Dining times in Blu Vs MDR?

[Pocketjem]

Hi all

 

First post so please be gentle with me...

 

My wife and I are booked on the Celebrity Infinity sailing out of Harwich UK on 24th May 2013.

 

We have sailed with Celebrity before in a standard Balcony stateroom, but for this cruise we've upgraded to Aqua Class. When we booked the cruise our agent informed us that the late dining sitting was full and he gave us a choice of either booking for the 6:30pm sitting or pre paying our tips and opting for select dining (SD). We decided to opt for SD.

 

However, I recently had reason to ring Celebrity about our booking and the chap who took our call noticed that we had booked SD. He said that as we were Aqua Class we wouldn't want SD as that applied to the main dining room only. He therefore changed our booking to the 6:30pm sitting in Blu. I protested and said I didn't want 6:30pm sitting as it was too early. He said that we would be able to change the sitting once on board.

 

I'm now a little worried that we'll be stuck with a 6:30pm sitting in Blu. However, On reading some cruise info it looks like there are no set dining times in Blu anyway. Can anyone shed any light on this otherwise i'm going to be checking into a home for the terminally bewildered :confused:.

 

Many thanks

 

Jem

[BKFlowerMound]

Jem,

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. No need to worry. You've just encountered one of the confusing things about Aqua and Blu.

 

You were advised correctly. You do not want to choose Select dining as that applies to the MDR only. With Blu, you choose a time but that's just a requirement in the system. Blu is open seating at all times, you can come any time it's open. You don't need to change anything either before or after you board.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Lady Arwen]

Don't worry! Blu is anytime seating. Just show up when you're ready for dinner and you'll be accommodated. You may have a short wait if you request a specific table. There is so much confusion with this topic as Celebrity requires us to choose traditional or select dining when neither are applicable. Hope this helps!

[Pocketjem]

Thank you so much for your replies and reassurance :).

 

To be honest the Celebrity website isn't really all that helpful as it gives contradictory information, all adding to the confusion.

 

I'm currently busy looking through the forums, they're a great resource full of lots of information.

 

Hopefully we'll enjoy the cruise and all will be good :D

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Kind regards

 

Jem

[attilamom1217]

Okay so now I'm bewildered. I think i'll join the OP in the home for the terminally bewildered.

 

I just booked my first Aqua Class stateroom. We too were told that late MDR dining was filled, but had to choose between early seating or SD. We chose SD not knowing any better and are being charged the pre-paid gratuities.

 

Can we eat in the MDR for dinner if we choose to? Are Aqua Class folks charge for pre-paid gratuities? Should we leave our reservatio alone for the SD? Does it matter?

 

thanks,

Debbi :confused:

[Softball20]

Okay so now I'm bewildered. I think i'll join the OP in the home for the terminally bewildered.

 

I just booked my first Aqua Class stateroom. We too were told that late MDR dining was filled, but had to choose between early seating or SD. We chose SD not knowing any better and are being charged the pre-paid gratuities.

 

Can we eat in the MDR for dinner if we choose to? Are Aqua Class folks charge for pre-paid gratuities? Should we leave our reservatio alone for the SD? Does it matter?

 

thanks,

Debbi :confused:

 

If you are in AQ, you will just see the one dining time on your reservation, but it's open seating and you can go when you want. The staff there is typically very accommodating if you want to select a set time for the length of your cruise. You will not want to go to the MDR after eating in Blu.

[Phxazzcruisers]

Okay so now I'm bewildered. I think i'll join the OP in the home for the terminally bewildered.

 

I just booked my first Aqua Class stateroom. We too were told that late MDR dining was filled, but had to choose between early seating or SD. We chose SD not knowing any better and are being charged the pre-paid gratuities.

 

Can we eat in the MDR for dinner if we choose to? Are Aqua Class folks charge for pre-paid gratuities? Should we leave our reservatio alone for the SD? Does it matter?

 

thanks,

Debbi :confused:

 

Just leave it alone. You can eat in Blu, which, by the way we love, or in the MDR if you want a change. Blu is always open seating for Aqua class guests. The MDR is early or late seating or Select dining. Since you have select dining you can chose either Blu at any time or the MDR at any time. Don't worry, just enjoy your cruise

[Lady Arwen]

Okay so now I'm bewildered. I think i'll join the OP in the home for the terminally bewildered.

