Free at Sea dining question

[sseknichols]

We have two couples on separate reservations cruising together.  We are going to book our reservations for the specialty restaurants together.  Do we book two reservations for two people each or book one for four people and tell them we have the free dining for all?  Thanks!

[cruiserbear55]

6 minutes ago, sseknichols said:

We have two couples on separate reservations cruising together.  We are going to book our reservations for the specialty restaurants together.  Do we book two reservations for two people each or book one for four people and tell them we have the free dining for all?  Thanks!

Just book a table for four. The Host/Hostess at your chosen restaurant will ask you how you are going to pay for dinner (i.e. ala carte, free at sea, or platinum and above specialty dining certificates).

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, sseknichols said:

We have two couples on separate reservations cruising together.  We are going to book our reservations for the specialty restaurants together.  Do we book two reservations for two people each or book one for four people and tell them we have the free dining for all?  Thanks!

The dining reservations are not tied to specific people, so you book the table for 4. 

 

At the time of dining, you tell the host/waiter how you intend to pay. SDP credit, room charge, other voucher. That is at the restaurant, not at the time of booking. 

[HxFx]

On 1/27/2022 at 12:24 AM, BirdTravels said:

The dining reservations are not tied to specific people, so you book the table for 4. 

 

At the time of dining, you tell the host/waiter how you intend to pay. SDP credit, room charge, other voucher. That is at the restaurant, not at the time of booking. 

I just want to clarify: if I go to somewhere like Wasabi prior to my "free at sea" meals at Ocean Blue/Cagney's, I don't need to worry about NCL using up that promotion before those meals? I just tell them I want to use OBC? Thanks!

[Redsky5292]

10 minutes ago, HxFx said:

I just want to clarify: if I go to somewhere like Wasabi prior to my "free at sea" meals at Ocean Blue/Cagney's, I don't need to worry about NCL using up that promotion before those meals? I just tell them I want to use OBC? Thanks!

They'll ask you how you want to pay, just tell them you want to use the OBC.

[hawkeyetlse]

No problem. They will always ask how each person/cabin wants to pay, and you get a bill to sign at the end of the meal. If it says "Discount" and "Cabin charge 0.00", then they used one of your dining package credits. If that's not what you wanted, get them to undo it. But if you tell them you want to pay, believe me, they will let you pay.

[HxFx]

Thanks for the quick responses!

[UKstages]

my experience is a little different; i have never been asked "how do you want to pay?"

 

rather, they assume i want to use my FAS dining credit and will say something like "you'll be using your dining credit?"

 

that's sort of the same thing... but it isn't. this might seem like picking nits, but what i'm pointing out here is that the mindset of the hostess or server is often predisposed towards assuming that the dining credit will be used. and they are often on "auto pilot" since most people do indeed use their dining credit. so if you intend to have this charged to your room - for whatever reason - and "save" your dining credit, it may be helpful to say so several times, and confirm with your server before the bill is brought to the table.

[HxFx]

4 minutes ago, UKstages said:

my experience is a little different; i have never been asked "how do you want to pay?"

 

rather, they assume i want to use my FAS dining credit and will say something like "you'll be using your dining credit?"

 

that's sort of the same thing... but it isn't. this might seem like picking nits, but what i'm pointing out here is that the mindset of the hostess or server is often predisposed towards assuming that the dining credit will be used. and they are often on "auto pilot" since most people do indeed use their dining credit. so if you intend to have this charged to your room - for whatever reason - and "save" your dining credit, it may be helpful to say so several times, and confirm with your server before the bill is brought to the table.

Thanks, I'm just thinking I might grab a snack at Wasabi or Raw Bar with my OBC and would hate for that to be used for my FAS instead of my Ocean Blue (Tuesday) or Cagney (Friday) reservation! 

[hawkeyetlse]

Now that you know what to expect, there should be no problems. The situation that UKstages describes (where the staff defaults to using your dining package unless you say otherwise) would not surprise me in Cagney's or Le Bistro, because I imagine that very few people (adults) are actually paying à la carte in those à la carte restaurants. I don't have a lot of experience with the sushi bar or raw bar, but someone using a dining credit there certainly will not just be ordering a snack.

 

Anyway, if the staff ask you how you want to pay, you know what to say. And if they don't ask, when they offer to prepare your check, you can tell them explicitly to avoid any misunderstandings, and then double-check before signing, of course.