Royal Caribbean is a victim of its own success by introducing so many new specialty restaurants that look so darn good.
The first "I can't get a reservation" restaurant was Izumi hibachi, because it's a crowd pleasing meal that is as satisfying to eat as it is fun to watch.
Over the past five years, Royal Caribbean has really put its creative thinking hat on, because they've introduced so many new specialty restaurants that are undeniably fun.
The new supper clubs on the Icon Class ships are a culinary and beverage journey that combines music, food, and entertainment.
Now there are two immersive railway restaurants that leverage a show element to go with dining. I was really impressed when I tried it out on Legend of the Seas.
Both of these types of restaurants have extremely limited seating, and sell out regularly well before anyone steps onboard the ship.
So how do you get a reservation to ensure your family can try it out? With a little extra effort and the right approach, here are a few of my best strategies for getting a reservation at Royal Caribbean's popular restaurants.
Check manually once you start getting within 4-6 months
There is no minimum amount of time that Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants open up for reservations, so you're going to need to check manually.
Once you're about six months from your cruise, it's time to start planning. I find specialty restaurants tend to open closer to 3-5 months before the sail date, but there's really no pattern. It's actually worse with brand new ships, because it seems someone at headquarters literally has to activate the bookings for each sailing.
I log into the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner site regularly, and will make it part of my daily routine until it opens.
I prefer checking on the website instead of the app, but either should work.
You're going to need to be patient, as sometimes reservations may not open until a month before your sail date.
Sign up for a Facebook group
While I generally don't like signing up for Facebook groups for my sailings anymore, they can be valuable to serve as another set of eyes.
If the group is active in the least bit, someone usually will post when they spot dining reservations open up. This is especially true on new ships, because there's far more excitement for a sailing on Star of the Seas than on Radiance of the Seas (in terms of new cruisers and novelty).
While I just said I check the Royal Caribbean site regularly, life happens and I get busy. So while I try to be vigilant, it's not practical to check every day.
Being alerted by someone else in the Facebook group has saved me a few times.
Got a dining package? Book a reservation anyway
If you booked a Royal Caribbean dining package already, you probably want to take advantage of the discount that comes with it. But if the restaurant isn't bookable yet, you're caught in no man's land.
My recommendation is to book one of these popular restaurants individually so you can be assured of a reservation.
When you arrive to the restaurant, let the host know you have a dining package and would like the discount applied. They'll refund you back as onboard credit the difference.
Because reservations are so quick to go, I wouldn't risk waiting until getting on the ship to show up and then apply your dining package.
Go to the restaurant as soon as you board the ship
Let's assume you're reading this and it's too late. You missed your chance, and now the specialty restaurant you want to eat at is sold out.
Besides manually checking the Cruise Planner to see if any spots open up (people cancel all the time), your next best strategy is go to the restaurant as soon as you board the ship.
Occasionally, I've observed a specialty restaurant listed as "sold out" online, but there are still a few spots available onboard. This is especially true of hibachi.
I would go immediately to the restaurant you want to dine at upon boarding the ship and asking. If it's still sold out, ask to be put on a waiting list.
It's not a foolproof plan, but it's better than nothing.
Try waiting at the restaurant for no-shows
One last ditch effort you can make is to go to the restaurant and wait to see if someone misses their reservation.
Approach the check-in desk and politely inform them you are here if there are any open tables because someone doesn't make it.
This strategy likely works better on port days because passengers are tired from their day ashore and oversleep or just can't make their reservation.
I wouldn't bet on this strategy, but when all else fails, there's a low chance it could work. I've seen it happen more often than you might think.
