Let talk about the restaurant reservation policy

As those experienced with O know you are allowed a set number of reservations in the specialty dining restaurants.

O has allotted these reservations on the basis of level of cabin you have purchased.

You may be able to gain additional reservations or access to the specialty restaurants by asking during the course of the day.

Do you like or dislike this policy?

[i will post my own opinion separate from the question]

I have to set aside the fact that you might get additional access because you also might not get additional access so lets leave that one to the side for the purposes of this discussion.

Personally I don't like the policy and the reason that I don't like it is that I don't like tying nourishment to "status". What follows is just my opinion/feelings.

With few exceptions, no matter my lot in life, I can chose to allocate my resources to allow me to dine well. I can dine at 5* restaurants while staying at the motel 8 if I so desire. I can stay in the parking lot view at the Four Seasons but dine in any of their restaurants. I can live in a rundown dump of a home/apartment but eat at the best restaurants.

There's a clear separation of food and shelter here - I'm used to it, I like it that way.

On other cruise lines I can pay for access to the specialty restaurants (lets not debate the value) no matter if I'm in a suite or an inside cabin.

To me at least these are different animals - pay for your shelter, pay for your food - you decide where to place value for your own unique reasons. If I want the bigger more lux room I can reserve it but should I have to do that just to eat well while on board (not that the other venues are slumming it - I don't mean that)?

I like having choice - O's policy limits my choice. I can have "better" dining but I have to buy a better stateroom to get it.

Another comparison that's likely to show up here is first class in an airplane vs. coach - I suppose there is some merit to this as a comparison although I think I'd be hard pressed to say that I fly first class for the food and not the leg room and larger seat. I'd almost pay them not to feed me on a plane so I leave that one alone for now.

Would I feel differently about this if I was fortunate enough to be able to afford the OS or VS - maybe, probably?

On some level I feel devalued by being told I can't have access - I've never been overly aware of a class structure in "normal" life - to me, this puts it right in my face so I can't avoid it.

So what say you?

The policy works for me.

We also enjoy the policy.

Each of the restaurants has a wonderful maître d’hôtel who will handle the details seamlessly.

I like the policy as it is.

I normally travel in balcony category cabins (rarely Concierge class), although we will be in a PH on a TA. Thus we normally get the "minimum" allotment for specialty restaurants; we usually manage to get extra reservations.

I may not love the policy but I do understand it and agree with it. Everyone cannot eat in a specialty restaurant every night, so some regulations need to be in place. While I do not like the class system Cunard uses (4 levels of dinning rooms with different menus/food quality based on your cabin category) I do not consider Oceania's system equal to that. I can certainly see why someone paying for an OS or VS should get some extra perks (among them extra reservations in specialty restaurants). Just like I understand that people flying (i.e. paying) in First/Business have extra perks (shorter lines, club access, better seats, etc, etc). I can live with that.

It seems to me that the arguments put forward by "Caribean Sun" ignore the fact that first rate food is available each night in both the GDR and Tapis. Eating in Polo and Toscana is a nice change but the food is not better. I like the present arrangement

I am curious to see how this will all play out on the Marina with 1250 passengers vying for reservations. Yes, there are two more specialty restaurants but only about 120- seats more for 600 extra passengers.

Why not try the Queen Mary or one ofthe other Cunard Ships.

In certain categories of cabin you CANNOT go to certain restaurants on board at all.

Brian

Why not try the Queen Mary or one ofthe other Cunard Ships.

 

In certain categories of cabin you CANNOT go to certain restaurants on board at all.

 

Brian

See my post (#6) above :)

I understand the need for restrictions as otherwise everyone would not get an opportunity to dine there.

I do, however, disagree that the food is better there. The worst meal I have ever had on O was in Toscana on our very first night on any ship. If it were now, I would send it back without hesitation. At that time we thought perhaps that was as good as it got. Thank goodness it wasn't. Second worst meal was in Polo.

We have always enjoyed the variety in the Grand Dining Room. While the two specialty restaurants are nice, the menu NEVER changes.

So I guess I have to say that the way it is now works for me. I also like that when I do eat there, there is no extra charge.

Mo

hi evryone,i like the fact that we can make reservations from home and make plans for it. milo:)

I don't like the fact that they current brochures and the website market all restaurants as open seating; and they do not even refer to Polo and Toscana as specialty restaurants.

Many of us have experienced the inability to get an "extra" reservations. That to me is reservation required.

O should describe the type of seating as it really is. Reservations recommended or required....

And even one review here on CC said that they were able to walk in and be seated.

Our only O cruise so far, our experience was - made the two reservations and were happy with those.

Saw the "extra reservation" spot each morning and each morning asked for any time, either restaurant, and any size table, Told that nothing was available. Happened 4 days in a row.....

Went to the specialty restaurant once it opened, no spots available at any table at any time.....

Contacted the hotel manager, problem solved.

so no I do not like the way the specialty restaurants are handled; not a show stopper but an annoyance. I am glad others are happy with it.

I think we'd all like to be able to walk in anytime and be seated in Polo and Toscana.

But realistically, that isn't going to happen. They are small venues so in order to regulate them and ensure some level of fairness to all, I think reservations are required.

Maybe we have been lucky, but we have always been able to get extra reservations, and we have always sailed on full ships. And it's not by room category as we are usually in an inside, although we have a balcony on our upcoming Marina cruise. Too bad it's winter, but as a hardy Canadian I plan to be out there everyday. We used to live on the ocean in Nova Scotia, and I think what I like best about cruising is just being on the water.

Mo

Why do some people get more than their "allotment"?

Does anyone tip the Maitre D in order to secure a reservation in the open seating specialty restaurants?

