Price Increase on Specialty Dining

[PacnGoNow]

9 minutes ago, Boku said:

Not if paid before the cruise.

I did book pre cruise for our SD.  I Did not have the package on that cruise.

Yes, they did add 18% on my folio.  It was posted the next morning.  

 

If you have a package and use your included SD, then the tip 18% is included. No extra on your folio.  At least that’s what we have experienced.

 

 

[kywildcatfanone]

15 hours ago, Oxo said:

Do you cruise other Cruise Lines? If you do, what do they charge??????

Celebrity is a bit more, but that wasn't the point of my post.  They are overpriced too.

[kywildcatfanone]

12 hours ago, dog said:

Finding the decline in MDR food quality, more passengers then they expect will probably go for it

The decline is also in SD, but now you won't be able to be seated with half the ship getting unlimited seating at all meals.

[Boku]

36 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

I did book pre cruise for our SD.  I Did not have the package on that cruise.

Yes, they did add 18% on my folio.  It was posted the next morning.  

 

If you have a package and use your included SD, then the tip 18% is included. No extra on your folio.  At least that’s what we have experienced.

 

 

On my recent cruise I paid in advance to dine at Crown Grill and The Catch and didn’t have a gratuity added to my onboard account, I guess I was the lucky recipient of a mistake.

Edited August 25 by Boku

[Boiler Cruiser]

23 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

I chatted with four different DRO's this week and they are pulling their hair out figuring how to accommodate the SD requests that will be coming with this new Premier upgrade.

 

As usual, corporate management did not discuss this upgrade with them prior to the decision to offer it.  

The other thing about being Princess Premier and making Specialty Dining reservations is that they charge your credit card.  This happened to me a couple of months ago for my upcoming cruise. 

 

I made Specialty Dining reservations through the app, and a charge for each reservation appeared on my credit card.

 

My TA checked into it for me.  Princess acknowledged that the charge was legit.  Princess told my TA  that the only way those with Princess Premier can make a SD reservation, without the charge showing up on their credit card, is to make the reservation once we are on board the ship.  Only then will the SD reservation be made per the Premier Plan.

 

 

Edited August 25 by Boiler Cruiser
Added words for emphasis

[PacnGoNow]

27 minutes ago, Boku said:

On my recent cruise I paid in advance to dine at Crown Grill and The Catch and didn’t have a gratuity added to my onboard account, I guess I was the lucky recipient of a mistake.

Yes you were lucky.  They may have missed it.  It used to be included in the price and we always left a tip.  

[PacnGoNow]

30 minutes ago, Boku said:

On my recent cruise I paid in advance to dine at Crown Grill and The Catch and didn’t have a gratuity added to my onboard account, I guess I was the lucky recipient of a mistake.

What ship?

[memoak]

12 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I don't think a $10 increase is a big increase in terms of today's inflation rate. Everything continues to go up. With everyone buying the unlimited plan you probably can't even book a reservation if you just want to eat there once.

$180 per day for a couple is quite a bit of money when you cruise 60-80 days a year and 14-21 days at a time. We only go to SD’s maybe 2-3 times a cruise for days when we don’t care for the menu that night. No we do not book in advance and suite concierges and suite breakfast managers have always been able to get seated after 7:30. Our drinking tastes fit perfectly into the plus package so that is what we get

[memoak]

36 minutes ago, Boku said:

On my recent cruise I paid in advance to dine at Crown Grill and The Catch and didn’t have a gratuity added to my onboard account, I guess I was the lucky recipient of a mistake.

How recent was that cruise. This is a charge that was recently added

[Boku]

5 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

What ship?

Sky, I had the Plus package.

[Boku]

Just now, memoak said:

How recent was that cruise. This is a charge that was recently added

It was May 2024

[memoak]

18 minutes ago, Boku said:

It was May 2024

The first time was encountered the 18% was on our last cruise a few weeks ago. Back in May this did not show up so very recent

[cruisinsince75]

40 minutes ago, Boiler Cruiser said:

The other thing about being Princess Premier and making Specialty Dining reservations is that they charge your credit card.  This happened to me a couple of months ago for my upcoming cruise. 

