ABFrenchie Posted July 7, 2017 Report Share Posted July 7, 2017 Hello! Sailing on the Harmony 11/18-11/25. How do the dining packages work? Do I get to pick any of the specialty restaurants I want to dine in or does RC select them all? If you are assigned a restaurant you don't want, can you sub a different one? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted July 7, 2017 Report Share Posted July 7, 2017 Depending on the size of dinning package, 3, 4, etc.nights, it should ask you if you want the 1st night or the 2nd night, what this is asking is what night to you want your 1st meal, I think it also ask you a time, with that said RCCL then picks your 1st restaurant for you and you will not know which one until you get on-board. When you board, go as quick as you can to one of the specialty restaurants, and ask which restraint was chosen for you, if you don't like it you can then change it. You can also pick/change the other dinners at the same time. I'm OCD, so I always have a list of preferences and nights written down of when and where I want to eat, worst case scenario is the time you want isn't available, so be prepared to juggle a little, especially if you plan on attending shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 7, 2017 Report Share Posted July 7, 2017 Here's an overview of the dining packages: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/01/28/spotlight-royal-caribbean-dining-packages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted July 7, 2017 Report Share Posted July 7, 2017 Thanks Matt, I should not assume they are all the same. I just had the 3 night package in early June and was responding from that experience not realizing the BOGO was different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABFrenchie Posted July 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2017 Awesome thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseseason Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 Hi, didn't want to start a new thread, have a related question: Matt mentioned that on last week's Harmony cruise they announced on Day 1 a specific time in the MDR to make reservations for the Ultimate Dining Package. Is that new? I had the impression that you can go to any specialty restaurant on Day 1 and make all your reservations there? Is that still possible? And if yes, what is the best place to reserve dining? Thanks in advance!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 2 hours ago, cruiseseason said: Matt mentioned that on last week's Harmony cruise they announced on Day 1 a specific time in the MDR to make reservations for the Ultimate Dining Package. Is that new? I had the impression that you can go to any specialty restaurant on Day 1 and make all your reservations there? Is that still possible? And if yes, what is the best place to reserve dining? Not sure how new it is, but it's just an easier way to take care of all the people on a dining package. You certainly don't have to go to this to make a reservation, it just makes your life easier because there are crew members with laptops that can quickly book it all for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseseason Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 7 hours ago, Matt said: Not sure how new it is, but it's just an easier way to take care of all the people on a dining package. You certainly don't have to go to this to make a reservation, it just makes your life easier because there are crew members with laptops that can quickly book it all for you. Hi Matt, Thank you so much for your reply! I understand it is more convenient to do it at the suggested place...but can you theoretically go to, say Sabor, and make all the dining reservations for your cruise from there? Or what about the Food & Beverage Hospitality Desk? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseseason Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 Also I just noticed something strange in the Harmony Cruise Compasses from May: all the specialty restaurants for dinner are marked: ($), however for Solarium Bistro it just says: (reservations required) without the dollar sign...what does that mean? Complimentary but with reservation?! How was it at your cruise last week? Does anyone have any info on that? Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 Tyna came up with an interesting question I'm hoping one of you can answer .... We got our customary email from RCI yesterday promoting the dining package for our 5-nighter in September ..... With Grandeur only having 3 specialty restaurants (Chops, Izumi & Giovanni's) --- obviously the 3 meal package would be the one we would choose.... The question she had was ...... If you don't want a particular restaurant at all, can you repeat one of the others so you can still have 3? She absolutely does NOT want Giovanni's, but we would be more than happy to do Chops twice and Izumi once ..... can we get away with this with the Dining Package? If so...... SOLD!!! Thanks, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 @coneyraven, Matt indicated in his live blog that he and his wife ate at Izumi twice on their just-ended Harmony cruise with the ultimate dining package, so I'd imagine there's nothing stopping you from making two reservations for Chops. I agree that it's odd to see dining packages for more nights than there are specialty restaurants. Freedom only has Sabor, Chops, and Giovanni's Table; but I'm still being given the option to buy an ultimate dining package for our 8-night trip! I couldn't imagine eating at those three restaurants two or three or more times each. coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 15 hours ago, cruiseseason said: I understand it is more convenient to do it at the suggested place...but can you theoretically go to, say Sabor, and make all the dining reservations for your cruise from there? Or what about the Food & Beverage Hospitality Desk? Thanks! Yes, you could. 15 hours ago, cruiseseason said: Also I just noticed something strange in the Harmony Cruise Compasses from May: all the specialty restaurants for dinner are marked: ($), however for Solarium Bistro it just says: (reservations required) without the dollar sign...what does that mean? Complimentary but with reservation?! How was it at your cruise last week? Does anyone have any info on that? Thanks in advance! Solarium Bistro is complimentary but because it has a small dining room, they recommend reservations. 