Second Seating Waitlist?? already??

[EssexGary]

Hi all, we're booked on the 2nd Jan 09 Solstice cruise. But when I booked, the only option we were given was early sitting (I can never imagine starting to get ready for dinner at 5.30 in the caribbean!:( ).

 

Any tips on how to get second sitting? we are already waitlisted - I just find it hard to believe (and so does my agent) that second is full so soon!

 

Thanks!

Gary

[Moeve]

It is very well possilble because this will be a brand new ship in Jan it will only be out there for a few weeks and yes many X faithfulls booked early and many old hands prefer late seating.

 

By the way booking less than 6 months out is not considered an early booking by todays standards as many book between 12 - 15 months ahead of time.

[Coastaljen]

I agree. This isn't early. I booked in about February for this Christmas cruise. Often I can't get the seating that I want because it is full. Given that this is a popular cruise (new ship) I am not surprised.

 

I booked in February for my July 08 cruise on Princess, and I couldn't get late seating.

[jagoffee]

Could it also be a sign that a large group is booked on this cruise and they have blocked out a lot of tables on the 2nd seating? This happened to us once with a very large French group, but it was a much smaller ship.

[sheeng]

Hi all, we're booked on the 2nd Jan 09 Solstice cruise. But when I booked, the only option we were given was early sitting (I can never imagine starting to get ready for dinner at 5.30 in the caribbean!:( ).

 

Any tips on how to get second sitting? we are already waitlisted - I just find it hard to believe (and so does my agent) that second is full so soon!

 

Thanks!

Gary

 

Gary -- Just curious about your sailing date. There is not a 2nd Jan 09 sailing.

[EssexGary]

Well spotted - I meant 4th Jan - we're flying out to Fort Lauderdale on the 2nd!

 

Wow, this is really dissapointing. I guess it's a good job we booked an AQ cabin - at least we'll be able to eat later in Blu.

 

My first venture off Cunard in 3 years and I'm already hacked-off!

[chessbriar]

Your dining is Blu and not the main restaurant. Blu is a tiny restaurant for just the AQ cabins. Being a smaller restaurant, it doesn't take much for one dining time to fill up. If you want late dining, you could always switch to a lower grade cabin

[Coastaljen]

Make sure if you switch cabins you can actually get the dining time you want.

 

I also took Holland before and booked four months ahead. With that cruiseline, it is tough to get early, and I liked early dining back then. I could not get it because it was full. It is amazing how far ahead people book. I use to always do it about four months out.

[thehighseas]

Your dining is Blu and not the main restaurant. Blu is a tiny restaurant for just the AQ cabins. Being a smaller restaurant, it doesn't take much for one dining time to fill up. If you want late dining, you could always switch to a lower grade cabin

 

 

But if they are advertising Blu as a speciality restaurant, surely it cant have 'timed' sittings? I assumed that my assignment to early sitting was related to the main dining room, even though we have access to Blu - the website says you have access to both.... I'm even more confused now - especially if Blu is timed! there are quite a few AQ cabins left for this sailing, I can't see how - even if Blu has timed sittings, it would be full for late sitting.

 

I did try to see if changing to a lower grade would open up a late sitting option, but it didn't....

 

Gary

[chessbriar]

Blu is the dining venue for the Aqua class.

[Gonzo70]

People in Aqua Class are assigned a table and dining time in Blu, not the main dining room. They do have main and late seating at Blu. Your best bet is to see the Maitre D' of Blu your first afternoon on the ship and ask him/her if it is possible to switch to the early seating. If there are some nights you'd prefer to eat in the Main Dining room instead; you actually would not have a set time there and would have to make a reservation so you could request a later time for those nights.

[hajekfam]

Hi all, we're booked on the 2nd Jan 09 Solstice cruise. But when I booked, the only option we were given was early sitting (I can never imagine starting to get ready for dinner at 5.30 in the caribbean!:( ).

 

Any tips on how to get second sitting? we are already waitlisted - I just find it hard to believe (and so does my agent) that second is full so soon!

 

Thanks!

Gary

 

What do you mean so soon? Bookings for the Solstice from the original inauguara in Dec 08l to April 09 opened up June of last year - I believe on June 21,2007 for Captain's club and then opened to the general public 2 weeks later. So they have been taking bookings for over a year now. If you recently booked this cruise, then you are booking quite late. And if you booked Aqua Class - Blu has only the amount of seating for two seatings of a full capacity amount of Aqua Class passengers so it is very possible that by this time in the bookings the late seating is full.

For anyone else to eat there, it is considered a specialty restaurant and is available on a space available basis only.

When we booked our Solstice and even our Equinox cruise (both when bookings opened for Captain's club) and were asking about Aqua Class, the rep asked us if we were cruising with others as all would have to book Aqua Class in order to eat dinner together as Aqua Class was assigned to Blu not the main dining room.

[dkjretired]

But if they are advertising Blu as a speciality restaurant, surely it cant have 'timed' sittings? I assumed that my assignment to early sitting was related to the main dining room, even though we have access to Blu - the website says you have access to both.... I'm even more confused now - especially if Blu is timed! there are quite a few AQ cabins left for this sailing, I can't see how - even if Blu has timed sittings, it would be full for late sitting.

 

I did try to see if changing to a lower grade would open up a late sitting option, but it didn't....

