? About Luminae Construction on Equinox

[huskerc]

My bad, you are correct here.

 

Strange the letter talks about Select diners being affected, even though the space being worked on is in the assigned dining sections.

 

Definitely deck 3 starboard side on the S class.

 

I agree. And it was definitely mentioned as being part of deck 4 earlier, but (perhaps in this thread) there was a clarification that engineering concerns moved it to deck 3 (on S-class at least).

 

I wonder if they are doing some fixed seating on the upper level now?

[Oxo]

From everything that I have read recently, this effects MDR Deck 3 Starboard side (left side entering MDR on deck 3) Fixed Dining. This should have no effect on Select Dining.

sorry, right side.

[need2bespoiled]

 

I'm curious to learn if they will begin immediately using the new Suite Dining Room, or if they will wait till the official start dates for the program in April across the fleet.

 

There was a post by Celebrity, maybe in the 1/30 live chat that said it may open with the MDR menu in advance, as the actual new kitchen may be going in later, so yes, I bet they do, to also alleviate crowding and work out kinks.

 

 

Some suites will have 3 or 4 just like some will have only 1 and perhaps even sail empty on occasion. So I am using the industry standard "double occupancy". I do believe in fact ALL suites allow up to 4 passengers (except for Aqua Suites found only on reflection, however those become SkySuites in April, so a moot point).

 

In my observation, it is relatively rare that suites have more than 2 occupants in them, though for sure it does happen, I even sailed with 3 in a RS last year, but overall, the suite experience tends to be couples only.

 

First, there are some suites they only allow 3 people in, not sure if it was limited by sailing, or what, but it's definitely been reported that people couldn't book 4 in suites, including a RS

 

Second, I went on a Bermuda cruise last year, when EVERY RS and PH had more than 2 people, except for ours and one other. Michael's club was more crowded as was the ship in general, as MANY cabins were over 2. They even re-arranged the normal mustering locations, had people mustering in different locations than on their keycard etc. That cruise seemed to be at MAX.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Panderie]

Just to say that the "glitch" on Celebrity's website seems to be fixed today, and we can now reserve Select Dining for our cruise on the 23rd!

[terrierjohn]

My bad, you are correct here.

 

Strange the letter talks about Select diners being affected, even though the space being worked on is in the assigned dining sections.

 

Definitely deck 3 starboard side on the S class.

Obvious to me, they will have reduced fixed diners in line with the reduced lower tier seating, meaning an increase in select diners and therefore longer waiting times.

My concern as a regular select diner is will this problem continue when the Luminae is fully operational, I suspect it will.

They maybe could alleviate possible select problems by insisting that suite guest only use Luminae, and if they want to use the MDR they need to swap with a steerage passenger.

Edited February 8, 2015 by terrierjohn

[drarill]

There was a post by Celebrity, maybe in the 1/30 live chat that said it may open with the MDR menu in advance, as the actual new kitchen may be going in later, so yes, I bet they do, to also alleviate crowding and work out kinks.

 

 

 

First, there are some suites they only allow 3 people in, not sure if it was limited by sailing, or what, but it's definitely been reported that people couldn't book 4 in suites, including a RS

 

Second, I went on a Bermuda cruise last year, when EVERY RS and PH had more than 2 people, except for ours and one other. Michael's club was more crowded as was the ship in general, as MANY cabins were over 2. They even re-arranged the normal mustering locations, had people mustering in different locations than on their keycard etc. That cruise seemed to be at MAX.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

Jenna, we have booked four in RS two times, but the extra two are our teenage children. Maybe they don't allow four adults (two couples). :)

[need2bespoiled]

Obvious to me, they will have reduced fixed diners in line with the reduced lower tier seating, meaning an increase in select diners and therefore longer waiting times.

My concern as a regular select diner is will this problem continue when the Luminae is fully operational, I suspect it will.

