Specialty Dining - Two Questions

[moneeman]

We are booked on Milennium for Alaska next summer.  

 

1.  We would like to dine at specialty restaurants three or four nights, so a dining package makes financial sense.  However, I read in a post or two that it can be difficult to get your restaurant of choice and/or preferred time because you can't reserve before the cruise begins.  My biggest concern is time, as we live in Florida, and for the first half of the cruise an 8:00 dinner time would seem like waiting until midnight to eat.  For those who have had dining packages, did you have much trouble getting your preferred choices?  If it makes a difference, we are in a CC cabin.

 

2.  Does anyone have insight on which specialty restaurants will emerge when Millenium comes out of dry dock?  I'd love to know what our limited choices will be.  Thanks.

[jelayne]

We normally dine late and have not had a problem getting a 8-8:30 time on days of our choice.  Don’t know if you wanted to dine earlier if it would be more difficult.

 

No idea, except I would think that Le Petit Chef will be there.

[Straughn]

I think the most popular times are in the 6:00 to 7:30 time frame. I have never had an issue getting a reservation in Blu,  Luminae, the MDR or any specialty restaurant after 8:00.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Straughn

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Just to clarify, Luminae and Blu are not specialty restaurants. They are reserved for Aqua (Blu) and suites (Luminae). They will not be part of your dining package. If I remember correctly you will sail from most ports later in the day so early dining might not be that popular.

 

[keesar]

Your dining options may be limited after you book your first reservation.  On our Alaska cruise, a private group booked all the time slots for one night at all the restaurants.  That greatly reduced available times to  9 pm.  Too late for us. 

[Turtles06]

My wife and I are just back from the Silhouette TA; we had a specialty dining package and followed the advice often given here to head to one of the specialty venues as soon as you board to make all of your reservations (the staff at one restaurant can make the reservations for all of them).  We tend to eat later (we made 8pm reservations) and had no trouble; I don't know if you'll have a problem with earlier times, but if you do get the package, you should make your reservations as soon as you board.

 

We were also in a CC cabin, and the concierge was helpful when we needed to switch some reservations later in the cruise, but even she could not make a reservation for Murano at a prime time magically appear when there was no availability.

 

I'll add one final thing: we had purchased a 6-night package for this 15-night cruise when Celebrity had a great sale on them, because on a cruise of this length, we really like to have some variety in where we eat, and also because the specialty venues were so great the last time we were on the Silhouette four years ago.  Now that we are back, I will say it was a mistake to have bought that package.  First, the food in the MDR turned out to be excellent.  Second, Tuscan Grille, which was so wonderful the last time around, was awful, both the food and the service.  And, unfortunately, the weather precluded multiple dinners at our favorite place, the Lawn Club Grill.   We did have an excellent dinner at Murano, but it's not the kind of dining we want to do more than once on a cruise. 

 

Throughout our cruise, staff were constantly hawking the specialty venues, and I think deals could be made on board.   I have no idea whether that will turn out to be the case on your Alaska cruise.  At any rate, I'd be very hesitant to buy a package of more than three dinners (if one at all).   YMMV.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[mrsgoggins]

I have posted previously that I also would not book a package again.  We headed to book immediately on embarkation and discovered that there was NO availability for any time on a sea day - they were all full, yes, even Le Petit Chef - and also both Tuscan and Murano were booked privately for one night each but we were offered to buy reservations at $70+ pp!  I have forgotten the amount because I didn’t consider it for a minute.  Apparently Jayne Curry was also singing at these special events.

 

We enjoyed all of our speciality dining but in future I will book the first (discounted) night and take advantage of any mid-cruise specials if available.