Getaway: Booking Dining and Shows

[Lasallebabe]

For the first time, I will be using/booking specialty dining restaurants. Tomorrow, I can book dining and entertainment. I'm sure it all fills up fast. Any tips on the order in which I should book them...ie...grab dining first or grab shows first? Can I also book into the complimentary restaurants or are they mostly walk-ins? Can I book the same show more than once? Thanks.

[hallux]

Dining opens 130/125/120 days (depending on cabin category and Latitudes status), entertainment (primarily the theater shows) opens at 26/21 days before the cruise.

[www3traveler]

5 minutes ago, Lasallebabe said:

For the first time, I will be using/booking specialty dining restaurants. Tomorrow, I can book dining and entertainment. I'm sure it all fills up fast. Any tips on the order in which I should book them...ie...grab dining first or grab shows first? Can I also book into the complimentary restaurants or are they mostly walk-ins? Can I book the same show more than once? Thanks.

Remember that only a certain number of dining reservations can be made online early, many more are held for booking when you board.  You can also book entertainment on board.  The Comedy Club and Howl at the Moon are only bookable once you are on board.  Main Dining Rooms do not require reservations.

For theatre shows, doors open 30 minutes before the preformance time.  Sometimes you can just walk in and find a seat ( you not reserve a given seat like Row B Seat 21).

Relax and enjoy your cruise

[TexasTraveler18]

13 hours ago, www3traveler said:

Remember that only a certain number of dining reservations can be made online early, many more are held for booking when you board.  You can also book entertainment on board.  The Comedy Club and Howl at the Moon are only bookable once you are on board.  Main Dining Rooms do not require reservations.

For theatre shows, doors open 30 minutes before the preformance time.  Sometimes you can just walk in and find a seat ( you not reserve a given seat like Row B Seat 21).

Relax and enjoy your cruise

Hi,

Can you share where you go to book the entertainment once onboard.  TIA

[www3traveler]

Just now, TexasTraveler18 said:

Hi,

Can you share where you go to book the entertainment once onboard.  TIA

At least three places: (1) Theater Boxoffice, (2) Any of the kiosks found on the walls all over ship and (3) There is usually a space on Embarkation Day set aside for making reservations-- ask crew as you board where it is (varies from ship to ship).

 

Enjoy your cruise

[hallux]

5 minutes ago, TexasTraveler18 said:

Hi,

Can you share where you go to book the entertainment once onboard.  TIA

Either the comedy/social club or the Box Office (or both?)

[BirdTravels]

14 hours ago, www3traveler said:

Remember that only a certain number of dining reservations can be made online early, many more are held for booking when you board.  

Be careful when you set expectations. It is a true statement that some tables are held for onboard reservations. It is not true that you can just relax. 

 

Personal experience.... We sail on NCL 4-5 times a year and we normally board as soon as priority boarding is called.... like one of the first passengers to board after Haven and passengers needing assistance. We immediately take care of entertainment and dining reservations, being at the reservation desks within 10 minutes of boarding. On our October cruise, one of the popular restaurants had early dining (5:30-8:00) on only one night. So, yes, there were reservations available,,,, if you wanted to eat at 9:00 pm... which we didn't. So we had to shuffle our plans to eat there on the one night available.

 

If we get to the reservations desk within 10 minutes of priority boarding starting, we can get the dates and times we want... but not always, and not exactly at the time we want. And not always something that fits our schedule. 

 

On another cruise, Cagney's was sold out for all days, all times by 1 pm on embarkation day,,, it was sold out for early dining long before that. 

[TexasTraveler18]

On 7/7/2023 at 7:55 AM, www3traveler said:

At least three places: (1) Theater Boxoffice, (2) Any of the kiosks found on the walls all over ship and (3) There is usually a space on Embarkation Day set aside for making reservations-- ask crew as you board where it is (varies from ship to ship).

 

Enjoy your cruise

Thanks so much!

 

[Topdog52]

Does anyone know the days the entertainment is in the theater? 

[hallux]

6 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

Does anyone know the days the entertainment is in the theater? 

That very much depends on the cruise and ship.  There may be typical days the shows go on, but they could adjust from one cruise to the next.

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

Does anyone know the days the entertainment is in the theater? 

There is usually "something" in the Theater every night. What and When are driven by the entertainers onboard. Guest entertainers are on short (1 to 5 week) contracts and the entertainment is often geared around their schedule. 21 days prior to departure (26 days for top tier latitudes members), you can book Burn the Floor and Million Dollar Quartet. 

[WexIrl]

We never book specialty dining restaurants, we walk up ask and go with the flow of the answer and never have been refused.

We were on the Getaway ending last week, and on each occasion of walking up we were granted a table.

FYI... the Stateroom TV always showed reservations as book out for each specialty dining restaurants....
 

[DrUrsula]

Howl at the Moon requires reservations now? Ugh!

On 7/6/2023 at 6:50 PM, www3traveler said:

Remember that only a certain number of dining reservations can be made online early, many more are held for booking when you board.  You can also book entertainment on board.  The Comedy Club and Howl at the Moon are only bookable once you are on board.  Main Dining Rooms do not require reservations.

For theatre shows, doors open 30 minutes before the preformance time.  Sometimes you can just walk in and find a seat ( you not reserve a given seat like Row B Seat 21).

Relax and enjoy your cruise

 

[Topdog52]

2 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

Howl at the Moon requires reservations now? Ugh!

 

On my last cruise on the Breakaway, I was not required to reserve Howl at the Moon. I just walk in and sat down.

[DrUrsula]

5 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

On my last cruise on the Breakaway, I was not required to reserve Howl at the Moon. I just walk in and sat down.

Same here on Getaway and Breakaway. I think the poster was mistaken.

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

Howl at the Moon requires reservations now? Ugh!

 

Nope

[DrUrsula]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Nope

Didn't think so. Someone posted above to book comedy and Howl once onboard. Reservations for Howl just wouldn't make sense. Not the right format !