Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean has announced new fees for no-shows at specialty dining restaurants across the fleet.
- The exact cost of the fees or the terms and conditions for no-shows have not yet been detailed.
- The new policy is an effort to ensure more guests have the opportunity to enjoy these unique dining experiences.
Extra charges and fees can be very frustrating for cruise guests, especially since cruise vacations are often touted as all-inclusive or nearly so.
Royal Caribbean is now adding a new fee for specialty dining, however, that guests will actually like and appreciate. This will be a charge for guests who book a reservation at one of the exclusive restaurants, only to not show up for the meal.
“We will be implementing charges for no-shows at specialty dining reservations across the fleet,” the cruise line informed travel agents. “Our goal is to preserve these limited seats for clients eager to experience our exclusive, limited-capacity dining options.”
Experienced “Loyal to Royal” guests are well aware of how quickly reservations for specialty dining can fill up.
This is especially true for holiday sailings or formal nights on different sailings, when many guests enjoy a more elegant dining experience.
The cruise line hopes that the new no-show fee will ensure guests don’t take advantage of reservations only to not bother with actually attending at their reserved time.
“By encouraging guests to honor their reservations, we aim to enhance the overall experience,” the notice read.
As yet, there is no confirmation about how much the fee may be. It is possible such a fee will be on top of the existing specialty dining charge, making a no-show a very expensive non-meal indeed, with no refund plus a no-show fee.
Another option might be that the fee could be a significant percentage of the specialty dining cost. For example, a no-show fee could easily be calculated at 50% of the dining charge.
Before this change, Royal Caribbean’s FAQ notes that cancellations for specialty restaurants must be made at least four days before embarkation for a full refund, or once onboard the ship, again for a full refund.
Only if cancellations are less than 24 hours before the reservation is there any fee, which is a minimum $10 (USD).
There are two exceptions to the new fee, however. Guests who have an “existing Dining Package” are exempt from the fee, as are those booked in Star Class suites.
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The language of this preliminary notification is unclear whether or not new dining package purchases will be exempt from the no-show fee. It is possible the exemption is temporary and only applies to booked guests who have already made their purchases.
As for guests booked in Star Class suites having the exemption to the fee as well, that could be an understandable perk for that type of elevated accommodation.
Are Dining No-Shows a Problem?
It may seem that no-shows aren’t that big of a deal. After all, with thousands of guests onboard, wouldn’t it be easy to fill in any vacant reservations?
Many guests, however, don’t want to wait until the literal last minute to know what type of dining experience they may have. Doing so might mean no specialty dining options at all if there are no cancellations or no-shows for their preferred restaurant on any given night.
When guests no-show for a reservation, the dining staff’s rhythm may be disrupted and it may not be possible to fill in those vacancies.
Furthermore, some dining experiences include show-like presentations, such as the live music at the Lincoln Park Supper Club aboard Star of the Seas or the hibachi skills demonstrated at Izumi. These venues have very specific timing and it may be impossible to fill in seats if guests don’t arrive for their reservations.
Finally, it’s simply inconsiderate for a guest to book a reservation but simply not show up for it. While plans can change due, it’s only courteous to be sure and cancel a reservation appropriately rather than just brush it off.
