Cruise News Shorts: Norwegian Intros MDR Reservations, Royal Caribbean Embraces Virtu

Does anyone know how to make dining reservations before the cruise? The email that I got from NCL announcing this new program said I could make them on board or "at My NCL", but I can't find anything on the NCL web site about making dining room reservations. I'm hoping to do it online rather than having to call - the phone wait times when I've called recently have been 45 minutes+. Thank you!

Does anyone know how to make dining reservations before the cruise? The email that I got from NCL announcing this new program said I could make them on board or "at My NCL", but I can't find anything on the NCL web site about making dining room reservations. I'm hoping to do it online rather than having to call - the phone wait times when I've called recently have been 45 minutes+. Thank you!

they just announced it. Give them a couple of days to update the website.

Does anyone know how to make dining reservations before the cruise? The email that I got from NCL announcing this new program said I could make them on board or "at My NCL", but I can't find anything on the NCL web site about making dining room reservations. I'm hoping to do it online rather than having to call - the phone wait times when I've called recently have been 45 minutes+. Thank you!

I was able to make MDR reservations on the Pearl using MyNCL. They're in the same menu as for specialty dining.

But, there were extremely few options available. Only the two dining rooms accepted reservations. The buffets had no reservations. Some days there were no times available at either MDR. Some days had only one seating time available. None of the times/dates that I wanted were options.

I think what/when can be reserved is highly dependent on the particular ship and sailing.

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Is it still freestyle in the main dining rooms ,and this is just an added option or do they require reservations now.

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Is it still freestyle in the main dining rooms ,and this is just an added option or do they require reservations now.

 

 

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They don't require them but they certainly help. We just got off the Dawn and had reservations four nights, 2 for Aqua and 2 for The Venetian. The only take so many reservations but it does save on the wait time.

In my opinion is is a terrible system. It certainly helped us but it did create very long wait times and some pissed off passengers.

Here is what NCL needs to come up with, and then it will be great.

They need to figure where I want to eat next month. And, they need to figure out what time I want to eat.

Why cann't there be an app for that?

We made reservations on the Star same day when we figured out what time we wanted to eat based on our schedule without a problem. We did the same thing on the POA back in May. I had no idea this wasn't an option fleet wide before now.

I must tell you that one of the reasons I love NCL is that I don't have to plan each night on board a year in advance. I have no problem with people who do but if this means if I don't plan ahead I won't be able to to show up and eat(even if I have to wait a few minutes). then I am not happy with the change.

I must tell you that one of the reasons I love NCL is that I don't have to plan each night on board a year in advance. I have no problem with people who do but if this means if I don't plan ahead I won't be able to to show up and eat(even if I have to wait a few minutes). then I am not happy with the change.

Yes, this. Making reservations to eat seems the antithesis of Freestyle. I can see where reserving a time might make sense for large groups, but for the rest of us who don't travel in herds...?

I must tell you that one of the reasons I love NCL is that I don't have to plan each night on board a year in advance. I have no problem with people who do but if this means if I don't plan ahead I won't be able to to show up and eat(even if I have to wait a few minutes). then I am not happy with the change.

Last week on the Dawn at the Aqua and the Venetian, people were waiting from 45 to 90 minutes on some nights.

Last week on the Dawn at the Aqua and the Venetian, people were waiting from 45 to 90 minutes on some nights.

That certainly is a lot longer than the "few minutes" that some people claim they don't mind. Making reservations so that you don't have a lengthy wait to be seated to my mind doesn't equate to being part of the herd that some claim.

If reservations help eliminate such lengthy waits more power to them.:)

Who the heck wants to make a reservation 3 months in advance?!! LOL Geez.

Who the heck wants to make a reservation 3 months in advance?!! LOL Geez.

Yea, I agree.

I am trying to get my family to decide on WHERE to eat tonight, and WHEN. Not having much luck so far.

They don't require them but they certainly help. We just got off the Dawn and had reservations four nights, 2 for Aqua and 2 for The Venetian. The only take so many reservations but it does save on the wait time.

 

In my opinion is is a terrible system. It certainly helped us but it did create very long wait times and some pissed off passengers.

Just curious.... But since you had reservations and if you got to MDR and there was a Lon line, what did you do. Is it ok to send one person from the group to the counter (off to the side of the person already at the front of the line) and tell someone "smith part of 4 has 6:30 reservations and we r here"

Just off Breakaway today. Awesome cruise to Bermuda.

We were a group of ten going to the Manhattan Room for dinner the very first night with NO reservations at about 7:30. They took our name and we waited 10 minutes and were seated all together at one table.

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Just curious.... But since you had reservations and if you got to MDR and there was a Lon line, what did you do. Is it ok to send one person from the group to the counter (off to the side of the person already at the front of the line) and tell someone "smith part of 4 has 6:30 reservations and we r here"

There were usually 2 desks and we usually just went to the one outside the restaurant and they would either look after you or send you to the other check in desk. They don't hold your reservations for very long so if you are late, they release the table to those waiting.

Who the heck wants to make a reservation 3 months in advance?!! LOL Geez.

We made reservations for 2 nights a week before the cruise and the other 2 we made on-board. We also had 1 for Tepenyaki booked about 1 week before we left as well.

There were a lot of grumbling people because of the waits for Aqua and the Venetian. There was also no where for them to wait which made for some crowded stairwells around the restaurants. The Dawn is not setup very well.