Luminae - do you need to reserve?

[BermudaMom]

We are booked on Silhouette in May in a suite and I've been searching this forum to find out about Luminae. Our TA put us down for "Select Dining" when she made our booking. That one I understand.

 

I had a look at our itinerary and worked out what nights I wanted to book to dine in various specialty restaurants and today went online and made those reservations.

 

I can't see what you're supposed to do for Luminae. I thought if you wanted to have breakfast there, you'd just show up and if there was room, you'd get in. Likely similar for lunch. Is that correct?

 

For dinner, can you make reservations for specific nights and times online? I couldn't find that on Celebrity's site. Do you wait till you're onboard and make reservations then? Would appreciate some advice on what you need to do.

[Mynki]

You can just show up for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

Some people have reported being asked what time they'll be dining in the evening just to give them an idea. However we were not, it was never completely full so never saw anyone waiting for a table.

[jenniebnyc]

you will automatically be assigned to Luminae which is techinically anytime dining. you will be asked on your first night in Luminae when you plan to dine on subsequent nights, but you are not obligated to come at that times if you decide to change your mind and want to dine.

[az_tchr]

You simply go to Luminae after boarding and set up the times and places to eat regarding dinners. Have never waiting for either breakfast or lunch and definitely not the brunch offered on port days. As you guessed it is all done on board or using a response to the suite concierge you should receive a week or two prior to your sailing. FYI - we just did it on board.

[BermudaMom]

Thank you everyone for your quick replies. I understand now and appreciate your advice.

[cruza]

We are booked on Silhouette in May in a suite and I've been searching this forum to find out about Luminae. Our TA put us down for "Select Dining" when she made our booking. That one I understand.

 

I had a look at our itinerary and worked out what nights I wanted to book to dine in various specialty restaurants and today went online and made those reservations.

 

I can't see what you're supposed to do for Luminae. I thought if you wanted to have breakfast there, you'd just show up and if there was room, you'd get in. Likely similar for lunch. Is that correct?

 

For dinner, can you make reservations for specific nights and times online? I couldn't find that on Celebrity's site. Do you wait till you're onboard and make reservations then? Would appreciate some advice on what you need to do.

 

We just off Summit, it was always half empty in the Luminae (we like to eat early...). S class Luminae might be different...

[rockdoctor]

Luminae is a truly unique experience. We had our favorite waiter no matter when we arrived and where we sat! The Luminae staff on the Equinox is awesome. My scotch was on the table before my napkin was in my lap.

[jagoffee]

Thank you everyone for your quick replies. I understand now and appreciate your advice.

Unless you want to prepay your gratuities you should just indicate early or late dining, so you can use OBC for payment. For dining in Luminae it made no difference. On our last cruise they did not really take reservations, but we tend to eat on the earlier side. We never once had to wait. Latest for us was 7:30 PM.

 

By the way we loved the Luminae experience overall. We had nine sea days, but we only had lunch in Luminae once. We just like to sit outside weather permitting. But we dined there every evening, but two. Save room for the sweets cart on formal/chic nights. For us it makes it really difficult not to strongly consider a suite for our cabin choice.

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Edited December 28, 2015 by jagoffee

[Northern Aurora]

We were in a Sky Suite on the Equinox last October. Despite being urged by our butler to make nightly dinner reservations the Luminae maitre d' told us just to arrive when convenient for us. We never waited more than two or three minutes to be seated.

[actuarian]

My wife and I just got off the Christmas cruise on the Constellation. We discovered that there is a lot of confusion about Luminae dinner reservations but it didn't really matter because nobody ever had to wait more than 2 or 3 minutes to be seated at Luminae. The shoreside concierge told us that, since we had Celebrity Select dining and were in a suite, we could just make Celebrity Select reservations via the web site and they would be treated as Luminae reservations. In fact, they were processed as main dining room reservations. However, when we boarded, Eric (the Michael's club concierge) rebooked them as Luminae reservations. However, as I said, it never mattered. The people in the suite next door to ours never made any reservations and were always seated immediately anyway.

