Changing dining time

[sportsmum]

We bookoed this cruise last minute(ish) and the only options were select dining with being waitlisted for the 8:30PM seating. We love early seating.

 

With this in mind I asked our TA to take us off the waitlist (since waitlist for early wasn't available) and keep us on Select. I prebooked reservations for 6PM each night on celebrity.com.

 

Today I checked our booking on Celebrity.com (maybe a free upgrade?? ..nope) and we are now confirmed for the 8:30PM seating and my Select dining reservations are gone.

 

If we check onto the ship by 1PM (4PM sailing) what do you think, from experience, are our chances of getting an early dining assignment? Or should I contact TA and switch back to Select, if I can?

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[K.T.B.]

If it was me, I would just call Celebrity directly since you pre-booked via their website.

[cruisestitch]

Since you booked through a TA I don't think Celebrity will talk to you. Go back to your TA and have them work on it.

[sportsmum]

Thanks. So you don't think there would be any early dining available to book when I get on the ship? Do you get any preference if you are booked CC?

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Thanks. So you don't think there would be any early dining available to book when I get on the ship? Do you get any preference if you are booked CC?

 

Early is usually the first to go- I would call my TA- talk to them if the early is a no-go, then try to get back to select- so you can at least eat at the time you want.

[eandj]

If you head to the restaurant and meet with the maitre d in charge of seating, you might luck out. I wouldn't NOT try that. There will be others wanting to switch to late and select. Or sit at a different sized table. Sometimes there is a line to see the guy. Take the card from your room that has your assigned table seating number named. He/she will ask you for your assigned table number.

 

Now...if by chance you cannot be reseated, what our friends did was show up at the MDR for the early seating and just ask if there are any openings that night. They were seated at 3 different tables the first three nights. But on the fourth night, were told to just stay at table 3 for the rest of the cruise. Those folks had switched to late.

 

We have made changes ourselves on past cruises after boarding with no problem. And that is after the TA "pulls strings" and still can't get it verified and accomplished precruise..

 

Don't give up quite yet.;)

[eandj]

Early is usually the first to go- .

 

 

Depends on the itinerary and the demographics. Many cruisers want to eat later to take advantage of more time at the ports on some itineraries. After a long day at the beach for example, many don't want to rush to dinner. They'll head on deck for a cold drink and relax before heading to their room for shower and change. On European itineraries, with long drives and tours, the late dining is more difficult to get in most of the time.

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Depends on the itinerary and the demographics. Many cruisers want to eat later to take advantage of more time at the ports on some itineraries. After a long day at the beach for example, many don't want to rush to dinner. They'll head on deck for a cold drink and relax before heading to their room for shower and change. On European itineraries, with long drives and tours, the late dining is more difficult to get in most of the time.

 

True, but people like me.. we can't eat late or it makes us sick... so there are some of us that will eat 'early' not matter what (or least by 7pm...hence why we are doing select on our Europe trip)

 

but the OP should try to get it straightened out w/ their TA before cruise if possible...because it doesn't always work on the ship- we've had that happen for us once.

[WALKER1313]

Get to know one of the "suits". When they ask what can I do for you? You know the answer.

 

As a last resort... walk into the early seating on the first night about 10 minutes late. Act like you know where you are going. Sit down at a table with room for you. Don't produce your table card. If you last at the table all should be well, if you don't last the uproar at the incident will be quite entertaining to table around.- We saw this one happen, it was entertaining.

[ghstudio]

Call your TA.....you told them to take you off the 8:30 waitlist and they obviously didn't. Let them work it out with celebrity.

[sportsmum]

Thank you all. My computer stopped cooperating yesterday so I could not reply!

 

I got TA to revert back to Select, rebooked my dining times for each day (so relieved they were still available) and will try to switch onboard for set early dining. I'd rather be a spectator than a participant in the entertainment so I'll just do it this way.;)

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Thank you all. My computer stopped cooperating yesterday so I could not reply!

 

I got TA to revert back to Select, rebooked my dining times for each day (so relieved they were still available) and will try to switch onboard for set early dining. I'd rather be a spectator than a participant in the entertainment so I'll just do it this way.;)

 

Me too.. but you should be fine w/ the select. You prob could get your times w/ out a res, the only difference between that and Trad Early is same table mates/ wait staff...

 

we have gotten to where we like 'freestyle', 'select' or whatever the lines calls it as we can eat ourselves w/ no one else, or join others (like cc mates we fun into) as we see fit.

 

I hope it works out regardless.

Meg