Specialty Dining as a Solo

[CZodda]

Good afternoon all, I have the dining package on my next cruise in October.  I tried book reservations on the NCL app, but this does not allow for making reservations for 1 person.  Is there a number I can call to make dining reservations or should I just wait till I board to book?  Thanks in advance for any tips or advice you may have.  Have a great 4th of July weekend 🙂

[reeinaz]

Just book a table for 2. Those are the smallest tables anyway.

[hallux]

What @reeinaz said.  Booking for 1 or 2 you get the same table so it doesn't make a difference.  You could also book for 4 and offer at the solo meet for others to join you if they want to or are looking to use their plan and couldn't get a reservation, if you want to try to get someone to join you.

[HowardK]

Also, depending on the time you want to eat, port day vs. sea day- you might be okay waiting until you get on board and also if you want can see if other solos want to join you as well. 

[All-ready2cruise]

@hallux is absolutely correct regarding sharing your specialty table with others.  With so many cruisers now being offered the SDP, consider listing your choices or at least mentioning them to others in your, hopefully close solo group, and try to find others who want to dine together.  

 

As a platinum diner, I'm always interested in finding someone, platinum or not who wants to dine in the same SPD room.  I'm happy to share my platinum dinner with others.  

 

Cheers 

[eileeshb]

Book for 2 then if you really don’t want anyone else with you drop by the restaurants after boarding to modify it to 1 person. Otherwise the previous suggestions apply. I was brought to dinner by a platinum solo and another by an about to be travel agent on one cruise and brought other solos with me for another dinner I had booked.  Teppanyaki is the one restaurant where it’s tough to add numbers but as a solo they like you if there’s a group with an odd number so you help avoid them having an empty seat. 

[hallux]

2 hours ago, eileeshb said:

Book for 2 then if you really don’t want anyone else with you drop by the restaurants after boarding to modify it to 1 person.

There is absolutely ZERO reason to stress over doing this.  A table for 1 is the same as a table for 2, it literally makes ZERO sense to modify your reservation to 1 from 2.  On my Oct 2019 cruise I was a 3rd wheel, we made a reservation at Le Bistro for 4 and never changed it.  When we arrived they had no problem with us being a table of 3 as it would have been the same exact table as a table for 4.

 

Also, I don't believe the specialty restaurants will seat two solo diners at the same table, and you can always politely decline if that option is offered when you're seated.

[MorganClark]

5 hours ago, HowardK said:

Also, depending on the time you want to eat, port day vs. sea day- you might be okay waiting until you get on board and also if you want can see if other solos want to join you as well. 

 

Hey @HowardK, if you don't mind, would you shoot me an e-mail at;  martycp60@gmail.com

I've got something to ask you offline. Thanks.

[lepidoptera]

13 minutes ago, hallux said:

Also, I don't believe the specialty restaurants will seat two solo diners at the same table, and you can always politely decline if that option is offered when you're seated.

I have never had the specialty dining restaurants try and seat me with another party. NCL doesn’t seem to push solos to sit with others in the Main Dining rooms either. I get asked if I would like to share a few times a cruise. Even when they ask there is no issue if you say no, and if you say yes it is often handful of people sitting at a huge table with more than half the seats empty.  

 

The only restaurants it matters how many people are sitting at your table are the flat charge restaurants-Moderno, Teppanyaki and possibly the dinner shows-since they will charge you when making the reservations online.  

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, lepidoptera said:

The only restaurants it matters how many people are sitting at your table are the flat charge restaurants-Moderno, Teppanyaki and possibly the dinner shows-since they will charge you when making the reservations online.  

That only matters is you don’t have the dining package (or don’t have any credits left).

 

If you have an unbooked dining credit then you don’t get charged when booking.

Edited July 4, 2021 by KeithJenner

[eileeshb]

On 7/4/2021 at 2:28 AM, hallux said:

There is absolutely ZERO reason to stress over doing this.  A table for 1 is the same as a table for 2, it literally makes ZERO sense to modify your reservation to 1 from 2.  On my Oct 2019 cruise I was a 3rd wheel, we made a reservation at Le Bistro for 4 and never changed it.  When we arrived they had no problem with us being a table of 3 as it would have been the same exact table as a table for 4.

 

Also, I don't believe the specialty restaurants will seat two solo diners at the same table, and you can always politely decline if that option is offered when you're seated.

You have thoroughly  misinterpreted what I was saying.

If you book a specialty restaurant in any manner other than on the ship talking to a real human person you will have to book for at least 2 people.

Some people may want to invite another solo to join them and thus don’t need to modify the reservation. But if you are sticking to eating alone it is plain good manners to inform the restaurant people once you embark, it may give them scope to allow another group to increase their number.
Btw good luck eating solo at Teppanyaki since they don’t care if you’re solo there, total strangers are regularly seated together there just because of the setup of the venue. 

Edited July 10, 2021 by eileeshb
Typo

[hallux]

58 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

But if you are sticking to eating alone it is plain good manners to inform the restaurant people once you embark, it may give them scope to allow another group to increase their number.

It makes absolutely no difference.  If you're dining alone the table will still be a 2-top table since there are zero single-seat tables in the specialty restaurants.  They can't utilize the chair to add on to another table to seat an odd number as they can't block the aisles.  Teppanyaki is one exception to this, yes.

 

As I said - when I sailed in October 2019 I was solo and traveling with a couple staying in another cabin.  We booked a 4-top reservation at Le Bistro and the host told us when we showed up and confirmed we were 3 rather than the 4 that was reserved that it actually didn't matter as they still had to use a 4-seat table for us.

[ChiefMateJRK]

If NCL cared about odd numbers, they would change their system to accommodate it.

[HowardK]

I found though that in general over the years I've been fine waiting to reserve until I get on board. I either go with the flo with what the other solos I am with are doing or on one cruise just did dinner at several specialties (New England/Canada) 5PM and was out 530 and could use the rest of the evening for other things 

[kelib]

I have never booked in advance and have been able to either get a table by myself. In addition if you get a good solo host they can help you either get a reservation or will arrange a group to go to a few of the restaurants. ( this was all pre 5 perk promos, so not sure if they will do that now )