booking specialty restaurants

What do CC`s think about being able to book in advance limited seating restaurants ( TK). either 1 booking or unlimited thereby limiting those who book on board. I am sure you could not book in advance in the two.

First time cruisers who do not look at sites like CC can be at a huge disadvantage.

Just to add we are not a great fan of TK although we might give it another try on our transatlantic if available the night we choose.

I think this is a total non issue as TK doesn’t sell out on most nights. We’re on Sojourn now and have had late afternoon calls from the hostess asking if we’re interested in coming that evening. On the mid cruise formal night we were only one of six tables. We do love TKG!

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It was totally booked out on Quest first Antarctica trip by mid way through unless you wanted to share a table. We asked to be put on wait list but never anything doing. We were able to go three times in three weeks though so we were just being greedy!

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DH and I are planners who do not like random odds or having to schmooze or bribe, and thus like the idea of advance but cancellable reservations for specialty restaurants, which is how we pre-booked our one reservation in TK on our cruise in 2017. (BTW though it was good for what it did, other than the loud pounding music, I miss the multi-taste excitement of R2 with pairings). I would oppose allowing multiple advance bookings because then likely some people would book for every night, and then do a lot of cancellations, depriving some who are a little late to the computer when booking opens up from a chance at getting in, at least on some cruises.

Newbies in theory have the same access at least once as oldies if they read SB instructions and can remember to book their own reservation per cruise in advance.

There is another luxury cruiseline I am very fond of but one key thing I dislike is the inability to book specialty restaurants and spa in advance. Newbies who do not know that the first thing you should do when you get on board is go get your reservations, especially those without butlers, were disadvantaged and some never got into a specialty.

Catalover54,

As far as I know there is no luxury cruise line that does not require advance reservations in at least one of its restaurants. Seabourn is actually the least restrictive as only TK requires it since the Colonnade can easily be made on board.. Silversea does so for all its specialty restaurants. If advance planning is of primary importance to you I suggest you forgo the specialty restaurants and avoid the angst they seem to cause.

I like the SS system, even though I know a few people have complained that they were bumped for others, despite reservations.

Hapag Lloyd is a luxury line , and does not allow advance specialty reservations in its four specialty restaurants.

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I like the SS system, even though I know a few people have complained that they were bumped for others, despite reservations.

Hapag Lloyd is a luxury line , and does not allow advance specialty reservations in its four specialty restaurants.

 

 

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Then why are you sailing on Seabourn? Obviously its system is not for you.

Hapag Lloyd is its own animal. It also is not all inclusive.

Wripro, as I stated, currently you can reserve one TK grill reservation per cruise ahead of time. The OP asked about extending it to more, thereby potentially shutting out those who only book on board, which I oppose, as I dislike that idea. I do not care about advance Colonnade bookings because it is TK ad hoc, which has not been very interesting to us on two cruises. My main response about the OP booking proposal was directed to the OP, and I used the HL luxury line experience for some people as an example of why I do not like absence of at least some advance booking. I think SB has it correct right now.

In any event, I sail many different lines, I mix and match. I would not rule out any line just because of dining reservation issues. The total picture is important, as there are pros and cons on all.

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So nothings clear then

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I asked this question as some people seem to want to be able to book more than one. a friend who I persuaded to try Seabourn really liked it but decided to try SS and was dismayed to find that on their first day to find one of the restaurants totally booked for the whole 14 days, they are now back with Seabourn. I think it is about right with one booking per voyage.

Personally I am not a fan of TK so it really does not affect me.

I've just returned from a 19 day cruise and in advance I tried to book the TKG online, the website would not allow me to do so on any night (I'm UK if that makes any difference).

We then rang whilst onboard early on our cruise to make a booking and were only offered 6pm a few days later but that was really too early for us to eat. There were no other options. We were put on a waiting list but heard nothing. We asked if we could book later in the cruise but on the phone the member of staff didn't seem to want to look that far ahead which I found strange. We then decided to go in person to The Grill as it opened to try and get a table booked at some point and we did manage to get that about 4 days later but were told it was a table they were going to make happen as it was fully booked that night!

We heard that some people had been 4 times and more to The Grill so at this point we were thoroughly confused and wondered what we were doing wrong! We also heard that one passenger went every night at 6pm and took up cancellations and dined there every night for a week but no idea if that was true or not.

We enjoyed eating there but do think that the booking system needs some sorting!

I've just returned from a 19 day cruise and in advance I tried to book the TKG online, the website would not allow me to do so on any night (I'm UK if that makes any difference).

 

 

 

We then rang whilst onboard early on our cruise to make a booking and were only offered 6pm a few days later but that was really too early for us to eat. There were no other options. We were put on a waiting list but heard nothing. We asked if we could book later in the cruise but on the phone the member of staff didn't seem to want to look that far ahead which I found strange. We then decided to go in person to The Grill as it opened to try and get a table booked at some point and we did manage to get that about 4 days later but were told it was a table they were going to make happen as it was fully booked that night!

 

 

 

We heard that some people had been 4 times and more to The Grill so at this point we were thoroughly confused and wondered what we were doing wrong! We also heard that one passenger went every night at 6pm and took up cancellations and dined there every night for a week but no idea if that was true or not.

 

 

 

We enjoyed eating there but do think that the booking system needs some sorting!

There was (still is) a solo traveling (elderly) lady who lives on Seabourn almost year round (except Christmas & NYs) and dines there every evening at 6 pm.

You didn’t do anything wrong, but the better approach would have been to make one reservation online before the cruise (we’re from Europe too so no idea why the website failed you) and to go speak to The Grill’s Seating Hostess in person on day 1 or day 2.

As you say, they never sold out at 6 pm (earliest) or 9 pm (latest). The problem was/is people requesting (or in some cases demanding) tables at 7:30 pm, thus blocking a table all evening when they try to accommodate more people by doing two seatings.

Floris

There was (still is) a solo traveling (elderly) lady who lives on Seabourn almost year round (except Christmas & NYs) and dines there every evening at 6 pm.

 

You didn’t do anything wrong, but the better approach would have been to make one reservation online before the cruise (we’re from Europe too so no idea why the website failed you) and to go speak to The Grill’s Seating Hostess in person on day 1 or day 2.

 

As you say, they never sold out at 6 pm (earliest) or 9 pm (latest). The problem was/is people requesting (or in some cases demanding) tables at 7:30 pm, thus blocking a table all evening when they try to accommodate more people by doing two seatings.

 

Floris

Thanks Floris, it's sort of making sense now! After ringing to book and being put on a waiting list, we imagined we'd get a call, but after a week went by, we did realise that we needed to pursue it in a different way. As for booking online, maybe I just picked the nights it was full. Next time I'll attack it with military precision! :D