Oceania Cruise Specialty Restaurants: What time do they open for dinner?
#1
Oceania Cruise Specialty Restaurants: What time do they open for dinner?
So we are contemplating our first cruise on Oceania. ( Actually our first cruise ever) We eat early, but of course would like to take advantage of the specialty restaurants.
I have searched on google but I cannot find what time these specialty restaurants usually take their first reservations for dinner?
Any experienced Oceania cruisers......can you enlighten me.
Thanks
I have searched on google but I cannot find what time these specialty restaurants usually take their first reservations for dinner?
Any experienced Oceania cruisers......can you enlighten me.
Thanks
#4
#6
Believe it or not I think we might pass on the cruise...we both eat quite early to combat indigestion at night and a 6:30 reservation would be too late for us to dine. Seems a shame to go on a cruise and not take advantage of the specialty restaurants.
#7
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,862
Not sure how early you need or want to eat but there arent very many cruise lines that open their specialty or main dining rooms before 6:00-6:30 PM. Even on ships that allow you to order room service off the restaurant menus often dont deliver those meals outside of the restaurants hours. Regardless I dont think youd enjoy eating all your dinners in your cabin. Could be cruising is not a good match.
#9
Not sure how early you need or want to eat but there arent very many cruise lines that open their specialty or main dining rooms before 6:00-6:30 PM. Even on ships that allow you to order room service off the restaurant menus often dont deliver those meals outside of the restaurants hours. Regardless I dont think youd enjoy eating all your dinners in your cabin. Could be cruising is not a good match.
But I think you are right about perhaps not being a good match.
Besides eating early, we tend to be somewhat loners, I get sea sick, I like BIG hotel rooms that I can't afford, and we are usually in bed by 8, up at 5.
#10
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,862
We have always been independent travelers. But as we age I am intrigued by the convenience of a cruise.
But I think you are right about perhaps not being a good match.
Besides eating early, we tend to be somewhat loners, I get sea sick, I like BIG hotel rooms that I can't afford, and we are usually in bed by 8, up at 5.
But I think you are right about perhaps not being a good match.
Besides eating early, we tend to be somewhat loners, I get sea sick, I like BIG hotel rooms that I can't afford, and we are usually in bed by 8, up at 5.
#11
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: GRR
Programs: Delta Plat & Million Miler
Posts: 1,372
We have always been independent travelers. But as we age I am intrigued by the convenience of a cruise.
But I think you are right about perhaps not being a good match.
Besides eating early, we tend to be somewhat loners, I get sea sick, I like BIG hotel rooms that I can't afford, and we are usually in bed by 8, up at 5.
But I think you are right about perhaps not being a good match.
Besides eating early, we tend to be somewhat loners, I get sea sick, I like BIG hotel rooms that I can't afford, and we are usually in bed by 8, up at 5.
Most cabins are similar to smallish hotel room--and you can always buy bigger.
Sea sick can be a problem but there are remedies. Bigger ships tend to bounce less and have good stabilizers.
Not quite as upscale as Celebrity but Princess main dining first time is 5:30 nowadays. Specialty not until 6:30 though
I always suggest to people who have never cruised--take a short one one to 4 days (NOT Carnival IMHO) to see how you like it.
#12
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,093
And, if sea sickness is a concern, try a cruise that stays relatively close to shore, like an Inside Passage Alaska cruise.
Our first trial cruising was a 6-day. We have been progressively extending ourselves and leave for our first 24-day cruise next week!
#13
Cool.....We were looking at a 10 day Oceania cruise to Alaska.....Vancouver-Seattle ( my home port). I like the idea of not having to get on a plane to fly to the cruise...and especially at the end.... just wheeling our bags along the water front in Seattle to the ferry dock where we catch a 30 minute ferry ride home. we are foodies and I hear the food is decent on the Regatta.
#14
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum; Amex Plat; Four Seasons; Fairmont; HH; etc.; "Retirees-In-Training"
Posts: 658
Cool.....We were looking at a 10 day Oceania cruise to Alaska.....Vancouver-Seattle ( my home port). I like the idea of not having to get on a plane to fly to the cruise...and especially at the end.... just wheeling our bags along the water front in Seattle to the ferry dock where we catch a 30 minute ferry ride home. we are foodies and I hear the food is decent on the Regatta.
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/foru...eania-cruises/
You'll get a lot of information from several posters who are very active and have a LOT of experience with Oceania.
On cruises, we like to RELAX.
Oceania has been PERFECT for us. We do *not* enjoy all of the "action" described above... bands, dancing, loud shows.
Oceania does have some shows, but they don't tend to get top reviews among "cruise line shows". That's fine with us. We prefer to head back to our suite after dinner, read for a while, look over the future ports (again!), and then go to sleep early.
Unlike you, we also like to get up late
We also enjoy a nice breakfast en suite (full breakfast is available in suites, so if you are not at least Penthouse Suite, check carefully about the room service choices).
One concern about the dining time: Reservations open on different dates, with top suites first, and insides last (by number of days before the cruise). There is almost no "class system" on Oceania that affect how one is treated during the cruise, which is very nice. (There are a very few minor things, and the main one is access to the Spa deck on the two larger ships; not sure about on the smaller ships).
But given how many people love the Specialties, this tends to limit the available reservations times as the approaching cruise gets closer. We've found that the earlier times tend to be "left", so that should help you, but each cruise is different.
One can stop by
Also note that the two larger ships (Riviera & Marina) have more Specialty restaurants, and that *does* make a difference to us.
One other perk of a suite is that one can dine en suite from the Specialties any evening, as many times as one wishes.
But otherwise, after one has had the allowed "pre-cruise reservations", one can stop by and see if there are spaces available, checking early in the day, or just stopping by when the restaurant opens.
On our most recent O cruise (last Nov/Dec), we found the main dining room food choice so good, that we actually changed some plans to eat at a Specialty because of the regular choices!
There are plenty of peaceful places to sit, even if one doesn't have a balcony.
We have been totally spoiled by Oceania.
Note: One thing we like is that all of the options are not bundled. We don't drink a lot, and our preference is fine wine, which is never included in the "drinks included" plans. And we prefer private excursions. So we don't like paying a higher total cruise cost for a cruise that has supposedly "free" drinks or excursions. They aren't "free". They are, instead, "included" in the full fare.
But one *can* purchase a regular or premium drinks package, and also a package that includes some excursions at a discounted average price (depending upon the original price of the excursions).
As for seasickness, that's the one possible flag I see in what you wrote.
If you get a cabin that is mid-ship and low, you'll have the least movement.
When we took an Alaska cruise (not Oceania) a few years ago, the Inside Passage was almost like glass (but this is not guaranteed). The only slightly rough seas were across the northern, final part of the cruise, as we approached the Seward/Whittier area, after Hubbell Glacier (which was by far the highlight of our trip).
OTOH, we've heard that IF one sails on the Ocean side of Vancouver Island, that can get a bit chippy. But each trip is different.
One last thing. If this is a medical situation, then contact O's special needs department, and they might be able to help with the dining times. They do try to please!
Enjoy!
GC