How does select dining work?

[johnfromjax]

HI

 

Our last Celebrity trip did not offer select dining but we have become accustomed to Anytime dining on Princess and liked the flexibility.

 

On Princess there are separate dining rooms for Anytime dining, is that the way it works on Celeberity?

 

I spoke to the Clebrity person today, he said just show up at the dining room???

 

thnx

[travellover39]

HI

 

Our last Celebrity trip did not offer select dining but we have become accustomed to Anytime dining on Princess and liked the flexibility.

 

On Princess there are separate dining rooms for Anytime dining, is that the way it works on Celeberity?

 

I spoke to the Clebrity person today, he said just show up at the dining room???

 

thnx

 

We were told you can just show up, make reservations day of. I would think if you are a big party (6 or more) you would be wise to reserve. I believe you can dine anytime between 6PM and 10PM. Not sure about the different dining rooms, maybe someone else can answer that question. I would also like to know.

 

Enjoy your cruise:D

[Lois R]

We were told you can just show up, make reservations day of. I would think if you are a big party (6 or more) you would be wise to reserve. I believe you can dine anytime between 6PM and 10PM. Not sure about the different dining rooms, maybe someone else can answer that question. I would also like to know.

 

Enjoy your cruise:D

 

Hi,:) I have not done "select dining" but reading from the X website,

it shows the hours are between 6:00 and 9:30 if you don't make

a reservation. Here is a paragraph from the FAQ section:

 

"Celebrity Select Dining is Celebrity Cruises' flexible dining option which offers an industry first "in advance" day by day reservation option that will allow you the opportunity to make dinner reservations for your desired dining time up to 4 days prior to boarding for each day of your cruise vacation. If you choose not to make reservations, you'll be able to come to dinner at any point between 6:00 and 9:30pm. We strongly encourage reservations, however, to ensure the best service and to avoid any potential wait times".

 

 

I do know it is only a portion of the dining room that is strictly

"Select"....there are not multiple dining rooms.

[Ronniethed]

We have been given late dining at 8.45 but our agent said if we wanted to choose Select Dining we have to pay our gratuities in advance as we would not have the same waiting staff each night. We were also told we would need to go on a wait list for this but have not elected to do this and celbrity's site does not show this for Equinox.. Does anyone know if you can just turn up at any time if you have not booked Select Dining? Also how would this work on formal nights?

[fleckle]

It works just like most land restaurants. You may either make a reservation or just show up. You may be seated immediately or you may have to wait for a table to be ready, depending on how busy they are at the time you arrive.

 

The major difference is that at most regular restaurants (with a few exceptions) each party is typically seated at its own table.

With select dining, you have the choice each night of getting a table just for your own party or being seated at a table with other passengers.

[kclvt]

So from what I am reading it is just like having breakfast or lunch in the dining room? Sit where ever and with whom ever you get seated with but at your own time.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

So from what I am reading it is just like having breakfast or lunch in the dining room? Sit where ever and with whom ever you get seated with but at your own time.

 

Kind of....but different! In our experience, anyhow. We actually requested a reservation for the same time each night...we showed up at that time and never waited more than about 30 seconds. We also loved our waiter and asked to be seated in his area each time. That was done, and though we were not at the same table each night, we enjoyed it a lot. 8:45 is too late for us, and the early time is too early....so Select was good for us.

 

Didn't mind at all pre-tipping. Makes sense to me. Less money to have to bring on board and mess with, though we gave extra because the service was so great.

 

To the poster who asked about showing up at any time, if you have a set reservation, you're supposed to show up at your correct time, at the correct table...you can't go and come. You have to be signed up for Select to do that! Is that clear or clear as mud?

[KT4209]

Kind of....but different! In our experience, anyhow. We actually requested a reservation for the same time each night...we showed up at that time and never waited more than about 30 seconds. We also loved our waiter and asked to be seated in his area each time. That was done, and though we were not at the same table each night, we enjoyed it a lot. 8:45 is too late for us, and the early time is too early....so Select was good for us.

 

Didn't mind at all pre-tipping. Makes sense to me. Less money to have to bring on board and mess with, though we gave extra because the service was so great.

 

To the poster who asked about showing up at any time, if you have a set reservation, you're supposed to show up at your correct time, at the correct table...you can't go and come. You have to be signed up for Select to do that! Is that clear or clear as mud?

 

We agree wholeheartedly... early dining is too early and late dining far too late, so Select was perfect. Our party of four had reservations most nights and was seated promptly. We waited less than 15 minutes the night we just "showed up" without a reservation. We also didn't mind paying our gratuities ahead of time as we pay them anyway... now or later doesn't really make a difference.

