Palo Reservations: Fact or Myth

[chiburple]

I’m trying to get Palo reservations for my family and I heard the following rumors. Can anyone confirm or deny any of them?

1) Only tables for two or four are available, so a family of five (like mine) will have to split up over two tables

2) 50% of Palo reservations are held back until embarkation day, so if you can’t pre-book what you want (which I couldn’t), then try to arrive early on embarkation day to get a reservation

3) You can only ask to be waitlisted once on the ship

4) On the Disney Wonder (my ship for this cruise), reservations on board don’t open up till 1pm so there’s no point in arriving early

Also, if they hold back some reservations, does anyone know if they open up a few more spots at the 75 day mark? As silver I was able to book a table for two 90 days out, but two members of my family don't have castaway status so I have to wait till the 75 day mark to add them to my reservation and it looks like there are no spots left.

Please help. I really want to get my family a Palo brunch because I’ve heard such good things. Knowing what to expect might go a long way to helping me succeed.

 

[OKW Lover]

1. There certainly are tables for parties of 5 (and larger).
2. I don't know about the actual percentage of Palo reservations that can be pre-booked but there is usually pretty good availability when you board
3. They will give you an actual dining time on board. No waitlist needed.
4. Correct. Only if you want to be right at the front of the line, which really isn't necessary.

 

[Kristen K]

Also, if they hold back some reservations, does anyone know if they open up a few more spots at the 75 day mark? As silver I was able to book a table for two 90 days out, but two members of my family don't have castaway status so I have to wait till the 75 day mark to add them to my reservation and it looks like there are no spots left.

Ut oh! Now I'm feeling a little nervous. Were the members that aren't CC that you couldn't book for in your stateroom or in another room? I'll be traveling with my non-CC daughter (same stateroom) and really wanted to be able to make a Palo reservation for us at the 90 day mark.

 

[Weedy]

I'm pretty sure if your in the same stateroom your OK.

I know you didn't ask this question but just an FYI you have to be 18 years old or older to eat at Palo

 

[zippingalong]

I've done a large party at Palo that I booked on board no problem.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I’m trying to get Palo reservations for my family and I heard the following rumors. Can anyone confirm or deny any of them?

1) Only tables for two or four are available, so a family of five (like mine) will have to split up over two tables

2) 50% of Palo reservations are held back until embarkation day, so if you can’t pre-book what you want (which I couldn’t), then try to arrive early on embarkation day to get a reservation

3) You can only ask to be waitlisted once on the ship

4) On the Disney Wonder (my ship for this cruise), reservations on board don’t open up till 1pm so there’s no point in arriving early

Also, if they hold back some reservations, does anyone know if they open up a few more spots at the 75 day mark? As silver I was able to book a table for two 90 days out, but two members of my family don't have castaway status so I have to wait till the 75 day mark to add them to my reservation and it looks like there are no spots left.

Please help. I really want to get my family a Palo brunch because I’ve heard such good things. Knowing what to expect might go a long way to helping me succeed.

1. Yes, there are tables large enough for 5.

2. Yes, there will be reservations available onboard.

3. When the reservations run out onboard, there is a waitlist, but you are not automatically put on it as long as reservations are available.

4. Can't really answer this, as we usually don't board until 12:15-12:30. It's always been open when we've gone there and no line.

50% of the available reservations are released to be booked pre-cruise. That number (whatever it is) is available fully from the 120 day mark on. It's not separated out to the different booking windows.

I will point out that as long as you have one reservation already, it's really easy to add people to an already existing reservation. But keep checking, as people do cancel before the cruise all the time.

I see you're asking about brunch, just be aware there aren't as many brunch reservations as there are dinner ones, as brunch is only served on sea days and dinner is every day.

Ut oh! Now I'm feeling a little nervous. Were the members that aren't CC that you couldn't book for in your stateroom or in another room? I'll be traveling with my non-CC daughter (same stateroom) and really wanted to be able to make a Palo reservation for us at the 90 day mark.

If a room with CC members is able to make a reservation, they can make the reservation for the total number of people in the room, regardless of CC status of the others.

 

[TDC Nala]

Ut oh! Now I'm feeling a little nervous. Were the members that aren't CC that you couldn't book for in your stateroom or in another room? I'll be traveling with my non-CC daughter (same stateroom) and really wanted to be able to make a Palo reservation for us at the 90 day mark.

If you're in the same stateroom you can make them according to your own status for both you and your daughter.

The problem comes with making reservations for a separate, linked stateroom that has a lower CC status. That you can't do, until reservations open up for that stateroom.

There are definitely tables for 5, and for more than 5.

 

[lbgraves]

The last time we were on the Wonder in 2011 Palo reservations opened up when boarding began. We were in boarding group 1 in Vancouver and went directly to Wavebands to confirm our private room reservations. This has also been the case on the Magic whenever we have cruised. The change for the Wonder seemed to take place when it switched to the 7-night itineraries.

