Dinner BOGO for Diamond Plus

[little britain]

13 hours ago, suekay said:

We tried this on our recent Jewel cruise and caused chaos☺️. It was eventually sorted, but I think we'll take a chance on getting our preferred time by booking onboard next time

Jewel is the only ship that created a fuss with me. They wanted to cancel my prebooking, refund it as obc and then wanted me to rebook onboard which was naturally more expensive.

I declined.

 

 

[ValerieJo]

If myself and my husband are both D+, can we each book a BOGO dinner?  For example if I book a BOGO for night one and he books one for night 2 or is it 1 per cabin?  Thanks.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, ValerieJo said:

If myself and my husband are both D+, can we each book a BOGO dinner? 

Yes, it's per person.

[amcb]

On 9/30/2021 at 6:54 AM, Biker19 said:

Yes, it's per person.

Does that include kids? DH and I, and all 3 of our kids (15,13, 10) are all Diamond Plus. So if we wanted to book Chops, for instance, we would get charged for 3 people instead of 5? Or would we all pay for Chops and then get to go to another restaurant on a different day for free?

 

It's always confusing to understand which benefits apply to the kids. 

 

Thanks very much!

🙂 amcb

[nelblu]

13 minutes ago, amcb said:

Does that include kids? DH and I, and all 3 of our kids (15,13, 10) are all Diamond Plus. So if we wanted to book Chops, for instance, we would get charged for 3 people instead of 5? Or would we all pay for Chops and then get to go to another restaurant on a different day for free?

 

It's always confusing to understand which benefits apply to the kids. 

 

Thanks very much!

🙂 amcb

That's a good question and at a blush I would say yes, but as you posted the rules for kids is convoluted.  Maybe you should refer the question to the C&A Society.

 

I've never seen a benefit list for kids.  My grandkids are Ds and always wondered.

[Biker19]

20 minutes ago, amcb said:

Does that include kids? DH and I, and all 3 of our kids (15,13, 10) are all Diamond Plus. So if we wanted to book Chops, for instance, we would get charged for 3 people instead of 5? Or would we all pay for Chops and then get to go to another restaurant on a different day for free?

Pre COVID, no, but now. not sure. You’ll have  to confirm what the kids D+ welcome letter in your cabin says. 

[brillohead]

5 hours ago, amcb said:

Does that include kids? DH and I, and all 3 of our kids (15,13, 10) are all Diamond Plus. So if we wanted to book Chops, for instance, we would get charged for 3 people instead of 5? Or would we all pay for Chops and then get to go to another restaurant on a different day for free?

 

It's always confusing to understand which benefits apply to the kids. 

 

Thanks very much!

🙂 amcb

Kids don't usually get the exact same benefits -- some yes, others no.  It always bothered my son that he didn't get the BOGO offer for a Cafe Promenade drink, because he would have gotten hot chocolate or a foo-foo coffee drink.  

If your kids do NOT get the BOGO offer, you could still buy yours and your 15yo is your freebie, and DH could buy his and your 13yo is his freebie, and then you pay for the 10yo (either full menu or kiddie menu price).  If your kids DO get the BOGO offer, you could do this same routine at another specialty restaurant, using their coupons to buy for you and DH.

 

[amcb]

14 hours ago, brillohead said:

Kids don't usually get the exact same benefits -- some yes, others no.  It always bothered my son that he didn't get the BOGO offer for a Cafe Promenade drink, because he would have gotten hot chocolate or a foo-foo coffee drink. 

 

This always makes my kids crazy too! They don't understand why the drink vouchers don't apply to them so they can get mocktails!

If your kids do NOT get the BOGO offer, you could still buy yours and your 15yo is your freebie, and DH could buy his and your 13yo is his freebie, and then you pay for the 10yo (either full menu or kiddie menu price).  If your kids DO get the BOGO offer, you could do this same routine at another specialty restaurant, using their coupons to buy for you and DH.

 

That actually works well if that's the case. Thanks so much for your help.

