wootence Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 We will be sailing on the Independence in less than 40 days. We are considering a dining package. I have read so many different reports about the ultimate dining packages. We are taking the trip in celebration of our 20th anniversary, completing my master's degree, and a high school graduation. There are 4 of us, 2 children (ages 17 and 12.) We have sailed many times and many ships/brands (RCCL, Costa, Disney, Carnival. We want this to be special and we are foodies. Can anyone one answer a few questions to help me plan? Can we use the ultimate dining package to attend the Galley Brunch? Cupcake Decorating Class? If not, can I purchase 5-night dining package and these two be included? Is Johnny Rockets included in the Ultimate Dining Package? Does this include milkshakes? When adding a dining package online, do I reserve a spot for our 12-year-old or wait until we board? I have read different posts about this. The fine print says something about paying for the dining package and then they apply the overage as OBC. Since the boat is just coming back to Ft. Lauderdale, does anyone have the 5 night daily itineraries? How am I suppose to plan meals if I am not sure about showtimes? Are showtimes always at the same time? Is there a formal night on a 5-night cruise? Is lobster served on 5-night cruises? Crazy question, does the hibachi at Izumi serve white sauce or yum yum sauce? Our ports of call are Labadee and Falmouth. I would love any recommendations for these 2 ports. Thanks in advance for any info. Baked Alaska 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 Hey @wootence, welcome to the message boards! Lemme see how many of these I can help you out with; whatever I don't know, others will be able to answer pronto... 1 minute ago, wootence said: Can we use the ultimate dining package to attend the Galley Brunch? Cupcake Decorating Class? If not, can I purchase 5-night dining package and these two be included? No, these two items are separate add-on charges that are counted as activities, rather than dining. 1 minute ago, wootence said: Is Johnny Rockets included in the Ultimate Dining Package? Does this include milkshakes? Yes, JR is included in the UDP for the food part, per this article from Matt. Also per that article, the package only covers the food and gratuity portion of the meal, not any beverages that are not complimentary. So milkshakes will be excluded unless you also have either the Refreshment or Deluxe Beverage package. 6 minutes ago, wootence said: When adding a dining package online, do I reserve a spot for our 12-year-old or wait until we board? I have read different posts about this. The fine print says something about paying for the dining package and then they apply the overage as OBC. The exact wording from the linked article does state, "Children ages 6-12 can be added to reservation for a $10 cover charge once onboard." -- so that would suggest to just hold off and take care of it when you board. It should be totally safe to do this since, with three people already booked, you'll almost certainly be seated at tables for four. But, one question on this... Will your 12-year old still be 12 on sailing date, or will he/she have turned 13? If the 13th birthday will have come on or before sailing date, you'll have to pay the adult rate and you'll want to book him/her with the rest of you. If not, then do as the article indicates and wait until boarding day. 14 minutes ago, wootence said: Since the boat is just coming back to Ft. Lauderdale, does anyone have the 5 night daily itineraries? How am I suppose to plan meals if I am not sure about showtimes? Are showtimes always at the same time? The main shows (headliner acts, broadway-style performances, etc. are always timed to work around the Traditional Dining windows at 5:30 and 8:00 PM, usually with an early show for the later dining time, and a later show for the earlier dining time. So if you plan your reservations around that, you can make most or all of the headliner shows without trouble. I was just on Anthem for a 5-night sailing, and with only one exception when we saw Spectra's Cabaret (which we knew we had to arrive for around 8:00 to get good seats), we were able to have dinner at 7 each night with no problems. 16 minutes ago, wootence said: Is there a formal night on a 5-night cruise? Is lobster served on 5-night cruises? Yes, there will be one formal night on your first sea day (Day 2 of the cruise). I don't believe they usually serve lobster at that dinner (they didn't on my recent Anthem sailing), but if not then the likely will on your last sea day, even though it's not a formal night (for my sailing, they did). 