 

I would reiterate another poster's advice to make a reservation for parties larger than four, as you might have to wait for a larger table to clear out if you don't have a reservation. Reservations can be made online before the cruise or each day once you board the ship.

 

All in all, we feel that Select Dining is a fabulous addition to the dining options on Celebrity.

[sunandfun4me]

Hi, there! We were a big group of 27 friends/family who just got home today from the 6/27 Solstice E. Caribbean sailing. We had select dining and I am still so impressed how they managed to seat 16 - 20 of us on any given night! Yes, make reservations...just like you would for a restaurant at home... in our case, being such a big group, it was only fair to give the MDR a heads up! So, we'd make reservations earlier in the day and made sure that the troops all showed up on time. Result was that we never waited, had the same table most every night and did wind up getting our same wait staff for the majority of the trip.

 

And the small group of us who chose to eat earlier/later than the bulk of the group really appreciated the select dining, too. Especially on port days when you want a little time to shower and unwind.

[srpilo]

Does anybody know if with the new Select Dinning if Celebrity has improved the alternate dinning by adding a full buffet at night or is the only casual option still the menu oriented bistro set up in the Lido .

 

The last few years we've become spoiled on Princess where the buffet is open all evening and with it, it truely does give you the most options (Dinning room, Addition charge Dinning, or a complete Buffet).. A buffet is specially helpful on formal nights when you don't want/feel like dressing or any night you don't feel like eating with other passengers.

 

Now that we've heard about Select Dinning, we're considering returning to Celebrity (we're already Elite) but we still need more info about it.

 

Anybody?

 

Srpilo

[mathgeek1978]

Our recent experience on the Solstice: For small parties (2 - 4 people), if you were willing to share a large table, you were very likely to be seated right away. If you wanted to have your own table, there was usually a short wait, say 5 - 10 minutes, even though you had a reservation.

[kitty9]

We have been given late dining at 8.45 but our agent said if we wanted to choose Select Dining we have to pay our gratuities in advance as we would not have the same waiting staff each night. We were also told we would need to go on a wait list for this but have not elected to do this and celbrity's site does not show this for Equinox.. Does anyone know if you can just turn up at any time if you have not booked Select Dining? Also how would this work on formal nights?

 

If you're not in the Select Dining choice, you cannot just show up to the restaurant and get seated. You must be in Select to use Select. Since you've been given late dining, that's when you will dine and cannot use Select, unless the wait list clears.

 

Formal nights are the same whether you're in traditional or Select. Nothing changes there.

[kitty9]

Does anybody know if with the new Select Dinning if Celebrity has improved the alternate dinning by adding a full buffet at night or is the only casual option still the menu oriented bistro set up in the Lido .

 

The last few years we've become spoiled on Princess where the buffet is open all evening and with it, it truely does give you the most options (Dinning room, Addition charge Dinning, or a complete Buffet).. A buffet is specially helpful on formal nights when you don't want/feel like dressing or any night you don't feel like eating with other passengers.

 

Now that we've heard about Select Dinning, we're considering returning to Celebrity (we're already Elite) but we still need more info about it.

 

Anybody?

 

Srpilo

 

 

There is still not a full buffet on Celebrity, but the S Class ships do have a limited buffet at night, offering much more than the M Class ships. And you also have Bistro on Five for an option.

[The Big Booper]

To answer part of the OP's question that has been ignored, on the Solstice, Select Dining took the starboard side of the upper dining room, and the Select Dining people lined up by that door. Us TD people just waltzed in thru the right (portside) door. After the first night, no confusion between the two groups.

[Lois R]

To answer part of the OP's question that has been ignored, on the Solstice, Select Dining took the starboard side of the upper dining room, and the Select Dining people lined up by that door. Us TD people just waltzed in thru the right (portside) door. After the first night, no confusion between the two groups.

 

Hi:) it was not ignorned. I posted there is a separate section in

the main dining room for Select Diners.

While on Summit in May I was having drinks in the Martini Bar and

could see the folks who were SD....they were continually going in and

out of the starboard side of the dining room.

[kclvt]

So is it longer or shorter seating time with Select Dining? We are concerned about being able to make the shows after dinner. We have not tried Select Dining before - we always eat at the 6:00 seating as 8:30 is way too late for us. We are going to Bermuda in september and thought that was the perfect time to try Select. We don't want to feel rushed that we have to make it back to the ship for 6.

[Lsimon]

Does anybody know if with the new Select Dinning if Celebrity has improved the alternate dinning by adding a full buffet at night or is the only casual option still the menu oriented bistro set up in the Lido . ...

 

Hello SRPILO! Hope all is well with you guys - it's been a long time since we sailed together.

 

I think your questions been answered but I'll add that on the S class while they have a little broader buffet than M Class at night, and Bistro on 5, they do not have the Casual dining area like on M class.

