing what it was suggested we do.

 

We have a Suite, so our Plan B is to dine en suite, because we really love several choices from a few of the specialties.

(This has "worked" when we were unable to get an additional *reservation*, including by asking our Butler.)

But it's nice, when possible, to have the general ambiance of the restaurant, too.

 

GC

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We have never been real fans of the specialty restaurants so we have tended not to use all our alloted reservations. (We DO like Jacques, so that first sentence has always applied more to the "R" ships.) But we also have also liked the GDR -- which as far as we concerned is FAR from being a catering hall! -- because we liked the changing variety. The new menus, based on our experience last month on Riviera (May 2018) are not an improvement ... so this time around we had more dinners in Terrace than we ever have before.

 

 

 

When we can't get a reservation should we want one, we're usually in a suite that allows us to order into the suite, so that's what we will do ... especially on a port day when we may not feel like "dressing for dinner".

 

 

That being said ...

 

 

We once showed up in Jacques and asked if there was space. The maitre d' knew us from previous cruises so we knew that when he told us they did not, that was true. OTOH, when we showed up at Polo for our 7:30 reservation on May 13th the maitre d' informed us that our reservation had been for 6:00.

 

 

Since when? Every written confirmation we'd received, including the reminder posted on our door the night before, said 7:30. We were supposed to be sharing with another couple ... Under the circumstances, they DID find a table for two for us. We were concerned that the other couple might have been inconvenienced but we were assured they were not. Perhaps they preferred to dine alone.

 

 

At any rate, the fact is as others have said ... sometimes you can get a "walk up": reservation. In our experience that has rarely been the case, but then we have rarely tried!

 

 

Mura

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JPR;

 

Absolutely! Do it regularly.

 

Had a very nice lunch ashore and only want a light supper, solution is to pop open a bottle of wine from our stash and order 3 or 4 appetizers from the different restaurants.

 

This can only be done from restaurants that share the same kitchen, ie Polo Grill and Toscana. Red Ginger and Jacques have separate kitchens and can’t be mixed and matched .

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