Dining Rotation & Palo Dinner

[jimandshane]

We have a 7-night coming up, with Palo on night 2. We want to be sure to visit all 3 of the dining locations twice on the other 6 nights -- this is likely to require a change in our rotation.

Would this be easier to do vs. attempting to change our Palo reservation? We are staying Concierge.

 

[Marc D]

The rotations are fixed and you cannot go to a different dining room than the one you are assigned to on a particular evening, since your assigned table is occupied by another group.

For a 7-nights cruise, you might have 1231231, 1223123 or some other standard combination, but all the rotations for your cruise will follow the same pattern, starting with a different dining room. Therefore, changing rotations will not allow you answer your need.

Since you are sailing Concierge, your best bet is to reach out to the onshore team a few weeks in advance to get the three available rotations for your cruise. You'll then be able to see what's the pattern and request to move your Palo reservation accordingly if needed. When sailing Concierge, you can also request a specific rotation. We always request the one ending in Animator's, so our last meal is there.

Finally, know that the dining rooms only have one signature menu, so the other four evenings, all the dining rooms will offer the same food.

 

[jimandshane]

Thank you! I know that the rotations are fixed but I was wondering if it would be easier to request a rotation change or to request a change to the Palo reservation.

For example, if our rotation is 1231231, is there a rotation that would be 2132131, where it would be fine if Palo was on night 2 because we'd get #1 twice. Does that make sense?

I also had no idea that it's the same menu for 4 of the evenings! So we really only get the signature menu for the first night at a given location, and then it's the same menu for all 3 for nights 4 - 7?

And if that's the case, we should definitely request that the Palo dinner be on one of nights 4 - 7 instead, right?

 

[kathi]

Thank you! I know that the rotations are fixed but I was wondering if it would be easier to request a rotation change or to request a change to the Palo reservation.

For example, if our rotation is 1231231, is there a rotation that would be 2132131, where it would be fine if Palo was on night 2 because we'd get #1 twice. Does that make sense?

I also had no idea that it's the same menu for 4 of the evenings! So we really only get the signature menu for the first night at a given location, and then it's the same menu for all 3 for nights 4 - 7?

And if that's the case, we should definitely request that the Palo dinner be on one of nights 4 - 7 instead, right?

Honestly - I'd take a look at the menus you can find online with a Google search and decide which one is least appealing and book Palo that night.

 

[jimandshane]

Yes we've done a 3 night so we've tried all of the standard menus for each location -- I am wondering if anyone can confirm that the last 4 nights have a shared menu regardless of rotation.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Marc D]

For example, if our rotation is 1231231, is there a rotation that would be 2132131, where it would be fine if Palo was on night 2 because we'd get #1 twice. Does that make sense?

I also had no idea that it's the same menu for 4 of the evenings! So we really only get the signature menu for the first night at a given location, and then it's the same menu for all 3 for nights 4 - 7?

And if that's the case, we should definitely request that the Palo dinner be on one of nights 4 - 7 instead, right?

All the rotations follow the same pattern. If not, two groups would be assigned to the same dining room at some point. The difference between the three rotations is the dining room assigned to each number.

The signature menu is not necessarily offered on the first visit in a dining room, if Pirate Night is scheduled on that evening. But in general, Pirate Night is on the first repeat visit. If the pattern is 1231231, Pirate night is usually on the second visit to 1, but we’ve seen many permutations throughout the years.

 

[kathi]

4 nights will have a shared menu (Pirate, Prince/Princess, Captain's Gala and See You Real soon are the standard unless there is a holiday) and it's usually the last 4 nights with the first 3 being the rotational dining with a different menu in each restaurant.

 

[jimandshane]

All the rotations follow the same pattern. If not, two groups would be assigned to the same dining room at some point. The difference between the three rotations is the dining room assigned to each number.

