Suite guests bump Select Dining

[kevinyork]

Surely for Suite guests the choices should be:

 

1) Luminae

2) Luminae but order from the MDR

3) Blu

4) Speciality Restaurants

5) My table in Select Dining.

 

Im beginning to feel second class.

 

 

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[ECCruise]

We booked the Summit for April 2016 last week and could not get early assigned seating in the dining room. I'm very interested in prebooking a reservation for select dining.

 

How is that done?

 

You can do that all in your Cruise Personalizer.

 

Not the easiest thing to accomplish, and it takes a bit of time, especially if you are on a long cruise, but much better than it used to be.

[akeka]

You can do that all in your Cruise Personalizer.

 

 

 

Not the easiest thing to accomplish, and it takes a bit of time, especially if you are on a long cruise, but much better than it used to be.

 

 

Thank you!

[jcpc]

 

Decision: Early seating or late seating. You go to the show that corresponds with your dining time. All you had to plan was what you would do in port.

 

That's what I used to love about cruising in "the good old days". I never had to think about what time I wanted to eat, where I wanted to eat, etc. etc. It was, what I used to call, a "brain-less" vacation and I loved it. BUT....times are changing. We "old-fashioned" cruisers are definitely in the minority now. Everyone I talk to loves the new choices they now have concerning dining.....they don't like to be tied down to a set time, a set table, etc. I miss "the good old days" (and I've been cruising Celebrity when they first came out with the Horizon) but I know that they are gone forever.

[CruisingChick]

That's what I used to love about cruising in "the good old days". I never had to think about what time I wanted to eat, where I wanted to eat, etc. etc. It was, what I used to call, a "brain-less" vacation and I loved it. BUT....times are changing. We "old-fashioned" cruisers are definitely in the minority now. Everyone I talk to loves the new choices they now have concerning dining.....they don't like to be tied down to a set time, a set table, etc. I miss "the good old days" (and I've been cruising Celebrity when they first came out with the Horizon) but I know that they are gone forever.

 

It's what made cruising so special. I have access to 100's of different restaurants, many owned by celebrity chefs (Mario Batali, Aaron Sanchez, etc.) in a 10 mile radius of where I live. I don't need to go on a cruise for that. I can do it at home.

 

When I vacation I don't want to have to think that hard, I do enough of that at work and home, that's why I loved the "brain-less" vacations.

 

What's really sad is my husband and I are now empty nesters and will are nearing retirement. We thought we would spend it cruising on Celebrity. Now that doesn't seem so certain.

Edited June 9, 2015 by CruisingChick

[HouseRulz]

At double occupancy, suite capacity on an M-Class ship is 100. Given that suite class are now given, at minimum, one free dinner in specialty restaurant, access to Blu, access to Luminae, full in-room dining, plus whatever else a guest might choose, I doubt there are enough added guests from suites to significantly impact wait times.

 

The reduced capacity of the MDR is certainly a potential issue. MDR on M-Class ships lost 11% (82 seats) of capacity with the addition of Luminae. But I think the larger issue is that many guests now expect to dine alone, and at the most popular dinner times (between 7 and 8). This is quite the shift from the early/late times of fixed dining. Further the need for lots of two tops and four tops, instead of the traditional 6, 8 and 10 tops places an additional strain on whats available.

[cruisead]

If the powers that be at Celebrity had been smart, they would have thought to enclose the MDR by removing the overlook on the M class ships where you can look down on the diners on deck 4 from deck 5. That would have added lots of space for tables on deck 5 and would also allow for more space between tables. There are areas in the MDR where the tables are so close together that you have barely a few inches between tables, not to mention how close the chairs are to each other, back to back. There's no need for that huge open space between deck 4 and deck 5, now that they have this Luminae restaurant and Blu on the M class, inside the MDR.

[Baron Barracuda]

A couple of points.

 

I can request the same 7pm table for 4 with the same waiters each night in select, and they can promise to oblige, but will it actually happen? Do you think their screen will show that table #123 is off-limits and reserved for me, or will it more likely be given away to a group of 4 that shows up at 6 or 6:45?

