Dining Reservations

[DeejayCruiser]

My wife and I have just booked the Dec 21st 12 day Miami-Miami cruise. This will be our first cruise with Oceania and are very excited about it, especially after reading all the great postings on this board. My only concern is about getting into the Polo Grill and/or Toscana after using up our "one-time" priority reservation in each. How difficult will it be for us to get a second (and, hopefully, third and fourth) opportunity to eat in these specialty restaurants? Any hints on how to increase our chances?

[digby]

If you have a butler, he'll make the reservations for you. It is always easier to get in later in a cruise than the beginning. I have always found it possible to get in more than my alloted times.

[Windrunner I]

My wife and I have just booked the Dec 21st 12 day Miami-Miami cruise. This will be our first cruise with Oceania and are very excited about it, especially after reading all the great postings on this board. My only concern is about getting into the Polo Grill and/or Toscana after using up our "one-time" priority reservation in each. How difficult will it be for us to get a second (and, hopefully, third and fourth) opportunity to eat in these specialty restaurants? Any hints on how to increase our chances?

 

Just be flexible and let the Maitre'D know that you're willing to accept another reservation on short-notice or willing to dine late in the evening. That said, unlike many other lines, the food in Oceania's main dining room is as good if not better than the specialty restaurants and has a truly diverse menu that changes every day.

 

The only problem I've ever had in dining in Polo and Toscana is that I usualy lament missing something I like from the Grand Dining Room. :)

[Ask4Jay]

DeejayCruiser -

If you were on our cruise, you'd be welcome to our reservation. We have eaten (er, dined) in both specialty restaurants and we don't see the big deal. The food was good, service very good, but not that much better than in the main dining room. We just as soon sit outdoors at Tapas on the Terrace and enjoy sushi and sashimi from the buffet - with a cold beer or two.

You should also know that there is a small reservation station just inside the Terrace Cafe (buffet) where you can make your dining reservation. On our cruise it was open during lunch hours.

[Napi's Mom]

Yes indeed we agree with you 100% we found the Tapas to be the best food on the ship, and waitstaff really great! Even though it was late Nov. in the Med., we lucked out and ate outside almost every day! Sailaways were great out there, Food at the Specialty rest. were OK but not something I could see people getting upset about not getting reservations for, we even gave up one of ours in favor of eating at the Tapas (we wished to dine earlier than our reservations and really prefered to eat at Tapas. Main dining room was also OK, more freinds made there than in the Polo or Toscana

[Fleuve51]

After eating twice in Polo & Toscana, we were a bit tired of the menu & location of our table.

We requested & got one of two tables for "2" in both restaurants.

The lights over head were very bright & we were right at the back, near the service area.

 

We preffered the main dining room. More to choose from.We always got a table for 2 if we wanted it.

I suggest going in before 7:15 otherwise they get backlogged.

No complaints for the service & high quality of the food.

Eileen

[pipster37]

When can you make reservations for the speciality restaurants? Can it be done before the cruise? Or as soon as you get onboard? Thank you:)

[sacway]

Congrats to OP and perhaps we too will be on that cruise, though we haven't re-booked it yet. The info below is accurate as of two weeks ago, but of course O could change the way they do this between now and next December.

 

You can make your first reservation for either or both as soon as you board the ship, up in Toscana's (regular cabin) or Polo Grill (concierge/suites). Don't know if it was because we were delayed boarding or because of the holidays, but there was a very long line that first day, well over a half hour. Might not want to wait in it, unless there is a very very special day/time you want to book. We did wait in the line (twice, actually) and were among the last to book the first day; we just said "whatever" as long as it was early.

 

If you don't book the first day, there's a person in the Terrace Cafe at breakfast and lunch. You can go in at breakfast and see if there's any space available same day and get extra reservations that way. Several of us were offered tables upstairs when showing up at the main dining, too.

