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Booking Specialty Restaurants

MonsterJoe

By MonsterJoe,
in MSC Cruises

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MonsterJoe

MonsterJoe

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hey all - First post...been lurking for some time. 

I appreciate the breadth of knowledge here and hope y'all can help.

My wife and I booked our first cruise (1st Anniversary) on the Mera for 9/25.  I was looking to get ahead of things a bit, so decided to book a dining package.

The issue is - it appears that BC is already fully booked. Is it likely that the restaurant is already full-up 31 days before the cruise?  Because of this, I can't even try to book the other restaurants in the package, and therefore can't purchase the package at all!

I know the website has some terrible issues (don't get me started - I'm a web developer and it hurts my heart) but I am curious if this is indeed the case, or if maybe the website is just operating par for the course.

Thanks!

Edited by MonsterJoe
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MonsterJoe

MonsterJoe

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3 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

You actually can’t book Speciality Restaurants prior to boarding MSC ships (unlike some other cruise lines) so I wouldn’t pay much heed to BC showing as fully booked. 

That sounds familiar, now that you mention it.

How then, is it possible to prepurchase the package?

As you can see - the button to add it is disabled until I choose a time (all of them for the week say 'booked')

 

tempsnip.png

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Beamafar Great Review Rare

Beamafar

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Is that the only way to book the package?  I deal with the Ireland website and it doesn’t come up like that when dining packages are available.  They’re not being offered on any of my current bookings so I can’t actually show you how we can do it here.  The package would just be listed with an outline of which restaurants are included and you would just click on the ‘add’ button. 

Edited by Beamafar
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MonsterJoe

MonsterJoe

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It appears to be -- I can't find any other way to navigate to it.  I can't be sure, but I don't think it looked this way last week when I was checking it out.  I think it was more like you describe.

 

[eta]

I just emailed them through the website - I'll see what they say

Edited by MonsterJoe
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rush1231

rush1231

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On 8/25/2021 at 1:12 PM, MonsterJoe said:

That sounds familiar, now that you mention it.

How then, is it possible to prepurchase the package?

As you can see - the button to add it is disabled until I choose a time (all of them for the week say 'booked')

 

tempsnip.png

I had the same issue, I had to call and they were able to add it. However I have the same issues with anything I try to add, so......

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MonsterJoe

MonsterJoe

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21 minutes ago, rush1231 said:

I had the same issue, I had to call and they were able to add it. However I have the same issues with anything I try to add, so......


Thanks for that - I still haven't heard back from my email. 😕 

I do try to avoid talking on the phone, but...

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rush1231

rush1231

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Just now, MonsterJoe said:


Thanks for that - I still haven't heard back from my email. 😕 

I do try to avoid talking on the phone, but...

I was on hold for 45 mins so expect to put your phone o  speaker and go about your day. I hate calling too but I emailed and after no response for 2 weeks figured it would be best.

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ciabelle

ciabelle

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Interesting.  I booked the BC dining experience but was never asked to select a time. 

image.thumb.png.55d3c4d40579cc2ed73f78143050996d.png

 

I'm assuming I'll need to select a dining time once onboard. Hoping to book whichever evening isn't Gala Night or Italian Night in the MDR. Wondering if the schedule for the Divina sailing on the 30th will be the same as that on the 16th? Would help me know exactly when to make a reservation as soon as possible. 

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Beamafar Great Review Rare

Beamafar

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That’s a dining package and only includes the ‘Dining Experience’ area of the menu - not an actual booking.  Otherwise you would have needed to indicate a date and time.  It’s not possible to book Speciality Restaurants prior to boarding with MSC. 

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MonsterJoe

MonsterJoe

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I just noticed that both package descriptions include Ocean Cay, but neither of them have it as part of the actual package.  It's replaced by Eataly  They even use a seafood dish as the package picture. 😕

Do we know which restaurants are in the packages?