The signature menu is not necessarily offered on the first visit in a dining, if Pirate Night is scheduled on that evening. But in general, Pirate Night is on the first repeat visit. If the pattern is 1231231, Pirate night is usually on the second visit to 1, but we’ve seen many permutations throughout the years.

Oh DUH thank you, been a long day. Ignore me! Oy.

 

[jimandshane]

4 nights will have a shared menu (Pirate, Prince/Princess, Captain's Gala and See You Real soon are the standard unless there is a holiday) and it's usually the last 4 nights with the first 3 being the rotational dining with a different menu in each restaurant.

Thank you so much!

 

[Marc D]

4 nights will have a shared menu (Pirate, Prince/Princess, Captain's Gala and See You Real soon are the standard unless there is a holiday) and it's usually the last 4 nights with the first 3 being the rotational dining with a different menu in each restaurant.

Another possibility is that the second visit, after Pirate night, is also a specialty menu. Captains’s Gala in the central dining room, Animation Magic in AP and Prince/Princess in the third dining room.

 

[cvjw]

We have sailed on 2 cruises so far with pirate night. You stay in the same restaurant on the following night for pirate night.

On our 4 night on the dream, it was RC, EG, AP, AP (pirate night)

On the 8 night on the fantasy, it was AP, EG, RC, AP, EG, EG (pirate night),RC, AP

 

[kathi]

We have sailed on 2 cruises so far with pirate night. You stay in the same restaurant on the following night for pirate night.

On our 4 night on the dream, it was RC, EG, AP, AP (pirate night)

On the 8 night on the fantasy, it was AP, EG, RC, AP, EG, EG (pirate night),RC, AP

The rotations can change based on the cruise. Sometimes they go all the way through twice and then on the last night you go to the first restaurant again (for a 7-night).

 

[Cheburashka]

Thank you! I know that the rotations are fixed but I was wondering if it would be easier to request a rotation change or to request a change to the Palo reservation.

Palo dinner is easy to change. In my experience it's available every night once you're onboard. You can change it once you're onboard and find out your rotation (or perhaps have concierge do that for you).

 

[cvjw]

The rotations can change based on the cruise. Sometimes they go all the way through twice and then on the last night you go to the first restaurant again (for a 7-night).

Just trying to tell the OP that pirate night on our cruises since sailing resumed has had us stay in the same MDR as the night before. Two nights in the same dining room. I am very aware that dining rotations can change.

 

[Kwami]

Another possibility is that the second visit, after Pirate night, is also a specialty menu. Captains’s Gala in the central dining room, Animation Magic in AP and Prince/Princess in the third dining room.

Yes. On my last 7-night cruise on the Fantasy (December 2019, before Covid), we did RAERRAE. Pirate night was on the third visit to Royal Court. We visited Royal Court twice in a row, too. And, each restaurant had a unique menu throughout, except for Pirate night. You could only get the Captain's Gala at Royal Court, you could only get the Prince and Princess menu at Enchanted Garden, etc.

So... you need to know which dining rotation you'll have before making the optimal Palo booking. You can't just assume that everyone eats Captain's Gala on night 4 or something like that. It doesn't work that way.

 

[Sherrilatte]

So, the last night on the 7 night Fantasy, the best night to have dinner in Palo or Remy?

 

[Kwami]

So, the last night on the 7 night Fantasy, the best night to have dinner in Palo or Remy?

Depends. Which restaurant is night 7? Do you like that menu better than the night 5 and 6 menus?

 

[Sherrilatte]

Hmmm, if the last night is not a specialty menu such as the Captain’s Gala or Star Wars which I don’t remembering it being any “farewell” menu.

 

[Kwami]

Hmmm, if the last night is not a specialty menu such as the Captain’s Gala or Star Wars which I don’t remembering it being any “farewell” menu.

On my last 7-night cruise, the final night was either Captain's Gala, Prince & Princess, or Animation Magic. It depended on which restaurant you were in that night.

 

[Sherrilatte]

Thanks Kwami!