 

We'd offered to share with others, after our first dinner with two other couples, we seemed to run into one or the other of them when we showed up for our other nights, and the Maitre'D was very good about letting us spontaneously reconstruct our little group, which was delightful.

 

I have to say that Tapas on the Terrace was the best buffet food we've ever had for dinner on any cruise, and we ended up preferring that over main dining when we weren't eating in the specialty restaurants. There were equally special items there, such as goose and plum pudding Christmas night, and it really was easy not to overeat when you just select a few small items, for instance, instead of a full order of chocolate mousse, there are small dishes with just a few bites, the essences of a tapa-style meal being a little of this and that.

[Dbedros]

We were on the December 9, 2006 sailing of the Insignia. This was our second sailing on this ship. It was not easy to get second reservations at the specialty restaurants this time. On the previous cruise this was not the case. The advice by the previous posters is correct and good. We did manage a second trip to the Polo Grill near the end of the cruise and this was because I happen to be checking when someone cancelled. Just keep checking at the station in the Terrace Cafe. All of the restaurants are very good and the Tapas is excellent for when you do not want company or formality and want to try a little of this or that.

 

Saying all of this there was something happening in the Toscana. I had the ‘Aragosta Fra Diavolo Con Linguine’ as my main course. The lobster was tough, dry and salty. I complained to the Maitre D’, who stated that they were having a problem with the supplier and that the chef was not happy with the quality that they were currently receiving. He did not address the amount of time between courses such as 45 minutes waiting for the entrée after the dishes from the previous course were cleared and there had also been a wait for the clearing of these dishes. I thought his response was unacceptable. Additionally I noticed two other tables that appeared to have complaints. I heard other passengers complain about the Toscana during the cruise. It is hoped that this was just this cruise and the problem will be corrected.

[Baltic Express]

Any hints on how to increase our chances?

 

If you are willing to sit down around 9:00 PM or so you should be able to dine there each evening if you wish. There is very little demand then and since they have just sat several tables at 8:30 they typically have been more than happy to accomodate us. A nice tip for the maitre d' will go a long way to ensuring several pleasant dining experiences throughout your cruise.

[mike35]

A nice tip for the maitre d' will go a long way to ensuring several pleasant dining experiences throughout your cruise.

Am I the only one who finds this statement to be particularly onerous? We just returned from a 2-week cruise in New Zealand and Australia. Most of the service personnel at all of the ports (waiters, cab drivers, porters) not only don't expect tips, but in some cases, when we offered, they acted offended. It seems that we Americans feel that "buying" servers will get us benefits denied those who expect folks like the Maitre d' to do the jobs for which they are paid (and perhaps tipped at the END of the cruise for exemplary service). There are numerous comments/complaints from Kiwis and Aussies on other CC boards, bemoaning the fact the Americans are trying to "ruin" the no-tip policies throughout their countries. When we were dropped off at the Sydney Airport with our 3 huge suitcases, a porter helped load them and delivered them to us while we were waiting to check in. I tipped him, and he profusely thanked me for the tip, indicating that it was unusual!

 

So I guess that if I follow my own conscience on this, I can expect to be denied specialty venue reservations in favor of those that grease the palm of the maitre d'.

 

BTW, DW and I always tip over and above the posted rate for exceptional service.

 

Mike

[Baltic Express]

So I guess that if I follow my own conscience on this, I can expect to be denied specialty venue reservations in favor of those that grease the palm of the maitre d'.

 

If I show up late, near closing late, at a restaurant without reservations be it on a cruise ship, in the United States, or anywhere abroad I fully expect to compensate those who may be either going out of their way, or staying later than usual, or serving one more table than usual. To me that is only common courtesy. I definitely have not guaranteed myself a table over somebody seeking a reservation as I am simply showing up late in hope of even getting a table.

 

Please don't take this as I am slipping somebody money during the day seeking a reservation that evening in lieu of somebody else because that definitely is not the case.