Specialty Dining Issues on Norwegian Escape

[adamjill]

I just returned from the Escape to Bermuda on the 6/30 sailing.  I purchased the 3 dinner package for myself and my wife. By the time we made our cruise booking, restaurant  reservations were no longer able to be made on the NCL app. Once we boarded, I found the restaurants to all be fully booked for the week. Why does NCL continue to sell the packages if they can not seat everyone?  We wasted $200.  I never had this problem on Royal Caribbean. 

[graphicguy]

Did you go to the hostess at the restaurants you wanted to dine in and make reservations?  I was off the same cruise last month and walked up to the hostess at all the specialty restaurants and was either seated immediately, or was given a time they would be able to seat me.

 

Who told you they could not seat you for the entire cruise?

[adamjill]

I dialed 050 reservation number, and was told all reservations were filled. In addition, I tried the electronic kiosk boards every day.  I’ll know for next time to try at the individual restaurants.  You did that at the time you wanted to dine?

[UFMOM]

NCL gives a dining pkg to a lot of guests as a perk. We have had it for all of our NCL cruises except the ones we did many years ago before the plethora of specialty restaurants. So those restaurants are particularly crowded. We normally make our reservations online as soon as that function opens up. Usually a good percentage of the openings are saved for people booking on board, but they go early so you need to be on the ship early and go right to where they are making the reservations first thing as you board to get a time you like. After that they may have openings left for the less desirable times like really early or late.  I have rarely heard of them not finding a time for you throughout the cruise although it might be 9:00 or 9:30. Did you try to get a refund on the pkg. if no reservations were available at all when you boarded. 

 

 

Mary Ann

[adamjill]

I reached out to NCL asking for a refund when we returned on Sunday.  I received an automated message saying I would receive a reply within 15 business days!

[UFMOM]

Hopefully you will get one. Sounds like you did everything right in trying to secure some kind of reservation on board. If they overbook and you are unable to use it, then you should get the refund. It’s true you may have better luck at the restaurant because of last minute cancellations or no shows that are not in the automated system, especially with only 2 people.  I would also tell them you have a pkg that you are trying to use, so you have already paid for the dinners. Just an FYI Escape has Pinchos Tapas Bar and I think you can use your dining credit there too. Not sure if that type of food is to your liking, but we loved it and it is open for lunch on sea days, too. Also, I think you can use your credits at Margaritaville. Probably not the fine dining you were anticipating, but good to know in a use it or lose it situation.

 

Mary Ann

[hallux]

It's been mentioned on other threads that folks often will make reservations they may never use, some possibly even double-booking themselves.  This leaves the specialty restaurants with available seating even though the reservations were full.  If someone has a reservation and doesn't show for 15 minutes after that time their table can be given away to a walk-up so it definitely doesn't hurt to try.

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, adamjill said:

I dialed 050 reservation number, and was told all reservations were filled. In addition, I tried the electronic kiosk boards every day.  I’ll know for next time to try at the individual restaurants.  You did that at the time you wanted to dine?

Yeah....I just walked up to the restaurants and was seated (table for two).  It was normally during peak times.  For example, I went to Le Bistro twice.  Once around 6:30-ish and the 2nd time about 7:30-ish.  Both times they said I could be seated at the little "cafe" area right outside the main door, which was great.

 

Cagney's I went to around 7-ish with 2 other passengers I have befriended.  We were seated at a table for 4 right away.

 

In short, I never relied on the phone nor the screens to make reservations. I went directly to the restaurants.  

 

I know quite a few passengers went to the restaurant scheduling area to the right of the Customer Desk and had the hostess there make reservations for them.

[bellagusta]

They only book 25% of the specialty dining reservations pre- boarding online.  You need to go directly to the restaurant immediately on boarding and you can normally get your reservation with no issue. But flexibility is key. You're on vacation remember.

[valleyvillage]

OP,  I hope this gets resolved to your satisfaction. It is great that you posted here so others may learn about the best technique to get seated even if the venue is "full" due to people not showing up. I bet you have, through your thoughtfulness in posting, saved a lot of grief for others!

[zqvol]

On 7/11/2019 at 8:28 AM, adamjill said:

I just returned from the Escape to Bermuda on the 6/30 sailing.  I purchased the 3 dinner package for myself and my wife. By the time we made our cruise booking, restaurant  reservations were no longer able to be made on the NCL app. Once we boarded, I found the restaurants to all be fully booked for the week. Why does NCL continue to sell the packages if they can not seat everyone?  We wasted $200.  I never had this problem on Royal Caribbean. 

 

Did you try to actually get seated? There are always some tables for walk ups.