Escape Dining Reservations?

[HCFR10]

Hello all,

 

We are new to NCL, and of course this is our first time sailing on the Escape and trying to figure out how NCL works. We bought the 4 Pack dining plan and when I went to make reservations for the restaurants it said they were all full. Will I get a refund if there is no spots left in the restaurants or is there a way to make reservations so the restaurants I want to eat at? Also, what happens if there are no spots left? Do i get a refund?

 

Thanks in advance

Jay

[TenForward]

Just so happened to read the this post yesterday http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=49829682&postcount=1 Apparently they only release 30% of the reservations for online booking, leaving 70% for booking once you board.

[Golfin55]

As soon as you board go to guest services ( restaurant res desk) last counter on the left when facing guest services.

[MikeBTN]

If you have an iPhone or Droid, download the iConcierge app now. Open it when you get to the ship - you make reservations using this once on board.

[HCFR10]

Thanks for the info. I downloaded the app and I will be ready once we arrive in Miami.

[Aquahound]

As soon as you board go to guest services ( restaurant res desk) last counter on the left when facing guest services.

 

On Escape, the reservations desk is set up in Headliners on embarkation day.

[Jenjer]

I have not heard of people getting refunds so make sure you use them ;)

[tggs726]

A good portion of reservations are held for onboard booking and walk ups. With that said I would try to book them ASAP on board if you are looking to eat during peak times.

 

-Matt

[HCFR10]

Thanks guys! I will do it as soon as we get on the boat.

[Driberif1]

If you have an iPhone or Droid, download the iConcierge app now. Open it when you get to the ship - you make reservations using this once on board.

 

Not sure when you are talking about opening the App but just in case I want to let everyone know how it works because I have heard many people say they made reservations while waiting to board the ship and that is not possible, in order to be able to start using the App you must go to your room first and turn on the TV and get your PIN# to start using the App! Sometimes you are able to go straight to your room once you board and other times you need to wait awhile. The first day there is always a HUGE line at guest services and I do not thing it is worth the wait, but what many people do not realize is that there is a couple large touch screens on every floor as you go up and down the steps and all you have to do is slip your room key in one of those and you can make all the reservations you want. On a side note, We just got off the Escape and everyone had the dining package and beverage package and we were worried about getting in also but I assure you that you have nothing to worry about. We booked reservations online way ahead of time and was only able to get the really late times but we made the reservations to be safe and every night we decided we did not want to wait that long and either changed reservations once on board or a few times we would just walk in and there was never more then a 5 minute wait and we never had to wait more then about 45 seconds for our drink orders to be taken at bars!

[LrgPizza]

Not sure when you are talking about opening the App but just in case I want to let everyone know how it works because I have heard many people say they made reservations while waiting to board the ship and that is not possible, in order to be able to start using the App you must go to your room first and turn on the TV and get your PIN# to start using the App!

 

We sit in the terminal messaging each other back and forth on iConcierge before ever boarding the ship. As soon as you've checked in and been given your key cards, you can do this. I've used iConcierge on my last 3 cruises, and have never even turned on my stateroom television, so I have no idea what you're talking about, I only know you are wrong.

Edited April 28, 2016 by LrgPizza

[Driberif1]

We sit in the terminal messaging each other back and forth on iConcierge before ever boarding the ship. As soon as you've checked in and been given your key cards, you can do this. I've used iConcierge on my last 3 cruises, and have never even turned on my stateroom television, so I have no idea what you're talking about, I only know you are wrong.

 

How did you acquire your "PIN #" then? As you know you need to "register" to sign in your first time which consists of entering

#1 your name

#2 room# and

#3 PIN#

[Driberif1]

We sit in the terminal messaging each other back and forth on iConcierge before ever boarding the ship. As soon as you've checked in and been given your key cards, you can do this. I've used iConcierge on my last 3 cruises, and have never even turned on my stateroom television, so I have no idea what you're talking about, I only know you are wrong.

 

Update:

To make sure I was not crazy I just called NCL to verify and it is as I thought, you must acquire your PIN# from your stateroom TV or from Guest Services, the lady said you can not acquire the PIN# prior because they are not reset until everyone from the prior cruise is off the boat because the rooms are still assigned to the previous guests until then. (You can obviously access the ships Wi-Fi while waiting to board but there is not much you can do until you get the PIN# to "Register" for the first time each cruise.