 

Much has been made of suite guests double-dipping in the mdr, but there is also the issue of aq guests "invading" the mdr when they don't care to go to Blu. Don't know how many, but it exacerbates the mdr overcrowding.

 

As originally constructed the mdr may have been able to accommodate 100% of guests in 2 seatings, but constructing the walls to create Luminae and Blu has stolen some space. Also, since tables in those restaurants are spaced further apart, each table added there has resulted in a loss of greater than 1 table in mdr. Don't remember the exact figures, but saw an estimate posted somewhere on cc.

 

I'm a fan of traditional for all the oft-stated reasons. Would hate to see X go to all Select. If traditional is losing popularity then why am I told it's full when I book over a year in advance?

 

If traditional isn't fully booked on a given sailing, why doesn't X just leave a corner vacant and use it for Select overflow?

[CruisingChick]

 

If traditional isn't fully booked on a given sailing, why doesn't X just leave a corner vacant and use it for Select overflow?

 

It seems only Traditional Early Seating sells out quickly. We usually (at least lately) book after final payment and the only choice is Late Seating. Which adds to our problem of not having tablemates as people are put in late seating because it's the only option available, but have no intentions of showing up at that time.

 

There is also less room now for traditional diners so that will make Early Seating sell out even faster.

[Knolmom]

We are just off the Silhouette this morning. We were upgraded from AQ to a Sky Suite. Our experience after 12 nights( 9 dining on the ship as there are several overnights in the Baltic) is that Luminae, although a wonderful upscale dining room with exceptional service was at least half empty every night. Passengers either wanted to dine with other family and friends in the MDR, or were taking advantage of the 2 free of charge specialty Restaurant dinners they have, or wanted to dine in Blu because they originally booked Aqua.

I was one of the folks who contributed to Luminae's being half empty. The service was exceptional, but the menu was weak in the area of high protein entrees, which is what my diet requires. Blu's menu was great, but it was packed every night, and despite what you read about eating in Blu as a suite guest, we had to wait almost until the end of dinner service at 9 or later to be accommodated, even if we were dining with friends who ate there every night as AQ. If they wanted to dine with us in Blu, they had to wait. As far a specialty restaurants were concerned, if. You were a suite guest and didn't have a reservation, you had to wait, and in most I stances in Murano and Tuscan grill, you had to come back after 9 or eat at 5:45. I was completely turned away from Murano on the last formal night. No room at the inn, May we take a reservation for tomorrow night! Even for a suite guest. I was unable to use my second free specialty rest dinner without a reservation at all unless I wanted the Kawn Club( at 48 to 50 degrees I think not.

There was a constant parade of suite guests, particularly Sky suite guests, who went from Luminae to Blu to the specialties every night at dinner time checking the menus. It was pretty comical, bumping into the " grazing restaurant crowd" every night. I must say that more than once, the MDR Menu was better than all but Murano, and I was wishing I was back in steerage again. I wanted to go in and ask if we could eat those delicious short ribs in the MDR again.

[catsdinner]

We just came back from a long cruise on the Millinium. We had Select. While we had to wait a few times with a pager most nights we went to the dining room whenever we wanted and was seated right away. In fact, we were usually seated before those with reservations as their line was much longer than the one for those without reservations. There were different hostesses for each side. Personally, I don't see the point of making reservations for Select dining when the whole purpose is to eat when you feel like eating. We always ask to share but some nights we ended up with a table for two.

[Nachosdelux]

We were upgraded from AQ to a Sky Suite.

 

Were you able to use Persian Gardens?

[jelayne]

Recent Select dining experience on the Constellation. A line for those with reservations another line for Suite Guests, Elite + and those without reservations. First 4 nights same two groups arrived at Select dining - one group 2 couples traveling together 1 in a suite so they ate in Select so they could dine together.

 

Other was a family, Mom & Dad in suite kids in inside-again ate in Select so they could dine together.

 

We had reservations & waited while they walked up and were seated. We changed our reservation to an earlier time and had less wait although we were then eating earlier than we normally have dinner. Frustrating.

