Purchase Unlimited Dining Package onboard?

[cindivan]

We have never done the UDP and are considering it for an upcoming cruise (Allure, Nov 10).  When I went to purchase it, I was given the option of 5:30, 8:30 or 9pm for night one dinner.  None of those sound great.  I would like to try it, but don't want to commit the $800+for 4 people without knowing what type of availability we will have to make reservations outside of super early or super late.

 

Is the price a lot higher onboard?  Can I check availability before I purchase?  It's currently $199 a person (Ugh, missed it when it was $175 because I was still deciding).  

 

We are in a sky class suite if that matters/helps.  

 

TIA

Edited October 3, 2019 by cindivan

[Biker19]

17 minutes ago, cindivan said:

 

Is the price a lot higher onboard?  Can I check availability before I purchase? 

It might not be available at all and likely at higher price. No. 

[Merion_Mom]

It was available for purchase on board the Adventure last month, which surprised me.  I didn't pay close attention to the price, so I can't help you there, and I don't have my Cruise Compasses nearby.

 

If it IS available on board, you can certainly check at a restaurant, say, Chops, and find out how jammed they are before you pull the trigger and buy.

[Clarea]

13 hours ago, cindivan said:

We have never done the UDP and are considering it for an upcoming cruise (Allure, Nov 10).  When I went to purchase it, I was given the option of 5:30, 8:30 or 9pm for night one dinner.  None of those sound great.  I would like to try it, but don't want to commit the $800+for 4 people without knowing what type of availability we will have to make reservations outside of super early or super late.

 

Is the price a lot higher onboard?  Can I check availability before I purchase?  It's currently $199 a person (Ugh, missed it when it was $175 because I was still deciding).  

 

We are in a sky class suite if that matters/helps.  

 

TIA

 

You can always purchase specialty dining at full price to have the ability to make pre-cruise reservations. Perhaps 2 or 3 specialty dinners instead of 7 nights of dinners?

[katiel53]

When we were on Allure and arranging our dining times for the UDP, we did notice that they were selling the UDP on board, but it was a higher price as there was an additional 18% gratuity  added when it was purchased onboard.  It was $199 plus 18% per person.

 

Our last time on Allure, which was in June, we were able to make the reservations for the times and restaurants we wanted with the exception of Hibachi.  We were not able to get the night and time we requested, but were able to go another night.

 

 

[karmacats]

Just off grandeur, where you could buy the UDP onboard for $25 pp per night.

 

Fwiw, we had purchased it online beforehand and were assigned an 8 pm dining time, but we went to chops first thing when we boarded to make our reservations for the week and the host said we could choose any dinner times we wanted and could vary them each night. So at least on grandeur we were not locked in to that 8 pm dining time.

 

Since you're in a suite, if you pre-purchase the plan you can email the concierge your preferred schedule and they should be able to secure it for you. We've done that before with the 3 and 5 night plans.

[cindivan]

On 10/4/2019 at 10:27 PM, karmacats said:

Just off grandeur, where you could buy the UDP onboard for $25 pp per night.

 

Fwiw, we had purchased it online beforehand and were assigned an 8 pm dining time, but we went to chops first thing when we boarded to make our reservations for the week and the host said we could choose any dinner times we wanted and could vary them each night. So at least on grandeur we were not locked in to that 8 pm dining time.

 

Since you're in a suite, if you pre-purchase the plan you can email the concierge your preferred schedule and they should be able to secure it for you. We've done that before with the 3 and 5 night plans.

That’s a great idea. And if he can’t get the times we want then we just keep with the individual times we currently have reserved. 

[taglovestocruise]

On 10/3/2019 at 4:03 PM, cindivan said:

We have never done the UDP and are considering it for an upcoming cruise (Allure, Nov 10).  When I went to purchase it, I was given the option of 5:30, 8:30 or 9pm for night one dinner.  None of those sound great.  I would like to try it, but don't want to commit the $800+for 4 people without knowing what type of availability we will have to make reservations outside of super early or super late.

 

Is the price a lot higher onboard?  Can I check availability before I purchase?  It's currently $199 a person (Ugh, missed it when it was $175 because I was still deciding).  

 

We are in a sky class suite if that matters/helps.  

 

TIA

You will most likely find once you board that no pre reservations were made. We were on Symphony and were told all Oasis class no longer pre reserves anything. We had 11 specialty reservations to make and had no problem getting all the days and times we wanted, just make that the first stop upon boarding.  We were also told we could make all the reservations through the phone  app if we had waiting time in the terminal before boarding, Sounds easy but it did not work. happy cruising

[Hoopster95]

On 10/3/2019 at 9:43 PM, Merion_Mom said:

It was available for purchase on board the Adventure last month, which surprised me. 

 

Me too. First time I'd seen that. I guess specialty sales were not very good for that sailing... Chops and Giovanni's only about 50% full the last 5-6 days other than the final night. I believe it's different on Oasis Class (different itinerary/demographic/etc) as both times for me specialty was pretty much sold out after night #2 with only 5:30pm or 9:30pm available.

 

On 10/3/2019 at 4:03 PM, cindivan said:

When I went to purchase it, I was given the option of 5:30, 8:30 or 9pm for night one dinner.  None of those sound great.

 

Agreed... too early and too late. 100% agree with others who already posted, have a plan before you board.... go up to one of the venues and book your entire week. You can always change later on the fly if other times/venues are available as you go. Never had a problem in the past few years selecting what venues I wished to dine at and at what time, different times on different days depending on port days/sea days/etc, and several times changing a couple of things midweek. On my recent sailing, I twice changed my Chops time, and also cancelled 2 Giovanni's reservations to a different venue. However as mentioned above there was space/flexibility on my sailing. 

[cindivan]

 Thanks for all your replies everybody. I went ahead and booked for restaurants for times we want. The other three nights I’m hoping the concierge will let my sister and her husband from the junior lounge join us in the coastal. And if I can’t get the times I want the other nights then I will just keep my current reservations. If I can make good reservations for the specialty and I will cancel my current reservations and that will also open lunches for us. 

 

And as long as the concierge’s emails me a week or so and then I should be OK I’ve been able to cancel my current reservations, right?