Question on Diamond Plus Specialty Dining BOGO

[MrsB05]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find a way to search this forum with key words.

 

For the BOGO specialty dining, not sure if the "get one" person also needs to be Diamond Plus or can they be anyone regardless of loyalty status?

 

DH and I are cruising with new to Royal friends in August and would like each of them to be our respective "freebie" person.

 

TIA

[RFerrington]

7 minutes ago, MrsB05 said:

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find a way to search this forum with key words.

 

For the BOGO specialty dining, not sure if the "get one" person also needs to be Diamond Plus or can they be anyone regardless of loyalty status?

 

DH and I are cruising with new to Royal friends in August and would like each of them to be our respective "freebie" person.

 

TIA

No worries.  It can be a confusing perk !  Lots of excluded venues and conflicting info.

 

You can treat anyone you like to a BOGO !  We recently sailed with friends who have no status and we treated them to 2 BOGO meals (one for each of us).  It's fun to be able to share with your friends and family who aren't quite "there" yet !  Enjoy !

[MrsB05]

6 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

No worries.  It can be a confusing perk !  Lots of excluded venues and conflicting info.

 

You can treat anyone you like to a BOGO !  We recently sailed with friends who have no status and we treated them to 2 BOGO meals (one for each of us).  It's fun to be able to share with your friends and family who aren't quite "there" yet !  Enjoy !

Awesome!  Thanks for the quick reply!

[RFerrington]

18 minutes ago, MrsB05 said:

Awesome!  Thanks for the quick reply!

You are sooo welcome

[leaveitallbehind]

I also just want to confirm the use for non-D+ members as we have done this as well.  Worked out nicely as our friends split the total cost with us so we both benefited equally. And if you have the maître d of any of the SR's charge your SeaPass cards for both BOGO's in full on the first day, typically they will want you to use the first restaurant on day one or two, but will schedule the second for any subsequent day in the cruise.  We do that all the time.

[MrsB05]

1 hour ago, leaveitallbehind said:

I also just want to confirm the use for non-D+ members as we have done this as well.  Worked out nicely as our friends split the total cost with us so we both benefited equally. And if you have the maître d of any of the SR's charge your SeaPass cards for both BOGO's in full on the first day, typically they will want you to use the first restaurant on day one or two, but will schedule the second for any subsequent day in the cruise.  We do that all the time.

Thanks.  Yes when we've scheduled just for ourselves they have always let us schedule for any night of the cruise for both of them.  It helps that we prefer to eat late so there isn't competition from us for the earlier time slots.

[MisterBill99]

We're getting a free specialty dining meal on our Symphony cruise from my TA. Assuming they show up on the account as free meals and not just OBC, can I use them individually in conjunction with our Diamond Plus BOGO's to pay for the not free meal, or do I have to use it separately so basically one free meal and two BOGO's. I'm assuming that I can't, but I figured it doesn't hurt to ask. And how would I tell them to use the BOGO instead of the free meal, in case there is a deadline to use those?

[c-leg5]

On 7/20/2024 at 8:34 AM, leaveitallbehind said:

I also just want to confirm the use for non-D+ members as we have done this as well.  Worked out nicely as our friends split the total cost with us so we both benefited equally. And if you have the maître d of any of the SR's charge your SeaPass cards for both BOGO's in full on the first day, typically they will want you to use the first restaurant on day one or two, but will schedule the second for any subsequent day in the cruise.  We do that all the time.

first night is understandable but I have never understood why they encourage the second night which is usually formal/dress your best and usually busy in the specialties anyway. seems like they don’t need to attract extras on the second night.

[Another_Critic]

4 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

We're getting a free specialty dining meal on our Symphony cruise from my TA. Assuming they show up on the account as free meals and not just OBC, can I use them individually in conjunction with our Diamond Plus BOGO's to pay for the not free meal, or do I have to use it separately so basically one free meal and two BOGO's. I'm assuming that I can't, but I figured it doesn't hurt to ask. And how would I tell them to use the BOGO instead of the free meal, in case there is a deadline to use those?

 

Pretty sure they can't be combined.

 

BOGO terms:

 

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 only on the first or second night. (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)

 

Free specialty terms:

 

Enjoy a complimentary dinner for two in one of our specialty restaurants onboard. All specialty restaurants valid except Izumi Hibachi, Teppanyaki, Chef’s Table, Celebration Table & Empire Supper Club. Venues vary by ship. Gratuities are included. Alcoholic beverages and sodas are not included and are available at an additional cost.
 

