Celebrity Select Dining is Here

[curtdesilets]

Our first cruise ever was on Infinity in 5/2001 was incredible. This apparently was Infinity's third week of sailing. It subsequently won best large ship in Conde Naste's Poll several years in a row. I'm convinced that the dining experience was what accomplished this #1 status.

 

It was all traditional dining. Almost all men wore tuxedos. Women were dressed to the nines. Elegant beyond description.

 

Now who here believes "flexible dining" will re-capture that experience in any way shape or form?

 

Be honest.

[lysolqn]

I suspect X is responding to what it has determined is the preference of the majority of the cruising public - namely, more flexible dining options. The introduction of Select Dining in the not too distant future is part of the evolution of the X product, just as the elimination of informal nights was in response to many pax's demand for a more relaxed dress code. I can't fault the cruise line for wanting to make its product attractive to as many pax as possible, though I am sorry to see the line between the X product and the products offered by other lines continue to blur.

 

I'm reminded of a couple of recent TV adds, one in which a woman can't find her car in a parking garage because all the cars look alike, and another in which kids leaving school can't find their moms because all the cars parked outside school look alike. Now it seems that in an effort to be all things to all people, all cruise lines are starting to look alike and it's becoming increasingly more difficult for pax to distinguish one from another.

[curtdesilets]

"I hope this helps, I've opted for MTD on Royal on 5 occasions. It in no way interfers or lessens the tradional dining experience. If you always eat early you probably won't even walk by anyone in the CSD section. MTD on Royal as not had one negative impact on those eating at main or late seatings. You are probably skepical, but what I am saying is fact. Go over to the RC boards, the topic never comes up with the excption of how MTD works. Unless Celebrity really screws this up, the program should be a win win for all.

 

Ha ha, your not old!!!!!"

 

 

I hope you're right. Thanks for the confidence builder. Princess was a mess though.

[Jeka]

I'm reminded of a couple of recent TV adds, one in which a woman can't find her car in a parking garage because all the cars look alike, and another in which kids leaving school can't find their moms because all the cars parked outside school look alike. Now it seems that in an effort to be all things to all people, all cruise lines are starting to look alike and it's becoming increasingly more difficult for pax to distinguish one from another.

 

Ha ha, the only problem with your analogy is I think Celebrity is more like a Lexus than an Audi!!;):p:D

[curtdesilets]

I'm reminded of a couple of recent TV adds, one in which a woman can't find her car in a parking garage because all the cars look alike, and another in which kids leaving school can't find their moms because all the cars parked outside school look alike. Now it seems that in an effort to be all things to all people, all cruise lines are starting to look alike and it's becoming increasingly more difficult for pax to distinguish one from another.

 

Celebrity was a diamond in the rough. Too bad it is moving towards the mainstream. We are again taking my wife's parents on this Infinity Cruise this summer...touting all the attributes of the Celebrity Experience over the common cruise experience. I hope Celebrity retains SOME of their joys.

[Jeka]

"I hope this helps, I've opted for MTD on Royal on 5 occasions. It in no way interfers or lessens the tradional dining experience. If you always eat early you probably won't even walk by anyone in the CSD section. MTD on Royal as not had one negative impact on those eating at main or late seatings. You are probably skepical, but what I am saying is fact. Go over to the RC boards, the topic never comes up with the excption of how MTD works. Unless Celebrity really screws this up, the program should be a win win for all.

 

Ha ha, your not old!!!!!"

 

 

I hope you're right. Thanks for the confidence builder. Princess was a mess though.

 

I don't have hard facts, but my guess on RC is about 25% participate in MTD. Maybe on school vacation sailings it's higher, but it is no way the majority. We got off the Liberty of the Seas on Saturday and I'd guess they used 1/3 of the top restaurant for MTD.

[Bridge Maven]

Our first cruise ever was on Infinity in 5/2001 was incredible. This apparently was Infinity's third week of sailing. It subsequently won best large ship in Conde Naste's Poll several years in a row. I'm convinced that the dining experience was what accomplished this #1 status.

