Confused: dining times/dress; room choices

[calgarycowtown]

Hi - help please! First time ever, with our senior parents.

1. do we choose our rooms when we book? that must be side-by-side due medical issues.

2. dining options say formal, informal, casual and show how many of each are offered during the 7 days cruise. But we want casual all of the days as our parents only do casual. ?

3. do we choose the time that we want to eat (like making a reservation) and it will always be in the main restaurant?

4. are breakfast and lunch buffet style? with wider non-reservation hours?

 

in advance, thanks.

i am already stressed and we haven't booked yet...

[Lsimon]

1. do we choose our rooms when we book? that must be side-by-side due medical issues.

Yes - do this when you book. Look on the web site, or in a brochure for room layout and if necessary find a pair with a connecting door (or avoid one as the case may be). If either of your parents are wheelchair bound then look for an accessible room which will be wider to make room for the chair.

 

2. dining options say formal, informal, casual and show how many of each are offered during the 7 days cruise. But we want casual all of the days as our parents only do casual. ?

Normal schedule is 2 formal, 2 informal and 3 casual - but it can vary a little. If you don't want to do formal or informal then you might not be able to eat in the dining room those nights. They have a casual dining alternative with a limited menu set up nightly as an alternative. This is in the same area as the lunch & breakfast buffet but is sit down table service for dinner. Reservations are needed and there is a small suggested gratuity. There are other minor options like pizza, pasta, sushi or room service. If it is important to eat in the dining room every night and you don't want to do formal or informal you might want to consider another cruise line, like NCL.

 

3. do we choose the time that we want to eat (like making a reservation) and it will always be in the main restaurant?

For dinner you either have early/main seating (usually 6PM) or late seating (usually 8:30) every night at the same table. The dining room is open for lunch (sea days only) and breakfast with open seating during a few hour period. Alternatives for breakfast and lunch are in the buffet area.

4. are breakfast and lunch buffet style? with wider non-reservation hours?

Yes - dining room is also available for breakfast and, on sea days, for lunch during more limited hours.

[calgarycowtown]

thanks already. If we don't do the main dining room as they want to stay casual, then where do we eat?

are the restaurants buffets, or sit down meals?

[MICHE99]

Hi Calgarycowtown,

First, semi formal is really not very formal at all. Any nice outfit will be fine. If you are thinking short shorts and jeans maybe not but khakis and similar outfits are fine. Then on formal nights there is an alternative dining room (the buffet at other times) where you can forgo the suit and cocktail attire. It is a sit down restaurant in the evening.

Hope this helps.

[JanineM]

Hey Calgary! Native Calgarian here too ... :)

 

Anyway ... I've only sailed on M-class ships, and if you're trying to avoid dressing up for formal night then the other options for meals were:

- Room Service, and depending on the stateroom you have, there may be sufficient room for a proper dinner (and not eating off of your lap)

- partial buffet (pasta and salad)

- Casual Dining - this is offered in the buffet area, but it is a sit-down, served meal. You pay an additional gratuity of about $2, but we've always left a bit more because the service is excellent. They have different choices from the dining room. Do make a reservation ~ and they need to be made early in the afternoon. Check for particulars of time/ reservation requirements.

- Specialty dining ~ more of an upcharge ($30 I believe), but a pretty spectacular dinner where you will find yourself not wanting to eat for 24 hours afterwards!

 

In every case I believe there is an expectation of "better" dress - so no shorts or jeans. I have worn cotton skirts and khakis and been appropriately dressed for casual dining and the buffet. We did dress up a bit for specialty dining (jacket for DH, dress for me).

 

Hope you find a cruise that suits you!

[kitty9]

You must choose your cabins if it's important for you to be side by side rather than go with a guarantee. You can find cabins that are connecting, that means you have in interior door connecting both cabins. But, you're going to need to book very early to get cabins that connect, or even to get cabins that are next door to each other.

 

As for the dining, if you're casual only, you won't be allowed in the dining room on formal nights for sure and you may not be allowed in the dining room on informal nights either. For the alternative, you have a sit down dining area up in the buffet that has an additional charge of $2 per person. It's not a buffet, but has a very limited menu. It's unfortunate that you're going to miss the best food of the entire cruise when you decide not to dress up. They don't offer the same menu in that alternate restaurant. You can also try the reservation-only alternate restaurant on the M-Class ships, but they also have a dress code that's the same as in the main dining room, so your only choice for that restaurant would be on casual nights, and there's a $30 per person charge. There's room service that's available for dinner. Also, Celebrity requests that if you're going to be in any public rooms after 6pm, that you be in the code of the evening. Celebrity is probably the most formal of all the mass market lines, so being that you only want casual, perhaps you could check into another line that is only casual. Those lines include Oceania, NCL, Windstar. On those lines, they only have casual at night.

[calgarycowtown]

oh boy..

so if we want casual (don't worry - won't be shorts or jeans) but maybe Walmart clothing in terms of most formal it will be for our parents, we likely will be in the non-dining room for the non casual nights? and they will choose from pizza? and so i am clear -- the meals are never buffet?

sorry for the dumbness.

[drsb]

Cal:

 

My advice would be to go talk to a travel agent. You don't have to use them if you don't like them, but you really need to find out the ins and outs of cruising and a TA would be a big help (along with all the great folks on this board, of course).

 

Booking two cabins together means you need help finding two together. Is cost a factor? Inside cabins are cheapest, but won't necessarily have a connecting door between them. Most lines seem to have connecting cabins as balcony cabins. Again, a TA would be a great help finding the cabins on the ship that you want. If there is a disability associated with the medical condition, let it be known since there are larger cabins available for those with mobility limitations.