 

I just booked my first Aqua Class stateroom. We too were told that late MDR dining was filled, but had to choose between early seating or SD. We chose SD not knowing any better and are being charged the pre-paid gratuities.

 

Can we eat in the MDR for dinner if we choose to? Are Aqua Class folks charge for pre-paid gratuities? Should we leave our reservatio alone for the SD? Does it matter?

 

thanks,

Debbi :confused:

 

I know it can be so confusing and unfortunately, Celebrity reps are sometimes not very informed themselves. If you are in Aqua class, then Blu is your designated dining room. It is open seating and you can dine at whatever time you like. For some reason when booking, you must choose between select dining and traditional because Celebrity's system is set up that way. If for some reason you choose Select, then you will be required to pre-pay gratuties, with Traditional you will not.

 

Call Celebrity and tell them that you are in Aqua, will be dining in Blu, and have them change your reservation to Traditional, to avoid pre-payment of grats. You can eat on occasion in the MDR. Some have posted that you need to give the Maitre d' a heads up, others say just to show up at the Select dining room and ask to be seated.

[Blue_Flame]

Okay so now I'm bewildered. I think i'll join the OP in the home for the terminally bewildered.

 

I just booked my first Aqua Class stateroom. We too were told that late MDR dining was filled, but had to choose between early seating or SD. We chose SD not knowing any better and are being charged the pre-paid gratuities.

 

Can we eat in the MDR for dinner if we choose to? Are Aqua Class folks charge for pre-paid gratuities? Should we leave our reservatio alone for the SD? Does it matter?

 

thanks,

Debbi :confused:

 

Do you WANT to pre-pay your gratuities? Some cruisers like that option as it is one more expense taken care of up front.

 

But if you don't want to pre-pay gratuities or maybe you have a lot of onboard credit (OBC) you want to use for gratuities, then you might want to think about changing your reservation to the early seating. Anyone choosing Early or Late dining will be charged their gratuities on a daily basis while on board, whether they are in Traditional dining or Blu.

 

As the current booking system works for Aqua Class, you can choose ANY of the three available dining options (Early, Late, SD) and it makes no difference in your actual dining times in Blu. It only affects whether you pre-pay your gratuities or not.

 

Clear as mud?

[Lois R]

Okay so now I'm bewildered. I think i'll join the OP in the home for the terminally bewildered.

 

I just booked my first Aqua Class stateroom. We too were told that late MDR dining was filled, but had to choose between early seating or SD. We chose SD not knowing any better and are being charged the pre-paid gratuities.

 

Can we eat in the MDR for dinner if we choose to? Are Aqua Class folks charge for pre-paid gratuities? Should we leave our reservatio alone for the SD? Does it matter?

 

thanks,

Debbi :confused:

 

Hi Debbi:)...I just returned from cruising Silhouette and was in Aqua

Class. I did not pre-pay gratuties. They were charged to my account on

a daily basis. I ate in Blu and you can dine in there at whatever time

you prefer:D.

I never ate in the main dining room this trip. From what I understand,

you may dine there though.

[ghstudio]

If you are in aqua, you will find a letter in your stateroom when you arrive giving you an assigned time for dinner that first night. No one, including those in Blu, know why that letter is ever sent out....Blu is dine when you want and even on the first night, you can just go to dinner when you like. Of course, you may have a little difficulty if all the people assigned 6:00 actually show up at 6:00 but generally, if you arrive at 7:30 or so, there is no problem getting seated even on the first night.

 

As others have said, the only effect that choosing early/late/select dining has on a aqua class reservation is when Celebrity's billing system bills you for gratuities...it has nothing at all to do with your cruise. There is a great deal of wrong information floating around including TA's and Celebrity reps. Trust cruise critic on this one.....

 

You will enjoy Blu and should you want to eat in the MDR, ask the maitre d' how they would like you to do it. Most say, just go to select dining but occasionally/rarely, they will ask that you dine in early or late seating.