booking reservation time for select dining

[macaroni]

Once you've signed into My Celebrity, choose which cruise you are wanting (if you have more than one booked), click on Manage my Reservation, click on Cruise Planner, hover over Dining and Beverage, click on Select Dining on left side, click on Add To Cart, click each guest you want to choose, click Next button, select Date and then Time, click Add to Cart, should show $0 balance, click Continue Checkout, next page fill in your name and email for a confirmation and you're done! Good Luck!

 

I can get to the point where I hover over dining And beverage but only the 3 and 5 night specialty dining shows up on the left?

[Barwick Cruiser]

I can get to the point where I hover over dining And beverage but only the 3 and 5 night specialty dining shows up on the left?

 

Oh, ok, can't help you then, sorry! You are registered for Select Dining right? I guess in your case you'll need to call and get it done that way...

[Queen of Oakville]

I really don't get the concept of making reservations in Select Dining for a specific time. Seems to me the point was that you go when you feel like dining. I've never experienced a wait longer than about 5 minutes.

 

For some (as stated throughout this thread) early seating is too early and late seating is too late. Love the Goldilocks analogy!

 

To me, the point of Select Dining is to do what suits you and works for you.

 

Making a block reservation also allows you to have the same wait team (if requested). With an allergy in the family, it's important for us to have a set team looking after us.

 

I as late in making reservations last time and had reservations at varying times. For our next cruise, I was able to get the same night every time.

 

I am not certain of this, but I believe that Celebrity only allows a certain portion of the select area to be pre-booked. A portion of the tables are reserved for those that just want to "show up" because they don't want that line getting to long.

 

I had read here (for our last cruise) just to make what ever reservations you could get on line, and then on embarkation day - you could change it all to the same time each night. I tried this, and was told there were no more reservations available. For this reason, I disagree with those that say "just make a reservation for the first two nights". If you do this, you may not be able to get reservations for the remainder of the week. I recommend making your set reservations now, and then while on board, cancel the reservations you don't want.

[vacation luvver]

To me, the point of Select Dining is to do what suits you and works for you.

Exactly! And that is why I disagree with the person upthread who said that if you want to eat at 6:00 PM every night you should book the first seating. No way! My friend and I eat only an entree and only occasionally dessert. We would not want to sit at the table and wait for the people who sit with us to show up. I don't know how long the waiter waits for those people before saying, "I guess they're not coming," and only then takes our orders. And we don't want to sit and stare at the walls while everyone else eats their soup, salad, and appetizers. We want to be served our entrees as soon as possible, and maybe dessert, and then go.

 

1) Does anyone know how long the waiter is obliged to wait for people who don't show up because they're at the buffet, or they're not hungry, or they went to a surcharge restaurant, or they are taking a nap, or their shore excursion got delayed for hours?

 

2) Does anyone know if it's possible to be served your entree at the same time that everyone else is being served his salad?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I guess we've always been fortunate when seated at a table with others in the MDR that those who weren't going to show up for dinner the next night were considerate and let us know. Then we could just inform the waiter that those folks weren't coming and get on with our dinner.

 

A lot of problems with cruising would just disappear if people were just considerate of others.

 

Linda

 

[vacation luvver]

It has nothing to do with consideration for others. My friend and I missed our dining reservation twice when our ship's shore excursions got us back to the ship several hours after the ship was supposed to set sail. In one case, everyone was supposed to be back on the ship at 6:00 PM, and the ship was supposed to set sail at 6:30 PM. We got back to the ship way after 6:30 PM. I guess it's a good thing that we had select dining, so that our "lack of consideration" didn't affect anyone. But I have no idea how we were supposed to contact the ship to let them know we wouldn't be at dinner.

 

The other time, I made our dinner reservation before the start of the cruise. I mentioned which ship's shore excursion we would be taking, and I was told that a reservation of 7:30 PM would be fine. My friend and I got on line for a tender at 6:45 PM. 7:30 PM came and went, and we were still waiting on line. By the time we got back to the ship, it was after 11:00 PM. But, as I said, luckily, we had select reservations, so our "lack of consideration" did not bother anyone else.

 

I am so sorry to hear about how inconsiderate we were. We'll try to do better next time.

[Barwick Cruiser]

It has nothing to do with consideration for others. My friend and I missed our dining reservation twice when our ship's shore excursions got us back to the ship several hours after the ship was supposed to set sail. In one case, everyone was supposed to be back on the ship at 6:00 PM, and the ship was supposed to set sail at 6:30 PM. We got back to the ship way after 6:30 PM. I guess it's a good thing that we had select dining, so that our "lack of consideration" didn't affect anyone. But I have no idea how we were supposed to contact the ship to let them know we wouldn't be at dinner.

 

The other time, I made our dinner reservation before the start of the cruise. I mentioned which ship's shore excursion we would be taking, and I was told that a reservation of 7:30 PM would be fine. My friend and I got on line for a tender at 6:45 PM. 7:30 PM came and went, and we were still waiting on line. By the time we got back to the ship, it was after 11:00 PM. But, as I said, luckily, we had select reservations, so our "lack of consideration" did not bother anyone else.

 

I am so sorry to hear about how inconsiderate we were. We'll try to do better next time.

 

I hear your sarcasm and honestly don't think your situation is what Linda was referring to. It's aimed more at those who choose, ahead of dining time, to change their dining venue and fail to notify their dining companions or the Maitre D of these plans. In your situation, obviously it can't be helped that you're late to dining and totally understandable to all.

