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Ultimate dining package questions


alamode123

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Looking at possibly getting the ultimate dining package for our March 10 - 15 navigator of the Seas cruise and have a few questions.

1. When booking through the cruise planner, it asks for a dining time. I know you choose your restaurants on the ship, but can you adjust the times as well? I wouldn't want to be tied to a specific time.

2. Is lunch included on embarkation day? We usually get to the port around 10 and get on the ship as early as we can.

3. I know it's not economically the best choice, but can you go to Johnny Rockets as an option?

Thanks in advance.

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2 hours ago, alamode123 said:

When booking through the cruise planner, it asks for a dining time. I know you choose your restaurants on the ship, but can you adjust the times as well? I wouldn't want to be tied to a specific time.

Correct. It's just a placeholder. You can change any and all reservations once you get onboard

2 hours ago, alamode123 said:

Is lunch included on embarkation day? We usually get to the port around 10 and get on the ship as early as we can.

No, that's technically a port day. Lunch is only included on sea days

2 hours ago, alamode123 said:

I know it's not economically the best choice, but can you go to Johnny Rockets as an option?

Yup!

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1 hour ago, Matt said:
3 hours ago, alamode123 said:

Is lunch included on embarkation day? We usually get to the port around 10 and get on the ship as early as we can.

No, that's technically a port day. Lunch is only included on sea days

I'm wondering if @alamode123 means if complementary lunch (not the MDR or additional $ Restaurants) is provided on embarkation day? If so, the Windjammer serves lunch as does the Cafe Promenade on embarkation day.

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I always get the ultimate dining package.. Every time I go if there is a restaurant open for lunch on Embarkation day they gladly let me use my package for the lunch.. Maybe I have just gotten lucky but this has worked for me for like 5-6 times now. So my advice is give it a try and ask

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1 hour ago, AGSLC5 said:

I always get the ultimate dining package.. Every time I go if there is a restaurant open for lunch on Embarkation day they gladly let me use my package for the lunch.. Maybe I have just gotten lucky but this has worked for me for like 5-6 times now. So my advice is give it a try and ask

In lieu of dinner? Or in addition to dinner?

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2 hours ago, Matt said:

In lieu of dinner? Or in addition to dinner?

In addition to dinner.. For example on Allure a couple months ago I had 3 sea days.. So I had 7 dinners and 4 lunches including embarkation day. I went to Chops on Embarkation day and said I have the ultimate dining package are you open for lunch and they said absolutely come on in and my bill was zero and that night I still got to eat at 150 Central Park. I am going on Harmony in 10 days and plan on trying to do the same thing so I will report back with what happens. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/10/2018 at 5:08 PM, AGSLC5 said:

I always get the ultimate dining package.. Every time I go if there is a restaurant open for lunch on Embarkation day they gladly let me use my package for the lunch.. Maybe I have just gotten lucky but this has worked for me for like 5-6 times now. So my advice is give it a try and ask

I just bought the UDP for a 3-night Mariner cruise over Labor Day weekend. Because the 3-night itinerary has no sea days, I'm wondering if anyone knows whether Royal allows for the UDP to be used for specialty lunch any other days. It sounds like embarkation day is a possibility (thanks @AGSLC5 !) but I don't know about the others. Or if the specialty restaurants are even open for lunch any other days (as they usually aren't on port days).

Anyone have experience with this? Thanks in advance!

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6 minutes ago, capitalkyle said:

I just bought the UDP for a 3-night Mariner cruise over Labor Day weekend. Because the 3-night itinerary has no sea days, I'm wondering if anyone knows whether Royal allows for the UDP to be used for specialty lunch any other days. It sounds like embarkation day is a possibility (thanks @AGSLC5 !) but I don't know about the others. Or if the specialty restaurants are even open for lunch any other days (as they usually aren't on port days).

Anyone have experience with this? Thanks in advance!

I actually do have experience with this as I was just on Mariner for a 3 night. Sorry to disappoint but they don't even always serve lunch on embarkation day in the restaurants and since there are no sea days they don't let you use it or any day they do serve lunch. Also, they will NOT let you use it for the hibachi in Izumi and in that Izumi there are not many tables for just Sushi. Again sorry to disappoint. I was also pretty bummed.. 

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6 minutes ago, AGSLC5 said:

I actually do have experience with this as I was just on Mariner for a 3 night. Sorry to disappoint but they don't even always serve lunch on embarkation day in the restaurants and since there are no sea days they don't let you use it or any day they do serve lunch. Also, they will NOT let you use it for the hibachi in Izumi and in that Izumi there are not many tables for just Sushi. Again sorry to disappoint. I was also pretty bummed.. 

@AGSLC5 once again coming through with the knowledge, thanks. That is a bit disappointing but I'm not necessarily surprised to hear it. The Izumi part is a bit strange as I thought they let me use my UDP for the $35 credit towards my meal on other ships (Harmony, maybe?). Not the end of the world though.

All together those considerations take away almost all of the appeal of a UDP for a 3-night cruise. If Izumi is part of your dining plans, it seems like it's better to book each restaurant separately. You come out $2-5 cheaper (depending on discounts) on the two nights at Jamie's and Chops, plus you gain control of the exact restaurant/day/time reservations ahead of time this way. No scrambling to make the remaining nights' reservations once onboard. Since you have to pay for Izumi separately, and the free lunch is out of the value equation, it seems to me that there'd be no reason to do a UDP.

I'm off to go cancel and re-book my dining!

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7 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I've never had an UDP but I am reading, fairly often now, that at least on the O class ships, they are allowing you to use your UDP on embark day.  I suspect that this is ship-dependent, so YMMV but many have reported being able to use their UDP on day 1.

Raye, I have had great luck using my Ultimate dining on embark day on O class ships, but on Mariner they just don't always even offer lunch on the first day which I thought was weird.. But I am very excited I am going on Harmony in 2 days and plan to have chops lunch day 1.. Hopefully it works. 

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@MattWhen I tried to use the UDP at Johnny Rockets on Explorer earlier this year. They said it was not included in the package. I spoke to his manager who said the same thing. Do you think it depends on the class of ship or region it is sailing in. This was out of Australia.

i couldn’t find anything on the RCI website that actually states which restaurants it is valid for to get them to alter their position. I was quite annoyed at the time but there was nothing I could do apart from accept it and move on.

 

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