 

Luminae is beautiful. We walked over one evening after we finished dinner to take a peek- MaitreD graciously took us in and showed us the dining room. It was 8:45ish still a line at Select and 6 guests in Luminae.

[ECCruise]

Recent Select dining experience on the Constellation. A line for those with reservations another line for Suite Guests, Elite + and those without reservations. First 4 nights same two groups arrived at Select dining - one group 2 couples traveling together 1 in a suite so they ate in Select so they could dine together.

 

Other was a family, Mom & Dad in suite kids in inside-again ate in Select so they could dine together.

 

We had reservations & waited while they walked up and were seated. We changed our reservation to an earlier time and had less wait although we were then eating earlier than we normally have dinner. Frustrating.

 

Luminae is beautiful. We walked over one evening after we finished dinner to take a peek- MaitreD graciously took us in and showed us the dining room. It was 8:45ish still a line at Select and 6 guests in Luminae.

 

We are Elite + so could take advantage of the shorter line but this whole situation is absurd. There is no way that anyone in that line should be seated before every one in the reservation line is handled, subject to reservation time. How would you like it if you made reservations at your local restaurant for a specific time and someone without a reservation strolled in and was seated before you because they had committed to buy a more expensive meal?

 

Celebrity, we now have reports from 2 M-class ships that this is occurring. They are only unconfirmed reports, but you need to do some investigation and if it IS occurring, you need to make the necessary amendments to the situation. We've got lots of days booked on M-class ships (and will, like always for many years, have reservations booked in Select Dining) and will not be even remotely happy if this continues to happen.

[varoo]

......When I vacation I don't want to have to think that hard, I do enough of that at work and home, that's why I loved the "brain-less" vacations..

We feel the same way. That is why we pick Select dining.

 

We want to have dinner when we feel like it and get around to it,

not because it is our pre-assigned time to eat.

 

I could not tell you now what time I will feel like having dinner tomorrow night, let alone what time I will want to eat dinner months from now.

 

But then I would not want to schedule a fixed time when I need to show up to eat breakfast or lunch either.

 

If I am out on deck enjoying a beautiful sunset, or a dip in the pool, or entertainment in a lounge, or chatting with new friends, I do not want to have to stop whatever I am doing and leave just because it is my scheduled time to go to dinner, hungry or not.

 

There is enough appointment scheduling and regimentation in our daily lives, not something we want when we are on vacation.

 

 

On cruises, some days we may take a long excursion, skip lunch, and want an early dinner.

On other days we may have a late lunch, or late snacks and want a late dinner.

Some days we postpone dinner so we can be out on deck while sailing through a scenic or wildlife area.

It is our vacation, and for us freedom and flexibility trump regimentation.

 

[Christine Frances]

For the life of me I don't understand why Early Seating always sells out first.

 

 

 

In the 15 years we have been cruising we have always had second seating (late) dining. We could never eat at 6:00 PM.

 

 

Love early seating! All through our working careers, kids etc we always ate between 5-6. Seems much more civilized, drinks at 5, leisurely dinner 6-8, show time!! Then Martini Bar, casino, clubs etc. Our group tried late once and we never got out of the MDR until 10 and even staying up until midnight we still felt like beached whales when we went to bed:(.

 

It also seems that people who eat later have four meals a day ie a late lunch/snack to tide them over until dinner. We eat a very light breakfast (Elite offerings work fine), lunch noonish and by 6 we are starving lol. Plus 3 medical people in our family recommend not going to bed until 2-4 hours after you eat so going to bed between midnight and 2am sure won't work for me lol

[Chicogirl]

I'm a little confused. I have booked a suite for next year, and was told that we could not eat in the MDR. But we could order from the menu if we see something we like better the then the new suite restaurant menu. Why does every ship have different rules.....sorry I just don't understand.

[Christine Frances]

Sorry:confused: Who told you that? Celebrity or your TA?

[GazW]

Recent Select dining experience on the Constellation. A line for those with reservations another line for Suite Guests, Elite + and those without reservations.

 

Please excuse my ignorance. I understand a line for those with reservations and one for those without...how does the fact that you are a suite occupant or Elite+ play a part in this?

