Complimentary "Specialty Restaurant Cover Charge"

[triptolemus]

When I look at my booking on Princess.com, I see under "Reservations and Purchases" the AIBP promo (booked a year ago) which I expect. I was surprised to see 2 Complimentary "Specialty Restaurant Cover Charge" items there. I guess I just never noticed it, or forgot. I'm thinking this came with the suite booking, but I'm not sure.

 

Question is, can this credit be used to make reservations prior to sailing? Clicked around on the website, and I am thinking the answer is no. Perhaps a phone call?

 

Would the promo be applied as on board credit if I just paid for it now? With only two specialities on Emerald and two sea days, I am concerned that the prime times will fill up by the time we board.

 

Thanks for any information.

[Astro Flyer]

It's not possible to pre-reserve complimentary specialty restaurants & only by pre-paying.

 

It's not OBC and generally is assigned but have read it's possible to change the date & time if there's availability.

 

I've never sailed in a suite but have read that a specialty restaurant dinner is provided on the first night of the cruise. Some promotions such as the current S+S offer included a specialty restaurant dinner which was a benefit that was only available by booking a minisuite or suite within the first couple of weeks.

 

As I recall from past discussions complementary specialty restaurant dining did not include the $39 Share restaurant so you may only have the $29 Crown Grill as an option.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[skynight]

When I look at my booking on Princess.com, I see under "Reservations and Purchases" the AIBP promo (booked a year ago) which I expect. I was surprised to see 2 Complimentary "Specialty Restaurant Cover Charge" items there. I guess I just never noticed it, or forgot. I'm thinking this came with the suite booking, but I'm not sure.

 

Question is, can this credit be used to make reservations prior to sailing? Clicked around on the website, and I am thinking the answer is no. Perhaps a phone call?

 

Would the promo be applied as on board credit if I just paid for it now? With only two specialities on Emerald and two sea days, I am concerned that the prime times will fill up by the time we board.

 

Thanks for any information.

If you are in a full suite you receive complimentary specialty restaurant dining on the first night of the cruise. When you board you have to call for reservations. This is a full suite amenity and has nothing to do with any promo.

The current AIBP promo had an additional perk (expired July 5th) of specialty dining if you booked a mini suite or full suite. Maybe you also have this. Check with Princess or your T.A. If you do have it there will be a gift card in your cabin and you have to call once on board to make a reservation.

In both cases you can not pre-book. Don't worry there are always reservation times available and full suites get priority.

[Michellynn]

I also called about this. I was told I could book online and then once onboard go to guest services to get the fees waived.

 

I personally rather just wait to book once onboard to avoid additional charges to my card.

[Colo Cruiser]

I can only imagine the arguments trying to get one's credit back once onboard.

Sounds easy but remember the fleet operates on a totally different set of rules and standards versus corporate.

IMO I would make the res once onboard and not take the chance of getting screwed out of the credit. Really not worth the headache. :rolleyes:

[Astro Flyer]

I can only imagine the arguments trying to get one's credit back once onboard.

Sounds easy but remember the fleet operates on a totally different set of rules and standards versus corporate.

 

IMO I would make the res once onboard and not take the chance of getting screwed out of the credit. Really not worth the headache. :rolleyes:

Even when having things in writing it's not always easy to receive what we've been told & I strongly agree that it's not worth the headache to deal with it on the ship.

 

I've read that sometimes when OBC isn't in our onboard folio that a Cruise Personalizer copy showing it still takes some time for the ship & corporate to agree to issue it. And verbal statements are practically useless to prove anything.

 

If the Princess rep found written information that prepayment could be reversed on the ship & to use a complimentary dinner voucher that verbal statement won't help much.

 

Most likely the rep either asked others or answered based on what they had read or heard & not based on anything in writing so I wouldn't depend upon it's accuracy.

 

There's also a considerable disconnect between written HQ procedures, what phone reps tell us and onboard staff deciding what to do based on how each ship's management tells them to do things in their kingdom.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[triptolemus]

Thanks you guys for the info!

[mamaboss]

I booked a suite under the promo also offering a specialty dinner but only see 1 reservation for each of us in the personalizer. That is most likely the one that comes with the suite? Where is my proof I have another one included in my promo?

[NavyVeteran]

I booked a suite under the promo also offering a specialty dinner but only see 1 reservation for each of us in the personalizer. That is most likely the one that comes with the suite? Where is my proof I have another one included in my promo?

I have also sailed a couple of times in suites booked under Sip & Sail with a specialty restaurant promo. The specialty restaurant on the first night that comes with the suite is not listed in your personalizer. The one listed is the one from the promo. I have never seen the first night suite specialty restaurant listed on my personalizer.

You will need to call when you get on board to reserve your restaurant for the first night. If you don't call, they may call you -- but don't count on it.

