select dining compulsory

[hammo]

Just returned from a fabulous Reflection Cruise - just fantastic.

Our daughter is now planning another cruise for next September on Silhouette - 2016 - and having gone through the booking enquiry with the TA , accepted the quote , sent off details , and now find via email that no traditional dining is available and they must take Select Dining. ? We have always enjoyed traditional late - same table , same waiters that you get to know etc -- Select is not the preferred option for them either - so maybe is a deal breaker .:(

[wales4ever]

We are on the Summit for 2 weeks in december. Like you we always book 2nd seating dinner. We were told by our travel agent when we booked that only select was available for the 2 weeks.

Like you we were not happy, but we booked anyway as it was the cruise and dates we wanted, so we thought we would just live with it.

BUT, after 2 months or so, we contacted Celebrity direct and asked if we could change to what we wanted. We now have our second sitting for week 1 and are on standby for week 2.

 

So maybe you can do the same and hopefully get your preferred choice?

[Bo1953]

...in select dining. One is able to select the time they wish to eat and quite possibly keep the same table and same wait staff throughout the voyage. But, put in a request and it is also quite possible that they will get the traditional dining in the MDR...

 

I would not let this be a deal breaker, for what real reason other than that? In reality you can have late seating AND same wait staff..

 

bon voyage

[chemmo]

If you cannot sort pre cruise, go and see the M'D straight after boarding outside the MDR. He will have a queue of people wanting to swap back and forwards.

 

I would not see this situation as a deal breaker, lots of chances to swap, and even if you can't you can still prebook your dining time each night and request the same waiters.

[JUST TRIPPIN']

I have to agree. We were on the Reflection and had to use select dining. We had dinner the first night, liked our wait staff and made that our table for the rest of the cruise with the help of the mdr hostess. The only difference was that we were seated on the upper level.

[Jane2357]

I would not let this be a deal breaker - at least until they try Select. We used to be die hard Late Seating and tried Select and now cannot imagine ever going back to a set dining time. They can make reservations in Select and request the same table. I say they try it, they might like it!

[bobnjeff]

Tell the agent to contact X. Tell the agent to say this is not acceptable late seating or no booking. Late seating is never sold out, has never been on any X cruise I have taken. This is just a ploy by X to force people into paying your gratuities up front which is required when you accept select dining. When you pay them up front they then cannot be removed once onboard. They have tried to force us several times to accept select dining but I have always refused and been given late seating. I have never removed the automatic service charges but I gather more then a few do. X is trying to reduce this by forcing more people into select dining. Just say no!

 

Sent from my BNTV600 using Tapatalk

[cruisestitch]

The cruise is a year away. There will be many changes, new bookings, cancelled bookings, etc. in that time. Put in for Waitlist Late Dining and it will probably clear.

[Mr. Click]

Sometimes I wonder if this is just their way of forcing us to pre-pay gratuities at the time of booking. The last few cruises we have booked it has been the same thing. Late dining is sold out. only select is available. We had been late diners all along but on our last cruise, the Baltic Sea, we decided to go ahead and try Select and we picked out times well in advance and actually liked it and have plans to use it on our upcoming trips too. That said, if you really want late dining, set table, set waiters etc do go right to the maitre de' as soon as you board and make it happen. I have never quite understood why they cannot do this ahead but they always seem to work it out on the ship.

[cruisestitch]

"Sometimes I wonder if this is just their way of forcing us to pre-pay gratuities at the time of booking. "

 

But you don't pay at the time of booking, you only reserve a place. Payment for Select Gratuities doesn't happen until Final Payment for the cruise.

[dkjretired]

Think the main complaint of the OP is that it is being forced on them this far out. I do agree with Cruisestitch that it's not done to collect the pre paid gratuities for the reason he gave. It seems this is becoming a popular complaint of late however, it would be nice to know how people are making out changing it once on board.

[jelayne]

I would have the TA wait list you for late seating. There have been numerous reports of people who were wait listed clearing the waitlist for traditional dining well before final payment.

[rjrpar]

If you cannot sort pre cruise, go and see the M'D straight after boarding outside the MDR. He will have a queue of people wanting to swap back and forwards.

 

 

 

I would not see this situation as a deal breaker, lots of chances to swap, and even if you can't you can still prebook your dining time each night and request the same waiters.

 

 

Agree, going to the M'D upon boarding has always solved any dining issues we may have had. Surely no reason to cancel a cruise.

[wallie5446]

For us, we are all different, dinner time is not in the decision column as weather to book a sailing or not.

 

We book Murano our first dinner.

Last cruise the second day went to the hostess and changed tables to sit with friends from the Roll Call. The very next day the ladies went back and changed yet again to a 6 top so yet another couple could join us.

 

Next day the 6 of us along with another 6 went to Silk.

 

Yea, a year out and 600+ seats are spoken for at 8:30? I guess it could happen, but it is hard to imagine.

[mickey89]

I don't agree with Cruisestitch but favour Mr Click's reasoning.

