Pre-Booking Allure Restaurants with Kids

[kurukthemal]

We are headed on the Allure later this month and I was trying to book some specialty restaurants with my family. We are one adult, 12, 10 and 9 in age and it keeps charging me for four adult dinners. Is this correct or do kids get a discount? I am a bit confused and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!!

[setsail]

I believe that if you pre book the cruise planner only has the adult price. They will refund to your onboard account for children eating off the children's menu, not sure if there is an age cut off for using the children's menu. Go there after boarding and they will fill you in

[katiel53]

If you make reservations including the kids, the full charge applies but as mentioned can/will be adjusted when onboard. To get the discount, kids have to eat from the children's menu which is NOT the same as the adult menu. It is for kids up to 12.

 

My 12 year old granddaughter did not want to order from the children's menu, so we paid full price for her.

[El Abuelo]

We were recently on the Allure with 2 children and 2 babies, and I prebooked dinner in Giovanni's and Samba, paying full price for them. Both times, our waiter or the head waiter came to me soon after seating to confirm the children's rates had been processed. In both cases this was without regard to how they actually ordered. The two children always ate from the adult menu.

 

It took a month and multiple phone calls to RCI to get the credits posted on my card.

[Ourusualbeach]

We were recently on the Allure with 2 children and 2 babies, and I prebooked dinner in Giovanni's and Samba, paying full price for them. Both times, our waiter or the head waiter came to me soon after seating to confirm the children's rates had been processed. In both cases this was without regard to how they actually ordered. The two children always ate from the adult menu.

 

It took a month and multiple phone calls to RCI to get the credits posted on my card.

Did they not just post the difference as A refund to your seapass card to offset other charges. I've never heard of it being applied back to the original credit card.

 

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[kurukthemal]

Thanks all and I think I am just going to wait and book on board. I realize this affects availability, but I am looking at 3 kids * $25-30 over multiple nights, so I would be quite a pre-charge to get rectified. Greatly appreciate the responses!

[Clarea]

Did they not just post the difference as A refund to your seapass card to offset other charges. I've never heard of it being applied back to the original credit card.

I agree, never from an onboard refund back to the CC.

[dpostman]

Last March on Anthem, I pre-booked 3 specialty restaurants but only booked for the adults. We chose to only add the kids when we showed up. Every time there were no issues and were only charged the $10 each and they ordered from whatever menu they wanted. Plus, once or twice, one of the kids would prefer to join their age group club because there was a special activity or pizza supper of some sort and chose not to even join us at the specialty restaurant or MDR. I knew this before hand that this would happen and reserved accordingly, but even when I warned other parents in our 8 family group, they were surprised that their kids would chose to eat elsewhere a few nights. My feeling is: Hey, it's their vacation too, they can eat where they want ;)

 

dp

[madiaka]

Thanks all and I think I am just going to wait and book on board. I realize this affects availability, but I am looking at 3 kids * $25-30 over multiple nights, so I would be quite a pre-charge to get rectified. Greatly appreciate the responses!

 

 

 

I made reservations for my husband and I, and paid for that. I was able to add my son on board. Maybe pay for 2 and see if you can add the other 2 when you get onboard. You may have to adjust your time based on availability, but you might not.

 

 

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[The Grumpus]

Last March on Anthem, I pre-booked 3 specialty restaurants but only booked for the adults. We chose to only add the kids when we showed up. Every time there were no issues and were only charged the $10 each and they ordered from whatever menu they wanted. Plus, once or twice, one of the kids would prefer to join their age group club because there was a special activity or pizza supper of some sort and chose not to even join us at the specialty restaurant or MDR. I knew this before hand that this would happen and reserved accordingly, but even when I warned other parents in our 8 family group, they were surprised that their kids would chose to eat elsewhere a few nights. My feeling is: Hey, it's their vacation too, they can eat where they want ;)

 

dp

That's what I do as well. It's a lot easier to add them to the reservation once aboard rather than trying to get RCI to credit me the difference (from experience). Adventure Ocean has a few kid's dinners during the sailing and they like skipping dinner w/us to go to that as well.

[El Abuelo]

Did they not just post the difference as A refund to your seapass card to offset other charges. I've never heard of it being applied back to the original credit card.

 

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Before the cruise I asked about this here, and the response was "the charges will be credited to the original form of payment". In this case, because I booked pre-cruise, it wasn't charged to my account but to my credit card, which was my preference. I would not have objected to them crediting my outstanding balance at the end of the cruise, which was higher than I originally planned. My concern was I had a fair amount of OBC from RCI and my CC, and feared lost not used.

 

I asked guest services onboard the 6th day, and got a "please be patient and don't bother us" type of response. After waiting a month and multiple calls I finally got someone on the phone who said there were technical issues with the Allure accounting systems, but that he could see the transactions and, after a fair amount of back and forth, we agreed on the credit about, which he processed immediately.

[kurukthemal]

After reading the posts about just booking the restaurant for me and adding my kids on board...that would mean I would be making a reservation for 1, but then changing it to 4 on the ship? Do you think that would work? I think I would have availability problems. Again, appreciate the feedback and I still think I am going to just wait until we are on board and see whats available.

[Clarea]

After reading the posts about just booking the restaurant for me and adding my kids on board...that would mean I would be making a reservation for 1, but then changing it to 4 on the ship? Do you think that would work? I think I would have availability problems. Again, appreciate the feedback and I still think I am going to just wait until we are on board and see whats available.

Booking for one and changing to two on board is not a problem as there are no tables for one. However, going from one to four would be a change in table size and might be an issue.