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Making Restaurant Reservations On Line

cruizinwithkids

By cruizinwithkids,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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cruizinwithkids

cruizinwithkids

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I saw someone posted that the new NCL website will allow passengers to book restaurant reservations on the NCL website.

 

I'm wondering what people think of that? I like to plan and over plan but we are going on a cruise with another couple and I feel stupid calling them and asking if they want to have dinner with us at Salsa's on November 14.

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shoreguy

shoreguy

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I HATE the idea. Many will love the idea. I think the old booking 2 days ahead was the best plan. Booking dinner in advance takes a lot of the free out of freestyle in my opinion.

 

I hope they only put a small % of times and tables available for online booking. I have never booked a specialty restaurant more the 24 hours in advance. Most of the time the same day. The only night I could not get in the Bistro was Valentines Day at the Bistro. In fact the last couple cruises it has been much easier to walk up or call in the evening and get a table with everyone booking in advance and then canceling late as plans change. The problem those that really wanted to eat that night and called the day before were told sorry.

 

The 24 hour cancellation rule on NCLA is helpful but they need to tell folks to call back since there should be cancellations.

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newlywedcruisers

newlywedcruisers

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I HATE the idea. Many will love the idea. I think the old booking 2 days ahead was the best plan. Booking dinner in advance takes a lot of the free out of freestyle in my opinion.

 

I hope they only put a small % of times and tables available for online booking. I have never booked a specialty restaurant more the 24 hours in advance. Most of the time the same day. The only night I could not get in the Bistro was Valentines Day at the Bistro. In fact the last couple cruises it has been much easier to walk up or call in the evening and get a table with everyone booking in advance and then canceling late as plans change. The problem those that really wanted to eat that night and called the day before were told sorry.

 

The 24 hour cancellation rule on NCLA is helpful but they need to tell folks to call back since there should be cancellations.

 

I want it mainly for teppanyaki, I think we'll be able to book everything else on the cruise easily, but the limited seating makes me a bit nervous. Hibatchi style cuisine is something that Becky and I do when we want to celebrate something special, so I definently want to do this on the cruise at least once.

Other than that, it will probably end up messing alot of people over becuase many people will book before the cruise.

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electricron

electricron

Posted
Posted
I saw someone posted that the new NCL website will allow passengers to book restaurant reservations on the NCL website. I'm wondering what people think of that? I like to plan and over plan but we are going on a cruise with another couple and I feel stupid calling them and asking if they want to have dinner with us at Salsa's on November 14.

 

I'm against booking reservations for dinner before one boards the ship.

At what point will they allow it? If one can book a reservation today for a cruise in October 2007, all the restaurants will be booked for the entire cruise by next month, a full year prior to your cruise. It will not make those booking their cruise late happy, and will in fact discourage me, and I bet many others, from making any late bookings ever again.

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Vyhanek

Vyhanek

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That will be a complete nightmare. NCL can't even manage shore excursions booked online very well. There is no way they will be able to handle all those dinner reservations coming in.

 

I can just hear it already......."Passanger "I have a reservation I booked online for tonight at Le Bistro" "NCL, "No, we don't have your reservation.....we are all booked up for tonight, sorry you are SOL"! In the normal couldn't give a crap about the customer style.

 

Sorry to be such a downer about this but online reserving anything with NCL is not in the customers best interest. They don't care enough to fix their mistakes and the customers will pay the price with lost reservations over and over again.

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Ekaj

Ekaj

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I'm with Shoreguy. What's the point of "Freestyle" cruising if you have to book your dinner reservations 6 months in advance?? Kind of taks the "free" out of freestyle! ;)

 

It just seems like a bad idea to me. Or, like another poster said, maybe if they leave a decent percentage of dinner openings available for those wishing to make a reservation once onboard the ship, it might be ok.

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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

Posted
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That will be a complete nightmare. NCL can't even manage shore excursions booked online very well. There is no way they will be able to handle all those dinner reservations coming in.

