Select Dining on Century

[retiredbrit]

We are great fans of eating when we want and so opted for Select Dining..

We are on Century for the 19 December Christmas Panama Canal cruise. Can anyone who has used Select Dining on Century please let us know how the dining room is arranged to cater for this. Is there a separate section or area for select dining?

I expect the sysem to be similar to other ships in that we may have to wait to get our usual option of a table for 6.

Our only experience of Select type dining on a larger ship was on P&O Venturer (which not good) Ventura had a separate restaurant, other than that we have been on smaller ships where it is all any time and very enjoyable.

Many thanks Alan

[ghstudio]

one half of the upper level is reserved for select dining. You have some options:

 

1) You can make a reservation for any/all nights on the celebrity web site and that means that you will be in a separate line from those that just walk up without a reservation;

 

2) they do not actually hold a table for you when you make a reservation, it only gets you to a table faster;

 

3) When you get to the hostess, he/she will ask if you would prefer to eat alone or with other people. You will be seated as you request. Most "other people" tables are for 8 or more, I don't think you want to restrict it to a table for 6.

 

4) If you choose select dining, Celebrity will add the recommended gratuites to your final payment. If you choose early or late traditional dining, you will still pay the recommended gratuites, but they will be added daily to your shipboard account. No difference in the end, but you do have to prepay if you choose select (don't ask why...no one knows, I think it just is done to help Celebrity's cash flow).

[Northern Aurora]

We were on the Century this fall, and used select dining.

 

I am not sure if retiredbrit is traveling in a party six, or is interested in meeting other passengers.

 

As ghstudio has indicated one side of the upper level of the MDR was devoted to select dining. There were a great number of tables set for two, with at least two large community tables for folks who were interested in dining with others. While I didn't count the number of chairs at those large community tables I would guess that they sat approximately ten. We dined several times with other passengers we met onboard, and there also were tables for four, but on one occasion they moved a pair of tables set for two together.

 

We generally attended the early show, and generally went to either the Cova Cafe or Michael's Club for a glass of wine before dinner. When we arrived at the MDR we rarely had to wait more than ninety seconds before being seated.

[retiredbrit]

Hi - no just Joyce and I - we like to meet other interesting people and find the conversation easier on a 6 table - then you can talk to everyone. We find 8 or above more difficult.

We have sat on 8 plus tables on various ships and it depends on the shape of the table if it works for us or not. By far the best for us is a round table for 6.

On the smaller ships like Regent and Silversea its all anytime dining and we now much prefer it.

Like others when we have had fixed dining one is too early the other is too late, and sometimes it is possible to have dining companions that we cant relate to (I am sure it is mutual :))

 

regards Alan