If any of the dining choices were to be over booked it would most likely be SELECT, seldom would it be 2nd seating, therefore Mr Click's reasoning is probably correct.

[WestLakeGirl]

select Dining isn't costing them any more Han traditional (unless they were planning not to pay the gratuities?.....)

[Ontario Cruiser]

Royal Caribbean no longer have to pay at final payment date for Anytime dining. You are charged onboard. Hopefully Celebrity will do the same

Ontario Cruiser

[Wine-O]

I would have the TA wait list you for late seating. There have been numerous reports of people who were wait listed clearing the waitlist for traditional dining well before final payment.

 

My brother booked a Panama Canal cruise for April 2017 and was told that only Select Dining was available -- Really? This far our??? Travel agent called to no avail.

 

He wanted to use his OBC to pay for his gratuities, so called the Captain's Club, and they got it switched for him to traditional dining.

[bEwAbG]

I don't agree with Cruisestitch but favour Mr Click's reasoning.

If any of the dining choices were to be over booked it would most likely be SELECT, seldom would it be 2nd seating, therefore Mr Click's reasoning is probably correct.

 

Well, Mr. Click's reasoning is based on a wrong assumption and faulty premise. As noted, you don't pre-pay at the time of booking. Ergo, that can't be the sole reason.

 

There are likely lots of different reasons why the MDR gets filled far in advance. Limited slots available for booking in traditional combined with the default preference for a lot of people being a set dining time.

 

As discussed on similar threads on this subject, every suite passenger automatically gets a spot reserved in the MDR even though the suite dining room is Luminae. This is due to Celebrity's coding issues on the billing side, i.e., this is apparently the only way they have to keep suite guests from having to pay gratuities with final payment. There are also many people who choose a traditional dining time and then switch to Select on board so that they can use their OBC to pay for gratuities. This isn't going to change until Celebrity figures out a different billing methodology.

Edited October 9, 2015 by bEwAbG

[cle-guy]

Sometimes large groups will reserve the entire late seating, and it will open up closer to sailing.

 

I'm looking at a cruise, where Select is already full, and I have to choose wither early to late. Its all about timing and supply and demand.

 

Another I find late full, but early or select open.

 

And of course some show only select left open.

 

Availability wil vary ship to ship and cruise to cruise.

Edited October 9, 2015 by cle-guy

[shot2bits]

I have to agree. We were on the Reflection and had to use select dining. We had dinner the first night' date=' liked our wait staff and made that our table for the rest of the cruise with the help of the mdr hostess. The only difference was that we were seated on the upper level.[/quote']

 

 

Same for us on eclipse in August.

[az_tchr]

The cruise is a year away. There will be many changes, new bookings, cancelled bookings, etc. in that time. Put in for Wait list Late Dining and it will probably clear.

 

The cruise is what? A year away. If things hold true about 1/3 of those that have reserved will cancel in the next few months and another group when final payment is due. I personally have NEVER EVER seen second seating for dinner full or even 3/4 full. Would not make this a deal breaker as it will positively sort out in the next few months. You need to be wait listed for fixed seating and it will happen. I also have always seen select dining filled. Probably your cruise has a promotion where people get free gratuities. Thus TAs put you into Select dining automatically. Moving to 2nd seating - about 99% it will happen before the cruise. Absolutely 100% if you let them know once on board.

[Algebralovr]

It would not surprise me to find that there are a couplebof groups booked that have late dining reserved. Openings will probably happen near final payment time.

 

We actually prefer Select, and often have the same table and wait staff the entire cruise. It is perfext for that cruise when you are docked until 6 or 7 or 8pm and want to change your dining time basedvon activities.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[Mr. Click]

Whether you are paying those pre-paid grats at booking or at final payment it is still money in their hands long before you ever board the ship. We use a TA that covers our pre-paid grats so it is a moot point for us and after trying select dining out and enjoying it we are happy to stick with it. Reservations are already made for AU/NZ next month and Alaska in July. On our Baltic cruise they kept us at the same table for the first part of the trip but after 4 days they moved us because DW had hurt her knee and was on crutches and as soon as they saw that we were moved to tables closer to the front. Yes, they do look out for you. BUT, I still see no reason to collect pre-paid grats or even shore excursion fees months in advance.

[cle-guy]

Whether you are paying those pre-paid grats at booking or at final payment it is still money in their hands long before you ever board the ship. BUT, I still see no reason to collect pre-paid grats or even shore excursion fees months in advance.

 

One does not PAY the prepaid grants until final payment (even though they show on an invoice), so it's really a non issue as to keeping of the money. Most it's out of hand is 74 days to most people, even less on shorter cruses (holiday cruises being the non-norm. We pay for airfare months in advance, usually even farther out then cruise final payments, so don't see why it is even a thought.

 

The reason to collect ShoreEx in advance is to ensure no mass cancellation or no shows lat minute. One can always cancel, but if one has money out there they won't just not show. It's also a way to ensure first come first served, and a way to watch popularity, and determine if they can add an additional bus to the tour to meet additional bookings.