Dining on the Eclipse

Trying to book the Eclipse MDR on line but not able to. Cruising in May. Does anyone have any idea when online booking might open?

Does anyone have any views about the speciality restaurants. Think I will try Tuscan grill but what about the others?

Thanks

double post

We were on Eclipse in December. We had select dining so no need to book anything in MDR.

We ate twice in Tuscan, once at regular price. They called us a few days later and offered 50% off if we would come back one of the last two nights of the cruise. (This was a 14 day trip.) We accepted, of course! Tuscan is my favorite fee restaurant on all of the Celebrity ships that offer it. If there are two of you a table by the back window is usually offered and I love to watch the wake.

As part of your booking process you (or your TA) had to select a dining preference.

• Early fixed seating
  
• Late fixed seating
  
• Select Anytime dinig
  

Which if these did you get assigned to?

Obviously if you are assigned to either fixed seating times, there is no opportunity to "book" it, you are already booked at whatever time your particular itinerary has its early and late fixed seating.

If you have Select Dining, I do not know if it's even an option to pre-book seating I think you have to do this on board.

If you have Select Dining, you would have been required to prepay all gratuities as part of your booking.

Have had select dinning on 2 of our last 3 cruises. I booked our times very early on,on both occasions. Can change easily when on board but I preferred to have a pre booked time and join the booked line.

As part of your booking process you (or your TA) had to select a dining preference.

• Early fixed seating
  
• Late fixed seating
  
• Select Anytime dinig
  

Which if these did you get assigned to?

 

Obviously if you are assigned to either fixed seating times, there is no opportunity to "book" it, you are already booked at whatever time your particular itinerary has its early and late fixed seating.

 

If you have Select Dining, I do not know if it's even an option to pre-book seating I think you have to do this on board.

 

If you have Select Dining, you would have been required to prepay all gratuities as part of your booking.

We have booked Select Dining on our two last sailings on the Eclipse.Tried to book the first nights seating online before sailing.On presentating ourselves at the MDR at the aloted time there wasnt any record of our booking,what a waste of effort.Its Left hand Right hand problem again with Celebrity.

Why book select then try and pre book an allocated time, surely the whole point of select is the ability to have that flexibility on a daily basis ?

No, that's not the whole point of Select, we book it because 6:30 is too early for us and 8:30 is too late, we would like 7:30 every night so that's why we book Select

We booked Select Dining to choose when we wish to eat.We book the first night in advance at a time we want then book as we go along or just turn up.The first night is always a bit of a scramble and the booking is supposed to make things easier for us and more leisurely.If the booking is not recognised then it defeats the whole point.

No, that's not the whole point of Select, we book it because 6:30 is too early for us and 8:30 is too late, we would like 7:30 every night so that's why we book Select

So you just turn up at 7-30 and by all accounts wait no longer than 5 minutes, if everyone started pre booking certain times in between its not fair on those that want the flexibility.

How can it not be "fair" when the cruise line sets up the system to allow it?

We desire the same table and waiter for stability and comfort with our server. If Celebreity wanted to keep up from making a standing reservation, they would change the system.

Our standing reservations doesn't really impact your flexibility

So you just turn up at 7-30 and by all accounts wait no longer than 5 minutes, if everyone started pre booking certain times in between its not fair on those that want the flexibility.

And how fair is it that those who want dedicated dining times outside the standard MDR fixed times should be asked to not book just so those who want truly find seating can have their seating?

System is fine as it is.

I don't understand why folks get so out of kilter having to wait even up to 30 minutes to be seated at any dining venue - reserved seating or not - any restaurant this would be somewhat typical on a weekend, and there are plenty of places to kill 30 minutes in proximity to the restaurants.

if everyone started pre booking certain times in between

And as my 2nd grade teacher taught me, let's not play the "what if game" - it's a huge waste of time.

So you just turn up at 7-30 and by all accounts wait no longer than 5 minutes, if everyone started pre booking certain times in between its not fair on those that want the flexibility.

Because there are some people who have a need to manage everything they do on board. I'm not one of those and I'm not saying the OP is one of those but it is just human nature.

I'm amazed that the concept of "fairness" comes in at all in this discussion. :)

We do need to manage meal times, and the system is set up to allow us to. I don't see that there's anything unfair in making a standing reservation

Trying to book the Eclipse MDR on line but not able to. Cruising in May. Does anyone have any idea when online booking might open?

 

Does anyone have any views about the speciality restaurants. Think I will try Tuscan grill but what about the others?

 

Thanks

Your choice should have been made with your TA(if you used one)You can still change it once on board. Just go to the Maitre D once you get settled.

I don't understand why folks get so out of kilter having to wait even up to 30 minutes to be seated at any dining venue - reserved seating or not - any restaurant this would be somewhat typical on a weekend, and there are plenty of places to kill 30 minutes in proximity to the restaurants.

In our experience, only in the USA. It is the only place in the world where we have been expected to wait when we have made a fixed reservation. It is also more common for restaurants not to take reservation in the USA than anywhere else we have been. It always appears to me that making customers wait for a table in the USA is seen as desirable. Few restaurants would succeed if they adopted that practice in the UK - a country that is said to enjoy queuing.