D+ BOGO - Restaurants & Exclusions

[artvlay]

I have been hearing conflicting opinions on what restaurants we can go to. 

We are going on Symphony and wanted to go to Hook for lunch.

Thank you 

[OCSC Mike]

You can find the exclusions in the app. Also, the BOGO is for dinner not lunch, though any given ship may or may not let you use it for lunch.

 

[leaveitallbehind]

Here is a more updated and complete list of exemptions.  The one posted by @OCSC Mike is the older version.  I just came across this last week.

 

Although we've always only used it for dinner, I have heard others on CC indicate that they have used it for lunch. But I cannot confirm that from direct experience,

 

Purchase a specialty restaurant dinner cover charge during the first or second night of your cruise and enjoy complimentary dining for the second guest. Valid for dinner reservations on the first or second night only. (Excludes Celebration Table, Chef’s Table, Empire Supper Club, Hooked, Izumi: Hibachi/Teppanyaki, Omakase, Izumi in the Park, Johnny Rockets, Playmakers, Portside BBQ, and Royal Railway

 

 

Edited July 11 by leaveitallbehind

[smokeybandit]

Also listed here

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/crown-and-anchor-society-benefit-grid.pdf

[firefly333]

It says purchase a DINNER cover charge, so it's clear the perk is meant for dinner. You can ask about lunch but it's clearly meant for dinner.

[leaveitallbehind]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

It says purchase a DINNER cover charge, so it's clear the perk is meant for dinner. You can ask about lunch but it's clearly meant for dinner.

Agree - I had always thought that as well, but there was a recent similar thread where one poster indicated that they have used it for lunch.  Can't argue their comments but it does seem contradictory to the offer and IMO not its' best value use.

[ajtaylor29]

10 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Here is a more updated and complete list of exemptions.  The one posted by @OCSC Mike is the older version.  I just came across this last week.

 

Although we've always only used it for dinner, I have heard others on CC indicate that they have used it for lunch. But I cannot confirm that from direct experience,

 

Purchase a specialty restaurant dinner cover charge during the first or second night of your cruise and enjoy complimentary dining for the second guest. Valid for dinner reservations on the first or second night only. (Excludes Celebration Table, Chef’s Table, Empire Supper Club, Hooked, Izumi: Hibachi/Teppanyaki, Omakase, Izumi in the Park, Johnny Rockets, Playmakers, Portside BBQ, and Royal Railway

 

 

so, pretty much sounds like Chops or italian restaurant, depending on which ship you're on....? It would be easier for them to state where it IS valid!!

 

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, ajtaylor29 said:

so, pretty much sounds like Chops or italian restaurant, depending on which ship you're on....? It would be easier for them to state where it IS valid!!

 

Yes, it probably would be.  Typically Chops, Giovanni's, Jamie's, 150 Central Park.  But that works well enough for us.  And while it states 1st or 2nd night, that typically is only when the first reservation is made.  At that time, by prepaying the BOGO $, you can schedule the second night for any night and participating restaurant after that.

Edited July 11 by leaveitallbehind

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, artvlay said:

I have been hearing conflicting opinions on what restaurants we can go to. 

We are going on Symphony and wanted to go to Hook for lunch.

Thank you 

We sailed Symphony recently and Hooked was excluded to use BOGO for dinner anyways.  I am not sure about using BOGO for lunch.  You just might need to check on board.  I don't recall if Hooked was even open for lunch most days.  It was not open on Day 1 (lunch) when we boarded.  So that leaves you with just day 2 if they allow it at all and if it is open.

[leaveitallbehind]

23 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

We sailed Symphony recently and Hooked was excluded to use BOGO for dinner anyways.  I am not sure about using BOGO for lunch.  You just might need to check on board.  I don't recall if Hooked was even open for lunch most days.  It was not open on Day 1 (lunch) when we boarded.  So that leaves you with just day 2 if they allow it at all and if it is open.

Hooked is not included per the posted exclusion list.

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Hooked is not included per the posted exclusion list.

Understood about Hooked.  I was trying to question if there is a policy for BOGO for lunch - if one exists.  The OP was asking about lunch.  It seems BOGO is for dinners.  

Edited July 12 by TeeRick

[leaveitallbehind]

1 minute ago, TeeRick said:

Understood about Hooked.  I was trying to question if there is a policy for BOGO for lunch - if one exists.  The OP was asking about lunch.  It seems BOGO is for dinners.  

Sorry - misunderstood. 

[TeeRick]

Just now, leaveitallbehind said:

Sorry - misunderstood. 

No problem.  I really don't know the answer about BOGO and lunch.  In general?  Do you ?

[sjb317]

20 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Yes, it probably would be.  Typically Chops, Giovanni's, Jamie's, 150 Central Park.  But that works well enough for us.  And while it states 1st or 2nd night, that typically is only when the first reservation is made.  At that time, by prepaying the BOGO $, you can schedule the second night for any night and participating restaurant after that.

That has always been true for us until Adventure in May,  they were adamant that we would have to dine on nights 1 or 2.  
 

Sherri🙂

[leaveitallbehind]

1 minute ago, TeeRick said:

No problem.  I really don't know the answer about BOGO and lunch.  In general?  Do you ?

I am not familiar with that and as I indicated, I only read on another similar thread where a poster indicated they had used the BOGO for lunch as well.  But that is the first I had heard of it and it does raise a question as the T's & C's say to be used for dinner.  Maybe others can confirm.