They maybe could alleviate possible select problems by insisting that suite guest only use Luminae, and if they want to use the MDR they need to swap with a steerage passenger.

 

They have done this, Suite guests can only eat in the MDR by arrangement, I.E. if there is space available, which there often is.

 

Jenna, we have booked four in RS two times, but the extra two are our teenage children. Maybe they don't allow four adults (two couples). :)

 

I've definitely seen 4, in another thread I actually said this. On our Bermuda cruise last year, almost every suite had it. I have also seen reports when it wasn't allowed, but not personally tried. I think that can control inventory that way.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Hawkeye hfx]

Im curious too. I sail on the March 27th departure in a CS. I tried to book my two complimentary specialty dinners but I wss told that these had to be booked onboard. Only paid dinner reservations can be made prior.

 

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[ghstudio]

They have done this, Suite guests can only eat in the MDR by arrangement, I.E. if there is space available, which there often is.

 

/QUOTE]

 

It's a nice thought, but there's little chance that they are going to refuse a suite passenger anything these days....and they aren't going to let the common folk or even aqua passengers dine in Luminae.

[cle-guy]

They have done this, Suite guests can only eat in the MDR by arrangement, I.E. if there is space available, which there often is.

 

/QUOTE]

 

It's a nice thought, but there's little chance that they are going to refuse a suite passenger anything these days....and they aren't going to let the common folk or even aqua passengers dine in Luminae.

 

"common folk" may dine in Luminae if accompanied by a suite guest for a fee: $15 Breakfast, $25 Lunch and $50 dinner.

 

Simply cozy up to those with the silver SeaPass cards at Martini bar and get invited :D

[cle-guy]

I've definitely seen 4, in another thread I actually said this. On our Bermuda cruise last year, almost every suite had it. I have also seen reports when it wasn't allowed, but not personally tried. I think that can control inventory that way.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Certainly there are anomalies. The Bermuda cruises are notoriously packed with lots of families on those in the summer months out of the NYC area.

 

I cruised the week before school let out last year, and the staff were already grumbling about the oncoming onslaught of kids and tighter than usual packed ship they were about to start experiencing.

 

So many kids take over it, they even add "kids hours" to the Solarium pool for the summer. One review I read said there were 300 kids on board!

 

X is even running a Bermuda Promo now with 3rd and 4th guest free on select sailings, and others at a 50% discount to the usual 3rd and 4th person fare.

Edited February 8, 2015 by cle-guy

[ghstudio]

 

"common folk" may dine in Luminae if accompanied by a suite guest for a fee: $15 Breakfast, $25 Lunch and $50 dinner.

 

Simply cozy up to those with the silver SeaPass cards at Martini bar and get invited :D

 

I'll have to find a SS passenger because all the higher level suite folks will be at Michael's :)

 

I was thinking of making up a sign on some old cardboard that says "tired of eating normal food...please inviie me to Luminae" and standing outside Luminae...much like some of the homeless folks do at road intersections.

 

BTW..on a more serious note....I'm a bit surprised that they will allow suite passengers to bring guests (when space available and at a charge) but they haven't implemented this policy in Blu. I bet that's coming.

Edited February 8, 2015 by ghstudio

[cle-guy]

 

BTW..on a more serious note....I'm a bit surprised that they will allow suite passengers to bring guests (when space available and at a charge) but they haven't implemented this policy in Blu. I bet that's coming.

 

I really don't see that coming to BLU. It's clear the new push for suite guests is complete access to anything and everything, no impediments. The Michaels' club concierges mantra has become, "do not wait in any line anywhere, come to me instead."

 

I think they have heard from suite guests enough times that having these special privileges is nice, but sometimes meaningless if they can't invite guests with them, or even traveling companions using a standard cabin as but a sleeping chamber, so they put in the relatively high fees to bring gusts in, to allow for the option, rather than allowing access just for the asking.

