Unlimited Dining Package

[Coolhand]

How do you make reservations for the various specialty restaurants when having the Dining package.  Can it be done using cruise planner prior to cruise to pick the times, dates  and restaurants or do you have to wait until boarding then go to each restaurant?  Any knowledge would be appreciated for our upcoming SYMPHONY OTS cruise.

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, Coolhand said:

How do you make reservations for the various specialty restaurants when having the Dining package.  Can it be done using cruise planner prior to cruise to pick the times, dates  and restaurants or do you have to wait until boarding then go to each restaurant?  Any knowledge would be appreciated for our upcoming SYMPHONY OTS cruise.

You have to wait until you board to make reservations.  Go to one restaurant and make all your reservations there.

[ARandomTraveler]

You do have to wait until you board, but you don't have to go to a restaurant. They'll have a bunch of kiosks set up on the promenade where staff will have iPads to make the reservations for you. You can't miss them; they're right when you walk onto the ship.

You can also go to a restaurant and do it I think (assuming someone will be at the front desk in the restaurants, which they may not be since most of them aren't usually open).

[LilBlackDress]

We checked in the cruise planner to see what specialty restaurant was open for lunch on boarding day (For us it was Jamies, on Symphony). We went there for lunch, since it is included with the UDP, and we made a majority of our resevations while we at lunch and booked our shows... 
The other reservations we dialed 7000 when we knew what we wanted to do

Edited December 15, 2022 by LilBlackDress

[Coralc]

To save time, print all of your dining restaurants and preferred times on a list, along with your last name and stateroom number. Don't be that person, that holds everyone up, asking, "Well what about?" We had one of those, as the line became longer and longer. She was there for like half an hour. 

 

They will do their best to accommodate you, and your reservations will show up in the app. Or they can type them in quickly while you are there and ask about minor adjustments. ☺️

 

We called her the Cake Lady. The week before we sailed, we were in line at the grocery store behind this lady buying a cake. First, she wanted all of the stickers removed, which the checker did for her. Then she wanted some sort of decoration for the cake container. The checker shrugged and told her she could buy a bow or something on aisle 3. We all groaned as she started to wander off. But she changed her mind, and finally checked out. It was kind of like that. 😀
 

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Coralc

[Surfguyxxx]

If you're staying is a suite, the host will send you an email about 1 week before the cruise.  You can give them your list of preferred restaurants and they should be able to book them for you even before you board the ship.  Bon appetit !!! 😋😎

[vacationlover_mn]

6 hours ago, Coralc said:

To save time, print all of your dining restaurants and preferred times on a list, along with your last name and stateroom number. Don't be that person, that holds everyone up, asking, "Well what about?" We had one of those, as the line became longer and longer. She was there for like half an hour. 

 

They will do their best to accommodate you, and your reservations will show up in the app. Or they can type them in quickly while you are there and ask about minor adjustments. ☺️

. 
 

 

And, bring a pen with you when making your reservations, to update your list if needed.  The app also shows your reservations, but I found it wasn’t alway accurate, so I would refer back to my sheet 🙂

[Coolhand]

Thank you for your responses!  Make a preliminary list then go to table or restaurant once onboard give the list to the representative there, carry a pen for changes on my copy and it’s done! 

[taglovestocruise]

3 hours ago, Coolhand said:

Thank you for your responses!  Make a preliminary list then go to table or restaurant once onboard give the list to the representative there, carry a pen for changes on my copy and it’s done! 

Last few cruises we have found Wonderland and Izumi have had no one waiting in line to make their reservations. Chop's seems to be the longest lines on boarding day. 

[renza]

13 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

You do have to wait until you board, but you don't have to go to a restaurant. They'll have a bunch of kiosks set up on the promenade where staff will have iPads to make the reservations for you. You can't miss them; they're right when you walk onto the ship.

You can also go to a restaurant and do it I think (assuming someone will be at the front desk in the restaurants, which they may not be since most of them aren't usually open).

The restaurants do have someone taking reservations even though they are closed on first day. All of them

[George C]

We love UDP first night might not get the restaurant or time you want , rest of the week should be no problem, just go to any specialty restaurant as soon as you board and make reservations for at least the first few days . It does help when you are in suite , then concierge can take care of it before you board. 

[sandc4e]

We just sailed on Harmony last week and I made our ressies in the app once connected to the ship WIFI while waiting to Embark.

 

We had wonderful food all week.

This is our UDP for the week.

