Questions/tips for reservations using prepaid specialty dining package, also formal night confirmation

[Shep_Proudfoot]

Hello. Just booked first Covid era cruise, a 7 day Caribbean itinerary (Nassau, Ocho Rios, GC and Cozumel) in a CC cabin on Reflection in January 2023, including the Indulgence package. In the past we’ve always booked premium dining on board but with all of the onboard credit available we’re booked in advance for first night at Tuscan Grille and also bought a 3 night prepaid premium dining package. 
 

At present, my account does not allow for actual booking to set specific times and places for the three night prepaid package. Is that because I just purchased it and at some point prior to sailaway this will become an option, or is it up to me to do this in-person (or maybe there is an in-cabin app?) once we board? If I need to wait until onboard, any tips? Do you need to visit each restaurant individually or is there a central place to book all of them at once on day one? 
 

Also, my best guess is formal nights on this Sunday to Sunday cruise will be on Tuesday (sea day) and Friday (second to last night), does that sound correct?

 

Thanks!

[bama4cruisin]

If you buy a dining package, you cannot book any reservations before boarding.  The best option is to head to any of the specialty restaurants or the station that is usually outside OVC ASAP after boarding and book those 3 nights.  You may have to be flexible with nights and times, but will probably be able to book these.

[cruisestitch]

Formal has been replaced with “chic”

[Shep_Proudfoot]

1 hour ago, bama4cruisin said:

If you buy a dining package, you cannot book any reservations before boarding.  The best option is to head to any of the specialty restaurants or the station that is usually outside OVC ASAP after boarding and book those 3 nights.  You may have to be flexible with nights and times, but will probably be able to book these.

Thanks for that info, good to know. Sorry but what is “OVC” short for? I looked at a deck plan but nothing jumped out.

[Moonarino]

1 hour ago, bama4cruisin said:

If you buy a dining package, you cannot book any reservations before boarding.  The best option is to head to any of the specialty restaurants or the station that is usually outside OVC ASAP after boarding and book those 3 nights.  You may have to be flexible with nights and times, but will probably be able to book these.

IIRC, the website says we can schedule dining specifics with the restaurant maitre'd or at Guest Services. We might also be able to do some of that in the app . . . ? May not know the answer to that till after boarding. Unless somebody out there has already tried it.

[Mark_T]

29 minutes ago, Shep_Proudfoot said:

Thanks for that info, good to know. Sorry but what is “OVC” short for? I looked at a deck plan but nothing jumped out.

Ocean View Cafe... the buffet 🙂

[cangelmd]

33 minutes ago, Moonarino said:

IIRC, the website says we can schedule dining specifics with the restaurant maitre'd or at Guest Services. We might also be able to do some of that in the app . . . ? May not know the answer to that till after boarding. Unless somebody out there has already tried it.

I very very much encourage you to follow Bama4cruisin advice. There may be a way to do it on the app, and it isn’t too hard to change dining reservations on the app, but a crew member on the actual scheduling computer can juggle those reservations for you much easier - important if one of your preferred rest/times isn’t available.

What we do is what was described above, before boarding, we pre plan what days and times, at boarding we pick up sea pass cards, then go straight to a specialty restaurant, or check right outside the boarding doors or the buffet, and get those reservations in ASAP.

If I want a very specific reservation date, time and venue, I wouldn’t do that through the package, I would make a separate reservation and pay full price if necessary. For example, pre Covid we did a Valentine cruise and I made our dinner reservation for Valentine’s Day 5 months in advance. We had pkg, too, but one day less than what we would have bought. I would only do that for a special date.

[Moonarino]

6 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

I very very much encourage you to follow Bama4cruisin advice. There may be a way to do it on the app, and it isn’t too hard to change dining reservations on the app, but a crew member on the actual scheduling computer can juggle those reservations for you much easier - important if one of your preferred rest/times isn’t available.

. . . or the buffet . . .

Thanks for the tips, and I've had my experiences trying to make time-specific reservations for any-time dining. Our preferred time was available maybe one night of a seven-day cruise, because we didn't do that right away. I know this topic is speciality dining, but same thing basically.

