NC Garden Traveler Posted November 30, 2012 #1 Share Posted November 30, 2012 This topic may have been discussed earlier but I haven't seen it so I'm posting this as an alert for those of you pre-booking dinner reservations. We are sailing in about two weeks. Over the past 6 months, we have used the CC Roll Call to assemble a group of 10 couples who will be sharing private tours. We also agreed to meet in smaller 3-couple groups for dinner at the specialty restaurants. We are in different cabin classes, so the dates for pre-booking reservations varies. My wife and I are in a concierge-category cabin and offered to initiate the booking 60 days prior to departure. For the couples in staterooms that could not yet book, the on-line system would not allow me to make a reservation for them (which I understood), but I called the reservation desk to see if I could reserve a table for 6 and then add them to the reservation when the booking window opened for them. The Oceania agent said that she could manually add them to the table and I received an e-mail from Oceania soon after the call stating that the reservation had been accepted for a table for 6 and listed the additional couple's name. When I received the final booking summary from Oceania, it showed a table for 4, rather than 6, so I called the Oceania reservation desk, reviewed the booking history, and asked the agent to try to get us a table for 6. Unfortunately, all of the 6-person tables that could be pre-booked were already full. She offered to talk to her supervisor, but contacted me the following day saying that there was nothing that the pre-booking department could do to fix the problem. I reiterated that I received an e-mail from Oceania at the time of initial booking confirming our reservation for 6, at which time the agent noted that the e-mail sent by Oceania's booking software is simply confirmation that the request was submitted, not that the reservation was confirmed. That would be all well and good if the software also sent an e-mail stating that the reservation was not accepted or was being suspensed pending further action, but it doesn't. She said that Oceania has been aware of this glitch in the software for several years, but that the problem had not been corrected. I am posting this message to make other CC users aware of this problem and hope that Oceania will fix their software problem. It certainly leaves an unfavorable impression about Oceania's commitment to helping their customers enjoy their cruise. David White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted November 30, 2012 #2 Share Posted November 30, 2012 This topic may have been discussed earlier but I haven't seen it so I'm posting this as an alert for those of you pre-booking dinner reservations. We are sailing in about two weeks. Over the past 6 months, we have used the CC Roll Call to assemble a group of 10 couples who will be sharing private tours. We also agreed to meet in smaller 3-couple groups for dinner at the specialty restaurants. We are in different cabin classes, so the dates for pre-booking reservations varies. My wife and I are in a concierge-category cabin and offered to initiate the booking 60 days prior to departure. For the couples in staterooms that could not yet book, the on-line system would not allow me to make a reservation for them (which I understood), but I called the reservation desk to see if I could reserve a table for 6 and then add them to the reservation when the booking window opened for them. The Oceania agent said that she could manually add them to the table and I received an e-mail from Oceania soon after the call stating that the reservation had been accepted for a table for 6 and listed the additional couple's name. When I received the final booking summary from Oceania, it showed a table for 4, rather than 6, so I called the Oceania reservation desk, reviewed the booking history, and asked the agent to try to get us a table for 6. Unfortunately, all of the 6-person tables that could be pre-booked were already full. She offered to talk to her supervisor, but contacted me the following day saying that there was nothing that the pre-booking department could do to fix the problem. I reiterated that I received an e-mail from Oceania at the time of initial booking confirming our reservation for 6, at which time the agent noted that the e-mail sent by Oceania's booking software is simply confirmation that the request was submitted, not that the reservation was confirmed. That would be all well and good if the software also sent an e-mail stating that the reservation was not accepted or was being suspensed pending further action, but it doesn't. She said that Oceania has been aware of this glitch in the software for several years, but that the problem had not been corrected. I am posting this message to make other CC users aware of this problem and hope that Oceania will fix their software problem. It certainly leaves an unfavorable impression about Oceania's commitment to helping their customers enjoy their cruise. David White I feel your pain, David, as I, like you, am a long term, detail oriented planner. In fact, I ran into precisely this same problem in 2009 when planning a milestone Birthday Party for Stan in Polo on the Nautica (Although, to be fair, that was in the days before online reservations were an option). What I did, to insure that we got exactly the right table, was to make it my business to board the ship on sailing day as early as our stateroom category allowed, and then made a beeline to the Specialty Restaurant Reservations podium (ask when you check in where that will be, as the location varies). The maître 'D on duty is usually very accommodating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted November 30, 2012 #3 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I agree Speak to the Maitre'd when you board & they will do their best to accommodated you Enjoy the cruise Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted December 2, 2012 #4 Share Posted December 2, 2012 It is usually all the systems that are precruise that lack. Once onboard every line gives it there best IMHO. It is like the websites for these cruiselines were designed by people who have never traveled or been in the hospitality business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasure4two Posted December 2, 2012 #5 Share Posted December 2, 2012 We usually board as soon as possible and go up to the restaurant. As soon as the MD is there, you can ask for the table and I can not believe it will be a problem. As we all know, Oceania (and Azamara) treat us great. That being said, I am a planning and control freak, so I would be frustrated also. Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted December 2, 2012 #6 Share Posted December 2, 2012 It gets tough when people are in different categories. What you wanted to do is have a larger table given to you and your non- concierge friends be put at that table at the more attractive time you get for your level cabin. I wanted the same, when we were in a PH and our friends were in a B level. I called Oceania and they said if we wanted to be together and book in advance, we needed to do so at the time where bookings for the non concierge level was opened. I understood the logic, as I was asking to have my friends get priority booking without having the priority cabin, which is not really fair. What Oceania did wrong in your case, was allow it in the first place, if they wanted to be consistent. That said, once they confirmed that they were giving you the larger table at your booking time instead of having you wait until your friends' time, they should honor that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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