Early Dining - moved to 5:30 often?

[Denny01]

Dunmore2, it sounds as if this was done on a Century B2B and an Eclipse cruise. Both recently, and hopefully not a trend.

 

Den

[TourDeCruise]

We like 5:30pm dining and, in fact, have been booking Select dining since it was implemented. Celebrity often starts the Select dining at 5:30pm or 5:45pm. We like the earliest time as it is less crowded & quieter, we get more personalized & individualized service, it puts less stress on the waiters, and we can often get to the 7:00pm show.

 

My question is that for those of you who had Select dining at 5:30pm and the Early dining was moved to 5:30pm, what kind of impact did that have on your Select dining experience? Did it lengthen the already lengthy line to get into the dining room, slow down your Select dining service, prolong your time in the dining room, put additional pressure on the waiters, degrade the meal quality, or make for a noisier environment? Were they always taking some Select dining tables to accommodate the Early diners when the time was moved to 5:30pm? Did they still have two separate lines/queues for Select versus Early dining? Did they by chance move up Select dining to 5:00pm or 5:15pm to alleviate some of the conflict of starting both Select and Early at the same time?

 

Our next 2 cruises are a b2b on the Century for Hawaii RT from San Diego and a Pacific Coastal cruise in April, if that matters for some reason for your replies. We are hoping for our usual quiet Select dining experience at 5:30pm or 5:45pm, the earlier of the time offered. Usually the Select dining area is full by 6:30pm, but we have enjoyed 30-60 minutes of more relaxed dining before a much larger # of passengers settle in to begin their dining in the Select area.

 

Kathy

[ping1]

Hopefully, the overbooking issue is solved soon. I would not be happy to have my dining time moved to 5:30.

 

I agree totally with Dunmore2!!

 

The problem is with Eclipse (or Celebrity) management "overbooking" first seating. I understood that the number is capped at a certain level. That is why many passengers who book late can't get into first seating.

 

It is not fair to first seating folks to have their 6:00 dining time moved to 5:30 because of management's failure.

 

:(

[TourDeCruise]

It leads to disruptions for both Select and Early diners.

 

In the case of moving Early dining to 5:30pm, has Celebrity allowed Early "overbooked" diners to switch to Select dining? I would think many would appreciate the capability to switch from the Early to Select dining option allowing them to schedule their dining for a different, more desirable time or use the flex capability. That would alleviate some of the 5:30pm congestion and at the same time permit them to go at a more desirable time.

 

Another question to my earlier questions: When Early dining is moved to 5:30pm and uses some of the Select dining seats, have people found it more difficult to get a table for 2 in Select dining? That is another reason we like Select dining - it is easier to get a table for two.

 

Kathy

[KeywestK]

It leads to disruptions for both Select and Early diners.

 

In the case of moving Early dining to 5:30pm, has Celebrity allowed Early "overbooked" diners to switch to Select dining? I would think many would appreciate the capability to switch from the Early to Select dining option allowing them to schedule their dining for a different, more desirable time or use the flex capability. That would alleviate some of the 5:30pm congestion and at the same time permit them to go at a more desirable time.

 

Another question to my earlier questions: When Early dining is moved to 5:30pm and uses some of the Select dining seats, have people found it more difficult to get a table for 2 in Select dining? That is another reason we like Select dining - it is easier to get a table for two.

 

Kathy

 

There are many tables for 2 in Select Dining. By moving the Early MDR seating to 5:30, it actually freed up more tables by the 7 to 7:30 rush at Select dining.

[TourDeCruise]

There are many tables for 2 in Select Dining. By moving the Early MDR seating to 5:30, it actually freed up more tables by the 7 to 7:30 rush at Select dining.

 

That's good for those eating at the rush, but we want to eat at 5:30pm or 5:45pm whenever the Century has the earliest opening for Select dining. We've never had a problem getting a table for 2 at 5:30/5:45pm, but I am concerned if they move Early diners into the Select area. If they should move Early seating to 5:30pm, we'll make sure to get down to the dining room well before 5:30pm to be early in the queue.

 

Do they have a separate line for Early versus Select when the Early diners share the Select dining area?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

[KeywestK]

That's good for those eating at the rush, but we want to eat at 5:30pm or 5:45pm whenever the Century has the earliest opening for Select dining. We've never had a problem getting a table for 2 at 5:30/5:45pm, but I am concerned if they move Early diners into the Select area. If they should move Early seating to 5:30pm, we'll make sure to get down to the dining room well before 5:30pm to be early in the queue.

 

Do they have a separate line for Early versus Select when the Early diners share the Select dining area?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

 

There are actually two check-in podiums for Select dining--one for people with reservations, and one for those without reservations. I suspect there is a whole different queue or entrance for those with Early dining.

[ghstudio]

There are actually two check-in podiums for Select dining--one for people with reservations, and one for those without reservations. I suspect there is a whole different queue or entrance for those with Early dining.

 

Actually, I have never seen two podiums for select check in on Equinox, Eclipse, Century, Millennium (all in the past 12 months). There is generally one podium and "in theory" two lines. Most actually have two lines indicated with signs...the millennium doesn't....so if you have a reservation, you either just stand in line with everyone else, or you just go to the front of the line where they will seat you...with those in line glaring at you for appearing to have cut in line.

 

I have no idea how they handle early seating...but it's independent of the select dining entrance. Having said that, now that the entire upper deck is dedicated to select dining on the m-class ships (at least the millenium), I have no idea how they would handle putting some early seating people in the select dining area because there is only one entrance to the upper MDR (the other has been taken over by Blu).