Pre-booking Specialty Restaurants

[edgekid]

Cruising on Reflection Sept. 2023...Want to book a multi night restaurant package, however doing it on the website only allows me to choose the “package” but not the nights or times for the different restaurants..The only way I can accomplish that is if I book the restaurants separately, which costs more. If we have to wait until we board, chances are we won’t get the times &/or restaurants we want..Does anyone know if I can do this via phone, perhaps through Captains Club?

[DingoMom]

For the Specialty Dining packages, you have to make reservations on board the ship. Find a maitre’ de immediately when you board. (If you are in a suite, you may be able to do some pre-booking with the shoreside concierge.)

[Luvcrusn]

We book packages all the time. We go to one of the specialty restaurants immediately upon boarding and haven't had a problem booking what we wanted yet.

[TeeRick]

9 hours ago, DingoMom said:

For the Specialty Dining packages, you have to make reservations on board the ship. Find a maitre’ de immediately when you board. (If you are in a suite, you may be able to do some pre-booking with the shoreside concierge.)

If in a suite, once on board go to the Retreat Lounge and have the concierge book everything for you.  

[TeeRick]

9 hours ago, edgekid said:

Cruising on Reflection Sept. 2023...Want to book a multi night restaurant package, however doing it on the website only allows me to choose the “package” but not the nights or times for the different restaurants..The only way I can accomplish that is if I book the restaurants separately, which costs more. If we have to wait until we board, chances are we won’t get the times &/or restaurants we want..Does anyone know if I can do this via phone, perhaps through Captains Club?

Just go to any specialty restaurant on board and see the staff member at the podium.  They will book for you.  But do this fairly early after you board for best selections.  Even if every time appears sold out on line in advance, they hold a number of times open for bookings once on the ship.

[alishac]

8 hours ago, TeeRick said:

 

Do you have a contact for the shoreside suite concierge? I keep hearing people mention them but I can't find a way to contact them.

[garyl62]

19 hours ago, edgekid said:

Cruising on Reflection Sept. 2023...Want to book a multi night restaurant package, however doing it on the website only allows me to choose the “package” but not the nights or times for the different restaurants..The only way I can accomplish that is if I book the restaurants separately, which costs more. If we have to wait until we board, chances are we won’t get the times &/or restaurants we want..Does anyone know if I can do this via phone, perhaps through Captains Club?

Lots of good info here, but to give you a more direct answer to your question, no you can't book them all ahead of time.  That's the trade off with getting the discount, you take what is available onboard.  If you want specific days and times you'll need to book each one individually.  As many have said, book the package and then go to a restaurant as soon as you board and make all the reservations then.  Come prepared with dates and time for each one you want and be flexible as you may have to move a time around a little, or maybe swap nights for a couple, but you should be able to make it work.  Or, just pay the extra and book them all before you sail and don't worry about it again 🙂

[garyl62]

1 hour ago, alishac said:

Do you have a contact for the shoreside suite concierge? I keep hearing people mention them but I can't find a way to contact them.

You'll need to be in a suite and there is one assigned to each ship.  If you're in a higher end suite they should call you 2-4 weeks before you sail, if you're in a sky suite or maybe even a Celebrity Suite you may just get an email.

[keesar]

1 minute ago, garyl62 said:

Lots of good info here, but to give you a more direct answer to your question, no you can't book them all ahead of time.  That's the trade off with getting the discount, you take what is available onboard.  If you want specific days and times you'll need to book each one individually.  As many have said, book the package and then go to a restaurant as soon as you board and make all the reservations then.  Come prepared with dates and time for each one you want and be flexible as you may have to move a time around a little, or maybe swap nights for a couple, but you should be able to make it work.  Or, just pay the extra and book them all before you sail and don't worry about it again 🙂

Agreed.  If the cruise is busy, you may be offered 8:30 pm or later.  That is why we pay a few dollars more and chose the days and times we want.  On our last cruise, people we met staying in a Royal Suite were not able to get reservations  on two of the days they wished to dine.  Never mind the time.

