Marina restaurant reservations

[JBVols]

We are in a PH-1 suite for the Feb. 26 departure from SF to Miami.

I booked our speciality restaurant reservations this morning and was surprised to find out the first 12 days of the cruise was already booked. The first day we had available was March 9th. I don' t see how everyone will get the promised reservations.

[Cruiser John]

I also find this suprising. Probably many of the available reservation slots are being held back until the reservations are opened for other guests.If true, this will give all cruisers an opportunity to book their desired dining options. Unfortunately, it also discounts (again) the value of a penthouse booking.

[JBVols]

I just off the phone from O reservations and I was able to get reservations at days not listed on the Internet site.

[terrain1]

If you noticed it only authorizes you four reservations, instead of two or three per resturant. I am calling Oceania this morning.

 

Rick

[LHT28]

Well I do hope they hold some back for the Peons who can only book 45 days out ;)

 

Will be disappointed if we cannot get any because of those people that can book early have booked all the seats :eek:

 

Lyn

[Cruiser John]

JBV Thanks for the info. I also was able to get the times and days wanted by phoning O.

[StanandJim]

Well I do hope they hold some back for the Peons who can only book 45 days out ;)

 

Will be disappointed if we cannot get any because of those people that can book early have booked all the seats :eek:

 

Lyn

 

During this "white hot" period, while both the reservation system and the Marina are so new, we probably have to live with the fact that some people are booking every reservation that they can, simply because they are entitled to them.

 

Once they get onboard, however, these same people are going to miss the flexibility and ease that open dining was meant to offer in the first place.

 

The Captains in the Specialty Restaurants are going to need doctorates in Passenger Appeasement until the dust clears......... ;)

[wripro]

The problem is there are only about 120 extra seats in the two additional specialty restaurants for an extra six hundred people. This is not a matter of dust settling. It's a matter of math and it's not going to be the same experience as on the smaller ships. I'm leaving an open mind but I'm not optimistic. I certainly hope I'm proven wrong.

[StanandJim]

I'd have to disagree with you on this one, Wripro, but I can see why you are concerned.

 

Although we see the Asian and French Restaurants as a big draw, there will undoubtedly be other guests who won't care to patronize them at all.

 

The very fact that there are four specialty restaurants instead of two, will also decrease individual demand for each restaurant (although the "new" ones will likely remain the most popular for a good while).

 

La Reserve, must also be seen as something akin to a sixth dining option, as the pairing dinners will be served there occasionally.

[JBVols]

Do you think we will get to see the menus for Jacques and Red Ginger before we sail?

[wripro]

I think La Reserve will have a very limited appeal because of the surcharge so I don't expect it to take any demand away from the other four specialty restaurants. And I'd be very surprised if the demand is not as high for Jacques and Red Ginger as it is for Polo and Toscana.

 

My gripe is not so much that they are limiting reservations to one each, but rather that they withheld this information regarding PHs which I am sure they knew from the beginning.

[A Knitter]

Well I do hope they hold some back for the Peons who can only book 45 days out ;)

 

Will be disappointed if we cannot get any because of those people that can book early have booked all the seats :eek:

 

Lyn

 

"Those People" booked suites which allows them the "entitlement" of booking early. :rolleyes:

 

Oceania will make it right for everyone. No one is going to get left out of the experience. It's a vacation.

 

In another post, Hondorner said it nicely. "Some people want to go to heaven but don't want to die"

[Mura]

Lemme just say that we prefer to be in a suite, not for the perks but for the extra room. As a suite passenger it has bothered me more than a little in the past that Oceania goes more and more the "Cunard" route by giving us extra privileges. (I like getting them, I just don't feel entirely comfortable in getting them -- if you get my drift. One can argue that you get more if you pay more, but as a U.S.-er I don't feel entirely comfortable with elitist categories.

 

That being said, we aren't booked on MARINA until next September and I expect lots of things will have settled out by then. But we are also in a PH on MARINA which is not "really" top level ... I would like to think that we could get reservations for the restaurants we want.

 

And responding to the post just above, I sure hope you're right that Jacques and Red Ginger will have less appeal because those are the ones I want to try first! When we get there ...

 

When O first allowed us to book reservations online, I was all for it. But I'm having my doubts. If the top level cabins can book the bulk of the seats before anyone has a chance, no, I don't like that. It always seemed to me that it worked just fine by allowing people to book the specialty reservations once everyone was on board. Yes, the suite passengers could get their butler to pull strings, they didn't have to stand in line. But everyone could book once they were on board.