 

It was all traditional dining. Almost all men wore tuxedos. Women were dressed to the nines. Elegant beyond description.

 

Now who here believes "flexible dining" will re-capture that experience in any way shape or form?

 

Be honest.

 

It depends upon what you consider to be elegant dining. In some ways it is easier to provide better food and service in a flexible dining setting, providing that the wait staff and chefs and properly trained to do so. That is one of the reasons why Celebrity's specialty restaurants provide an experience that is more comparable to an upscale restaurant than its main dining room currently does.

[curtdesilets]

Perhaps you are right. On Princess, 4 of the 5 dining rooms were anytime dining. 1 was fixed. It was a maze to figure out. If RCL and Celebrity only have about 25% participation in flexible, that isn't so bad. I was just blown away by that 1st season on Celebrity in 2001. I understand the drawbaxks of both systems. There is no easy answer, I suppose. Thank for the feed:)back

[Jeka]

Oh ya, one other thing, people in MTD dress up just as much on formal nights as those in traditional.

[cheesetu]

If this is a repeat of what someone else already posted, I apologize.

 

I e-mailed Celebrity and asked them if they have Select Dining on the Summit sailing on 11/28. The response I got said that "at this time Celebrity Cruises does not offer Select Dining".

[bickee]

Yay! I've been avoiding looking at Celebrity cruises because they DON'T have a flexible dining option like this. Now maybe I'll try them out.

[hondorner]

My guess is that Celebrity has a very good idea of how many people choose the line for the traditional dining -- and how many do NOT sail on the line because it does NOT offer a flexible option. You can count me in that list; we generally avoid all cruise lines that insist on formal nights and fixed seating.

 

We broke our rule for our August Alaska sailing on Celebrity only because we liked the itinerary, the timing fit our schedule, the ship (Mercury), while still huge by our standards is smaller than the megaships, and we got a heck of a good deal. We took a suite so we could dine nicely on formal nights and late port nights (this is Alaska with long days, the departures are 7 PM, 8:30 PM and 8:30 PM -- try to work that into the fixed dining schedule!)

 

The fact that Celebrity is obviously planning to introduce flex dining is an excellent indication that they can gain more passengers than they will lose.

[pumpkin 11]

I personally *hate* open seating dining, or whatever it's called.

 

Give me a fixed table, a time to arrive, and a guaranteed seat, and I'm happy.

 

Make me stand in line for food, and I'll point out that the Soviet Union collapsed for that very reason.

 

I travel single, and it's the structure of the dining experience that I enjoy. I did Azamara, with open seating, and found that fitting 700 guests into 370 seats doesn't work so well on busy port days.

 

If this is the only option on Celebrity, i'll look for another cruise line.

 

i also feel that anytime dinning is not to great. i posted my feelings on cunard, and asked if they think cunard would ever do it. i got a lot of NO:)

[pumpkin 11]

Our first cruise ever was on Infinity in 5/2001 was incredible. This apparently was Infinity's third week of sailing. It subsequently won best large ship in Conde Naste's Poll several years in a row. I'm convinced that the dining experience was what accomplished this #1 status.

 

It was all traditional dining. Almost all men wore tuxedos. Women were dressed to the nines. Elegant beyond description.

 

Now who here believes "flexible dining" will re-capture that experience in any way shape or form?

 

Be honest.

totally agree!

[jmpintbus]

My wife and I much prefer open seating and dining whenever we want. Doing this we have met the most interesting people and had wonderful conversations during our meals. We have traveled very extensively all over the world and have always told the wait staff that we would be more than happy to share a table before or after we have been seated. We do not feel in anyway that this is lowering standards. It is actually raising our understanding of other peoples, cultures and countries.

