Problem With New Suite Dining Rules With Families Traveling Together

[vulcan1971]

I usually do suites on Celebrity and hope to do more in the future.

 

 

 

Just my opinion - there has to be *some* limit on Suite Perks otherwise, it'll eventually become a non-perk, and the new restaurant will lose the quiet, the ambience, the personalized service and years from now people will be here complaining about 'the suite restaurant isn't what it used to be"

 

 

 

I usually go with family and sometimes they are in suites, other times not. I don't expect X to let me bring my family in to the Suite Dining Room. MAYBE, MAYBE if there was a stiff surcharge I could support it - because my guests are taking time away from the waitstaff - which reduces the level of service to another pax who paid for that level of service.

 

 

 

If me and my family want to eat together that's EASY:

 

 

 

1.)Book Alternative Restaurants.

 

 

 

2.)Do Select Dining.

 

 

 

There's no reason that a Suite Restaurant should have to admit my family, just cause they are my family or friends or whatever. If it means that much to me - of course i'll go alternative or select dining.

 

 

 

I truly hope Celebrity keeps this Suite perk a good and exclusive one.

 

 

There is a "stiff" surcharge, it is $50 p/p at dinner for each non-suite guest to join a suite party in the suite dining room.

 

This is double what NCL currently charges to dine in the Haven suite dining room.

 

I agree with your comments.

 

 

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[happy 2 b cruising]

I usually do suites on Celebrity and hope to do more in the future.

 

Just my opinion - there has to be *some* limit on Suite Perks otherwise, it'll eventually become a non-perk, and the new restaurant will lose the quiet, the ambience, the personalized service and years from now people will be here complaining about 'the suite restaurant isn't what it used to be"

 

I usually go with family and sometimes they are in suites, other times not. I don't expect X to let me bring my family in to the Suite Dining Room. MAYBE, MAYBE if there was a stiff surcharge I could support it - because my guests are taking time away from the waitstaff - which reduces the level of service to another pax who paid for that level of service.

 

If me and my family want to eat together that's EASY:

 

1.)Book Alternative Restaurants.

 

2.)Do Select Dining.

 

There's no reason that a Suite Restaurant should have to admit my family, just cause they are my family or friends or whatever. If it means that much to me - of course i'll go alternative or select dining.

 

I truly hope Celebrity keeps this Suite perk a good and exclusive one.

 

My Family member who booked a suite, booked it for the extra room and is not interested in dining in the Suite Only Restaurant with a young child. I know our family needs early fixed seating because of young children. Select seating is not a option for a party of 12 with young children. All I was tying to do is make people aware under the new Suite Dining rules if a family member books a suite they can not have a reserved fixed seating in the MDR. I guess this thread has gone off topic.

[need2bespoiled]

If under Blu on Deck 4, that would be Starboard side.

 

 

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Blu is on the Port side, deck 5 on M-Class, at least on Millennium, where I just spent the last month. Underneath is fixed dining space that would become the suite restaurant.

 

As far as traveling with a family, of 12, and getting fixed dining for someone in a suite, who should be eating in the Suite restaurant, as I stated previously it may, but I doubt will be a problem from someone in a sky suite. For someone in a Michael's Club suite, it will be no issue.

 

While Celebrity isn't always pro-active and doesn't always have the best policies, they do react well to request and solve problems fairly. Just email the Concierge in advance, and let them know you'd like a table for 12 in at a set time, either on the main floor of the restaurant, or at the same time, every day for select dining. Based on our 3 cruises since August I would have a hard time believing you would be turned down. EVERY reasonable request is honored onboard and most would agree this is a reasonable request for a suite guest.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

Edited December 8, 2014 by need2bespoiled

[Islander500]

We just returned from a cruise on the Celebrity Reflection. Although we were in AQ and assigned to dine in Blu, we ate with friends in the MDR Select Dining and by ourselves on 3 of the 7 nights. We were welcomed in the MDR each evening with absolutely no issues or concerns. I can't imagine it being a problem for suite guests to do the same.

[teecee60]

Our family that booked the Suite has no interest in being separated from the rest of the family during dinner.

 

Just invite my family along. :confused: You will ALL want to be separated! :D

[vulcan1971]

Blu is on the Port side, deck 5 on M-Class, at least on Millennium, where I just spent the last month. Underneath is fixed dining space that would become the suite restaurant.

 

As you can see, it appears that it's possible for folks to assume what is true on one ship is true on others, including myself. Just returned from the Constellation and Blu was Deck 5 Starboard.

 

 

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[need2bespoiled]

As you can see, it appears that it's possible for folks to assume what is true on one ship is true on others, including myself. Just returned from the Constellation and Blu was Deck 5 Starboard.

 

 

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Are you sure?

http://www.celebritycruises.com/ships/celebrity-constellation#Deck_Plans/ships/celebrity-constellation/deck-plans

This shows Blu on Deck 5 port.

