Celebrity Captain's Table invitations

[Charles4515]

I would say 90% of the invitations are directly related to the Captain's Club Host(ess). We have been invited 5 times and 4 of those were because of the Captain's Club Host(ess) the other time was because good friends of ours were good friends of the Hotel Director on board.

 

We have never been in a suite and actually all the times we have been invited we were in an inside cabin except for our last cruise we were in an oceanview cabin but we are Elite+.

 

I have been three times and it was because of the Captains Club Hostess. Also have never been in a suite.

 

All three times there was also an attractive single woman. Apparently that is also how to get invited under some Captains. I talked to a young lady who sailed to Bermuda every year with her mother I met in one of the lounges on Zenith and she mentioned that all four times she was invited. Not her mother......

[coldweathergirl]

We've been invited a few times on Celebrity. The CC hostess asked us to attend and sent us the invitation.

 

Our last time was February on the Summit with the Staff Captain in Qsine. I was impressed that he asked someone to do the wine tasting at dinner prior to the first pour as he said the senior officers do not drink at all while on contract not even to sample the wine. It was a great dinner and evening. Most of the others at the table were in suites (we were AQ). Everyone was dressed very nicely but not in formal wear. The Staff Captain wore his dress uniform.

[Project_gal]

One poster mentioned the wine room in Murano. How many does that room seat and how do you arrange for that? Based on availability? Traveling with a group in November, that sounds nice!

 

You need to have a group of at least six people to request the Wine Cellar. The room can hold as many as 10 or 12 people but then it is a bit of a squeeze.

 

It is allocated on a space available basis. However, it is usually/often used for the Chef's Table now. These are offered on all but the shortest cruises and I have known as many as four to be held on a longer cruise. This means that the room is not as often available as it once was. In our early days of cruising, it may never be used all cruise.

 

If you should like to reserve the room and do not care on which day, speak to the Maitre d' Specialty Restaurants as early as possible but do not expect a definite answer at that stage. He will need to wait to see what demand there is for the Chef's Table.

[Bpos]

Well I am at a total loss here.

 

Why would you pay good money to go on a cruise then hope you end up eating with the crew???

[excitedofharpenden]

You need to have a group of at least six people to request the Wine Cellar. The room can hold as many as 10 or 12 people but then it is a bit of a squeeze.

 

It is allocated on a space available basis. However, it is usually/often used for the Chef's Table now. These are offered on all but the shortest cruises and I have known as many as four to be held on a longer cruise. This means that the room is not as often available as it once was. In our early days of cruising, it may never be used all cruise.

 

If you should like to reserve the room and do not care on which day, speak to the Maitre d' Specialty Restaurants as early as possible but do not expect a definite answer at that stage. He will need to wait to see what demand there is for the Chef's Table.

 

No way can you seat 12 there. 10 is a squeeze, but doable.

[bigbenboys]

One poster mentioned the wine room in Murano. How many does that room seat and how do you arrange for that? Based on availability? Traveling with a group in November, that sounds nice!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I dined in the wine room once. We were a party of 6. I want to say the table would hold 10 to 12.

 

We were invited once by the Captains Club Hostess to dine with ship's officers in Tuscan Grille. The men I think wore suits or long sleeves. I did not bring a suit or any long sleeve shirts. I felt fine with what I wore.

[hvbaskey]

One poster mentioned the wine room in Murano. How many does that room seat and how do you arrange for that? Based on availability? Traveling with a group in November, that sounds nice!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

"Ocean Liners" Wine Cellar on the Constellation. Not sure if same size as Murano’s.

 

[Charles4515]

Well I am at a total loss here.

 

 

 

Why would you pay good money to go on a cruise then hope you end up eating with the crew???

 

 

 

I am at a loss as to why you would post something like that. Probably because you are jealous.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited September 29, 2016 by Charles4515

[CruisingChick]

I am at a loss as to why you would post something like that. Probably because you are jealous.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I think they were trying to be funny. At least that's they way I interpreted it.

[emelle]

One poster mentioned the wine room in Murano. How many does that room seat and how do you arrange for that? Based on availability? Traveling with a group in November, that sounds nice!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

We were 8 in Wine room in Murano- very comfortable. Ten would have been ok too. 12 may have put the waiters and their carts for tableside service in the other room!

 

Our cruise was on Equinox, summer 2016. I asked the Michael's club concierge to arrange the dinner-gave her a couple of nights as options and she arranged it quickly. Not sure of other parameters. HTH

[Caribbean Chris]

Another photo of the wine room in Constellation Oceanliners two years ago. Just four of us were seated there (really too big a table for a small party). It was very nice for my sister-in-law and niece on their first cruise, and we all enjoyed having the lobster flamed tableside.

 

My husband asked for a corner or other out-of-the-way table because that makes it easier to keep my service dog and her tail completely out of restaurant traffic, and that's where we ended up. My sister-in-law enjoyed it so much that she booked the restaurant for another dinner and lunch.