 

 

[brillohead]

8 hours ago, amcb said:

This always makes my kids crazy too! They don't understand why the drink vouchers don't apply to them so they can get mocktails!

FYI, according to several reports, your kids WILL get the new-and-improved drink vouchers (five per day for D+, able to be used at any bar/restaurant at any time), so they can finally get their mocktails!

[maureencruiser]

On 9/29/2021 at 5:05 PM, janabelle61 said:

Thanks, Nelblu!  I just turned D+, so trying to anticipate my options for my next cruises in January.😀

 

I'll be trying it next month on Harmony, will find out if it works.  

[amcb]

16 hours ago, brillohead said:

FYI, according to several reports, your kids WILL get the new-and-improved drink vouchers (five per day for D+, able to be used at any bar/restaurant at any time), so they can finally get their mocktails!

Wow! That's wonderful.  That will make them really happy. 🙂 

[jaygatsby27]

On 9/29/2021 at 9:31 AM, little britain said:

I prebook for 1 and then tell them onboard 2 will be turning up and the 2nd person is my BOGO. 

great idea.  i've done this for our next cruise. 

[karena1]

On 9/5/2021 at 3:30 PM, carefree lady said:

Do diamond plus members still get BOGO for specialty restaurants to be used 1st and 2nd night?

yes and it does not have to be the 1st or 2nd night, just has to be paid for by then.  I depends on the ship, but the last time we did it we were with friends.  So I used mine for one of them and husband used his for the other one.  We were on a 3 night cruise and we used them for the last night.  We paid for it the first day as soon as we got on the ship.

[zanydoc]

After reading all this I guess I’m still a little confused, lol! So does the BOGO mean buy specialty restaurant for 1 person, get the second person free? Or does it mean buy 1 specialty restaurant, get another specialty restaurant on a different day free? Or can it be either? And has anyone actually utilized a teen or child D+ BOGO dining benefit since this thread started last year? 

[brillohead]

10 hours ago, zanydoc said:

So does the BOGO mean buy specialty restaurant for 1 person, get the second person free? Or does it mean buy 1 specialty restaurant, get another specialty restaurant on a different day free?

It can be either way.

[twangster]

The post below contains updated post restart C&A onboard offer letters.  It also contains letters from pre-pandemic cruises.  You can see an evolution of the verbiage on some ships from loosely defined BOGO terms to more precise verbiage.  

 

While Allure used "Redeemable on day 1 & 2 only" verbiage in October, Odyssey uses the verbiage was "For Dinner on day 1 & 2 only" last week.  Redeemable could be interpreted as booking a BOGO on day 2 for day 2 and another day.  Odyssey was serious about implementing this policy on board - eating the actual meal must occur on day 1 or 2 on Odyssey and the staff at different restaurants all used this same policy.  They would not allow the use of the BOGO meal beyond day 1 or 2.

 

Why are some ships different?  Great question.  None of us know.  Ships are responsible for revenue targets so maybe some ships implement the BOGO perk to drive onboard revenue in their favor or maybe this is the evolution of the BOGO perk as it will be implemented fleetwide.  Time will tell.

 

The youth letter from Allure did not indicate a dining BOGO.

 

The benefit of updating this thread on an ongoing basis is so we can see the evolution of the offer verbiage and to see if different ships are using different verbiage.  Please update the thread with your onboard offer letters even if you don't have letters for all tiers.

 

 

 

 

[brillohead]

21 minutes ago, twangster said:

Why are some ships different?  Great question.  None of us know.

The same could be said for pretty much any policy.  RCI = Really Consistently Inconsistent.

I didn't keep my D+ letter from Navigator, but they had no problem letting me use the coupon on Day Four when I went in on Day One and arranged it.  They said they just had to charge it to my account then, but made the actual reservation for Day Four (the stroganoff menu is not our fave).  

[twangster]

Like many things Royal if you don't like the answer walk away and ask someone else.  