 

I made Specialty Dining reservations through the app, and a charge for each reservation appeared on my credit card.

 

My TA checked into it for me.  Princess acknowledged that the charge was legit.  Princess told my TA  that the only way those with Princess Premier can make a SD reservation, without the charge showing up on their credit card, is to make the reservation once we are on board the ship.  Only then will the SD reservation be made per the Premier Plan.

 

 

Not true!  Another case of someone being misinformed.  I upgraded to Unlimited Premier just this week and was able to book all 7 nights Crown Grill and Sabatini's on the app without a charge.  

[Astro Flyer]

2 hours ago, Boku said:

Not if paid before the cruise.

That was not my experience in April…prepaid for Sabatini’s & my folio had an 18% “cover charge” added after dining there…the tip.

 

Yes, only pay the cost ($45) in advance but after adding the tip onboard the total price is $53.10 up from $35 total at Sabatini’s previously.

 

Edited August 25 by Astro Flyer

[dog]

15 minutes ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Not true!  Another case of someone being misinformed.  I upgraded to Unlimited Premier just this week and was able to book all 7 nights Crown Grill and Sabatini's on the app without a charge.  

I was charged, as well. Will go to GS to get reimbursed.

[dog]

2 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

That was not my experience in April…prepaid for Sabatini’s & my folio had an 18% “cover charge” added after dining there…the tip.

Same here in February on Regal.

[Lady Arwen]

17 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

It was overpriced at $29

Where we live $29 gets you basic fish and chips and nothing else.  I think the SD are a fair price and excellent quality.

[grimace95120]

6 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Where we live $29 gets you basic fish and chips and nothing else.  I think the SD are a fair price and excellent quality.

Duckworths??? 🙂

 

[memoak]

28 minutes ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Not true!  Another case of someone being misinformed.  I upgraded to Unlimited Premier just this week and was able to book all 7 nights Crown Grill and Sabatini's on the app without a charge.  

I just can’t see eating all my meals with just 2 menus. We decide in the morning after viewing menus where we want to eat

[555]

26 minutes ago, memoak said:

I just can’t see eating all my meals with just 2 menus. We decide in the morning after viewing menus where we want to eat

The only problem with that is, the restaurant might be booked to capacity if you wait that long.

[kywildcatfanone]

35 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Where we live $29 gets you basic fish and chips and nothing else.  I think the SD are a fair price and excellent quality.

Let's not forget you have already paid for a meal, this should just be a small upcharge for an upgraded meal, not entirely separate meal pricing.

[voljeep]

Just now, kywildcatfanone said:

Let's not forget you have already paid for a meal, this should just be a small upcharge for an upgraded meal, not entirely separate meal pricing.

how much of my cruise fare did I pay for that night in the mdr that I am not using?

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, 555 said:

The only problem with that is, the restaurant might be booked to capacity if you wait that long.

As a suite passenger I have never been turned away as long as I am willing to eat after 7:39. At times when we decided last minute and just walked up around 8:00 a server told us there was no room he the manager  knew us from suite breakfast and created a table

[555]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

As a suite passenger I have never been turned away as long as I am willing to eat after 7:39. At times when we decided last minute and just walked up around 8:00 a server told us there was no room he the manager  knew us from suite breakfast and created a table

I keep forgetting that you always eat late & sail in a suite.

It makes a big difference I suppose. 

[memoak]

6 minutes ago, 555 said:

I keep forgetting that you always eat late & sail in a suite.

It makes a big difference I suppose. 

Even at home our dinner time is 7:30 on normal evenings. Never eat lunch before 1:00 either. Just our style   I know many people who cruise want to eat as early as possible I even see them lineup outside the deck 5 MDR as early as 4:30 which frees things up for us. We rarely go to any show in the theater but enjoy the music pre dinner in the Wheelhouse or other venues

Edited August 25 by memoak