dining and restaurants

[Jimnbigd]

Do a youtube search for: celebrity eclipse dining

You'll find several videos.

Also search for: celebrity eclipse tour

to get good overall tours of the ship.

[Gilligan777]

In addition to the other suggestions.

 

You should ask if there is a night for buy one get one free in the specialty restaurants. I think the specialty restaurants are well worth the upgrade but the food is so rich eating there one or two nights is plenty. I have found them all to be much more romantic and cozy than the dining rooms.

 

If you want a private table in the main dining room meet with the maitre d upon boarding. They are available at that time for a few hours to handle any special requests.

 

Yes you can get drinks served to your room up until a certain hour, perhaps 2:00 am. In addition buckets of beer are often sold at bars to take back to the room, I only know that because my husband manages to find one every night...lol

 

Room service, we pre order via a flyer posted on our doorknob coffee and juice each night. We tip the room service waiter well, in turn he/she takes very good care of us throughout the cruise.

 

You will find the same with bartenders, waiters, room steward and so on. So I suggest tip as you go.

[MarGG]

Do a youtube search for: celebrity eclipse dining

You'll find several videos.

Also search for: celebrity eclipse tour

to get good overall tours of the ship.

 

That was a very good suggestion - we found out a lot of interesting things!

[trish1c]

thanks for responding, i guess what i need to do is look at each ship.

is it a free-4-all dinning.or can u call ahead

 

On what line? Sicne your other question concerned NCL, I'll answer for NCL. You can reserve a specific dining time in the "for pay" restaurants but you usually can't just show up. If they aren't busy, sometimes you can. You can either call or there are stations around the ship (usually in the buffet) where you can make a reservation. In addition, there are monitors around the ship, by the elevators, which tell you how full or empty any given dining venue is at that moment. Those signs can be very helpful in deciding what you want to do next.

If the MDR is full & you have to wait, you will be given a large square pager that beeps & lights up when your table is ready & a coupon for a free soda or house champagne for each adult in your group. Kids only get a free soda coupon. Those coupons are only good until midnight the day you get them.

[Erik101]

Here's a link to your cruise with Celebrity describing what's included. I think it's self explanatory.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/newtocruising/whatsIncluded.do?pagename=whats_included

[CraftyEC]

If you have assigned dining at a larger table, so with other cruisers, you are under no obligation to eat with them every night, BUT, it is good manners to mention to them if you know you won't be there the next night, or to pop in during the early evening and mention to the Maitre d' that you have other plans. This will prevent your table companions sitting for a prolonged period waiting to see if you will arrive before they order.

[sail7seas]

thanks for responding, i guess what i need to do is look at each ship.

is it a free-4-all dinning.or can u call ahead

 

It varies by cruise line but on HAL we have the choice of booking same table, same time, same tablemates (if you don't choose to dine just your own party) or you can have dining where you come to the dining room when you wish and are seated at next available table. Often there is no wait and you are seated immediately either sharing a table or not. Other times you may have to wait a bit for a table but not usually very long.

 

[MarGG]

Here's a link to your cruise with Celebrity describing what's included. I think it's self explanatory.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/newtocruising/whatsIncluded.do?pagename=whats_included

 

Thank you, that is most useful! And - there is a library!!! - What kind of books can you expect to find there?

[MarGG]

If you have assigned dining at a larger table, so with other cruisers, you are under no obligation to eat with them every night, BUT, it is good manners to mention to them if you know you won't be there the next night, or to pop in during the early evening and mention to the Maitre d' that you have other plans. This will prevent your table companions sitting for a prolonged period waiting to see if you will arrive before they order.

 

Thank you for this peace of advice! That makes sense. And one question here. Do I understand correctly, that for breakfast, lunch and dinner you are assigned to a certain table and certain time in the MDR and if this time is not convenient for you, you can just go to the buffet at any time you wish?

[CraftyEC]

You are not assigned to a particular table for breakfast for breakfast or lunch, and can eat these meals at any venue you choose at any time within the serving hours.

 

For dinner you are either on 'open' (called various things like 'anytime' or 'mytime' dining) dining or assigned dining

 

Open dining means you can go to any venue, including the designated open dining main dining room / restaurant at any time during the serving hours. You may then choose to eat alone (assuming a couple or a family travelling and eating together) or join a larger table of four to ten and meet other passengers and enjoy a sociable meal.

 

If you have assigned dining then you will eat at the same table, with the same table-mates, at the same time each evening. You will usually be assigned to 'early' or 'late' dining, at least on bigger ships. As has been stated above, you can choose not to eat there on any evening, but 'your' space will be there for you.