18 minutes ago, wootence said: Our ports of call are Labadee and Falmouth. I would love any recommendations for these 2 ports. For Labadee, if you want to ride the alpine coaster you should plan to do that first thing in the morning. The line is non-existent and if you have an unlimited ride band, you can easily get in four rides in the course of an hour. If you wait until the afternoon, the line is much worse. I was there back in April on another cruise, and I did the morning rides and got full use of my all-day wristband. My wife and kids, on the other hand, went in the afternoon because they had the zip line in the morning; they got the big lines and were only able to go once, making their unlimited ride bands a bit of wasted money vs. a single-ride band. If you have the budget and can get a good price (less than $400), definitely book an on-the-water cabana as soon as they open up. Having the cabana made our day on Labadee absolutely fantastic; we shared it with our table-mates from the MDR, and having the shade and guaranteed place to sit and relax turned an already good day into a totally great one. Only one person needs to actually buy the reservation, and then when you show up that person will tell the attendants how many others are going to be there (up to 8 total). And have at least one Labadoozie. SOOOOO tasty!! Matt and wootence 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 I have a few answers...and some I have no idea. 1. No, neither the Galley Brunch nor the cupcake decorating class are included in the UDP. These are considered "entertainment" events and not dining events. 2. No, there is no option to included these 2 events with a dining package. 3. To be honest, I don't know if Johnny Rockets is included in the UDP or not. I think not. I could be wrong about this one. I know that the milkshakes are included in the Premium drinks package but I don't think they would be included in a UDP even if the meal was included. 4. I'm not sure about the 12 year old. I don't know if a 12 year old is considered a "child" or not (for dining purposes). I think you are correct...if you prepaid for the 12 year old and it turns out that there is no charge or a reduced charge, you would get any rebate back as OBC. The only reason I can think of to prepay for the 12 year old would be that you MIGHT be charged an 18% gratuity if you have to purchase a specialty meal on board. I really don't know about this one... 5. As far as coordinating eating and shows, it is always a guessing game unless you are very familiar with the ship's entertainment schedule. My solution is always to eat as early as possible and schedule entertainment for later. It almost always works out for us but that may not be your preference. 6. I would anticipate that you will have 1 formal night on a 5 night cruise and it is USUALLY on night #2 but that can certainly change. If you have a sea day on day 2 then that will almost certainly be your formal night. Whether or not lobster will be served is a toss-up. Even on the same ship that can change from cruise to cruise. On our last Grandeur cruise I was shocked to find out that they were serving both lobster AND lamb shank even though on our previous 5 night Grandeur cruise they served neither. You will probably not know until you get on board. 7. No idea about the sauces at Izumi. I never use anything except high test soy sauce. 8. I'm no help with suggestions for Labadee or Falmouth as I never get off the ship at either of these stops anymore. Just a short discussion about the UDP. I have completely changed my opinion of specialty dining plans from a few years ago. In the past, we never ever paid extra for a specialty meal. Then we started cruising Star Class which has ruined me in SO many ways. Specialty dining is one of them. We now almost always purchase the UDP b/c I love the option of eating any meal I choose in the different specialty restaurants. As a matter of fact, I am now very pissy b/c neither my Thanksgiving (Navigator) nor my Christmas + NY (Grandeur) cruises is offering ANY dining packages. I was able to prepurchase a couple of Chops meals at a discount a few weeks back and I am hoping to be able to use my D+ BOGO perk on nights 1 and 2 of these cruises but for the rest, we will be eating in the MDR or maybe a couple of paid trips to Izumi as I will not be able to keep Dan away from Izumi on Grandeur. But trust me, when we have the UDP, we take FULL advantage of Izumi. So I am an advocate of the UDP. I think it is a good value if you enjoy the specialty restaurants. AND if there are any meals (or dishes) that you particularly like (such as lobster and/or lamb shank) you can ALWAYS get them, even if you are in a specialty restaurant ! This is something that not everyone knows. If you are dining in Chops on lobster night, [and you want a lobster tail but don't want to pay the upcharge for the Chop's lobster tail !] ask them to bring you a MDR lobster tail. They will ! On our last cruise (Grandeur), Dan wanted the lamb shank but we were eating at Giovanni's. They brought him his lamb shank PLUS whatever he ordered as his entree from Giovanni's. I always get cream of mushroom soup as my appetizer even when we eat at Giovanni's. Want red velvet cake for dessert but Giovanni's doesn't have it on their dessert menu ? No problem ! They will go and get you some from Chop's (unless they are one of the evil ships that have gotten rid of red velvet cake !). So the bottom line is...you do not have to "miss" your favorite MDR dish just b/c you are dining in a specialty restaurant. That's a GOOD thing ! Matt, Baked Alaska, wootence and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 Thanks @JLMoran and @WAAAYTOOO for the great in-depth answers wootence 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wootence Posted November 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 Thank you for the information. As far as Izumi, since the hibachi is not included in the ultimate dining package, can you go to hibachi and apply this: *** For restaurants with a la carte pricing, you’ll receive a $35 food credit.