Using Free Dinner Vouchers Onboard

[loveandcruises]

I have been on many Royal Caribbean cruises and have always made reservations for specialty restaurants while onboard so that I could use the vouchers for dinners for 2 that my travel agent offers me. Lately, however, I find that the restaurant that I want to go to (Wonderland, for instance) is fully booked by the time I get onboard due to online reservations. My question is: Is it possible to book and pay for specialty restaurants online and then have the charges removed from my account once I am onboard and show my free voucher?

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, loveandcruises said:

I have been on many Royal Caribbean cruises and have always made reservations for specialty restaurants while onboard so that I could use the vouchers for dinners for 2 that my travel agent offers me. Lately, however, I find that the restaurant that I want to go to (Wonderland, for instance) is fully booked by the time I get onboard due to online reservations. My question is: Is it possible to book and pay for specialty restaurants online and then have the charges removed from my account once I am onboard and show my free voucher?

Yes 

[Biker19]

14 hours ago, loveandcruises said:

Is it possible to book and pay for specialty restaurants online and then have the charges removed from my account once I am onboard and show my free voucher?

When you cancel on board, you'll likely get that as OBC.

[orville99]

14 hours ago, loveandcruises said:

Is it possible to book and pay for specialty restaurants online and then have the charges removed from my account once I am onboard and show my free voucher?

 

7 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

When you cancel on board, you'll likely get that as OBC.

Yes, we have done this several times since the restart so we can use our BOGO coupons at a decent time, and Biker19 is correct. The prepayment will be refunded as OBC to your account. Just inform the Maitre D that you are going to use the vouchers when you go to the restaurant.

[BND]

Aren't the vouchers basically just OBC anyway?  The TA purchases it for their client just like they would OBC.

[Biker19]

25 minutes ago, BND said:

Aren't the vouchers basically just OBC anyway? 

With very restrictive uses, yes.

 

Biker, who sometimes wished he could cash out a voucher like that.

[renza]

15 hours ago, loveandcruises said:

I have been on many Royal Caribbean cruises and have always made reservations for specialty restaurants while onboard so that I could use the vouchers for dinners for 2 that my travel agent offers me. Lately, however, I find that the restaurant that I want to go to (Wonderland, for instance) is fully booked by the time I get onboard due to online reservations. My question is: Is it possible to book and pay for specialty restaurants online and then have the charges removed from my account once I am onboard and show my free voucher?

I have been on 3 cruises this year. Never hard to get any reservations I needed once on board. Just as long as you do it the first day you will be fine. You can go to any restaurant on board and book all dinners and times you want for the whole week. 

[sandy toes]

15 hours ago, renza said:

I have been on 3 cruises this year. Never hard to get any reservations I needed once on board. Just as long as you do it the first day you will be fine. You can go to any restaurant on board and book all dinners and times you want for the whole week. 

With some ships having 5K guests, reservations are filling up. 

[Ourusualbeach]

22 hours ago, BND said:

Aren't the vouchers basically just OBC anyway?  The TA purchases it for their client just like they would OBC.

Actually, most of the dining vouchers that are given by TA's are what are called "pass through promotions" that are actually given by Royal but look like they came from the TA.  They are specific promotions that Royal runs with individual travel agencies.  One of the reasons those dining vouchers are restrictive and can't be cashed out.

[renza]

8 hours ago, sandy toes said:

With some ships having 5K guests, reservations are filling up. 

Reservations are fine on boarding day even with 100% full. Now after first day key times will not be available 

[luckyinpa]

On 5/31/2022 at 7:48 AM, Biker19 said:

When you cancel on board, you'll likely get that as OBC.

 

is that refundable or not? i already have a ship model on oasis so unsure what else i could burn the money on. 

 

wondering also if i book thru the concierge the week before if they would charge me or if they would be aware i have the certificate 

 

also kind of strange since if you book before the trip you pay with a CC that they cannot reverse the CC but the OBC is instant so i get it

Edited October 26, 2022 by luckyinpa

[Biker19]

21 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

 

is that refundable or not? i already have a ship model on oasis so unsure what else i could burn the money on. 

It doesn’t matter since you can cash in even non refundable OBC via the casino slot machine. 

[luckyinpa]

does royal charge a fee to move money from your room account to the casino.  i was pleasantly surprised princess does not...but thats also dangerous!

[orville99]

1 minute ago, luckyinpa said:

does royal charge a fee to move money from your room account to the casino.  i was pleasantly surprised princess does not...but thats also dangerous!

If you transfer the money from your account to a slot machine, there is no fee at all.

[orville99]

27 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

wondering also if i book thru the concierge the week before if they would charge me or if they would be aware i have the certificate

We usually have the concierge make reservations for us about a week before the cruise, and when  we go to the restaurant, they reverse out the certificate amount.

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

but thats also dangerous!

Only if you can’t find the cash out button.