 

We have been using Select Dining for the past couple of cruises and it works well for us. The most recent time that we were fixed dining DH and I were seated at a 6 top with two other couples who were traveling together. We all got along really well. One evening, my DH was not feeling well and decided to remain in the cabin, I chose to go to dinner all dressed up (formal night) and unfortunately our tablemates had decided to do Specialty dining that night without informing our server or the Maitre D!! There I sat, all by myself for about 15 minutes, sure that the other two couples would show up but finally felt so embarrassed sitting by myself and had the server send my dinner choices to my cabin where I ate on the balcony so the smell wouldn't sicken my ill DH further. I can laugh about it now but it was a very awkward moment. The other two couples from our table apologized profusely the next night when they realized what had happened but I seriously didn't blame them although it would have been nice if they'd notified the Maitre D ahead of time of their plans and I could have made alternate arrangements when I entered and the server saw that I was alone. Just food for thought.

[MessyJessy]

I really don't get the concept of making reservations in Select Dining for a specific time. Seems to me the point was that you go when you feel like dining. I've never experienced a wait longer than about 5 minutes.

 

 

We prefer traditional dining but that option wasn't available when we booked. We like having the same wait staff, dining at a set time and talking with just our family at dinner.

 

Being wait listed for traditional dining was out of the question since there was a list of 100 plus names ahead of ours on our sailing (we booked 6 months in advance - so not very last minute). I also checked as soon as we got onboard and it was longer so we stuck with select.

 

We also have a food allergy in our family and it just works better explaining the restrictions once instead of 7 times.

 

From what I understand, some folks select traditional because you don't have to prepay tips. For us, it didn't matter because of our package.

 

It felt like an inconvenience to be forced to be in select, however, it ended up working out for the best (or maybe I'm just an optimist). I did like the option of being able to make a standing reservation for each night. I made them online for 6:30 and spoke with the maître D once onboard to have the same waiters each night.

 

We had really great waiters. Probably the best out of all our cruises. I was very happy with the service received. We never had to wait on a table (but that may have been because we ate early - 6:30) and our preferences were remembered after the first visit.

 

Honestly, I don't want to wait for a table like at a standard restaurant. I don't want different servers each night. I like to get to know them and let them know us. It's far more personal for us. That's just what we like.

 

But that's just my opinion. :)

[Adidas4fun]

We prefer traditional dining but that option wasn't available when we booked. We like having the same wait staff, dining at a set time and talking with just our family at dinner.

 

Being wait listed for traditional dining was out of the question since there was a list of 100 plus names ahead of ours on our sailing (we booked 6 months in advance - so not very last minute). I also checked as soon as we got onboard and it was longer so we stuck with select.

 

We also have a food allergy in our family and it just works better explaining the restrictions once instead of 7 times.

 

From what I understand, some folks select traditional because you don't have to prepay tips. For us, it didn't matter because of our package.

 

It felt like an inconvenience to be forced to be in select, however, it ended up working out for the best (or maybe I'm just an optimist). I did like the option of being able to make a standing reservation for each night. I made them online for 6:30 and spoke with the maître D once onboard to have the same waiters each night.

 

We had really great waiters. Probably the best out of all our cruises. I was very happy with the service received. We never had to wait on a table (but that may have been because we ate early - 6:30) and our preferences were remembered after the first visit.

 

Honestly, I don't want to wait for a table like at a standard restaurant. I don't want different servers each night. I like to get to know them and let them know us. It's far more personal for us. That's just what we like.

 

But that's just my opinion. :)

I have anaphylaxis to dairy products and prefer to dine select not fixed. As I preorder my meals I dont need to explain my food allergy I just tell the waiter my cabin number and they come back to me and confirm my order including the nature of my allergy. After a few meals a number of the wait staff now know and remember my needs and are confirming details with me before I have even opened my mouth.

 

I have found cruise ships to be superior to land based resorts in dealing with food allergies and this is one of the reasons I am increasingly enjoying cruising.

 

My best experience was on P&O (aus), a supposedly 3 star boat. On port days I would go to the buffet as the MDR was closed and by the second port a staff member would note my arrival, our eyes would meet and I would point to a nearby empty table where we would rondezvous to confirm my cabin number. On their way to place the order they would ensure bar staff knew where I was and my favourite drink order would be prepared and delivered and my food would follow soon after. This was vastly better than Celebrity's arrangements for port days.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Adidas4fun

[pzbz]

:)

We will be cruising on the Reflection in December with Select Dining option. After reading comments about long wait times on the Reflection due to recent Suite Dining changes, and the benefit of making reservations for a preferred dining time, I asked my TA to make reservations for 6pm each night. She said we had to wait until 4 to 5 months before sailing. I decided to do it myself and see the following comment on the website under Select Dining:

Celebrity Select Main Dining reservations can be made online up to four days prior to sailing, or once onboard with the Maitre d'. Subject to availability. Gratuities must be prepaid in order to participate in Select Dining. Only groups of 20 or less can be seated at one time.

I've seen several posts where it is recommended to make these reservations early as they fill up fast. I'm confused. I understand the website to say these reservations can't be made any earlier than 4 days before sailing.

My husband and I are sailing on the Silhouette in August. We are traveling with 3 other couples. Today I tried making reservations around 7 each evening so we can sit together. The web site was awkward to use so I phoned Celebrity and they booked our diniing times for each day for our group. They were very helpful. If we decide to go to a Specialty venue instead we just can go but we have the reservations and I feel satisfied.We will of course notify the Maitre'd!

Edited May 8, 2015 by pzbz
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