Edge Dining Packages

[Bugsy1966]

Has anyone tried to book a dining package and then followed that with making reservations for their cruise?

 

I see that you can make table reservations online in the speciality restaurants and pay the appropriate fees but if (say) you purchase a 4 night dining package when you then go to make reservations for speciality restaurants does the system 'know' that you have purchased a dining package i.e. there is no charge for that reservation for up to 4 of them?

 

Also, does anyone know if there are any restrictions on how many times you can book a particular venue? It would seem spectacular value to book the aforementioned 4 night package and then use that to dine twice in Eden and twice in Fine Cut.

 

If anyone has tried any of the above then I (and am sure others) would be very grateful if you could relate your experience.

[[g]cruiserke]

I purchased the 5 night package for our cruise, but as expected and as it is currently, you cannot pre-book any specific restaurant, you can only provide info on whether you want your initial dinner to be on the first or second night and at what time. If I add any specialty restaurant in my Cruise Planner, it will charge me the full price.

 

However, as to your question whether you can repeat restaurants, it would seem you can, based on the description of the package and the disclaimer - they specifically mention you can re-visit your favourite restaurant and they do not include any exceptions for the Edge; the wording of the description and disclaimer obviously have been updated because they refer to Edge-specific venues.

 

 

 

Overview

 

Experience as many specialty restaurants as your appetite desires and enjoy up to 45% savings when you purchase our Specialty Dining Packages for your vacation. Take a culinary journey in Qsine, let your inhibitions go and set your senses free in Eden. Experience impeccable service and world-class cuisine at Murano. Discover upscale dining elevated to an art form in Fine Cut Steakhouse. Savor our classic Italian flavors in Tuscan Grill or enjoy dining under the stars at the Rooftop Garden Grill. Book different restaurants for lunch and dinner, or revisit your favorite restaurants over and over again… the choice is yours. Our distinctive specialty restaurants selection varies by ship.

 

Book Your Specialty Dining Package Now

Select your dining party and your preferred dining time and a courtesy dinner reservation will be made on your behalf for Day 1 or Day 2. On Day 1, if you would like to amend or to complete your additional dinner reservations, simply visit one of our Specialty Restaurant Reservation Desks. Packages must be booked at least two days prior to boarding. Specialty Dining Packages and restaurant reservations are based on availability and may not be available on every voyage.

 

 

 

 

Specialty Restaurants

All cover charges are per person. Restaurant reservations are subject to availability, and reservations are non-transferable. Additional items such as beverages, menu supplements, food and wine pairings and gratuities are not included.

 

 

Dining Packages

Specialty Dining Package pricing include restaurant cover charges only. All dining package are per person only and cannot be shared or combined with other promotions. Guests dining in Sushi on Five or in Raw on 5 will receive a maximum of $35 credit towards the food items on their bill. This is non redeemable for cash. Reservations are subject to change based on availability of ship and sail date. Cancelled packages are subject to full cover charges and there are no refunds for unused amounts. Prices are in USD. Restaurant reservations are subject to availability.

[Bugsy1966]

Many thanks for clarifying things. Most helpful as in view of what you say there would seem little point in purchasing a package 18 months out - might as well wait until nearer the time.

 

It would have been great to have been able to book specific times in speciality restaurants but I suppose you can't blame Celebrity for only allowing that (for the time being at least) for people that are willing to pay the full price.

 

I'll probably make a reservation or two for the French Bistro as it makes no sense to use part of any package for that and sit tight for the other venues.

 

Good news re being able to book the higher end specialities as part of the package as the info you quote from Celebrity certainly seems to suggest. Although one does wonder if that is an oversight and might change at some point.

[[g]cruiserke]

Most helpful as in view of what you say there would seem little point in purchasing a package 18 months out - might as well wait until nearer the time.

 

The only advantages I see in purchasing early is that they may raise the price by the time you are ready to buy, or change the conditions to be less generous, like introducing limits on how often you can visit the same restaurant or the amount in dollar you can spend in the à la carte restaurants. If you buy now you're locking in the current conditions - that's why I always copy them down in case they're changed later on.

[Bugsy1966]

Agreed and thanks again.

[CUontheC]

I was on the phone with them this morning and two things I was assured of.

 

1. When buying a specialty package and having to wait to book onboard I will NOT get shut out of dates and times I want.

 

2. You can go to any restaurants as many times as you want with your package. So if you bought a 3 dinner package you can use it for the steakhouse all 3 nights.

 

Then I was told about the Petite Chef and it is going to be an additional $30 pp and you can only do it once. She said the menu will be the same so you are paying for the experience. Seems like quite a lot of money to pay with no menu change.

 

So my question is have you experienced buying the dinner packages and getting shut out of times and dates when you got onboard to book them? I know she assured me but I have had people assure me of things before and it changed when we got there. Just don't want any negative surprises.

