Select dining

[Ucm2000]

How does select dining work? We just got off summit and had the late seating. We are set for select on our next cruise. Do you still have to make a reservation for select?

 

 

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[cruisestitch]

No you don't have to make a reservation. But you can if you choose.

 

Select dining gives you the flexibility to eat at a different time each night.

 

Or to make a standing reservation for the same time, same table.

 

Or to be spontaneous, and just show up.

 

You can choose a "sharing table" to meet new people, or not.

 

With Select Dining, you must pre-pay your gratuities. With traditional, you saw that they were added to your SeaPass card each day (unless they were pre-paid for you by your travel agent or as part of a package or promotion).

[Jane2357]

Used to always have late dining - but it was a little too late really. Last few cruises we have had select and now I would be unhappy to have anything else - we love select. After the first 2 nights we found a section that we loved, great wait staff and we stayed with them for the remainder of the cruise. We made reservations for formal nights but other nights we just showed up. Our longest wait time was 5 or 6 minutes. We had a shared table 1 night and then most nights were tables for 2 except 3 nights when we dined with new friends. Give it a try -- the release from a schedule is so freeing.

[micmacmissy]

Our select dining experience was awful (Silhouette, last month). Tried to make reservations but none before 8:30. The one time we did get an 8pm reservation we still had to wait 1/2 hour to be seated (they sent us to the martini bar and told us someone would come get us).

 

On another night, they led us to our table and there were people already there. On yet another night, the table number we were assigned didn't exist, so our party stood in the middle of the dining room while waiters scrambled around us.

 

We never had the same waiter (although we tried to request him) and the women in the front of the MDR at the podium was...well, let's just say...she was tough.

 

Maybe we were just extremely unlucky...it did drive us to 3 nights of specialty dining...

 

Funny thing is, Royal manages to do this beautifully...whether we had reservations or not, we never waited more than 5 minutes for a table. They're the same company, so I can't understand why our experience on Celebrity was so awful. We love the flexibility of eating when we want, and didn't get that at all. Never again!

Edited March 14, 2014 by micmacmissy

[ghstudio]

Our select dining experience was awful (Silhouette, last month). Tried to make reservations but none before 8:30. The one time we did get an 8pm reservation we still had to wait 1/2 hour to be seated (they sent us to the martini bar and told us someone would come get us).

 

On another night, they led us to our table and there were people already there. On yet another night, the table number we were assigned didn't exist, so our party stood in the middle of the dining room while waiters scrambled around us.

 

We never had the same waiter (although we tried to request him) and the women in the front of the MDR at the podium was...well, let's just say...she was tough.

 

Maybe we were just extremely unlucky...it did drive us to 3 nights of specialty dining...

 

Funny thing is, Royal manages to do this beautifully. Can't understand why our experience on Celebrity was so awful. We love the flexibility of eating when we want, and didn't get that at all. Never again!

 

There is tremendous variation among ships....very dependent on who is managing the dining room and who is at the door when guests arrive. For the most part, it works well...but then there is the occasional host/hostess who has only one line for everyone...reservations mean nothing...and of course communications between waiters and the reception area is critical in knowing what tables are available...and communications are always a problem.

 

On our last cruise Blu always had a wait...and that's the first time that's happened (we've had 5 cruises in aqua). The maitre d' refused to put two people at a table for four...and that really reduced capacity. Staffing cuts probably also added to the problem.

 

Overall, I think select works...but occasionally you get a cruise as you've reported.

[Shake]

One time we did select and will happily NEVER EVER do it again.

 

We like the, "freedom" of having a great dinner experience.

[ECCruise]

Hundreds of nights of Select/MyTime/FreeStyle/AnyTime dining. Overall, I would say perfectly happy 90% of the time. Have found that same table/waitstaff seems to be easier on Princess than Celebrity or RCCL (and real tough on NCL).

 

Wouldn't go back to Traditional Dining (especially Late in Europe where we usually cruise) if there was a $50 bill attached to the menu every night. Plenty of opportunities to meet folks all around the ship without having to spend 2+ hours every night.

 

YMMV.

[Purplsmurf]

We did select last year, had reservations for the same time every night and loved it for the most part. We really liked our wait staff so requested them for the rest of the cruise, but we were told that we could only have them if they were available, which, on a few nights, they weren't. We ended up waiting 45 mns after our reservation so we could get them on our last night. We are doing select again this year. We will see how it all works out.

 

 

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[dbsb3233]

Can you make same-day reservations with Select, and if so, how late in the day can you make them?

 

When we've had any-time dining (by different names) on other cruise lines, we've generally loved it. Although there were a few times we had to wait. We don't really want the same time every night because port excursions and on-ship activities vary from day to day, and thus so does our dinner schedule. But one some days it might be good to reserve a table after we've seen that day's activity schedule (usually late the night before).

[dbsb3233]

Another question... are there lots of tables for 4 in the MDR in Millennium? We have a group of 4 and prefer to eat at our own table most of the time rather than doing the small-talk thing with strangers. Anyone have an estimate of the percentage of 4-tops for Select dining?

 

Also, is Select dining a separate section/area of the MDR than the traditional dining times, or do they all just mix together in one big area?

 

I think our favorite any-time dining experience was on NCL Epic. It was mostly 4-top and 2-top tables, just like a regular restaurant. Never had any problem getting our own 4-top.

[WestLakeGirl]

Select dining is a separate section of the dining room; Select and Traditional are not intermixed

[dbsb3233]

Select dining is a separate section of the dining room; Select and Traditional are not intermixed

Thanks. Does Select seating use balcony level? The pictures I find of the MDR show the main floor tables, which mostly all look larger. Not finding hardly any picture of the balcony tables.

[New Hampshire]

Select has been one half of the upper level of all the ships I've been on, both S and M class.

[Northern Aurora]

Another question... are there lots of tables for 4 in the MDR in Millennium? We have a group of 4 and prefer to eat at our own table most of the time rather than doing the small-talk thing with strangers. Anyone have an estimate of the percentage of 4-tops for Select dining?

 

 

While there are some tables for four in Select dining on M-class ships, there are a great number of tables for two, which are very easy to slide together to create a table for four.

[Muppetmania]

Sorry to hijack thread, but what is the earliest time you can sit for Select time dining? I have 2 young kids I would like to try to get fed and out of everyone's way.

[kfrey68]

We have done select dining on all 3 Celebrity cruises we have completed and have if for our next, wouldn't consider anything else. We tend to make reservations before we leave around the times we like to eat or based on departures from ports etc. and love the flexibility to do so. For example of the 1st night we tend to eat a bit later because we like to enjoy the sailaway and sights as we leave. With traditional (early) we would have to rush away to get to dinner and miss some of the sights we would like to see as our vacation starts. Many other nights our DS wants to get to the kids club so we schedule so he can get there at the beginning of the program or shortly after it begins.

 

We have never had a wait of more than 1-2 minutes with a reservation but when we have been leaving the dining room we have seen a line of people waiting to get in that did not have reservations. This appears to be more common around the 7:30-8:30 time frame. Sometimes we have had the same staff other times not but if we have asked there has never been a problem and the dining room staff has been more than accomadating. One time we got invited to an event just prior to our dinner time and we called the dining room to let them know we would not make our reservation and scheduled it for a bit later. The event ran late due to leaving a port late so we even missed that time. When we made it to the dining room we expected to wait and were very surprised that they held a table for us with our preferred waitstaff.

 

I know experiences vary but we have always had an acceptable if not great experience and not being tied to either early or late seating on a cruise just adds to the relaxation of the vacation.

[SUSIEK]

We just sailed on Reflection 3/8. I would have to say I would NOT do select dining again.

Probably my fault for assuming it was the same as other lines.

 

We failed to make reservations as we assumed you could just show up as on other lines. To me it defeats the purpose to have to make your reservations in the MDR at the beginning of the cruise for the next 7nights. What time we wanted to eat depended on how our day was and our son. Live and learn :-)

 

I would HIGHLY suggest you make reservations for the MDR on the 1st day of your cruise for the remaining nights.

 

We ate in the MDR 2 nights out of 7. Those 2 nights were excellent.

[ghstudio]

When select dining started, there was almost never a line, reservation or not. It does seem that now there is more waiting....especially on the reflection where I believe the passenger to table ratio is now higher. Compounding the ratio of passengers to tables is the (perceived) cutback in waiters and busboys which slows things down.

 

In fairness, it also depends on the cruise and the makeup of the passengers...for example if you have many on the cruise from Brazil or Spain, many of the diners will eat after 8:30pm.

 

Finally, it never hurts to have a reservation in select. They don't actually hold tables; the reservation just gets you into a separate line so you essentially "jump" the no-reservation line. If you don't show up for your reservation, just go to the "no reservation" line and you'll be seated like everyone else.

[dbsb3233]

Sorry to hijack thread, but what is the earliest time you can sit for Select time dining? I have 2 young kids I would like to try to get fed and out of everyone's way.

I'm having a hard time finding a link for it at the moment, but I think I remember it being 5:30pm-9:30pm.

