Table requests, reservations, and wait times for select dining

We have select dining for the first time on our upcoming cruise and I have a few questions. First, is it possible to make a reservation an hour or two before the dining room opens (like call ahead seating) or do we have to wait until we arrive? Second, how difficult is it to get a table for two by the window, for example? What's the longest you've waited for a table at a specific time, etc? If you had to wait, did you get a buzzer so you could go to the bar and until your table is ready?

I'm sure it depends on what time you go and how many other people show up at the same time. I'd just like to hear your personal experience with select dining. I've thought about going online and booking times before the cruise, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of having select? Or would I have better luck getting a table by the window by doing that?

We have requested a table for our upcoming cruise already. We did this online. We usually reserve the first night or two and then reserve as we go after that. They will take your request at the podium as you leave the MDR for the next night if you wish. We have never had to wait for more than a minute or two.

I'm still not clear about the need to make reservations for anytime/select dining. On Norwegian, it seemed to make no difference if we had a reservation or not. During the most popular dinner times, there was only one line to check in. From what I've read, Celebrity (going on the Reflection) seems to be the same. Hoping someone with recent experience on Celebrity can tell me if there is a separate, faster check in if you have a reservation.

There are plenty of tables for 2, never requested one ahead of time & always got one. Now a table for 2 by the window could be a problem or or could result a longer wait. Yes, if there is be a wait if more than 3-4 minutes they have buzzers.

Be aware that the tables are rather close together so a table for 2 is a almost like a table for 4.

We make a reservation on line for the 1st night or 2 and then just tell the hostess as we leave when we want to dine the next night.

I'm still not clear about the need to make reservations for anytime/select dining. On Norwegian, it seemed to make no difference if we had a reservation or not. During the most popular dinner times, there was only one line to check in. From what I've read, Celebrity (going on the Reflection) seems to be the same. Hoping someone with recent experience on Celebrity can tell me if there is a separate, faster check in if you have a reservation.

On all of the Celebrity ships that we had SD on there was a line for those that had reservations and a line for those that did not have reservations. I always make our reservations online in my Cruise Planner for SD prior to the cruise.

[qo check in. From what I've read, Celebrity (going on the Reflection) seems to be the same. Hoping someone with recent experience on Celebrity can tell me if there is a separate, faster check in if you have a reservation.

Just come off Reflection and they have a separate entrance for people who have made reservations, in our case it was starboard side of the upstairs dining room.

On all of the Celebrity ships that we had SD on there was a line for those that had reservations and a line for those that did not have reservations. I always make our reservations online in my Cruise Planner for SD prior to the cruise.

Can I ask what you consider to be the advantage of Select dinning is over set times if you're going to set a time anyway?

Can I ask what you consider to be the advantage of Select dinning is over set times if you're going to set a time anyway?

For us it's because the traditional times are too early and too late for us. So we reserve for the time that suits us best. It gives us enough time to get ready on port days and is also early enough that we can do the evening things we want to do. We don't mind eating around the same time each night, but 5:30 or 6:00 and 8:30 are not times we want to eat. So we reserve ahead of time.

Can I ask what you consider to be the advantage of Select dinning is over set times if you're going to set a time anyway?

Personal preference. Also if we don't like the table location we've requested (table for two once onboard the ship) or the wait staff it's a lot easier to be relocated to a different table. But, we've never experienced any of those issues.

Can I ask what you consider to be the advantage of Select dinning is over set times if you're going to set a time anyway?

Depending on your excursions and onboard activities you might not want to dine at the same time every night.

Our group of 5 opted for Select Dining on our last cruise (Reflection.) Loved our service team on the first night so much we made reservations during dinner on the first night for the rest of the cruise so we could request the same table and service team. We ate in the main dining room probably 5 nights out of 10 & with 1 exception we were seated w/ in about 10-15 minutes of our requested dining time. Yes, we were given a buzzer when we checked in if our table wasn't ready.

We didn't do a call ahead so can't comment on that but we did show up on one evening when we did not make a reservation in advance and were still seated w/ in less than 20 minutes. We just went and got a cocktail and waited for our buzzer to go off.

We like the flexibility of select - early seating is way too early for us and the late seating is a bit too rigid, sometimes we want to go a little earlier or later. We just understood that the plus of select dining is the flexibility, the con is that you sometimes have to wait for a table.

As many other posts suggest, the 1st (and maybe 2nd) nights in the MDR are a little bit chaotic so a little patience is required. Theres lots of table swapping and rearranging to get all guests settled and happy and this seems to make the select dining a little more of a challenge but the X crew gets it worked out and things run very well after the first night or two. (Pre-dinner cocktail seems to fix all woe's...)

Maybe make a reso for the first night or 2 via your cruise planner so you have something (which can be changed if you wish) and once you get a feel for how things work you can adjust for the rest of the trip...