[Caribbean Chris]

We had an outstanding experience in Luminae on Reflection this month. We just showed up the first evening early and reconfirmed that we would be early diners and ideally we needed a wall or corner table with space for my large Lab service dog. The manager showed us to an absolutely perfect table at the far end, and we enjoyed every evening to the fullest. Wonderful service and food, always an option to order from the MDR menu, and an excellent wine steward.

 

Our table was waiting for us every night. Never a wait, perhaps since we were early. But there was never anyone standing around waiting when we left, either. Seating seemed to flow very smoothly.

 

Michael's Club, by the way, was very nice - and we never saw more than a dozen people there. Usually just a handful. It's a wonderful benefit added for SS.

 

I'm so glad we have another suite booking next year and, as jagoffee said, makes it very hard to resist for the future.

[RoofingPrincess]

Is Luminae open for lunch on boarding day? Sure would be nice to have a sit down lunch...

[Caribbean Chris]

Is Luminae open for lunch on boarding day? Sure would be nice to have a sit down lunch...

 

From all I have read on this forum, yes. Our 12/12 embarkation was delayed a few hours by a "joke" bomb threat, so we didn't get to find out on Reflection.

[floatplan]

Is Luminae open for lunch on boarding day? Sure would be nice to have a sit down lunch...

 

Yes they are open but confirm the exact times. On my cruise that day had short Noon-1pm hours. They was refused to seat me at 1:15, nice welcome to the suite life. If you are RS or PH other pay venues may be open like The Porch and free to you.

[WEGL81]

Is Luminae open for lunch on boarding day? Sure would be nice to have a sit down lunch...

 

On our recent Connie cruise, it was open from 12-1:30, I think. It was almost a solitary lunch experience as there was only one other couple in there with us.

 

I didn't like Luminae dinner menus. The choices are extremely limited and they only show an appetizer and entree. Don't be afraid to ask for something else, like a caesar salad or some other item. Also, take the time to preview the menu as there was one day where we simply couldn't fathom eating anything on their menu, so we ate elsewhere. Breakfast in Blu was also better because Luminae doesn't serve the tableside muesli. Also, at least on Connie, Luminae was not open for lunch (or brunch) on port days.

 

Desserts in Luminae were divine, however.

[tangerinebunny]

The staff checks the reservation schedule daily and knows that you're dining in another venue. So that's not a problem.

 

We had the same waiter each night and if we knew we were changing our dinner time, we just mentioned it to him at breakfast. btw, service is excellent.

 

I'm on a low sodium diet and he brought me anything I wanted when I didn't care for the menu choices. And he and the chef consulted on my options nightly. I could not have asked for better care.

[TeeRick]

Just ask your suite Butler on the first day to make Luminae reservations for the week for you, or to match whatever dining schedule you desire. Our Butler on Reflection walked us down there after boarding for lunch - it was open. It was closed for lunch on port days. We had a great experience in Luminae and we were given the choice nightly of ordering items from both the Luminae menu and the MDR menu.

[Xport]

And the Maitre 'D [Reflection; 5 to 12 December] confirmed that when I tried to make 6:45 PM dinner reservations for the week following lunch--in Luminae--on boarding day [served from Noon until 2:00 on that sailing; check Celebrity Today]...

 

When I showed up for dinner without a reservation at 6:45 on the first evening [subsequent evenings were fine], there was a forty minute wait for a table; I instead went to The Oceanview in order to preserve my post-dinner plans... I'm not a fussy guest, I was not on the verge of starvation, and perhaps it was a "one off", but admit to being somewhat infuriated by the initial bad advice... For what it's worth, I'll insist upon making a reservation for the first night in the future...

[jagoffee]

And the Maitre 'D [Reflection; 5 to 12 December] confirmed that when I tried to make 6:45 PM dinner reservations for the week following lunch--in Luminae--on boarding day [served from Noon until 2:00 on that sailing; check Celebrity Today]...

 

When I showed up for dinner without a reservation at 6:45 on the first evening [subsequent evenings were fine], there was a forty minute wait for a table; I instead went to The Oceanview in order to preserve my post-dinner plans... I'm not a fussy guest, I was not on the verge of starvation, and perhaps it was a "one off", but admit to being somewhat infuriated by the initial bad advice... For what it's worth, I'll insist upon making a reservation for the first night in the future...

