Question: Equinox 3 Dinner Specialty Package

[llarsen]

Hello,

 

We will be on Equinox this coming September and would like to know more about the dining package.

 

I went to the Celebrity website and saw that they offer a 3 Dinner Specialty Package starting at $99.00 adult. I added it to my cart and on the next screen it asked me to select passenger name and dining time. I selected both my husband and I, but when I tried to select the date there were only 2 options, the day of embarkation and the second day.

 

I'm aware that Celebrity's website is a nightmare, but shouldn't all the dates of our sailing show up? Of course I went back to the website to try it again and now I can't access my reservation! Yikes.

 

I also read on these boards that you can purchase the package on board if available but might be restricted more to dates and times?

[Psilor]

Hi Ilarsen,

 

This is because when you buy that package you will only book the first of the three specialty dinner nights before your trip, and it should be either the first or second evening of the cruise. The staff will have chosen which of the specialty restaurants you will go to that first night (which, again, is by your own choice either the first or second night of the cruise), but this is in practice possible to change once you have gotten on the ship by talking to the specialty dinner booking staff that are standing outside of the restaurant areas on deck five (and elsewhere). You also book the two remaining dinners (day and place) of the specialty dinner package once you have boarded with this same staff.

 

And yes, you can wait buy the whole package on board. In general, the more time that goes after you have boarded and until you make the specific dinner reservations, the less available slots there will be, regardless of whether you bought the package before your trip or on board.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Psilor

[Cruise Raider]

You can only book your first dinner prior to boarding and yes, you can only choose night #1 or #2 for this first dinner and then check in at the specialty dining table once onboard (or maybe on the deck before you board) to book your other two restaurants. When doing this, be sure to check to make sure they didn't move your initial reservation to another night or time. We booked our first dinner ahead of time for the second night and they moved it to the first night without our knowledge. We were going with a group ... so good thing we checked. Not sure if this happens often but they do try to fill up that first night -- and oftentimes will give you a discount (but not off the package) to dine in a specialty restaurant on that first night.

Anyhow, think they also assign which restaurant they are putting you in that first or second night. I think you are also able to change this when you board based on availability.

[Kirsten T]

We booked as soon as we got onboard Equinox a few weeks back, to use onboard credit instead of paying in advance. We really preferred to do Tuscan twice and Silk Harvest once, rather than dining once in all three; although we couldn't get the package, they did give us a discount on all 3 reservations which worked out to a very similar price. If you want to try this, the reservation staff generally hang out right were you board on deck 5, and are also up at the entrances to Oceanview cafe.

[llarsen]

Thank you for taking the time to explain how this works.

 

I think we will wait until we are on board, as we have an overnight in port our first night and would rather do the Specialty restaurants later in our 13 night cruise.

 

Thanks so much!