Why do some people get more than their "allotment"?

 

Does anyone tip the Maitre D in order to secure a reservation in the open seating specialty restaurants?

Isn't asking that kind of thing akin to asking a ladies age? :eek:

We have never tipped and never plan to.

We have found that there are usually extra reservations available most mornings.

That being said, we are usually happy with our allotted reservations.

After 8 cruises we have eaten everything off Toscana's menu and, in fact, note on our comment card that it is time to change the menu. We may not even bother with Toscana on the next cruise as everything in the Main Dining Room is so good.

Polo is always good but the steaks in the MDR are excellent also.

Carlos, our favorite maitre d'/hotel manager had offered us additional reservations and when we decline he is upset but we explain we enjoy the MDR too much.

On Marina with 4 specialty restaurants it will be more of a challenge.

We felt that since the Specialty's menu remained the same, the 2 times we were allotted were plenty. In fact we cancelled a 3rd one (extra) since we saw the Dinning Room had some entrees we really liked.

Funny story: On the comment card we wrote that the beef was dry and our veggies were cold. First nite of the cruise, maybe they were tired. Our next dinner and all the rest were fine. We are at a table for two and along comes the head chef in full garb and stops at our table to discuss the comment card. We weren't prepared for such a response but it is nice to know that they do read the cards and take them seriously.

As far as it being fair, I guess that's life. Whenever you pay more you usually get more.

I have followed this thread with great interest since the complaint is one I have heard on other cruise lines as well.

I read on another post that the specialty restaurants do not take reservations for a full house--only a certain per centage are accepted. We experienced a similar situation on our recent Holland America cruise to Bermuda. We were turned down for extra nights, yet the night we dined in their specialty restaurant, at least 1/3 of the tables were empty.

Two questions: is this truly the case with O? Do they fail to book a full house? Are there empty tables setting there while people who tried to make reservations were turned down?

Second: how do you make reservations ahead of time--i.e. before you board the ship? I would assume you do this after making final payment. Where do you call to make them?

Luckily, our daughter is sailing with us--in a separate cabin. Guess our allotment just doubled!! Lucky us.

This is a tricky subject. I enjoy reading how others feel and learning about their experiences.

Thanks for your experience and answers.

Mom C

Actually, MomC, I don't think your allotment will double because you are always asked for the cabin numbers of those who will be joining you.

A big difference on HAL's Veendam specialty restaurant - there is a $20 pp charge. On O - there is no extra charge, just a reservation policy that I think works very well! Enjoy your cruise!

Actually, MomC, I don't think your allotment will double because you are always asked for the cabin numbers of those who will be joining you.

A big difference on HAL's Veendam specialty restaurant - there is a $20 pp charge. On O - there is no extra charge, just a reservation policy that I think works very well! Enjoy your cruise!

The reservation allocation is per passenger not per cabin.

The Mom C family group will be guaranteed 2 restaurant reservations per person (i.e. if the 3 of them dine together twice, then they are all used up).

It is not a situation where each of you can host a table of 3 twice for a total of 6 restaurant visits.

I suppose that if they did allow that kind of thing, then the hosted groups would get continuously larger and larger until everyone was sitting at one huge table on the last night :rolleyes:

We have never tipped extra to get extra seatings upstairs. And whenever we have eaten there, the restaurant has been full. Trying to recall if we ever ate there at 6:30 and I don't think so, just because we rarely eat anywhere that early.

Mo

Second: how do you make reservations ahead of time--i.e. before you board the ship? I would assume you do this after making final payment. Where do you call to make them?

 

 

Mom C

Making reservations ahead of time is easy! Click on the "Already Booked" tab on the Oceania website. Log on. On the right side of your "Manage Reserved Cruises" page just under your Invoice Number you will see "Make Dining Reservations". Click on it. If you are trying to make a reservation before you are permitted (# of days in advance is dependent on cabin type) it will tell you so AND give you a link to learn about when you can make a reservation. Otherwise simply follow the on-screen instructions.

Bon appétit!

Well this one isn't even close :D

I should say a few things:

1) I wasn't making an argument - I expressed how on occasion the policy made me feel and I wasn't asking or lobbying for others to agree with me

2) I don't ignore the fact that there is quality alternatives, I've stated so on other threads - indeed, it's not the food that I was taking issue with.

3) This isn't a deal breaker for me - we can live with the policy and we've found ways to make it work for us. I have absolutely no issue whatsoever with dining al fresco at Tapas on the Terrace as I would prefer to dine outside vs. inside given the choice.

4) Agnes makes a very valid point about the menus not changing which is an easy fact to lose sight of.

Thanks for playing along folks!

Cheers!

If I'm reading this correctly, there is a basic misunderstanding of caribbeansun's position, and that is perhaps because caribbeansun has based their position on a misconception of the policy.

Somewhere along the way, caribbeansun has read in a brochure that Suite passengers get "priority" reservations in some or all of the specialty restaurants, which I believe has led them to believe that non-suite passengers do not get reservations in those restaurants, or are discriminated against in some other manner.

That's the understanding I take from the messages, and if I'm wrong, I stand ready to admit it.

However, the one simple word "priority" seems to be at the root of the problem. Suffice to say, that different guests at different booking levels enjoy many types of priority treatment. They have priority embarkation; that doesn't mean that no one else gets to embark. They have priority luggage handling; that doesn't mean that everyone else has to schlep there own luggage. On Celebrity, they get priority tendering; that doesn't mean that no on else gets to shore.

Likewise, everyone on board, including non-suite passengers, gets that same chance at the specialty restaurants; the passengers in concierge and above (not just suite passengers) have yet more opportunities.