Waiting for a table

[kqcallahan]

Newbie to Celebrity, going on the Reflection in a month. When you get to the main dining room and you have to wait do they give you one of those light up viberating thingys so that you know when your table is ready but you don't have to stand there?? They had this on our Holland cruise last time and thought I should ask.

[kenevenpar]

We never had more than a couple of minutes wait, so it was, for us, a non-issue. Pax seemed to just stand in line or to the side.

[wallie5446]

Newbie to Celebrity, going on the Reflection in a month. When you get to the main dining room and you have to wait do they give you one of those light up viberating thingys so that you know when your table is ready but you don't have to stand there?? They had this on our Holland cruise last time and thought I should ask.

 

One would guess you are asking about 'Select' dinning?

[kqcallahan]

One would guess you are asking about 'Select' dinning?

 

Yes we are. We can't do the timed dining, it wouldn't work at all.

[cruisemuse13]

Newbie to Celebrity, going on the Reflection in a month. When you get to the main dining room and you have to wait do they give you one of those light up viberating thingys so that you know when your table is ready but you don't have to stand there?? They had this on our Holland cruise last time and thought I should ask.

 

We just got back from a cruise on the Eclipse, During 14 nights, we only waited twice and yes, they gave us a pager. It was about a 5 minute wait.

[MicCanberra]

As mentioned, sometimes you just wait at the side for a few minutes, and other times if the wait may be longer, they give you a pager.:D

[lola2013]

We had select dining on Equinox last week...we were only given a pager for dinner on the formal night because we were there at what seemed to be the busiest time...and even then, it was just a ten-minute wait. Any other night, we didn't wait more than a minute or two.

[Nebr.cruiser]

On our 14 night cruise in December on the Eclipse, we never waited more than 5 minutes or so--usually less--with My Time dining.

 

We never dine at the more popular times though, preferring around 8 or later, so I don't know if lines are longer earlier in the evening. I never saw anyone given beepers, as it wasn't necessary, but I think they do have them.

[gonecroozin]

We always pick select dining.

Sometimes we have been seated straight away, sometimes we have had to wait.

The pagers are a great idea, it certainly beats standing in a queue, we usually go and get a quick martini before dinner.

[cb at sea]

We always hit a bar before heading to the dining room...that way, we have a drink if there's a wait...

[MicCanberra]

We always hit a bar before heading to the dining room...that way, we have a drink if there's a wait...

 

Likewise, if there happens to be a wait, we just go straight back for another drink.:D

[Flafun888]

ours was only a 5 day cruise and sold out, so crowd and select dining experience may be very different on your longer sailing. But we waited about 15-20 min. The reserved times were all gone except for 5pm or 8:30. So we just waited. They did hand out beepers, so we could wander elsewhere. We really didn't mind...it was relaxing to hang out in the nearby wine cellar with a glass of wine and listen to the live entertainment.

[MicCanberra]

ours was only a 5 day cruise and sold out, so crowd and select dining experience may be very different on your longer sailing. But we waited about 15-20 min. The reserved times were all gone except for 5pm or 8:30. So we just waited. They did hand out beepers, so we could wander elsewhere. We really didn't mind...it was relaxing to hang out in the nearby wine cellar with a glass of wine and listen to the live entertainment.

 

That is the best thing about Select, being able to relax , take it as it comes and not having to eat at a standard time every night.:D

[Hapytocruise]

Not sure if this is still the case but you use to be able to make a reservation for select dining allowing you to "jump the line" or go to a different line if you had a reservation vs just showing up. Anyone know if this is still the case?

[fleckle]

Not sure if this is still the case but you use to be able to make a reservation for select dining allowing you to "jump the line" or go to a different line if you had a reservation vs just showing up. Anyone know if this is still the case?

Often they have 2 lines, one for people with reservations and one without.

Sometimes one line is longer and sometimes the other.

 

Without a reservation, we sometimes have a short wait but often we are seated immediately. We dislike making reservations because for us that negates the main advantage of Select dining.

 

[MicCanberra]

Often they have 2 lines, one for people with reservations and one without.

Sometimes one line is longer and sometimes the other.

 

Without a reservation, we sometimes have a short wait but often we are seated immediately. We dislike making reservations because for us that negates the main advantage of Select dining.

 

 

True, the only times I have made a reservation with Select is so we can dine with a large group.:D

[Cruise Junky]

We had one night on our last cruise with a really long wait. I don't remember getting a pager though. We stayed in eye contact at the martini bar. They ended up sitting us downstairs that night.

[MicCanberra]

I suppose it all depends on the other diners, if you time it right (and this would vary for each cruise on each night), you may get seated straight away or you may need to wait.:D

[huskerc]

We've gotten pagers recently, but before that, in blu or MDR select we would just let the host know which bar we would be waiting in and they would come get us.

[BosoxI]

We just got off the Reflection last Saturday, having eaten in Select every night. I believe the ship was full or darn close to it. Yet, we never had a problem being immediately seated. Once, I refused to accept the table and that held us up fewer than 4 minutes. DW and I were amazed, as in similar situations on other X ships, we would have to wait to be called from the nearby wine bar. And I should note we were dining between 7:15 and 8:45, prime time I would think.

Edited March 5, 2015 by BosoxI

[upwarduk]

Select dining might be effected by Suite dining, as part of the dining room is being taken for Luminea (sp?) or is it the MDR that has been converted?

[MicCanberra]

We just got off the Reflection last Saturday, having eaten in Select every night. I believe the ship was full or darn close to it. Yet, we never had a problem being immediately seated. Once, I refused to accept the table and that held us up fewer than 4 minutes. DW and I were amazed, as in similar situations on other X ships, we would have to wait to be called from the nearby wine bar. And I should note we were dining between 7:15 and 8:45, prime time I would think.

 

That is actually the best time to go, as the tables have completed their first seatings (those who went at 5.45-6.30). We normally go around 7.30pm for that reason.:D

[BosoxI]

That is actually the best time to go, as the tables have completed their first seatings (those who went at 5.45-6.30). We normally go around 7.30pm for that reason.:D

 

Interesting observation but certainly not out experience. Perhaps the drink packages are changing peoples' habits. For example, on the Reflection the Elite lounge was virtually empty every night. In the past it would be full on most ships and people would start drifting out for dinner around 6:30 to 6:45. No need to booze up in the Elite lounge if one has a package deal, so maybe the net effect is to spread dining times more broadly. 7:30 never worked for us and hostesses would tell us to wait until after 8. I'll be interested to see next week on the Silhouette if Aqua is readily available between 7 and 8.

[MicCanberra]

Interesting observation but certainly not out experience. Perhaps the drink packages are changing peoples' habits. For example, on the Reflection the Elite lounge was virtually empty every night. In the past it would be full on most ships and people would start drifting out for dinner around 6:30 to 6:45. No need to booze up in the Elite lounge if one has a package deal, so maybe the net effect is to spread dining times more broadly. 7:30 never worked for us and hostesses would tell us to wait until after 8. I'll be interested to see next week on the Silhouette if Aqua is readily available between 7 and 8.

 

Another factor is that for Elite, they load your card/provide drink vouchers for any bar so the Elite lounge is not required.