[Silkroad]

I booked a dining package for a cruise last year. I believe I purchased it 3-4 months in advance of the cruise. Once aboard, I had no issues with X staff recognizing that I had a package (though I save all confirmations on my phone, just in case). I did repeat one restaurant (Murano) twice without issues, though I had to be flexible about dining times. I have heard that X sells a limited number of packages, which may vary by ship, itinerary, and sales, so it is possible for packages to sell out. Also, should you purchase one and change your mind, I believe you may cancel (full refund) right up to the week of your embarkation.

 

As for limits on dining packages on Edge, I haven’t seen anything, but I recommend that you go directly to a maitre d to make reservations as soon as you board. I board with a list of potential days and times (working around shorex and sailaways) clutched in my hand lol. Hope this helps. Cheers:).

[tapemann]

Celebrity tries their version of Dynamic dining on the Edge. It didn't work on Royal. They have 4 dining room and if you want early or late you are assigned one. You will miss out on some of the dishes that are in the other three.

[Silkroad]

So my question is have you experienced buying the dinner packages and getting shut out of times and dates when you got onboard to book them? I know she assured me but I have had people assure me of things before and it changed when we got there. Just don't want any negative surprises.

I’m very surprised they would make such a promise. I don’t see how they could. Yes, we (three couples who wished to dine together) bought dining packages. Once aboard, we tried to get specific restaurants for specific dates and times. We did get the restaurants, and the dates, but had to accept different times for two nights. This could have been because we were a group of six, or because we were on a TA with lots of sea days so YMMV. I recommend having alternate dates and times in mind just in case, but they will do their best to give you what you want. Also, do head straight for a maitre d the minute you board. Sometimes they’ll have a table in the public area in which you wait for your cabin. Otherwise, they’ll be available at the various specialty restaurants. Good luck. I’ll be making the same race next April. Cheers, Michelle

Edited March 2, 2018 by Silkroad
clarification

[Bugsy1966]

So my question is have you experienced buying the dinner packages and getting shut out of times and dates when you got onboard to book them?

 

I have but the one experience to relate and it was not greatly dissimilar to Silkroad's.

 

We boarded the Reflection around 11.30am last August and, after first organising the life-giving internet for DW, I headed directly to the speciality dining 'lectern' next to Guest Services. Having booked a 4 night package I was looking to book times for 2 x Murano, 1 x Lawn Club Grill and 1 x Tuscan Grill.

 

Despite being one of the first few hundred (?) on board the times we were seeking (8.30pm in all of them) were not available for 2 of the 4 dates we had in mind. I would imagine that times between 7.00 and 8.00 might have been harder to come by. In the end, by switching a couple of restaurants around we managed to dine on all 4 of the dates we sought and, if memory serves, 2 x 8.30pm and 2 x 9.00pm.

 

So I would suggest that that the agent you spoke to was being a little disingenuous in saying that you will not get shut of your dates/times if my experience is anything to go by - albeit only that one experience. If you board early enough then the likelihood is you will get something close to your first choice but you may well have to be flexible.

Edited March 2, 2018 by Bugsy1966

[CUontheC]

I’m very surprised they would make such a promise. I don’t see how they could. Yes, we (three couples who wished to dine together) bought dining packages. Once aboard, we tried to get specific restaurants for specific dates and times. We did get the restaurants, and the dates, but had to accept different times for two nights. This could have been because we were a group of six, or because we were on a TA with lots of sea days so YMMV. I recommend having alternate dates and times in mind just in case, but they will do their best to give you what you want. Also, do head straight for a maitre d the minute you board. Sometimes they’ll have a table in the public area in which you wait for your cabin. Otherwise, they’ll be available at the various specialty restaurants. Good luck. I’ll be making the same race next April. Cheers, Michelle

 

She did promise me that and that is why I have her name and the time/date of the call. Although it won't mean a thing once I am onboard.

 

So good advice Michelle. I will be heading over to see the maitre d as soon as I am on the ship.

 

Thank you!

 

Mary

[Host Jazzbeau]

Celebrity tries their version of Dynamic dining on the Edge. It didn't work on Royal. They have 4 dining room and if you want early or late you are assigned one. You will miss out on some of the dishes that are in the other three.

 

Not according to the Cruise Critic article on the dining reveal:

Cruisers on Celebrity Edge will be able to choose between set dining and the flexible Celebrity Select program. The big difference on Edge, however, will be that cruisers who select set dining do not have to stick to just one of the four main restaurants. Instead, they will be able to change their restaurant nightly if they'd like.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8438

[Gonzo70]

She did promise me that and that is why I have her name and the time/date of the call. Although it won't mean a thing once I am onboard.

 

So good advice Michelle. I will be heading over to see the maitre d as soon as I am on the ship.

