Precruise questions

[melinda0222]

I am sailing on the Independence of the Seas Feb 2016 and I have a few questions that are general not specific to my cruise.

 

1. When does RCCL allow you to book specialty restaurants online. Is it 90 days out, 180 days out? Just want to make sure I book a V-Day dinner for my husband and me.

2. When you use the kids club in the evening, after 10pm, and they are charging you, is there a multi kid discount.

3. I know the questions about the all you can drink package are numerous. I have read the literature and I was under the impression that there are unlimited alcoholic drinks. However, someone told me they just got off a cruise and they were limited to 15 drinks per day. Yes I know 15 is a lot, more than I can drink, but then it is not unlimited. I believe this person is incorrect but I am asking for verification.

4. We have a big group going for my sister's wedding. We all have the my time dining. My Mom wants to make a reservation in the main dining room on the wedding night, so we can all eat together. She has spoken to the travel agent and to the romance department and has been told no. She either has to rent out the specialty restaurant for $5000 or book a buffet for dinner at an hourly rate. We also do not want to switch to all eating at the early dining time every night. Does anyone have any other ideas on who to talk to. We would all really like to eat together this one night.

 

Thanks for all the help.

[bethco]

1) Supposedly it's 90 days out for booking specialty restaurants, but it's not open for Allure October Transatlantic.

 

3) The 15 drink limit is on Carnival. No limit on Royal Caribbean, but someone who is obviously plastered may not be served anymore.

 

 

No idea on the other questions. Good luck.

[karena1]

I am sailing on the Independence of the Seas Feb 2016 and I have a few questions that are general not specific to my cruise.

 

1. When does RCCL allow you to book specialty restaurants online. Is it 90 days out, 180 days out? Just want to make sure I book a V-Day dinner for my husband and me.

2. When you use the kids club in the evening, after 10pm, and they are charging you, is there a multi kid discount.

3. I know the questions about the all you can drink package are numerous. I have read the literature and I was under the impression that there are unlimited alcoholic drinks. However, someone told me they just got off a cruise and they were limited to 15 drinks per day. Yes I know 15 is a lot, more than I can drink, but then it is not unlimited. I believe this person is incorrect but I am asking for verification. There is no limit to the number of drinks. I always have the drink package and never have any issues on how many drinks I get during the course of a day.

4. We have a big group going for my sister's wedding. We all have the my time dining. My Mom wants to make a reservation in the main dining room on the wedding night, so we can all eat together. She has spoken to the travel agent and to the romance department and has been told no. She either has to rent out the specialty restaurant for $5000 or book a buffet for dinner at an hourly rate. We also do not want to switch to all eating at the early dining time every night. Does anyone have any other ideas on who to talk to. We would all really like to eat together this one night.

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

When are you cruising??? We are on the Feb 18th Indy

[cb at sea]

For big groups, reservations are suggested...highly! Just like in any restaurant, large groups are hard to seat...so let them know when you're coming!!! As long a you all have MTD, you're fine. You do NOT need special dining arrangements!!!

[brillohead]

4. We have a big group going for my sister's wedding. We all have the my time dining. My Mom wants to make a reservation in the main dining room on the wedding night, so we can all eat together. She has spoken to the travel agent and to the romance department and has been told no. She either has to rent out the specialty restaurant for $5000 or book a buffet for dinner at an hourly rate. We also do not want to switch to all eating at the early dining time every night. Does anyone have any other ideas on who to talk to. We would all really like to eat together this one night.

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

 

Not sure what you're considering to be a "big group", but if you all have My Time Dining, you can all dine at the same time.

 

Do you not realize that MTD is served in the main dining room? Just make a reservation for "group size" number of people at the same time and you're all set.

 

Alternately, you can book just the number in your group for a specialty restaurant -- you don't have to buy out the whole entire restaurant for the entire night, just reserve for the number in your group.

[Merion_Mom]

When are you cruising??? We are on the Feb 18th Indy

 

Well, since she said that she wants to book a specialty restaurant for Valentine's Day, I assume that she is on the week BEFORE you.

[Paulxyz2004]

Not sure what you're considering to be a "big group", but if you all have My Time Dining, you can all dine at the same time.

 

Do you not realize that MTD is served in the main dining room? Just make a reservation for "group size" number of people at the same time and you're all set.