This voucher may not be transferred, exchanged, or redeemed for cash or credited towards other purchases or substitutions. Presentation of this virtual voucher alone will not entitle the possessor to redeem this offer onboard. No cash value. Reservations for specialty dining must be made onboard in order to redeem this voucher. This voucher will not be accepted for specialty dining reservations that are made online prior to the cruise. Voucher is valid for one specialty dining experience for two, per stateroom. Voucher is valid for lunch for two or dinner for two. Venues vary by ship. Dining reservations must be made onboard and may be used on any day depending on venue availability. Revenue items shown on specialty dining menus are not included in this offer and are available at an additional cost. Special dining events that take place in specialty restaurants are excluded from the dining offer. Voucher cannot be used towards the purchase of specialty dining packages. Alcoholic beverages and sodas are not included and are available at an additional cost. Specialty dining gratuities are included. This offer does not give guest(s) any priority for reservations or if there is a wait to be seated in the restaurant. Please note Royal Caribbean Reservations is not aware of these promotions, direct all questions to your Travel Professional. We reserve the right to disallow any redemption or inappropriately duplicative submissions, or those that are inconsistent with the terms and conditions of the offer. Subject to availability. Certain restrictions may apply. ©2023 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas.

 

Edited October 20 by Another_Critic

[Ken at the beach]

9 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

We're getting a free specialty dining meal on our Symphony cruise from my TA. Assuming they show up on the account as free meals and not just OBC, can I use them individually in conjunction with our Diamond Plus BOGO's to pay for the not free meal, or do I have to use it separately so basically one free meal and two BOGO's. I'm assuming that I can't, but I figured it doesn't hurt to ask. And how would I tell them to use the BOGO instead of the free meal, in case there is a deadline to use those?

Not combinable. 

[MrsB05]

6 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

first night is understandable but I have never understood why they encourage the second night which is usually formal/dress your best and usually busy in the specialties anyway. seems like they don’t need to attract extras on the second night.

We did use our BOGOs to split with our friends.  I went into one of the specialty restaurants pretty much immediately after we boarded.  I was able to book our RSVP for Night 5.  All the other times DH and I have booked ours (using both so for two nights) they have never made us book it on Night 1 or Night 2.  They do however charge you right away.

[Ken at the beach]

11 minutes ago, MrsB05 said:

All the other times DH and I have booked ours (using both so for two nights) they have never made us book it on Night 1 or Night 2.

That will vary by ship.  It is in the terms and conditions of the benefits that it is only applicable to nights one and two however some ships will allow use on other days but don't count on it.

[brockmom]

Obviously we can’t pre book these on line prior to sailing ? 
( pay for one and get one free )
just double checking in case there was a way around it.

thanks

Brockmom

[Ken at the beach]

1 minute ago, brockmom said:

Obviously we can’t pre book these on line prior to sailing ? 
( pay for one and get one free )
just double checking in case there was a way around it.

thanks

Brockmom

Sometimes that works but most often they will cancel yours on board and rebook you at the higher ship price.  It works if you want to reserve your restaurant and time but not necessarily for getting a lower price

[MrsB05]

16 minutes ago, Ken at the beach said:

That will vary by ship.  It is in the terms and conditions of the benefits that it is only applicable to nights one and two however some ships will allow use on other days but don't count on it.

Yes I've read that/heard others say that.  In our case(s) we just must be extremely lucky because we've been able to do it every ship we've been on.  In thinking further about why, it could be because DH and I prefer to eat later so we're not requesting "prime time" RSVPs.

[firefly333]

43 minutes ago, MrsB05 said:

We did use our BOGOs to split with our friends.  I went into one of the specialty restaurants pretty much immediately after we boarded.  I was able to book our RSVP for Night 5.  All the other times DH and I have booked ours (using both so for two nights) they have never made us book it on Night 1 or Night 2.  They do however charge you right away.

Consider yourselves lucky. I booked nignt 1 and 4 on allure and without notifying me changed my night 4 to late night 2. They seem to have forgotten about sending notices to cabins when they change time or dates or Mdr tables.

 

I talked to them onboard this week and asked why someone else could book wonderland but I was told no. They said just depends which restaurants book up more. Each week they decide. I'm tired of the uncertainty. 

[leaveitallbehind]

7 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

first night is understandable but I have never understood why they encourage the second night which is usually formal/dress your best and usually busy in the specialties anyway. seems like they don’t need to attract extras on the second night.

I want to be sure I understand your comment and am clear on my initial response.  The BOGO dinners do not both have to be used on the first and second cruise nights.  They are to be used with the first dinner on either the first or the second cruise night.  Your second dinner can be scheduled for any subsequent night of the cruise. When scheduling we just pay for both with the first night's dinner.