[Viva_la_Vida]

I'm going to be on Summit to Bermuda in June and was very interested to read about this topic. I am considering select in order to make our schedule more flexible, but it sounds as if select doesn't really offer much flexibility :eek:. Is this the case for Bermuda/Summit as well since it stays at the port for two nights? I don't want to be locked into a reservation if I'm specifically paying up front not to be. In general, I wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes for a table to clear but the hubs might get a little cranky :p

 

Thanks for all the great advice, as always!

[ghstudio]

I'm going to be on Summit to Bermuda in June and was very interested to read about this topic. I am considering select in order to make our schedule more flexible, but it sounds as if select doesn't really offer much flexibility :eek:. Is this the case for Bermuda/Summit as well since it stays at the port for two nights? I don't want to be locked into a reservation if I'm specifically paying up front not to be. In general, I wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes for a table to clear but the hubs might get a little cranky :p

 

Thanks for all the great advice, as always!

 

I'm not sure what you think you read indicating you don't have flexibility. Yes, a reservation helps minimize a wait, but you don't have to have one. You may have a 10-15 min wait but that happens often when dining out at home. Select dining gives you a great deal,of flexibility. If you can't live with a short wait, then book fixed seating but understand the doors close 15 minutes after the assigned time and you will have to eat elsewhere if you miss that window.

[LynnObie]

When Select was first offered, we thought we'd never like it. When we found out that our very favorite tables were part of the "Select only" section of the MDR, we quickly decided to try it. We now book our Select reservations online months before the cruise & make any needed adjustments once on board. If we find that an excursion or other event is going to make us more than a few minutes late on a particular evening, we call the Select Hostess to adjust our schedule. We are now very happy with Select and would probably never go back unless our favorite tables reverted to the Traditional section.:)

[Viva_la_Vida]

We just sailed on Reflection 3/8. I would have to say I would NOT do select dining again.

Probably my fault for assuming it was the same as other lines.

 

We failed to make reservations as we assumed you could just show up as on other lines. To me it defeats the purpose to have to make your reservations in the MDR at the beginning of the cruise for the next 7nights. What time we wanted to eat depended on how our day was and our son. Live and learn :-)

I would HIGHLY suggest you make reservations for the MDR on the 1st day of your cruise for the remaining nights.

 

We ate in the MDR 2 nights out of 7. Those 2 nights were excellent.

 

I'm not sure what you think you read indicating you don't have flexibility. Yes, a reservation helps minimize a wait, but you don't have to have one. You may have a 10-15 min wait but that happens often when dining out at home. Select dining gives you a great deal,of flexibility. If you can't live with a short wait, then book fixed seating but understand the doors close 15 minutes after the assigned time and you will have to eat elsewhere if you miss that window.

 

Well, that is what I read that indicated there is not a lot of flexibility. I get that the trends in select differ with each ship and port. I'm just new to this and trying to figure it out. It actually seems like a fair amount of posters were not thrilled with select. I don't have an issue waiting for a table as long as that wait is generally 20 minutes or less.

[ghstudio]

Well, that is what I read that indicated there is not a lot of flexibility. I get that the trends in select differ with each ship and port. I'm just new to this and trying to figure it out. It actually seems like a fair amount of posters were not thrilled with select. I don't have an issue waiting for a table as long as that wait is generally 20 minutes or less.

 

The reflection has more issues than the other ships... It is very rare that you will ever have a 20 minute wait on any other ship. Typically it's 5-15 mins. If you have a reservation it cuts that time down a bit. Also remember that some prefer to eat with the same 6-8 people every night so they prefer fixed seating. Select gives you the opportunity to dine alone or join others for dinner...a nice way to meet interesting people and you don't have to rush back for dinner if you are in port.

Edited March 18, 2014 by ghstudio

[dbsb3233]

I'm going to be on Summit to Bermuda in June and was very interested to read about this topic. I am considering select in order to make our schedule more flexible, but it sounds as if select doesn't really offer much flexibility :eek:. Is this the case for Bermuda/Summit as well since it stays at the port for two nights? I don't want to be locked into a reservation if I'm specifically paying up front not to be. In general, I wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes for a table to clear but the hubs might get a little cranky :p

 

Thanks for all the great advice, as always!

While this will be our first Celebrity cruise, we have done NCL and Princess cruises with "anytime" dining. For the most part, it's been great. Rarely have we had to wait for a table. But there are some rather obvious wait times, dictated by other events on the ship. For instance, if there's a big production show in the theater that lets out in the middle of the dinner window, pretty good chance a lot of those folks are heading straight to the MDR all in a 5-10 minute window.

 

I'm not sure what's the latest we can make Select reservations for the same day, but if we can do so after seeing that day's activity schedule, that would be ideal.