 

Thank you!

 

Mary

 

You need to take anything a Celebrity rep says about ways things work onboard (especially on a new class of ships that has not begun sailing) with a grain of salt; unfortunately they are notoriously inaccurate. I did pre-purchase a dining package for Edge; my reason for doing so is some of Edge's specialty venues are significantly more expensive than M-Class and S-Class venues - but the package was the same price as M-Class & S-Class. As another posted stated, it is quite likely the packages will cost more for Edge in the near future; therefore hopefully I have locked in a bargain.

 

 

With regards to the day/time you want, no way you can be guaranteed to receive exactly what you want. To do that you'd have to pay more and book the venues individually in advance. The earlier you board, the better your odds of receiving days/times you like. You may need some flexibility, especially if you want something like 7pm resos - typically a "prime" time to secure. The first thing you do when you board should be to find a maitre'd of one of the specialty venues and book your days/times. If you are in a suite, the Michael's Club concierge may be able to use her pull to adjust the times more to your liking if you are not happy with what is available.

 

No way to find out for sure in advance how things like the Petite Chef will work or if the Magic Carpet dinners will be a part of the package; will have to wait for a formal announcement from Celebrity or feedback from cruisers during the early Edge sailings.

[MisterBill99]

Many thanks for clarifying things. Most helpful as in view of what you say there would seem little point in purchasing a package 18 months out - might as well wait until nearer the time.

 

It would have been great to have been able to book specific times in speciality restaurants but I suppose you can't blame Celebrity for only allowing that (for the time being at least) for people that are willing to pay the full price.

I bought a 4 night package for the first week of my B2B next January. I did so because I have a bunch of non-refundable OBC to use, so it didn't cost me anything out-of-pocket to buy it now. Will probably buy one for the 2nd week as well. I figured that negotiating discounts like I did on Silhouette last year won't be very easy because the ship will be new and people will want to try them. Hopefully getting reservations once on-board won't be a problem.It would be REALLY nice if they figured out a way to let you book your package restaurants online.

 

One time that I bought the old Ultimate Dining Package on Silhouette, I had pre-booked and paid for Murano because I really wanted to go that night (Valentines Day) and was concerned the restaurant would be hard to book once on-board. Then when I got on the ship and had purchased the package (which you could only buy once on the ship), I cancelled the reservation I had made (and got a refund) and rebooked it with my package. I don't recommend doing that for a multi-night package.

[[g]cruiserke]

No way to find out for sure in advance how things like the Petite Chef will work or if the Magic Carpet dinners will be a part of the package; will have to wait for a formal announcement from Celebrity or feedback from cruisers during the early Edge sailings.

 

 

I suspect that the Magic Carpet dinners will not be part of a specialty dining package but will in fact replace, or be an upgrade of, the Chef's Market Discoveries tours,.

 

These tours right now include a dinner in one of the specialty restaurants, with a localised menu using ingredients (similar to) the ones purchased by the "chef" whom you went out to local markets with during the shore excursion part of the tour. My thinking is that on the Edge, the dinner part of that tour will take part on the Magic Carpet and be dubbed "Dinner on the Edge".

 

This suspicion is based on two facts, one being Celebrity's description of "Dinner on the Edge":

 

When on Deck 16, a 'Dinner on the Edge' experience for up to 100 people will hinge on the destinations visited, with the night's menu built around the chef's local market purchase. Concepts could be a 'bubbles and barbecue' experience or a white party theme.

Second reason is that in my cruise planner for our December Edge cruise, there is a San Juan Chef's Market Discoveries tour listed but I am not able to book it. When I add that shore excursion to my basket on the website, it doesn't come up with any available dates or times. That's only the case for that tour, not for any of the others.

Our itinerary calls for the Edge staying in port in San Juan until 11 pm, which would make sense if that's the "Dinner on the Edge" night, as it's probably much more comfortable and manageable to sit outdoors on deck 16 while the ship is not moving but laying in port.

 

[Silkroad]

She did promise me that and that is why I have her name and the time/date of the call. Although it won't mean a thing once I am onboard.

 

So good advice Michelle. I will be heading over to see the maitre d as soon as I am on the ship.

 

Thank you!

Mary

 

Mary, I’m happy to help, even if you end up ahead of me in the queue lol.

 

I want to add that X does guarantee that if you purchase a package, you will be able to dine in the included specialty restaurants for the number of nights in your package. They don’t promise you’ll be able to use any or all of your nights for the restaurants you want, though I’ve never heard of anyone being shut out of all their choices. For obvious reasons, X gives the people booking individual restaurants in advance, and paying full price, their choice of available time slots. Neither we nor X can predict how many people will do this, and for which venues. When it really matters to me, I book a specific restaurant and pay full price. I’ve done so twice to celebrate our anniversary in the beautiful Olympic restaurant on Millennium (sadly it has been replaced), and Murano on lovely Silhouette.

