Select vs Traditional dining quesitons

[smtcan]

The only disadvantage we have found with Select dining is that we can't use OBC for gratuities, so if we have a large amount of OBC we book traditional. We are not heavy drinkers and do not use the spa, so there is such a thing as too much OBC! Sometimes we have been able to switch when we are on board, but since Select is becoming more popular, this is not as easy.

[blindrid]

The only disadvantage we have found with Select dining is that we can't use OBC for gratuities, so if we have a large amount of OBC we book traditional. We are not heavy drinkers and do not use the spa, so there is such a thing as too much OBC! Sometimes we have been able to switch when we are on board, but since Select is becoming more popular, this is not as easy.

 

Good point. I still question why the pre-pay none of the other lines that I cruise do that?

[avalon007]

I recently booked our first Celebrity cruise & it has the default traditional dining listed.

 

How do I change that - can I do it online?

 

I'm used to RCCL's My Time which is like Select so much prefer to change it to that option. :)

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I recently booked our first Celebrity cruise & it has the default traditional dining listed.

 

How do I change that - can I do it online?

 

I'm used to RCCL's My Time which is like Select so much prefer to change it to that option. :)

 

Your TA should have asked you what dinning you like, just call them and tell them you want select

[avalon007]

Your TA should have asked you what dinning you like, just call them and tell them you want select

 

 

I don't use a TA, I book directly with the cruise lines so I have full control over my own booking.

 

With RCCL I can edit things online like meals etc. I'll give Celebrity a call. :)

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I don't use a TA, I book directly with the cruise lines so I have full control over my own booking.

 

With RCCL I can edit things online like meals etc. I'll give Celebrity a call. :)

 

Online or by calling in ?

If you called in the celebrity rep should of asked you

 

Go into "My reservation " call up your cruise and change to select dinning

[keithm]

I tried to search this out but mostly get threads that are several years old so I'm just going to ask. :-)

 

We will be taking our first cruise on Celebrity this January. On other cruise lines the consensus was that Traditional dinning generally got better service and often better meals. We have also always enjoyed having he same wait staff who quickly learn our preferences.

 

However, in reading reviews I get bits and pieces that lead me to believe that Select Dining may be best for us. Here is what I am hearing and would like to hear the thoughts of those that have experienced the select dinning options.

 

• You are quickly seated within minutes in general and even quicker if you have called in a reservation.
  
• The delivery of food and the quality of food and service is of the same quality as in the traditional dinning option.
  
• The tables are less crowded/close than in Traditional dining.
  
• You can request the same wait staff from night to night if you wish and generally get that without undue delay.
  

 

If those things are mostly true than the flexibility to set our dining time each day would make select a desirable option. So, what do you think?

We tend to book fairly late & get stuck with select dining for the first night. We do like the fixed seating & usually get it the second night. We'll see the Maitre D & make the request. I then tip him a quick $20 for his service. The food was about the same for both fixed & select, but we found we had to wait & that the meal felt a bit rushed.

[avalon007]

Online or by calling in ?

If you called in the celebrity rep should of asked you

 

Go into "My reservation " call up your cruise and change to select dinning

 

 

Ok thanks - found it online & changed it over. It wasn't showing me that screen yesterday so must have been a web site issue.

 

All good!

[blindrid]

We tend to book fairly late & get stuck with select dining for the first night.

 

To me, "getting stuck" is a good thing. No other way to fly.

[tbmrt]

Not a huge problem, but just curious!

 

The last time we chose Anytime Dining on NCL, that section in the upstairs dining room was "broken up" and we felt like we were sitting "in the corner" on many nights although we requested seating with a better view of downstairs dining room.

 

We will need seating for 4 or 6 most nights using Select Dining on the Equinox. Wondering if we'll be able to be seated where we can view the downstairs dining room.

 

Thanks for any input you may have.

[Turtles06]

Not a huge problem, but just curious!

 

The last time we chose Anytime Dining on NCL, that section in the upstairs dining room was "broken up" and we felt like we were sitting "in the corner" on many nights although we requested seating with a better view of downstairs dining room.

 

We will need seating for 4 or 6 most nights using Select Dining on the Equinox. Wondering if we'll be able to be seated where we can view the downstairs dining room.

 

Thanks for any input you may have.

 

We're just back from the Silhouette TA and our first time in Select Dining. It worked out wonderfully for us. The first night, we were seated in "the back" -- lots of privacy and great service but no view of the rest of the dining room. The next night, we asked to be seated in the center, and were immediately accommodated. We loved the servers in that section, and thereafter asked for a table in their section. We only had to wait a few minutes a couple of times.

 

If you have a particular area in which you'd like to sit and there's no table available, you can wait. We were only two; not sure how quickly you'll get a table you want for 4 or 6. An additional strategy is to eat on the late side (after 8); it's much less crowded in Select at that point.

 

Have a great trip.

[GLYNAGP]

Some advice please

I am going to change our traditional dining to Select dining on our next 3 Celebrity Cruise (always done traditional in the past)

 

My question is can I book a dining time before departure to cover the whole cruise , we like to eat around 1915.

 

Thanks

Glyn

[emmas gran]

Yes you can book for the whole trip, we have done so on our last 3 cruises

Liz

[GLYNAGP]

Yes you can book for the whole trip, we have done so on our last 3 cruises

Liz

Thanks Liz

Glyn

[jerseygirl3]

I tried to search this out but mostly get threads that are several years old so I'm just going to ask. :-)

 

 

 

We will be taking our first cruise on Celebrity this January. On other cruise lines the consensus was that Traditional dinning generally got better service and often better meals. We have also always enjoyed having he same wait staff who quickly learn our preferences.

 

 

 

However, in reading reviews I get bits and pieces that lead me to believe that Select Dining may be best for us. Here is what I am hearing and would like to hear the thoughts of those that have experienced the select dinning options.

 

 

 

• 
   
  
• You are quickly seated within minutes in general and even quicker if you have called in a reservation.
   
  
• The delivery of food and the quality of food and service is of the same quality as in the traditional dinning option.
   
  
• The tables are less crowded/close than in Traditional dining.
   
  
• You can request the same wait staff from night to night if you wish and generally get that without undue delay.
   
  

 

 

 

If those things are mostly true than the flexibility to set our dining time each day would make select a desirable option. So, what do you think?

 

 

The wait time depends if you go at peak7:00-8:00. Sometimes no wait; other times anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on your request. They will give you a pager and you can go have a cocktail. We had select dining and the first of 15 nights we were seated at a table we liked and waitstaff we loved. We asked if we could have that same table every night and they said another group already had it booked for 6 pm every night but if we didn't mind waiting (which we didn't because we preferred 7:30-8:00) we could stop at the hostess podium around 7:15 and pick up a pager. That worked perfectly. Every night we would pick up the pager and go for a cocktail. The beeper always went off between 7:30 and 8 pm. The tables were spaced nicely and not on top if each other but I don't know if they were different downstairs at traditional dining. I didn't notice. The quality of the food was no different. Same menu.

 

We love select dining if we are a small (4-6) group traveling together. However if larger than that we go with traditional as sometimes it's harder to get a large table of 10-12 for your own group.

 

 

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