Royal Caribbean’s dining upsell pitches are getting harder to avoid
If you've cruised on Royal Caribbean recently and felt like you couldn't finish a meal without a crew member asking if you'd like to book an added-fee specialty restaurant, you're not alone.
A recent Reddit thread started by user royert73 picked up more than 130 comments after the poster described their experience on Wonder of the Seas. The cruiser said they were approached about specialty dining reservations five times within 20 minutes during a single lunch in the Windjammer buffet. Things got more uncomfortable at the pool, where they said a crew member from The Mason Jar followed them and pitched reservations again.
"I know on other cruises I've been asked if I need reservations, but not by five employees within 20 minutes," the passenger said, adding that this was their eighth Royal Caribbean sailing. "And I have never been solicited for reservations while at the pool!"
Many Royal Caribbean cruisers say the reservation pitches have gotten out of hand
The original poster wasn't alone in describing the experience. One commenter said the same thing happened on a family sailing on Oasis of the Seas.
"We were being hit up for extra stuff the whole trip. It got annoying real quick," HereWeGo5566 said.
Another vacationer, who recently took their first-ever cruise on Utopia of the Seas, said they were approached five times on day one alone.
"I don't mind being approached because I understand it's part of their job but woof. We were annoyed before we even got to our room. One of the other evenings we walked past the Royal Railway on the way to the casino and it took three polite 'no thanks' before I finally just walked away. It was the one negative part of our trip," sassi411 said.
Not everyone reported the same experience though. Some commenters said they rarely or never get approached. Ships mentioned in the thread suggest the upsells are more common on Oasis- and Icon-class ships , which feature more specialty dining restaurants.
Chicken and waffles is a popular specialty brunch dish available at The Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, and Allure of the Seas.Daniel Kline / TravelHost
How frequent cruisers handle specialty dining upselling
Several commenters shared tactics for shutting down the pitches quickly — and even turning them into savings:
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Tell the crew members you already have a reservation booked for a later day, which can sometimes end a conversation
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Simply say, "no thanks"
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Use the pitch as a negotiating opportunity — several passengers reported receiving discounts as steep as 40-50% off specialty meals, and even free dining for their kids, when they engaged rather than declined outright.
One guest who likes to dine at specialty restaurants said they no longer bother buying a specialty dining package ahead of their cruise because on-the-spot offers from crew members pushing reservations tend to beat the pre-cruise pricing.
You can get dining discounts on board, but not across the board
Dennis Post, co-owner of Postcard Travel Planning , cruises on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships often and has experienced the dining upsells himself, especially at breakfast when crew members are trying to fill reservations for lunch and dinner.
"If you don't purchase a dining package ahead of time, you can get a good deal at some restaurants on the ship when the restaurants are not sold out," he said. "The three-day dining or unlimited dining package is a good deal, but if you just want a sporadic chance at a restaurant, you can sometimes negotiate a discount, especially on the first day of a cruise and for early dinner times on days when the ship is at the private island."
Related: Royal Caribbean adds new cruise brunch option
You probably won't be able to get a discount for the most popular restaurants or prime dinner times though.
"If you really want specialty dining, get the package ahead; that way you can reserve better dining times, otherwise you'll be eating after eight or around five," Post explained.
Post also noted that some in-demand dining experiences like hibachi at Izumi Teppanyaki often sell out. To get in, you may need to reserve it ahead of your cruise.
Why Royal Caribbean's reservation push might be getting stronger
The timing of this Reddit thread lines up with comments Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty made during the company's second-quarter 2026 earnings call on July 28. Liberty told analysts that onboard and pre-cruise spending continues to exceed prior years, crediting digital tools and the company's "growing ability to connect guests with the experiences most relevant to them at the right point in their vacation journey."
Liberty also pointed to a generational shift in who's booking. Half of Royal Caribbean's guests are now millennials or younger — travelers who prefer shorter, more frequent vacations, but tend to spend at the same level they would on a longer trip.
That combination — more frequent short sailings, travelers conditioned to spend on premium experiences, and ships built around a growing number of specialty dining venues — may help explain why the sales push has started to feel more aggressive to longtime cruisers.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel , or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
This story was originally published by TravelHost on Jul 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Come Cruise With Me section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
