Brkf and Lunch in Dining Room

[W283386]

We will be on the Reflection next week.  We have not had breakfast or lunch on a ship in many years.  I remember in the past you were seated as you entered 

the dining room at a table with others.  That table would be filled up and then the next table would be used until full, etc.  Is that how it works now or are you able to request your own table?  Thanks.

[Essiesmom]

My experience is they assume you want your own table unless you tell them you are willing to share.  EM

[jelayne]

We don’t go to the dining room for breakfast.  We do go for lunch and you can ask for a shared table or just a table for you and your traveling companions.

 

[prmssk]

We were automatically seated by ourselves in May on the Eclipse each time we had breakfast or lunch in the MDR. 

[Cruise a holic]

We requested a table for two when we dined in the MDR.  No problem.

[1025cruise]

Just note that the MDR is only open for lunch on sea days.

[Pennstatedj]

We are just of the Equinox and had breakfast in meh every morning. We always requested a table for two and no problem. We also had lunch in meh on each sea day. We ate in Sushi on 5 on two port days and in Oceanview in the other port day and it was great. All experiences were great. The food was the same menus as before covid and was excellent. 

[upwarduk]

13 hours ago, Pennstatedj said:

The food was the same menus as before covid and was excellent. 

But be aware that service is very slow, especially at breakfast.

On Silhouette in October we waited for a very long time before a waiter came to serve us. He really didn’t know what he was doing.

[Mark_T]

Just be aware that even on a 'table for 2' you will typically be mere inches away from the next 'table for 2'.

[LB_NJ]

Exactly how it works depends on the ship.

 

I think generally they ask if you want to share a table.  However, if they don’t ask you can tell them.

 

Sometimes it is quicker to get seated if you are willing to share.  Depends on how busy they are.

[prmssk]

On 11/3/2023 at 12:36 PM, 1025cruise said:

Just note that the MDR is only open for lunch on sea days.

Although, I think this is often true, I learned several days into my last cruise (on the Eclipse), they actually opened the MDR for lunch most port days as well.  And I was on the Constellation in 2021 and they opened the MDR for both port days.  I think the Constellation was an exception because being a restart cruise, they expected more people to stay on the ship.  I'm not sure why they decided to open the MDR on our Eclipse cruise.

 

So check the paper Celebrity Today if you are interested in an MDR lunch even on a port day.

[kwokpot]

14 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Although, I think this is often true, I learned several days into my last cruise (on the Eclipse), they actually opened the MDR for lunch most port days as well.  And I was on the Constellation in 2021 and they opened the MDR for both port days.  I think the Constellation was an exception because being a restart cruise, they expected more people to stay on the ship.  I'm not sure why they decided to open the MDR on our Eclipse cruise.

 

So check the paper Celebrity Today if you are interested in an MDR lunch even on a port day.

That's quite interesting because I've never been on a Celebrity cruise where the MDR is open on a Port day. I don't see the rationale to do that especially when they're looking for cost savings and cutbacks. I COULD see a case being made to close the buffet for lunch and only open the MDR since that would DRASTICALLY cut down on food waste, but it boggles the mind why the MDR and buffet is open on a Port Day. 

[doghog]

21 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

That's quite interesting because I've never been on a Celebrity cruise where the MDR is open on a Port day. I don't see the rationale to do that especially when they're looking for cost savings and cutbacks. I COULD see a case being made to close the buffet for lunch and only open the MDR since that would DRASTICALLY cut down on food waste, but it boggles the mind why the MDR and buffet is open on a Port Day. 

The MDR and the OVC were open on our 8 October Pacific Coastal cruise for lunch on our way to San Francisco. We were scheduled to dock at 1:30 PM (actually docked at 1:00 PM). That was a first we've experienced that. Have no idea when it closed. We had a 'burger at the Mast Grill. Delicious. Cooked our way. Ate them in the OVC. 

Edited November 5, 2023 by doghog

[kwokpot]

11 minutes ago, doghog said:

The MDR and the OVC were open on our 8 October Pacific Coastal cruise for lunch on our way to San Francisco. We were scheduled to dock at 1:30 PM (actually docked at 1:00 PM). That was a first we've experienced that. Have no idea when it closed. We had a 'burger at the Mast Grill. Delicious. Cooked our way. Ate them in the OVC. 

I was having this discussion on a Fb group for a Carnival ship. Carnival doesn't even have a standardized lunch in the MDR (They offer instead a brunch that ends at 12) on most of their Caribbean sailings(longer sailing are different) yet it was brought up that they offered lunch not only on a seaday but a Port day on an Alaska sailing. I wonder if it is itinerary driven decision based on weather? Why would a cruise line that doesn't normally offer lunch in the MDR go and offer it on a Port day? 

Edited November 5, 2023 by kwokpot

[doghog]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I was having this discussion on a Fb group for a Carnival ship. Carnival doesn't even have a standardized lunch in the MDR (They offer instead a brunch that ends at 12) on most of their Caribbean sailings(longer sailing are different) yet it was brought up that they offered lunch not only on a seaday but a Port day on an Alaska sailing. I wonder if it is itinerary driven decision based on weather? Why would a cruise line that doesn't normally offer lunch in the MDR go and offer it on a Port day? 

We were surprised as it was a first for us. I guess there can always be an exception. The MD stopped by all the tables in our section of the MDR the evening before and was advising everyone about it. For our cruise weather was never an issue. We've done cruises out of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on Celebrity with late afternoon arrival times into San Juan and the MDR was never open on those intinaries.