Ultimate Dining Package and Playmakers

[Parkhopper]

I read that Playmakers has a $20 limit (per meal? Per day?) when dining using the UDP, but if you have a family of 4, do you get $80 for the table, or do they hold you to exactly $20 per person?  $20 seems low as you cannot purchase a single appetizer, entree, and dessert for that amount.  Can you go just for dessert after going to another restaurant for dinner?

[KSprite01]

Pretty sure it’s $20 pp with the package, although you *may* get lucky and they’d let you do $80. 
 

I suspect it’s deliberately low to discourage UDP usage. 

[HSDerm348]

You get the $80 total amongst all of you (they don't really focus on $20/person, but Playmakers is not particularly expensive and $20 will go far for even two people).  You now only get visit per day at each restaurant but I have had a workaround that has worked in the past if you don't spend your maximum dollar amount at Playmakers.  The way around it, in my experience, is only use the room cards for the people you need to cover the cost of the bill.  So if you spend $40, use two room cards ($20 credit each) and, if you need to, explain that since you only used $40 - you are not using the other people's dining plans because they might come back later in the day.  I have done this previously with success but it might be a ship-to-ship or server-to-server variable.

[ajtaylor29]

I'm pretty sure that would be $20 for each person who bought the UDP, so if all 4 of you have the package then you would each have a $20 allowance at Playmakers. If only 2 of you have UDP for example, then only 2 of you can dine with the $20 credit...

[HSDerm348]

Just now, ajtaylor29 said:

I'm pretty sure that would be $20 for each person who bought the UDP, so if all 4 of you have the package then you would each have a $20 allowance at Playmakers. If only 2 of you have UDP for example, then only 2 of you can dine with the $20 credit...

Good point, I am assuming EVERYONE has the UDP in the example I gave!

[ajtaylor29]

also, note that it is not a $20 LIMIT, but a $20 credit (for free w/ the UDP) so if you eat more than that they'll charge you the difference!

[danoconnl]

so If I order $23 worth of food and my wife orders $10 worth of food, is it covered, or do I owe 3 and she still has $10.  This would be in the same sitting.  Because if we get wings and a burger and the cookie for dessert, There isn't a way to combine two of those things on one bill and be less than $20, but they don't all together add up to $40.

 

Dan

[HSDerm348]

It really seems done by stateroom - I’ve ordered ALL the food for the two of us over $20 but under $40 and had no issues with it all being covered.  If you both have the package and one goes over $20, you will use both your packages and there will be no charge as long as it’s under $40 total.  You may also only get one bill to sign for any additional tip - they’ll choose randomly whose account to use.  Consider it $20 worth of credit per person with the dining package and if you’re in the same room they will consider it a combinable credit.

 

I’ve never actually paid above the credit in Izumi sushi when I’ve gone over the allowable amount.  But I’ve never gone over the combined $40 for the two of us at playmakers.

[DrProfessor]

Whenever we (wife and I) have done Playmakers with the UDP, it doesn't really matter who eats what - we have a $40 credit.

[wreckem2013]

20 dollars at playmakers is a lot of food for one person.$40 for two is even worse. First time we had Playmakers was on Odyssey during Thanksgiving 2022. We both maxed out our $20 each and had a lot of food left over. Now we eat $20 worth of food for lunch and then go back late night a couple hours after dinner and get two camp fire cookies.

Edited February 8 by wreckem2013

[Denversail]

We have never run out of money to spend at Playmakers. We travel as 4 with UDP. We always just give them enough sea-passes to cover our order. If we ordered three hamburgers and our bill came to $30 we would just give two sea passes regardless of who ate the food. Never explained or even thought about it.

[AspiringCindy]

On 2/7/2024 at 3:16 PM, danoconnl said:

so If I order $23 worth of food and my wife orders $10 worth of food, is it covered, or do I owe 3 and she still has $10.  This would be in the same sitting.  Because if we get wings and a burger and the cookie for dessert, There isn't a way to combine two of those things on one bill and be less than $20, but they don't all together add up to $40.

 

Dan

If you order $33 in total...you will use both sea passes. You will not have a credit of $7. You can not use a sea pass twice in one day at Playmakers.

[Mum2Mercury]

I looked at the menu online and added up a couple meals I myself might choose.  I only went over $20 if I added in the $12 ice cream sundae.  

