On at least most of the Optional Dinners I've taken, the wine seemed to be limited unless our tables just didn't know enough to ask for more. I drink very little but will have a glass of wine with dinner.

However, I am extremely fond of ice. American, you know. Especially if I am ordering a soft drink, I have no hesitation to ask for ice. I'm not a coffee drinker and often feel the need of some caffeine, so I order a diet coke or Pepsi always asking for ice whether it labels me "*#%#* American Tourist" or not. Often I end up with a glass of ice and a can of diet coke. There was one time in Italy, I forget where, where I had such a craving for coke that I ended up paying more for the coke than I did for my lunch.

Thanks Purvis for the advice about asking for a glass of ice at the bar. I've always just suffered with naked water in my hotel room. Again in Italy in Rome at the Sheraton Golf, I walked past an ice machine and excitedly rushed to my room to find an ice bucket. I was in heaven. Back to ice machine with bucket only to find out that it wasn't working and hadn't been for some time.

Don't misunderstand me. I love my ice and my tea in my room in the morning (another thread) but if the choice is to travel and do without these things or stay home with them, I'll gladly "suffer" without.

LTT: Like you I will do without ice if need be but will not do without travel. I really never thought about subsidising wine and beer drinkers on optional dinners . It's my choice to not drink that which is included in the dinners and if need be I'll pay for a coke although I've never been asked to on the approx. 20-25 dinners I have gone on. If I have to start nickel and diming myself on the tours then I can't aford to go on them. Purvis

Since I take meds, normally I drink water with my meals, (I have never been charged for it) not too fan of sodas, but during the last dinner on the Britannia I asked for a soda, the waitress told me it was not included, as was the wine, but when I asked for my bill, she told me it was OK, no charge, maybe they are starting to get some sense...this was at a Marriott.

I find that if you talk to your TD before heading out for a dinner you can usually avoid any problems. I have more than once asked what the meal optional or included would be and if it
turned out to be fish or beef have asked that chicken be substituted and it always has. On the occasions were I forgot to ask I accepted what was served not that I ate it. I'm sure the same goes for soft drinks. Purvis

My husband and I enjoy dinner for two. We look around for interesting restaurants or go to ones suggested by the hotel staff. We seldom eat dinner with the group.

Dinners: Since I often travel solo on Trafalgar Tours it becomes difficult to go out to dinner by myself so I go along with the group (included or optional dinners). I think your idea of checking with the hotel staff for suggestions is a good one. I enjoy just meeting the rest of the group at dinner at which time you can learn more about them. It's a good idea not to eat with the same group too often. Purvis

I am with you Purvis, I always find the optional dinners to be well worth the price, of course it would be cheaper to eat on your own or even to buy a sandwich at Tesco, but the dinners are always more than just the food, even if there are just a couple of musicians singing, most of the time with our participation, I think these outings do a lot for the mood, normally coming back, the whole group keeps singing the songs or making jokes, I would not miss these dinners for anything.

In reading these boards I get the impression you are given a list of optionals on the first day of your tour (???) I know also they are listed on the Trafalgar web site but assume this far out they could certainly change.

I'm guessing we really won't know until that day exactly what we want to do for dinner. The European Whirl has 8 countries in 15 days. There may be a day we are just too tired to go out for an optional dinner.....my point is I'm not sure we will know which ones we want to go on until we are well underway with the tour.

How much time do you normally have to let the TD know which optionals you want? I understand I can't tell him on Wednesday morning..oh by the way count us in on the optional dinner tonight.......but really wondered how much time you have to pick these optionals.

Jim

Jim, I think, the only time the TD would press to sign up for dinners is when the number is low, they always need a minimum, other than that you can always decide the same day, but give the TD time, they needs to make reservations. Not always, but opting out later is not really a good choice, unless there is a good reason. The payments for the optionals taken is most of the time two or three days before the end of the tour.

quote:

Originally posted by Californian:
Jim, I think, the only time the TD would press to sign up for dinners is when the number is low, they always need a minimum, other than that you can always decide the same day, but give the TD time, they needs to make reservations. Not always, but opting out later is not really a good choice, unless there is a good reason. The payments for the optionals taken is most of the time two or three days before the end of the tour.

Thanks, that's good to know. I agree we would not opt out later or on the day of the optional dinner.......but it sounds like if they have a sufficient number they can always add a couple of more on the day of the dinner....

Thanks for the info.

quote:

Originally posted by isujim:
[QUOTE]

Thanks, that's good to know. I agree we would not opt out later or on the day of the optional dinner.......but it sounds like if they have a sufficient number they can always add a couple of more on the day of the dinner....

.

I actually think that he would welcome a "last minute" add on. Always remember: It's more money in his pocket. That may sound cynical, but, that's the name of the game. It's no big deal for the TD - he just calls the restaurant and changes the number. Again remember, when it comes to options, the TD is a salesman, selling a product. Keep that in mind when he is describing the option. Separate the wheat from the chaff

It's been my experience that most tour directors try to recruit participants for the optional dinner on a daily basis until the the day of a given dinner. I cannot tell you how many days we heard, I need a final count today.

Both our recent TT TD's asked for numbers when they did the initial optionals offerrings. As the day approached some venues requested firmer numbers and in some cases menu selection. At all times our TD's said they would be happy for us to join him or if circumstances changed, you could back out (feeling too tired, unwell etc). While the TD's had a good sell we never felt coerced to join up (unlike an oposition TD we had in Egypt who after taking our money threatened to cancel one optional because only 3 out of 10 had signed up for it and it was on at the same time as another optional - we stuck to our guns and they had to run both)

For the most part a majority of the group did the optionals although many chosed to pick and chose as interest prevailed. Whenever we didn't do the evening optional with a meal, we always found somewhere to eat locally or at the hotel itself. Sometimes we ate alone while other times there would be a group of us from the tour. On one evening when the other half was too sick we even had room service (as long as you settle any bills well in advance to the designated departure time the next morning.)

I think we have decided to skip most of the dinner optionals and try our luck with local restaurants. I'm hoping this will give us more insight into how someone in that particualr city "does dinner".
However, when we travel we usually meet one or two couples that we really gel with and will start making plans together. So if that happens we likely will go with the flow and if all want to take an optional dinner, we'll go too.

quote:

Originally posted by rmonturi:


I actually think that he would welcome a "last minute" add on. Always remember: It's more money in his pocket. That may sound cynical, but, that's the name of the game. It's no big deal for the TD - he just calls the restaurant and changes the number. Again remember, when it comes to options, the TD is a salesman, selling a product. Keep that in mind when he is describing the option. Separate the wheat from the chaff

Having been in marketing sales my whole life, I will appreciate his "sales approach"....probably isn't a marketing trick in the book I haven't heard or even possibly used.