Celebrity Anytime Dining vs. Select

[Purplsmurf]

18 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

Not correct

Yes they are. Celebrity has Select dining (which some call anytime) and Traditional dining, which is a set time 

[Oceangoer2]

On 8/7/2024 at 10:02 PM, jelayne said:

Contact who you booked with ( TA or direct) and ask to be waitlisted for Anytime dining.  You may clear the waitlist before boarding.  If not check with the MaitreD on board, they will do what they can to make the  change.

deleted

Edited August 10 by Oceangoer2

[Oceangoer2]

On 8/7/2024 at 8:59 PM, bleacher04 said:

Hi there folks, newbies to Celebrity, looking at a cruise later this year. "Anytime" dining appears to be unavailable (much to my surprise), which is what we normally do on other lines. So that pushes us to "Select" dining at 8:30 pm. And so here's the actual question: can we just accept the 8:30 pm slot and then show up whenever we want for Anytime dining? Most lines don't really care, but maybe some do?
Thank you for your experience & advice!

 

Under Manage Your Reservation and Dining Time you can wait list your preference.  We have Anytime, so that is greyed out.

 

[JHUNTGOLF]

20 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

Not correct

Under the Celebrity website’s FAQs, here’s what it states:

What is Celebrity Select Dining Anytime?

Celebrity Select Dining Anytime is one of the options to choose from when you book your cruise. Unlike Celebrity Select Early or Late Dining — where a dining time is assigned to you — guests who opt for Anytime Dining can make a reservation in the main restaurant anytime during dinner hours.  Guests on Edge series ships can also choose from four main dining restaurants. Pre-cruise reservations are strongly recommended in My Celebrity Cruise. 

For guests with reservations, the dining staff will have your table ready for you so you can avoid a delay in seating. If you would like a specific waiter or table, the dining staff are more likely to be able to accommodate your request with reservations (however, please note this is based on availability). 

Guests can check in at the Celebrity Select Dining Anytime desk at the restaurant entrance and be greeted by dining staff.

Celebrity Select Dining Anytime is a choice within the booking process. When making a reservation you will be offered “Anytime” or " Early” or “Late"* (i.e., 6:30 pm & 8:00 pm). 

 *Early and Late dining times may vary by ship and itinerary.

 

 

Our experience, contrary to what others have said, is that you can make specific dining reservations if you have the Anytime Dining Option, and those reservations are honored when you arrive at the specific MDR.  We always do it online as soon as we can since that is when most times are available to be reserved  For example, four of us did a 7 night Ascent cruise this past February.  We made 6:30pm reservations each of the seven nights rotating between the Cosmopolitan, Normandie, and Tuscan MDRs.  We never cared for the Cyprus MDR on previous Edge series ships so we elected to not make any reservations there.  My wife and I did the same thing on the Ascent for our upcoming 12 night Mediterranean cruise leaving September 2—6:30pm reservations for two rotating among the Cosmopolitan, Normandie, and Tuscan MDRs for the 12 nights of the cruise.  Once the reservations are made, you receive an order confirmation document from Celebrity documenting your choices.  I always make copies of these order confirmation documents for dinner reservations and other things, such as the paid for shore excursions and the upgrade to the Premium Beverage Package, and bring them with me in case there are any onboard questions about what was reserved or what has already been purchased.

 

Hope this helps.

 

John

 

 

 

 

[awhcruiser]

2 hours ago, JHUNTGOLF said:

Under the Celebrity website’s FAQs, here’s what it states:

What is Celebrity Select Dining Anytime?

Celebrity Select Dining Anytime is one of the options to choose from when you book your cruise. Unlike Celebrity Select Early or Late Dining — where a dining time is assigned to you — guests who opt for Anytime Dining can make a reservation in the main restaurant anytime during dinner hours.  Guests on Edge series ships can also choose from four main dining restaurants. Pre-cruise reservations are strongly recommended in My Celebrity Cruise. 

For guests with reservations, the dining staff will have your table ready for you so you can avoid a delay in seating. If you would like a specific waiter or table, the dining staff are more likely to be able to accommodate your request with reservations (however, please note this is based on availability). 

Guests can check in at the Celebrity Select Dining Anytime desk at the restaurant entrance and be greeted by dining staff.