You may not be able to make a reservation online for 5 people together. However, if you book everyone with seperate reservations, you can go to the Palo resie location and have them link those reservations without a problem after you board.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The last time we were on the Wonder in 2011 Palo reservations opened up when boarding began. We were in boarding group 1 in Vancouver and went directly to RNBD to confirm our private room reservations. This has also been the case on the Magic whenever we have cruised. The change for the Wonder seemed to take place when it switched to the 7-night itineraries.

You may not be able to make a reservation online for 5 people together. However, if you book everyone with seperate reservations, you can go to the Palo resie location and have them link those reservations without a problem after you board.

Just a clarification, on the Wonder it's Wavebands where the dining changes and Palo reservation changes is handled on embarkation day.

 

[chiburple]

Thank you all so much! I feel much better.

Just a clarification, on the Wonder it's Wavebands where the dining changes and Palo reservation changes is handled on embarkation day.

I didn't know that! I'll pull up a map and figure out where wavebands is before our embarkation day. It might just give me the edge if I end up having to get my reservation on board. Thanks.

If you're in the same stateroom you can make them according to your own status for both you and your daughter.

The problem comes with making reservations for a separate, linked stateroom that has a lower CC status. That you can't do, until reservations open up for that stateroom.

There are definitely tables for 5, and for more than 5.

Yes, this is exactly the situation I have. I'm the only one with cc status so I was able to book for everyone in my stateroom. However I can't book for the rest of my family even though our reservations are linked.

I have two of us booked for Palo brunch, but I'm worried about whether or not I will be able to add the other three.

 

[Kristen K]

If a room with CC members is able to make a reservation, they can make the reservation for the total number of people in the room, regardless of CC status of the others.

Awesome! So I can book a table for my daughter and I, but our traveling companions in another room will have to add on to our table when general reservations open up. Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

You won't be able to add them onto your table until you board the ship. It can't be done beforehand. They can either book their own reservation ahead of time, about the same time as yours, and you merge the two when you board, or you ask to have them added to your table when you board.

if it's something difficult to get like brunch, I'd go with the two reservations and merge when you board method.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

Where are Palo changes made on magic?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Where are Palo changes made on magic?

Rockin' Bar D. At least they were on our Magic cruises (last one 2010)

 

[Kristen K]

You won't be able to add them onto your table until you board the ship. It can't be done beforehand. They can either book their own reservation ahead of time, about the same time as yours, and you merge the two when you board, or you ask to have them added to your table when you board.

if it's something difficult to get like brunch, I'd go with the two reservations and merge when you board method.

Oh! Okay good to know.
I'd love to do brunch, but I'm not even sure if we'll have one. Do they do them on 4 nights (Magic)? We have one day at Sea. If so can you make a reservation for dinner and brunch?

 

[lbgraves]

It has been in RNBD on the Magic each cruise for us since 2003.

There is a brunch on the sea days, so will have it on the 4-night.

 

[chiburple]

Oh! Okay good to know.
I'd love to do brunch, but I'm not even sure if we'll have one. Do they do them on 4 nights (Magic)? We have one day at Sea. If so can you make a reservation for dinner and brunch?

There should be a brunch on your sea day. Since there's only one brunch and they're hard to get, some people recommend waking up at midnight EST on the first night you can book to grab it. Yes, you can book both one dinner and one brunch. Good luck!

 

[Kristen K]

There should be a brunch on your sea day. Since there's only one brunch and they're hard to get, some people recommend waking up at midnight EST on the first night you can book to grab it. Yes, you can book both one dinner and one brunch. Good luck!

Thanks! I set a reminder to do the midnight thing 90 days out!

 

[twinstars]

My own experience is that they will do everything they can to try to get you in. There are definitely tables greater than 5. In fact, from our experience on the Wonder, they will even let you make last minute reservation changes if they can accommodate it. So it will really depend on how full the cruise that you are going on will be and how many of those people decide to dine at Palo.

On our cruise, we did have reservations, but we decided to move it to a different time slot pretty much last minute, not only did they accommodate us, they gave us a private room.

 

[jrabbit]

We were on the Wonder in January and went to Wavebands upon boarding (we had an early boarding number). Even though it was not 1pm yet like the Navigator (I refuse to call it the personal navigator since it is the same for everyone) said, the Palo crew was taking reservations and making changes.

As far a Brunch goes, we have been unsuccessful in booking it online for our past several cruises and we were gold (now platinum ) and every time we have not had an issue getting brunch book upon boarding. For our upcoming WBPC cruise in May, with what - 10 sea days we WERE successful in booking Brunch. Will see if we can get an additional one booked once on board .