Another Thread of Specialty Dining Questions :). Help!

We decided to go ahead and purchase the 5 night specialty dining package for our 7 night Anthem cruise this coming week.

I had previously made reservations in the MDR for each night. Should I keep my reservations I had previously made for the MDR, since I have no idea which days I'm going to be eating at the specialty restaurants until I board?

Am I able to make the reservations online using the app once I board? Or do I have to go to a restaurant/guest services?

Is it fairly difficult to make a reservation for Wonderland? And what is included at Wonderland with the dining package?

Are gratuities included in the speciality package? Ive seen conflicting info on this one.

Are non-alcoholic beverages included?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

We are booked every night in specialty restaurants but prior to doing this I did reserve my MDR reservations, I did not cancel them you never know whether you want to cancel the specialty dining, at least you have your MDR selection chosen.

I suggest looking at the Wonderland menu, it does not appeal to the foods we would like to eat, plus I need to be gluten free, don't eat seafood and my other half is a diabetic cannot have that chocolate dessert, so its a waste for us to go, the reason Wonderland is the only specialty dining that we won't be doing.

I believe gratuities are included in the specialty package, but honestly, we always tip $10 extra per person, the service is well worth it.

I do not believe non alcoholic beverages are included, you need the drink plan or purchase them individually in the restaurants.

Gratuities are included but many tip extra if the service is good.

Water and coffee would be included.

You can go to any specialty restaurant upon boarding and mske all your reservations.

We had no problems reserving Wonderland on Harmony. Other than the food being different it is no different than any other specialty restaurant. Our waiter asked us our dislikes and then he just kept bringing out different dishes. While we were leery at first thinking we may have to go to the WJ after we left very full and would definitely return again.

Thanks for your replies! We are definitely adventurous when it comes to food so we are looking forward to Wonderland. I just couldn't figure out what was an appetizer, main dish, etc. and what is possible to even order?

Should I keep my reservations I had previously made for the MDR, since I have no idea which days I'm going to be eating at the specialty restaurants until I board?

Yes -- definitely keep your MTD reservations as those are a lot harder to re-secure.

 

Am I able to make the reservations online using the app once I board? Or do I have to go to a restaurant/guest services?

There's no access to your online reservation from a few days before your cruise, so no you wouldn't be able to change them yourself. You just telephone whichever restaurant you'd like to visit and they'll make new reservations for you (and cancel any MTD ones you have for the same evening, if you would like).

 

Is it fairly difficult to make a reservation for Wonderland? And what is included at Wonderland with the dining package?

Apologies, I haven't been there so can't comment.

 

Are gratuities included in the speciality package? Ive seen conflicting info on this one.

Gratuities are included but, in line with several others, we always end up tipping extra depending on the service. I think onboard Allure at Chops we had terrible service and didn't tip extra or else didn't tip MUCH extra, but nearly every other service we've had (and I'm afraid to say it's been a LOT) we have tipped substantially.

 

Are non-alcoholic beverages included?

Sodas are not included unless you have a soda package (and my best advice is anytime you are ordering a soda if you have a soda package, make it clear that you're ordering FROM your soda package). 'Tap' water is included for free in all restaurants. That's about it. (I wasn't aware coffee was included as I'm not a coffee drinker.) No one minds if you bring a beverage in with you, either from the bar or from the Windjammer, where there is usually a selection of lemonade, iced tea, and some sort of sugar free drink in the evenings.

Hope this helps :)

For the extra charge all you get to drink is tap water or coffee? No ice tea?

For the extra charge all you get to drink is tap water or coffee? No ice tea?

Beverages included in your basic cruise fare: tap water, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, juices at breakfast.

Beverages included in your basic cruise fare: tap water, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, juices at breakfast.

Also worth noting that you can't get all of the above in the specialty restaurants.

Breakfast is the best meal of the day as you can get milk, chocolate milk, and a range of juices on top of the usual other drinks. There are usually milk cartons in the Windjammer throughout the day but breakfast is definitely the best meal of the day for drink variety.

I'm not a big soda drinker so I just have tap water in the restaurants, juice in the AM and milk when I go past the Cafe Promenade (or whichever venue has cookies). DH loves his soda so he has the soda package. We splurge for the occasional mocktail as well.

Beverages included in your basic cruise fare: tap water, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, juices at breakfast.

Also worth noting that you can't get all of the above in the specialty restaurants.

 

Breakfast is the best meal of the day as you can get milk, chocolate milk, and a range of juices on top of the usual other drinks. There are usually milk cartons in the Windjammer throughout the day but breakfast is definitely the best meal of the day for drink variety.

 

I'm not a big soda drinker so I just have tap water in the restaurants, juice in the AM and milk when I go past the Cafe Promenade (or whichever venue has cookies). DH loves his soda so he has the soda package. We splurge for the occasional mocktail as well.

I was mainly wondering about the iced tea and lemonade that's included in the cruise fare, if you can get those at specialty restaurants. I'm sure by the time we arrive at dinner we will already have a glass of wine or two in hand :)

I was mainly wondering about the iced tea and lemonade that's included in the cruise fare, if you can get those at specialty restaurants. I'm sure by the time we arrive at dinner we will already have a glass of wine or two in hand :)

I don't know about the lemonade, but we have been able to get iced tea in specailty restaurants.

Hope this helps :)

That helps greatly thank you:). I see that it's impossible to get MDR reservations back. Months ago we made reservations at the MDR for 6:00 each night, and yesterday cancelled one night to do Wonderland. We then right away decided to go the 5 night specialty dining package instead of Wonderland only, since wonderland alone is so expensive. I tried to get the MDR reservation back (since we can't make the specialty reservations until we board). we couldn't get a MDR reservation until 9 PM. So looks like that night we will for sure be eating at a specialty restaurant.