Celebrity main dining and booking specialty

[NoWhiners]

Hi all

 

I have searched for the answer I need but had no luck, so I will try and ask for your help. We have cruised X a few ties but I can't remember how booking dining works!

 

We are a group of 9 celebrating our 50th year since college graduation on a Canada/NE cruise in late Sept/Oct. We all took Open dining, so we would have some flexibility. A few of the folks are brand new to cruising and they have questions. One wants everything set up NOW!! I tried to go online and reserve a table in the MDR for all of us but I can't find a spot to do that.

 

I also looked for a way to reserve a table for us at Tuscan Grille (this is on the Eclipse) but all I can find is dining packages. I did manage to find a spot to reserve but it only allowed for 2 of us. When I clicked on "add guest" it asked to sign in again and I was stuck in a vicious loop!

 

Can anyone provide any help? Am I trying to book too early? Does X not allow reserved tables during Open dining? (I know Princess does but X isn't Princess).

 

What am I missing/doing wrong?

 

Thanks for any help.

[cruisestitch]

I think that your first step is that you need to link all the reservations together

[cruisestitch]

Just now, cruisestitch said:

I think that your first step is that you need to link all the reservations together.   Second you might explain to your friends that it’s highly possible that you can score a discount for the specialty restaurant if you wait to book it on board.

 

[NoWhiners]

19 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

I think that your first step is that you need to link all the reservations together

 

Yeah, I thought that too but when I tried, it made me login again and didn't do anything.

 

Go figure 😉

 

[NoWhiners]

19 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

 

 That's a good point, I had forgotten there was a chance at a discount.

 

Thanks

[maiaaya]

We are a group on 9 currently on Equinox. They’ve been easily able to accommodate us both in the MDR and specialty dining, so that all of us can sit together. We arranged it once we were on board, right after the muster drill. 

[NoWhiners]

Just now, maiaaya said:

We are a group on 9 currently on Equinox. They’ve been easily able to accommodate us both in the MDR and specialty dining, so that all of us can sit together. We arranged it once we were on board, right after the muster drill. 

 

This is excellent news, thanks. That was going to be my backup plan.

 

Enjoy your cruise and Happy New Year!

[maiaaya]

You’re welcome! I wouldn’t stress about it. I’ve found them to be very accommodating. We have select dining in the MDR and at dinner the first night, one of the managers asked if we wanted the same table at the same time for all 9 of us for the remaining nights. We said yes and he set it up right then. 
 

You’ll have a great time!
 

 

[NoWhiners]

1 hour ago, maiaaya said:

You’re welcome! I wouldn’t stress about it. I’ve found them to be very accommodating. We have select dining in the MDR and at dinner the first night, one of the managers asked if we wanted the same table at the same time for all 9 of us for the remaining nights. We said yes and he set it up right then. 
 

You’ll have a great time!
 

 

 

Even more good news--this is what I was hoping they would offer us.

 

Thanks, I feel a lot better about things now 😁

[Tudy]

I have made reservations for our groups several times.

 

What you are describing about the website being wonky, are things that I have also experienced.  Just when I was ready to give up, the other reservations came up and we were linked!

 

To find where to book dinner reservations for any time dining, go under dining, scroll all the way to the bottom and it should say "complimentary dining,

You should be able to select your whole group and make reservations.

 

However, for the specialty dining, you will all have to be booked in the same group with the same currency. Even if everyone booked with the same TA, some might be in a different group. You will have to pay for everyone.

 

If you are not all in the same group, then you can book individually and when onboard go to the maitre D and tell them that you all want to sit together.I did call Celebrity ahead of time, not helpful.

 

Hope this helps.

[LA24]

15 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

I think that your first step is that you need to link all the reservations together

How do u do that? I have downloaded app just dont see where to do that ? Linking others (friends) on the app?

Edited January 6 by LA24
K

[NoWhiners]

3 hours ago, Tudy said:

I have made reservations for our groups several times.

 

What you are describing about the website being wonky, are things that I have also experienced.  Just when I was ready to give up, the other reservations came up and we were linked!

 

To find where to book dinner reservations for any time dining, go under dining, scroll all the way to the bottom and it should say "complimentary dining,

You should be able to select your whole group and make reservations.

 

However, for the specialty dining, you will all have to be booked in the same group with the same currency. Even if everyone booked with the same TA, some might be in a different group. You will have to pay for everyone.

 

If you are not all in the same group, then you can book individually and when onboard go to the maitre D and tell them that you all want to sit together.I did call Celebrity ahead of time, not helpful.

 

Hope this helps.

 

I just tried this and now the site says "The reservation number is locked. Try again later." Every time I try and make progress, X's system puts a new roadblock in the way. I'm starting to feel that it doesn't like me 😁

 

I'll keep trying. Maybe by the time we cruise, I can actually get in!

 

Thanks.

[Tudy]

On 1/6/2024 at 12:29 PM, NoWhiners said:

 

I just tried this and now the site says "The reservation number is locked. Try again later." Every time I try and make progress, X's system puts a new roadblock in the way. I'm starting to feel that it doesn't like me 😁

 

I'll keep trying. Maybe by the time we cruise, I can actually get in!

 

Thanks.

It is a process, to be sure.

It says the reservation number is locked when someone else is looking at the reservation.

[Tudy]

On 1/6/2024 at 10:37 AM, LA24 said:

How do u do that? I have downloaded app just dont see where to do that ? Linking others (friends) on the app?

I usually link the reservation the first time I want to include others in my activity. 

When you are reserving the activity, you will be asked who wants to participate. Under the names for the people on your reservation, it says something to the effect of "add people from another reservation." Click that and then the screen will come up to add others. You will need the name of one person on the reservation you are adding and that person's date of birth. It might take a couple of tries. Unfortunately.

[NoWhiners]

4 hours ago, Tudy said:

It is a process, to be sure.

It says the reservation number is locked when someone else is looking at the reservation.

 

Hmm, I wonder how that could be. The only other person who could look at it would be DH and he leaves all this to me. 

 

I have signed out multiple times and I only use my PC, so it's not like I opened it somewhere else. Maybe it's this but I suspect it is just more confusion by X.

 

Thanks for your help.

[Tudy]

 

14 hours ago, NoWhiners said:

 

Hmm, I wonder how that could be. The only other person who could look at it would be DH and he leaves all this to me. 

 

I have signed out multiple times and I only use my PC, so it's not like I opened it somewhere else. Maybe it's this but I suspect it is just more confusion by X.

 

Thanks for your help.

My Travel Agent told me that it could be IT from their agency or Celebrity.

[NoWhiners]

On 1/8/2024 at 6:19 AM, Tudy said:

 

My Travel Agent told me that it could be IT from their agency or Celebrity.

 I think this is it. One of the friends going on this cruise said she was locked out of her X account too. She had to call them and they cleared her cache and she was good to go. I will try that next week when we are back home. (In Las Vegas now for CES)

 

Thanks for the info.