Dining and activities questions

[CMAP]

Hello! Going on my first cruise in February. We are sailing on the Millennium. I was wondering if we are allowed to make seating arrangements in advance. I couldn't find anything on the website. Also if not, is it open seating or do u sit w the same people every night? We have already set our time for 6:00.

In regards to onboard activities, do you sign up for those after u board?

 

Thanks for any help you can give me. :)

[Gonzo70]

Hello! Going on my first cruise in February. We are sailing on the Millennium. I was wondering if we are allowed to make seating arrangements in advance. I couldn't find anything on the website. Also if not, is it open seating or do u sit w the same people every night? We have already set our time for 6:00.

In regards to onboard activities, do you sign up for those after u board?

 

Thanks for any help you can give me. :)

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. :)

 

There are three types of dining times - Early/Main Seating (6:00pm), Late (8:30pm) and Select (You pick your time and can change it from day-to-day, or just show up when you are ready). With Early and Late seating you will have an assigned table and have the same waitstaff and tablemates each night. With select your waitstaff will change (unless you request to be seated in the same person's section as a previous meal) as will your tablemates (if any). It sounds like you have Early seating, so you will have a regular table, waitstaff and tablemates.

 

The only activities you could sign up for in advance would be shore excursions, some spa treatments (which I advise against as they usually offer specials part way into the cruise with significantly reduced pricing), specialty restaurant reservations and perhaps a Riedel wine seminar. The bulk of the activities you just show up for and do not need to sign up; each evening your room steward will deliver a newspaper to your stateroom with the next days activities (and information about your port if you have a port call the next day). You also can wait to sign up for shore excursions and specialty restaurant reservations until you board, but do not wait too long or they may sell out.

 

Which cruise are you on? I am on the February 20th Millennium sailing.

[CMAP]

Thanks so much for the great info. So if you do the select seating, does it take awhile to get seated? How long of a wait? Would it be easier to get to eat as a couple (alone) if we do select?

 

We are sailing on February 25th. Gonna miss ya by 5 days.

[Gonzo70]

Thanks so much for the great info. So if you do the select seating, does it take awhile to get seated? How long of a wait? Would it be easier to get to eat as a couple (alone) if we do select?

 

We are sailing on February 25th. Gonna miss ya by 5 days.

 

I have not done select seating before, but from hearing others speak about it usually there seems to be little or not wait. You also have the option of making a reservation which would eliminate the risk of a wait. With select you definitely can put in for a table for two if you prefer that. While you can request a table for two with the Early and Late dinner options, sometimes these requests cannot be granted (i.e. if the number of people requesting tables for two exceed the number of available tables for two).

 

I'll try to keep the Millennium in good shape for you; you will be boarding as I am departing.

[willysgrandma]

How long you may wait for Select Dining repends on what time you go to eat. We've found if we arrive to eat by6 pm we usually don't have fo wait and if it is busy, if we are willing to share a table with someone, we don't wait either.

[Cruisin Kay D]

More info for the original poster going on their 1st cruise:

We have had late and early sittings as well as "anytime" dining on our 30 cruises. On this most recent cruise on Millennium, we were in early sitting -- although it was scheduled for 6 PM, we were with family and often everyone did not arrive to our 2 tables til 6:10 or 6:15. Basically your service is much much slower than a normal restaurant you would go to at home. (In a normal restaurant as home, it is financially important to "turn" the table as soon as possible -- but not so on a cruise...)

It takes a while to get started -- you have a very nice menu to review, the waiter tells you his recommendations, the bar waiter comes for drink orders, the wine steward comes for wine orders, the waiters pour water & bring baskets of bread. There are appetizers, soups, salads & entrees on the menus, and you can order 1 or more of any category!! After the order is placed the waiter & asst. have to go down to the galley to get the food and they bring 1 or 2 whole tables at a time!!! It's generally after 6:30 before you are eating your appetizers -- we never finished dinner & dessert until after 8 PM.

Our service was fantastic -- we were at tables 501+503 which are all the way in the back (aft) on port side on deck 5 -- fantastic spacious location!!!

[CMAP]

Thanks Kay! Which seating do you prefer? I am wondering now if we should go with "anytime" seating. I just don't want to wait for hour(s) to be seated.

[BridgeMates]

 

The only activities you could sign up for in advance would be shore excursions, some spa treatments (which I advise against as they usually offer specials part way into the cruise with significantly reduced pricing), specialty restaurant reservations and perhaps a Riedel wine seminar. The bulk of the activities you just show up for and do not need to sign up; each evening your room steward will deliver a newspaper to your stateroom with the next days activities (and information about your port if you have a port call the next day). You also can wait to sign up for shore excursions and specialty restaurant reservations until you board, but do not wait too long or they may sell out.

 

 

Do you pay for shore excursions and specialty restaurant at time of booking or is it just a reservation that can be canceled if you change your mind?

[Lois R]

Do you pay for shore excursions and specialty restaurant at time of booking or is it just a reservation that can be canceled if you change your mind?

 

Good morning,:) if you choose to book those on the internet then you do

pay for them at that time. They will charge your credit card at the time of

booking.

If you change your mind once you board the ship they will issue you

a credit but that will go on your S&S account.

So you may cancel. The credit will just go to a different place.

[BridgeMates]

Thanks Lois. We know how things work on Princess but this is our first Celebrity cruise (Solstice) in many years. Really looking forward to it.

[Lois R]

Thanks Lois. We know how things work on Princess but this is our first Celebrity cruise (Solstice) in many years. Really looking forward to it.

 

Glad to help:) when is your cruise?

[BridgeMates]

Glad to help:) when is your cruise?

