A full cruise = hard to get into specialty restaurants?

[cpgrneyes]

We sailed last year on a 14 day repositioning cruise that was just over half full. We were in a suite, and loved the specialty restaurants, eating there every night we weren't in port.

 

We are sailing on a B2B next month, and the ships will be 95% full, and we're in a regular veranda this time. Are we going to have trouble getting reservations? I know to head there right away when we embark to make reservations, but how many days will we be able to book? We got to know the sommelier and host last year, so I'm more optimistic for the 2nd leg of our trip.

 

I've heard about the great outdoor dinners that we missed last year. Are those held on late port days/overnights?

[uktog]

We were on a full cruise in January on Journey and never had any problems getting into one of the restaurants - Aqualina was slightly harder but we just worked around with the Maitre D on which restaurant we went to and at what time and all was well. Not sure if it makes a difference but we tend to eat around 2030

Enjoy your cruise!

 

A

[maryann ns]

Have not had a problem. We booked four times on our last cruise, all at 20:30 but we came early at least two of those evenings and were seated right away.

[sharke]

We never had any problems but we reserved early times around 1830, choosing early dinner due to some health issues. We ate at the specialty restaurants 7 out of 12 nights and we had an inside room.

[cpgrneyes]

Just ran into my old post, and FYI, we had NO issues getting into the restaurants, but did book them early.

 

Can't wait to get back on the Quest!

[shedridt]

We just returned from Europe after a blissful 11 days on Journey, Rouen to Amsterdam. As we were in a suite we looked forward to dining in the specialty restaurants regularly, & enjoyed them very much. There seemed to be tables available each evening.

 

Our verdict on the various restaurants is that the filet mignon in the steak house restaurant was SUPERB, but we did not very much enjoy our dinners in Aqualina. Perhaps the problem was in the choices we made.

 

After such rich food in the specialty restaurants we tried the main dining room & loved the food there, so do not despair if you cannot get into the specialty restaurants. And the Cafe serves wonderful themed dinners we universally enjoyed.

 

All of that & a Jazz Brunch too, which was a wonderful surprise! Have fun on Az --- we surely did!

[palamoh]

We just got back from the Journey as well, did the Trans Atlantic cruise into Rouen, left for a 7 day Trip into Normandy and retuned to the ship for Rouen to Amsterdam. Both Rest's were only half full at night on both legs. Trans Atlantic Cruise was completely full. No problems for Reservations even on the same day.

 

We got information from the Staff, that since they increased the fares to 25.00 pp that things slowed down at both Specialty Rest's. Don't let this deter you from a great evewning in both Rest's. The 25.00 pp is still worth an evening at both Rest's

[Phxazzcruisers]

We're on a B2B in July and August and looking forward to going back to our favorite restaurants. We have a suite so we will probably do a lot of damege to our waistlines on this trip !!!

[shedridt]

By our 6th day of very rich food in the specialty restaurants I craved spaghetti bolognese so much that visions of it floated before my eyes! I very nearly grasped the Guernsians (?) by both lapels & asked WHERE I could find it --- duh -- everywhere!!! Sometimes it's the little things, interspersed with great big things, that make you completely happy.

 

Enjoy the specialty restaurants, & do let us know your thoughts on Aqualina. One night my husband said his lobster completely lacked taste (I agreed), & my entree was left unfinished. I also found it odd that the pates are on the Aqualina menu, along with carpaccio, which seemed to me to be more in line with the menu in Prime C which didn't have these items at all.

 

Such problems in paradise!

[insidecabin]

On our transatlantic we went aft to grab the sunset(and a wine) every night at 6:00pm

 

The food at the buffet* was fantastic we nearly always had a snack and some days it was so good we ended up eating there and missing the MDR.

 

Check out he MDR menus some days are fantastic other just great.

I could not eat in the specialities every night the menu was too small.

 

 

* Buffet is really a bunch of cook to order stations with self select items. One station changes each night