Dining Questions

[shealea]

Hi, All! I have two questions.

We are cruising to Alaska soon on the Celebrity Solstice. We would like to know what the dining options are right 
after we board the ship. Is there any choice besides the buffet?

 

Also, we got assigned late dining as that was the only choice left. Is it possible to try and change to  Anytime Dining

before we board, Or is our only way to try to change by going to the maître d?

 

Oh, one more question:  What exactly does Designer Jeans mean as far as being allowed to be worn in the dining room?

Geez, these days, designer jeans mean ripped jeans with really cool holes in them …….   ha!  My husband would like to

wear a nice pair of black jeans with a nice polo shirt. Will that be allowed?

 

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it!

[GastroGnome]

I can't help on the boarding day question as I cruise in suites so we go to Luminae which is open for boarding day lunch.  I *think* you have to have a level of loyalty status to get into MDR  - but I may well be wrong.  The specialty dining options are not open for boarding day lunch.

 

From other posts I believe you can put yourself on the waiting list for anytime dining before boarding - but if you go to see the Maitre D immediately you board, explain and ask to switch that can normally be accommodated. 

 

Yes - I would expect decent black jeans and a polo would be fine.  I suspect they are trying to avoid the designer ripped variety!  My DH wears good quality coloured jeans to dinner sometimes and no-one has ever commented.  To be honest I'm not sure anyone would notice the difference between decent black jeans and a pair of black chinos.

[chemmo]

Food choices on boarding...

 

If you are concierge class there is an MDR option, suite then Luminae...Open to all is the buffet, Aqua Spa Cafe (light bites), Mast Grill (burgers) or Sushi on 5 (added cost). You could also go to Cafe el Bachio for a cake and coffee if you aren’t very hungry.

 

If it is simply the ‘busyness’ that puts you off the buffet then why not board, sit in a bar with a nice relaxing drink then head to the buffet at just after one when the rooms open up...You can quickly drop your hand luggage off and then enjoy...

 

You can try phoning (or getting your TA to phone) re changing seating but you may not get a positive response. As soon as possible after boarding head to the MDR and you will see a queue of guests all trying to adjust their dining options. You may not be able to change first night but the M’Ds do try to accommodate...

 

Your husband’s clothes should be fine.

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise....

[citronella]

6 hours ago, shealea said:

Oh, one more question:  What exactly does Designer Jeans mean as far as being allowed to be worn in the dining room?

Geez, these days, designer jeans mean ripped jeans with really cool holes in them …….   ha! 

 

You are opening a very large can of worms asking that question LOL

[shealea]

6 hours ago, GastroGnome said:

I can't help on the boarding day question as I cruise in suites so we go to Luminae which is open for boarding day lunch.  I *think* you have to have a level of loyalty status to get into MDR  - but I may well be wrong.  The specialty dining options are not open for boarding day lunch.

 

From other posts I believe you can put yourself on the waiting list for anytime dining before boarding - but if you go to see the Maitre D immediately you board, explain and ask to switch that can normally be accommodated. 

 

Yes - I would expect decent black jeans and a polo would be fine.  I suspect they are trying to avoid the designer ripped variety!  My DH wears good quality coloured jeans to dinner sometimes and no-one has ever commented.  To be honest I'm not sure anyone would notice the difference between decent black jeans and a pair of black chinos.

GastroGnome - We are in a Balcony room, so we wouldn't be able to do the Luminae or the MDR. 
I think when I booked our cruise, the Waiting List for Anytime Dining wasn't open. We will see if we can change once we are onboard. The only time available was Late dining. Even if we get stuck with that we will be just fine.  I've gotten used to Anytime Dining on NCL, and we really like that. 

This is our first time cruising with Celebrity. I'm looking forward to sailing with Celebrity. I've been reading wonderful things about them. 

 

[davekathy]

8 hours ago, shealea said:

Hi, All! I have two questions.

We are cruising to Alaska soon on the Celebrity Solstice. We would like to know what the dining options are right 
after we board the ship. Is there any choice besides the buffet?

 

Also, we got assigned late dining as that was the only choice left. Is it possible to try and change to  Anytime Dining

before we board, Or is our only way to try to change by going to the maître d?

 

Oh, one more question:  What exactly does Designer Jeans mean as far as being allowed to be worn in the dining room?

Geez, these days, designer jeans mean ripped jeans with really cool holes in them …….   ha!  My husband would like to

wear a nice pair of black jeans with a nice polo shirt. Will that be allowed?

 

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it!

