Carnival Celebration free specialty dining

[kwokpot]

1 minute ago, kwokpot said:

Carnival's own website. 

If you look at the deck plans there's actually more cabins on the 2 newer ships. 

[CruizinSusan70]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

If you look at the deck plans there's actually more cabins on the 2 newer ships. 

Something looks funny here.  If the Jubilee has the same guest capacity as the Celebration at 5374, then why does the Celebration have their gross tonnage listed as 180,800, the same as the MG instead of 182,800, the same as the Jubilee?   The extra 46 cabins for the extra 92 people would correlate with the extra 2 K in gross tonnage.

[CruisingWalter]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Carnival's own website. 

 

So they squeezed in a few extra berths to add less than 100 people, most likely a few more interiors here and there. If it was 500 or more, than would be a big deal. But Celebration and Mardi Gras are for all intents and purposes the same size. Maximum capacity is still listed at 6500 for both ships  and that's most likely due to the lifeboat and limitations there. 

[kwokpot]

26 minutes ago, WheresWalter said:

 

So they squeezed in a few extra berths to add less than 100 people, most likely a few more interiors here and there. If it was 500 or more, than would be a big deal. But Celebration and Mardi Gras are for all intents and purposes the same size. Maximum capacity is still listed at 6500 for both ships  and that's most likely due to the lifeboat and limitations there. 

I never claimed it to be a big deal. I was just quoting the statistics that Carnival is putting out to support the view that Chibang and Cucina on E-Class ships are being used as MDRs. If Carnival ever decides to implement cover charges in those restaurants on that class of ships it would behoove everyone to skip YTD and go with Set Dining times. YTD in that scenario would be a fiasco. I suspect that will never be the case and Carnival, with this class of ship and probably any future new builds, will feature multiple smaller dining rooms which seems to be the new ship design with Celebrity, Virgin, NCL, MSC  (The last three are using the same basic ship design ).

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I never claimed it to be a big deal. I was just quoting the statistics that Carnival is putting out to support the view that Chibang and Cucina on E-Class ships are being used as MDRs. If Carnival ever decides to implement cover charges in those restaurants on that class of ships it would behoove everyone to skip YTD and go with Set Dining times. YTD in that scenario would be a fiasco. I suspect that will never be the case and Carnival, with this class of ship and probably any future new builds, will feature multiple smaller dining rooms which seems to be the new ship design with Celebrity, Virgin, NCL, MSC  (The last three are using the same basic ship design ).

Carnival could simply reserve more tables for YTD and less for traditional dining. They could expand hours for YTD and/or add additional traditional dining times. Carnival could eliminate Chibang and Cucina and others and convert them to regular MDR venues adding the more popular items from the former restaurants as surcharge items in all the MDRs. Carnival can do whatever they want.

[Knights on the Beach]

16 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Personal preference.  We don't do buffets much, never at dinner.  The wiener schnitzel was the best thing we had at the MDR and the prime rib was nice and red and not too marbleized.  Besides, you need to go to the MDR for Grand Marnier souffle and Bitter n Blanc.

Doesn't matter much, four sailings on the MG and she is in our rear view mirror.  On to five bookings on the Celebration.

 

Exactly, personal preference. We rarely go to the buffet either (once in the past six cruises) but in my opinion, we had a better meal at the buffet the one time we went than we did in two out of three times at the MDR on Mardi Gras. We'll be on MDR again in December and have reservations at Teppanyaki and Rudi's. The other five nights will be at Cucina, Pig & Anchor and Chibang. We did just book Celebration for next year - because it was over $700 less than Mardi Gras for the same week in the same cabin type.

[kwokpot]

3 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival could simply reserve more tables for YTD and less for traditional dining. They could expand hours for YTD and/or add additional traditional dining times. Carnival could eliminate Chibang and Cucina and others and convert them to regular MDR venues adding the more popular items from the former restaurants as surcharge items in all the MDRs. Carnival can do whatever they want.

They can also leave it just the way it is. Seems to be working out quite well. As I've said before the current implementation while unique for Carnival isn't for other cruise lines. Lots of things about the Excel class are game changing for Carnival so a new way of implementing main dining options could be just another component that separates these ships from the rest of the fleet. 

[BlerkOne]

56 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

They can also leave it just the way it is. Seems to be working out quite well. As I've said before the current implementation while unique for Carnival isn't for other cruise lines. Lots of things about the Excel class are game changing for Carnival so a new way of implementing main dining options could be just another component that separates these ships from the rest of the fleet. 

Change is inevitable. Carnival can still add a charge for the specialty restaurants as on other ships, but then would likely have to offer the same menu as on other ships. 

 

Carnival's implementation isn't so unlike other cruise lines that bundle specialty dining in and then charge different rates for the same cabin. Other than Carnival doesn't charge extra.