 

Dining: do you know for sure that your folks don't want to dress up for dinner? It might be a nice treat for them. A black or dark suit will do on formal nights for dad and mom can wear black dress pants with a shiney top or a frilly blouse. I find that people who say they don't want to end up feeling pretty special if they do end up dressing up. They even rent tuxes for about $100 for the week if dad doesn't own one. But, that being said. If they really hate the idea of dressing up for dinner, then there are other sit down, food is brought to you venues that you can go to. Where depend on which ship you choose. Again a TA can help you choose a ship with what you want. (No, I am not a TA- I just recognize when it is helpful to have one. After your first cruise you will know what to look for better on your own).

 

Dining times: You need to choose early (around 6) or late (8:30). If you choose not to go to the dining room, you can eat when you want. At some of the "pay for" alternate restaurants on some ships, you will need to make reservations (and usually pay extra for that meal).

 

As others have said, breakfast and lunch are your choice of buffet or sit down.

 

Good luck deciding! Once you cruise once, you will cruise again, so be prepared to become addicted!

[hajekfam]

I had answered a question about the Galaxy, but it actually explained dining venues and which are free (included in your cruise price) and which have an additional charge.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=13701171#post13701171

[Cruisenouvelle]

Hi Calgarycowtown -

 

I can't give you any practical advice, but I will suggest....

 

Don't stress this early :D ! There are lots of choices and options if you choose Celebrity. The advice to contact a travel agent is good - they can assist w/ the adjoining cabins, for certain. You may go with another cruise line, but you have to find the one that fits your needs, budget and itinerary - and not try to please every around you.

Note - don't ever apologize for your 'dumbness' - you're not dumb! You're smart to get help from the posters on this board rather than make a misstep on the cruise. Every one of us has been exactly where you are right now.

Hope you all have a wonderful cruise! :)

[JanineM]

oh boy..

so if we want casual (don't worry - won't be shorts or jeans) but maybe Walmart clothing in terms of most formal it will be for our parents, we likely will be in the non-dining room for the non casual nights? and they will choose from pizza? and so i am clear -- the meals are never buffet?

sorry for the dumbness.

 

The only buffet choice for DINNER is pasta/salad/pizza. Unless something has changed, the buffet area closes after "tea" & snacks late in the afternoon (and tea and snacks are pretty substantial - we have been tempted to skip dinner after having sandwiches, salad, nachos and sweets at 4 pm).

 

The other option - the casual dining area which is set up in the buffet area - is sit down, served meal. The casual area for dinner is actually very nice - white tablecloths, excellent service - we plan to eat there on at least a few nights of our upcoming cruise.

 

You do have the choice of buffet or sit-down for breakfast or lunch.

 

As someone else mentioned, if the ship, itinerary, cabins and price are right for you, then don't stress too much about this. There are options available for the formal and informal nights so you don't have to dress up. You absolutely will not go hungry!!!

[crazybus]

oh boy..

so if we want casual (don't worry - won't be shorts or jeans) but maybe Walmart clothing in terms of most formal it will be for our parents, we likely will be in the non-dining room for the non casual nights? and they will choose from pizza? and so i am clear -- the meals are never buffet?

sorry for the dumbness.

 

Don't worry too much. Celebrity has changed their informal dress code, it is now like a smart casual. So as long as you don't wear jeans, shorts, capris, t-shirts or anything like that you will only miss out on formal nights. I'm afraid that if you are not dressed on formal night you will feel very out of place. Don't fret, just go and you will have a great time! Who knows maybe your Dad will have such a great time he will go and buy a tux for his next cruise!:D

[Lsimon]

Calgarycowtown: Maybe it will help if I put this in a different way:

 

Celebrity has a special dining area set aside for casual dining every night where you do not have to wear formal or informal clothes.

It is in a different spot than the main dining room but has waiters that serve you at your table.

The menu is different from the dining room - here is a sample menu on Celebrity's web site for the casual dining:

Click here--> http://www.celebritycruises.com/whyceleb/SingleInclude.do?pagename=casual_dining_menu

 

If you look at the menu on the link above you'll see it includes items such as soups, salad, fish, beef, chicken and other items. This Casual dining area is in the same area used for the lunch buffet.

 

In addition - there are a few small areas of the buffet which remain open through dinner for self service (no waiters) including the pizza and pasta station. There is another page on Celebrity's web site which explains all this - here is a link:

Click here --> http://www.celebritycruises.com/whyceleb/heroSingleTxtSub.do;jsessionid=0000b51FFGDqeS3bdbyQKLZCh1e:12hdbcveb?pagename=casual_dining

 

I hope this helps.

[calgarycowtown]

thanks to all for help - especially the don't sweat it stuff and creating stress.

 

perhaps i will just get my nice slacks on and sit all day at the Cova® Café di Milano

and drink liquers and eat chocolate??

[SusieV]

Don't worry too much. Celebrity has changed their informal dress code, it is now like a smart casual. So as long as you don't wear jeans, shorts, capris, t-shirts or anything like that you will only miss out on formal nights. I'm afraid that if you are not dressed on formal night you will feel very out of place. Don't fret, just go and you will have a great time! Who knows maybe your Dad will have such a great time he will go and buy a tux for his next cruise!:D

 

Since when? We got off Constellation on February 8th, and our dailies still read jacket required for men on informal evenings, and there was a note underneath requesting that jackets not be removed during dinner in keeping with the ambiance of the evening.

 

We estimated that well over 80% were in compliance. My husband thinks over 90%.

[greatam]

I just can't figure out why people book X, then don't want to participate in the X experience. Part of the experience is the FORMAL, traditional dining experience and the luxurious ambiance that goes with that formal, traditional shipwide feel.

 

Lots of other cruise lines do not MARKET the formal traditional experience. Why would you pick X who does???? A total mystery to me!!!