The Mast Grill on deck 14. Burgers, dogs and fries. 

Call Celebrity or your TA (if you used a TA) and ask if you could be changed from TD late to SD. Never hurts to ask.

Black jeans and a polo shirt will be just fine on any evening in the MDR. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by davekathy

[shealea]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

Food choices on boarding...

 

If you are concierge class there is an MDR option, suite then Luminae...Open to all is the buffet, Aqua Spa Cafe (light bites), Mast Grill (burgers) or Sushi on 5 (added cost). You could also go to Cafe el Bachio for a cake and coffee if you aren’t very hungry.

 

If it is simply the ‘busyness’ that puts you off the buffet then why not board, sit in a bar with a nice relaxing drink then head to the buffet at just after one when the rooms open up...You can quickly drop your hand luggage off and then enjoy...

 

You can try phoning (or getting your TA to phone) re changing seating but you may not get a positive response. As soon as possible after boarding head to the MDR and you will see a queue of guests all trying to adjust their dining options. You may not be able to change first night but the M’Ds do try to accommodate...

 

Your husband’s clothes should be fine.

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise....

chemo  -  Thanks for your response. I think we'll just go ahead and do the Buffet after we board. Going at 1 pm when everyone is heading off to get into their rooms is a very good idea. I had not thought of that. Thanks!

I'm really looking forward to doing the buffet. We watched a YouTube video about the Solstice, and they showed the buffet. It looked fantastic. 

We'll go to the Main Dining room when we board to see if we can get changed to Anytime Dining. We like that flexibility when we've sailed on NCL. 

 

[shealea]

1 hour ago, citronella said:

 

You are opening a very large can of worms asking that question LOL

LOL!!!!!!  I Did laugh a little when I read the description of appropriate choices for what to wear in the evening for dining. Designer Jeans can mean so many different things depending on who you are talking to!!!!!  Ha!

[shealea]

7 minutes ago, davekathy said:

The Mast Grill on deck 14. Burgers, dogs and fries. 

Call Celebrity or your TA (if you used a TA) and ask if you could be changed from TD late to SD. Never hurts to ask.

Black jeans and a polo shirt will be just fine on any evening in the MDR. 

davekathy  -  Thanks for your reply! It's appreciated.

I will call our TA and ask them if they can get me changed to the anytime dining. That is our preference. Even if we can't get changed from the Late Dining, it will be ok. We just prefer dining whenever we get hungry!!!!  

My husband will be glad that he can wear his black jeans. They are a nice dark black jeans and I think they look nice. We just never dress up, so he will be most comfortable in his black jeans.

I have several nice skirts, so I will wear those.   

We haven't cruised with Celebrity so I wanted to be sure that we will be allowed in the MD with wearing what we bring along. 

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, shealea said:

davekathy  -  Thanks for your reply! It's appreciated.

I will call our TA and ask them if they can get me changed to the anytime dining. That is our preference. Even if we can't get changed from the Late Dining, it will be ok. We just prefer dining whenever we get hungry!!!!  

My husband will be glad that he can wear his black jeans. They are a nice dark black jeans and I think they look nice. We just never dress up, so he will be most comfortable in his black jeans.

I have several nice skirts, so I will wear those.   

We haven't cruised with Celebrity so I wanted to be sure that we will be allowed in the MD with wearing what we bring along. 

You're welcome. Enjoy your first Celebrity Cruise.

Edited May 9, 2019 by davekathy

[dkjretired]

8 hours ago, shealea said:

Hi, All! I have two questions.

We are cruising to Alaska soon on the Celebrity Solstice. We would like to know what the dining options are right 
after we board the ship. Is there any choice besides the buffet?

 

Also, we got assigned late dining as that was the only choice left. Is it possible to try and change to  Anytime Dining

before we board, Or is our only way to try to change by going to the maître d?

 

Oh, one more question:  What exactly does Designer Jeans mean as far as being allowed to be worn in the dining room?

Geez, these days, designer jeans mean ripped jeans with really cool holes in them …….   ha!  My husband would like to

wear a nice pair of black jeans with a nice polo shirt. Will that be allowed?

 

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it!

 

No problem with the Jeans, no one has ever been able to define designer jeans. As an example in Alaska I wore my Le Kirkland Jeans by Costco.

[shealea]

2 minutes ago, davekathy said:

You're welcome. Enjoy your first Celebrity Cruise. Just as an FYI, here is Celebrity's suggested dress guidelines for the MDR. 