Edited Sunday at 01:04 PM by leaveitallbehind

[Ken at the beach]

40 minutes ago, MrsB05 said:

we just must be extremely lucky

Yes

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, MrsB05 said:

We did use our BOGOs to split with our friends.  I went into one of the specialty restaurants pretty much immediately after we boarded.  I was able to book our RSVP for Night 5.  All the other times DH and I have booked ours (using both so for two nights) they have never made us book it on Night 1 or Night 2.  They do however charge you right away.

in the last month I was told I could only use the BOGO on nights 1 or 2 on both Utopia and Wonder. The guy we talked to at Chops on Utopia said RCI was no longer allowing BOGO to be used on other nights of the cruise. In the past we have used the BOGO on Italian night (my least favorite MDR menu), which has been on night 3 to 5 depending on the ship. Will ask again to use the BOGO on a later night when we go on Independence in a few weeks. One thing I have learned is RCI is not very consistent from ship to ship, so hoping this isn’t enforced across the fleet, even though technically it states BOGO can only be used nights 1 and 2. 

[leaveitallbehind]

8 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

in the last month I was told I could only use the BOGO on nights 1 or 2 on both Utopia and Wonder. The guy we talked to at Chops on Utopia said RCI was no longer allowing BOGO to be used on other nights of the cruise. In the past we have used the BOGO on Italian night (my least favorite MDR menu), which has been on night 3 to 5 depending on the ship. Will ask again to use the BOGO on a later night when we go on Independence in a few weeks. One thing I have learned is RCI is not very consistent from ship to ship, so hoping this isn’t enforced across the fleet, even though technically it states BOGO can only be used nights 1 and 2. 

Your experience is certainly more recent, but that would be a change as we used our BOGO on Oasis NYE this year as a split with D traveling friends and did so on nights 2 and 5. Will be curious to hear, as you suggest, if this is a consistent change with your upcoming IOS cruise. 

 

JMO but I hope you find that it is not a C&A benefit change as we typically also buy a dining package and the ability to flex the BOGO keeps that benefit in tact with the night 1 or 2 dining package commencement requirement.

Edited Sunday at 01:16 PM by leaveitallbehind

[brockmom]

1 hour ago, Ken at the beach said:

Sometimes that works but most often they will cancel yours on board and rebook you at the higher ship price.  It works if you want to reserve your restaurant and time but not necessarily for getting a lower price

Thanks !

I figured you couldn’t without being charged.

i want that freebie haahahahah

cheers

[PhillyFan33579]

1 minute ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Your experience is certainly more recent, but that would be a change as we used our BOGO on Oasis NYE this year as a split with D traveling friends and did so on nights 2 and 5. Will be curious to hear, as you suggest, if this is a consistent change with your upcoming IOS cruise.  JMO but I hope you find that it is not a C&A benefit change.

It was definitely new to me. We use the BOGO every cruise. Prior to the cruises I mentioned, I don’t recall ever using the BOGO on nights 1 or 2, although we have always made a reservation on day 1 for later in the cruise. 

[DallasGuy75219]

Sailing by myself on Brilliance in December.  Any experience using the second (free) dinner for yourself on a separate, later night on the sailing?

[leaveitallbehind]

45 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Sailing by myself on Brilliance in December.  Any experience using the second (free) dinner for yourself on a separate, later night on the sailing?

It is intended to be used for both meals by the individual who has the D+ status.  So as the one with that status you can book the first one for whatever night they now are enforcing and the second one subsequently.  The only catch as indicated by @PhillyFan33579 is it appears on some ships that they may have to be booked sequentially on nights one and two, which is different from previously. 

 

In the past we were always able to book the first meal on night one or two and the second one on any later night in the cruise.  That may be changing and you will just have to check with any of the specialty restaurant's maître d's once you have boarded. They will confirm how it can be used and will arrange the venues for you.

Edited Sunday at 03:39 PM by leaveitallbehind

[MisterBill99]

1 hour ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Sailing by myself on Brilliance in December.  Any experience using the second (free) dinner for yourself on a separate, later night on the sailing?

 

44 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

It is intended to be used for both meals by the individual who has the D+ status.  So as the one with that status you can book the first one for whatever night they now are enforcing and the second one subsequently.  The only catch as indicated by @PhillyFan33579 is it appears on some ships that they may have to be booked sequentially on nights one and two, which is different from previously. 

 

In the past we were always able to book the first meal on night one or two and the second one on any later night in the cruise.  That may be changing and you will just have to check with any of the specialty restaurant's maître d's once you have boarded. They will confirm how it can be used and will arrange the venues for you.

 

@leaveitallbehind I am confused by your answer. The post was asking about eating solo and paying for their meal one day and going back and getting a second meal for free later in the cruise. Are you saying that this will work? I would have expected that the BOGO has to be used in one sitting, both diners there at the same time.