 

Port is left (looking forward), Starboard is right, looking forward)

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[warmwinds]

I think what might be confusing is that you enter BLU to the RIGHT...but what you don't realize is that you are already facing the back of the ship from the elevators, so even though you get off the elevator and go to the right, it really is port.

 

If you were hovering off the back of the ship looking straight in, it would be to your left, also port.

Edited December 8, 2014 by warmwinds

[welshfamily]

A word of warning.

Please remember the Space available in select dinning will depend on availability. On two different cruises we have not been able to dine with friends in the MDR. We were in Aqua class on both occasions. The first was a Baltic cruise where we wanted to dine with the roll call members we had toured St Petersburg with. The second was when we met some people we had cruised with before who were already in select. On the first occasion the rest of the roll call dined without us and we joined them later in the sunset bar. The second the Maître'd from Blu managed to get us a good dining time in a speciality restaurant.

We have never travelled in a suite and perhaps suite passengers are given a higher priority. I certainly agree that if your family members have access to Michaels club they should enlist the help of the concierge. However I would not take anything for granted as I believe Celebrity are reducing the size of the MDR to accommodate the new Suite dinning room and surely the cruisers who have already been allocated the MDR should take priority. After all we expect Blu to be for Aqua class and the Suite dinning room is to be restricted to Suite passengers, therefore the MDR must surely give priority to its own passengers.

It would be handy if the 'official Celebrity' poster could help the OP out as we are all only surmising and I,for one, am not happy giving advice on a system not yet in place.

I do hope you and your family manage to resolve thus situation and have a lovely cruise.

[vulcan1971]

Are you sure?

http://www.celebritycruises.com/ships/celebrity-constellation#Deck_Plans/ships/celebrity-constellation/deck-plans

This shows Blu on Deck 5 port.

 

Port is left (looking forward), Starboard is right, looking forward)

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Jenna -

 

Not that you would know this, but my cabin was on the starboard side. Somehow in my head I mixed up my stateroom location with the location of Blu as I was typing the response.

 

My apologies for the confusion. :p

[Sloop-JohnB]

One of our family members booked a Suite for the additional space next Thanksgiving. The remaining family booked all Concierge cabins. After reading the new Suite dining rules the Suite people are not able to sit with their family and have a standing reservation in the MDR. It is only space available daily seating. I really think this rule needs to be tweaked for families who travel together during the Holidays. Our family that booked the Suite has no interest in being separated from the rest of the family during dinner they just wanted a cabin with additional space. Perhaps this is a rule that needs to be more flexible regarding MDR. Looks like my family who booked the Suite will cancel and take a lower end cabin to be able to have dinner with the family. Celebrity will lose a Suite cruiser which is unfortunate. I think when this rule was put in place Celebrity didn't realize it would put a hardship on families who wanted to dine together in the MDR and just booked a Suite for additional space.

 

Hi HAPPY TO B CRUISING,

 

Based on the crux of your Question...

 

Someone in your large family party is booked into a Suite, and everyone else in Concierge... And the Suite Pax (and yourself) are worrying about everyone being able to sit together for Dinner

 

(Suite Pax not really caring so much if they eat in the New Suite DR ... Or not)

 

So, here is how I would handle it...

 

1- Have EVERYONE indicate on their booking that they want Traditional Early Dining (this will solve the issue for the kiddies meal time)

 

2- Have EVERYONE link their bookings together as a Group (that should ensure that the DR Staff knows to arrange for a large table)

 

3- Have the Suite Pax contact the Michael's Club Concierge prior to the cruise stating their situation and to pass on the Request that they too join this Family Group in the MDR (so an appropriate sized table will be organized to include them)

 

Note - Celebrity usually contacts Suite Pax prior to sailing to ask if they have any Questions, or will be need in anything... This would be the time for this convo

 

In this way...

 

Celebrity is only making "special arrangements" for 2 Pax in your party... Who also happen to be Suite Guests ... So this all should be no problem

 

(a) Because Celebrity likes to see their Suite Guests happy

 

And

 

(b) Because there is a system in place administratively for where Suite Guests can channel their requests (the Michaels Club Concierge)

 

Honestly getting what you want to happen... As I see it... Is a non issue. A very simple request for Celebrity to seamlessly deliver

 

Cheers!

Edited December 8, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[need2bespoiled]

Jenna -

 

Not that you would know this, but my cabin was on the starboard side. Somehow in my head I mixed up my stateroom location with the location of Blu as I was typing the response.

 

My apologies for the confusion. :p

 

No worrie!

move your Summit sailing back a few weeks to April and we'd see you onboard.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Wiltonian]

There is, of course, a simple solution to the whole issue: Forego the extra space in a suite and somehow bravely manage with an ordinary stateroom. Sharing costs might even mean that the whole family could go AQ and dine together in Blu at whatever time they want.

Stuart

[vulcan1971]

No worrie!

move your Summit sailing back a few weeks to April and we'd see you onboard.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Which sailing? Oddly enough, I may need to do that.

[need2bespoiled]

Which sailing? Oddly enough, I may need to do that.

 

Sorry to Hijack the thread.

 

We're on April 4 and 11

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna