When to book specialty restaurants?

[oskidunker]

Am on Vista 2/28. 10 day Caribbean. Don't want to miss rack of lamb, prime rib and Lobster. Is the first night a good night?

[tigerfan75]

7 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Am on Vista 2/28. 10 day Caribbean. Don't want to miss rack of lamb, prime rib and Lobster. Is the first night a good night?

You might consider the strategy used by many on CC.  Make your reservations on-line for other days.  Then when boarding, head directly to the Dining Reservations Desk to make an extra reservation for the evening of boarding, which I assume is "the first night" in your question.  Often, guests are tired, unpacking, etc., and choose not to dine in a Specialty that first night, so there is generally some availability if you can get to the Desk early.  Good Luck.

[rbtan]

2 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Am on Vista 2/28. 10 day Caribbean. Don't want to miss rack of lamb, prime rib and Lobster. Is the first night a good night?

You can see on your final payment when you can start making reservations for the specialties. Most often we like to dine in the GDR & then make the reservations right after that. Accomodations level determines the time you can make the reservations. If possible we try to get all the meals in the first week or so. We find the food(on the Riviera) was in most cases as good as the specialties. Some of the best Dover Sole was in the GDR.I would say your better steaks are in Polo & Toscana.I actually prefer Toscana over Polo.If there's one we prefer above all, it would be Red Ginger. Being Chinese I really find hardly any Chinese based dishes. Most are Japanese/Thai/Malaysian based. Being from Singapore, the Malay dishes are nice, but not really authentic. Most all the items are fairly dumbed down for the non-Asian pax.

[basor]

Prime Rib is no longer offered in Polo but is served in Terrace and GDR several times.  Rack of lamb is still there and also in Red Ginger, Terrace and GDR.  Lobster is available everywhere....

 

You will LOVE Vista!

[jackdeb]

I know this is not a specialty, but consider lamb chops for breakfast in the GDR

[Snaefell3]

1 hour ago, oskidunker said:

Am on Vista 2/28. 10 day Caribbean. Don't want to miss rack of lamb, prime rib and Lobster. Is the first night a good night?

Remember, your are guaranteed a night in each of Vista's four specialty restaurants, so you won't miss your favorite on any of those menus.   Lobster?  You can even get that at the pool grill.

 

The more usual questions are:

• "How can I get a table for two at 6:30pm?"  Go online at 12:01am ET on the day reservations open for your cabin-class.  (That's real time, so 9:01pm PT on the day before)

• "How can I get extra specialty visits?"  Tell your butler (if you have one) or haunt the dining reservations desk each day.  Remember: O doesn't charge for Polo, Toscana, Red Ginger, or Ember.

 

Oh!  And like @tigerfan75 said, don't bother reserving embarkation day.  Demand is typically light that day -- I've even heard of maître d's walking around offering specialty seating on embarkation night.

 

Last thought.  If you have a butler, you can request specialty meals be served in your cabin over and above your guaranteed visits to the actual restaurant.

[DENIE]

We followed the same advice regarding getting an "extra" reservation on embarkation day just be stopping by upon boarding.  Red Ginger had lots of availability.

[Traveling Fools]

On 11/2/2023 at 7:53 PM, Snaefell3 said:

Oh!  And like @tigerfan75 said, don't bother reserving embarkation day. 

 

Good to know.  Thanks!

[schmerl]

We too got an extra specialty reservation on embarkation day. Just go to the desk and ask. 

You can also ask the maître d'  at any of the restaurants for more reservations. 

[Traveling Fools]

I would imagen the same logic works for the last night at sea as well.

[Harry Lake]

On 11/2/2023 at 4:53 PM, Snaefell3 said:

• "How can I get a table for two at 6:30pm?"  Go online at 12:01am ET on the day reservations open for your cabin-class.  (That's real time, so 9:01pm PT on the day before)

 

I'd been meaning to ask this. Living on the Left Coast has loads of positives 🙂

 

A few years ago we wanted a second dinner on Jacques and it wasn't available. We asked if we could join another couple and it worked just fine.

[Snaefell3]

1 hour ago, Harry Lake said:

Left Coast

Florida-speak:

"West Coast" = Tampa

"Left Coast" = San Francisco (etc)

[Iamthesea]

Thank you for the tip to check on a specialty reservation, for the fist night, when first embarking. 

 

Can you only reserve the 4 restaurants online, or can more than 4 reservations be made online, if available?

 

My husband and I booked an Oceania cruise a week ago.  It has been a few years since we sailed with Oceania.  I cannot remember if we have assigned dining times or tables in the GDR?  If not, I do not see the hurry to eat there the first night, unless, as the OP mentioned, some of our favorite foods are served in the MDR on the first night.  I love a good rack of lamb. 

 

 

[Snaefell3]

26 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

Can you only reserve the 4 restaurants online, or can more than 4 reservations be made online, if available?

 

You are guaranteed a meal in each of the ('R'-class: two, 'O'- and 'A'- class: four) specialty restaurants.  Those may be made online or once aboard.

 

Above that, each day aboard you or your butler can ask for any seats available that *that* evening.  (Some mix of first-come-first-serve, cabin/suite category, and butler-requests-first get the seats).

 

I have heard tales of crew circulating the first night with unsolicited offers of specialty seating to thin the crowds in Terrace Cafe or GDR.

[Snaefell3]

36 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

I cannot remember if we have assigned dining times or tables in the GDR?  If not, I do not see the hurry to eat there the first night, unless, as the OP mentioned, some of our favorite foods are served in the MDR on the first night.

Seating in the GDR is open seating.

 

Oceania has overlapping cruises.  Someone's first day may be someone else's twelfth day.  The ships run a (last I heard) 14-day menu rotation, irrespective of "cruises".  If the Day #6 menu was offered last night before some/most folks got off today, whoever is aboard today will get offered Day #7 menu, nevermind that it is embarkation day for some/most of them.

[Iamthesea]

That's how Holland America works, as well.