Select Vs. Traditional Dining

[etc1etc1etc1]

My wife and I are deciding between select and traditional dinner times. After speaking to an X representative it appears that if you choose select you nedd to make your reservations either 4 days prior to leaving or the mornning of. If this is truly the case does it really give you the added flexability of deciding when you want to eat at a given time as you have already made the reservation well ahead of time. If you choose to go with select can you decide at 6:30 PM that you want to eat at 7:30 PM or will the MDR be full?

[Johnthed0g]

I thought you just turned up, you may have to wait a while. Tips are pre-charged for select diners.

[eandj]

You can name the time and make the reservation for that time for the whole week. Or you can "walk up". The busiest time starts at close to 7 and runs till 8. If you aren't looking for a particular table size, you won't wait longer than 10-15 min. tho.

[GITC]

I find it kind of contradictory that for what is essentially supposed to be an 'anytime' dining option, you end up making a reservation for the time that you want to show up.

 

On Princess, 'anytime' means just that. Show up whenever you want. No need to make a reservation.

 

Interesting dichotomy.

[Johnthed0g]

Never tried it, never really fancied it...8-30 suits us & I can see us just ending up booking that time anyway, or near to it.

[wcal]

Traditional dining is just great for us. Tried freestyle once on Norwegian and did not like it. Sometimes we had to wait too long. I try to avoid anything that even resembles that type of dining.

[etc1etc1etc1]

Thanks for all the posts, it sounds as if the X rep may of had it slightly wrong. Come someone confirm that select is truly anytime, you just walk up and say you would like a table. I am fine that you might have a 30-45 minute wait just as long as you dont get shut out because everyone else on board made "prime time" reservations. I n general it sounds like it works like your traditional resteraunt. You walk in, ask for a table and 9 times out of 10 you will have a short but acceptable wait time.:confused:

[ellbon]

I had rez some nights. but i tended to go later than I booked.. I ate with many people each night. We seem to go around 8 to 830.

 

When you get to the hostess stand they just ask your cabin number. I found this worked great. i was on the Equinox. I was busy eating all over the ship so i did not want a traditional dining time. I am using Select again in Alaska-found only 3 nights i would be in the MDR. I eat in port plus the spec restaurant.

[Johnthed0g]

I think it does have a degree of appeal, meeting different people is one, as against dining with the same people, but we usually have great tables & look forward to seeing them at dinner, but a change is nice sometimes. I bet an awful lot of people still eat at the same time though & within half an hour of the set times,

[TennesseeTeachers]

I tried Freestyle on NCL and the thing I didnt like was they sat my wife and I at a table for two every night and we didnt get to meet anyone.

 

I like traditional dinning so I can get to know some people on the ship and look forward to seeing them each night and finding out how there day went. We have always been blessed with great tablemates.

 

I also like late seating because you can come back from exchursions, grab a snack take a dip in the pool while part of the ship is getting ready for dinner and grab a nap many days. Lets you cool down and recharge after a day on land.

[num1crewsfam]

We recently cruised on Century and were select. We had reservations for each night...but that is NOT mandatory. You can eat whenever you like...you just may have to wait a bit without a reservation. There is a seperate entrance for those using the select system, and that entrance is divided into two areas; those with reservations and those without. We loved Select Dining because 6 is too early for the hubby and 8:30 is way to late for me...so it worked out great for us. Good luck!

[GITC]

I tried Freestyle on NCL and the thing I didnt like was they sat my wife and I at a table for two every night and we didnt get to meet anyone.

Using Princess for reference, we would always be asked upon arrival in the dining room whether we preferred a table for two or whether we wanted to be seated with others. The choice was always ours. On occasion, if we wanted the table for two, it might result in a wait. We're generally not interested in standing around waiting so we would almost always take what was available. Seemless and efficient.

[dkjretired]

I find it kind of contradictory that for what is essentially supposed to be an 'anytime' dining option, you end up making a reservation for the time that you want to show up.

 

On Princess, 'anytime' means just that. Show up whenever you want. No need to make a reservation.

 

Interesting dichotomy.

 

Celebrity never said it was "anytime" dining and made that very clear in their press release when they announced it.

[GITC]

Celebrity never said it was "anytime" dining and made that very clear in their press release when they announced it.

For the sake of clarity, does one not have the choice of attending the dining room at a time of their choosing?

[Lady Jane]

For the sake of clarity, does one not have the choice of attending the dining room at a time of their choosing?

 

Yes, you do, between 6 and 9:30 pm. We experienced Select Dining on the Feb 1 sailing of Millennium. We had "reserved" times for each night before the cruise, but changed our minds several times. In consideration of the staff, we always let them know if we were not coming or were coming later, and we also showed up earlier two nights and had no trouble being seated. Several nights we sat alone, and several nights with others. We generally took whatever was available.

 

As stated earlier by someone, 6 pm is too early for hubby, and 8:30 is too late for me, so dining around 7:00 to 7:30 worked well. We did miss having the same table/waiter each night though. If we cruise with friends in the future, we should be able to do Select Dining and request the same table/waiter, especially if we stick to a regular time like 7 or 7:30

[ccruisequeen]

I find it kind of contradictory that for what is essentially supposed to be an 'anytime' dining option, you end up making a reservation for the time that you want to show up.

 

On Princess, 'anytime' means just that. Show up whenever you want. No need to make a reservation.

 

Interesting dichotomy.

Same with Carnival.

What if you've made a reservation & are too tired from your excursion to show up? I think you even have to make reservations for the buffet restaurant.

[GITC]

Yes, you do, between 6 and 9:30 pm. We experienced Select Dining on the Feb 1 sailing of Millennium. We had "reserved" times for each night before the cruise, but changed our minds several times. In consideration of the staff, we always let them know if we were not coming or were coming later, and we also showed up earlier two nights and had no trouble being seated. Several nights we sat alone, and several nights with others. We generally took whatever was available.

 

As stated earlier by someone, 6 pm is too early for hubby, and 8:30 is too late for me, so dining around 7:00 to 7:30 worked well. We did miss having the same table/waiter each night though. If we cruise with friends in the future, we should be able to do Select Dining and request the same table/waiter, especially if we stick to a regular time like 7 or 7:30

 

Thanks, Lady Jane.

 

I also read this thread which confirms that this really is "any time" dining and makes it sound like making a reservation actually sets you back.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1143620

[Wine-O]

Yes, you do, between 6 and 9:30 pm. We experienced Select Dining on the Feb 1 sailing of Millennium.

 

What part of the dining room did they have the Select Dining? Upper deck dining area? Port or Starboard area only?