[Bridge Maven]

i also feel that anytime dinning is not to great. i posted my feelings on cunard, and asked if they think cunard would ever do it. i got a lot of NO:)

 

 

I think it is unrealistic to compare Cunard with Celebrity because Cunard is a very expensive luxury cruise line that was founded in 1840 with only a few ships to fill, while Celebrity is a relatively new mass market cruise line with a much larger fleet of ships to fill.

[Ma Bell]

I find it rather sad that so many seem to think that all cruiselines should be the same, but I guess I'm not surprised. It all seems to fit with the general tone of society lately.

[Bridge Maven]

My wife and I much prefer open seating and dining whenever we want. Doing this we have met the most interesting people and had wonderful conversations during our meals. We have traveled very extensively all over the world and have always told the wait staff that we would be more than happy to share a table before or after we have been seated. We do not feel in anyway that this is lowering standards. It is actually raising our understanding of other peoples, cultures and countries.

 

Excellent post!

[Mysticks1]

I don't understand all of the comments concerning the idea that the Celebrity Select dining is going to somehow change the way people dress. The dress code would remain the same for both select and traditional dining.

I would love to be able to try select dining on our upcoming cruise but I doubt it would be offered in Blu. :(

[JamesMe]

I hope Celebrity starts with the Summit in August. Anytime dining gives flexability.We selected late dining but have been looking for options that would allow us to see the port departures then eat.By the way for traditionalists try Princess. They offer both fixed and anytime dining. This works well on ships the size of the Grand and larger.

[sasset]

I find it rather sad that so many seem to think that all cruiselines should be the same, but I guess I'm not surprised. It all seems to fit with the general tone of society lately.

 

This is so true. It's kind of like going to El Pollo Loco (I assume everyone knows what this is - fast food Mexican style chicken) and demand that they serve fish.

 

Regards

[txsloth]

This is so true. It's kind of like going to El Pollo Loco (I assume everyone knows what this is - fast food Mexican style chicken) and demand that they serve fish.

 

Regards

 

Well, if El Pollo Loco took a long hard look at the restaurant industry, and realized that in order to stay competitive and earn a better profit for their shareholders they should start serving fish, and if El Pollo Loco spent some time figuring out how to serve fish in a way that attracted new patrons without alienating old ones, this might be a good analogy!

[kacoombs]

Might as well go on the good ship lollipop....su--s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad: now in the same league as rccl and carnival imo. More dumbling down in america as far as class goes.

 

As long as this is not doing away with formal dining, then I'm OK with this...when I go to the formal dinner on the cruise, there are a bunch of people congregating like lemmings waiting to get in. Dinner definitely should be an event - I totally agree. When I do a nice dinner, I expect to make reservations - do you show up at Morton's without a reservation expecting to get seated on a Saturday night with another 100 people? And when you do, how does your server get drinks & appetizers for 5 or more tables that have been seated at the same time?

 

These ships have gotten so huge and the dining room needs to more appropriately deal with the logistics. I think it would increase the level of service. If it becomes like the buffet, I will be really angry, because I love the formal dining. But I would really like to eat at 7:30, not 6 or 8:15.

[Ma Bell]

Most people would prefer to eat at 7:30 so there will obviously be some disappointments. How annoyed will all the "new" Celebrity cruisers be if they let the frequent cruisers have first choice of times?

[epbucky]

It was certainly almost inevitable that they would eventually go to this since all the "competition" does it. However, for people who still remember the "old Celebrity" it is just one more example of how they have abandoned the "premium\near luxury" niche that once seemed to work quite well for them. The overall X lines experience has slipped so far since we first cruised with them that we no longer consider them "a cut above" anyway, so this simply confirms our decision to treat them exactly like all the other "mainstream" lines. We will book all future cruises solely on itinerary and price, the cruiseline is now virtually irrelevant since they are all essentially mirror images of each other. Still, sad to see yet another so called "relic" relegated to the dustbin of history! For those of you who think you can successfully do both, I have yet to see it. Traditional dining on Princess is a joke and I don't think it has done much to enhance the Holland America experience. I am sure that most people will see it as an improvement. I just don't happen to fall into that camp.