1 hour ago, coneyraven said: The question she had was ...... If you don't want a particular restaurant at all, can you repeat one of the others so you can still have 3? She absolutely does NOT want Giovanni's, but we would be more than happy to do Chops twice and Izumi once ..... can we get away with this with the Dining Package? If so...... SOLD!!! Yes, you can go to any restaurant as many times as you want. No restrictions on how many times you may dine at a restaurant. coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 1 hour ago, coneyraven said: If you don't want a particular restaurant at all, can you repeat one of the others so you can still have 3? She absolutely does NOT want Giovanni's, but we would be more than happy to do Chops twice and Izumi once Yes, Mark, you can. On our Grandeur cruise in late May we had the 3 night package and ate at Izumi twice and Chops once. We could have eaten at Izumi 3 times if that's what we chose to do but twice was enough (for me, anyway !). As Matt has mentioned, with the $50 per person allocation at Izumi, it is a steal, if you are a sushi lover like Dan. BTW, I do NOT recommend the lunch special at Izumi. They advertised it to us as a "buffet" but it was a sit-down, pre-selected menu which neither of us enjoyed at ALL. The 3 night package, definitely....the special lunch at Izumi, not so much. coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 39 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Yes, Mark, you can. On our Grandeur cruise in late May we had the 3 night package and ate at Izumi twice and Chops once. We could have eaten at Izumi 3 times if that's what we chose to do but twice was enough (for me, anyway !). As Matt has mentioned, with the $50 per person allocation at Izumi, it is a steal, if you are a sushi lover like Dan. BTW, I do NOT recommend the lunch special at Izumi. They advertised it to us as a "buffet" but it was a sit-down, pre-selected menu which neither of us enjoyed at ALL. The 3 night package, definitely....the special lunch at Izumi, not so much. That's very nice ..... looks like we're going to go with it ...... Quick question though .... do I make the reservations in advance or when I get on board? We're looking to take advantage of it Nights 1, 4 & 5. This is all new to me --- but the cost savings seems to make it a "no-brainer" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseseason Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 4 hours ago, Matt said: Yes, you could. Solarium Bistro is complimentary but because it has a small dining room, they recommend reservations. Yes, you can go to any restaurant as many times as you want. No restrictions on how many times you may dine at a restaurant. Ok thanks, I understand. I thought that Solarium Bistro is just complimentary on Quantum class (as it replaced the ultimately complimentary Devinly Decadence), new for me that is also complimentary on Harmony! Thanks for all your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 4 hours ago, coneyraven said: do I make the reservations in advance or when I get on board? You must wait until you are onboard to make the reservations for your 3, 4, 5 night dining package. They will make the first night's reservation for you at a random restaurant/time (pf their choice); the other 2 reservations will be left open. Once you get on board, go to any restaurant and they will tell you where they made your first night's reservation. If you like it, great ! Just show up. If you do not like either the location and/or the time, you can change one or both. Then, you can proceed to make your other 2 reservations at whichever location and time you choose (assuming there is availability...and there almost always is, from my experience). From what I can tell, the reason for this seemingly odd reservation arrangement is that they have more difficulty filling the specialty dining reservations on the first and second nights than any other nights of the cruise, so they are "forcing" you to eat at a specialty restaurant on night #1. It's a win-win. You get a heavily discounted specialty dining package and they don't have a bunch of specialty restaurants sitting idle on the first 2 nights. coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazytaxman Posted July 23, 2017 Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 For my Anthem of the Seas cruise in March 2018, I am now able to make my dining reservations and they also offer the dining package for $168/pp. How much food can you order? And how large of a portion are these foods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted July 23, 2017 Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 4 hours ago, crazytaxman said: For my Anthem of the Seas cruise in March 2018, I am now able to make my dining reservations and they also offer the dining package for $168/pp. How much food can you order? And how large of a portion are these foods? The general rule seems to be one entree but virtually unlimited appetizers and desserts. For a la carte restaurants, you get a dollar amount to spend and can spend it as you wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennybean Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 I have a related question as a new cruiser. I've never been on a cruise before and I am booked on Harmony. Are the specialty dining packages worth their cost? I wish I knew how much the restaurants cost on average, to see if the ones I want are worth getting the dining package for or if I should just book a couple specialty restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseseason Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 1 hour ago, jennybean said: I have a related question as a new cruiser. I've never been on a cruise before and I am booked on Harmony. Are the specialty dining packages worth their cost? I wish I knew how much the restaurants cost on average, to see if the ones I want are worth getting the dining package for or if I should just book a couple specialty restaurants. Dear Jennybean, You can see the current price of the different specialty restaurants on the cruise planner (start dummy bookings for each restaurant). Below the link to a detailed blog post about the Ultimate Dining Package, including calculations how much money you can