New Celebrity cruiser - dining queries

[CraftyEC]

We are shortly to embark (early July 2014) on our first Celebrity cruise and I have some questions about the dining.

We have 'select dining' and the website (I am discovering some of the grumbles about the website I've seen on here) suggests we pre-book our dining times. Is this necessary, or is it reasonable (it says it is possible) to turn up about 8 pm and get a table?

A more specific question is about the speciality dining package; the website initially offered me three or five meal packages, although the latter seems to have disappeared! We thought we would try the three meal package, so that is OK. However, it lists a 'price from' £64 PP (we are in the UK, if you hadn't guessed!) but it doesn't list any other price. If I click on that package it asks me to reserve the first meal, at an unspecified speciality restaurant of their choice on the first or second night, and asks me to book the other two with the Maitre D' once on board. However, when I try to book a time it tells me that that meal is '£36.84 pp'.

 

Is that included in, or extra to, the package?

 

Can we choose to eat in each of the three speciality restaurants for our three meals?

 

Is it possible (or even advisable) to book this package on board? I know that on other (non-Celebrity) cruises the second night is often a 'big' or formal dinner in the MDR, so it might be preferable to 'start' the package later in the 14 night cruise.

 

Thanks in anticipation!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

No need for reservations in select dining. To me, that's the whole point of select--you show up when you want to.

 

As for the specialty restaurant package, I'd wait until you get on board and see what kinds of deals they're offering.

 

[ghstudio]

Agree....just book specialty restaurants on board...it will be far easier and you can pick which restaurant to eat in and what nights. Most likely, even if you don't have a dining package, they will be offering discounts after about the second day..and those might save you more than the packages.

 

No reservations are really needed in select dining...just show up when you want.

[Pennstatedj]

I agree.

Wait until onboard and there will be special pricing.

[GaryT-UK]

I used to just turn up for dinner around 7.30-8pm. Occasionally there wasn't a table straight away and they asked me to wait in the bar, but I think the longest wait was only 10minutes and I just had a pre-dinner drink, before they came to get me.

[Ando]

I don't like the line up and potential waiting for arriving without a reservation (they have a separate line for those with reservations which moves much faster) so do book a time each night in advance. If we wish to alter the time we call up on the day and make the required time adjustment.

[MicCanberra]

As others have posted, you do not need to book as you are Select but you can still book if you want (as Ando does). Sometimes if we are eating in a bigger group (4-10) we will make a reservation to ensure a table is available.

as for the specialty restaurant packages, they are normally offering them at various discounted prices throughout the cruise depending on demand. You can sometimes get 50% off if demand is low. I would wait until onboard. :D

[CraftyEC]

Thank you all for your valuable advice - which I will heed!

[papaflamingo]

I am also new to Celebrity. We are a party of 4 in 2 AQ suites. We originally had Second Seating before upgrading. Will we still have MDR Secon Seating or will we be assigned to Blu? If we prefer MDR can we get traditional Second Seating in lieu of Blu?

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

I am also new to Celebrity. We are a party of 4 in 2 AQ suites. We originally had Second Seating before upgrading. Will we still have MDR Secon Seating or will we be assigned to Blu? If we prefer MDR can we get traditional Second Seating in lieu of Blu?

 

 

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You would have gone to Blu as you upgraded. Call up Celebrity or wait and see the Maitre de on the first day to sort out any issues. :D

[papaflamingo]

Thanks. Will do.

 

 

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