Booking speciality dining

[crazyman3]

Hi 

 

Sorry I'm being so stupid...

 

We're on the Regal out of Southampton 7th July.

 

Many years ago, we used Princess a fair bit but it has been ten years... (with Celebrity)

 

New technology and systems seem to be in place,

 

How do we book specialty restaurants? We are in a full suite and have elite loyalty status.

We have loved Sabatini and Crown Grill in the past. Recommendations appreciated.

Although the balance isn't due yet, we can pay soon as this cruise was a gift to us.

 

Thanks for your help on this.

 

Stephen and Eileenovertoofar

[PacnGoNow]

4 minutes ago, crazyman3 said:

Hi 

 

Sorry I'm being so stupid...

 

We're on the Regal out of Southampton 7th July.

 

Many years ago, we used Princess a fair bit but it has been ten years... (with Celebrity)

 

New technology and systems seem to be in place,

 

How do we book specialty restaurants? We are in a full suite and have elite loyalty status.

We have loved Sabatini and Crown Grill in the past. Recommendations appreciated.

Although the balance isn't due yet, we can pay soon as this cruise was a gift to us.

 

Thanks for your help on this.

 

Stephen and Eileenovertoofar

Download the Princess App (MedallionClass App)

 

Specialty Dining (SD) is under Dine my way (DMW).  Pick the day you want and you will see options for SD, just click on that restaurant, pick your time and book it.  Make sure to confirm it and it will say

you are all set.  Being in a full suite you won’t have any problems getting reservations once OB either.

 

If you book ahead, you can always call the dine line from your room to change it if you need to.

 

Welcome back

 

[crazyman3]

Thank you.

 

Of course, now we will need to get into serious training to eat all of these meals!

[PacnGoNow]

12 minutes ago, crazyman3 said:

Thank you.

 

Of course, now we will need to get into serious training to eat all of these meals!

😂  

I forgot to mention, in a full suite, you don’t make reservations in the MDR, because you will have Club Class dining.

 

You probably know that already.  Just SD is all you need to do or OB.

 

[crazyman3]

6 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

😂  

I forgot to mention, in a full suite, you don’t make reservations in the MDR, because you will have Club Class dining.

 

You probably know that already.  Just SD is all you need to do or OB.

 

 

No idea about Club Class Dining. Please explain. Thanks.

[milolii]

It’s a section of a main dinning room reserved for those in suites or have booked a club class mini suite.  No waiting, no reservations needed.  Here is the list of suite benefits. Breakfast is in Sabatini’s.  

 

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

Edited January 30, 2023 by milolii
It’s now called Reserve Class Mini Suite not Club class as noted by Pacngonow

[PacnGoNow]

21 minutes ago, crazyman3 said:

 

No idea about Club Class Dining. Please explain. Thanks.

https://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/suites/
 

It’s just recently renamed Reserve Class instead of Club Class.  Same thing.

 

Do read all about the Suite experience on my link above.

 

Enjoy!

[milolii]

Ah! Forgot about that name change. Ty 

[memoak]

If you are in a full suite you can eat in a specialty restaurant on embarkation night for free. Never had a problem just talking to the restaurant manager or calling the dine line after embarking 

[XBGuy]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

If you are in a full suite you can eat in a specialty restaurant on embarkation night for free. Never had a problem just talking to the restaurant manager or calling the dine line after embarking 

 

Also, Royal Class ships, such as the Regal Princess, have a Suite Concierge Lounge  This is a terrific amenity for suite passengers.  It is a nice little getaway that offers coffee, tea and noshes all day and a happy hour with bartender service in the afternoon.  There is a concierge on station most of the day who is available to assist you with many of your questions.  I have used the suite concierge to make specialy restaurant reservations (including the complimentary first night dinner) and Chef's Table reservations.

[crazyman3]

Thanks everyone.

 

It is all so much clearer now.

 

Happy Hour mmm... guess I'll need to attend out of politeness...

[qoap24]

Once you make a speciality dining reservation in the stupid app, should it show that you have a reservation?

 

We are staying in a suite and last week tried making the reservation for the first night, when I went to book it showed we had a credit. I booked the time we wanted and when I went back into check if it was there, and it wasn't. So I tried again and then noticed the credit was not there and that my credit card was charged. I called in and was told that I had to wait until I got on the ship to get the refund. Well yesterday I saw the charge was refunded. So I went in and booked a reservation again, it showed the credit, but does not show up in the app as we have a reservation. Is this normal?

[bjkTX]

49 minutes ago, qoap24 said:

Once you make a speciality dining reservation in the stupid app, should it show that you have a reservation?

