The open dining option on Celebrity M and S ships for repositioning

[ItalLine2Cunard]

I have traveled on QM2 three times and was automatically assigned the late seating (8:30 pm) twice and, this last time, I was assigned the early seating (6:00 pm).  I thought the early seating would be better, but it wasn't, at least for me. The fitness center and library closed at 8:00 pm. I found you could dine at the late seating and then make the 10 p.m. shows if you wanted to do that.  Also, the late seating was better because it puts more time between it and QM2's fancy afternoon tea that they put on.

 

At any rate, I knew of the open seating option.  I also came to find out that fixed seating folks sat on the main level of the Britannia Restaurant and open dining folks were using the mezzanine deck of the restaurant one level up!

 

Same question for a Celebrity repositioning.  This would be for crossing solo.  The biggest pro seems to be flexibility and meeting new people.  The biggest con might be that you wouldn't have the same folks at the table if you've formed somewhat of a bond.  The tables were for 8 people.  On 2 crossings, the bonds were very strong and, on 1 crossing, the bond was fairly strong. 

 

How do you view the open seating option and could it be a little stressful or uncomfortable?  Any suggestions on how to navigate this option?

[canderson]

22 minutes ago, ItalLine2Cunard said:

Same question for a Celebrity repositioning.  This would be for crossing solo.  The biggest pro seems to be flexibility and meeting new people.  The biggest con might be that you wouldn't have the same folks at the table if you've formed somewhat of a bond.  The tables were for 8 people.  On 2 crossings, the bonds were very strong and, on 1 crossing, the bond was fairly strong.

Doesn't really matter if you're on a repo cruise or any other apart from the lack of shorex on many at-sea days where dining time isn't hostage to returning and cleaning up from the shorex.

 

You don't say which ship (dining room configuration is rather different on E class) or which cabin class (potentially different 'default' dining venue), so that would help. Though in general, I'd say ...

 

As for the 'bond', if it's that good for everyone, just agree to meet together at a particular time and let the M'd know you'd like a table together each night and see how that goes.

[jelayne]

With open dining ( anytime) if you are solo you would be seated by yourself unless you asked when arriving at the dining room for a shared table.  Then they would seated you with others who are also looking to share a table.

 

If you select tradition early or late seating you will have the same table, same table guests and wait staff each evening. 

[the penguins]

22 hours ago, ItalLine2Cunard said:

I have traveled on QM2 three times and was automatically assigned the late seating (8:30 pm) twice and, this last time, I was assigned the early seating (6:00 pm).  I thought the early seating would be better, but it wasn't, at least for me. The fitness center and library closed at 8:00 pm. I found you could dine at the late seating and then make the 10 p.m. shows if you wanted to do that.  Also, the late seating was better because it puts more time between it and QM2's fancy afternoon tea that they put on.

 

At any rate, I knew of the open seating option.  I also came to find out that fixed seating folks sat on the main level of the Britannia Restaurant and open dining folks were using the mezzanine deck of the restaurant one level up!

 

Same question for a Celebrity repositioning.  This would be for crossing solo.  The biggest pro seems to be flexibility and meeting new people.  The biggest con might be that you wouldn't have the same folks at the table if you've formed somewhat of a bond.  The tables were for 8 people.  On 2 crossings, the bonds were very strong and, on 1 crossing, the bond was fairly strong. 

 

How do you view the open seating option and could it be a little stressful or uncomfortable?  Any suggestions on how to navigate this option?

on M and S class theatre shows are usually 7.00 and 9.00.

Traditional dining times are set to reflect the theatre times:

Early dining you see the late show

Late dining you see the early show.

You will share with the same table companions each night.

Any Time Dining: you can pre book a time that suits you either for every day, some days or whatever.

Or you just turn up and depending on how busy it is you may be seated straight away or you may be asked to wait - if the later you can take a pager/buzzer  and wait in any bar/lounge etc.

On arriving at the check in desk you can ask to share a table (different people each time) and ask for your preffered table size (we like 6) but this is not guaranteed.

All the above assumes you are not in Aqua Class or a suite.

We always have Any Time, prebooked for 6.30 which gives a nice leisurely dinner ready for the late theatre show.

If you decide to pre book do it early as places fill fast.

 

[ItalLine2Cunard]

Thanks, all!

 

How common is it for small groups of people who meet early on in the cruise to go for a table together at open seating?  Or do most folks just go in random?

 

I suppose you can switch while into the voyage.  Is it preferable/more common to go from assigned to open or vice-versa?

[the penguins]

Arriving at the desk with "friends" and asking to be sat together should be Ok depending on the numbers. For example if you were a group of 4 you might end up on a table of 6 or 8. It would depend on the availability that night and how long you were prepared to wait. The Check in staff will be as helpful as possible. As always being polite and asking for help works better than demanding - you always get more with honey than with salt.

Not easy to swop from fixed to any time or vv = generally the Head Waiter will help if you have specific issues. 

[gold1953]

2 hours ago, ItalLine2Cunard said:

Thanks, all!

 

How common is it for small groups of people who meet early on in the cruise to go for a table together at open seating?  Or do most folks just go in random?