Celebrity Select Dining Anytime is a choice within the booking process. When making a reservation you will be offered “Anytime” or " Early” or “Late"* (i.e., 6:30 pm & 8:00 pm). 

 *Early and Late dining times may vary by ship and itinerary.

 

 

Our experience, contrary to what others have said, is that you can make specific dining reservations if you have the Anytime Dining Option, and those reservations are honored when you arrive at the specific MDR.  We always do it online as soon as we can since that is when most times are available to be reserved  For example, four of us did a 7 night Ascent cruise this past February.  We made 6:30pm reservations each of the seven nights rotating between the Cosmopolitan, Normandie, and Tuscan MDRs.  We never cared for the Cyprus MDR on previous Edge series ships so we elected to not make any reservations there.  My wife and I did the same thing on the Ascent for our upcoming 12 night Mediterranean cruise leaving September 2—6:30pm reservations for two rotating among the Cosmopolitan, Normandie, and Tuscan MDRs for the 12 nights of the cruise.  Once the reservations are made, you receive an order confirmation document from Celebrity documenting your choices.  I always make copies of these order confirmation documents for dinner reservations and other things, such as the paid for shore excursions and the upgrade to the Premium Beverage Package, and bring them with me in case there are any onboard questions about what was reserved or what has already been purchased.

 

Hope this helps.

 

John

 

 

 

 

 

My invoice reads 8:30 PM CEL SLCT.   The invoice for the next cruise reads anytime dining.

[Purplsmurf]

2 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

My invoice reads 8:30 PM CEL SLCT.   The invoice for the next cruise reads anytime dining.

Are they 2 different class ships? Is the first an E class ship?

[awhcruiser]

26 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

Are they 2 different class ships? Is the first an E class ship?

Celebrity Beyond for both cruises..

[cruisestitch]

On 8/9/2024 at 8:45 PM, awhcruiser said:

Not correct

They do seem to use them interchangeably so…..

[RichYak]

On 8/9/2024 at 1:38 PM, 39august said:

Doesn't "Select"and "Anytime: mean the same thing? No fixed time?

No. All dining is referred to as "Select" by Celebrity. There is Celebrity Select Early, Celebrity Select Late, and Celebrity Select Anytime.

[Marie51]

I’m still confused about this. For my cruise the only time available to make reservations is 9 PM so what would happen if we showed up at 6 PM?

[RichYak]

21 minutes ago, Marie51 said:

I’m still confused about this. For my cruise the only time available to make reservations is 9 PM so what would happen if we showed up at 6 PM?

You'll be seated when a table becomes available for you. That could be immediate, or it could take a bit of time.

[cruisestitch]

1 hour ago, Marie51 said:

I’m still confused about this. For my cruise the only time available to make reservations is 9 PM so what would happen if we showed up at 6 PM?

This is on an e class ship, correct?

[Marie51]

36 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

This is on an e class ship, correct?

Beyond

[NCTribeFan]

2 hours ago, RichYak said:

No. All dining is referred to as "Select" by Celebrity. There is Celebrity Select Early, Celebrity Select Late, and Celebrity Select Anytime.

No wonder some of us are confused!  Why can't they just called them Fixed and Anytime?

 

I'm on a side-to-side on Reflection, then Beyond.  Just discovered that I was changed (I requested to be waitlisted for Anytime), as requested, from Late to Anytime on Reflection.  Beyond still shows as Late (also waitlisted for Anytime).

 

But, according to others, I don't actually need to be concerned about Beyond still showing me as Late.  I can just show up where and when I want although I'll probably still plan on finding the desk for reservations once I board and request the change since I cannot eat at 8:30.

 

For Reflection, I'll probably book a reservation at each of the four MDRs and see which I like most for the last night.

[RichYak]

10 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

For Reflection, I'll probably book a reservation at each of the four MDRs and see which I like most for the last night.

There is only one Main Dining Room on Reflection.

[DennysDad]

Kinda crazy. I booked Beyond for May at Next Cruise while on Icon (Too many not potty trained toddlers in the pools) The agent asked me about dinning times and I picked early. Never was told about any flexibility. I love the idea of not rushing to get dressed. Hoping you guys are right about no real specific time. Seems like a better system. They should really explain at booking. 

