Dining Poll

[Bridge Maven]

How do you feel about Celebrity's decision to introduce a Select Dining?

[ellbon]

it might be an easy way to try the MDR when in blu.

[satchiesmom]

Select dining really is a great addition to the choices already available on X. That being said, we much prefer traditional dining. We tried the As You Wish dining on HAL and missed getting to know our waitstaff and tablemates. It will be wonderful for those who aren't pleased with the dining times offered in the MDR.

[pris993]

As long as we continue to get Traditional, 2nd seating, table for 2 we will be fine. We don't do the alternative dining on any cruiselines.

[spearmint]

As long as we continue to get Traditional, 2nd seating, table for 2 we will be fine. We don't do the alternative dining on any cruiselines.

 

Ditto.

[snausman]

We eat every meal in the specialties resturant. But if there was not one we would eat second dining. First is just to early for us and second is to late. We like to eat around 7 to 7:30.

[FinelyCruising]

I like the idea of the variety of options. :)

[Gracie115]

I like the idea of the variety of options. :)

 

 

ABSOLUTELY....choice is a good thing....

[WELSH WIZARDS]

I choose ambivalent ....but I did not know what it meant. !! :D

[ It's a joke. ];)

[esther e]

The reason we are coming back to Celebrity again!!! We love open seating and would be hard pressed to sail with a line not offering it.

[gracecarmo]

At home here (Midwest) we usually eat at 6-6:30. When we cruise we always choose the early dining, however we usually do the Specialty, Alternative and Pasta/Pizza as well. That way, we can usually dine some of the time when we want to, except on the two formal evenings when we do go to the MDR.

 

We always tell our tablemates and waiter that we will be dining elsewhere if the occasion arises.

 

We probably would not sign up for the Select Dining, as it would involve making a reservation every night. I know we would have to have a res for the Specialty and Alternative, but that does not enter into our decision for traditional at all. We have done this for several X cruises and it works for us.

 

No standing in line with a buzzer! We choose traditional early seating.

[873Carrollroad]

As long as we can still have traditional dining, it is ok with me. We enjoy getting to know the waiter and assistant waiter for our table, that is part of the fun of the cruise for us.

[Bridge Maven]

Based on this poll, approximately 57 percent of Celebrity passengers prefer traditional dining, which just a little more than half.

[DougK]

Based on this poll, approximately 57 percent of Celebrity passengers prefer traditional dining, which just a little more than half.

 

I don't think one can draw that conclusion at all. It assumes that Cruise Critic participants are representative of Celebrity passengers over all, and further assumes that the subset of Cruise Critic participants who voted in the poll are likewise representative. In actuality, the poll doesn't tell us anything -- it's just amusement.

 

I have no idea what the real preferences are, and I doubt anybody else on Cruise Critic does either. For all I know, 90% of Celebrity passengers overall like traditional dining -- or maybe 10%. What I do have some confidence in -- not a lot, but some -- is that the people at Celebrity have studied this closely, and have a better idea than me as to what their passengers want overall.

[Jeka]

Based on this poll, approximately 57 percent of Celebrity passengers prefer traditional dining, which just a little more than half.

 

Sorry, nonsense. The few people who have answered your poll responded in favor of traditional don't begin to represent all Celebrity cruisers. A totally ridiculous comment to say "approximately 57 percent of Celebrity passengers prefer traditional dining."

 

The number of CC members who cruise on Celebrity is a minute percentage in comparison to all those who cruise Celebrity and do not even know Cruise Critic exists. Please!!

 

Doug K, you're right on!!

[Hamburg Avon Lady]

:) We are on the Solstice next Jan for 2 weeks --- I'll check it out then

and see how it works on the ship. We prefer the MDR -- we enjoy

meeting our table mates and sharing our adventures of the day. DH

and I don't have a very fancy social life --- so we enjoy dressing for

dinner and being waited on. ;)

[Jeka]

so we enjoy dressing for

dinner and being waited on. ;)

 

Not sure what you mean by this? What does this have to do with Select vs traditional?

[Bridge Maven]

I should have worded it better, so I will now - Approximately 57 percent of people who responded to this poll prefer traditional dining. Since this poll is not based on a scientifically selected random sample of all Celebrity passengers it may not be representative of what the results would be if a scientific poll was done.

 

In any event, I feel confident that Celebrity did a feasibility study prior to introducing Select Dining and based on that study felt that a significant number of its passengers want it.

[Jeka]

Bridge Maven, thanks. I guessed that maybe it was all in the wording!!;):p I know you aren't someone opposed to SD so was a bit surprised by your post.

[gospelle]

 

We probably would not sign up for the Select Dining, as it would involve making a reservation every night. I know we would have to have a res for the Specialty and Alternative, but that does not enter into our decision for traditional at all. We have done this for several X cruises and it works for us.

 

No standing in line with a buzzer! We choose traditional early seating.

 

I get the impression that many of you have not read the details of Select Dining.

 

We are doing Select Dining and our cruise is in about 3 months. I ALREADY have my reservations for all 11 nights. 7:45 for all port days and 6:45 for all sea days. It took me about 10 minutes on their website to set it all up. I will not need a buzzer, nor will I have to wait.

 

As far as I know, Celebrity is the only cruise line that does it this way and I think it's very cool. Essentially I have Traditional Dining but at a better time! (late seating was at 8:45).

[kb4683]

We are doing Select Dining and our cruise is in about 3 months. I ALREADY have my reservations for all 11 nights. 7:45 for all port days and 6:45 for all sea days. It took me about 10 minutes on their website to set it all up. I will not need a buzzer, nor will I have to wait.

 

Could you please share what ship/itinerary you were able to do this for? We are on Solstice 11/20/09 and 11/30/09, I just checked my reservations and am not able to do this on either. :(

 

Thank you.

[mrscrab]

Could someone explain why you have to stand with a buzzer in your hand on a cruise ship. Thanks.

[Xport]

it might be an easy way to try the MDR when in blu.

 

If you are in AquaClass and opt for Select Dining, all of your dinners will be in the Main Dining Room rather than in Blu; in essence, you change dining rooms for dinner [breakfast is still available in Blu to AquaClass passengers] so as to secure the opportunity to choose a dining time for each evening of the cruise. While I like the flexible dining concept in principle, that transfer negates one of my primary motivations for booking AquaClass...

 

Haven't otherwise seen this posted... Yesterday, I got a call from a Celebrity representative asking if I had heard about Select Dining, asking if I knew that it will be offered on my upcoming cruise [it's being rolled out on my sailing] and--when I answered in the affirmative to both--offering to answer any questions I might have had... I'm not changing my plans--Blu works well for me--but I thought it was a nice gesture...

[Wine-O]

Could you please share what ship/itinerary you were able to do this for? We are on Solstice 11/20/09 and 11/30/09, I just checked my reservations and am not able to do this on either. :(

 

Thank you.

 

It's not being phased in on Solstice until sometime in 2010.

[DHADEN]

Just a thought:

 

Don't you think the people who chose

"I am thrilled...." (27%)

and those who chose

"I plan on trying...."(10%)

will be the same people?