Question about my upcoming Nieuw Amsterdam 12-night sailing

[NCTribeFan]

I've read pretty much everything I can find but still have questions.

 

I booked the Have It All almost a year ago when it included gratuities instead of shore excursions.  I'm very happy with that.

 

Of course, it also includes the Signature Dining Package.  Everything I've read says this includes 1 night Pinnacle Grill and 1 night Canaletto, and that there are no additional dinners for sailings >7 nights.  When I go to my reservation, it shows 3 Specialty Dining.  If I try to book more than 1 of each, though, it wants to charge me.  I'm guessing this is yet another glitch in HAL's website and that I do, indeed, get only 2 specialty dinners included.  This 12 nights sailing is actually a 7 night plus a 5 night.  I have friends joining me for the 5-night leg and they get 1 dinner.  I imagine this is why HAL is confused and somehow thinks I get 3 dinners - 2 for the 7-night leg and 1 for the 5-night portion. 

 

I take it that HAL rarely has <7 night sailings available, which is why I'm having a difficult time finding details.  Will there be 3 Gala nights?  2 for the regular 7-night leg and 1 for the 5-night?  We're trying to book our Pinnacle Grill dinner (if that's truly what they get on their leg) and would like to do that on a non-Gala night.

 

Here's the full itinerary:

 

12/11 - Sail from Ft Lauderdale  4 pm

12/12 - Sea Day

12/13 - Grand Turk 8 am - 4 pm

12/14 - San Juan 1 pm - 11 pm

12/15 - St Thomas 8 am - 5 pm

12/16 - Sea Day

12/17 - HMC 8 am - 3 pm

12/18 - Ft Lauderdale 7 am - 4 pm

12/19 - Key West 7 am - 4 pm

12/20 - Nassau 11 am - 9 pm

12/21 - Sea Day

12/22 - HMC 7 am - 3 pm

12/23 - Ft Lauderdale 7 am

 

Anyone have any guesses on Gala nights?

 

For the turnaround day in Ft Lauderdale on 12/18 - will I be treated as though this was booked as a B2B rather than the full 12 nights and be required to take all the steps needed on typical B2B turnaround days?  

 

I think the way HAL allows you to book B2Bs as one sailing really complicates things.  Most other lines I've been on, you either have a longer sailing or you book B2B.  You don't have the option to book the same days as either way.  I appreciate any input. 

[Cruise Suzy]

17 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

I booked the Have It All almost a year ago when it included gratuities instead of shore excursions.  I'm very happy with that.

 

Of course, it also includes the Signature Dining Package.  Everything I've read says this includes 1 night Pinnacle Grill and 1 night Canaletto, and that there are no additional dinners for sailings >7 nights.  When I go to my reservation, it shows 3 Specialty Dining.

 

You may need to call HAL Dining Reservations (800) 541-1576. I had to do that when the online booking said DH wasn't eligible for 2nd complimentary Canaletto.  Two dines in Pinnacle  and one dine in Canaletto for both of us were no problem. Happened on 2 cruises - both had former Signature Dining package from former HIA promo and the same from TA. Taken care of immediately both times.

[NCTribeFan]

I will give them a call.  It would be very helpful if I had a clue which nights are Gala nights, though.

 

To be safe, I'm thinking we'll all book Pinnacle on the FLL night.  That way we know we won't have a conflict with anything else.

 

I don't see a way to "link" our bookings together for the reservation, either.  I'll be Anytime Dining on the 7-night portion but had planned to talk to the Maitre'd and switch to late dining for the 5-nights, since that's what my friends prefer.  I imagine I could talk to the Pinnacle folks early on and make sure they connect our two reservations.

[shipshapegirl]

We are on the Rotterdam, Nov 5 - 10 sailing and then the 11 Day Southern Caribbean on Nov 10 - 21.  Our Boarding passes say 1 Gala night for the 5 Day sailing and 2 Gala nights for the 11 Day.  

[KirkNC]

The obvious guess for gala would be the three sea days but no one can tell you for sure as they sometimes move them around.

[NCTribeFan]

12 minutes ago, shipshapegirl said:

We are on the Rotterdam, Nov 5 - 10 sailing and then the 11 Day Southern Caribbean on Nov 10 - 21.  Our Boarding passes say 1 Gala night for the 5 Day sailing and 2 Gala nights for the 11 Day.  

 

I just have one boarding pass, for the entire 12-nights.  That's why this is confusing.  It's really 7+5 but I booked it as a single cruise.

 

MSC is the only line I've sailed that does this.  With them, I've found that booking B2B is a little cheaper than booking it as one sailing.  And the cabin, which was available for both legs separately, wasn't available when booking the one cruise.  Go figure!?!