Waitlists for Traditional dining on Celebrity Infinity

[I Love Carbs]

We put our deposit in for the July 31st sailing to Alaskan aboard the Celebrity Infinity about 2 weeks ago, and we're just wondering if it is common practice for Celebrity cruises to put their passengers on a waitlist for traditional reserved dining. I find it odd that there is a waitlist even though the sailing is not for another 6 months and the ship isn't even sold out. The only option available is for the open dining. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean and Princess before and have never experienced a waitlist for traditional dining and we always book at least 6 months before the actual sail date. Is Celebrity doing a wait and see to determine how many people want reserved seating versus open dining so they can make the proper table arrangements just before the sail date? Just curious if anyone else has experienced this?

[4774Papa]

We put our deposit in for the July 31st sailing to Alaskan aboard the Celebrity Infinity about 2 weeks ago, and we're just wondering if it is common practice for Celebrity cruises to put their passengers on a waitlist for traditional reserved dining. I find it odd that there is a waitlist even though the sailing is not for another 6 months and the ship isn't even sold out. The only option available is for the open dining. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean and Princess before and have never experienced a waitlist for traditional dining and we always book at least 6 months before the actual sail date. Is Celebrity doing a wait and see to determine how many people want reserved seating versus open dining so they can make the proper table arrangements just before the sail date? Just curious if anyone else has experienced this?

 

We have run into traditional dining (early) being full. We would never want to dine at 8:30pm, so if we couldn't do early dining, we do Select, which is the any time dining.

 

We did the early traditional dining (6pm) on most of our cruises on X until we ran into a table with people we wanted to get away from, so we moved to Select and now prefer that. With Select, if you dine at about the same time every evening, you frequently dine with some of the same people.

[jsf]

This has been going on for years, nobody knows why. Our last 4 cruises we have been wait-lsted for early dining and have always ended up getting that time.No one know why Celebrity does this but some suspect that they are trying to force people into Select Dining for whatever reason.

J.

[bEwAbG]

Until recently, people booking Select had to prepay their gratuities at final payment time. Lots of people booked Traditional to avoid this (so they could use their OBC to pay gratuities) even if they planned to switch to Select once on board. This requirement to prepay gratuities was just recently dropped, so it should be less of an issue on cruises that are farther out, but I'm guessing a lot of people are just keeping that Traditional reservation for trips that are within the next year.

 

Keep in mind that there will be cancellations when final payment time rolls around, so you have a good chance of clearing the wait list. If not, head to the restaurant as soon as you board and the maitre'd can probably accommodate you. If not for the first night, it can usually be sorted by the second.

Edited February 28, 2016 by bEwAbG

[az_tchr]

A question to the OP. Were you told you could not get either seating for the regular dining? Or were you told you could only get the late seating?

 

FWIW as the last poster stated we have never had any difficulty moving once on board to the dining time of our choice and the comment about early seating being filled because if you booked select ahead of time you could not use OBC to pay those gratuities is now ended.

[awhfy]

Call Captains Club & ask to be confirmed for early traditional dining. Took about 3 minutes on the phone

[I Love Carbs]

Thanks for your reply 4774Papa.. we might just have to go with the Select dining because we wouldn't want to wait for the 8:30 pm dining.

[I Love Carbs]

This has been going on for years, nobody knows why. Our last 4 cruises we have been wait-lsted for early dining and have always ended up getting that time.No one know why Celebrity does this but some suspect that they are trying to force people into Select Dining for whatever reason.

J.

 

So, maybe this is a tactic that Celebrity uses to get people into Select Dining. It's probably their way of not letting a reserved table go to waste when the passengers are 'no shows' after the 1st night of the cruise. On a couple of my cruises with Princess/RCL, we have noticed that some tables sit empty throughout the cruise. However it's good to know that you did end up getting your early dining time eventually. With my fingers crossed, maybe we will end up with our set dining time after all. Thanks JSF!

[I Love Carbs]

Until recently, people booking Select had to prepay their gratuities at final payment time. Lots of people booked Traditional to avoid this (so they could use their OBC to pay gratuities) even if they planned to switch to Select once on board. This requirement to prepay gratuities was just recently dropped, so it should be less of an issue on cruises that are farther out, but I'm guessing a lot of people are just keeping that Traditional reservation for trips that are within the next year.

 

Keep in mind that there will be cancellations when final payment time rolls around, so you have a good chance of clearing the wait list. If not, head to the restaurant as soon as you board and the maitre'd can probably accommodate you. If not for the first night, it can usually be sorted by the second.

 

Based on the Celebrity website, the prepay gratuities is still required for people using Select dining. It's their way of making sure everyone pays their gratuities and rightly so because some people will not pay the gratuities if they can get away with it. Thanks for your tip on checking in with the maitre-d on the 1st day to see if he can make any arrangements for us. It doesn't hurt to inquire.

[I Love Carbs]

A question to the OP. Were you told you could not get either seating for the regular dining? Or were you told you could only get the late seating?

 

FWIW as the last poster stated we have never had any difficulty moving once on board to the dining time of our choice and the comment about early seating being filled because if you booked select ahead of time you could not use OBC to pay those gratuities is now ended.

 

We were told by our Travel Agent and from what i saw on Celebrity website while booking the cruise that neither seating for the regular dining were available (6pm and 8:30 pm). There are only waitlists for both seatings therefore the only option left was Select dining.

