dining/spa reservations

Does anyone know how far in advance we can book dining and spa reservations? I see excursions are 120 days before cruise. I am very much a planner and this is driving me nuts!

Also... any suggestions on best Specialty Restaurant we should choose? DH likes steaks, I like seafood and steaks so was thinking Crown Grill. We only plan on doing one. Also any Lotus Spa pricing? I cannot see it yet in my cruise personalizer :( TIA!!

Might still be too soon.

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I think the Crown Grill is for you :D.

Tony

I checked on one of my cruises that is 140 days from now and Spa reservations are possible but specialty dining is not open yet.

You don't mention how long it is until your cruise but I imagine you could make spa reservations around the same time excursions open.

As for specialty dining I agree with Tony- Crown Grill sounds like the place for you.

Maybe it's because of the new prepay policy but we are more than six months out and have been able to make excursion reservations for some time. Haven't tried the specialty restaurants but they SEEM available as well.

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The shore excursions FAQs state: "You can book your shore excursion with Cruise Personalizer® from approximately 180 days before travel".

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/excursions.jsp

Before the current prepayment system was instituted earlier this year Princess stated they'd be available 120-90 before sailing. However I had them available as early as nearly 11 months in advance & a few tours were as late as 30 days.

I periodically check for availability because sometimes when they're available to reserve can vary greatly.

Just for grins, I checked the Cruise Personlizer for my April 2018 cruise to Alaska--300 days away. It appears that I can make specialty restaurant reservations already. I don't know if it varies from ship to ship.

I agree that Crown Grill will fit the bill for you and your husband. For real decadence, though, you might want to check out the Ultimate Balcony Dinner. He can order Beef Tenderloin and you could order Lobster Tails--or either of you could order "Surf 'n' Turf."

Sorry, I am no help on spa questions.

Have a great cruise.

For information

Specialty Dining:

The Emerald has 3 specialty dining options. Crown Grill, steak chops and seafood, $29/pp, SHARE by Curtis Stone, $39/pp. Look here foe the menu: http://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/curtis-stone/ . SHARE is not crowded at all, doesn't get much use. There is also The Crab Shack, $29/pp, buckets of shell fish. This is held some evenings in a section of the buffet seating area. In addition to the 3 options above there are dining experiences, Ultimate Balcony Dining, and Chef's Table. You can research these and if interested book on boarding day.

There are advantages of waiting until you board. It very easy to book by calling the DINE Line or visiting the restaurant.

-You get to review the evening schedule for your cruise, so you can select the best evening for you.

-You can select the proper specialty restaurant.

-You may opt for the Crab Shack, where I believe you can only reserve on board.

-OBC may cover the cost, no pre-payment necessary.

Spa:

You can pre-book. There are also plenty of opportunities on board to book the spa. There are spa personnel around the ship in public areas taking reservations.

On line bookings will most likely be available next year. Start looking around January.

Thanks! I am a lot farther out for my cruise, I forgot to mention that its not until Aug 2018! I will check after the new year and if worse comes to worse book onboard!