Just to confirm-when you showed up on the first night at 6:45 PM without a reservations others came while you were waiting and were seated ahead of you. This would imply they had reservations? Or was there just a line of people waiting to give a table that was 40 minutes long?

[Xport]

Just to confirm-when you showed up on the first night at 6:45 PM without a reservations others came while you were waiting and were seated ahead of you. This would imply they had reservations? Or was there just a line of people waiting to give a table that was 40 minutes long?

 

Those who had made reservations--perhaps despite the hopefully consistent advice of the Maitre 'D or at the insistence of their Butlers--were seated relatively promptly... Those of us who arrived without reservations ~ 6:45 were told that there would be a forty minute wait for a table...

[jagoffee]

Those who had made reservations--perhaps despite the hopefully consistent advice of the Maitre 'D or at the insistence of their Butlers--were seated relatively promptly... Those of us who arrived without reservations ~ 6:45 were told that there would be a forty minute wait for a table...

 

Amazing. Not a good way to start your Luminae experience. I also would have not been pleased either. I am glad it was only for one day.

 

Perhaps some of others were waiting in the Michael's club. We were fortunate to always be seated immediately. As you know the venue is not really set up with a bar for waiting. Now that the SS has been added everyone can go to Michael's Club to wait if necessary.

[cruiserone]

We were on The Summit end of April and had the most amazing staff in Luminae!!! Lucky us. But the hostess asked us every night, while departing the dining room, if we would like to reserve a time for the next night. Some nights we did and we did let them know when we were dining elsewhere.

 

I am looking forward to Luminae on the Equinox in a few weeks:D Hear it is wonderful. Does anyone know who the maitre'd is or the hostess?

 

Happy Sailing Everyone!!

[VideoTech]

We are booked on Silhouette in May in a suite and I've been searching this forum to find out about Luminae. Our TA put us down for "Select Dining" when she made our booking. That one I understand.

 

I had a look at our itinerary and worked out what nights I wanted to book to dine in various specialty restaurants and today went online and made those reservations.

 

I can't see what you're supposed to do for Luminae. I thought if you wanted to have breakfast there, you'd just show up and if there was room, you'd get in. Likely similar for lunch. Is that correct?

 

For dinner, can you make reservations for specific nights and times online? I couldn't find that on Celebrity's site. Do you wait till you're onboard and make reservations then? Would appreciate some advice on what you need to do.

 

Although Celebrity "suggests" reservations for Luminae for dinner, we only did that for our first and second nights. You are only allowed to do it one day in advance anyway...can't do it for the whole cruise all at once.

 

In any case, after our first two nights, we observed that Luminae was hardly ever full, even at prime U.S. dinner hour (7pm). For the rest of the cruise we just showed up whenever we were ready to eat, and we never had to wait, and could usually request a table with our favorite server. It's possible that Luminae is more crowded later in the evening as there were many more Europeans on the cruise, and they do tend to eat dinner later than we do.

 

Breakfast & Lunch: Just show up, no wait.

 

Edited to add that this was on Reflection.

Edited December 30, 2015 by VideoTech

[VideoTech]

On our recent Connie cruise, it was open from 12-1:30, I think. It was almost a solitary lunch experience as there was only one other couple in there with us.

 

I didn't like Luminae dinner menus. The choices are extremely limited and they only show an appetizer and entree. Don't be afraid to ask for something else, like a caesar salad or some other item. Also, take the time to preview the menu as there was one day where we simply couldn't fathom eating anything on their menu, so we ate elsewhere. Breakfast in Blu was also better because Luminae doesn't serve the tableside muesli. Also, at least on Connie, Luminae was not open for lunch (or brunch) on port days.

 

Desserts in Luminae were divine, however.

 

You can order from the MDR menu in Luminae, or a combination of both. We did that often.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We indicated on the 1st day, either at lunch or via the MC concierge that we would be eating at 8:00 each evening. So, you can make a reservation for the whole cruise in advance. Twice we wanted to go earlier. They were able to accommodate us one time but not the other.