Trying to book specialty dining over Christmas ?

[Harrylinden]

We have a Christmas cruise (12/22/2023 to )1/02/2024) and I am trying to book specialty dining pre cruise and there is nothing there? Says Amazing experiences 
coming soon! Now I can go to our cruise for next December and it comes up? That one isn't over Christmas though it's right before! Is it because it's a Christmas cruise or something else?? I can book my excrusion's but not specialty dining?

[1025cruise]

Yes, most likely the restaurants will be doing something "special" (costs more) over Christmas, but the specifics haven't been determined yet.

[chemmo]

This tends to be usual for cruises up to and including Christmas and the New Year. 

[NMTraveller]

Same for my Christmas cruise.  Celebrity has not loaded them yet.

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, Harrylinden said:

We have a Christmas cruise (12/22/2023 to )1/02/2024) and I am trying to book specialty dining pre cruise and there is nothing there? Says Amazing experiences 
coming soon! Now I can go to our cruise for next December and it comes up? That one isn't over Christmas though it's right before! Is it because it's a Christmas cruise or something else?? I can book my excrusion's but not specialty dining?

 

@CHEZMARYLOU answered this question recently and said that specialty dining reservations won't become available until about 90 days before the cruise.  We have booked several Christmas cruises in the past (pre-COVID) and I remember that we could book specialty dining well in advance of 90 days.  On the other hand, we have a Christmas/NYE cruise coming up this December (like you) and no specialty dining is available to book yet either.  So maybe things have changed.  

 

I can tell you that during our past Christmas cruises that specialty dining reservations were ~$10 more expensive than normal for each night of the cruise (I don't remember if this included the first night which is usually discounted).  On Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, there was a special menu with a very elevated price (exceeded $100 pp).  So I am expecting to see that when they are finally released for each of our holiday cruises.

Edited June 4, 2023 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

I forgot to add that I checked the sailings before and after our upcoming holiday cruise and they both have specialty dining reservations available so it definitely is something that is particular to a holiday sailing.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

@mahdncYou are correct, The specialty dining prices for New Year's eve were at least $100 + gratuity. There was a not so special menu in Murano's.  It consisted of the regular menu with 2 appetizers and 2 mains prepared differently from the normal preparation. They also did not have dining packages or reduced prices on board.  We weren't on for Christmas but the restaurant prices were the same as New Years.

[LINGBER]

We have done many Celebrity xmas cruises and never had a problem bboking reservations for christmas eve way in advance. This year there are no reservations available the entire week. Would have really liked to book a 3 night specialty package this year but so far not available. Very annoying......

[mrgabriel]

3 hours ago, LINGBER said:

We have done many Celebrity xmas cruises and never had a problem bboking reservations for christmas eve way in advance. This year there are no reservations available the entire week. Would have really liked to book a 3 night specialty package this year but so far not available. Very annoying......

I had the exact same response before our New Year’s cruise this past December. And I was proven wrong. 
 

Specialty Dining opens up closer to the cruise dates. Just hang tough. 

[Wookie01]

This is the response that I received to a dining question for our Christmas cruise out of Sydney this coming December.

"With a normal sailing, dining is typically loaded about 10 – 15 months in advance. However, with Holiday Sailings like your upcoming Celebrity Edge cruise on Dec. 21, 2023 – sailings that encompass Christmas and/or New Years -  the dining is generally loaded much closer to the sailing date.  Historically speaking, for the past 2 years our Holiday Sailings are loaded around September/October, so about 3 months before sailing."

Hope that helps 🙂