 

There are some advantages and disadvantages to both systems. On fixed dining you get to know your table companions, and probably more importantly your waiters, better, and you know when and where you will be eating. You can plan in advance which shops you will attend. On open dining there is more flexibility, but you will have different servers (and companions) each evening, and you may have to queue (stand in line) if you arrive at a popular time. This can make it more difficult if you're planning on seeing a show after dinner.

 

Either way, you will eat well and be well looked after :)

[MarGG]

You are not assigned to a particular table for breakfast for breakfast or lunch, and can eat these meals at any venue you choose at any time within the serving hours.

 

For dinner you are either on 'open' (called various things like 'anytime' or 'mytime' dining) dining or assigned dining

 

Open dining means you can go to any venue, including the designated open dining main dining room / restaurant at any time during the serving hours. You may then choose to eat alone (assuming a couple or a family travelling and eating together) or join a larger table of four to ten and meet other passengers and enjoy a sociable meal.

 

If you have assigned dining then you will eat at the same table, with the same table-mates, at the same time each evening. You will usually be assigned to 'early' or 'late' dining, at least on bigger ships. As has been stated above, you can choose not to eat there on any evening, but 'your' space will be there for you.

 

There are some advantages and disadvantages to both systems. On fixed dining you get to know your table companions, and probably more importantly your waiters, better, and you know when and where you will be eating. You can plan in advance which shops you will attend. On open dining there is more flexibility, but you will have different servers (and companions) each evening, and you may have to queue (stand in line) if you arrive at a popular time. This can make it more difficult if you're planning on seeing a show after dinner.

 

Either way, you will eat well and be well looked after :)

 

Thank you for the explanation! And how do you choose between open and assigned dining?

[CraftyEC]

It's usually an option when you make your booking, but you can contact the cruiseline to change your option - or sometimes you can change once on board by speaking to the Maitre d'. This will depend on which option (first sitting, second sitting or open) is the most popular / available

[MarGG]

Thank you!

And I have one more question. Maybe it is obvious for everybody else, but I have just realized. There is an hour time difference between Southampton and Belgium, probably even more between other ports. How is the time on the ship calculated assuming that nearly every other day it is in a different time zone?

[paul929207]

You will be told when to turn your clock ahead or back. Princess makes the change in the middle of the night. When going ashore, be sure your watch is on the same time as the ship.

[MarGG]

You will be told when to turn your clock ahead or back. Princess makes the change in the middle of the night. When going ashore, be sure your watch is on the same time as the ship.

 

Thank you!

Do I understand it correctly that the ship in fact lives according to the local shore time, so the time on the ship changes every day, like if we were traveling by air?

[johneeo]

Thank you!

Do I understand it correctly that the ship in fact lives according to the local shore time, so the time on the ship changes every day, like if we were traveling by air?

 

Not all the time. It all depends on what the Captain wants to do.:confused:

[CraftyEC]

In general it is, or it is almost, in synch with the local time BUT (note the big 'but' there) the Captain may choose not to alter the shipboard time in some locations. This is more likely when there are frequent time changes, so it would be more disruptive to go forward an hour, then back an hour the next day and then forward two hours a couple of days later, for example. This is why it is really important to keep your watch on ship time (and not rely on something like a cellphone which may switch to local time automatically) so that you are sure to get back to the ship on time when on a shore excursion. People have missed their ship when they wandered back at what they were convinced was, e.g., 4.30 pm to discover that on board it was now 5.30 pm and the ship sailed an hour ago :(

 

On TA crossing the clock changes most nights, by an hour at a time.

 

I think the most confusing changes must be ones I've read about where the ship's time changes by half an hour at a time on some days.

[Cruisin' Chick]

And if you are on a ship that does go by local time (again, you'll be told through the ship's daily newsletter, your waitstaff, and even notes left by your cabin steward) and there's more than one time zone change during the cruise, it won't be all at once. For example on my Hawaiian cruises, we had two time zone changes from Pacific Time to Hawaiian time, but the clocks were changed on two separate nights on the way over, and two separate nights on two separate nights on the way back. If you're on that cruise after Daylight Savings Time goes into effect, there are three separate changes each way, but again, on three separate nights each way.

[MarGG]

Oh! This is more difficult than I expected. I think I will have to wear two watchers. One on my left hand for the ship time, the other on my right hand for the local time :). As a matter of fact: what would I do if by some chance I really miss the ship in one of the ports?

