Dining Reservations on Celebrity Reflection

[benkon]

This is our first Celebrity cruise (Reflection 09/26/2020), so I am a little confused about making dining reservations.  We have cruised with NCL and have always booked restaurant/time/date for the whole cruise online, in advance.

 

We are booked in an Aqua class stateroom with "anytime" dining.  

 

1.  The website lets me select dining times for each night using the "Celebrity Select" option.  Should I assume that those reservations would be in Blu?  There is no option to select any other MDR.  I have read great reviews of Blu, but what if we want to try others?

2.  If I try to purchase any length Specialty Dining Package, there is a disclaimer that my restaurants will be "assigned" and given to us in our stateroom on the first night.  Also, it states we can make a courtesy reservation online for the first night, only.  Does this mean that I cannot make advance online individual specialty reservations at specific restaurants for specific times?

3.  If I choose and pay for a Specialty Dining Package, do other options for advance online reservations show up for me?

 

I have searched throughout the Celebrity website and cannot find the answers to these questions.  I hesitate to phone them - every time I have the hold time has been <30minutes.  I really don't want to stand in line on the first evening onboard.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me!!!  

 

Nancy

[jelayne]

Blu does not take reservations.  When you board you will find a card in your cabin with a suggested time for dinner the first evening. It is intended to manage the flow on the first night  when things can be a bit hectic.  You do not have to go at the  suggested time.  

When you are ready to dine just show up at Blu, we rarely have had to wait and if we did it was just a few minutes.  I will say that I have seen a line outside the door Iof Blu before it opened but everyone got seated quickly.  
 

With the speciality dining packages you are getting a discounted price but you can not book reservations until you board the ship.

Edited October 20, 2019 by jelayne

[cruisestitch]

You are seeing an artifact of the Celebrity booking system, which is set up for MDR but doesn't apply to Blue (or Luminae, either, for that matter.  

 

If you decide one evening that you would like to try the MDR, please let the Blue Maitre D make the arrangements for you to make sure there would be space for you, otherwise you do not have a table assignment in the MDR.

[39august]

:Select Dining" is not specialty dining. It means you can just show up in the main dining room during open dinner hours whenever you wish. Or you can make reservations in advance if you wish. II would wait until on board to book specialty dining. The first night all specialties have large discounts. Any other night you just have to ask what discount they are willing to give you. We never have any problem getting 20-25% off. But if you want to eat between 7-8, you might not get discounts.  Whoops, sorry I didn't realize that Blu is you main dining room. Ignore this post. The others above are correct.

Edited October 20, 2019 by 39august

[lovescarborough]

We found that the only speciality restaurant likely to get fully booked is Murano so we always make our reservations as soon as we get onboard having already bought our dining package via the website. There are often discounts for the first night, even in Murano, but often the other restaurants are the only ones likely to have discounts later in the cruise. We like Blu for its atmosphere and service is not as rushed as in the MDR but we do like a change to Murano and Lawn Club. We're not keen on Tuscan or Petit Chef. Our next Reflection cruise is in Aqua for 10 nights and I've booked a three night package. I'm sure you will enjoy this cruise. Reflection is my favourite ship ! 

[Luvcrusn]

2 hours ago, benkon said:

This is our first Celebrity cruise (Reflection 09/26/2020), so I am a little confused about making dining reservations.  We have cruised with NCL and have always booked restaurant/time/date for the whole cruise online, in advance.

 

We are booked in an Aqua class stateroom with "anytime" dining.  

 

1.  The website lets me select dining times for each night using the "Celebrity Select" option.  Should I assume that those reservations would be in Blu?  There is no option to select any other MDR.  I have read great reviews of Blu, but what if we want to try others? Reservations aren't needed or accepted in Blu. The website has always been a confused mess when it come to Aqua Class dining. The only other place for sit down waiter service that is complimentary is the MDR. If you want to dine there ask the maître d in Blu to make a reservation for you. You will go to the Select dining entrance to the MDR on that night. 

2.  If I try to purchase any length Specialty Dining Package, there is a disclaimer that my restaurants will be "assigned" and given to us in our stateroom on the first night.  Also, it states we can make a courtesy reservation online for the first night, only.  Does this mean that I cannot make advance online individual specialty reservations at specific restaurants for specific times? You will be assigned a dining time/venue for the first or second night. You can go on embarkation day as soon as you board to change or go the restaurants you desire and make the remaining reservation.

3.  If I choose and pay for a Specialty Dining Package, do other options for advance online reservations show up for me?

You can go to Dining in your Cruise Planner, but you may have to wait until you're onboard

I have searched throughout the Celebrity website and cannot find the answers to these questions.  I hesitate to phone them - every time I have the hold time has been <30minutes.  I really don't want to stand in line on the first evening onboard.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me!!!  

