Specialty Dining discounts on board

[Host Star]

closer to your sailing ..keep an eye on the website as they offer bogo's.   usually it is for the first and second nites but we have had no problem changing the nites once on board... also they will assign you the restaurants and that is no problem changing once you are on board... there will be a notice in your cabin with the restaurants... we just went to one that we preferred and changed it... 

also the first day by the Windjammer they have been standing at the entrance promoting specials on the specialty restaurants

[ValerieJo]

On 10/2/2019 at 8:27 PM, mom2t&j said:

Does anyone have any experience to share on the Symphony?

 

We were offered the behind the scenes brunch at a much discounted price.  I don't recall exactly how much as we did not take the offer.

[mbbarron]

On 10/1/2019 at 7:21 PM, Tee & Chilli said:

Keep in mind restaurants purchased onboard incur an additional 18%.

Are you saying that if you book online in advance then there's NO additional gratuity charge but if you book while ON the ship, there IS an additional 18% gratuity added?

[mbbarron]

On 10/3/2019 at 10:47 AM, Norwich Cruiser said:

We honestly had no intentions of doing any speciality restaurants and this was there initial offer and we thought it was just to good to refuse there were four of us.

Although we have always been happy with the MDR food we were more than happy to pay those extra prices.

We dined at 150 Central Park the first night and it wasn’t half full.

Chops Grille mid week was full inside and about half the tables outside were taken.

From memory we ate at 20.00.

 

 

We're sailing on Symphony a week from today! I have no intention of doing specialty restaurants because honestly we're just frugal and it has to be a really compelling deal. My son's 16th birthday is the 5th night of our cruise and would love to go to Chop's to celebrate. I would pay $20 a person but half price ($52.99/2 plus 18% = $31.21/pp) plus gratuity is $31+ per person and I won't pay an extra $155 (family of 5) when we could eat dinner for free/included in the MDR. I know they typically like to offer deals where they book you in night one or two as those are probably the nights with the least demand. And they like to offer deals where it's multiple restaurants. I would only be interested in one restaurant one a specific night.  It will be interesting to see what is offered.

[Tee & Chilli]

2 hours ago, mbbarron said:

Are you saying that if you book online in advance then there's NO additional gratuity charge but if you book while ON the ship, there IS an additional 18% gratuity added?

Correct

[Colorado Babe]

On 10/3/2019 at 8:23 AM, c-leg5 said:

 

Do you negotiate these discounts, or is this their initial offer?

 

we have tried a couple of times to negotiate a discount down from initial offer for Chef’s Table, without success.

Everything is negotiatable.  If not, then we don't book.

[cdoobiest]

Curious if anyone on Symphony has been offered discount for Wonderland or any other restaurant.  

 

We are are on board now and was walking by the boardwalk when a waiter asked if we would try one of the specialty restaurants for 30% off on first night. 

 

We said no and he counter offered 35% off  on any other night we wanted. I didn’t take it but tempted to ask again during our cruise. He told me 35% was highest he could go. Do you think they would go higher?! 

[Grandma Petania]

 

My daughter and I are frugal cruisers and have never eaten in one of the specialty restaurants.  The only thing “extra” that we’ve ever paid for on a cruise has been the Escape Room, and Internet access for one device, (so she can share her adventure on facetime with her sweet hubby).  The included meals, entertainment, and housekeeping, are enough of a treat for me.

 

In five weeks we will be sailing on Symphony as guests of my generous son & his husband (to celebrate my 80th birthday).  They wanted us to try some of the specialty dinners with them, so I talked them into the three dinner package.  

 

I remembered it being offered @ $99 on a previous cruise, and was a little disappointed by the pre-cruise price of $115 for our upcoming cruise — until I realized that the 18% gratuity was included in the $115.  If you sign up once you’re on board, $99 plus gratuity makes the onboard special deal  $116.82.  Either way, the cost of each dinner will be around $38 including gratuity, instead of $50-$65 without a “deal”.

 

Next cruise with my daughter (when we’ll be paying the bill), I’m sure we’ll go back to dining all seven nights in the Main Dining Room, and be quite content.  If I want to splurge on a special meal, I’ll do it when we’re back home, and won’t be forfeiting a perfectly good MDR dinner.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Grandma Petania

[Sea Dog]

We love the Chef's Table and our last two cruises received 50% off. Once a person came up to us in the MDR, the other was offered to me when I was confirming a reservation time at another restaurant. Yes we did pay the gratuity charge but it still was a good deal for us.

[Jellal]

I hear that a lot of people are offered 50% off. What is the actual price after the 50% off? Thanks. 

[Colorado Babe]

3 hours ago, Jellal said:

I hear that a lot of people are offered 50% off. What is the actual price after the 50% off? Thanks. 

WE also have gotten the 50 percent off for Chef's table.  Usually it comes to $55-$60 plus 18 percent gratuit.   depending on they class of ship you are on.  

[Jellal]

1 hour ago, Colorado Babe said:

WE also have gotten the 50 percent off for Chef's table.  Usually it comes to $55-$60 plus 18 percent gratuit.   depending on they class of ship you are on.  

Oh I get it so it’s 50% off the prices in my cruise planner. For example chops is $50 in my cruise planner so it could potentially be on sale for say $25 on board. Thanks for the clarification!

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, Jellal said:

Oh I get it so it’s 50% off the prices in my cruise planner

The planner and on board pricing can be and many times are different. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Biker19

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, Colorado Babe said:

WE also have gotten the 50 percent off for Chef's table.  Usually it comes to $55-$60 plus 18 percent gratuit.   depending on they class of ship you are on.  

I am wondering if you are more likely to get 50% off on bigger ships, where there are more dining choices and longer cruises like TA’s on smaller ships?
 

As I said previously we have never been able to negotiate 50% off so consequently we have never done chefs table!

[SAmome]

Interesting can get 40-50% off, the D+ BOGO perk doesn't seem so special.

[FrannyK]

16 hours ago, Colorado Babe said:

WE also have gotten the 50 percent off for Chef's table.  Usually it comes to $55-$60 plus 18 percent gratuit.   depending on they class of ship you are on.  

Is this $55-$60 per person or for two?  We've never done the Chefs Table

[Colorado Babe]

3 minutes ago, FrannyK said:

Is this $55-$60 per person or for two?  We've never done the Chefs Table

Per person.

[Jellal]

Has anyone ever seen any discounts on board for the 3 night dining package? The cruise planner price has stayed at $99 since I booked the cruise back in August. Thanks.