 

They will remake key cards, handle billing errors etc. I wanted to book future cruise on last sailing, but there was a giant line at the future cruise desk, so Lisa called down and had a future cruise consultant come to Michaels to accommodate a few of us looking to book, they even came with a wi-fi enabled laptop to handle the booking in real time. No line. Disembarkation, escorted to the gangplank bypassing the lines. Boarding, taken to special elevator up to cut the line of folks in the hallway lining up after escalators from checkin.

[Caribbean Chris]

Im curious too. I sail on the March 27th departure in a CS. I tried to book my two complimentary specialty dinners but I wss told that these had to be booked onboard. Only paid dinner reservations can be made prior.

 

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And yet we did make advance reservations last fall for our two specialty freebies on our December cruise by calling Captains Club and simply asking. We were in a lowly SS.

[ghstudio]

[quote name=cle-guy;45540547

I really don't see that coming to BLU. It's clear the new push for suite guests is complete access to anything and everything' date=' no impediments. The Michaels' club concierges mantra has become, "do not wait in any line anywhere, come to me instead."

 

I think they have heard from suite guests enough times that having these special privileges is nice, but sometimes meaningless if they can't invite guests with them, or even traveling companions using a standard cabin as but a sleeping chamber, so they put in the relatively high fees to bring gusts in, to allow for the option, rather than allowing access just for the asking.

 

 

And how is this somehow different than someone in Aqua with friends or family in a non-aqua cabin? How do you rationalize that against your position???

Edited February 8, 2015 by ghstudio

[Hawkeye hfx]

I agree. We were also always able to book prior to boarding when we were on prior sailings regardless of the category of cabin we were in. We usually are in concierge class. Perhaps its because these 2 Comp dinners are part of the suite perk, that they won't let us. Not sure.

 

This time around I was told they would charge my credit card now and them I could be reimbursed with an onboard credit. Not sure I will be able to use that so I will hold off.

 

Time will tell.

 

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[cle-guy]

And how is this somehow different than someone in Aqua with friends or family in a non-aqua cabin? How do you rationalize that against your position???

 

I rationalize it in that they are pampering suite guests to death, and charging cabin fares that come along with that.

 

Aqua isn't being pampered and catered to to the extent the "all inclusive" way the Suite perks program is going. And also, until Suite Perks come out, even Suites couldn't bring guests to BLU if they asked (I as a solo traveler was even denied this privilege, even though I had paid for 2 people to book my cabin)

 

Suite fares have gone up a lot, which is covering the costs associated with the perks being afforded.

 

Again it's clear the new Suite Program's primary goal is to make the Suite experience be anything and everything the Suite guest desires with no hassles, especially the higher category suites.

 

Aqua class like verandas and insides and OV simply are not being afforded the same privileges, as they are not being hit with the cabin fares of the Suites. You want the privileges, you book a cabin category that offers them.

[ghstudio]

I bet you a virtual beer that they allow Aqua passengers to bring guests or family to blu on a space available basis within 6 months of luminae's opening....at a fee, of course.

Edited February 8, 2015 by ghstudio

[drarill]

I bet you a virtual beer that they allow Aqua passengers to bring guests or family to blu on a space available basis within 6 months of luminae's opening....at a fee, of course.

 

I wouldn't mind... but I decided to check the price difference between concierge and aqua class on our next sailing and it isn't too much. BTW, on the sailing before ours is exactly the same price. I think that aqua guests already get a lot for their money, much more than concierge class if you ask me. Many aqua guests here in CC already resent the presence of suite guests in Blu. Can you imagine how they will react if more guests are given access to Blu?? Just my $0.02.

[terrierjohn]

I rationalize it in that they are pampering suite guests to death, and charging cabin fares that come along with that.

 

Suite fares have gone up a lot, which is covering the costs associated with the perks being afforded.

 

Again it's clear the new Suite Program's primary goal is to make the Suite experience be anything and everything the Suite guest desires with no hassles, especially the higher category suites.