Sunday Day 1 Lunch (Embarkation)

         Sabor

Sunday Day 1 Dinner

         6:00 150 Park

Monday Day 2 Dinner (Bahamas)

         6:00 Wonderland

Tuesday Day 3 Lunch (At Sea)

         12:30 Izumi

Tuesday Day 3 Dinner (At Sea)

         6:00 Chops

Wednesday Day 4 Dinner

         6:00 150 Park

Thursday Day 5 Lunch (Haiti)

         Island

Thursday Day 5 Dinner

         6:00 Jamie’s 

Friday Day 6 Lunch (At Sea)

         12:30 Izumi

Friday Day 6 Dinner

         6:00 Chops

Saturday Day 7 (Disembark)

[striker144]

This past week on Wonder, everything was sold out immediately upon boarding [first boarding time), crew at the main dining room had to make phone calls to get me in each night.  This is because people who buy the one or three package can make their reservations when they make the purchase.

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, striker144 said:

This is because people who buy the one or three package can make their reservations when they make the purchase.

We have bought the 3 package for January.   I am not seeing a way to make reservations.   When trying to figure it out we noticed on RC website that we will not be able to book until we board.  How do you book the 3 package before boarding.   It wasn't an option when we made the purchase. 

[taglovestocruise]

8 hours ago, striker144 said:

This past week on Wonder, everything was sold out immediately upon boarding [first boarding time), crew at the main dining room had to make phone calls to get me in each night.  This is because people who buy the one or three package can make their reservations when they make the purchase.

Only way to make a reservation when you purchase is to pay full price.  All packages can only be booked once onboard. 

[Ourusualbeach]

10 hours ago, striker144 said:

This past week on Wonder, everything was sold out immediately upon boarding [first boarding time), crew at the main dining room had to make phone calls to get me in each night.  This is because people who buy the one or three package can make their reservations when they make the purchase.

Only those making individual reservations can select the time in advance.  n3 night packages must wait until they are on board as well

[Ourusualbeach]

9 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

We have bought the 3 package for January.   I am not seeing a way to make reservations.   When trying to figure it out we noticed on RC website that we will not be able to book until we board.  How do you book the 3 package before boarding.   It wasn't an option when we made the purchase. 

You can't.  It has to be done after you board.

[colesc15]

On 12/16/2022 at 7:16 AM, sandc4e said:

We just sailed on Harmony last week and I made our ressies in the app once connected to the ship WIFI while waiting to Embark.

 

We had wonderful food all week.

This is our UDP for the week.

Sunday Day 1 Lunch (Embarkation)

         Sabor

Sunday Day 1 Dinner

         6:00 150 Park

Monday Day 2 Dinner (Bahamas)

         6:00 Wonderland

Tuesday Day 3 Lunch (At Sea)

         12:30 Izumi

Tuesday Day 3 Dinner (At Sea)

         6:00 Chops

Wednesday Day 4 Dinner

         6:00 150 Park

Thursday Day 5 Lunch (Haiti)

         Island

Thursday Day 5 Dinner

         6:00 Jamie’s 

Friday Day 6 Lunch (At Sea)

         12:30 Izumi

Friday Day 6 Dinner

         6:00 Chops

Saturday Day 7 (Disembark)

Didn't it want to charge you for each restaurant? 

[taglovestocruise]

4 hours ago, colesc15 said:

Didn't it want to charge you for each restaurant? 

You can make package reservations as soon as you are in the terminal via the app. It works for many but it did not connect for us in Vancouver or Seattle two months ago, another example of Royals IT hit or miss. 

[nferr]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:22 PM, renza said:

The restaurants do have someone taking reservations even though they are closed on first day. All of them

 

Not true. There's almost always one open for lunch embarkation day. And they're all open for dinner.

[renza]

3 hours ago, nferr said:

 

Not true. There's almost always one open for lunch embarkation day. And they're all open for dinner.

Yes it is true. I said one is open for lunch but they do have someone at all the restaurants even closed to take reservations. 

[nferr]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:22 PM, renza said:

The restaurants do have someone taking reservations even though they are closed on first day. All of them

 I guess you can read that quote two ways. I read it as all the specialty restaurants are closed on the first day.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

19 hours ago, striker144 said:

This past week on Wonder, everything was sold out immediately upon boarding [first boarding time), crew at the main dining room had to make phone calls to get me in each night.  This is because people who buy the one or three package can make their reservations when they make the purchase.

My understanding is that those with any packages more than 1 night get the 1st or 2nd night time assigned but cannot choose the restaurant or times/venues for the other nights until onboard. 

 

[renza]

19 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

My understanding is that those with any packages more than 1 night get the 1st or 2nd night time assigned but cannot choose the restaurant or times/venues for the other nights until onboard. 

 

They never assign you the time or restaurant when u buy a package. Even if it says that it doesn’t happen. I sailed 4 times this year all on oasis class ships and never had any problems getting all my Restaurants and times when I boarded 

[ARandomTraveler]

9 minutes ago, renza said:

They never assign you the time or restaurant when u buy a package. Even if it says that it doesn’t happen. I sailed 4 times this year all on oasis class ships and never had any problems getting all my Restaurants and times when I boarded 

They assigned me a time and a restaurant for night 1 with my unlimited dining package. 150 Central Park at 5:30pm, which I changed, but I definitely had a reservation.