 

I suppose you can switch while into the voyage.  Is it preferable/more common to go from assigned to open or vice-versa?

assigned to open is not easy. There is usually a wait list before sailing just from those who booked too late 

[jlawrence01]

8 hours ago, ItalLine2Cunard said:

Thanks, all!

 

How common is it for small groups of people who meet early on in the cruise to go for a table together at open seating?  Or do most folks just go in random?

 

I suppose you can switch while into the voyage.  Is it preferable/more common to go from assigned to open or vice-versa?

 

On Celebrity Millennium, we were seated with three other couples.  At the end of the meal, the wives went to the staff and requested a table together for the entire cruise.

 

We do NOT like the timing of Celebrity's meals and shows.  We wish to eat early and see the early show as we do on HAL and Princess.  

 

If you get fixed time dining on Celebrity, you are stuck with it.  You cannot switch even if you have a shore excursion run long.  This makes it hard to enjoy a Celebrity cruise in Alaska where the port times are usually late in the day.

 

If you get "any time" dining, you can eat whenever BUT you get different wait staff nightly and they will not know your preferences.

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, jlawrence01 said:

 

On Celebrity Millennium, we were seated with three other couples.  At the end of the meal, the wives went to the staff and requested a table together for the entire cruise.

 

We do NOT like the timing of Celebrity's meals and shows.  We wish to eat early and see the early show as we do on HAL and Princess.  

 

If you get fixed time dining on Celebrity, you are stuck with it.  You cannot switch even if you have a shore excursion run long.  This makes it hard to enjoy a Celebrity cruise in Alaska where the port times are usually late in the day.

 

If you get "any time" dining, you can eat whenever BUT you get different wait staff nightly and they will not know your preferences.

sounds as if HAL and Princess are a better fit for you.

We have also cruised on the 3 lines and X's timings are a better fit for us.

Isn't it great to have choices.

The OP's requests was only for repositioning cruises in fact from other threads they started only for the Transatlantic.

[ItalLine2Cunard]

Well, that takes care of that.  I checked this morning and, on Celebrity for eastbound repositioning next year, all that's available is late seating.  The wait list for open seating is closed, and has been for a while, and there is a short wait list for early seating.

 

On the three Cunard sailings I've been on, I preferred the late seating over the early one.  The big difference is that they had 10 p.m. shows, allowing for 1:30 minutes to eat dinner.  It did put dinner and late night snacks closer together, though, but allowed for a more spread out day prior to dinner.

 

The takeaway is that open seating goes away too fast and that people seem to prefer early seating over later seating.  I found the early seating on QM2 too early for how I'm wired.

[gold1953]

20 minutes ago, ItalLine2Cunard said:

Well, that takes care of that.  I checked this morning and, on Celebrity for eastbound repositioning next year, all that's available is late seating.  The wait list for open seating is closed, and has been for a while, and there is a short wait list for early seating.

 

On the three Cunard sailings I've been on, I preferred the late seating over the early one.  The big difference is that they had 10 p.m. shows, allowing for 1:30 minutes to eat dinner.  It did put dinner and late night snacks closer together, though, but allowed for a more spread out day prior to dinner.

 

The takeaway is that open seating goes away too fast and that people seem to prefer early seating over later seating.  I found the early seating on QM2 too early for how I'm wired.

I booked late a couple of times but get a spot due to a medical reason 

[lorimay]

2 hours ago, ItalLine2Cunard said:

Well, that takes care of that.  I checked this morning and, on Celebrity for eastbound repositioning next year, all that's available is late seating.  The wait list for open seating is closed, and has been for a while, and there is a short wait list for early seating.

 

On the three Cunard sailings I've been on, I preferred the late seating over the early one.  The big difference is that they had 10 p.m. shows, allowing for 1:30 minutes to eat dinner.  It did put dinner and late night snacks closer together, though, but allowed for a more spread out day prior to dinner.

 

The takeaway is that open seating goes away too fast and that people seem to prefer early seating over later seating.  I found the early seating on QM2 too early for how I'm wired.

I guarantee that if you want open seating, you can just show up at the podium on the open seating level of the dining room (or one of the four complimentary dining venues on the Edge class) and tell them you want open seating. They will either switch you to open dining for the rest of the cruise or they can accomodate you night by night. They are really willing to help and won't insist you go to your fixed dining table.

[the penguins]

45 minutes ago, lorimay said:

I guarantee that if you want open seating, you can just show up at the podium on the open seating level of the dining room (or one of the four complimentary dining venues on the Edge class) and tell them you want open seating. They will either switch you to open dining for the rest of the cruise or they can accomodate you night by night. They are really willing to help and won't insist you go to your fixed dining table.

Guarantee?

Bearing in mind you won't be there when the OP checks in at the desk in order to implement your guarantee does the OP just have to say " I would like open seating please as guaranteed by Lorimay" 🤣😂 

I believe that  E Class is a different as there is now no fixed dining on that class of ship and any way it's not relevant as the OP is not booked on an E Class ship.

[bigbenboys]

4 hours ago, the penguins said:

I believe that  E Class is a different as there is now no fixed dining on that class of ship and any way it's not relevant as the OP is not booked on an E Class ship.

Yes that is my understanding also about E-Class ships.