 

Oct 26, 16 night Suez Canal, with overnights in Alexandria, Safaga (Luxor), and one day in Petra. I know what you're thinking.....seriously???? Been on our bucket list for some time now and we're not getting any younger. Hopefully things will settle down and this will be a wonderful cruise; if not, we know we're taking our chances on what alternate ports they'll choose. Price is just too good (obviously there aren't too many crazies out there).

 

Also booked the Infinity for 17 Feb 2013 to the Antarctic. Here again an iffy proposition. All of a sudden we've become more adventurious than in the past or, maybe dementia is setting in!

 

It was hard to switch to Celebrity as we've earned our status on Princess, but they don't come close to these itineraries, so we're going to be newbies. Actually it will be kind of fun to explore a different ship, etc.

 

Oh, and then (now you'll know we're nuts), we're flying down to Easter Island in April for 4 nights (using ff miles), with stopovers in Santiago and Lima. Love the empanadas, ceviche and the pisco sours. Been to SA a couple of times and we like it a lot!!

 

Sorry, I'm kind of "chatty" this a.m..... but I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as we go. I've joined the roll calls for our cruises and as usual, everyone is very helpful.

[Lois R]

Oct 26, 16 night Suez Canal, with overnights in Alexandria, Safaga (Luxor), and one day in Petra. I know what you're thinking.....seriously???? Been on our bucket list for some time now and we're not getting any younger. Hopefully things will settle down and this will be a wonderful cruise; if not, we know we're taking our chances on what alternate ports they'll choose. Price is just too good (obviously there aren't too many crazies out there).

 

Also booked the Infinity for 17 Feb 2013 to the Antarctic. Here again an iffy proposition. All of a sudden we've become more adventurious than in the past or, maybe dementia is setting in!

 

It was hard to switch to Celebrity as we've earned our status on Princess, but they don't come close to these itineraries, so we're going to be newbies. Actually it will be kind of fun to explore a different ship, etc.

 

Oh, and then (now you'll know we're nuts), we're flying down to Easter Island in April for 4 nights (using ff miles), with stopovers in Santiago and Lima. Love the empanadas, ceviche and the pisco sours. Been to SA a couple of times and we like it a lot!!

 

Sorry, I'm kind of "chatty" this a.m..... but I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as we go. I've joined the roll calls for our cruises and as usual, everyone is very helpful.

 

Hi, no I don't think you are nuts at all:). I think it is wonderful you

are able to do all of these things. I am going on my first cruise to the

Med in May:) and although it is not nearly as adventurous as your

itineraries? I am very excited too:D

 

Now, I do understand about it being hard to switch as I have been

sailing with Celebrity for 8.5 years now. I went on HAL once, Royal

once, and many, many years ago (before I started cruising regularly)

I sailed Carnival...that was way back in 1993.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time on all your upcoming sailings:)

[ghstudio]

A few additional comments. If you book select dining you will have to pay your gratuities in advance (with final payment). It's an annoyance..you're going to pay them anyway, this just makes you pay them in advance.....however, this means that the gratuities will be charged to your credit card and you can not pay them out of any on board credits. Similar OBC issue if you book specialty restaurants or anything else in advance...they won't come out of any OBC's you might have.

 

You can cancel any prepaid shore excursions on board...either 24 or 48 hours in advance (we don't take ship excursions so I don't know which is right). They will be credited back to your On board account.

 

If you reserve specialty restaurants and pay in advance, you may find that when you get on board, they will offer a package of two or three restaurants at a reduced price. If you decide to take the package, they will credit back the difference between what you paid in advance and the package price....to your OBC.

 

We always book select dining and we reserve a time every night. That way, if there is a line (we generally like to eat at 7:15 which is pretty busy), you can bypass the line because you have a reservation and there really are supposed to be two lines...one for reservations and the other for folks who are just showing up. (they generally get this right on day 2 of the cruise....there is always some confusion about one line vs two....but there are definitely two lines).

[CMAP]

So if we book select, are we more likely to get a table for two? How do u make the reservations? Sorry for all the questions!

[CMAP]

Also, we have already made our final payment so if we switch to select, will it have us pay our gratuities when I switch it?

[BridgeMates]

:confused: If we pay for an expensive ship's excursion and then cancel on board right away, what happens if we don't spend all that credit on board (not obc, just what we paid for excursions). Will I be able to get any leftover money back?

Also, if we cancel the cruise within the allowed time, will everything be refunded at the end of the cruise?

[Lois R]

:confused: If we pay for an expensive ship's excursion and then cancel on board right away, what happens if we don't spend all that credit on board (not obc, just what we paid for excursions). Will I be able to get any leftover money back?

Also, if we cancel the cruise within the allowed time, will everything be refunded at the end of the cruise?

 

Hi, :)if you buy an excursion and cancel after you board the ship?

Your "on board account" will be credited. If you don't use all the credit?

It has be a pretty pricey tour;) but yes, since it is a ship's tour you

should be either 1) getting a refund 2) have a credit on your credit

card. Hope I am clear....but lets say you end up with a balance due of 500 bucks

at the end of the cruise but you had cancelled the tours and they totaled 300.00?

Well, that (300.00) will come off the total and you will owe only 200....make sense?

 

And yes, as long as you cancel before the final payment date you

will have no penalties.

[BridgeMates]

I think I've got it!! Just used to Princess where you can book all the excursions you want without pre-payment. Some of their excursions may be several hundred dollars (overnight in Egypt for instance). If you change your mind, you just cancel online or turn the tickets in on board the ship by the required date. I like this option better.

Thanks for explaining in more detail for me.