Select Dining feedback wanted.

[terrierjohn]

How is the new dining system working?

 

We have a September cruise due on Eclipse and are considering anytime dining.

We do not want to book specific times for any days, although we may decide to fix the odd day during the cruise, if this is available.

There are only 2 of us to consider, but we would be happy to join a bigger table if necessary.

 

Now with those criteria in mind can we have some feedback as to how things might be for us.

[cruise61]

Just returned from the Solstice. They are still working through some pretty major growing pains with the select dining---very chaotic--but by September they should have the kinks worked out fleet wide.

 

It's a nice option especially with the varied departure times from each port. We ate as early as 7:30 and as late as 9:00 depending on the events of the day.

[Lsimon]

Select dining was a pain for our large group, but those I talked to that were in a small group were very happy and thought it was great. With 2 you should be very happy, especially if you don't mind being seated with others sometimes. Of course you'll still miss the level of service that can only come from the waiters getting to know you after a couple days and then setting things up for later nights.

[hollyinmd]

We have been wondering the same thing. we had good experiences with it on Princess. On our last cruise on HAL they didn't have it, and the 2 of us were seated at a table with a large group. It was a little awkward the first night, then the following 6 nights no one came at all, so DH and i were at a table for 8 every night.

We decided to try the flexible dining this time to avoid any of the awkwardness, but are also looking for input on this.

[TMLAalum]

Select dining was a pain for our large group, but those I talked to that were in a small group were very happy and thought it was great.

 

We had dinner last night with 2 of our 6 cruise companions and their friends from Stockholm, who told us to be sure to be on deck as we sail from there through the archipelago.

 

Well, unless we get lucky and have a window table for the 8 of us at our early seating, or eat elsewhere that nite, it won't happen. So then I started thinking that maybe we'd be better off switching to select dining since so many of our port days go until 5 or 5:30.

 

Can you explain why it was a pain? Any other advice? We would probably eat around 7 pm if we do select dining.

[Lsimon]

We had dinner last night with 2 of our 6 cruise companions and their friends from Stockholm, who told us to be sure to be on deck as we sail from there through the archipelago.

 

Well, unless we get lucky and have a window table for the 8 of us at our early seating, or eat elsewhere that night, it won't happen. So then I started thinking that maybe we'd be better off switching to select dining since so many of our port days go until 5 or 5:30.

 

Can you explain why it was a pain? Any other advice? We would probably eat around 7 pm if we do select dining.

 

With our large group there were sometimes long waits for a table, we're talking 30 to 60 minutes. We usually asked for a dining time a day in advance or sometimes early in the evening. How far in advance we requested this didn't make a difference in the chances of us having to wait. Even when we said we'd eat late, like after 8, we often were not seated until around 8:45 or so - that was later than the normal late seating time. Sometimes when we waited to eat at 7:30 we still were not seated until 8:45. Only about 1/3 of the time was the group seated quickly. I think it had to do with fewer tables that would seat groups of 8 or more, most tables were for 4 or 6. A couple times they said our table should be ready around a certain time, 7:30PM for example, and that they'd come get us from a certain lounge. We went and had our drinks and waited and no one came, so we'd go to the desk 1/2 hour later and still waited another 20 or 30 minutes.

 

I think that one of the big problems with Select dining is that Celebrity allows space in the dining room for approx. 1/2 of the number of guests which presumes they'll be able to do 2 seatings (use each table twice in the evning). But with Select a large percentage of the guests want to eat 1/2 way through the dinner period (around 7:30 more or less) so 2 seatings doesn't work for a lot of the tables and as a result not everyone can be accommodated at the times they want. Of course this is just an observation and guess on my part and I'm not sure this is how it works.

 

With all this said, Select is relatively new for Celebrity and they might be working to make it better as time goes on. But personally in your position I think I'd either take late seating or take early and make alternate plans on the nights you want to be out on deck - can dine at alternate dining or specialty resturants those nights.

[TMLAalum]

But personally in your position I think I'd either take late seating or take early and make alternate plans on the nights you want to be out on deck - can dine at alternate dining or specialty resturants those nights.

 

Thanks for your detailed description of what your group of 8 experienced. And we will take your advice and keep our early seating time. With our cruise being so port-intensive, I think the early dinner will help us keep with the motto, "Early to bed, early to rise" so that we aren't dragging while we are ashore.