Main Dining Rooms Reservations

[realnice46]

I realize NCL has anytime dining in their main dining rooms but can you still make reservations?

[LatinaInTexas]

Last year on the Getaway pre cruise I was able to make MDR reservations for every night. I like eating at a set time. And there was a time or two when the wait would have been over 30 minutes of I didn't have a reservation.

This year for my Encore cruise I was not able to make any MDR reservations. Got the prompt not available to book, try when onboard.

I tried the help chat and they told me to just wait until I was onboard and do it then.

After I was onboard I was able to make all my MDR reservations for the week on the app. There was a time or two that I saw 4 or 5 groups waiting to be seated but we got sat right away with our reservations. 

I think we were out each night in about an hour or less.

[realnice46]

1 hour ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Last year on the Getaway pre cruise I was able to make MDR reservations for every night. I like eating at a set time. And there was a time or two when the wait would have been over 30 minutes of I didn't have a reservation.

This year for my Encore cruise I was not able to make any MDR reservations. Got the prompt not available to book, try when onboard.

I tried the help chat and they told me to just wait until I was onboard and do it then.

After I was onboard I was able to make all my MDR reservations for the week on the app. There was a time or two that I saw 4 or 5 groups waiting to be seated but we got sat right away with our reservations. 

I think we were out each night in about an hour or less.

Thank you so much.

[TYTY]

Just got off of the Breakaway in May and I was able to make reservations for dinner.

[KeithJenner]

They stopped allowing MDR reservations pre cruise a few months ago.

 

You can still reserve once onboard, I believe, as mentioned above.

[genealogyfan]

On 6/21/2024 at 12:07 PM, KeithJenner said:

They stopped allowing MDR reservations pre cruise a few months ago.

 

You can still reserve once onboard, I believe, as mentioned above.

This isn't true. On my last cruise (in April), I made MDR reservations ahead of time, as soon it was allowed for my latitude rewards status. 

[luv2kroooz]

My experience is that it depends on party size. They generally discourage small parties from making reservations.

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, genealogyfan said:

This isn't true. On my last cruise (in April), I made MDR reservations ahead of time, as soon it was allowed for my latitude rewards status. 

It is now nearly the end of June. Your reservations for an April cruise would have been around the new year, so your experience would not give any indication whether my statement that they have stopped allowing reservations a few months ago is true. I believe that we would also have been able to make them for our April cruise when they first opened up as well.

 

My statement was probably not as clear as it could have been. It is possible that you may be able to make reservations in some instances (phoning may do the job for example), and being NCL there are always going to be variations. However, online reservations are generally not now available for the MDR as demonstrated by the post earlier in this thread, many other comments on this board, and my experience for our upcoming cruise.

 

As always with NCL, there may be exceptions.

[cruiseny4life]

27 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

It is now nearly the end of June. Your reservations for an April cruise would have been around the new year, so your experience would not give any indication whether my statement that they have stopped allowing reservations a few months ago is true. I believe that we would also have been able to make them for our April cruise when they first opened up as well.

 

My statement was probably not as clear as it could have been. It is possible that you may be able to make reservations in some instances (phoning may do the job for example), and being NCL there are always going to be variations. However, online reservations are generally not now available for the MDR as demonstrated by the post earlier in this thread, many other comments on this board, and my experience for our upcoming cruise.

 

As always with NCL, there may be exceptions.

Also by communications NCL sent out to travel agents. 

[SimplyAlbert]

Just off the Gem and we tried to make reservations in the main dining room (party of 10) and they wouldn't do it.  Said to just come when we were ready and had our whole party together.  We only waited once for a table - about 5 minutes.

[stellarose33]

since the other couple is an expert on NCL and we have bermuda- I will let them dictate when and where we eat. we both have balconies so that means 2 speciality dining meals per couple .

[genealogyfan]

That's a bummer if NCL won't let people make reservations ahead of the MDR anymore. 

[stellarose33]

12 minutes ago, genealogyfan said:

That's a bummer if NCL won't let people make reservations ahead of the MDR anymore. 

so you have to wait until you get on ship?

[genealogyfan]

18 minutes ago, stellarose33 said:

so you have to wait until you get on ship?

I don't know. For the cruise I took in April, I was able to reserve ahead of time. I'm not sure if the policy changed and to what.

[stellarose33]

guess I will wait and see.

[yankees111]

NCL is freestyle. No need to make reservations for main dining room. Just show up whenever you are hungry andy particular night during dinner hours and be seated accordingly!

[Cruising Lynne]

16 hours ago, yankees111 said:

NCL is freestyle. No need to make reservations for main dining room. Just show up whenever you are hungry andy particular night during dinner hours and be seated accordingly!

Its a big reason why I like NCL. I love not needing a reservation. It gives so much more flexibility to how you spend your time. I always refuse the Free at Sea dining since I get the two free specialty dining meals for being Sapphire and only want to have two pre set dining times to work around.

[EngrJones]

16 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said:

I always refuse the Free at Sea dining since I get the two free specialty dining meals for being Sapphire and only want to have two pre set dining times to work around.

You could still use the free specialty dining meals without pre-set dining times to work around.

[bedfordmom]

On 6/21/2024 at 12:07 PM, KeithJenner said:

They stopped allowing MDR reservations pre cruise a few months ago.

 

You can still reserve once onboard, I believe, as mentioned above.

In April for my TA I was able to book dining for two people on the Escape

[nordicacres]

We are currently on the NCL Jewel and have never had a wait to be seated in the MDR even during peak times. I wouldn’t bother making one, personally.

[stellarose33]

phew

[Cruising Lynne]

On 6/25/2024 at 5:23 PM, EngrJones said:

You could still use the free specialty dining meals without pre-set dining times to work around.

I never really thought too much about it. I guess if I am on a ship with Food Republic that would be a good place to go without a reservation. I have also gotten into La Cucina before without a reservation when we accidently went on the wrong night! Thanks for the suggestion that I do not need to always book all my specialty dining ahead of time.

[PugM0m]

I have a group of 8, contacted PCC at NCL and he made MDR reservations for all but the first night. I could not do it on the app.