[LrgPizza]

How did you acquire your "PIN #" then? As you know you need to "register" to sign in your first time which consists of entering

#1 your name

#2 room# and

#3 PIN#

 

Unless the process has changed, we didn't need a PIN. We open the app, it asks if we want to pay, yada yada yada, and bam, we are on and texting each other. I don't know what to tell you, but we have done this multiple times. To be honest, I've never done it any other way.

[LrgPizza]

Update:

To make sure I was not crazy I just called NCL to verify and it is as I thought, you must acquire your PIN# from your stateroom TV or from Guest Services, the lady said you can not acquire the PIN# prior because they are not reset until everyone from the prior cruise is off the boat because the rooms are still assigned to the previous guests until then. (You can obviously access the ships Wi-Fi while waiting to board but there is not much you can do until you get the PIN# to "Register" for the first time each cruise.

Like I said, the process has clearly changed then. I'm not lying, nor am I forgetting. I've recommended to countless people over the years to set it up and practice while in terminal, like we did, and plenty of others have done the same. I have never turned on my stateroom TV, nor have I ever gone to guest services for anything to do with iConcierge, nor have I ever heard of anyone else going.

 

EDIT: We did have to go to guest services on one cruise to get a PIN for the Wifi packages we purchased. That had nothing to do with iConcierge though.

Edited April 28, 2016 by LrgPizza

[Aquahound]

Update:

To make sure I was not crazy I just called NCL to verify and it is as I thought, you must acquire your PIN# from your stateroom TV or from Guest Services, the lady said you can not acquire the PIN# prior because they are not reset until everyone from the prior cruise is off the boat because the rooms are still assigned to the previous guests until then. (You can obviously access the ships Wi-Fi while waiting to board but there is not much you can do until you get the PIN# to "Register" for the first time each cruise.

 

Like I said, the process has clearly changed then. I'm not lying, nor am I forgetting. I've recommended to countless people over the years to set it up and practice while in terminal, like we did, and plenty of others have done the same. I have never turned on my stateroom TV, nor have I ever gone to guest services for anything to do with iConcierge, nor have I ever heard of anyone else going.

 

EDIT: We did have to go to guest services on one cruise to get a PIN for the Wifi packages we purchased. That had nothing to do with iConcierge though.

 

I'm not sure what the point is of the PIN. Last week on Escape, the TV displayed a PIN for me and one for my wife. However, when I downloaded the app, it did not ask for a PIN. It just asked for name and room number. I went right to making reservations with it. Never entered a PIN. I know this because I downloaded the app and started using it before I even saw a PIN on my TV.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Aquahound

[Driberif1]

I'm not sure what the point is of the PIN. Last week on Escape, the TV displayed a PIN for me and one for my wife. However, when I downloaded the app, it did not ask for a PIN. It just asked for name and room number. I went right to making reservations with it. Never entered a PIN. I know this because I downloaded the app and started using it before I even saw a PIN on my TV.

 

Not sure if this is what may have happened on your side also but for the 3 of us we were not able to do anything until we entered the PIN# when trying to "register" and once we seen it on the TV I entered my PIN# and the other info and I was logged in. And then my two girls tried to register again and did not require them to enter the PIN# then so we figured once I registered the room they did not need to do it again. As the other poster mentioned, maybe this is something that changes because when we went on the Getaway for its 2nd sailing it was the exact same and then we went on the Epic last year and we only needed our name and stateroom so we were signed on prior to boarding.

[purpletequila]

And the hilarity of "Freestyle Cruising" continues.....

 

I'm going on my first NCL in November mainly to satisfy curiosity and because my sister wants try this mega ship but honestly. #1, In order to get Vibe passes I have to get there at the crack of dawn, hang around for hours and then run for it for just the CHANCE to get one. Or, as someone else told me happened, bribe the guy at the door to let you go in earlier than your boarding group. #2, I have to figure out which shows I want to see in advance. #3, I have to watch my countdown app and hope my typing speed increases between now and 90 days out to book restaurants I may not be in the mood for on any particular day I book. lol Yes. Freestyle.

 

Anyhoooo----a serious question for anyone that knows. At the 90 day out mark, at what time can I go on and pre-book everything? Is it literally 12:01AM?