[dazey]

We had done 3 or 4 night dining package but found the savings was not enough to balance having to board ship and get to make reservations and then not always getting your preferred time.

 

For example we are sailing on Summit and the 3 night package is $143.  Since there is limited choices of specialty dining I am going to say you want to do all 3 nights in Tuscan at $49.99(pre-cruise price) for a total of approx. $150.  You will have saved just $7 with the package. Not sure how that works on other ships with more specialty dining choices.  

 

We just found it easier to get book our reservations  using pre-cruise pricing and know it was all set.

 

Either way has worked for us.

[Cruise a holic]

We have never had a problem.  As soon as you board, go to a kiosk or a diningroom and make specific reservations.  If in a suite, go to your butler aka retreat host, or the suite lounge and the host will make for you.  We prepare a list of restaurants and times, to avoid any issues.  Only once had an issue on New Years eve years ago on the Edge.  We usually take the unlimited plan.  Even if in a suite, prefer the speciality restaurants especially on the Edge class and M class ships.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[lx200gps]

Interesting thread, thanks for starting it. We're on the Equinox in May, and have the 4-Dinner package. A few questions:

 

1) We well know the rule of racing to the specialty restaurants immediately upon boarding, as we do that all the time on Princess. When we visit the first restaurant, say the TG, will they be able to book all our other meals for the other restaurants, or do we have to visit each one in turn?  And which of all the specialty restaurants would be the best one to visit?

 

2) We prefer to eat very early, when the restaurant opens, to free us up for the evening. Does anyone have experience with trying to book the very first "slots", would we expect to be able to get the first sittings in every restaurant? I'm seeing folks reporting they never have problems getting their preferred slots, and I'm seeing others report big problems getting their desired times.

[DingoMom]

Just my two cents: I have always had success booking all of my requests with the first Specialty Restaurant person I find. No one Specialty Restaurant is better at doing this than another. In fact, they usually have a table set up outside the Oceanview Cafe (or sometimes, in the terminal pre-boarding, or very visibly present just past where you DO board). Whomever is going to handle the bookings will have a tablet / laptop, so they can do all the bookings at once. I have Never had difficulty in getting a very early reservation. YMMV.

[edgekid]

Appreciate all the responses.. Don't think my math is wrong, but booking five nights of dining separately is approximately $135.00 more than booking a five night package..That kinda makes booking the package and being flexible with times &/or restaurants the logical choice.. I was trying to avoid the "board the ship and run" exercise  that I go through on most cruises.

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by edgekid

[Esprit]

We are on Reflection this summer and I have pre-booked a two nights package (using my OBC) in Murano's for our desired nights and times.

 

I did try a three night package but with that one it automatically gives you a 3 pm embarkation slot which I couldn't seem to change. I doubt we will be on board to change it either so I'm happy with just the two discounted chosen nights.

[Cruise a holic]

3 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Interesting thread, thanks for starting it. We're on the Equinox in May, and have the 4-Dinner package. A few questions:

 

1) We well know the rule of racing to the specialty restaurants immediately upon boarding, as we do that all the time on Princess. When we visit the first restaurant, say the TG, will they be able to book all our other meals for the other restaurants, or do we have to visit each one in turn?  And which of all the specialty restaurants would be the best one to visit?

 

2) We prefer to eat very early, when the restaurant opens, to free us up for the evening. Does anyone have experience with trying to book the very first "slots", would we expect to be able to get the first sittings in every restaurant? I'm seeing folks reporting they never have problems getting their preferred slots, and I'm seeing others report big problems getting their desired times.

Typically early booking not a problem- 7PM-8PM seem to be the busiest.  I would go to murano if no person is sitting at a kiosk when you board.   The 3PM slot is just a place holder- restaurants do not open until 5:30 or so.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[lx200gps]

27 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

Typically early booking not a problem- 7PM-8PM seem to be the busiest.  I would go to murano if no person is sitting at a kiosk when you board.   The 3PM slot is just a place holder- restaurants do not open until 5:30 or so.