 

This policy where the people who pay the most can book long before those who pay less ... I dunno, it doesn't set well with me even when I'm one of those people who usually pays more.

 

Mura, being a curmudgeon as usual

[LHT28]

"Those People" booked suites which allows them the "entitlement" of booking early. :rolleyes:

 

I have no problem with that!!

I said I hope O is holding some of the seating back for those cannot book until 45 days out or we may not get any reservation until late in the cruise.

 

 

Lyn

[A Knitter]

Lemme just say that we prefer to be in a suite, not for the perks but for the extra room. As a suite passenger it has bothered me more than a little in the past that Oceania goes more and more the "Cunard" route by giving us extra privileges. (I like getting them, I just don't feel entirely comfortable in getting them -- if you get my drift. One can argue that you get more if you pay more, but as a U.S.-er I don't feel entirely comfortable with elitist categories.

 

That being said, we aren't booked on MARINA until next September and I expect lots of things will have settled out by then. But we are also in a PH on MARINA which is not "really" top level ... I would like to think that we could get reservations for the restaurants we want.

 

And responding to the post just above, I sure hope you're right that Jacques and Red Ginger will have less appeal because those are the ones I want to try first! When we get there ...

 

When O first allowed us to book reservations online, I was all for it. But I'm having my doubts. If the top level cabins can book the bulk of the seats before anyone has a chance, no, I don't like that. It always seemed to me that it worked just fine by allowing people to book the specialty reservations once everyone was on board. Yes, the suite passengers could get their butler to pull strings, they didn't have to stand in line. But everyone could book once they were on board.

 

This policy where the people who pay the most can book long before those who pay less ... I dunno, it doesn't set well with me even when I'm one of those people who usually pays more.

 

Mura, being a curmudgeon as usual

 

Mura, I totally agree with everything you said. I choose my cabin for the location which is usually the Bow or Aft. Sometimes, I upgrade to PH but mostly book Concierge. If I don't get a reservation at the specialty restaurants before sailing and a day or two afterwards I am not going let it ruin my vacation. There is always room for those passengers who want an extra night in the Polo, etal. The Maitre D has always been accomodating but I don't complain either and have always been asked if I would like an extra night or two at the Polo Restaurant. What I see in the majority of these threads is that some passengers feel they are peons for absolutely no reason whatsoever. They choose to book a cabin with few perks as opposed to those who upgrade. I book like you and spend the additional moohlah for extra room and they book for their reasons. Most of regulars who post on this Board cruise Oceania 3-4 times a year and I am happy to see this in an economy that has gone down the toilet. I have seen lines of passengers upon embarkation converge upon the staff to make reservations for dinner. I was very happy to see online reservations before I sailed last year to the Amazon and from what I understand the same will occur with the spa services in the future. I totally understand the issues regarding the PH on the Marina and failure by Oceania to disclose this to those who booked with the assumption they would reserve additional reservations in the specialty restaurants.

[TKS]

There are only about 175 suites on board Marina, and only about 25 of those get multiple reservations. That translates to less than two full bookings of each specialty restaurant. There will be plenty of room for everyone to enjoy their turn in the restaurants. Therefore, whether you can book 90 days, 75 days or 45 days prior to sailing, you'll still get to enjoy your turn in each specialty restaurant.

[StanandJim]

It always seemed to me that it worked just fine by allowing people to book the specialty reservations once everyone was on board.

 

Yes, but that was one of the reasons why Suite passengers were guaranteed priority boarding.

 

Nothing has really changed from the old system except that Penthouse guests can now split their four specialty reservations amongst four restaurants, rather than two.

[Paulchili]

Nothing has really changed from the old system except that Penthouse guests can now split their four specialty reservations amongst four restaurants, rather than two.

 

As can everyone else below PH level.....:)

[wripro]

Am I being dense? Does anyone really expect the system to work the same way on Marina as it does on the other ships? There are twice as many people and only 120 extra seats in specialty restaurants. Yes, everyone is guaranteed a reservation but I don't want to hear the same thing you can hear in restaurants in NY or LA...we only have 6PM or 9Pm available.