 

Also M Class, and the C class I presume, have a little more buffet options than they did when you sailed with us - pizza, pasta bar, salad bar, sushi and an area by sushi that seems to vary by night between different types of Asian/Indian foods.

[rollie]

Just wondering. Is the seating closer together in Select Dining than in the normal dining?

 

Rollie

[jg51]

We have a group of questions for you good folks who have used "Select Dining" on the Solstice or Equinox ...

 

Suppose you are a party of two and have not reserved a specific time for dining nightly. Would there always be a long wait for you to get a table for two, or would the waiting time vary greatly, depending on when you would arrive (e.g., 6:00, 7:00, 8:00?)? Any personal experience with this specific question?

 

Finally, is the number of SD tables for two small, moderate, or large?

 

We are currently assigned to the 8:45 "Traditional Dining" seating and are not on a waiting list for SD. Have any of you been a couple (or spoken to a couple) who tried, after coming aboard, to switch from TD to SD? Has anyone been turned down?

 

Why do we ask? Having seen several "Celebrity Today" editions, we can tell that 8:45 would not work well for us on some nights. Also, we have read reviews by various couples who have requested tables for two in TD (when booking their cruises) ... but who have found that those requests have not been honored ... and, as a result, they have not enjoyed cruising because of having to sit with four or six other people, when they were at a time in their lives when they needed to be at a private table. These are the reasons we are likely to want to switch to Select Dining at tables for two.

 

Thanks! :)

[beebee]

I have posted my experience with select dining before but since this is a newer post, I will throw in my opinions again. While I like the concept of Select Dining, it did not work for us because of its inconsistency. We tried it for four nights on the Equinox before switching back to the traditional late dining. Two of the nights were fine but two of the nights were awful. We were in a long line of people, some had reservations, some did not but, even though we had reservations, we still had to wait for people who didn't. The people in front of us had a 6 PM reservation, showed up at 8, which was the time of our reservation and we had to wait while they were seated first. That night we didn't get seated until almost 8:45 which was what we were trying to avoid. Another night there were no tables in the Select dining area so they seated us in the MDR. The problem was that, while we were seated at 8:20 and then sat in an empty dining room until the dining room was ready for the late seating group and then we were served with the late seating group.

When I go on a cruise I want to be relaxed and not knowing what to expect each evening when we went to the dining room was uncomfortable for me. Once we got switched to traditional dining, we enjoyed a lovely dining experience each night. There were four of us.

[terrierjohn]

We have a group of questions for you good folks who have used "Select Dining" on the Solstice or Equinox ...

 

Suppose you are a party of two and have not reserved a specific time for dining nightly. Would there always be a long wait for you to get a table for two, or would the waiting time vary greatly, depending on when you would arrive (e.g., 6:00, 7:00, 8:00?)? Any personal experience with this specific question?

 

There are more tables for 2 in select, but I think you might still have a short wait, and maybe even if you had a reservation.

 

Finally, is the number of SD tables for two small, moderate, or large?

 

Large.

 

We are currently assigned to the 8:45 "Traditional Dining" seating and are not on a waiting list for SD. Have any of you been a couple (or spoken to a couple) who tried, after coming aboard, to switch from TD to SD? Has anyone been turned down?

 

We switched on board in Feb without any problem, but as it gets more popular, who knows.....

 

Why do we ask? Having seen several "Celebrity Today" editions, we can tell that 8:45 would not work well for us on some nights. Also, we have read reviews by various couples who have requested tables for two in TD (when booking their cruises) ... but who have found that those requests have not been honored ... and, as a result, they have not enjoyed cruising because of having to sit with four or six other people, when they were at a time in their lives when they needed to be at a private table. These are the reasons we are likely to want to switch to Select Dining at tables for two.

 

Thanks! :)

 

Hope tha above helps.

[New Hampshire]

We were a group of five who originally had confirmed late seating dining. Shortly before our final payment was due, I contacted my TA and requested a change to Select Dining. The change was confirmed and we fully expected the pre-payment of gratuities to be added to our total final payment. When the gratuities were not included in the final payment, I inquired as to why not and was told by my TA that the gratuities would be charged to my account daily once the cruise was underway. I have no idea why we did not have to prepay gratuities.

 

After being confirmed in SD, I made reservations online for every night of our 10 night cruise. I chose times based on our sailing time from each port and what time we planned to be back on the ship each day. Our reservation times ran from 7 PM to 7:45 PM with 7:30 PM being the most frequent. We also requested to be seated at a table for just us. We were seated at a table for five and we loved our waiter so much that we requested to be seated at the same table with Eladio for the entire cruise. Our request was honored. The dining experience worked out very well for the entire cruise.

