Fixed vs Select Dining

[workingtocruise-59]

Hi Everyone

 

This will be our first Celebrity cruise and we are still trying to work out early/late dining vs Select.

When we booked only fixed time (20:30) was available. We normally eat late but would like some flexibility so have moved to Select.

Was this a good move?

Are we still able to reserve a table for two?

If you book fixed time dining are you always given the same table ( we prefer a table for two)?

This is all new to us so we would appreciate any advice.

Thank you!!

[macaroni]

Yes, reserve dinner times online for your trip ahead of time..They can be changed or cancelled as your cruise happens. When you go to the restaurant check in desk for dinner, they will usually ask if you want to share a table or not...we say no, prefer a table for 2 and that's what we get...some evenings we may have to wait a few minutes, but that's fine to get our table forb2...

[mom says]

If you have fixed dining, you'll always be at the same table, unless you go to the maître d and ask to be moved. If you want a table for 2, you'd want to check this when you first board.

 

We've never seen a down side to select dining. You can reserve a table in advance ( I've already booked our table for each night of our Feb trip). You can change the time at any point, or cancel one night if you want to go to a specialty restaurant instead. You can request a table for 2 or a large table as you prefer.

[jelayne]

With Select dining you do not have to make reservations ahead of time. You can just show up when you are ready to eat. There may be a wait but we have never waited more than 10 minutes.

 

I normally make a reservation for the first night then after that go when we are ready to eat. Never had a problem getting a table for 2.

[ghstudio]

One of the nice things about select dining is that you can meet someone during the day, over cocktails before dinner, or wherever...and invite them to sit with you. then just ask for a table for four....you aren't locked into a table for 2.

[Shir Hayam]

We have permanently switched ourselves to select dining and never had a problem getting a table for two. We recently returned from a Silhouette cruise. After the first night, we found a section of the dining room we enjoyed (quiet) and a waiter who was wonderful. We requested that waiter's section every night and never had a problem being seated there.

[NordicPrince]

On all the cruises we have been on we have always preferred late seating in the MDR with a table of 6-8 people. This gives us time to come back from a day off the ship, relax and shower, have a pre-dinner drink, listen to some entertainment and then eat.

 

I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of cruising is meeting new people over dinner. We have made many many friends over the years. We've gone on excursions during the week with them and have great stories for dinner. We correspond over the years with many of them. IMHO this is an aspect of cruising that is underappreciated, Maybe because the ships have become larger and a little more impersonal that people don't have a sense of shared adventure that people on smaller ships had.

 

It is also amazing how well Celebrity manages to seat people with similar interests together. I can only remember one instance where we had a personality conflict with anyone, and that was because this rather rotund man (not young either) insisted on wearing a basketball shirt and baggy gym shorts into the dining room for dinner and his wife kept making insulting remarks about DW's appearance (DW had just been in the hospital 3 weeks prior to the cruise.) Oh yes he made it readily apparent that he had enough money to do what he whatever he wanted. TG we didn't see him after the first night. No great loss.

 

IMHO i think people who choose select dining and in addition sitting at tables for 2 are missing out on a special aspect of cruising.

Edited September 19, 2016 by NordicPrince

[workingtocruise-59]

On all the cruises we have been on we have always preferred late seating in the MDR with a table of 6-8 people. This gives us time to come back from a day off the ship, relax and shower, have a pre-dinner drink, listen to some entertainment and then eat.

 

I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of cruising is meeting new people over dinner. We have made many many friends over the years. We've gone on excursions during the week with them and have great stories for dinner. We correspond over the years with many of them. IMHO this is an aspect of cruising that is underappreciated, Maybe because the ships have become larger and a little more impersonal that people don't have a sense of shared adventure that people on smaller ships had.

 

It is also amazing how well Celebrity manages to seat people with similar interests together. I can only remember one instance where we had a personality conflict with anyone, and that was because this rather rotund man (not young either) insisted on wearing a basketball shirt and baggy gym shorts into the dining room for dinner and his wife kept making insulting remarks about DW's appearance (DW had just been in the hospital 3 weeks prior to the cruise.) Oh yes he made it readily apparent that he had enough money to do what he whatever he wanted. TG we didn't see him after the first night. No great loss.

 

IMHO i think people who choose select dining and in addition sitting at tables for 2 are missing out on a special aspect of cruising.

 

We tend to be sociable during the day but (mostly) prefer a table for two in the evening.

We, too, have met many delightful people during our cruises and we still keep in touch with them.

We have shared tables in the past (notably on Oceania) and have had ( on occasion) a miserable time with unfriendly and non-communicative guests ( or those who constantly want to talk ( brag?) about how many cruises they have done) but have, perhaps, been unlucky?

