Specialty Restaurants Rules

[sabrefan]

Just booked a future Alaska Cruise with another couple. We have a Deluxe Veranda cabin and allowed (1) reservation in each of the two specialty restaurants. Our friends have a Penthouse Veranda cabin and allowed (2) reservations in each of the two specialty restaurants. I thought you can invite people from another cabin. If this is true and we invited each other then all four of us should be able to eat in each specialty restaurant 3 times during this 10 night cruise. Is my understanding correct? We were on a Viking cruise back in November 2017 and I thought this was true back then.

[Peregrina651]

The number of advanced reservations that you may make is limited by your cabin category. The key word here is advanced.

 

The number of times you can actually eat in the specialty restaurants has nothing to do with that number and everything to do with how many additional reservations you can snag once you board -- and each cruise is different because demand on each cruise is different and because the maitre'ds have a certain amount of leeway in parceling out the available seats. In other words, you will hear lots of stories of how things worked out for this person and the other but there are no definitive answers to your question other than to say that Viking tries to make sure that everyone gets a fair shot. Viking is continually tweaking the reservations algorithms and what was true in 2017, may not be true now.

 

If you try to link your reservations by inviting someone to join you, it becomes more complicated -- and it won't add up to three reservations in each. You cannot game the advanced reservation limits by inviting one another. If your friends invite you to dine with them, that will be your one advanced reservation and one of theirs. They will be able to make a second reservation and may be able to invite you to join them but can do this only after you board.

 

On board, there are three ways to make a reservation:

• talk to the maitre'd
• use the reservation system on your TV
• from your phone using the Viking Voyager app (download in advance of sailing but it only functions on board the ship)

 

 

 

 

[deec]

FYI..just showing up often works too!

[RetroRod]

If all else fails and you really want a reservation at a certain time a maitre'd “friendly handshake” with $20 bill might work. It has for me in Vegas. I know some folks will think this is wrong but it does work. 

[Pushka]

25 minutes ago, VJMAZZ said:

If all else fails and you really want a reservation at a certain time a maitre'd “friendly handshake” with $20 bill might work. It has for me in Vegas. I know some folks will think this is wrong but it does work. 

I expect if it can happen they will make it happen without needing to do this. 

[RetroRod]

I neglected to add a 😊 to my post to indicate humor.  

[agnesd]

Considering that we have no advanced choices and must book on board, what would be the best way to handle this when we board?  We fear we will not have many choices. Would the maitre’d be best?

[Cyber Kat]

9 hours ago, agnesd said:

Considering that we have no advanced choices and must book on board, what would be the best way to handle this when we board?  We fear we will not have many choices. Would the maitre’d be best?

 

We found talking to the person at the reception desk for each restaurant best. There is a table for making reservations in the World Cafe, but they seemed to have more restrictions. 

[philw1776]

7 hours ago, Cyber Kat said:

 

We found talking to the person at the reception desk for each restaurant best. There is a table for making reservations in the World Cafe, but they seemed to have more restrictions. 

Spot on.
Got a brusque blow off at the World Cafe station.  Not a typical Viking response.

Later talked to the reception desk at Manfredi's, mentioning that I couldn't get a reservation.  He responded, "I make the reservations here! What would you like?"  

Another point. Keep trying.  People like me cancel reservations as plans at ports change.  What WAS full can become open.

[deec]

Please be courteous to your fellow passengers and cancel your reservations when plans change!!!

[agnesd]

Are all the dinner restUrants open on boarding day?

[Dauntless]

6 hours ago, agnesd said:

Are all the dinner restUrants open on boarding day?

 

At lunch, no but by dinner everything is open.

 

[G. GIRL]

On our trip we booked our one visit per restaurant when they came available but enjoyed the Italian restaurant so much we wanted to go again. We just went down to the bar a little earlier than normal and asked at the restaurant reception if they had any spaces. He told us to get a drink and he would come to us when a table came free. We waited about 45 minutes and he came as promised. We didn’t mind the wait, we had a couple of drinks and enjoyed our surroundings and again had a fantastic meal. 