Excellent, thanks for the encouraging advice. I figured that selecting the early slot would be best, as it is on Princess, so I imagine X will be quite comparable.  We'll probably just head to Murano when we got on board, but as it's only our second ever Celebrity trip, we have no status so no boarding priority.

[Boo's Mom]

On 3/6/2023 at 10:18 PM, edgekid said:

Cruising on Reflection Sept. 2023...Want to book a multi night restaurant package, however doing it on the website only allows me to choose the “package” but not the nights or times for the different restaurants..The only way I can accomplish that is if I book the restaurants separately, which costs more. If we have to wait until we board, chances are we won’t get the times &/or restaurants we want..Does anyone know if I can do this via phone, perhaps through Captains Club?

For the benefit of a price reduction, you have only the dates/times that happen to be available when you board the ship.  

Personally, I like to choose my dates/times way ahead of time. 

 

For example, my next cruise is with my immediate family of 12 (8 adults).  There is no way I am going to wait until we board to start to begin to figure out those logistics. 

 

It's like flying Southwest vs American. 

I like to pick my exact seats ahead of time. 😉 

[Esprit]

19 hours ago, Boo's Mom said:

For the benefit of a price reduction, you have only the dates/times that happen to be available when you board the ship.  

Personally, I like to choose my dates/times way ahead of time. 

 

Sorry to disagree. I have pre booked two nights in Murano for our July Refection cruise (chosen dates and times confirmed) at a discounted rate.

[Oceangoer2]

On 3/8/2023 at 11:52 AM, DingoMom said:

Just my two cents: I have always had success booking all of my requests with the first Specialty Restaurant person I find. No one Specialty Restaurant is better at doing this than another. In fact, they usually have a table set up outside the Oceanview Cafe (or sometimes, in the terminal pre-boarding, or very visibly present just past where you DO board). Whomever is going to handle the bookings will have a tablet / laptop, so they can do all the bookings at once. I have Never had difficulty in getting a very early reservation. YMMV.

Exactly...the OC has been my approach as well.  I would have a list on hand of dates, restaurant, and times so it went very smoothly.

[jelayne]

33 minutes ago, Esprit said:

Sorry to disagree. I have pre booked two nights in Murano for our July Refection cruise (chosen dates and times confirmed) at a discounted rate.

I believe you booked 2 individual bookings  at the pre- cruise discounted price off the on board price.  There is also an option to purchase a package of  3+ dinners at a lower price than the price booking individually pre cruise.  
 

1.There is the on-board booking price- highest

2. Pre- cruise individual restaurant booking via Cruise Planner, able to select date and time when purchased- lower price than booking on board 

3.  Purchase a multi night dining package - lowest price but can’t select restaurant, date or time until on the ship.

 

 

 

[DCPIV]

On 3/8/2023 at 12:05 PM, lx200gps said:

Excellent, thanks for the encouraging advice. I figured that selecting the early slot would be best, as it is on Princess, so I imagine X will be quite comparable.  We'll probably just head to Murano when we got on board, but as it's only our second ever Celebrity trip, we have no status so no boarding priority.

 

I do agree that you likely will not have a problem getting an early slot, you ought to be prepared to be flexible (at least with regard to what nights you dine).  Murano is small place.

 

On 3/7/2023 at 4:14 PM, alishac said:

Do you have a contact for the shoreside suite concierge? I keep hearing people mention them but I can't find a way to contact them.

 

You can call 1-877-RETREAT.  As mentioned, though, there's only so much they can do for you if you aren't in a higher suite.  

[Rtowncruiser]

This thread has been very helpful. If you purchase a 3 dinner package, do you have the option of dining in the same restaurant all 3 nights if you wish, or do you have to visit different ones?

[DCPIV]

2 minutes ago, Rtowncruiser said:

This thread has been very helpful. If you purchase a 3 dinner package, do you have the option of dining in the same restaurant all 3 nights if you wish, or do you have to visit different ones?

 

You can do the same one 3 times if you like.