 

The only disadvantage was that we did not always make the shows. If there was a late show at 10:45 PM for late seating diners, we were able to get to the show. However, some nights, the show time for late seating was at 7 PM and we could not make that show. On those nights, the show time for ealy seating was at 8:30 and we were still at dinner. On those occasions, we tried to go to the show late and couldn't find seats by the time we got there.

 

We are sailing on the Equinox again in September. This time we are staying with late seating because we are not leaving some of our ports until 8 or 9 PM and we will also be spending some time in Barcelona pre-cruise and Rome post-cruise, so we better get accustomed to late dining as they do in Europe.

 

Someone asked questions about tables for two and how close tables were to one another in the area set aside for SD. There are lots of tables for two, but they are VERY close to one another, just inches apart from another table for two. I found the tables in general to be closer together than ever before in my experience on a Celebrity cruise. I sailed on Solstice last year, but was seated on the lower level of the DR, and found the tables to be very comfortably spaced from one another. I don't know what it's like on the upper DR level that's set aside for traditional dining times.

[srpilo]

Hello SRPILO! Hope all is well with you guys - it's been a long time since we sailed together.

 

I think your questions been answered but I'll add that on the S class while they have a little broader buffet than M Class at night, and Bistro on 5, they do not have the Casual dining area like on M class.

 

Also M Class, and the C class I presume, have a little more buffet options than they did when you sailed with us - pizza, pasta bar, salad bar, sushi and an area by sushi that seems to vary by night between different types of Asian/Indian foods.

 

Larry, as always you're the MAN !!

 

Thanks, and say hi to Sue

Pete & Silvia

[Hflors]

We were a group of five who originally had confirmed late seating dining. Shortly before our final payment was due, I contacted my TA and requested a change to Select Dining. The change was confirmed and we fully expected the pre-payment of gratuities to be added to our total final payment. When the gratuities were not included in the final payment, I inquired as to why not and was told by my TA that the gratuities would be charged to my account daily once the cruise was underway. I have no idea why we did not have to prepay gratuities.

 

After being confirmed in SD, I made reservations online for every night of our 10 night cruise. I chose times based on our sailing time from each port and what time we planned to be back on the ship each day. Our reservation times ran from 7 PM to 7:45 PM with 7:30 PM being the most frequent. We also requested to be seated at a table for just us. We were seated at a table for five and we loved our waiter so much that we requested to be seated at the same table with Eladio for the entire cruise. Our request was honored. The dining experience worked out very well for the entire cruise.

 

The only disadvantage was that we did not always make the shows. If there was a late show at 10:45 PM for late seating diners, we were able to get to the show. However, some nights, the show time for late seating was at 7 PM and we could not make that show. On those nights, the show time for ealy seating was at 8:30 and we were still at dinner. On those occasions, we tried to go to the show late and couldn't find seats by the time we got there.

 

We are sailing on the Equinox again in September. This time we are staying with late seating because we are not leaving some of our ports until 8 or 9 PM and we will also be spending some time in Barcelona pre-cruise and Rome post-cruise, so we better get accustomed to late dining as they do in Europe.

 

Someone asked questions about tables for two and how close tables were to one another in the area set aside for SD. There are lots of tables for two, but they are VERY close to one another, just inches apart from another table for two. I found the tables in general to be closer together than ever before in my experience on a Celebrity cruise. I sailed on Solstice last year, but was seated on the lower level of the DR, and found the tables to be very comfortably spaced from one another. I don't know what it's like on the upper DR level that's set aside for traditional dining times.

 

Thanks for your info. I am sailing on Mercury and just tried to do SD. When I called the Guest relations to get a table for four at 7 pm each night I was told that I couldn't do that. they said we could get a "reservation" but they would not give us a "table" for that time. I was so confused that we switched back to traditional dining at 6 just to make sure we get a table without any problems. We just did another cruise on another cruise line and had a standing reservation each night of our cruise for the same table. It worked out very will. We were hoping to do the same on Celebrity. Do you think we could arrange it once we get on board? Or should we just stick with Traditional dining? With traditional at least we have a table.

[tjncanada]

A couple of problems we had with Select Dining on the Summit

(1) Our food did not always arrive hot as it should have been

(2) Sometimes a long wait between courses as the traditional diners arrived

(3) Time was very tight to make the shows in the Celebrity theatre - we were literallly running to get seats before the show. Dinner always took at least 90 minutes by the time we got and finished desert.

 

If the entertainment is an integral part of your cruise experience and you don't want to feel rushed I would not recommend Select Dining. I think things just work better with the fixed seating times as meal preparation and evening activities are scheduled around those times.

 

It's good to have the flexibility but you should be aware that time gained by rescheduling dinner is lost somewhere else.

 

Consider your priorities before choosing your dining option.