Prearranging Select Dining Time on X app

[Freckles_51]

Hello!  First Celebrity cruise coming up, begins March 27, I have linked 3 cruise reservation numbers together for a total of 4 people and trying to reserve Select dining times.  
 

The app shows  dining room opens at 5:30pm for Select dining, but the app does not show this time when I try to make a reservation, seems like 6:00 is the earliest on any day.  

Does this mean only walk-ins from 5:30-6:00, or does it mean bookings are full before 6:00?

We would like 5:30 time each day, are we better off not making reservations and just arriving at the dining room at 5:30?
 

Another two friends will be on the same cruise and may want to join us for dinner sometimes. How would we arrange this if we have reservations for 4 people?

 

Also Terms and conditions show that cancellations must be made 24 hours prior, otherwise there will be $10 per person charge. Is this only for Specialty restaurants or Select dining as well?

[Dancing Shoes]

Cancellation charge is for specialty restaurants.  I have read on previous posts that they allocate a percentage for walk-ups.  Keep in mind there is more than one dining room.  If one is busy, you could go to another one.  I would make a reservation of 6:00 for the first night.  Many people have said that there wasn't much of a wait when the dining room opened.  You can talk with Maitre'd about coordinating reservations. 

I went ahead and made reservations for all nights. 

[hrhdhd]

If you want to eat at 5:30, just show up at 5:30. You'll be seated quickly.