Specialty Restaurant First Night?

[CinWay]

Any advice on whether or not this is a good idea? Thanks.

[ghstudio]

Sometimes, the first night is discounted...but you won't know until you are onboard.

[njaloha]

I just received an email offering a 20% discount off Specialty Restaurant dining the first night of upcoming 12-night cruise as a thank you from Celebrity for booking a cruise. I have to book online and the 20% is deducted on board from the account.

 

I think I'm going to wait and check things out once we're on board.

[Dunmore2]

We just received the same 20% discount email for our April 29, 2012 cruise. Must not be many booked for that first night.

[chotton]

I just received an email offering a 20% discount off Specialty Restaurant dining the first night of upcoming 12-night cruise as a thank you from Celebrity for booking a cruise. I have to book online and the 20% is deducted on board from the account.

 

I think I'm going to wait and check things out once we're on board.

 

Just got the same e-mail offering 20% off the first night.

[Milhouse]

Any advice on whether or not this is a good idea? Thanks.

 

I go with the assumption that they serve menu 1 or 3 (aka A or C, however, you want to name them) in the MDR on day one. We kind of like the offerings on those menus and we haven't sailed enough on X to be tired of them (yet :)) so that's why we ate in the MDR on the first night.

However, we too heard the couple in front of us get a discount when making reservations to dine in one of the specialty restaurants on the first night. (Didn't catch how much though.)

[juliawinston]

I'm a newbie so take my input with a grain of salt ;) We didn't reserve for the first night because we figured it we'd be tired from traveling and also excited to check out the ship/soak it all in.

[CinWay]

Yes, we got the 20% offer via email as well. That's why I was wondering whether it was a good or bad time to book. Our first cruise so we are not sure. We shouldn't be tired from travelling though, we arrive 2 days before the cruise starts. We are in port in San Juan on embarkation day until 8:30 pm

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We got an offer of 20% off today also but it gives the option to book once on board. We are in a suite so will wait to see if we get an offer of a free visit on embarcation day.

 

Mary Lou

[ikelmay]

When we boarded the Equinox recently, we were discussing dining options with the specialty dining rep and were offered 25% discount if we wished to take any of the specialty dining options for the first night.

[marieps]

When we walked into Olympic to make reservations after boarding Millie the 20% discounted was instantly extended for the first night.

[boogs]

We dined in Tuscan Grille on the Constellation our first night of our 12 day Baltic cruise last fall. It was less than half full, and the service staff gave us superb service. I suspect that most people dine in the MDR on the first night to get the feel of what to expect there. We thought it was worth doing. We did notify the MDR staff that we wouldn't be dining there that evening so our table mates wouldn't wait for us to arrive thinking we were running late.

[librarylady19]

I got the email today too for our Summit cruise. X must proof its emails about as well as its website. The link to book didn't work and the restaurant was listed as united states not the Normandie!

[AlanAllyn]

Got the offer today for November cruise on Century.

[Sloop-JohnB]

Hi All,

 

We also received the email offer from Celebrity... as we are NEW to cruising we've decided to visit the Main Dining Room specifically for Nights 1 & 2 as well as 6 & 7 (we also have Traditional Dining, Late Seating)

 

Night 1 - Meet our Table Mates and the Crew / Dining Room Staff :)

Night 2 - Is usually the First Formal (Captain's Dinner)

Night 6 - Is typically the Second / Last Formal

Night 7 - The Night for Farewells... :(

 

From what I've read these are also the best menues for the MDR (based on most people's opinions)

 

So if we decide to do any Specialty Dining it will be in the middle of the Cruise, Nights 3, 4, or 5.

 

Expect Night 3 not to be all that busy, as it is when we are docked in San Juan (3 PM to 11 PM)... may be able to snag a deal or a good time for a Reservation I'm thinking (will make decision once on-board)

 

Hope this info is helpful for someone,

 

Cheers!

[Jade13]

Don't they offer the dining free the first night for some Suite guests?

[dkjretired]

Don't they offer the dining free the first night for some Suite guests?

 

The S class ships get a free night but it can be any night of the cruise. M class ships sometimes offer a free night but restrict it to the first night. Sometimes they don't offer it and sometimes it can be any night.

[h2ocruiser]

We usually use Select Dining for the MDR and the first night always seems disorganized, so we like to try a specialty restaurant on that night. We too have received a 20% discount offer for our Jan 17th cruise. We have also been offered 2 for 1 pricing a couple times while boarding on the first day.

[PelicanLvr]

Great info as usual on this thread.

 

Yes, there are discounts and suite guests may even eat free.....but, no matter what, we really enjoy the specialty restaurants that first night.

 

First, we are thrilled to be on our cruise and what better way to celebrate than to have a really great dinner in a special setting.

 

Also, the staff is really on...trying to impress the new guests with their restaurant. They want you to book more dinners with them or the other specialty restaurants on board. So they really try to make your experience special.

 

It's also not usually all that busy the first night so you get to make friends with the staff and they will remember you if you come back another night. Also they will try to help you get the reservations you want for later on when seating might be harder to get.

 

So to the OP, yes, the first night is a great night to go!

[dkjretired]

Great info as usual on this thread.

 

Yes, there are discounts and suite guests may even eat free.....but, no matter what, we really enjoy the specialty restaurants that first night.

 

First, we are thrilled to be on our cruise and what better way to celebrate than to have a really great dinner in a special setting.

 

Also, the staff is really on...trying to impress the new guests with their restaurant. They want you to book more dinners with them or the other specialty restaurants on board. So they really try to make your experience special.

 

It's also not usually all that busy the first night so you get to make friends with the staff and they will remember you if you come back another night. Also they will try to help you get the reservations you want for later on when seating might be harder to get.

 

So to the OP, yes, the first night is a great night to go!

 

Agree completely, service seems to be really good the first night and it does not seem to be that crowded....

[SusieV]

We always book at the Murano-style restaurant (depending which ship we are on) for the first night. The service is wonderful and we get to know the servers and they learn our likes and dislikes, as we'll be returning several more nights!

[zelker]

The S class ships get a free night but it can be any night of the cruise.

 

Actually it depends on the length of the cruise for the suites on S class ships. We're on an 11 night and received 2 comp'd specialty dinners, to be used in any restaurant and on any nights of our choice. Nice perk!

 

(and yes, we received the 20% off offer for the first night as well)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

The S class ships get a free night but it can be any night of the cruise. M class ships sometimes offer a free night but restrict it to the first night. Sometimes they don't offer it and sometimes it can be any night.

 

We went ahead months ago and pre-booked/paid for specialty dining on all 7 nights of our upcoming Eclipse sailing. THEN I remembered the free night to which we would be entitled for being in a suite. I contacted Celebrity and was told it that it would be refunded to us once onboard.

 

Thanks for the heads up regarding the 20% off email. I went back into my deleted mail from yesterday, and there it was!

 

I also have heard of packages which are offered onboard for multiple nights/restaurants. Hopefully that will be an option, and we'll be getting more $ credited back !

 

:)

 

Tom