 

Nancy

Since this will be your first time dining in Blu, there's a few things to know. Dining in Blu is Select dining in terms of you being able to go when you want during the posted dining times. You never need or can make reservations in Blu. You will find a note from the Blu maître d in your cabin on embarkation day suggested a dining time for the first night ONLY. This is ONLY a suggestion and if it doesn't fit your needs you may go whenever you please without needing to contact anyone. They only do that to ease the first night congestion that may happen when everyone is getting accustomed to the ship. Also, the everyday favorite starters (Caesar Salad, French Onion Soup, Shrimp Cocktail and Escargot) are always available in Blu even though they're not on the menu. They will also try and seat you with the same server each evening (if you'd like) who will get to know your preferences. Enjoy yourself. Blu has wonderful service, and is easily able to accommodate any special requests. We especially love starting our mornings there with the breakfasts. It's lovely being able to sit down at a nice table and be served instead of the hustle bustle at the OVC.

[benkon]

Thanks to everyone who replied....lots of good information.  Sound like the Celebrity website needs a spa makeover.

 

Too bad you have to wait to get on board to reserve.....who wants to stand in line on embarkation day?  Do they at least have an interactive TV in the staterooms for making reservations?

 

Our last Baltics cruise on NCL was a comedy of errors.  They had one single line at each restaurant, so if you had a reservation you had to stand and wait for everyone who did not have one to get checked in (and, often seated before those with reservations).  If you attempted to go to the desk because it was your reservation time, you received a stern "get back in line" from a crew member.  Yikes!  Nothing says ''relaxation" like a queue.

 

One more quick question:  At Blu, will we be seated at a table for two or seated with a group?

 

 

 

 

[Luvcrusn]

7 minutes ago, benkon said:

Thanks to everyone who replied....lots of good information.  Sound like the Celebrity website needs a spa makeover.

 

Too bad you have to wait to get on board to reserve.....who wants to stand in line on embarkation day?  Do they at least have an interactive TV in the staterooms for making reservations?

 

Our last Baltics cruise on NCL was a comedy of errors.  They had one single line at each restaurant, so if you had a reservation you had to stand and wait for everyone who did not have one to get checked in (and, often seated before those with reservations).  If you attempted to go to the desk because it was your reservation time, you received a stern "get back in line" from a crew member.  Yikes!  Nothing says ''relaxation" like a queue.

 

One more quick question:  At Blu, will we be seated at a table for two or seated with a group?

 

 

 

 

Most tables in Blu  are for two and you'll be seated at one of those unless you request otherwise. The tables are fairly close together so you can converse with your neighbors or not as you (and they) choose. The table close to the windows tend to be closer together than the ones in the side section.  You can request whichever you'd like. They 're very accommodating. 

[lovescarborough]

There is unfortunately no way to book via the TV.  However once onboard you can either go straight to the person handling speciality dining reservations, usually at a desk just after the welcome drinks are handed out. If there is a line there you can always go to one of the speciality restaurants and there is usually someone there who can make your reservations in whichever restaurant you want. We have never had a problem with a long wait. 

[RICCruisers]

In addition to the Celebrity Every Day items you can order anything off of the Main Dining Room Menu. We always take a photo of the MDR Menu on our phone along with the Blu Menu and usually pick something from each for our dinners. Unfortunately Reflection has not been Revolutionized so the Celebrity App is not available for your cruise. The App lists all of the menus for ships that have been Revolutionized and most of the time they are correct. 

Edited October 20, 2019 by RICCruisers

[Luvcrusn]

4 hours ago, RICCruisers said:

In addition to the Celebrity Every Day items you can order anything off of the Main Dining Room Menu. We always take a photo of the MDR Menu on our phone along with the Blu Menu and usually pick something from each for our dinners. Unfortunately Reflection has not been Revolutionized so the Celebrity App is not available for your cruise. The App lists all of the menus for ships that have been Revolutionized and most of the time they are correct. 

We've never been able to order dinner items from the regular MDR menu (other than the standard appetizers and everyday items) on S-class ships since the kitchen for Blu on those ships is nowhere near the kitchen of the MDR. The M-class ships had Blu carved out of the MDR and so the kitchen is common.

[Xport]

7 hours ago, RICCruisers said:

Unfortunately Reflection has not been Revolutionized so the Celebrity App is not available for your cruise. The App lists all of the menus for ships that have been Revolutionized and most of the time they are correct. 

While you are correct that Reflection has not yet been revolutionized, the Celebrity App is indeed functional on Reflection as the application was tested on the ship before Edge went into service.

 

Sailing on Reflection next month.  Used the streamlined check-in process—Xpress boarding pass is on my phone—and the menus (at least in placeholder format; I’ve never found them to be totally accurate until aboard) and booked tours and other Cruise Planner purchases are available for review via the App too.

Edited October 21, 2019 by Xport

[RICCruisers]

12 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

We've never been able to order dinner items from the regular MDR menu (other than the standard appetizers and everyday items) on S-class ships since the kitchen for Blu on those ships is nowhere near the kitchen of the MDR. The M-class ships had Blu carved out of the MDR and so the kitchen is common.

My mistake.  We were on Infinity (M Class) and were able to do this.  

 

Thanks for clearing this up.