Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia — October 2017

58 OCTOBER 2017 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

38 Embrace Tuesday as the New Saturday

“When you dine midweek, there’s

more availability, and the restaurant

will appreciate your business. I have

a restaurant-owner friend who

always says, ‘If you want to show me

how much you love my restaurant,

show up on a Tuesday, not a

Saturday when we’re slammed.’ ”

—CAROLINE POTTER, OPENTABLE

33 Go Early

for Dinner

Walk-ins are often

accommodated

late in the

afternoon, and

reservations at

buzzy restaurants

are more plentiful

then, too. “Plus

you’ll experience

a more leisurely

meal,” says

Caroline Potter,

chief dining officer

at OpenTable, “and

the restaurant is

less likely to have

run out of any

specials.”

34 Ask Your

Concierge

Hotel concierges

have the

connections to

help you score a

table at the most

sought-after

restaurants. Even

if they can’t fulfill

your wildest

dreams, they will

have suggestions

for little known or

up-and-coming hot

spots.

35 Sign Up for

Discounts

Whether or not you

receive Groupon’s

subscription-

based offers in

your home city,

taking advantage

of its dining deals

in your destination

is an easy way to

help with the cost

of your vacation.

Southeast Asia’s

Fave offers deals

throughout

Malaysia,

CRUISING

The cruise lines’ websites and social media are a

timely place to look for deals, as they will slash

prices to fill the boat. Also check CheapCaribbean,

and follow Last Minute Cruises on Twitter for fare

sales. You can also track fare fluctuations on

Cruise Critic’s Price Drop feature, and sign up for

notifications.

B

e

A

le

rt^ t

o Price

(^) Dr
op
s
#44
very least, they
may give you a
shipboard credit.
41 Call a Travel
Agent
As cruising has
grown in
popularity, many
ships now sell out
months in advance.
But an industry
specialist will have
close ties with
reservation
managers. Ruth
Turpin, owner of
Cruises Etc., says,
“We know whom
to c all if we need
something last-
minute, because
sometimes the
cruise lines hold
back cabins for
last-minute
issues.”
42 Confirm Your
Cabin Choice
When booking at
the last minute,
you may have to
take whatever
accommodation is
available. But if
you want a specific
cabin, “make sure
your confirmation
shows the room
number.
Sometimes it will
say ‘GTY,’ which
means ‘guarantee’
for a specific
category, such as
ocean-view or
interior room or
balcony,” says Liz
Sadie Sutton,
president of
Alabama World
Tr a v e l.
39 Be Aware of
What You’re Getting
Not all cruise fares
are all-inclusive,
so double-check
to see what’s
excluded. Alcoholic
beverages, Wi-Fi,
and shore
excursions may be
extra. A very cheap
cruise might seem
attractive— until
you add it all up.
In the end, a pricier
cruise might be
a better option.
40 Keep Checking
Prices
If you find your
cabin offered for
a lower rate after
you’ve paid for it,
call the cruise
company to see if it
will refund you the
difference. At the
be unable to get
reservations at the
city’s hottest
restaurants.
Openrice is the
go-to booking app
for reservations in
dozens of places
around Asia,
including Hong
Kong, Thailand,
Malaysia, Macau,
China, Singapore,
Japan, Indonesia,
Taiwan and the
Philippines.
Indonesia and
Singapore.
36 Consider
Breakfast or Brunch
Instead of dinner, a
meal earlier in the
day could be the
next-best thing.
Michelin-starred
Singapore
restaurant Forest,
helmed by
celebrity chef Sam
Leong, is also open
for breakfast, with
walk-ins welcome.
31 Follow the Crowd
When in doubt of
where to eat, the
best indication of
a local hotspot
is a crowded
restaurant or
queue outside the
door. Join the line
and ask the people
in front for their
menu must-eats.
32 Use Dining Apps
A spontaneous trip
means you’ll likely
43 Download the
Cruise Finder App
Though it’s best to
book cruises well
in advance, this
app from iCruise
has a deals feature
for last-minute
sailings. A recent
search shows us a
five-night cruise in
Vietnam with
Royal Caribbean in
an ocean-view
room for US$507
per person, just a
week ahead of
travel.
37 Sit at the Bar
If you can’t nab a
table at your
desired restaurant,
consider seats at
the bar or the
chef’s counter.
Sometimes bar
seats even have
privileges like
special menus with
better pricing. Also
make friends with
the bartender, who
might be able to
tell you about off-
menu dishes.
/ upgrade /
DINING