 

Recently on Indy the first young gentleman informed me that the BOGO is for couples only and can't be used by solo cruisers.  I politely thanked him and walked away.  Two minutes later at a different restaurant I booked the BOGO as a solo cruiser without any issue.  🤷‍♂️

[zanydoc]

Headed to Odyssey for March 12th. This will be our first D+ cruise. My hubs, teenage son and me.  So, we go to whatever restaurant we would like for day 1, tell them we want to use our D+ benefit to eat at this restaurant tonight and want to eat at another restaurant on Day 2? Or can the second restaurant be later in the week? I’m probably making this more complicated than it actually is! It’s always such a hootenanny right when we get on the ship trying to make show and activity reservations, so I really want to do the BOGO dining correctly. Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread and twangster for suggesting that peeps download current C and A onboard benefit letters. 

[twangster]

55 minutes ago, zanydoc said:

Headed to Odyssey for March 12th. This will be our first D+ cruise. My hubs, teenage son and me.  So, we go to whatever restaurant we would like for day 1, tell them we want to use our D+ benefit to eat at this restaurant tonight and want to eat at another restaurant on Day 2? Or can the second restaurant be later in the week? I’m probably making this more complicated than it actually is! It’s always such a hootenanny right when we get on the ship trying to make show and activity reservations, so I really want to do the BOGO dining correctly. Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread and twangster for suggesting that peeps download current C and A onboard benefit letters. 

 

Odyssey requires the BOGO be used on day 1 & 2.  "Used" means eat in the restaurants on day 1 and 2 on Odyssey.  While other ships have allowed people to use the BOGO for other nights of the cruise, Odyssey was very strict on my recent cruises - day 1 & 2 only on Odyssey.

 

You can use the BOGO to buy a specialty dinner on day one for yourself and get a day two specialty dinner free for yourself.  Or you can buy a specialty dinner on day one for yourself and have your son eat for free on day one using your BOGO.  Either way you've used your BOGO. 

 

Hubs, as a D+ has his own BOGO.  It doesn't have to be used the same way you use yours.  If you use your BOGO to cover you and your son on day one, he can use his BOGO to cover only him on day one and then himself in a specialty restaurant on day two.

 

Chops costs more than Giovanni's so use your BOGO wisely.  The BOGO doesn't work at Teppanyaki.  

 

How old is your son?  If he is below 18 he should also be D+ but youth don't typically get the dining BOGO rather other youth offers.  

[zanydoc]

He is 16, so also D+ now.  It was my goal in life to try and make D+ prior to his 18th birthday, Lol! Should make some lucky girl pretty happy MUCH later when he gets married! When we were Diamond, he did not get the free photo, but he did get the 4 drinks. Hoping he’ll get the BOGO dinner, but if not-oh well! @twangster, thank you for your clarifying response!

Edited February 3, 2022 by zanydoc

[twangster]

2 hours ago, zanydoc said:

He is 16, so also D+ now.  It was my goal in life to try and make D+ prior to his 18th birthday, Lol! Should make some lucky girl pretty happy MUCH later when he gets married! When we were Diamond, he did not get the free photo, but he did get the 4 drinks. Hoping he’ll get the BOGO dinner, but if not-oh well! @twangster, thank you for your clarifying response!

Perhaps he should add that to his online dating profile 🤣

[twangster]

8 hours ago, zanydoc said:

He is 16, so also D+ now.  It was my goal in life to try and make D+ prior to his 18th birthday, Lol! Should make some lucky girl pretty happy MUCH later when he gets married! When we were Diamond, he did not get the free photo, but he did get the 4 drinks. Hoping he’ll get the BOGO dinner, but if not-oh well! @twangster, thank you for your clarifying response!

 

His Diamond Plus Youth offers will look like something like this:

 

 

No dining BOGO for Youth.  

 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Does the D+ BOGO include Johnny Rockets?  The first night I am not usually up for a longish dinner at a specialty restaurant. . . . but, would enjoy a burger and shake. 

[zanydoc]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

 

His Diamond Plus Youth offers will look like something like this:

 

 

No dining BOGO for Youth.  

 

Thank you. Forgot about the internet benefit. We don’t get the internet package, so he’ll love that!