 

And if the argument is that those in a PH are getting to split the same four reservations among four restaurants instead of two then why are those in higher level suites getting eight reservations? Why aren't they restricted to splitting the same four reservations to one restaurant each? Because they are paying more and expect more. The way Oceania has always done things but are not doing them on Marina. And have been deceptive and secretive about this new policy.

 

For those who book a PH simply for the extra space there is no problem. But for those who booked one because they prefer the smaller dining venues it is a problem. At least it is for me. I'll see how it all works out onboard.

[LHT28]

Am I being dense? Does anyone really expect the system to work the same way on Marina as it does on the other ships? There are twice as many people and only 120 extra seats in specialty restaurants.

 

I think the current ships have 90 seats X 2 = 180

the Marina has 120 seats X 4 = 480

Having said that the small ships have 684 passenger vs1258

I still think people will get their quota & maybe more;)

Time will tell

 

Lyn

[Bruin Steve]

However the numbers work out on Marina, I am starting to think there is an incentive for making my reservations as early as possible so as to insure I can go on days I want and at times that are convenient for me...

 

Problem is, that at 90 days in advance, it is fairly difficult for me to know what days and times those are...

 

How does one make eight specialty reservations in four restaurants over a 16 night itinerary without knowing:

 

1) What time we are actually returning from our tours or shore excursions...

2) What else will be scheduled (ie. entertainment) at what times onboard each evening...

 

Over the next few months, I hope, the tours will all be solidified...but, being in port every day but one, there are very few easily determined "return" times...Oporto, the ship leaves at 2:00 pm and Bilbao and Casablanca at 4:00, and then there's the one "at sea" day...so, I guess for those four nights, it is easy enough to just choose any dinner time (maybe five nights--Embarkation day, we expect to be onboard early)...Bordeaux, we're in port overnight and leave the second day at 9:00...we have a tour set up for that second day that I think returns us to the ship at 8, but you never know for sure...so, those two nights may make sense to leave unreserved for the MDR...Seville and Monte Carlo both have late departures at 10:00 and 11:00, so, I guess those should be left open as well...With every other port, the ship embarks at either 7:00 or 8:00...My wife prefers to eat dinner around 7:00...but, it's hard to know when the tours or shore excursions may get back and how much time to leave to shower and dress...

 

So, do I just make reservations for 7 pm for the "easy" five nights...then pick three other nights and reserve times shortly after the ship is set to sail away (say Honfleur and Barcelona for 7:30--sailaway is at 7:00 and Pont-Aven at 8:00--sailaway at 8:00 but thinking we'll be back onboard by 7:00 in any event)?? Then just alternate the restaurants:

Night 1 (Dover) -7:00: Jacques

Night 2 (Honfleur) -7:30: Toscana

Night 4 (Pont-Aven) -8:00: Polo

Night 8 (Bilbao) -7:00: Red Ginger

Night 10 (Oporto) -7:00: Jacques

Night 12 (Casablanca) -7:00: Toscana

Night 13 (at sea) -7:00: Polo

Night 14 (Barcelona) -7:30: Red Ginger...

 

Should I just go in and grab those times as soon as the system lets me?

Now, the other question--am I to understand the system allows you to reserve BEFORE the 90 days (Suite, paid in full)...did I read THAT somewhere?

 

Otherwise, I guess I wait until mid-May, then go ahead and strike, huh?

[Senior Citizen]

We're on the inaugural cruise from Barcelona to Miami in January. Someone on the boards said that the early seatings at the specialty restaurants were full for the beginning of our cruise. I forgot all about booking in advance and just went online a few days ago and found early seatings in all the specialty restaurants throughout the cruise---maybe that's because i said that I would share our table. I think the tables for two might be more difficult to secure.

[wripro]

What are early seatings? There are no seatings. You choose a time yourself. And I suspect if you want to eat early, say 6 or 6:30 it will be easier to get a reservation than if you want to eat at 8.

[LHT28]

What are early seatings? There are no seatings.

For the specialty restaurants they have set times you can reserve

You cannot just show up on the night you have a reservation you book a specific time slot unlike the GDR where you just show up

Perhaps that is what they meant by early seating

Usually 6:30 pm or 7pm would be early

[StanandJim]

For the specialty restaurants they have set times you can reserve

 

 

I dont believe that there are officially "set times" for reservations, but the restaurant captains do try to stagger the tables, so that their guests are better served.