 

Also, if you, or any of your dining companions, are sailing in a suite, the person in the suite should take down all your reservation numbers and make the bookings. One of the couples in our party was in a suite for the sailing I described earlier. Suite guests are first to board so they can make reservations while the rest of us are still checking in. Having some flexibility is important, though it may not be needed;).

 

Cheers, Michelle

[Lastdance]

I am going to book my time and restaurants for the Edge. Since there are six of us, I can do that all ahead of time and do not have to run around or ask MC to do it for me...Yay!

 

 

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[floralscent]

We want to purchase a 5 night specialty dining package prior to sailing for our 1/2019 Edge cruise but are confused on which of the specialties are included in the package with no extra cost. If there is an extra cost, what is it and which restaurants? I called Celebrity but as always they are confused...you would have thought their reps would be in the know so they could sell, sell, sell.

 

We have sailed 7 times on the 'S' class and have always purchased a 5 night pkg in advance of sailing. The number of visits to each restaurant was pre-determined and there was never a credit given to purchase your meal or an extra cost. Oh, I do remember that Tuscan has some premium steaks that have an up charge. Our last sailing was 12/2015.

 

We are all in the learning stage I know, but my hope is that someone was able to get a rep that had info...even though I know info given is not always correct.

[Gonzo70]

There is just no way to know at this point: it is almost certainly in flux.

[floralscent]

There is just no way to know at this point: it is almost certainly in flux.

 

Thanks for the speedy reply Gonzo70!

 

I noticed that I you can use some of my OBC to pay for dining, etc. prior to sailing. Has anyone done this before and cancelled that purchase and received a full OBC refund?

[vtcruising]

cruiserke;55434828']I suspect that the Magic Carpet dinners will not be part of a specialty dining package but will in fact replace' date=' or be an upgrade of, the Chef's Market Discoveries tours,.

 

These tours right now include a dinner in one of the specialty restaurants, with a localised menu using ingredients (similar to) the ones purchased by the "chef" whom you went out to local markets with during the shore excursion part of the tour. My thinking is that on the Edge, the dinner part of that tour will take part on the Magic Carpet and be dubbed "Dinner on the Edge".

 

This suspicion is based on two facts, one being Celebrity's description of "Dinner on the Edge":

 

Second reason is that in my cruise planner for our December Edge cruise, there is a San Juan Chef's Market Discoveries tour listed but I am not able to book it. When I add that shore excursion to my basket on the website, it doesn't come up with any available dates or times. That's only the case for that tour, not for any of the others.

Our itinerary calls for the Edge staying in port in San Juan until 11 pm, which would make sense if that's the "Dinner on the Edge" night, as it's probably much more comfortable and manageable to sit outdoors on deck 16 while the ship is not moving but laying in port.

 

 

Interesting thoughts, but it would have to be a different model of the usual 12-15 or so people that are on the Chef's Market tours. I assume they will want more people than that for the Dinner on the Edge (since it says the MC holds 100 people). The Chef's Market tour that we took was very intimate and would not have worked for a large group (going to the markets with a chef, having lunch in a small restaurant, etc.). There is a Chef's Market Tour listed in Cozumel on my Edge Western cruise where the ship leaves at 4 PM so the Dinner on the Edge in that case would be up there while at sea (also unable to book it now).

 

My thought is that it will be more like the Chef's Table event that happens now on most cruises at least once, with food and wine pairing at a price point of $150-$199 PP (I'm not sure what the Chef's Table cost is now).

 

However they do it, I hope to be able to do it! :D

[MisterBill99]

We have sailed 7 times on the 'S' class and have always purchased a 5 night pkg in advance of sailing. The number of visits to each restaurant was pre-determined and there was never a credit given to purchase your meal or an extra cost. Oh, I do remember that Tuscan has some premium steaks that have an up charge. Our last sailing was 12/2015.

The dining packages have changed since you last sailed. The current packages don't say anything about which restaurants you have to eat in.

 

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[Wishing on a star]

I have no experience or idea how this works, so I will ask...

If we were to book on the EDGE for next Fall, could we prepurchase a dining package ASAP?

When do these become available for booking.

Thanks!

[Gonzo70]

I have no experience or idea how this works, so I will ask...

If we were to book on the EDGE for next Fall, could we prepurchase a dining package ASAP?

When do these become available for booking.

Thanks!

 

Yes, I am booked for April ‘19 and already booked a package.

[Lastdance]

I am also booked for a party of six for specialty dining. All of us have prepaid, so when I emailed the person in charge, Ivana, with our dates and times for our Edge TA, I was able to get the times wanted, except for the new Lawn Grill. We got 6:00 due to no 6:30 for our table for six. Again, this is only for specialty dining!

 

 

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