Traveling Solo - Best Time for Dinner -

[Sparkles94]

I am signed up to go on the 8/29/10, 7-day sailing on the Summit to Canada/New England. I have traveled solo 3 times on other cruises and have always had the second seating but these cruises have been longer than 7 days. This time I have signed up for anytime dining or free style dining. I feel a little uncomfortable about this since I won't get to establish any connection with my table mates. I have sailed many time in the past but it has either been with my ex-husband or a friend. Should I change to second seating? Any advise you can give me would be appreciated.

[scf1270]

The nice thing about Anytime Dining is that you can go pretty much when you want and share a table of 4,6, 8 or 10. The hostess may know of other solo travelers if you are looking for that. A nice thing abt Anytime is that you can either have different tablemate each night, or as you get to know other onboard, plan to dine with them.

 

Hope this helps,

Sara

[KruzPrincess]

If you haven't already done so, you may want to check out the Solo Cruise board. It's listed under Special Interest Cruises on the main menu. There is a lot of discussion about this topic there. I think most solo cruisers will say they prefer traditional dining for the reason you mentioned. You meet people and get to know them. I've been on a couple solo cruises and, personally, I don't go to the MDR a lot anyway. Even when I sail with friends, we tend to eat in the casual dining options. If you want to get to know people, I think traditional dining is the way to go.

[BonnieVA]

I'm hoping to go on my 3rd solo this fall. For the 1st 2, anytime dining wasn't available so I chose 2nd seating. It worked out great on my 1st cruise ... wound up at a table w/ some great people. For my 2nd I never went to dinner because I was never hungry at that time. I've done Freestyle on NCL & LOVED it so I'm going to try it for my 3rd solo.

 

The good thing is that, if you wind up w/ bad tablemates, you're not stuck w/ them for the entire cruise! I figure I can make small talk w/ anyone & it doesn't matter to me if I sit w/ the same people the whole time or not. I found on my other solos that I'd sometimes have to sit w/ others at the buffet for lunch &, even though I was always w/ someone different, there was no lack for interesting topics to talk about.

[bedazzling]

I have always cruised solo and the one opportunity I had for anytime dining was great. I mentioned to the maitre de that I was by myself and so I never had to wait and people just always offered to have me join them and I met lovely people with great conversation. I am traveling this fall and am planning on anytime dining. I like the option to eat when I want and like eating with different people every night.

 

Hope this helps.

[Lois R]

Hi:) there are alot of threads over on the solo forum as KruzPrincess

mentioned. You will read ALOT of replies to this question. Everyone

has their own opinion (just like everything else;))

 

I prefer traditional dining, late seating unless circumstances are different

than the "norm".....I sailed in May but had a good friend working on

board the ship. We ate in Normandie every night together:D first time

I had ever done something like that before....never entered the main

dining room!

 

I am sailing Solstice in September and will be doing the late dining

time and requested an 8 top. I enjoy having the same waitstaff and

table each night. Hoping for some fun tablemates:)

[cruiseacecat]

I am signed up to go on the 8/29/10, 7-day sailing on the Summit to Canada/New England. I have traveled solo 3 times on other cruises and have always had the second seating but these cruises have been longer than 7 days. This time I have signed up for anytime dining or free style dining. I feel a little uncomfortable about this since I won't get to establish any connection with my table mates. I have sailed many time in the past but it has either been with my ex-husband or a friend. Should I change to second seating? Any advise you can give me would be appreciated.

Welcome to cruise critic. :)

 

Most of my cruising is solo and I usually request a large table at late seating. I do not find it especially easy to meet people so assigned seating works best for me.

 

I also suggest that you join your roll call and meet some of your fellow cruisers ahead of time. That can be a huge help.

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy your cruise. :)

[BonnieVA]

I do not find it especially easy to meet people so assigned seating works best for me.

 

That's probably the most important sentance in this thread. If you are reserved or somewhat shy traditional seating would definitely work better for you. On the other hand, if you can make conversation easily with just about anyone then anytime dining would probably work (I'm hoping anyway ;)).

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I have cruised solo many times and prefer traditional dining (second seating). My most recent cruise was on the Solstice in late May and this worked fine. I like the security of having the same tablemates each evening.

