specialty restaurants

[sho]

How easy to secure a table in the specialty restaurants?

Are there many tables available for two people?

[Paulchili]

It is quite easy for your minimum guaranteed number of reservations. These depend on your category of cabin and length of your cruise.

Your chances of getting your first choice of days and times is best if booking as soon as the reservations open for your category. Getting a table for 2 is no problem - just indicate your preference. You may obtain extra reservations once on board. Being flexible with time and table size improves your chances for extra reservations. Also, booking early in the day helps - early bird gets the table :)

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Paulchili

[ronrick1943]

Yes it's easy, for two as never been a problem. But always do it as soon as you can for best times.

[roothy123]

The advice above is great. The sea days tend to fill up fast, as do times in the 7 to 7:30 range. Unless they've changed things since around this time last year, you must book one restaurant, then another, and if you want to change a reservation later, you have to go back and delete that reservation before rebooking. Therefore, the longer you wait, the more likely you'll have fewer choices. If you book the day the booking window opens and don't care what time you eat you'll have many choices. If you book early and you're in a suite, you'll have even more choices (and more reservations, I think). Obviously your experience will depend upon how full your ship is, but this has been mine: With inside cabins (have to wait longer than suites) on both the smaller and larger ships we've been able to get at least half to 2/3 of our bookings at 7 or 7:30 with a table for 2, when booking the first or second day after reservations open. We've never had to book at 8:30, which we'd hate, but if that happened, I would probably try to see what was available when we got on the ship, and again by going to the restaurant the day of the reservation and asking to be notified if anyone cancels.

 

Recently we've been booking more shared tables, as we normally eat in the Terrace a lot rather than the main dining room, which means we're not sharing tables as much as many people are. Sharing can be really fun, especially if you're outgoing (I'm not) and you don't mind taking your time at dinner.

Edited May 19, 2014 by roothy123

[Bowie MeMe]

On our first O cruise we were looking around on the first day late afternoon and really did not have the specialty restaurant thing on our radar. The MD asked us if we would like to eat in the Steak House restaurant that night and so we had the most wonderful of sail away dinners. We were offered more times to enjoy the restaurants but we really preferred the main dining room most nights -- a little faster and really great food. Back for some more of that great food in November.

 

First night on board might be a good night for a specialty restaurant -- especially if you have been resting that day and not flying. Seemed to be availability for most nights for those who wanted them -- but your experience might be different.