[HokiePoq]

We have stayed in suites over the years and if we want to go to Blu we just join on the end of the line in Blu. We don't try and jump ahead of anyone and when we went to the Mdr we did exactly the same, joined the queue in select and waited like all others. This was pre Luminae but we don't believe that being in a suite should allow line jumping.

 

Agree with you. I would feel uncomfortable doing it, especially with a designated dining area. We ate in Blu on our last cruise. As long as we were there when it opened, there was no problem. However, the one time we came later, there was a wait with a beeper. I did not realize suite guests were alternating between Luminae and Blu which might explain the backups in Blu.

[HokiePoq]

Do not forget they added a lot of cabins to the M class ships a while back which IMO ruined the ships then making them overcrowded.

 

 

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Good point. I had not realized that. We were on the Millie six years ago and then again in April. We had not felt crowded the first time but it was extremely crowded this last time in the public spaces. I attributed that to the weather which kept most inside after the first few days. I'm thinking now it was the weather plus the extra cabins plus the bargain rates the last minute bookers got that sold out the ship.

[downsmead]

I think that a lot of the issues arise because of the reservation system allowed for Select diners. The premise behind Select dining was that you turned up when you wanted to eat. However by allowing reservations, it means that a number of tables are already taken, and therefore not available.

Celebrity should adhere to Select dining with no reservations accepted. Customers have no idea of how many tables have to be set aside because of reservations. In effect, the reservation system disadvantages those who choose to use Select as it was initially conceived, ie turn up when you wish to dine and be seated (in an acceptable time frame) and benefits those who then book in advance a table each night at a time which does not fit with traditional dining eg 7pm or 7.30pm. If X persist with accepting reservations, it would be interesting to know seating availability (ie not reserved) at certain times. Those cruisers who truly do Select dining (eating at different times throughout the cruise) would then know which are the times when least tables are reserved.

[Christine Frances]

I think that a lot of the issues arise because of the reservation system allowed for Select diners. The premise behind Select dining was that you turned up when you wanted to eat. However by allowing reservations, it means that a number of tables are already taken, and therefore not available.

Celebrity should adhere to Select dining with no reservations accepted. Customers have no idea of how many tables have to be set aside because of reservations. In effect, the reservation system disadvantages those who choose to use Select as it was initially conceived, ie turn up when you wish to dine and be seated (in an acceptable time frame) and benefits those who then book in advance a table each night at a time which does not fit with traditional dining eg 7pm or 7.30pm. If X persist with accepting reservations, it would be interesting to know seating availability (ie not reserved) at certain times. Those cruisers who truly do Select dining (eating at different times throughout the cruise) would then know which are the times when least tables are reserved.

 

I agree. Lots of Select diners make reservations pre cruise for the whole cruise and then when they go to the buffet or Specialties their table is being held for them. Having the no reservation policy would work well except for the peak periods which is no different than what is happening now.

[Ceeborne]

We are Elite + so could take advantage of the shorter line but this whole situation is absurd. There is no way that anyone in that line should be seated before every one in the reservation line is handled, subject to reservation time. How would you like it if you made reservations at your local restaurant for a specific time and someone without a reservation strolled in and was seated before you because they had committed to buy a more expensive meal?

 

Celebrity, we now have reports from 2 M-class ships that this is occurring. They are only unconfirmed reports, but you need to do some investigation and if it IS occurring, you need to make the necessary amendments to the situation. We've got lots of days booked on M-class ships (and will, like always for many years, have reservations booked in Select Dining) and will not be even remotely happy if this continues to happen.

I am Elite+. I have never heard the Elite+ gets into a shorter line for Select Dining. How does that work.?

[insidecabin]

Ships have a problem most people want to eat early

 

For many late sitting has always been too late just no choice.

so they go early and if that is too early or full now go select where as they used to have to go late.

 

Try getting a share table on select after 8:00 on any line often you have to wait, by 8:30 they give up trying to do shares too few people are turning up.

 

This has a knock on effect on the entertainment venues as far fewer people are not eating at what was the late sitting.