As others have said, it allows individual preference. Early is too early and late is too late for us. We always pre book for whole cruise and then tweak if required.

The most popular eating time appears to be between 7:00 and 7:45pm, even with a reservation I have see us being asked to wait for 10 to 15 minutes if we wanted a particular table.

I have also seen folks without reservations being told the wait will be 20/25 minutes in similar circumstances.

I view it a bit similar to picking a cabin, you get a much wider selection the earlier you book. Same with picking a Select dining time, the popular times will be gone if you have left it late to book your cruise.

I’d advise you book a time as close to your preferred eating time you can, but be prepared to wait a short while if you want a particular table, particularly if you are dining at the busiest time.

If you make a reservation on-line for a table for 2 with Select Dining - will they give you a two-top automatically, or will they possibly reserve two spots at a bigger table?

We've just returned from Constellation at the end of August. We too had Select Dining as we prefer the flexibility. There were two front-of-house desks in the MDR; one for people turning up, and one for pre-reservations and Suite guests. We were quite happy to wait for a table rather than queue and so we used to go down to the MDR about 30 mins before we preferred to dine (usually around 1930). TIP- We always went to the reservations desk (no queue or queue invariably shorter) and asked for a table in around 30 mins. We were given a pager and then used to go to Rendezvous or Martini bar for a pre-dinner drink.

There were three of us, and we were given a window table on probably 4 out of the 7 occasions we did this.

On a couple of occasions if there was no queue we went straight in; once we were given a table on the upper level with the fixed dining passengers. This was used as an overspill if there was room and we had no problems with this either.

I don't see any need in reserving times pre-cruise as there is always sufficient room if you are prepared to wait. Although on our cruise the British were the majority nationality on board, there were also a lot of Spaniards, who generally ate later. There were always large queues at the MDR around 2100/2130

If you make a reservation on-line for a table for 2 with Select Dining - will they give you a two-top automatically, or will they possibly reserve two spots at a bigger table?

When you make your reservation for your preferred dining time for SD in your cruise planner there isn't an option for table size. When we first board the ship we check out the tables for two for SD. When we show up that evening we ask for a table for two in that location. If we like the table we were given the first evening we ask if we can have it every evening if it's "available". The hostess will not obligate their selves but will try to accommodate your request. At least that has been our experiences with SD. Most of the times our requests have been honored. If not the exact table one very close to it in the same location.

We are wait-listed for Select Dining for our upcoming Eclipse cruise. We are currently assigned 20:45 for traditional dining.

We would always prefer a table for two (we are very sociable during the day but prefer to dine "à deux").

I accessed our booking today and was able to book Select for the first night but I did see a note that stated that Select Dining was only available when one has pre-paid gratuities.

I am very confused. Can I book Select even though our reservation does not show this and do we have to pre-pay gratuities? If we have no option, other than Traditional, are we able to request a table for two each evening?

Many thanks.

Can I ask what you consider to be the advantage of Select dinning is over set times if you're going to set a time anyway?

We have found if you dine around the same time most of the others around you are also there at the same time. We actually ended up coordinating our dinner time with another couple on our last cruise to sit next to them each night.

Lastly, we have found that if we need to change the time once onboard it is much easier to get our desired time then if we didn't have a reservation at all.

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On the first day several different people were taking reservations for anytime dining, and apparently they overbooked themselves for popular times. Our reservation was for a table for 2 at 8:15; and when we got to the dining room, there were about 25 people in line in front of us. Everyone who arrived was told to "just stand in line" whether they had reservations or not. Equinox recently eliminated the 2 lines -- one for those with reservations and the other for those who just walk up. Now everyone is herded into the same line. We waited 35 minutes to be seated and another 20 minutes before anyone brought us a menu.

We were so frustrated that we asked the Captain's Club Hostess to make arrangements for us to have fixed seating every evening at 6:00. That worked most evenings, but if we didn't want to eat right at 6:00 on some nights, we simply enjoyed dinner at the Oceanview Cafe.

Can I ask what you consider to be the advantage of Select dinning is over set times if you're going to set a time anyway?

When we are on a cruise we like to eat around 7pm generally so the early and late set dining don't work well for us. With that in mind I make all of our dinner reservations well in advance for 7pm and if we need to change them onboard for a particular day it is no big deal. 5:30pm is just too early for us and 8:30pm is just too late so we are happy to have a choice.

We cruise next month and decided to reserve the first night. The only time available is 5:45 which is earlier than I would have liked. If you are interested, don't hesitate or your time may not be available.

We cruise next month and decided to reserve the first night. The only time available is 5:45 which is earlier than I would have liked. If you are interested, don't hesitate or your time may not be available.

There are only so many tables reserved for set times on Select Dining. You can still show up at your preferred time and probably get a table. If not you may have to wait with a drink in the bar.