Edited September 19, 2016 by workingtocruise-59

[macaroni]

We tend to be sociable during the day but (mostly) prefer a table for two in the evening.

We, too, have met many delightful people during our cruises and we still keep in touch with them.

We have shared tables in the past (notably on Oceania) and have had a miserable time with unfriendly and non-communicative guests but have, perhaps, been unlucky?

This will be our first cruise on a "big" ship as we are used to ships with about 650 guests or less so this is all new to us.

 

Stick to select dining....get your table for 2 and if you meet people that you want to have a meal with for a night, just get a larger table that night...

[mom says]

IMHO i think people who choose select dining and in addition sitting at tables for 2 are missing out on a special aspect of cruising.

 

You are assuming a few things that may not be true.

 

First, that no one who prefers select dining has ever done fixed dining in the past. I would argue that there are many guests ( DH and myself included) who have had a few sailings that included dining at fixed seatings in the past. And have found the times to be inconvenient. Select dining does not preclude a request for a larger table at the time you choose to dine.

 

Second, that those who request a table for 2 would enjoy their meals more if they were at a larger table. While this may be true for some, it is not true for all. Not all large tables are made up of compatible diners ( do a search for "table mates from hell" threads). Some guests go on cruises to get away from it all, and to have a little peace and quiet. They don't want to feel forced into conversations with strangers every night over dinner. And as has been rightly pointed out, if you meet some interesting people during the day that you would enjoy socializing with over dinner, then select dining would be the easy way to accomplish this.

Edited September 20, 2016 by mom says

[workingtocruise-59]

You are assuming a few things that may not be true.

 

First, that no one who prefers select dining has ever done fixed dining in the past. I would argue that there are many guests ( DH and myself included) who have had a few sailings that included dining at fixed seatings in the past. And have found the times to be inconvenient. Select dining does not preclude a request for a larger table at the time you choose to dine.

 

Second, that those who request a table for 2 would enjoy their meals more if they were at a larger table. While this may be true for some, it is not true for all. Not all large tables are made up of compatible diners ( do a search for "table mates from hell" threads). Some guests go on cruises to get away from it all, and to have a little peace and quiet. They don't want to feel forced into conversations with strangers every night over dinner. And as has been rightly pointed out, if you meet some interesting people during the day that you would enjoy socializing with over dinner, then select dining would be the easy way to accomplish this.

 

We have never done fixed dining in the past and are not totally averse to sharing tables ( but normally only with people we have previously met).

We have shared tables with others in the past and sometimes we have enjoyed them but if asked to recall what I have eaten I would have little (or no) idea.

And we find that sometimes, if you share a table, by the time everyone has introduced themselves and looked at the menu and decided what to have an hour or so has passed...

As I said, we are very sociable all day but, mostly, like to enjoy our evening meal " a deux".

[Cruizen Susan]

We tend to be sociable during the day but (mostly) prefer a table for two in the evening.

We, too, have met many delightful people during our cruises and we still keep in touch with them.

We have shared tables in the past (notably on Oceania) and have had ( on occasion) a miserable time with unfriendly and non-communicative guests ( or those who constantly want to talk ( brag?) about how many cruises they have done) but have, perhaps, been unlucky?

 

I had to giggle about your comment about those bragging about how many cruises they have done. There are quite a few of those types! One woman actually pulled out a spreadsheet with a listing of their cruises, the cabin numbers they stayed in, details, comments, etc. Can you believe it? Was I supposed to be impressed....or turned off.

 

Sometimes we prefer a table for 2 and sometimes love to share. We have enjoyed both options!

[karena1]

With Select dining you do not have to make reservations ahead of time. You can just show up when you are ready to eat. There may be a wait but we have never waited more than 10 minutes.

 

I normally make a reservation for the first night then after that go when we are ready to eat. Never had a problem getting a table for 2.

 

Same here, that is the entire point of have flex dining - flexibility!!! We never (or rarely) make reservations. We just go to dinner when we feel like it. Almost always are we able to get a 2 top. Maybe not the same waiter, but that is not that important to us. What is important is have the flexibility to go each when we are hungry, or around the entertainment or whatever. We have been doing flex dining on all cruise ships since it started and will never go back to traditional dining.

[luv261vaca]

Can you switch from fixed dining to select dining during the middle of the cruise?

[karena1]

Can you switch from fixed dining to select dining during the middle of the cruise?

 

not as a rule. Normally what you select you have to keep. You can talk to the Maitre'd but like I said, as a rule no.