Edited April 28, 2016 by purpletequila

[BirdTravels]

We are new to NCL, and of course this is our first time sailing on the Escape and trying to figure out how NCL works. We bought the 4 Pack dining plan and when I went to make reservations for the restaurants it said they were all full. Will I get a refund if there is no spots left in the restaurants or is there a way to make reservations so the restaurants I want to eat at? Also, what happens if there are no spots left? Do i get a refund?

 

No refund. As soon as you get onboard, go to the Headliners club. They have a restaurant reservations center set up in the club (and across at the Bistro podium). While they supposedly hold tables for onboard booking, prime time dining will sell out quickly in restaurants like Teppanyaki and Cagneys. You can also use your SDP on a walk-up basis at restaurants like the Tappas bar, Sushi, Margaritaville. Or at the Supper Club Cabaret.

 

Alternately you can book on any of the touch screen panels in the public areas, using your iConcierge app, or on your stateroom TV.

Edited April 28, 2016 by BirdTravels

[BirdTravels]

Anyhoooo----a serious question for anyone that knows. At the 90 day out mark, at what time can I go on and pre-book everything? Is it literally 12:01AM?

 

#1 it is exactly 12:01 am ET 90 days out. Remember, suites guests can start booking 100 days out, so 12:01 am ET is not the first time you can book.

 

#2 Vibe pass is over rated. A private sun deck. Not worth it. Save your money. Sit in one of the hundreds of public loungers. If you want anything, get a thermal suite spa pass.

 

#3 Eat in the main dining room. It is Free! You can eat at any time! 10 entrees if you want. Order 1 of everything on the menu.

Edited April 28, 2016 by BirdTravels

[LrgPizza]

#1 it is exactly 12:01 am ET 90 days out. Remember, suites guests can start booking 100 days out, so 12:01 am ET is not the first time you can book.

 

#2 Vibe pass is over rated. A private sun deck. Not worth it. Save your money. Sit in one of the hundreds of public loungers. If you want anything, get a thermal suite spa pass.

 

#3 Eat in the main dining room. It is Free! You can eat at any time! 10 entrees if you want. Order 1 of everything on the menu.

 

 

I would give this exact same advice.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Driberif1]

And the hilarity of "Freestyle Cruising" continues.....

 

I'm going on my first NCL in November mainly to satisfy curiosity and because my sister wants try this mega ship but honestly. #1, In order to get Vibe passes I have to get there at the crack of dawn, hang around for hours and then run for it for just the CHANCE to get one. Or, as someone else told me happened, bribe the guy at the door to let you go in earlier than your boarding group. #2, I have to figure out which shows I want to see in advance. #3, I have to watch my countdown app and hope my typing speed increases between now and 90 days out to book restaurants I may not be in the mood for on any particular day I book. lol Yes. Freestyle.

 

Anyhoooo----a serious question for anyone that knows. At the 90 day out mark, at what time can I go on and pre-book everything? Is it literally 12:01AM?

 

I think you are stressing over nothing really, as I said in my other post above, the reservations really do not seem to matter much, with all the hype I was nervous also and panicked and made sure to book all the reservations and then seen limited times available online and really panicked but once on the boat we were able to pretty much go anywhere we wanted anytime we wanted. Even to walk up to any of the restaurants as a "Standby" it was never longer then a 5 minute wait. We are not big on broadway/muscial sorta shows so I can not comment on those but we do love comedy/stand up comedy and was able to go to 4 different comedy shows. The VIBE is a true story though, if you are really interested in getting those passes it is a pain in the butt unfortunately. If I were you I would just plan on not getting those passes and if you get lucky like we did then great, if not you are not losing that much. Depending on your reason for wanting the VIBE passes there are alternatives, some people want them because the main pool is so loud and crowded and if that is the case there is an area just outside the VIBE that is pretty much an exact duplicate of the VIBE that is open to all but everytime we would go into the VIBE that area was not crowded at all and it also has its own bartender and hot tub and is the same distance away from the main pool and there was always plenty of open seating in that area. If you want the VIBE pass to avoid kids you can always go to the back of the boat to SpiceH2O for the adult only area during the day. Most people say they want the passes because it is tough to get chairs and you always have a chair at VIBE, but VIBE is away from the main pool and if you are not wanting to be close to the main pool anyway it is not tough to find chairs. ( there was always plenty of open seats outside VIBE and if you keep walking past VIBE to front of the boat there was always plenty also). Stop stressing! you will love it!