If the numbers aren't working out for you, I'd consider dinner at Playmakers and dessert at Windjammer.  Can't go wrong that way. 

[mramella]

With the recent price increases for the menu items at Playmakers, shouldn't Royal increase the food credit a bit, too? Perhaps from $20 to $25? Seems logical to me....

Edited February 10 by mramella

[Kreative03]

Is there a time for the daily credit? I know on port days lunch is not included and we got hosed once on Harmony for not paying attention at Sabor when we tried for an early happy hour.  

[happy cruzer]

15 hours ago, Kreative03 said:

Is there a time for the daily credit? I know on port days lunch is not included and we got hosed once on Harmony for not paying attention at Sabor when we tried for an early happy hour.  

Wow, please share more about your experience on harmony.  I really want to have lunch on port days at sabor at 2.  And at Johnny rockets.

 

what other restaurants did you try?

[Denversail]

I think the cruisers worry about this more than the crew. We have always ordered what we want and never been charged when we have unlimited dining.

[Kreative03]

7 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

Wow, please share more about your experience on harmony.  I really want to have lunch on port days at sabor at 2.  And at Johnny rockets.

 

what other restaurants did you try?

You can only get lunch on sea days using UDP. We wrongly assumed that 4pm would be coded as dinner instead of lunch since they  have continuous service and the same menu at each meal. We ate at all restaurants on harmony - sabor and JR for lunches on our sea days, and we did Izumi 2x and Giovanni’s 2x. We can’t handle main dining on Royal, so we’ve just understood UDP is what we do now. We’ve never been on a ship with playmakers, so that’s new to us.

 

I’m trying to ascertain if my credits will allow  non-dinner hours snacking. Basecamp for example seems to close at 8pm but is listed solely as snacks.

[jam19872016]

17 minutes ago, Kreative03 said:

You can only get lunch on sea days using UDP. We wrongly assumed that 4pm would be coded as dinner instead of lunch since they  have continuous service and the same menu at each meal. We ate at all restaurants on harmony - sabor and JR for lunches on our sea days, and we did Izumi 2x and Giovanni’s 2x. We can’t handle main dining on Royal, so we’ve just understood UDP is what we do now. We’ve never been on a ship with playmakers, so that’s new to us.

 

I’m trying to ascertain if my credits will allow  non-dinner hours snacking. Basecamp for example seems to close at 8pm but is listed solely as snacks.

I have never had a problem dining at a specialty for lunch on a port day. I have not had UDP in almost a year, so maybe they are enforcing that rule now? Have it again next week, will see what happens.

[happy cruzer]

31 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

I have never had a problem dining at a specialty for lunch on a port day. I have not had UDP in almost a year, so maybe they are enforcing that rule now? Have it again next week, will see what happens.

This is an old thread that has a post that states if the specialty is open then you can use the UDP which what I experienced the one time I had the UDP a year ago. Please report your experience (it might even be worth opening a new topic before your cruise to specifically ask about the lunches; I am 45 days out and want to know as well).

 

 

[jam19872016]

25 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

This is an old thread that has a post that states if the specialty is open then you can use the UDP which what I experienced the one time I had the UDP a year ago. Please report your experience (it might even be worth opening a new topic before your cruise to specifically ask about the lunches; I am 45 days out and want to know as well).

 

 

That has always been my experience as well. I will know on Monday as that will be my first port day and will post my results in this thread. 

[jam19872016]

Dined in Johnny Rockets today at 1230 while docked in Nassau. I was originally presented with a bill but I mentioned I had the dining package and the charge was quickly corrected. 

 

Happy to report lunch still included on port days 😀 

[Hutcha]

Is the $20 limit per day, or per day / per restaurant? IOW, can I have lunch at JRs and then go to Playmakers later?

[mil76]

28 minutes ago, Hutcha said:

Is the $20 limit per day, or per day / per restaurant? IOW, can I have lunch at JRs and then go to Playmakers later?

Yes.  It's per restaurant.

[Denversail]

On 2/19/2024 at 12:53 PM, jam19872016 said:

Dined in Johnny Rockets today at 1230 while docked in Nassau. I was originally presented with a bill but I mentioned I had the dining package and the charge was quickly corrected. 

 

Happy to report lunch still included on port days 😀 

 Nice. We are going in an hour and I didn’t think it was included.