fixed dining WITH random people preferred

[kac911]

2 of us on the Millie to Alaska. Our dining preference is fixed (late) and we like to be seated with other people (we've made many friends that way over the years). I have not yet been able to request a late dinner seating, all the website lets me do is select dining; does this have to do with final payment or my status - first Celebrity for us - although I'm platinum on RCCL but that doesn't really do anything for me, right? Although trying to figure out if I can get Emerald before then but it's not looking good. If it matters we looked thru Celebrity directly. And second, is there some way to request a big table (8-10 people) rather than just the 2 of us (I love him but get enough of him the rest of the day and I'm sure he would say the same about me!)? Or is that usually the default?

[d4m]

If you end up in select, they will ask as you check in what kind of table you want. At that time tell them your preference for 2-4-6-8. You can change nightly if you want, depending on time limits you might have.

 

You might want to call Celeb Captain's Club and see if there's a problem getting set reservations right now, or if they can help you out, should you prefer fixed dining.

[dkjretired]

2 of us on the Millie to Alaska. Our dining preference is fixed (late) and we like to be seated with other people (we've made many friends that way over the years). I have not yet been able to request a late dinner seating, all the website lets me do is select dining; does this have to do with final payment or my status - first Celebrity for us - although I'm platinum on RCCL but that doesn't really do anything for me, right? Although trying to figure out if I can get Emerald before then but it's not looking good. If it matters we looked thru Celebrity directly. And second, is there some way to request a big table (8-10 people) rather than just the 2 of us (I love him but get enough of him the rest of the day and I'm sure he would say the same about me!)? Or is that usually the default?

 

If you have no luck before the cruise, your best bet is to see the Maitre'd outside the MDR after you board the ship. Select dining is the most popular now on the ships and people will request it once on board thus freeing up spots in traditional.

[Kamloops50]

If you have traditional late dining, you'll have the same tables mates each night and same wait staff.

[bEwAbG]

Except in 2015, our table for 8 that had cards for 8 only had 4 people one night and us alone for the other nights. The whole dining room was like that. I think keeping Select is the way to go if you want to sit with a group every night. ETA: I haven't eaten in the MDR since then because we book suites, but reports continue to be that fixed dining still seems to have lots of empty spaces depending on the night.

 

However, you can call Celebrity and ask to be waitlisted for late seating dining. If you don't clear the list before embarking (people will be canceling as the cruise gets closer), see the maitre'd upon boarding as previously suggested, and they'll try their best to accommodate you.

[caribill]

2 of us on the Millie to Alaska. Our dining preference is fixed (late) and we like to be seated with other people (we've made many friends that way over the years). I have not yet been able to request a late dinner seating, all the website lets me do is select dining; does this have to do with final payment or my status - first Celebrity for us - although I'm platinum on RCCL but that doesn't really do anything for me, right? Although trying to figure out if I can get Emerald before then but it's not looking good. If it matters we looked thru Celebrity directly. And second, is there some way to request a big table (8-10 people) rather than just the 2 of us (I love him but get enough of him the rest of the day and I'm sure he would say the same about me!)? Or is that usually the default?

 

It indicates that the late dinner seating is currently full.

 

Did you book with a travel agent? If so, ask that agent to see what he/she can do to get you assigned to late seating with the table size you prefer.

[GottaKnowWhen]

2 of us on the Millie to Alaska. Our dining preference is fixed (late) and we like to be seated with other people (we've made many friends that way over the years). I have not yet been able to request a late dinner seating, all the website lets me do is select dining; does this have to do with final payment or my status - first Celebrity for us - although I'm platinum on RCCL but that doesn't really do anything for me, right? Although trying to figure out if I can get Emerald before then but it's not looking good. If it matters we looked thru Celebrity directly. And second, is there some way to request a big table (8-10 people) rather than just the 2 of us (I love him but get enough of him the rest of the day and I'm sure he would say the same about me!)? Or is that usually the default?

 

Any status on RCI gets your foot in the door with Celebrity''s Captain's Club. So go on line, set up your account. Once you have your CC number, call the Captains Club and ask them to set up up your dining preferences in your reservation and your Profile. Since you booked directly with Celebrity, you could just go into "manage my reservations" online and set your dining preferences that way, but the CC rep may have better luck.

 

Your fall back position is to go to the Maitre De the first afternoon you are on board. Stand patiently in line behind the many others who are making similar requests. Then when your turn finally comes, let him/her know your preferences. (It simplifies & speeds the process if you take along the card you get a check-in showing your dining assignment.) If need be, go back again the 2nd day ask try again.

 

Our preference is late seating fixed dining but we've found that tables for 8-10 are too large to permit conversation with anyone but the persons next to you. And one of those persons is probably your spouse and you are hardly better off than with a table for two. A table for six seems about right.

 

Stan

[merlin5353]

Just get Select dining and, when you show up for dinner, ask to share a table. We've done that for several cruises. Some nights we may want a quiet 2 top, or other nights we want to visit a group. Flexible. If you need a fixed dinner time, you can call and set that up in advance.

 

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[cb at sea]

I'm with you...I LOVE tablemates! And, I prefer having the same folks nightly...you really "get to know" your tablemates that way.

 

Ask to be on the waitlist, if traditional seating isn't available now...and check when you board...they really do want you to be happy!

[Killington]

Just get Select dining and, when you show up for dinner, ask to share a table. We've done that for several cruises. Some nights we may want a quiet 2 top, or other nights we want to visit a group. Flexible. If you need a fixed dinner time, you can call and set that up in advance.

 

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It seems that "turn up and share" may not always work since they started taking bookings in Select. We have loved it in the past but last cruise Select was chaos:eek:. It may have been because it was Christmas/New Year with a lot of families that had booked times, but right up until 9.00pm the line for no reservation stretched right back into the Rendevous Lounge. Coming back at around 9.00pm we were given a buzzer and told it would be 20 mins, which it was, but no option to share. We like to share, as much as we love each other eating "a la Deux" every night on a cruise can get boring:D After 2 days I saw the Maitre'd and he found us a great table in late seating with 2 similar age couples - US and Brit - whose company we enjoyed so much we cancelled our NYE booking in Ocean Liners. I have now converted our next cruise from Select to Late, but will look at what is happening at Select so as to see if what I saw last time was the holiday cruise thing, or has become the norm.