 

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JAGR

JAGR

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22 hours ago, ciabelle said:

Interesting.  I booked the BC dining experience but was never asked to select a time. 

image.thumb.png.55d3c4d40579cc2ed73f78143050996d.png

 

I'm assuming I'll need to select a dining time once onboard. Hoping to book whichever evening isn't Gala Night or Italian Night in the MDR. Wondering if the schedule for the Divina sailing on the 30th will be the same as that on the 16th? Would help me know exactly when to make a reservation as soon as possible. 

I would think since it is a three night cruise, most likely any special night would be the middle night.  That would allow for luggage problems on night one, and having to pack and leave bags out on night three.  It is so much easier on the seven night sailings when you usually have the two sea days.

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buckeye25osu

buckeye25osu

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On 8/30/2021 at 4:03 PM, JAGR said:

I would think since it is a three night cruise, most likely any special night would be the middle night.  That would allow for luggage problems on night one, and having to pack and leave bags out on night three.  It is so much easier on the seven night sailings when you usually have the two sea days.

 

On 8/30/2021 at 1:05 PM, MonsterJoe said:

I just noticed that both package descriptions include Ocean Cay, but neither of them have it as part of the actual package.  It's replaced by Eataly  They even use a seafood dish as the package picture. 😕

Do we know which restaurants are in the packages?

 

 

Hello!  Did anyone find out what is actually offered?  JAGR, like you I want to book the trilogy package but see the Italian instead of seafood.  I'm maybe fine with that but I'd like to see the menu.  I believe the MDR has Italian night and buffet also has pasta so am I just going to end up with something I could have gotten for free?  Now, for $77 it includes Butcher's so maybe just worth it, but I'm not one to take gambles with my money on something like this.

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SirWolf

SirWolf

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38 minutes ago, Nikodemos said:

If your in YC, can you have your butler book the specialty restaurants for you, or do you have to do it yourself?  

..this would be something the YC Concierge (desk) would do for you..

Edited by SirWolf
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MonsterJoe

MonsterJoe

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On 11/18/2021 at 5:06 PM, buckeye25osu said:

 

 

Hello!  Did anyone find out what is actually offered?  JAGR, like you I want to book the trilogy package but see the Italian instead of seafood.  I'm maybe fine with that but I'd like to see the menu.  I believe the MDR has Italian night and buffet also has pasta so am I just going to end up with something I could have gotten for free?  Now, for $77 it includes Butcher's so maybe just worth it, but I'm not one to take gambles with my money on something like this.

It is Ocean Cay (the restaurant), Butcher's Cut, and Kaito Teppanyaki.

The website is famous for being complete crap.  Eataly is long gone...so is Cirque du Soleil

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buckeye25osu

buckeye25osu

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4 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

It is Ocean Cay (the restaurant), Butcher's Cut, and Kaito Teppanyaki.

The website is famous for being complete crap.  Eataly is long gone...so is Cirque du Soleil

Oh no!  Cirque du Soleil is gone?  Was looking forward to that.  Saw that one on pretty recent Youtube reviews.  Do you think its just temporary due to low passenger numbers?

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perakcruiser

perakcruiser

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11 hours ago, buckeye25osu said:

Oh no!  Cirque du Soleil is gone?  Was looking forward to that.  Saw that one on pretty recent Youtube reviews.  Do you think its just temporary due to low passenger numbers?

No, another company has taken this business on MSC from Cirque du Soleil. Heard they are quite good and the prices went down also. 10 € incl. a Cocktail. They are bookable for our January cruise on Virtuosa, the names of the shows are AJEDREZ and ARKYMEA. 

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buckeye25osu

buckeye25osu

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21 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

No, another company has taken this business on MSC from Cirque du Soleil. Heard they are quite good and the prices went down also. 10 € incl. a Cocktail. They are bookable for our January cruise on Virtuosa, the names of the shows are AJEDREZ and ARKYMEA. 

In the Caribbean too (Meraviglia)?

 

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