Formal Night gets a modern luxury reboot. Say goodbye to Formal Night, and hello to Evening Chic. It’s your time to shine—your way. Get glamorous. Get chic. Be sophisticated. Now, on up to two nights on every cruise, Evening Chic activities have been introduced, and Evening Chic attire has replaced Formal attire. While dressier than Smart Casual, Evening Chic is intended to be less dressy than Formal attire.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• A cocktail dress
• Skirt, pants or designer jeans with an elegant top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or designer jeans with a dress shirt, button-down shirt or sweater
• Optional sport coat or blazer

Evening Chic means that you can get glamorous and be sophisticated in your own way. If you would like to still wear a tuxedo or formal gown on Evening Chic nights, you absolutely should.

All cruises that are 7 nights or longer will feature two Evening Chic nights. Any cruise 6-nights or shorter will feature one Evening Chic night. All other nights of the cruise will feature Smart Casual attire. Celebrity Xpedition will continue to feature casual attire for the entire cruise.

Smart Casual attire can be enjoyed every other night of your cruise.

Women should feel comfortable wearing:

• Skirt, pants or jeans with a casual top

Men should feel comfortable wearing:

• Pants or jeans with a short sleeve sport shirt.

Note: T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurant at any time. Shorts and flip-flops are not allowed in the evening hours. The dress code will be enforced at all restaurants. And guests are asked to follow the Smart Casual or Evening Chic dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening.

davekathy, thank you for posting this information.  I think we will skip going to the MDR on the Evening Chic nights. I don't think we will be quite dressy enough.   But that is just fine. I always enjoy the buffet on cruises. I'm looking forward to the buffet. We saw it on a YouTube video, and it sure looks like it will be a good buffet.

I do think that we will fit in just fine on the Smart Casual nights in the MDR. 

 

[shealea]

Just now, dkjretired said:

 

No problem with the Jeans, no one has ever been able to define designer jeans. As an example in Alaska I wore my Le Kirkland Jeans by Costco.

dkjretired  -  I'm happy to hear that. Now I'm feeling good that we will fit right in with what we plan to wear to the MDR. I think we will skip the MDR on Evening Chic nights. I love the buffet anyway.

Also, what I'm excited about is that I read that you can order from the MDR menu with room service during MDR hours. It will be fun to do that and eat in our Balcony cabin. Even if it's not nice enough to eat right out on the balcony, just sitting and looking out at the ocean will be really neat!!!!!  I always love being able to order room service. 

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, shealea said:

davekathy  -  Thanks for your reply! It's appreciated.

I will call our TA and ask them if they can get me changed to the anytime dining. That is our preference. Even if we can't get changed from the Late Dining, it will be ok. We just prefer dining whenever we get hungry!!!!  

My husband will be glad that he can wear his black jeans. They are a nice dark black jeans and I think they look nice. We just never dress up, so he will be most comfortable in his black jeans.

I have several nice skirts, so I will wear those.   

We haven't cruised with Celebrity so I wanted to be sure that we will be allowed in the MD with wearing what we bring along. 

My DH has worn nice black jeans many times in all the dining venues aboard. Don't worry about the word "designer" in the X description of dress code. Having sailed with X many times, I can honestly say we've never seen Designer Logo Inspectors on board any X ship. They just want passengers who choose jeans to look clean and neat and not in shorts. As far as not going to MDR on Evening Chic nights, if your DH wears nice dark jeans and a button down shirt he will find others dressed similarly, especially on Alaskan and Caribbean itineraries. The new dress code allows for a wide choice and as long as your choices fit the parameters you'll see others dressed similarly. Have a great cruise. Alaska is amazing!

Edited May 9, 2019 by Luvcrusn

[dkjretired]

1 hour ago, shealea said:

dkjretired  -  I'm happy to hear that. Now I'm feeling good that we will fit right in with what we plan to wear to the MDR. I think we will skip the MDR on Evening Chic nights. I love the buffet anyway.

Also, what I'm excited about is that I read that you can order from the MDR menu with room service during MDR hours. It will be fun to do that and eat in our Balcony cabin. Even if it's not nice enough to eat right out on the balcony, just sitting and looking out at the ocean will be really neat!!!!!  I always love being able to order room service. 

 

We also enjoy the buffet once or twice for dinner, lots of choices plus the grill to order area.  Nice and relaxing in the evening.

