Making Speciality Dining Reservation On Board for First Night

[Iamthesea]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:40 AM, Redtravel said:

  Since we really like the menu in GDR on 1st night, we don’t do specialty that night. 

 

Could someone share a first nights menu?  We will be on a 7 night cruise in the Caribbean.

[Snaefell3]

38 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

 

Could someone share a first nights menu?  We will be on a 7 night cruise in the Caribbean.

There isn't a "first night menu". 

 

Probably because they run so many overlapping cruises, O's ships run a 14(?) day repeating cycle of GDR menus irrespective of embarkation/debarkations.  Check https://www.thepreismans.com/index.html blog for lots of actual menus and pictures.

[Waltershipman]

3 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

One more facet:  Consensus is that food in Ember is great, and the ambient noise is objectionable.  PH+ folks can enjoy its good food course-by-course in the tranquility of their cabins.

 

Oh!  Wait!  Isn't there a thread about folks able to listen to their neighbors' TV?  😁

1st night in specialty restaurants a big plus to avoid intensity of very full GDR even waters agree

[pinotlover]

27 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

1st night in specialty restaurants a big plus to avoid intensity of very full GDR even waters agree

Some of us enjoy more flexibility on the first night. Maybe it’s a meet and greet or some other event. Maybe it’s meeting up with old cruising friends in the bar, or watching a beautiful sail away from a great harbor. On the first night aboard ship we don’t want a tied to schedule. We’ll show up to eat when we’re ready to do so. Plenty of time to eat in the Specialties.

[clo]

8 hours ago, pinotlover said:

However, on short segment cruises, 7-10 days) we have been told by our Butler to not even ask for additional reservations in Jacques, for example.

We got a second res at Jacques by being willing to share a 4-top. It was just as nice. Didn't become 'new best friends' and didn't even particularly have all our courses at the same time. But perfectly pleasant.

[Iamthesea]

17 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

There isn't a "first night menu". 

 

Probably because they run so many overlapping cruises, O's ships run a 14(?) day repeating cycle of GDR menus irrespective of embarkation/debarkations.  Check https://www.thepreismans.com/index.html blog for lots of actual menus and pictures.

 

That makes sense.  I was just going on what Redtravel mentioned about not wanting to miss the "first night menu" in the GDR.

[Snaefell3]

19 hours ago, Waltershipman said:

1st night in specialty restaurants a big plus to avoid intensity of very full GDR even waters agree

Yep.  But if you look a little deeper, you realize that's because folks tend not to book 1st night specialties, meaning seating is usually available for the asking upon boarding (or even for being accosted by a maître d' in a hallway. 😉 )   Many folks plan to get a "second" reservation the first night and use their guaranteed reservation later in the voyage.

 

YMMV, especially on a fully-booked, 7-day cruise.

[Jim_Iain]

On 2/2/2024 at 1:11 PM, Waltershipman said:

1st night in specialty restaurants a big plus to avoid intensity of very full GDR even waters agree

 

I was curious about that.    After years of cruising we usually dine in Specialties on the first night.   First night on most cruises we have done are always a disaster as both guest and crew get accustomed to requirements and lots of questions.   Things always see so much better on day 2 onward.   

[Tranquility Base]

On 2/4/2024 at 5:31 AM, Snaefell3 said:

But if you look a little deeper, you realize that's because folks tend not to book 1st night specialties, meaning seating is usually available for the asking upon boarding

Sure; however if often depends on what type of cruise you're boarding.

I've joined cruises where our 'first night' has simply been a regular port day for 70-80 % of the passengers onboard.

Edited February 5 by Tranquility Base

[pinotlover]

51 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Sure; however if often depends on what type of cruise you're boarding.

I've joined cruises where our 'first night' has simply been a regular port day for 70-80 % of the passengers onboard.

Yes! Yes!

 

Plus, that 70-80% have all had the opportunity to get an additional booking long before the Newbies board.

 

This isn’t a difficult concept, except for the few. If one is embarking a ship with a high percentage of newly embarked , then their chances of a first night additional reservation in a Specialty may be high. However, if embarking in a minor port with a low percentage of new embarked, the odds diminish significantly.

[clo]

57 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Sure; however if often depends on what type of cruise you're boarding.

I've joined cruises where our 'first night' has simply been a regular port day for 70-80 % of the passengers onboard.

That's interesting and could be the situation on our B2B in July. We will have cruised from Amsterdam to London and then London to Stockholm.