 

We are staying in a suite and last week tried making the reservation for the first night, when I went to book it showed we had a credit. I booked the time we wanted and when I went back into check if it was there, and it wasn't. So I tried again and then noticed the credit was not there and that my credit card was charged. I called in and was told that I had to wait until I got on the ship to get the refund. Well yesterday I saw the charge was refunded. So I went in and booked a reservation again, it showed the credit, but does not show up in the app as we have a reservation. Is this normal?

It could depend on where you are looking.  If you are looking on your online booking documents where it has a place for spa and other reservations that have been made - our specialty dining never did show there - regardless of how it was paid for.  But it has always shown up on the App when I check reservations for those days.

[qoap24]

2 hours ago, bjkTX said:

It could depend on where you are looking.  If you are looking on your online booking documents where it has a place for spa and other reservations that have been made - our specialty dining never did show there - regardless of how it was paid for.  But it has always shown up on the App when I check reservations for those days.

I am looking on the app and it doesn't show any reservations. I guess I will try calling tomorrow and hopefully I won't be on hold forever. Thank you. 

[PacnGoNow]

6 hours ago, qoap24 said:

I am looking on the app and it doesn't show any reservations. I guess I will try calling tomorrow and hopefully I won't be on hold forever. Thank you. 

Or, if you have a TA or CVP they can check it out for you.  
 

Any other issues with the first night SD, don’t worry they WILL have room for you. They always taken care of full suite passengers on the first night.  
 

Don’t spend much time on this issue.

[memoak]

4 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Or, if you have a TA or CVP they can check it out for you.  
 

Any other issues with the first night SD, don’t worry they WILL have room for you. They always taken care of full suite passengers on the first night.  
 

Don’t spend much time on this issue.

Exactly we sail in suites most of the time and have never had an issue getting into a specialty restaurant on embarkation night

[chubbypiggy]

After getting on the ship, I want to use my OBC to book specialty dinner for myself and another person (in different cabin).  Can I use my OBC to pay for the specialty dinner for the other person also?

[jeromep]

2 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

After getting on the ship, I want to use my OBC to book specialty dinner for myself and another person (in different cabin).  Can I use my OBC to pay for the specialty dinner for the other person also?

Yes.  A few years ago we were in a suite, so had the embarkation night complimentary specialty dinner.  Dined in the Crown Grill.  When they came by with the bill for the other guests (pre-medallion times) I had them apply the bill to my cabin and it came out of my OBC/folio.  Not a problem.

[chubbypiggy]

2 hours ago, jeromep said:

Yes.  A few years ago we were in a suite, so had the embarkation night complimentary specialty dinner.  Dined in the Crown Grill.  When they came by with the bill for the other guests (pre-medallion times) I had them apply the bill to my cabin and it came out of my OBC/folio.  Not a problem.

Oh, I didn't know we don't have to pay at time of booking, but pay at the end of dinner.  Thanks.

[jeromep]

14 minutes ago, chubbypiggy said:

Oh, I didn't know we don't have to pay at time of booking, but pay at the end of dinner.  Thanks.

To clarify, we didn't pre-book our specialty dining.  We reserved the Crown Grill upon embarkation just after we got to our cabin.  Different cruises with different mixes of pax will do different things, but on embarkation night the Crown Grill was only lightly used, most tables were empty.  On other cruises, the story may be different.

 

I'm not a huge fan of having to pay up front shore side to book specialty dining weeks or months in advance of the cruise, especially when the pre-pay ends up just being a generic OBC on my folio when I get on board.

[PacnGoNow]

18 minutes ago, chubbypiggy said:

Oh, I didn't know we don't have to pay at time of booking, but pay at the end of dinner.  Thanks.

You just call the dine line and book it. They didn’t bring us a bill in December, they just charged it to our room. 

[chubbypiggy]

4 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

You just call the dine line and book it. They didn’t bring us a bill in December, they just charged it to our room. 

I booked solo cabin and I want to pay for my sister also (different solo cabin) using my OBC.  When I call, can I book for 2 persons in different cabin and ask to have both dinners be charged to my cabin?

[PacnGoNow]

2 minutes ago, chubbypiggy said:

I booked solo cabin and I want to pay for my sister also (different solo cabin) using my OBC.  When I call, can I book for 2 persons in different cabin and ask to have both dinners be charged to my cabin?

Yes. I would just book party of 2 under your name and cabin.  It will then go on your folio after you dine. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by PacnGoNow

[chubbypiggy]

3 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Yes. I would just book party of 2 under your name and cabin.  It will then go on your folio after you dine. 

Thank you.

[jtm924]

I'm doing a 4-day/3-night cruise in a suite with the Premier Package in November. I know that speciality dining on the first night isn't complimentary on cruises under 6 days but I'd like to use the Specialty dining that is part of the Premier Package for the first night. So far the App is subbornly refusing to do anything. Am I too early and, if so, how long out from the cruise date does it activate or can I risk waiting until I get on board to get into the Crown Grill for that first night dining?
Thanks in advance