What Days and Times Do You Like to Dine: Specialty Restaurants

[Mura]

We tend not to go these functions anymore, but I'm rather sure it's either the second day of the cruise or the first sea day.  If there are no sea days, then probably on the second day.  The top staff is pretty busy when leaving port the first night.

 

 

I'm now morphing to a topic of Meet & Greets ...

 

When I've set up M&Gs I usually go to the concierge to find the best time and venue.  They tell ME, I don't tell THEM.

 

Lately, though, we were on port intensive cruises and so I started having the M&Gs on the boarding day, around 6pm.  Or more specifically, right after the end of the boat drill.  This gives us time to meet, have a drink or two, and go to dinner at a reasonable hour.  This was done precisely because people who'd set up private tours wanted an opportunity to meet the others on their tour.

 

This has worked out very well for my groups, but when we had groups of 100+ people on previous cruises, then it was better to plan on a second or third night of the cruise per the concierge's suggestion.  Almost always that was in Horizons at cocktail hour.

 

On Marina in November 2017 and Riviera in May 2018, they suggested the Sanctuary on Deck 14 forward portside (just forward of the Sun Deck.)  This is excellent for smaller groups, I found -- we were about 35 as I recall -- because people really had to stand up and circulate! When in Horizons I find people send to find a seat at a table for four and not move much!  It can depend on the group, of course.

 

Mura

 

[LHT28]

Just now, Frncie said:

How do we know in advance when the captain’s welcome party will be? Our last cruise on Riviera was a couple years ago, and I think it must have been near the beginning of the cruise, but I can’t remember which day. Is there a rule of thumb for this?

IME

Usually the first  sea day  or  the 2nd or 3rd night of the cruise

[CintiPam]

Our tradition is Polo Grill the last night and spreading out the specialty reservations over the length of the cruise.  We like early dining times for the specialties because we are slow eaters and usually spend two hours when dining at those wonderful venues.  

[Redtravel]

Red Ginger is good. Nice that it will be offered on the R ships. Does that include the tea Forte?  Tea forte is my favorite tea.  After trying it on a cruise, not O, I buy it at home. It is so much better than twinnings.