Edited August 12 by DennysDad

[ChittyChittyBangBang]

4 hours ago, RichYak said:

No. All dining is referred to as "Select" by Celebrity. There is Celebrity Select Early, Celebrity Select Late, and Celebrity Select Anytime.

Uh!  Newbie question!  E series Ascent!  Can Celebrity Select Early and Celebrity Select Late choose to rotate dining at any of the 4 different dining venues ie...Cosmopolitan, Normandie, Tuscan and Cyprus MDR?

Edited August 12 by ChittyChittyBangBang

[RichYak]

34 minutes ago, ChittyChittyBangBang said:

Uh!  Newbie question!  E series Ascent!  Can Celebrity Select Early and Celebrity Select Late choose to rotate dining at any of the 4 different dining venues ie...Cosmopolitan, Normandie, Tuscan and Cyprus MDR?

If Ascent is honoring early and late seatings on your sailing, then no. You will have a designated table and wait staff in one of the 4 MDRs.

 

That said, oftentimes E-class ships ONLY do Anytime Dining, regardless of one's booking. I would not leave that to chance and instead would visit dining services upon boarding to switch to Anytime Dining. Hope is not a strategy I ever employ.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Alakegirl]

20 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

No wonder some of us are confused!  Why can't they just called them Fixed and Anytime?

we all would like that better!

20 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

 

For Reflection, I'll probably book a reservation at each of the four MDRs and see which I like most for the last night.

Reflection has only one MDR, not 4

[doghog]

19 hours ago, RichYak said:

That said, oftentimes E-class ships ONLY do Anytime Dining, regardless of one's booking. I would not leave that to chance and instead would visit dining services upon boarding to switch to Anytime Dining.

Agree. That has been our experience on E class ships. We will be on the Edge this September. We have Select Dining early. When we first board the ship we'll head to the MDR where requests are be taken and speak with them about how they are handling the dining. We don't care what they call it as long as we get the time we want and the table we want as we always dine in the same MDR. 

[RichYak]

21 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

No wonder some of us are confused!  Why can't they just called them Fixed and Anytime?

It's not confusing once you understand their point. Celebrity Select Dining gives you 3 options to "select" from: Early, Late, or Anytime.

[Travels4jen]

We chose the 6pm early seating (anytime was not available) on Ascent but might like to try the exclusive entrees and different atmospheres at each of the 4 MDRs. Will we be able to request a different MDR each night? Curious how sampling each MDR is possible for those not able to choose the ‘anytime’ option.

[RichYak]

20 minutes ago, Travels4jen said:

We chose the 6pm early seating (anytime was not available) on Ascent but might like to try the exclusive entrees and different atmospheres at each of the 4 MDRs. Will we be able to request a different MDR each night? Curious how sampling each MDR is possible for those not able to choose the ‘anytime’ option.

You can order any item from any dining room in whichever dining room you happen to be in. If you want to rotate for atmosphere, you'll need anytime dining, which you may have anyway despite the "early" notation on your booking.

[Travels4jen]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

You can order any item from any dining room in whichever dining room you happen to be in. If you want to rotate for atmosphere, you'll need anytime dining, which you may have anyway despite the "early" notation on your booking.

Thank you! My understanding is each MDR has a couple of options that are exclusive to its theme. So the exclusive entrees in Cyprus as shown here are not available in the Tuscany MDR. If we really wanted to try one of these Cyprus entrees but are assigned to Tuscany because of our ‘early’ seating, then we’d be out of luck. No big deal for us but it seems that Celebrity could make the whole process a lot simpler or at least make it clear that we all have ‘anytime’ dining if that’s the case.

[RichYak]

11 minutes ago, Travels4jen said:

Thank you! My understanding is each MDR has a couple of options that are exclusive to its theme. So the exclusive entrees in Cyprus as shown here are not available in the Tuscany MDR. If we really wanted to try one of these Cyprus entrees but are assigned to Tuscany because of our ‘early’ seating, then we’d be out of luck.

No you are not out of luck. As I wrote earlier, ALL items are available in ALL of the dining rooms. That includes the exclusives.