Are suite guests on Equinox still being offered complimentary speciality dining?

[Im A Happy Cruiser]

We are sailing on the Equinox on February 23 and are in a sky suite. According to CC reports, suite guests on the two sailings prior to ours were offered complimentary specialty dining every night due to construction of the new suite dining room. We sail in six days and have heard nothing from Celebrity concerning this matter. Does anyone know if construction has been completed or should we still think that Celebrity might contact us about this same offer? How were prior suite guests contacted (phone call or e-mail) and how many days in advance of their cruise were they offered the complimentary speciality dining arrangement? If construction has been completed before our sailing is there a possibility of the new dining room being opened early to "work out the kinks"?

[vulcan1971]

We are sailing on the Equinox on February 23 and are in a sky suite. According to CC reports, suite guests on the two sailings prior to ours were offered complimentary specialty dining every night due to construction of the new suite dining room. We sail in six days and have heard nothing from Celebrity concerning this matter. Does anyone know if construction has been completed or should we still think that Celebrity might contact us about this same offer? How were prior suite guests contacted (phone call or e-mail) and how many days in advance of their cruise were they offered the complimentary speciality dining arrangement? If construction has been completed before our sailing is there a possibility of the new dining room being opened early to "work out the kinks"?

 

 

It's been my understanding from reading various posts and threads here on Cruise Critic that guests are notified through communications placed in their stateroom once they are on the ship. Each cruise has a different set of conditions that the ship staff is faced with. While one cruise might be more affected than another, once barriers are set up in the MDR, reports have said that service is smooth and everything has been great.

 

If you take the time to do a quick search of this forum, there are numerous threads that talk about all of this activity.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus on the T-Mobile 4G LTE Network using Tapatalk Pro

Edited February 17, 2015 by vulcan1971

[Phxazzcruisers]

I believe above poster is exactly correct. You should not be notified in advance, you will find out hen you board the ship. Notices will be placed in Staterooms. Enjoy your cruise

[Im A Happy Cruiser]

Confirming what another person posted, we are in a suite for the 2/13 Equinox sailing and received a call from a concierge at Celebrity. They explained the restaurant thing and offered us gratis dining in the specialty rest. during the cruise. We graciously accepted. And all at 7, the time we like to dine anyway. Thought that was very nice.

 

We'll be on Equinox in 3 weeks but in Aqua so won't be affected as much. I seem to have read another thread, think maybe on our roll call (?), that suite guests on the cruise leaving today were contacted by email a day or two ago stating that they have complimentary specialty restaurants for the duration of the cruise. Maybe this is how Celebrity is addressing the shortage of seating in select during construction. How it will affect specialty dining reservations for others is another question altogether.

 

 

I've been looking back on various threads and found references to Celebrity contacting suite guests prior to sailing concerning complimentary speciality dining throughout their cruise. I haven't seen anything about this for the Feb 23 sailing. Does anyone have further info concerning this possibility?

[Iamthesea]

Found this on my Roll Call for the 2/2 Equinox cruise. (We got back on Friday.)

 

This was dated 1/30, so it was 3 days before the cruise started.

 

I got calls from Celebrity today asking if, as suite guests, we wanted to change to specialty restaurants for all nights! Well, ...ok! So now we are in Murano, Silk Harvest or Tuscan Grill for all 11 nights.

 

Apparently they are putting in a new restaurant for suites, but it isn't ready yet. They have already taken space from the main dining room, so have less space there and are trying to off load folks into the specialty restaurants.

 

It may just be that some passengers were notified by email, while others were notified in their staterooms. Anyway, hope that helps you. :)

[Im A Happy Cruiser]

Thanks for your replies! Iamtheseas, can you tell me when the formal nights were on your cruise? I would like to know in case we are contacted by Celebrity offering complimentary specialty dining. We prefer to eat in the MDR on formal nights.

[Iamthesea]

They were the first sea day day (2nd cruise night), and then the 3rd sea day. On our cruise the dates were Feb. 3rd and 9th. :)

 

Yes, don't make our mistake.:( Based on reports that the 1st Formal night - the Captain's Formal - had a weak menu on the Equinox, we booked Tuscan Grill for that night. Well, we found out too late that the chef had switched the menus and served lobster, rack of lamb, and a few other favorites on that 1st formal. He did have lobster again on the 2nd formal night. Perhaps the chef (or someone higher up) read my observation/post that the Captain's Formal should have the fancier menu. :rolleyes: Whatever the reason, I missed out on Rack of Lamb. :(

[scubadude1]

My wife and I will be on the same February 23 Equinox cruise and we will be in a celebrity suite. We were informed by email February 16 that we were being offered complementary specialty restaurant eating on February 23,24 and 25. The letter stated that the construction would be finalized over these three days. It looks like the letter came from a Celebrity concierge.

[KW Cruisers]

We are on the Constellation next month. I received two phone calls at home this weekend asking us to book in for free specialty dining for each night during our cruise.

 

I would assume they would contact you by phone...

 

I'm not sure, but maybe the level of suite makes a difference? We are in a Royal Suite...

 

Shawn

[Iamthesea]

My wife and I will be on the same February 23 Equinox cruise and we will be in a celebrity suite. We were informed by email February 16 that we were being offered complementary specialty restaurant eating on February 23,24 and 25. The letter stated that the construction would be finalized over these three days. It looks like the letter came from a Celebrity concierge.

 

Ready by the 26th...almost a month earlier? :cool:

 

We are on the Constellation next month. I received two phone calls at home this weekend asking us to book in for free specialty dining for each night during our cruise.

 

I would assume they would contact you by phone...

 

I'm not sure, but maybe the level of suite makes a difference? We are in a Royal Suite...

 

Shawn

 

Our RC member had a Sky Suite.

 

I think that I would tire of the specialty menus after 11 nights.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Iamthesea

[KW Cruisers]

 

I think that I would tire of the specialty menus after 11 nights.

 

As would I! At least you would have the option to cancel when you wanted and choose between the MDR, in-suite dining, or Blu (if you so desired).

 

Shawn

[need2bespoiled]

Everything in this post makes sense to me:

 

Upper level suites, eligible for Michael's Club being offered free specialty dining on any night they needed, not Sky Suites.

 

Construction needs to be finished early, so that that crew can swap to a different ship, like Summit that has not had construction finished.

 

Once construction is finished, they can use the dining room to server (suite) guests, even if they don't launch the menu.

 

All seems to make sense and puts more pieces of the puzzle together, based on everything else that has been posted.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Im A Happy Cruiser]

I just got a phone call (followed up with a confirmation e-mail) from Celebrity's Partners Advocates Support Group inviting my husband and myself to enjoy complementary specialty dining on February 23 24 and 25 on the Equinox. (We are booked in a sky suite.) I was able to pick any time I wished so I made 6pm reservations for all three nights. She said the main formal night would not be on the first sea day but later in the cruise. She also informed me that the new suite restaurant would open on February 26, but with the same menu as the MDR. She indicated that some special things are being planned for the opening night which I find exciting since the 26th also happens to be our wedding anniversary!