Specialty Dining Reservations

[defeser]

I’m booked on the December 22, 2024 sailing on Celebrity Ascent. I’ve tried to book specialty dining reservations, but they’re not available to book either on the Celebrity website or app. Is this unusual? Others have posted they booked dining reservations for their November sailing three months ago! The only things available to book for my sailing are shore excursions, wifi and drink packages. Any insight would be most helpful! 

[jelayne]

We booked Ascent specialty reservations on 3/9/23 for our Jan 21st sailing.  
 

Have been trying for awhile just this weekend?  If this weekend they often do maintenance or updating of the systems on the weekend.  Try again on Tuesday.

 

[defeser]

Actually, I have been trying pretty much every day since making the booking on December 11, 2023. I’m assuming Celebrity does not require full payment to be made in order to make specialty dining reservations? Is it possible since it’s a holiday sailing they haven’t yet opened the dining reservation system? I always like to book everything as far in advance as possible. 

[jelayne]

No you can’t make a reservation without paying. The Christmas/NYE holiday sailings seem to not open reservations very early.  They tend to have some special menus and prices get increased.  

[CruiseRQA]

I booked a Jan 20 Apex cruise early in Dec 2023.   All specialty restaurants claim to be completely booked every night of the cruise.   Doesn't break my heart but some say they hold back some reservations for on board.

 

[Hawkstar33]

1 hour ago, defeser said:

I’m booked on the December 22, 2024 sailing on Celebrity Ascent. I’ve tried to book specialty dining reservations, but they’re not available to book either on the Celebrity website or app. Is this unusual? Others have posted they booked dining reservations for their November sailing three months ago! The only things available to book for my sailing are shore excursions, wifi and drink packages. Any insight would be most helpful! 

I believe its a bit far away to book...In the event you are able to book soon, only those booking full price individual bookings, are able to book.  Those who purchase a multiple night specialty dining package, whether discounted or not, must wait to get onboard to book their location, day, and time. 

[mufflogan]

I might be totally wrong but I feel like I've read on CC a few times that they do reservations for Specialty Dining completely different on holiday sailings.  

[defeser]

Does anyone know how Celebrity may handle holiday sailings different when it comes to opening the specialty dining reservation system allowing customers to book individual specialty restaurants online?

[NMTraveller]

14 minutes ago, defeser said:

Does anyone know how Celebrity may handle holiday sailings different when it comes to opening the specialty dining reservation system allowing customers to book individual specialty restaurants online?

For our Millenium cruise they opened up specialty bookings exactly 5 months before the cruise.  That was in July...  

 

They will also have special dinners for Christmas and New Years.  And the Chefs Table.

Edited January 15 by NMTraveller

[Floridado2020]

My booking for thanksgiving week only shows 1 complementary restaurant available for one of my days , nothing else of out of the other 3 MDR or specialty restaurants shows available reservations. I have anytime dining . Maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be for holiday sailings I am not sure . First time on celebrity 

[Tyler414]

Just read this article about what Royal plans to do about specialty dinning plans.  There was a great deal a while back on specialty dining for every night, I was sooooo tempted, but already had reservations booked at the times I wanted and didn't want to scramble on day 1 trying to get 13 reservations taken care of.  Hopefully Celebrity will be doing the same. 🤞🥂

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/royal-caribbean-fixes-the-worst-part-of-cruising/ar-BB1iR9J3?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=2dec4e7512e24c56a4d4007671b746d4&ei=16