Select Dining - Educate Me Please

[Sascol]

We've taken 20+ cruises and have always gone with traditional dining.  We'll be on the Edge this fall for the transatlantic sailing and we are considering select dining.  Can you tell me how this works?  I know the Edge main dining room consists of several different venues.  With select dining, would we be able to pick both the venue and the time?  I assume YES.    Also, I am  assuming you can go at any time and request a specific table size?  Can you make a reservation and if so can this be done from the smartphone app? How far in advance can you make your reservations?  Thank you in advance.

Edited March 18, 2019 by Sascol

[Jim_Iain]

You are correct about being able to select the dining room and time on any of the 4 restaurants.   I've not tried it yet but I have read you can make reservations using the Celebrity App.     If you select traditional you will be assigned to a dining room and will eat in the same dining room for the entire cruise.

 

I personally would book as soon as I could and then make changes as necessary,  that way you will probably get your preferred dining time.

[vtcruising]

As Jim said, I would book as soon as possible. I have already booked the 4 different dining rooms for next Feb (I want to dine in all of them so made a couple of reservations in each), so yours is probably open in your cruise planner. You can modify them as you wish, but at least you will have something in the books.

 

I was in suites on the Edge on my last cruises so didn't make reservations in the MDRs, but by reading CC reviews I have gleaned that, though you can walk into any of the four and ask for a table for a certain number, you may have to wait on some nights, if you don't have a reservation. You should be able to make reservations onboard on your app, but may find your preferred times aren't available.

[Hlitner]

Just a slightly different point of view from one who has done Select Dining (and similar schemes on other lines) many times.  Yes, there are provisions for those that want to make reservations.  But  the reason we always book Select (and similar schemes on other lines) is because we love the flexibility of dining when we please.  Making a reservation locks us in just like traditional dining...which takes away our beloved flexibility.  If we are sitting at the Martini Bar and discover a fun crowd (or just another couple) we may not want to leave the bar because we have a reservation.  So like many folks, we simply go to the dining room when we are ready to eat and "check in."  Since we prefer to share large tables (its fun meeting new folks at dinner) we usually get seated relatively fast (especially true for those of us who dine after 7:30).  Sometimes we will even dine with similar-minded folks we met over cocktails.   Is this the best plan for everyone?  Nope!  But it is an option and was the original intent behind the entire Select Dining program.

 

One irony about reservations is that we are often seated much quicker then folks with reservations for 2-tops, specific tables, etc.

 

Hank

[vtcruising]

4 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

But  the reason we always book Select (and similar schemes on other lines) is because we love the flexibility of dining when we please.

 

We generally enjoy the flexibility of Blu and Luminae and just show up when ready (and have done Select that way too), but with the Edge I want to experience all 4 MDRs, so decided to make reservations and change them as needed. Since the 4 MDR set up is different than S and M Classes and I imagine that there are times that the 4 MDRs are unbalanced in requests,  I decided to play it safe for this particular ship (though not sure it will be necessary). For our upcoming Alaskan cruise in Concierge we will likely go just enjoy the flexibility of just showing up when we want to most nights.  🙂

[Work2cruz!]

We just did Select Dinig on the Edge.  We just showed up at one of the 4 dining rooms when we wanted to eat and were seated quickly. Once we had to wait 10 minutes but they gave us a beeper - no big deal. Worked out great.  Service and food was consistent in all 4 dining rooms.  They’re was just the 2 of us, bigger crowds may not be as smooth.  

[vtcruising]

17 minutes ago, Work2cruz! said:

We just showed up at one of the 4 dining rooms when we wanted to eat and were seated quickly.

Great! Good to hear!

Edited March 19, 2019 by vtcruising