They will assign your promo specialty restaurant to a specific restaurant at a specific date and time. However, there is no problem calling to change it.

The Princess website is clear that advance booking cannot be used for complimentary specialty restaurant reservations. I would not believe anyone at Princess who told you there would not be a problem getting a refund. They only book a limited number of times in advance, so they keep a lot of times available for onboard booking. If you're in a suite, you have priority specialty restaurant booking, so you should not have a problem getting the restaurant, date, and time you want onboard -- as long as you book early after you board.

Since you will be calling them the first day to book your first night reservation, I would recommend going ahead and booking your other one at the same time. Save a call -- and time on hold for a second call.

[mamaboss]

I have also sailed a couple of times in suites booked under Sip & Sail with a specialty restaurant promo. The specialty restaurant on the first night that comes with the suite is not listed in your personalizer. The one listed is the one from the promo. I have never seen the first night suite specialty restaurant listed on my personalizer.

You will need to call when you get on board to reserve your restaurant for the first night. If you don't call, they may call you -- but don't count on it.

They will assign your promo specialty restaurant to a specific restaurant at a specific date and time. However, there is no problem calling to change it.

The Princess website is clear that advance booking cannot be used for complimentary specialty restaurant reservations. I would not believe anyone at Princess who told you there would not be a problem getting a refund. They only book a limited number of times in advance, so they keep a lot of times available for onboard booking. If you're in a suite, you have priority specialty restaurant booking, so you should not have a problem getting the restaurant, date, and time you want onboard -- as long as you book early after you board.

Since you will be calling them the first day to book your first night reservation, I would recommend going ahead and booking your other one at the same time. Save a call -- and time on hold for a second call.

 

Thank you! I will call upon boarding and book both nights. I would trust most on cruise critic than any rep at Princess. Sad but true. Thanks again!

[peagreenid]

When you book with certain packages you receive a free specialty dinner and you also receive a complimentary dinner in a specialty restaurant for the first night if you are booked in a suite. I tried to get answers to this prior to our sailing in May this past year but alas, no one on cruise critic seemed to have the answer and just directed me to call Princess (they didn't have a clue) The odd thing about our booking is that the credit showing in our personalizer was for $34 each??? My question was if we could use it at Share? Or if we could go to Share with our first night complimentary dinner for being booked in a suite.

 

What actually happened when we boarded-

We entered our cabin and there was a reservation made for the first night for dinner at Share. This is where it got really confusing... they told me that we HAD to go to Share. I tried calling the dine line multiple times and no one seemed to be able to answer my question, when I asked if this was booked with our credit or if it was booked for our free complimentary dinner for our first night in a suite. Essentially what happened is they took our credit (which had to be used for Share) and booked us dinner for the first night at Share. Luckily I was aware that we had both of them because if I had not been paying attention we would have lost the complimentary dinner for being booked in the suite. So I finally gave up with the Dine Line and walked to Crown Grill and talked with them. They explained that the complimentary suite dinner was supposed to be in the Crown Grill for the first night and they called Share and cancelled our reservation and we made it for later in the week.

 

Patty

[AF-1]

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships/PrincessSuite_eFlyer.pdf

 

click on this link and it tells you about specialty dining on embarkation night. All the suite benefits available to persons who book a full suite

I walked down to Crown Grill when I boarded; I booked my dinner reservation in about five minutes. This is where we had breakfast every morning.

Edited October 31, 2017 by AF-1
added txt

[JF - retired RRT]

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships/PrincessSuite_eFlyer.pdf

 

click on this link and it tells you about specialty dining on embarkation night. All the suite benefits available to persons who book a full suite

I walked down to Crown Grill when I boarded; I booked my dinner reservation in about five minutes. This is where we had breakfast every morning.

I rarely call the dine line for anything. IF they answer the phone, it's after 10 minutes of "please hold, we'll be with you shortly".:(

[Cruisin Broad]

When I look at my booking on Princess.com, I see under "Reservations and Purchases" the AIBP promo (booked a year ago) which I expect. I was surprised to see 2 Complimentary "Specialty Restaurant Cover Charge" items there. I guess I just never noticed it, or forgot. I'm thinking this came with the suite booking, but I'm not sure.

 

Question is, can this credit be used to make reservations prior to sailing? Clicked around on the website, and I am thinking the answer is no. Perhaps a phone call?

 

Would the promo be applied as on board credit if I just paid for it now? With only two specialities on Emerald and two sea days, I am concerned that the prime times will fill up by the time we board.

 

Thanks for any information.

We had the same situation. We wanted to reserve for a particular night and had received complimentary cover charges for three. One of my traveling companions called Princess, she was told that she could only make a reservation by having her credit card charged, which she did while on the line with the Princess agent. She immediately had an OBC amount show up in her account for the same amount she charged on her credit card.