 

I have no problem at all with high paying suite passengers getting these extra perks, if I were paying their price for a suite I would want the same.

My only concern is that Luminae will result in a loss of seats in the MDR greater than the number of suite guests, resulting in select diners having longer wait times, because this is the area that will have to accomodate the reduced MDR size.

Selfish maybe, but the select diner is likely to be the only one to suffer in this change.

[cle-guy]

I have no problem at all with high paying suite passengers getting these extra perks, if I were paying their price for a suite I would want the same.

My only concern is that Luminae will result in a loss of seats in the MDR greater than the number of suite guests, resulting in select diners having longer wait times, because this is the area that will have to accomodate the reduced MDR size.

Selfish maybe, but the select diner is likely to be the only one to suffer in this change.

 

If you refer back a few pages, I've done the math to show the issue is not going to be as bad as people think it will. All my figures came from Celebrity issued fact sheets for the ship.

 

On the S class ships, as shown by photos by Arno, on Reflection, they have NOT used the select dining seats upstairs, and instead are using one of the wings off the main dining room floor as you enter the DR. There is only a net loss of about 200 or so seats in the MDR field dining section, when you account for the suite guests who already were to be booked into the space still using the space. Factor in those guests who don't do MDR even though they have a seat waiting on them (i.e. specialties, buffet etc) there will still be empty, unused seats in the MDR. each night.

 

The number of select dining seats, at least on the S class redo, has remained unchanged it appears unless as you surmise they start putting some fixed diners upstairs. The lost seats are in the fixed sections, where many seats go unused every night anyway, likely more than the net loss of seats.

[terrierjohn]

If you refer back a few pages, I've done the math to show the issue is not going to be as bad as people think it will. All my figures came from Celebrity issued fact sheets for the ship.

 

On the S class ships, as shown by photos by Arno, on Reflection, they have NOT used the select dining seats upstairs, and instead are using one of the wings off the main dining room floor as you enter the DR. There is only a net loss of about 200 or so seats in the MDR field dining section, when you account for the suite guests who already were to be booked into the space still using the space. Factor in those guests who don't do MDR even though they have a seat waiting on them (i.e. specialties, buffet etc) there will still be empty, unused seats in the MDR. each night.

 

The number of select dining seats, at least on the S class redo, has remained unchanged it appears unless as you surmise they start putting some fixed diners upstairs. The lost seats are in the fixed sections, where many seats go unused every night anyway, likely more than the net loss of seats.

You're missing the point, Celebrity will tailor the number of fixed reservations to the seats available, which you state will be a nett loss of 200, but the slimmed down fixed dining MDR will lose far more than this. Which means there will be more many than 200 non suite guests who will need to be allocated to Select dining.

I accept that some of the reduced fixed diners will currently be suite guests, but by no means all of them. Similarly fixed diners who decide not to go to the MDR will not alleviate this problem.

The bottom line is there will be far more passengers placed on Select dining than currently, and no more seats available, the result will be longer wait times.

Edited February 9, 2015 by terrierjohn

[Kevnzworld]

I bet you a virtual beer that they allow Aqua passengers to bring guests or family to blu on a space available basis within 6 months of luminae's opening....at a fee, of course.

 

Space available basis? If you fill the restaurant at 7:30, and people are waiting with their non AQ guests to get in, regular AQ guests will have to wait longer.

As it is, the wait to get into Blu at prime time can be 10-15 minutes.

Bottom line, it would be a terrible decision.

I also think that if you allow suite guests to invite groups of non suite guests into Luminae , it to will fill up by 7:00 and other suite guests arriving at 7:30-8:00 will have an inordinate wait because of it...

I foresee another Celebrity train wreck.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Kevnzworld

[villauk]

 

The number of select dining seats, at least on the S class redo, has remained unchanged it appears unless as you surmise they start putting some fixed diners upstairs. The lost seats are in the fixed sections, where many seats go unused every night anyway, likely more than the net loss of seats.