 

 

[cangelmd]

4 hours ago, Moonarino said:

Thanks for the tips, and I've had my experiences trying to make time-specific reservations for any-time dining. Our preferred time was available maybe one night of a seven-day cruise, because we didn't do that right away. I know this topic is speciality dining, but same thing basically.

 

 

Honestly, I don’t get anytime dining. I don’t think 7-7:30 ever shows up anywhere on line or in their computer as a choice - I think that in effect, it’s two times, like traditional. I think you can show up at 7:00 and get seated, but you may have to wait. If they aren’t completely full, I think if you come at 7 or 7:30 for a couple of nights, that becomes your slot and they hold your table for you.

On our last cruise a few weeks ago, we were Anytime on Apex, made our reservations after boarding., 6:30. Went around to all 4 MDRs, settled on a fav menu in Normansie which was not our assigned MDR, and from then on ate in Normandie. We ate one night in Fine Cut, but no other specialty, and changed that about 3 times in the app, because the whole itinerary changed. By our 3rd visit to Normandie, we had a table saved for us automatically and when, toward the end of the cruise we just didn’t show up at our typical 6:30 reservation, came in a little after 7:00., there our table was waiting for us. The dining room was about half full throughout, a little more crowded on lobster night.

I don’t get it.

[Mark_T]

30 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

Honestly, I don’t get anytime dining. I don’t think 7-7:30 ever shows up anywhere on line or in their computer as a choice

Right now I can chose any time I want from 6pm in 15 min intervals...

 

If you leave it too close to sailing then yes, a lot of the options will be gone.

[Shep_Proudfoot]

22 hours ago, Mark_T said:

Ocean View Cafe... the buffet 🙂

Thanks!

 

And thanks for the other replies as well, all.

[Snit13]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:33 AM, bama4cruisin said:

If you buy a dining package, you cannot book any reservations before boarding.  The best option is to head to any of the specialty restaurants or the station that is usually outside OVC ASAP after boarding and book those 3 nights.  You may have to be flexible with nights and times, but will probably be able to book these.

Does this only apply to dining packages?  I booked 1st night Specialty Restaurant for our Apex cruise in September 2022 and was able to select the time when I booked and paid.

[bama4cruisin]

Only packages.  Any time you book a singular night, you select the date/time you want.

[NantahalaCruiser]

23 hours ago, Moonarino said:

Thanks for the tips, and I've had my experiences trying to make time-specific reservations for any-time dining. Our preferred time was available maybe one night of a seven-day cruise, because we didn't do that right away. I know this topic is speciality dining, but same thing basically.

 

 

However, not the same thing when making reservations prior to boarding - multiple specialty package cannot be reserved prior to boarding, while anytime dining can be reserved prior to boarding.

[Moonarino]

On 7/9/2022 at 12:04 PM, NantahalaCruiser said:

However, not the same thing when making reservations prior to boarding - multiple specialty package cannot be reserved prior to boarding, while anytime dining can be reserved prior to boarding.

Yep, I got that, although it's different for Princess, the cruise I was gonna go on in November instead of Silhouette. It's a game trying to keep up with the differences.

 

Nantahala. I enjoyed a long drive alongside the river once, many moons ago. Beautiful.

[upwarduk]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:16 PM, cangelmd said:

I don’t think 7-7:30 ever shows up anywhere

Yes it does, if booked soon enough. I booked  7 pm in December for our cruise at the end of this month.

[cangelmd]

On 7/8/2022 at 4:50 PM, Mark_T said:

Right now I can chose any time I want from 6pm in 15 min intervals...

 

If you leave it too close to sailing then yes, a lot of the options will be gone.

Ok, hmm, I want to test this out. Please someone remind me about where the Select dining reservations are in the Cruise Planner??

[cangelmd]

50 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

Ok, hmm, I want to test this out. Please someone remind me about where the Select dining reservations are in the Cruise Planner??

Ah, I think I see where it would be, I’m likely too far out, I’m 11 months from this cruises

[Mark_T]

7 hours ago, cangelmd said:

Ah, I think I see where it would be, I’m likely too far out, I’m 11 months from this cruises

It would be in the same place as the speciality restaurants, but usually right down at the bottom of the list.

 

We are currently 7 months out and have plenty of options as previously mentioned.