 

Alternately, you can book just the number in your group for a specialty restaurant -- you don't have to buy out the whole entire restaurant for the entire night, just reserve for the number in your group.

 

The Group might be just too big to make a Reservation for the entire Group for the same time. They have limited open spots for each time Slot and the Group might exceed These.

 

In Addition, again depending on the Group size, they would Need extra waiters etc. to serve the entire Group at the same time and your Suggestion doesn´t guarantee the Group can dine together. They could dine at the same time, but still scattered throughout the MTD.

MTD is opposed to traditional depending on staggering tables to diferent Dining times and not serve all at once. A large Group Dining together would most likely throw the Operation off.

 

The Suggestion of renting out a specialty restaurant is a hint to me that it will be a rather large Party.

[DonnaK]

Can someone provide the email address for dining requests?

 

I suggest that the OP send an email for a general dining request, and not work through the travel agent or the romance department.

 

Just an idea: Independence has small overflow dining venues on the side of the restaurant. (they are on deck 3, labeled "Othello" and "Anthony and Cleopatra" on the deck plans) When we were on Explorer, someone from our roll call was able to arrange for us to have a group meal in one of those venues by writing to that email address. About 50 people participated and there was no extra cost.

Edited August 8, 2015 by DonnaK

[melinda0222]

Can someone provide the email address for dining requests?

 

I suggest that the OP send an email for a general dining request, and not work through the travel agent or the romance department.

 

Just an idea: Independence has small overflow dining venues on the side of the restaurant. (they are on deck 3, labeled "Othello" and "Anthony and Cleopatra" on the deck plans) When we were on Explorer, someone from our roll call was able to arrange for us to have a group meal in one of those venues by writing to that email address. About 50 people participated and there was no extra cost.

 

Thank you to everyone who has given me suggestions. We do have a large group, approx 50 people.

1. Chops could take us but we have to rent the entire place out at $5000 or we could sit 10 people at a time 30 mins apart. So this is not an ideal option.

2. There are too many of us to reserve the main dining room at one time.

3. Thank you to Donnak for your above suggestion. That is exactly what we are looking for. If anyone knows the email or where to get the email I would greatly appreciate it. I really want my sister to have our family eating together on her wedding night. We are doing appetizers at the wedding site it the afternoon but we want dinner together.

Thanks again to everyone for all your great input.

[melinda0222]

We will be in the Feb 13 sailing.

Edited August 8, 2015 by melinda0222

[DonnaK]

Melinda,

 

Here are 2 email addresses you can try:

 

rcldining@rccl.com

 

in_restaurantoperationscoordinator@rccl.com (in = independence)

 

 

Good luck, and please come back and let us know how everything worked out!

Edited August 8, 2015 by DonnaK

[melinda0222]

Melinda,

 

Here are 2 email addresses you can try:

 

rcldining@rccl.com

 

in_restaurantoperationscoordinator@rccl.com (in = independence)

 

 

Good luck, and please come back and let us know how everything worked out!

 

Thank you so much. I will let you all know if I have success.

[Ashland]

Sorry...no discount for multiple kids in Adventure Ocean or any of the kid clubs or nursery.

[melinda0222]

Sorry...no discount for multiple kids in Adventure Ocean or any of the kid clubs or nursery.

 

I was afraid of that. Thanks for the info.

[beachnative]

Melinda,

 

Here are 2 email addresses you can try:

 

rcldining@rccl.com

 

in_restaurantoperationscoordinator@rccl.com (in = independence)

 

Good luck, and please come back and let us know how everything worked out!

 

THIS is INCORRECT:

in_restaurantoperationscoordinator@rccl.com (in = independence)

"IN" is Celebrity's INFINITY. The INDEPENDENCE is "ID"

 

It should read:

 

ID_restaurantoperationscoordinator@rccl.com

Edited August 8, 2015 by beachnative

[melinda0222]

Thanks to everyone for their answers and the email addresses. I ended up using both email address, 1 to ship and the other to RCCL dining. It worked. They have agreed to hold tables for us that night so we can eat together. They said that we would have to wait until Jan as it is too far out to reserve the tables at this time. So happy we have it all worked out. Thanks to beachnative and DonnaK for the email addresses. We had our TA try to solve this problem for us and she couldn't, so cruise critic saved the day. Thanks again for everyones help.