 

Curt,

 

You obviously don't cruise at peak sailing times? On Christmas holiday sailings you can sometimes virtually eat off the person's plate on the next table :eek:, the MDR is that crowded. In Europe during the peak summer sailings, the late sitting is overflowing as most mainland Europeans don't eat until after 9pm. We've known staff to be just finishing at 2am :eek:.

 

They will have to reduce the number of fixed diners because of the reduction in space. The area that used to hold 200+ diners is now only accommodating max 132 - according to your figures. (But possibly less than 132 if some decide to visit other venues, so now you're looking at half the capacity in that particular area.) Therefore, those additional 68+ pax (and I personally have never seen that many empty spaces - not though I've been counting :D) will have to be transferred into select (whether they choose to visit a specialty venue or not is immaterial, there will be anomalies where ships are sailing at full capacity and the seating will be needed e.g. those holiday sailings when there are more children sailing who are not permitted to eat in some of the specialty restaurants anyway ;) ).

[cle-guy]

Curt,

 

You obviously don't cruise at peak sailing times? On Christmas holiday sailings you can sometimes virtually eat off the person's plate on the next table :eek:, the MDR is that crowded. In Europe during the peak summer sailings, the late sitting is overflowing as most mainland Europeans don't eat until after 9pm. We've known staff to be just finishing at 2am :eek:.

 

They will have to reduce the number of fixed diners because of the reduction in space. The area that used to hold 200+ diners is now only accommodating max 132 - according to your figures. (But possibly less than 132 if some decide to visit other venues, so now you're looking at half the capacity in that particular area.) Therefore, those additional 68+ pax (and I personally have never seen that many empty spaces - not though I've been counting :D) will have to be transferred into select (whether they choose to visit a specialty venue or not is immaterial, there will be anomalies where ships are sailing at full capacity and the seating will be needed e.g. those holiday sailings when there are more children sailing who are not permitted to eat in some of the specialty restaurants anyway ;) ).

 

Christmas holidays, ship sails at capacity, 2800 (can increase some as I understand, not sure of the actual finite number, though there is a Coast Guard approved figure). MDR has designed seating for 1400 (now 1200) per seating.

 

Rest of the year, there is extra space I guess with fewer full and overflowing cabins (less triples and quads). So rest of the year people get the luxury of a less crowded than designed MDR.

 

MDR on cruise ships are not meant to be private affairs, they are communal, banquet style dining. This is why the more intimate specialties exist for those who don't like to be so close to their neighbors. Of course anyone living in NYC would think that MDR seating is spacious compared to the majority of restaurants there!

 

I do avoid the busy and expensive holiday cruises - that's for sure. I've seen entire 12 and 10 top tables empty when dining, let alone all the open smaller tables as you enter MDR.

 

Those seats in specialty restaurants are being sat in by someone, and that buffet is serving some people their dinner too, so by that point alone, there are empty seats in the MDR. Using Reflection's figures as I happen to have them handy:

• Murano - 78 seats
  
• Qsine - 90 seats
  
• Tuscan - 144 seats
  
• Lawn Club Grille - 78 seats
  
• Porch - 48 Seats
  
• Bistro - 72 seats
  
• TOTAL - 510 specialty seats, assume 2 turns for diner, 1020 people can be accommodated outside MDR -- far more than the loss of seats. Even of specialties only half full, still more then the necessary capacity. And this is without regard for the Buffet diners.
  

 

Each cruise varies, but it boils down to when ships sail 100% capacity, the MDR is filled to its expected capacity if everyone on the ship sits for their assigned dining time (which of course never happens due to specialties and buffet), Other times it's not as full, It's still simple math. Every single passenger on the ship has a guaranteed seat in MDR - but for those electing Select dining, but even then there is seating to accommodate on a rotational basis, as this area can turn tables 3-4-5 times in a night, versus fixed tables only 2 times.

Edited February 9, 2015 by cle-guy