 

[cruisestitch]

"Eating with the crew" is an old joke. I remember when Hyacinth Bucket's brother in law won a cruise on the Britcom "Keeping Up Appearances" and he was asked to sit at the Captains Table and delivered the same line.

[Charles4515]

"Eating with the crew" is an old joke. I remember when Hyacinth Bucket's brother in law won a cruise on the Britcom "Keeping Up Appearances" and he was asked to sit at the Captains Table and delivered the same line.

 

 

 

Didn't know that. I thought they were serious. I get it now. Makes sense as a joke.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited September 29, 2016 by Charles4515

[Project_gal]

No way can you seat 12 there. 10 is a squeeze, but doable.

 

Yep, that's what I would have thought but we had 12 in therefor one Chef's Table. As I said, it is a squeeze.

[The Mommy]

Would be delighted to be invited but sadly it has never happened. Maybe one day ;)

[Flamencacha]

Would be delighted to be invited but sadly it has never happened. Maybe one day ;)

 

 

Me too.

I won't hold my breath after reading this thread.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Charles4515]

Me too.

I won't hold my breath after reading this thread.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

With larger ships the odds go down for general passengers. In olden days there were only 1200 to 2000 passengers. And there were a lot fewer Captains Club members. So we interacted with the CC host or hostess a lot. On my last cruise on Summit in June the Captains Club hostess didn't even show up to the evening social hour. I think they added other duties.

 

If you want to increase your odds these days I suggest booking a Suite and telling the Suite Concierge you would like to have dinner with the Captain.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited September 29, 2016 by Charles4515

[bigbenboys]

"Eating with the crew" is an old joke. I remember when Hyacinth Bucket's brother in law won a cruise on the Britcom "Keeping Up Appearances" and he was asked to sit at the Captains Table and delivered the same line.

 

I just love "Keeping Up Appearances". Remember it is not pronounced Bucket it is Bouquet. LOL

[Blue Lagoon]

One poster mentioned the wine room in Murano. How many does that room seat and how do you arrange for that? Based on availability? Traveling with a group in November, that sounds nice!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

We have eaten with 2 officers and as I recall 2 other couples in the Wine Room for a total of 8.

Those wine bottles are not for decoration!:D There is a lot of staff coming in and selecting wines and the 'traffic' might interfere with your dining pleasure.

[shipshape sam]

We have had the honor to dinner with an officer 3 times. Each was fun especially in that we became friends with other couples each time for the balance of the cruise. Our experiences were with the old formal night format. I will also say that our conversations with the officer was more limited, by distance from the officer and also by language. Two times for sure, we had difficulty understanding at times what the officer was saying, even with DW sitting next to him.

 

My disclaimer: What do you call a person who can speak 2 languages? Bi-lingual. What do you call a person who can speak only 1 language? American. So.....I respect anyone who can speak another language beyond their native tongue. I can't.

 

I hope to try the new format. To me it can be an even better experience in that it is in a more intimate/casual atmosphere where you can hear better and be engaged more in the conversation vs conversations.

 

Finally, to all who have not had the experience, I suggest going to Captain's Club person and just ask, especially when you get on the first day. It can't hurt. You do not get a scarlet letter for asking. On our second experience we met a couple early after getting on that we had sailed with before up in a lounge. They saw the Captain's Club person (I think) and stopped her, introducing her to us and suggesting that we too get invited to Captain's table. We were. I can only assume that they in the previous hour or less had asked to be themselves invited/considered if possible.

Edited September 30, 2016 by shipshape sam

[ReneeFLL]

Well I am at a total loss here.

 

Why would you pay good money to go on a cruise then hope you end up eating with the crew???

 

Made me laugh. :D

[Bpos]

I am at a loss as to why you would post something like that. Probably because you are jealous.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

It's our Aussie sense of humor - want to see more go to a thread I started on the Australian/New Zealand Board - Page 6 - titled "Advice to Overseas Cruisers coming to Australia.

[varoo]

"Eating with the crew" is an old joke. I remember when Hyacinth Bucket's brother in law won a cruise on the Britcom "Keeping Up Appearances" and he was asked to sit at the Captains Table and delivered the same line.

It is a very old joke that goes back well before "Keeping Up Appearances" and has been attributed to Lady Astor.

 

It has been discussed on this forum before.

Does anyone remember Derf?

 

Here is a link to his post about it back in 2010:

 

- Don't force me to eat with the hired help

 

which includes a link to the October, 2001 issue of Cruise Travel magazine, page 46.

 

"There is a story, perhaps apocryphal, that the notorious Lady Astor, crossing from Southampton to New York, was invited to dine with the captain. It's said that she declined, stating that she had paid $5,000 (1920s' dollars) for the voyage, and she'd be damned if she was going to eat with the crew."

 

:( :p

Edited September 30, 2016 by varoo

[di T]

We have been invited three times, and it was a lovely experience each time. But last time was two years and six cruises ago.

Think the captains club host has a big say in who is invited, we have never had a suite just regular staterooms.