[davekathy]

4 hours ago, shealea said:

davekathy, thank you for posting this information.  I think we will skip going to the MDR on the Evening Chic nights. I don't think we will be quite dressy enough.   But that is just fine. I always enjoy the buffet on cruises. I'm looking forward to the buffet. We saw it on a YouTube video, and it sure looks like it will be a good buffet.

I do think that we will fit in just fine on the Smart Casual nights in the MDR. 

 

Do not skip the MDR on evening chic evening if want to go. As far the MDR what you have described for both of you and your husband in a previous post you will be fine, no matter the evening. Guaranteed. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by davekathy

[keesar]

Head to the buffet for dinner when they have Fish Market.  Fresh salmon and halibut grilled there.

 

Also, we were very surprised how dressed down cruisers were in Alaska as compared to the Caribbean.  You will be dressed just fine.

[Muffinz]

I wore some nice jeans and a polo shirt in the MDR on Solstice most nights on our cruise last year and it was fine

Shorts and t-shirts are a no-no in the MDR for dinner

[cynbar]

Go to the buffet any night(s) you want, but don't skip the MDR because you're worried about your clothes. When Celebrity did away with formal nights and went to Evening Chic, they threw the requirement to dress up out of the window. Now, you will see some suits and sport coats, but you will also see many gentlemen  wearing neither one. Your clothes sound just fine. You can check the dinner menu once it's posted outside the MDR in the afternoon, and then decide where you want to eat. Celebrity is a little different from NCL, most passengers will "clean up" for the event whereas on NCL, many wear what they wore all day.  But the attire on Celebrity is much more casual than it used to be. Just relax and enjoy your cruise!

[cangelmd]

8 hours ago, shealea said:

chemo  -  Thanks for your response. I think we'll just go ahead and do the Buffet after we board. Going at 1 pm when everyone is heading off to get into their rooms is a very good idea. I had not thought of that. Thanks!

I'm really looking forward to doing the buffet. We watched a YouTube video about the Solstice, and they showed the buffet. It looked fantastic. 

We'll go to the Main Dining room when we board to see if we can get changed to Anytime Dining. We like that flexibility when we've sailed on NCL. 

 

Tip - go into the OVC and immediately head all the way aft out the back doors and claim an outside table. Enjoy the breeze and your favorite beverage, taking turns getting lunch. You can leave your sea card with your traveling companion(s) to order a drink if that is your preference. Tables are limited outside, so it is usually quieter. Many new folk don’t even realize outside is a choice that early in the cruise and when the cabins are available, the early lunch crew should start moving on.

 

This is assuming you are on one of the ships that has the outside seating, I missed which cruise you are on.

 

Have a wonderful trip.

Edited May 9, 2019 by cangelmd

[cangelmd]

7 hours ago, shealea said:

dkjretired  -  I'm happy to hear that. Now I'm feeling good that we will fit right in with what we plan to wear to the MDR. I think we will skip the MDR on Evening Chic nights. I love the buffet anyway.

Also, what I'm excited about is that I read that you can order from the MDR menu with room service during MDR hours. It will be fun to do that and eat in our Balcony cabin. Even if it's not nice enough to eat right out on the balcony, just sitting and looking out at the ocean will be really neat!!!!!  I always love being able to order room service. 

Don’t let dress code keep you out of MDR, I completely agree with the person who said you DH can get by with a button down shirt - he can probably get by with a neat polo even on evening chic. Neat black pants and a light colored blouse with a pretty necklace and you will be good to go as well. Some people do dress up, we dress up, but you will literally see everything except t-shirts and shorts.

[George C]

Celebrity no longer enforces dress code saw cutoff shorts and baseball cap in mdr very recently 

[Luvcrusn]

4 hours ago, George C said:

Celebrity no longer enforces dress code saw cutoff shorts and baseball cap in mdr very recently 

That is soooooo not true on any  cruise I've been on! We've obviously not ever sailed on the same cruise!

[ldubs]

4 hours ago, George C said:

Celebrity no longer enforces dress code saw cutoff shorts and baseball cap in mdr very recently 

 

 

At dinner time?  We have yet to see that allowed at dinner.  In fact saw guy turned away because he was wearing shorts.   

[George C]

7 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

 

At dinner time?  We have yet to see that allowed at dinner.  In fact saw guy turned away because he was wearing shorts.   

I saw this at end of March on infinity, I believe thinking that they enforce dress code you are living in the past, we were in suite and most people dressed fine in luminae, I asked girl at front of the dinning room about the shorts and she said they were not allowed to turn people away. I would love to see dress code enforced . This was dinner and not first night guy also had baseball cap on backwards. Wish I took a picture.