[robinhood1]

Having  just returned  from Orion flexibility is the name of the game. We had two advanced reservations in each restaurant but were able to eat all the Chef’s Table menus and several times in Manfredi’s on our first leg of two.  My approach was to make our reservations early in the cruise - then use the phone app to top up and then talk to the head waiters. Keep looking on the phone app as tables come available regularly as people change their plans. Tips were refused by the head waiters - only offered as a thanks not as a bribe!! - and once when we had booked  a table in Manfredis for four and asked at very short notice to change to six ( for our trivia team dinner!!!) we were offered the private dining room which was free that night ( very special treat!) .  The phone app seems to have a limit on your reservations but as you use them up the slots free up again. On our second leg the World Cafe station was assigned the job of sorting out reservations for continuing travellers before the end of the first leg and booked us four in each!!!! As someone said there is no precise way of sorting things out - on lobster night in the main restaurant there were 50 no shows in the Chefs Table and 25 in Manfredi’s - so tables were very available at very short notice! Also eating later helps...tables after 8.00 are relatively easy to get too. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by robinhood1

[Jim Avery]

Said it before and I say it again, I don't yet know what I want tonight much less months from now.  This entire allowed advance booking for meals is a contrived "perk" of Viking's creation.  In reality, in 4 months, we got every meal, every time, at every location we wanted and never booked a single meal till aboard.  Relax my children, you shall be served.....🍸

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Said it before and I say it again, I don't yet know what I want tonight much less months from now.  This entire allowed advance booking for meals is a contrived "perk" of Viking's creation.  In reality, in 4 months, we got every meal, every time, at every location we wanted and never booked a single meal till aboard.  Relax my children, you shall be served.....🍸

 

Okay for World Cruise but might not work if your cruise is only a week long.

[Jim Avery]

19 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Okay for World Cruise but might not work if your cruise is only a week long.

I really doubt it but what do I know?  I know I would never sail again with any expensive travel experience that kept telling me I can’t eat there....🍸

[zitsky]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Okay for World Cruise but might not work if your cruise is only a week long.

 

Jim has convinced me to just relax and not worry about this.  I'm on a 15 day cruise.

[just_dont]

 Relax my children, you shall be served.....[emoji483]

No children allowed on Viking! [emoji6]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[H2Otstr]

12 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Okay for World Cruise but might not work if your cruise is only a week long.

 

We never did get a time slot that we wanted in Manfredi’s on our week cruise to the Med. All 6 to 7 or 7:30 times were gone right away. We checked once on board and couldn’t get reservations either. Only 8 pm or later were available and we just don’t eat that late. I’m glad we had been on other cruises and were able to eat there because it was very good. 

[eylarson]

On 5/12/2019 at 1:26 AM, Cyber Kat said:

 

We found talking to the person at the reception desk for each restaurant best. There is a table for making reservations in the World Cafe, but they seemed to have more restrictions. 

Just off of  the World Cruise on Viking Sun.  World Cafe hostess always seemed able to get us a reservation at the time we wanted.  Often said not to worry about the time that showed on our schedule, but to show at the time we wanted and a table would be available.  Never waited and always got a warm welcome by all of the staff.  

[zitsky]

9 hours ago, eylarson said:

Just off of  the World Cruise on Viking Sun.  World Cafe hostess always seemed able to get us a reservation at the time we wanted.  Often said not to worry about the time that showed on our schedule, but to show at the time we wanted and a table would be available.  Never waited and always got a warm welcome by all of the staff.  

 

Once you got to whichever restaurant, was there a line of people waiting? How long did you wait?

[deec]

Our experience has been a few couples MAYBE in line...wait was minimal

[Richard2]

On 5/10/2019 at 7:46 PM, VJMAZZ said:

If all else fails and you really want a reservation at a certain time a maitre'd “friendly handshake” with $20 bill might work. It has for me in Vegas. I know some folks will think this is wrong but it does work. 

I certainly hope it would not work, and I doubt that it would. You are not in Vegas. If it worked, word would get around, others would start doing it, and the concept of no charges for the specialty restaurants would become a facade. If you try it, do it very carefully, because if I saw it, I would report the maitre'd to the hotel manager.

[RetroRod]

19 minutes ago, Richard2 said:

I certainly hope it would not work, and I doubt that it would. You are not in Vegas. If it worked, word would get around, others would start doing it, and the concept of no charges for the specialty restaurants would become a facade. If you try it, do it very carefully, because if I saw it, I would report the maitre'd to the hotel manager.

 

You probably didn’t see my post explaining my post was an attempt at “humor”. But, for some self-righteous people they just need to lighten up a little😊🍷