Specialty Dining Reservation Tactics

[ennegram]

Which gives a wider choice of time and date - reserving specialty restaurants individually or reserving them in a 3 or 5 night package? Is it necessary to board as early as possible on embarkation day to secure specialty restaurant reservations? (We are on a sold out Aus/NZ cruise this coming March.)

[Project_gal]

I am as certain as I can be [from experimentation] that Celebrity only offer one reservation per time slot online in advance and, as far as I can tell, none at 7:30pm. In the past, we have watched from the time we booked the cruise [up to two years pre-cruise] and made our reservations as soon as they open. Thus, unless you arrive late, you should always be able to make a reservation as soon as you board - there is always a desk just before and/or after where you board.

 

In advance, I doubt that it matters if you book a package or not but you may get a preference on board. We are experimenting with the Ultimate Dining Package on our upcoming cruise.

 

Sue

[fredflint]

We are on reflection right now in aqua just received offer for 5 speciaty and 4 bistro on 5 2 breakfast for 75/pp first night was also half price qsine has looked pretty empty most nights before 8 or so

[ennegram]

Thank you!

[We're The Groupnors]

If you are a Captain's Club member you can call the Captain's Club toll-free line once you are able to complete check-in on line and have them book your specialty dining for your upcoming cruise. I just did that this morning for our upcoming December cruise. They'll ask what restaurants you want and on which nights, and ask you for a preferred and an alternate time.

[Oville]

If you are a Captain's Club member you can call the Captain's Club toll-free line once you are able to complete check-in on line and have them book your specialty dining for your upcoming cruise. I just did that this morning for our upcoming December cruise. They'll ask what restaurants you want and on which nights' date=' and ask you for a preferred and an alternate time.[/quote']

 

Was that with the dining package or individual dinners?

[Christine Frances]

You can call Specialty Dining direct at 800-722-5941:)

[ennegram]

Thank you.

[We're The Groupnors]

Was that with the dining package or individual dinners?

 

You can do it with either, I would assume. They don't know or care when you make reservations whether or not you have a package, as you are not billed up front. Book now, then buy the package on board, if you choose to do so.

[phoenix_dream]

You can do it with either' date=' I would assume. They don't know or care when you make reservations whether or not you have a package, as you are not billed up front. Book now, then buy the package on board, if you choose to do so.[/quote']

 

You know what they say when you assume:):). A couple cruises ago we did this (that is, booked through the Captains Club line), but as we were booking a package we absolutely could not book all of our reservations ahead of time - only the first one. We tried to book the rest ASAP when we boarded (early) and had a lot of trouble getting good times and days. Someone mentioned packages perhaps getting specialized treatment. I would argue the opposite. You give up the privilege of getting the best times as a trade off for getting better prices. In the future, if I book a package I think I will pre-book my reservations and then try to convert to a package onboard.

[We're The Groupnors]

You know what they say when you assume:):). A couple cruises ago we did this (that is, booked through the Captains Club line), but as we were booking a package we absolutely could not book all of our reservations ahead of time - only the first one. We tried to book the rest ASAP when we boarded (early) and had a lot of trouble getting good times and days. Someone mentioned packages perhaps getting specialized treatment. I would argue the opposite. You give up the privilege of getting the best times as a trade off for getting better prices. In the future, if I book a package I think I will pre-book my reservations and then try to convert to a package onboard.

 

That's kind of what I was saying. We've booked multiple reservations for a single cruise through Captains Club. I can't imagine that if we then purchased the package when we got on board that they would make us give up those reservations and start again. We have never been asked when we book whether or not we have a package.

[lovemylab]

I was on a sold out Med cruise last October and booked the 3 dinner package once onboard. They had a table set up the first day of the cruise and we had no problems getting the times we wanted. The maître d even made sure we got a great table location at Tuscan Grille since we were dining there on our anniversary.

[baggal]

If you make a reservation through Captain's Club, do you have to pay in advance of the cruise? I'd prefer to use OBC.

 

Thanks,

[gdpups]

It's been reported that you don't have to pay in advance if you call instead of book online, but I called and tried to book specialty restaurants for my upcoming cruise and was told I would need to pay in advance, so I'm waiting until we board so I can use OBC.

[Jacs]

We were recently on the solstice and the first night in Blu they were walking around selling the 3 & 5 dinner packages. We booked the 3 and the maitre of Blu went away to work out the best times he could book us in to work around formal nights and port days etc. we got some great times, always by the window and were also able to book into Tuscan Grille 2 other times on the day we decided to dine. I found that none of the restaurants were fully booked every night, although we were on an 18 night cruise so that would have made a difference.

[We're The Groupnors]

If you make a reservation through Captain's Club, do you have to pay in advance of the cruise? I'd prefer to use OBC.

 

Thanks,

 

This is exactly why we book through Captains Club, not the website. We just explain that we want to use OBC once on board to pay, and we've never been told we have to pay in advance.

[blueboro]

This is exactly why we book through Captains Club' date=' not the website. We just explain that we want to use OBC once on board to pay, and we've never been told we have to pay in advance.[/quote']

 

Called different times and spoke with 3 different Captains Club agents and was told that in order to book the 4-night package on Reflection we had to pay in advance. They don't make anything easy do they? Said we wanted to use OBC but they could not, or would not, help.

[JanineM]

Called different times and spoke with 3 different Captains Club agents and was told that in order to book the 4-night package on Reflection we had to pay in advance. They don't make anything easy do they? Said we wanted to use OBC but they could not, or would not, help.

 

 

We have always had to pay in advance if we prebooked dining packages. I believe that's been the policy for years.

[blueboro]

We have always had to pay in advance if we prebooked dining packages. I believe that's been the policy for years.

 

Not according to several posts here.

[Muushka]

We are on reflection right now in aqua just received offer for 5 speciaty and 4 bistro on 5 2 breakfast for 75/pp first night was also half price qsine has looked pretty empty most nights before 8 or so

 

Do I understand you correctly?

 

5 Specialty restaurant dinners

4 Bistro on 5 meals

2 breakfasts (?)

 

for $75 per person?

[themutis]

Does anyone know if the discounted 5-night package was only for people in Aqua Class?

[kitty9]

If you make a reservation through Captain's Club, do you have to pay in advance of the cruise? I'd prefer to use OBC.

 

Thanks,

 

I just finished booking specialty restaurants for our upcoming Equinox cruise, and I did have to pay upfront.

[2OldTravelers]

Called Captains Club hoping to get a time not available online for an upcoming cruise. The only times available were the exact ones online. I also had to pay upfront. There was no benefit to calling Captain's Club, and it involved being on hold for approximately 10 minutes. Next time I will stick to doing it online.

[Number34]

Does anyone know if the discounted 5-night package was only for people in Aqua Class?

 

I'm booked in an S1 and have booked it and also paid upfront so the answer is no. (Starting to wonder if it is worth it as we get two free dinners and are on an 11 night cruise with only 2 speciality restaurants on the Infinity.)

Edited January 7, 2014 by Number34

[dodger1964]

Do I understand you correctly?

 

5 Specialty restaurant dinners

4 Bistro on 5 meals

2 breakfasts (?)

 

for $75 per person?

 

I was going to post same question as you, but I would assume answer is no. I'll bet that per day, or maybe just typo.

 

Waiting for someone with actual answer.