[I Love Carbs]

Call Captains Club & ask to be confirmed for early traditional dining. Took about 3 minutes on the phone

 

Might just take your suggestion to call up the Captains Club. As I mentioned earlier on another post, it never hurts to ask. Thanks!

[s2kreno]

Based on the Celebrity website, the prepay gratuities is still required for people using Select dining. It's their way of making sure everyone pays their gratuities and rightly so because some people will not pay the gratuities if they can get away with it. Thanks for your tip on checking in with the maitre-d on the 1st day to see if he can make any arrangements for us. It doesn't hurt to inquire.

We took a cruise with gratuities included last year on the Summit. We had Select Dining because we wanted to eat on our schedule and so did not choose a seating. We ended up eating every dinner but one in the specialty restaurants anyway. But we were not required to pay our (included) gratuities upfront. Edited March 1, 2016 by s2kreno

[SheriffJoe]

We easily got late traditional dining but we booked 10 months early....in Alaska we prefer late as it does not even get dark till 10ish or even later and you leave some ports later in the evening so it works great...early traditional is just wayyyy too early in Alaska

[Christine Frances]

We easily got late traditional dining but we booked 10 months early....in Alaska we prefer late as it does not even get dark till 10ish or even later and you leave some ports later in the evening so it works great...early traditional is just wayyyy too early in Alaska

 

We always book early traditional because then you have the whole evening ahead of you after dinner. Shows, casino etc. Hate to eat late (finished 9:30 -10pm) and then you go to bed feeling like a beached whale:(.

[ghstudio]

Based on the Celebrity website, the prepay gratuities is still required for people using Select dining. It's their way of making sure everyone pays their gratuities and rightly so because some people will not pay the gratuities if they can get away with it. Thanks for your tip on checking in with the maitre-d on the 1st day to see if he can make any arrangements for us. It doesn't hurt to inquire.

 

That has changed and the web site has, as usual, not been updated.

 

If you book select dining, you must pay the recommended gratuities which will be added to your on-board account each day...you can not remove those gratuities. In the past, you were required to pre-pay those gratuities with your final payment....that has changed now and you can either pay with final payment of pay on board...but in either case, if you are in select dining, you must pay the recommended gratuities.

Edited March 1, 2016 by ghstudio

[SheriffJoe]

We always book early traditional because then you have the whole evening ahead of you after dinner. Shows, casino etc. Hate to eat late (finished 9:30 -10pm) and then you go to bed feeling like a beached whale:(.

 

the nights just getting started at 10!:D AND its not even dark yet...

Edited March 1, 2016 by SheriffJoe

[PoppyandNana]

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Might just take your suggestion to call up the Captains Club. As I mentioned earlier on another post, it never hurts to ask. Thanks!

 

Did you book through a TA or direct through Celebrity? If through a TA did X give you any grief about talking to,them?

[Mediana]

I ran into the same problem today and my cruise isn't until late november. Both the early and later traditional dinner option is full and I got select dining.

[PoppyandNana]

I ran into the same problem today and my cruise isn't until late november. Both the early and later traditional dinner option is full and I got select dining.

 

What's going on? We have a January 2017 cruise and both early and late are already filled.

 

Something doesn't sound right. I thought it was a ploy to garner some extra cash flow by collecting thousands in prepaid tips that won't have to be expended for a year. However, I understand they no longer do this.

 

With anytime dining so popular you'd think the traditional dining would be wide open.

[davekathy]

I ran into the same problem today and my cruise isn't until late november. Both the early and later traditional dinner option is full and I got select dining.

 

We always book our Cruises early, 12 to 18 months. Each time we request Early Traditional table for two. Each time we are placed on a waitlist. With a month or two of booking the Cruise we are notified our request has been granted.

[horse trail]

We booked Infinity 1 yr 3 mos in advance and we were wait listed as well.

Janet

[beason641]

That has changed and the web site has, as usual, not been updated.

 

 

 

If you book select dining, you must pay the recommended gratuities which will be added to your on-board account each day...you can not remove those gratuities. In the past, you were required to pre-pay those gratuities with your final payment....that has changed now and you can either pay with final payment of pay on board...but in either case, if you are in select dining, you must pay the recommended gratuities.

 

 

I need to reread the website...are these the standard 12.95/13.95/14.95 per day or something else you're referring to? Cause those are required either way, aren't they?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited March 2, 2016 by beason641

[justcrusn]

Why is select a problem?

Can't you eat ANYTIME you want?

So if you are select and want to eat at 6:15, you just go at 6:15 right?

What are you missing by taking select?

As I understand it gratuities are not the issue.

[jsf]

Why is select a problem?

Can't you eat ANYTIME you want?

So if you are select and want to eat at 6:15, you just go at 6:15 right?

What are you missing by taking select?

As I understand it gratuities are not the issue.

 

Many people like the idea of eating at the same time and with the same people at the same table every evening and having the same wait staff. That's what your missing

J.

[itango2]

This is my first cruise ( celebrity) and was assigned the traditional dining once they confirmed my reservation.. They didn't give me a choice .Thanks for the information here.. Any additional suggestions would be helpful as well.. There seem to be a lot of hidden fees to cruising.. Thanks again