[happy cruzer]

Margg, you seemed interested in room service. Celebrity (and Holland America) has some of the best room service of the cruise lines. You can get a hot breakfast each morning and anytime the dining room is open you can order for that menue. So if the main dining room is open a lunch (usually on at sea days) you can order from the room service menu or the dining room menu. and every night you can order from the main dining room menu if you like just call around the time it opens to place your order which can be for later. One of our longer port day, it rained the entire time and was cool, we really loved ordering a nice hot meal including seafood and steaks to be delivered to the room at about 8:30. It is a great option.

[MarGG]

Margg, you seemed interested in room service. Celebrity (and Holland America) has some of the best room service of the cruise lines. You can get a hot breakfast each morning and anytime the dining room is open you can order for that menue. So if the main dining room is open a lunch (usually on at sea days) you can order from the room service menu or the dining room menu. and every night you can order from the main dining room menu if you like just call around the time it opens to place your order which can be for later. One of our longer port day, it rained the entire time and was cool, we really loved ordering a nice hot meal including seafood and steaks to be delivered to the room at about 8:30. It is a great option.

 

Thank you! I will keep this in mind as a very nice option.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Oh! This is more difficult than I expected. I think I will have to wear two watchers. One on my left hand for the ship time, the other on my right hand for the local time :). As a matter of fact: what would I do if by some chance I really miss the ship in one of the ports?

 

Really there's no reason to worry about which time. Check the ship's newsletter at night to see if there's any notice about the ship's clock being turned. You can ask your cabin steward if there's any time changes during your cruise, and he'll probably tell you not to worry, he'll put any such notice on your pillow when he's doing the turn down service while you're at dinner.

 

Before you get off the ship in any port, it's always a good idea to double check your watch against the time listed on your in-cabin telephone. That's the time to have on your watch. Take that day's edition of the ship's newsletter with you (which will have the time to be back on the ship by and will have the contact info for the port agent, if somehow you get back to the dock and there's no ship because you'd messed up).

 

The problem you'll have with the ship time being different would be if you had booked an independent excursion. That would complicate matters as you'll need to meet up with the tour operator on their time. Best, if you're new to cruising is to use a ship's excursion.

 

If going out in port on your own, you'll need to keep track of the time and get back on the ship long before the deadline is.

[KAYEF]

On one of our cruises, as we exited our cabin for the last time, our neighbors were leaving as well. They said they had noticed we had bkfst. Rm. Service often and asked how much we had to pay for that.

I really felt badly for them that they hadn't learned it comes with the Cruise Fare; it's FREE.

Be sure to ASK if you have a question so you can enjoy ALL you've paid for.;)

On HAL (don't know about other lines) you can look at the dinner menu posted outside the MDR and even order from THAT menu for a Rm. Service Dinner.

The key is to ASK, as you've done on here.

There's a 'phone in your cabin and you can call the Front Desk and ask about things as well.

HAVE FUN!!

[OCruisers]

MarGG .... Look forward to having a great time on your CELEBRITY cruise where food not included in your fare (specialty restaurants ) is clearly posted! :)

 

Remember folks, she's taking a CELEBRITY cruise.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[MarGG]

Really there's no reason to worry about which time. Check the ship's newsletter at night to see if there's any notice about the ship's clock being turned. You can ask your cabin steward if there's any time changes during your cruise' date=' and he'll probably tell you not to worry, he'll put any such notice on your pillow when he's doing the turn down service while you're at dinner.

 

Before you get off the ship in any port, it's always a good idea to double check your watch against the time listed on your in-cabin telephone. That's the time to have on your watch. Take that day's edition of the ship's newsletter with you (which will have the time to be back on the ship by and will have the contact info for the port agent, if somehow you get back to the dock and there's no ship because you'd messed up).

 

The problem you'll have with the ship time being different would be if you had booked an independent excursion. That would complicate matters as you'll need to meet up with the tour operator on their time. Best, if you're new to cruising is to use a ship's excursion.

 

If going out in port on your own, you'll need to keep track of the time and get back on the ship long before the deadline is.[/quote']

 

Well, I have just two places where I can still try to look at the ship's tours as an option - Tallin and Copenhagen. Everywhere else I think we have different plans. In these two I have not started "my little research" yet. It turned out to be loads of work to prepare itineraries for 7 different ports! So far I had an absolutely different style of traveling. I used to spend about a week in one place. So I made some research in advance which was enough for the first three or four days and I always had enough time to explore the place when already there, add or change something... Now I understand that if you have 6-7 hours in a port you need to be very well prepared to make them efficient. Honestly speaking I have never before worked so hard getting ready for the trip!