Royal Caribbean has announced a new policy for those that skip a specialty restaurant reservation they have booked.
In an email sent to travel agents, the cruise line said it will now implement charges for no-shows at its specialty dining venues across the fleet.
They're making this change to improve access to limited-capacity restaurants and encourage those that make a reservation to stick to their booking.
Specialty restaurants are a major focal point of any ship these days, but reservations aren't easy to come by. This is especially true for the very popular restaurants.
What's changing with this policy
Royal Caribbean will now charge a guest that books a specialty restaurant but fails to show up without cancelling in advance.
The new policy was sent to travel agents first, as a heads up.
We will be implementing charges for no-shows at specialty dining reservations across the fleet. Our goal is to preserve these limited seats for clients eager to experience our exclusive, limited-capacity dining options. By encouraging guests to honor their reservations, we aim to enhance the overall experience. Update excludes your clients who have an existing Dining Package or booked in Star Class suites.
Royal Caribbean has not yet disclosed the exact fee amount.
Why Royal Caribbean is Making this change
Demand for specialty restaurants has gone up tremendously in the last few years, and the introduction of a few very popular and limited capacity venues has exacerbated the trend.
Specialty restaurants traditionally have very limited seating. Even the more popular restaurants found on many ships (Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, Izumi) have a fraction of the seating you'd find in the Main Dining Room..
Two of Royal Caribbean's newest restaurants are extremely small, yet very popular. The Royal Railway can handle 48 guests and the Empire Supper Club is even smaller, at only 38 people.
A no-show reservation means a table often sits empty, even while other guests are eager to dine there.
By discouraging no-shows, it appears Royal Caribbean wants to ensure those that want to dine there can do so, especially if they are holding a table for someone that isn't coming.
Moreover, specialty restaurants are an important revenue stream. An empty table represents lost income.
Who Is exempt from no-show charges
Not every guest will be affected by the new policy.
Guests with dining packages: If you have a dining package, such as the Unlimited Dining Package or 3-Night Dining Package, they won’t be subject to no-show charges.
Since they’ve already prepaid for their specialty dining, the cruise line doesn’t need to recoup lost revenue in these cases.
Star Class suite guests: The highest (and most expensive) level of Royal Caribbean’s suite program, Star Class guests enjoy perks like unlimited specialty dining, concierge service, and access to a Royal Genie. Their inclusive experience already covers dining reservations, so they will not face no-show fees.
The new policy is focusing the policy on individual, a la carte reservations.
How this changes what to plan
When you make a dining reservation going forward, you'll need to plan ahead to avoid incurring this charge.
Making a “just in case” reservation that goes unused could now carry a cost. Instead, you'll want to be more mindful or hold off until you're certain of your plans.
Of course, you can still cancel and avoid the fee. Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner and onboard app make it straightforward to modify bookings.
Many guests accidentally miss reservations because of conflicting entertainment or shore excursions. Be sure to carefully check schedules before booking.
What other cruise lines do
In case you're wondering, Royal Caribbean isn't the first cruise line to charge a no-show policy.
Norwegian Cruise Line requires cancellations to be made 24 hours in advance. If cancellation occurs with less than 24 hours’ notice, the full price of the cover per guest will be charged.
"We strive for excellent service; therefore, we can only hold your dinner reservation for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the unclaimed reservation will be released and the full price of the cover per guest will be charged to you."
Carnival charges a no-show cancellation fee at only certain restaurants, but with a much smaller window.
For the Chef's Table, Bonsai Teppanyaki and Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Breakfast, there will be a charge of the full price of your dining reservation for cancellations made within 48 hours of your scheduled dinner reservation or no-show.