[leaveitallbehind]

2 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

That has always been true for us until Adventure in May,  they were adamant that we would have to dine on nights 1 or 2.  
 

Sherri🙂

Yes - they want the first reservation made for night one or two, but the second can be any other day during the week.  That day one or two option helps when you also have a dining package and need to balance both first dining reservations.

[firefly333]

6 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Yes - they want the first reservation made for night one or two, but the second can be any other day during the week.  That day one or two option helps when you also have a dining package and need to balance both first dining reservations.

Wasnt my experience on allure. I booked night 1 and 4. They said they got a letter from mgmt to do it night 1 or 2 only and without telling me moved my night 4 booking to night 2. Late at night conflicting with my booking for mama mia. You cant assume they will always allow you to move night 2. 

[leaveitallbehind]

5 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Wasnt my experience on allure. I booked night 1 and 4. They said they got a letter from mgmt to do it night 1 or 2 only and without telling me moved my night 4 booking to night 2. Late at night conflicting with my booking for mama mia. You cant assume they will always allow you to move night 2. 

We pay for the full bogo with the first reservation on day one or two and they then schedule the second night for any later day.  They have never required us to do both on day one and two. We have done this many times without a problem.  The key is having the bogo for both of us charged in full to our account with the first reservation.  At least that is how we have always done it, the most recent with our NYE cruise this year on Oasis.  I am not challenging your experience, only telling you ours.

Edited July 12 by leaveitallbehind

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

We pay for the full bogo with the first reservation on day one or two and they then schedule the second night for any later day.  They have never required us to do both on day one and two. We have done this many times without a problem.  The key is having the bogo for both of us charged in full to our account with the first reservation.  At least that is how we have always done it, the most recent with our NYE cruise this year on Oasis.  I am not challenging your experience, only telling you ours.

Mine was charged night 1. The full bogo amount. Allure interpreted the memo differently than you. I wasnt happy. Dining seems to be my nemesis. 

[leaveitallbehind]

8 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Mine was charged night 1. The full bogo amount. Allure interpreted the memo differently than you. I wasnt happy. Dining seems to be my nemesis. 

It can be a hassle.  Especially when you are combining a dining package with the bogo.  We always head to one of the SR's soon after boarding and have that maître d take care of our reservations for the week.  May just depend on the maître d at the time and his ability to manage and balance things.  I guess we've been fortunate as we have not had issues with the bogo.

[sjb317]

19 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Yes - they want the first reservation made for night one or two, but the second can be any other day during the week.  That day one or two option helps when you also have a dining package and need to balance both first dining reservations.

I guess I was not clear in my post, Adventure is the only ship we were unable to dine on a different night, Giovanni’s insisted we had to do our second BOGO on night 2.  We made a reservation for one BOGO in Chops for the first night, then tried to make one for Giovanni’s using our second BOGO for a different night and was told it was not allowed, that it  also had to be on nights one or two.  We have always been able to use it for a different night on every other ship we have sailed on, sometimes we have had to pay in advance which is fine, but not always.

 

Sherri🙂

[leaveitallbehind]

7 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

I guess I was not clear in my post, Adventure is the only ship we were unable to dine on a different night, Giovanni’s insisted we had to do our second BOGO on night 2.  We made a reservation for one BOGO in Chops for the first night, then tried to make one for Giovanni’s using our second BOGO for a different night and was told it was not allowed, that it  also had to be on nights one or two.  We have always been able to use it for a different night on every other ship we have sailed on, sometimes we have had to pay in advance which is fine, but not always.

 

Sherri🙂

Hopefully these experiences are not a sign of things to come.  As I indicated we have done this, as you also suggest, many times in the past and were able to successfully do this on Oasis for NYE. (In fact we were able to share the benefit with traveling companions who are Diamond - they just split the cost with us and we both equally benefited).  But our next RCCL cruise is not until October 2025.  Guess we'll see then.  It would be a shame if this is changing as that flexibility IMO is what has made the bogo most worthwhile in the past.

[OCSC Mike]

I hope everyone continues to have success booking BOGO's for nights other than 1 & 2 and being able to use it for lunch... but as the perk is written, it has always seemed pretty clear to me that it was intended to only be used to eat on nights 1 & 2, not for any other night, not for lunch, and the success many have had using it otherwise was just various ships choosing not to be strict about it.

Edited July 12 by OCSC Mike

[TeeRick]

51 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

I hope everyone continues to have success booking BOGO's for nights other than 1 & 2 and being able to use it for lunch... but as the perk is written, it has always seemed pretty clear to me that it was intended to only be used to eat on nights 1 & 2, not for any other night, not for lunch, and the success many have had using it otherwise was just various ships choosing not to be strict about it.

I think you are spot on with this comment.

[yogimax]

1 hour ago, leaveitallbehind said:

I am not familiar with that and as I indicated, I only read on another similar thread where a poster indicated they had used the BOGO for lunch as well.  But that is the first I had heard of it and it does raise a question as the T's & C's say to be used for dinner.  Maybe others can confirm.

Yes, I was the poster.  On multiple occasions, we have been allowed to use it for lunch, which is indeed a good deal.  You will have to make reservations onboard.  We've also been able to use it on days later in the week as long as it was booked and paid for on day 1 or 2.  

 

This may, however, be specific to the ship.