save: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/07/11/royal-caribbean-ultimate-dining-package-costs-and-review As stated by Royal Caribbean you can save up to 60% on the restaurant price. This depends of course on which restaurants you choose (you will get more value out of more expensive ones, but of course you probably want some variety...). A good idea would be to make a list of all the restaurants you'd definitely like to visit and then check if it's cheaper to go all-in with the Ultimate Dining Package or if you're really just interested in a few restaurants and might be better off with a 3, 4 or 5 night dining package (that also have considerable savings)...don't neglect also the factor of 'food fatigue': eating only in restaurants you payed for might take away your appetite for all the great complimentary snack options on the ship (Park Café for example). You would also never be able to taste the Brasserie menu for lunch on sea days (as you'd be out in the specialty restaurant). It could well all be too much for a first cruise, and definitely not necessary. The Main Dining Room can also be a nice specialty restaurant! There is no need to eat every night at a specialty restaurant. This depends of course on your preferences...but especially as a new cruiser it is great to opt for lots of Main Dining Room dinners. Maybe you decide to splurge sometimes but it is definitely not a must to reserve specialty dining, especially not every night of your cruise! If you never eat at the Main Dining Room you will never be able to gauge the value you get from specialty restaurants, also for future cruises. Taking all these factors into consideration will help you take the right decision for YOU! jennybean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennybean Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 12 minutes ago, cruiseseason said: Dear Jennybean, You can see the current price of the different specialty restaurants on the cruise planner (start dummy bookings for each restaurant). Below the link to a detailed blog post about the Ultimate Dining Package, including calculations how much money you can save: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/07/11/royal-caribbean-ultimate-dining-package-costs-and-review As stated by Royal Caribbean you can save up to 60% on the restaurant price. This depends of course on which restaurants you choose (you will get more value out of more expensive ones, but of course you probably want some variety...). A good idea would be to make a list of all the restaurants you'd definitely like to visit and then check if it's cheaper to go all-in with the Ultimate Dining Package or if you're really just interested in a few restaurants and might be better off with a 3, 4 or 5 night dining package (that also have considerable savings)...don't neglect also the factor of 'food fatigue': eating only in restaurants you payed for might take away your appetite for all the great complimentary snack options on the ship (Park Café for example). You would also never be able to taste the Brasserie menu for lunch on sea days (as you'd be out in the specialty restaurant). It could well all be too much for a first cruise, and definitely not necessary. The Main Dining Room can also be a nice specialty restaurant! There is no need to eat every night at a specialty restaurant. This depends of course on your preferences...but especially as a new cruiser it is great to opt for lots of Main Dining Room dinners. Maybe you decide to splurge sometimes but it is definitely not a must to reserve specialty dining, especially not every night of your cruise! If you never eat at the Main Dining Room you will never be able to gauge the value you get from specialty restaurants, also for future cruises. Taking all these factors into consideration will help you take the right decision for YOU! Thank you so much! This is super helpful! My cruise is still too far out for me to make mock dining reservations hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseseason Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 9 minutes ago, jennybean said: Thank you so much! This is super helpful! My cruise is still too far out for me to make mock dining reservations hahaha You're very welcome. Of course, you can find the price of the different specialty dining restaurants on this blog (there are reviews of all the specialty dining restaurants) or also on cruise critic: search on google for the name of the ship followed by cruise critic (for example: Harmony of the Seas Cruise Critic) and you will find the cruise critic review of your ship. On that page there is a section called 'Dining' which lists all the restaurants on your ship as well as their price. Enjoy the anticipation for your upcoming cruise! There's always something to plan and think about, even years in advance! PS: I edited the initial answer, be sure to check out the sentences about the complimentary snacks you might not have the appetite for with too many specialty restaurants...roastbeef sandwich at Park Café for example! Most would pay for that one! jennybean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 11 hours ago, jennybean said: I have a related question as a new cruiser. I've never been on a cruise before and I am booked on Harmony. Are the specialty dining packages worth their cost? I wish I knew how much the restaurants cost on average, to see if the ones I want are worth getting the dining package for or if I should just book a couple specialty restaurants. In August we paid $49pp for Wonderland and $35pp for Jamie's. Not sure about the rest because we only wanted to eat at those two. In my cruise planner for Anthem in March 2018, Chops grill is currently going for $42, Chef's Table (not included in the dining packages) is $95pp, and Izumi is a la carte. If I remember correctly, 150 Central Park was also $49pp and Sabor was also a la carte. But maybe others can chime in on those...Dining package definitely worth it if you plan to eat at several of them. We only wanted to dine at two for Harmony and we did not want to dine 1st and 2nd night so we did not get the BOGO package. This time for Anthem we only want to dine at Jamie's so probably not getting a package either. jennybean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennybean Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 Thank you!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.