 

Chuck

[A1A]

Welcome to cruise critic. :)

 

Most of my cruising is solo and I usually request a large table at late seating. I do not find it especially easy to meet people so assigned seating works best for me.

 

I also suggest that you join your roll call and meet some of your fellow cruisers ahead of time. That can be a huge help.

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy your cruise. :)

 

Anne hit it right on the head, thie best line in her post was to join your roll call group and meet some of your fellow cruisers ahead of time. A few years back prior to our sailing on the Solstice, we got to know several people very well on our roll call, a few of us even exchanged emails outside the board. We received an email about a month prior to the trip from one of the regualr posters who invited us to dine with he and his family. Not knowing the poster personally we wern't sure about what to do, but long story short, we acceped his invitation had a wonderful time and we will be sailing with he and his wife and others we met from the same board for our third cruise together next year on the Eclipse! (Thus the logo under my signature Trifecta Crusiers Charter Member) Last year we shared a mini reunion cruise on the Ruby with 16 we had met on the Solstice! Get in there and make some friends, before you know it you'll even have people to share excursion with as well!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Ken

[Lois R]

Hi,:) if we ever cruise together maybe we could sit together and talk

football together;)

 

I agree with the roll call suggestion but of course you have to receive

some positive replies to the "would you like to share a table?"

THAT just depends on how friendly the roll call is....

[A1A]

Lois is Correct, a good roll call is important, however stay involved as much as you can, a positive attitude and willingness to be involved go a long way!

Lois, if we ever sail together I would love to talk football, from my days at FSU, the Bobby Bowden Era and now the Jimbo Era! I am also a native Floridian!

Ken

[zub3qin]

The nice thing about Anytime Dining is that you can go pretty much when you want and share a table of 4,6, 8 or 10. The hostess may know of other solo travelers if you are looking for that. A nice thing abt Anytime is that you can either have different tablemate each night, or as you get to know other onboard, plan to dine with them.

 

Hope this helps,

Sara

 

With Anytime dining, can you not request just a table for 2?

What is the best way to make sure on Celebrity Summit that you are just at a table for 2? I also hear there is no dinner casual dining anymore, so you have to eat in the main dining room. Is this true?

[cruiseacecat]

With Anytime dining, can you not request just a table for 2?

What is the best way to make sure on Celebrity Summit that you are just at a table for 2? I also hear there is no dinner casual dining anymore, so you have to eat in the main dining room. Is this true?

If you want a table for 2 with select dining and you do not want to eat at either 6pm or 8:30pm, I suggest you book your table reservation before you leave home. Yes, you lose your flexibility, but it is very difficult to get a table for 2 between those times.

 

As for the sit down casual dining, for now it is gone. I was on Summit on the 18 July cruise and it was not available then. There are food stations for pizza, pasta, sushi, and oriental food in the buffet area if you do not want to go to the dining room.

 

Anne :)

[zub3qin]

If you want a table for 2 with select dining and you do not want to eat at either 6pm or 8:30pm, I suggest you book your table reservation before you leave home. Yes, you lose your flexibility, but it is very difficult to get a table for 2 between those times.

 

As for the sit down casual dining, for now it is gone. I was on Summit on the 18 July cruise and it was not available then. There are food stations for pizza, pasta, sushi, and oriental food in the buffet area if you do not want to go to the dining room.

 

Anne :)

 

Thanks for the advice. How does one book tables ahead and is it just time or also number of people at the table? How "flexible" would they be? If I reserved a table for 2at 7pm and came qt 630pm or 730 pm would they care?

 

Also I have hard a lot of complaints about food quality on summit which is surprising. How did you find the food on your cruise and do you have any other tips? Thanks !!

[cruiseacecat]

zub3qin,

 

Once you have selected select dining, go to your reservation on Celebrity's site. There will be a "reservations" button next to the dining info. This will let you choose a time for each day of the cruise. I am afraid I do not remember how far in advance this can be done. Hopefully, someone else will know. Also, because tables for 2 are so hard to come by, I would try to be on time. ;) I don't know how long they will hold a table, but I probably would not want to risk losing it.

If you are willing to share a table, the wait may not be long at all.

Regarding the food, the quality has varied so much on my last 3 cruises that I just go knowing that there will be something good on the menu. Not like in the past when I often had trouble deciding.

 

Anne :)