 

I can just hear it already......."Passanger "I have a reservation I booked online for tonight at Le Bistro" "NCL, "No, we don't have your reservation.....we are all booked up for tonight, sorry you are SOL"! In the normal couldn't give a crap about the customer style.

 

Sorry to be such a downer about this but online reserving anything with NCL is not in the customers best interest. They don't care enough to fix their mistakes and the customers will pay the price with lost reservations over and over again.

 

 

I totaly agree.....unless they impliment something where by you receive a "confirmation" number with your booking and also not allow anyone to book ahead more than a week or two then this concept will be a nightmare for sure. The late cruise booker will probably have no options to book these restaurants for the early bookers will end up booking everything all up.

This concept does not work at Disney World for their "speciality shows" and character restaurants either. People do "speed dial" on the day that the reservations open for certain "character restaurant " ressies'. That is ridiculous!:eek:

I can see people booking cruises 2 years in advance just so they can get the "restaurant" reservations in. So in light of this, lets hope they pose some kind of "time limit" on when these reservations can be made....let's just hope.

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tomluvsaida

tomluvsaida

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We're leaving at the end of the month on October 30th. I've had our dinner reservations figured out for weeks now. I'd love to be able to book it right now. However I do understand what others are saying. If word gets out and everybody tries it it won't work. On the other hand isn't that sort of like what this board has been saying about making reservations period? I think some simple math, logic and just plain common sense should tell just about anyone that reservations are necessary. You've got say 2000 passengers on the ship and each restaurant holds say 200-400 people. Exactly how do you feed all these people without lines or utter kaos without reservations?:confused:

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familyof4cruising

familyof4cruising

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I am a planner ( as you can see by my future cruises), BUT I am against planning dinner reservations before you get on board. We should all have to make it at the same time. Living in NY where everything is a rat race to who can get there first to get a better seat, I do not want to worry about what times I am getting closed out for dinner because I couldn't make a decision months or weeks before. Is this definitely going to be an option? By the time we get on board alot of options will already be unavailable.

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shoreguy

shoreguy

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You've got say 2000 passengers on the ship and each restaurant holds say 200-400 people. Exactly how do you feed all these people without lines or utter kaos without reservations?:confused:

 

Happens every week without kaos - most passengers don't have reservations and with 10 restaurtants ( some reservation only for the most part - I have walked up and been seated) 3 to 4 seatings a night handling 2000 passengers no problem.

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newlywedcruisers

newlywedcruisers

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I posted this on the website board, but it should go here as well. I changed my mind overnight from my previous post, I say, make reservations once on board, give everyone a fair chance (some people don't have computers still :eek: ) to dine where they want. However... once on board, well... I probably won't be as patient as shoreguy.

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star7228

star7228

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I don't want to get too off topic, but does anyone have suggestions for reserving Teppanyaki? We tried on the Star in 2003, but we couldn't get in because it was full. Are there only certain times to do Teppanyaki, because it's only one table and more of a presentation?

 

We really want to do this next summer on the Pearl, I'd love suggestions if anyone has them. :) Thanks!

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Cruisin' Patty

Cruisin' Patty

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I don't want to get too off topic, but does anyone have suggestions for reserving Teppanyaki? We tried on the Star in 2003, but we couldn't get in because it was full. Are there only certain times to do Teppanyaki, because it's only one table and more of a presentation?

 

We really want to do this next summer on the Pearl, I'd love suggestions if anyone has them. :) Thanks!

 

We too want to do Teppanyaki. Is it ONLY ONE seating per evening? Does anyone know what time?

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mbisson

mbisson

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I don't want to get too off topic, but does anyone have suggestions for reserving Teppanyaki? We tried on the Star in 2003, but we couldn't get in because it was full. Are there only certain times to do Teppanyaki, because it's only one table and more of a presentation?

 

We really want to do this next summer on the Pearl, I'd love suggestions if anyone has them. :) Thanks!

 

I'd recommend making reservations as soon as you board. Teppanyaki does have extremely limited seating and only 2 or 3 seatings per night (normally)

 

-Monte

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