* My ship also offers a half off a signature meal on the first night of the cruise but they make the reservation. Does this include hibachi? I also read this on RCCL site under the Galley Brunch. Does this mean I can use it as a meal if I do the dining package instead of the Ultimate Package since it does not indicate this on the page with the Ultimate Package. Sorry for all the questions. The tour is hosted by our Executive Chef, Restaurant Operations Manager and the Culinary Team. Following the tour, enjoy a vast selection of epicurean treats, as well as a private brunch menu chosen specially for you by our Executive Chef. Bottomless Galley Brunch can be included in the 3-4 or 5 Dining Package. Flip-flops are not permitted in the galley for safety reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 Just now, wootence said: Thank you for the information. As far as Izumi, since the hibachi is not included in the ultimate dining package, can you go to hibachi and apply this: *** For restaurants with a la carte pricing, you’ll receive a $35 food credit.* My ship also offers a half off a signature meal on the first night of the cruise but they make the reservation. Does this include hibachi? No, the hibachi dining is the one item that is always excluded from all dining packages, including the first night option you mentioned, and must be separately reserved on the ships where it's offered. The latest episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog podcast actually spoke at length just about Izumi and nothing else, and @Matt had noted that specifically about the hibachi option. It's extremely popular and also has extremely limited seating; since you cannot make your dining reservations with the UDP until boarding day, there's no real way for Royal to guarantee a seat there when everyone else is making advance reservations online. Even with the $35 food credit for Izumi, that only applies to the sushi menu. If you specifically want hibachi, you will be charged separately for that and the $35 credit will not be applied. Do note, however, that you're free to order from the regular sushi menu while seated in the hibachi area and waiting on your food to be prepared. If you chose to get a few rolls or other sushi menu items as appetizers ahead of the hibachi meal, that would be covered by the $35 credit. Matt and wootence 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melski94 Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 A few suggestions for Labadee and Falmouth: My kids enjoy the zip lining (my 12 year old doesn't weigh enough yet but my 18 and 15 year olds love it). We also rent a beach bungalow which is much less expensive than the over the water cabanas. There is a really nice sandy beach that isn't crowded and it is very close to the food. Falmouth: we hired a private car through Tour Jamaica Today and went to Blue Hole. Fabulous tour. Our next cruise, I am considering the white water tubing but I haven't booked that yet. I'll be on Indy's first 5 night Caribbean cruise. I typically see shows start around 8:00-8:30 so I'm planning around that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abu Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 I know this is late.. but others have said the Galley Brunch is not included with the Dining Package.. but RCCL site says this: HELPFUL HINTS The tour is hosted by our Executive Chef, Restaurant Operations Manager and the Culinary Team. Following the tour, enjoy a vast selection of epicurean treats, as well as a private brunch menu chosen specially for you by our Executive Chef. Bottomless Galley Brunch can be included in the 3-4 or 5 Dining Package. Flip-flops are not permitted in the galley for safety reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantix2000 Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 The RCCL site says a lot of things that are wrong including describing restaurants on ships that don't have them. Are you confirming that you've actually done the Galley Brunch as part of a Dining Package? If not, I would trust what people say they've experienced not what the website says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted June 7, 2019 Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 Royal is constantly adjusting the dining plans but doesn't always note everything in the terms and conditions. Once upon a time they tried including Starbucks in certain beverage packages but that was short lived and never "official". They may be trying something with the Galley Brunch to determine impact. Anyone's guess if it sticks long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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