Cynicor

Do you eat breakfast early or late? Same with dinner.
I eat breakfast late and dinner around 7-8ish, and find I don’t have appetite or time for lunch! (When at Rangali, that is. I actually have to work when I’m home...)

You could probably squeeze in lunch if you eat early brekky and later dinner, but I’d only bother if you are really keen to experience more restaurants or that’s your normal eating habit.

My picks for dinner would be Ithaa as I love the experience and it’s just so different (cost is very high though) and Sunset grill, as eating over the water is also different for most people

bbaum1

Could probably do with out lunch, should be out diving.

Noticed that not all restaurants may be open per this period, or on staggered days.

Bbaum1

SparkyX

We have a multi-part rewards reservation at the end of July 2021 and about a week ago flipped the BV portion to a WV*. Now the WV and SWV seems to be unavailable for both points and cash from April 11 through October 31 (dates discovered by trying a bunch of one-night reservations).

*Since our ultimate goal is to spend some time in some sort of OWV and some time in a DBV, and the cash upgrade rates from WV -> DBV are better than BV -> DBV.

MaldivesFreak

Then I presume you'll have already been upgraded to a GWV. Best to check with the reservations department if you want to be sure of which category of OWV you'll be staying in.

Wozza2404

You are, though. Seeing as you can go down for cocktail hour for $75++ the additional cost for lunch and dinner can only be seen as being for the food?

When we were there we didn't hear from anyone who had eaten there who said they'd recommend it to others. Whereas I'd 100% recommend the cocktail hour.

For me, if I'm spending that money I'd rather do the wine cellar dinner - incredible food and wine and I didn't hear anyone say anything other than amazing things about it.

Cynicor

Again, disagree. You get longer during a meal, different fish at different times.
i’ve eaten there 3 times and loved it and will be back.

SparkyX

Will do--probably will wait until closer to the actual dates though.

MaldivesFreak

I'll pitch in and say a couple things. You're paying for sunset crimsons and other colour combinations as the sun sets during dinner. That's nice too.
You do stay there longer but the novelty kinda wears off after the first hour or 90 minutes of both lunch and dinner. We can't scuba so it was great for us. YMMV though.
The view at night, while not being able to see as far as lunch and cocktails, is, again, different. As an example I'd rather be in Ithaa and watch the marine life swim about and have a view from the side, bottom and semi-birds eye view rather than just a mostly top-down view that you get say walking the bridge at night (and trying to spot mantas).
Expense-wise, IMHO I think cocktails is a ripoff. That's why we've done both lunch and dinner there. I'd only do cocktails if we had to accompany friends or family who didn't want to do either lunch or dinner.

BTW, how many of you have seen a manta at Ithaa at night?

texmanufan

No mantas but used to see stingrays and once a large eel made an appearance but nothing exciting my last two visits. I guess the sea life food offerings have declined as well recently.

PowerMan572

SO and I are here with my parents. We arrived yesterday. We requested specific water villa rooms on the smaller island, but they are not populating that island right now. Spoke with the general manager, and she thinks they will start sometime in October, 2021 So if you book a water villa, they automatically upgrade you to the bigger villas on the main island. I didn’t realize the rooms were remodeled and they converted the spa room into a second bedroom (maybe it’s in the wiki, but I don’t read that and I’m not on FlyerTalk much.)

The wine cellar dinner is only on Thursday’s! We leave on Wednesday, so they are going to try and see if they can put one together before then.

As for Ithaa, we are doing cocktail hour on Tuesday. No way are we paying those outrageous prices for food.

j4maldives

Enjoy your stay !

That is useful to know, i have Water Villa booked in couple of weeks and they offered me to upgrade to 2 Bedroom Grand Water Villa @$700++ but i am going to just wait to see what happens as i can see they are looking to get the upgrade money ! When i can see they will end up upgrading anyway !

Is your upgraded villa with 2 bedroom and pool ?

ahcjar103

I don’t believe this is 100% correct. They are using rooms on Rangali.

enox5

In my view, the Maldives are all about early stars. If you way up early, you can enjoy the day like a king, and you're tired at 4pm

When you lie in, the day runs away from you, and it's dark before you know it

Abidjan

Hopeful, especially with positive vaccine news and the pent-up demand that’s about to be unleashed next year.

PowerMan572

That is correct. 2 bedroom and a pool.