 

Gary

 

You will have a timed seating in Blu, as stated it is for AQ passengers. If you choose to eat in the main dining room you have to see the Maitre'd to see if there are openings. You can't just pop in and out of the two restaurants.

[Dr. Cocktail]

Hi EssexGary:

 

As I was one of the ones telling you to ditch Cunard, I thought I would weigh in with my two cents worth. As Solstice has three a la carte restaurants available, with the money you saved by booking Celebrity, you could eat in each one of those leaving four nights in Blu or...

 

If you "downgraded" your cabin from AquaClass to ConciergeClass or *gasp* a standard veranda, your savings would pay for an alternative restaurant every night. Also, the increased size of the main dining room would allow a greater chance of your getting the seating and table size you desired. Unlike QM2, all the verandas are generally the same size.

 

On my first Solstice sailing, I will be in ConciergeClass simply because I wanted an aft veranda. For my next sailing, I will be in one of the forward category 2c (the least expensive) verandas which are, in fact, the largest verandas on board! (but that's the subject of another post!)

[sheeng]

Dr Cocktail -- Please post again soon. Looking forward to hearing about these larger 2C balconies and how you came to know about them. Thanks!

[thehighseas]

Thanks everyone - but still no less confused.

 

So you're saying if we were travelling with friends/family who couldn't afford (or didn't want) an AQ cabin - we would have to eat seperately - or sort out the 'situation' with a maitre 'd in the 'hope' we would eat together? or change our preferred cabin choice to fit in with Celebrity rules and process? Surely not.

 

When I called celebrity (UK) she said that AQ have access to both restaurants (ie a table reserved at both). She seemed pretty confident and not like she was making it up.

 

If Blu is a speciality restaurant - it will be the first I have ever heard of, on any cruise ship, that has timed seatings. If other non AQ passengers are going to pay a supplement to eat there (if available) - are you telling me they are going to be told when to eat?

 

Seems like we've opened up a can of worms folks....

 

ps - thanks for your comments Dr Cocktail. I should mention that the reason I am keen to get late dining in the main restaurant is that I LOVE to eat in the main restaurants, with the buzz and excitment and grandeur. I can eat in a regular thai/steak/italian/health place at home anytime..

[thehighseas]

ps Thehighseas is my partners log in... in case anyone was wondering!!

 

Essexgary

[chessbriar]

When I called celebrity (UK) she said that AQ have access to both restaurants (ie a table reserved at both). She seemed pretty confident and not like she was making it up. No, you only have reservations in Blu. If you want to eat in the main restaurant, you will have to contact the matre'd and make arangements. That is what X here in the States is telling us. Since it's their headquarters, we're likely to believe it. It's also the same answer people have reported on the boards.

 

If Blu is a speciality restaurant - it will be the first I have ever heard of, on any cruise ship, that has timed seatings. If other non AQ passengers are going to pay a supplement to eat there (if available) - are you telling me they are going to be told when to eat? Blu is not a specialty restaurant. It's the restaurant for those staying in the AQ cabins. If there are open seats, the people in other class cabins can make arangements to eat there, but they will have to pay for the experience. If you paid for extra to be in AQ, would you really want everyone to be able to come in and get the same experience.

 

Those traveling with others who are not in AQ will have to make arrangements with the matre'd for the ability to dine with friends/family. They will not be able to join you in AQ unless there is an opening and they would have to pay.

[Friscorays]

Thanks everyone - but still no less confused.

 

So you're saying if we were travelling with friends/family who couldn't afford (or didn't want) an AQ cabin - we would have to eat seperately - or sort out the 'situation' with a maitre 'd in the 'hope' we would eat together? or change our preferred cabin choice to fit in with Celebrity rules and process? Surely not.

 

Surely yes I am afraid.

[hajekfam]

Thanks everyone - but still no less confused.

 

So you're saying if we were travelling with friends/family who couldn't afford (or didn't want) an AQ cabin - we would have to eat seperately - or sort out the 'situation' with a maitre 'd in the 'hope' we would eat together? or change our preferred cabin choice to fit in with Celebrity rules and process? Surely not.

 

When I called celebrity (UK) she said that AQ have access to both restaurants (ie a table reserved at both). She seemed pretty confident and not like she was making it up.

 

If Blu is a speciality restaurant - it will be the first I have ever heard of, on any cruise ship, that has timed seatings. If other non AQ passengers are going to pay a supplement to eat there (if available) - are you telling me they are going to be told when to eat?

 

Seems like we've opened up a can of worms folks....

According to what I was told, if we booked Aqua class and were booking with others, all would have to book Aqua Class or all would have to book any other category in order to dine together.

Those in other categories may dine in Aqua Class on a space available basis for a fee - but if Aqua Class cabins are at capacity and all dine in Blu that night, there isn't really any spot to seat others. However, with so many other restaurants and choices, there will more than likely be a few openings at each seating. There are 130 cabins that are Aqua Class and each cabin has a maximum of two people. There was a press release that stated that Blu seats 130.

[bar_20]

People in Aqua Class are assigned a table and dining time in Blu, not the main dining room. They do have main and late seating at Blu. Your best bet is to see the Maitre D' of Blu your first afternoon on the ship and ask him/her if it is possible to switch to the early seating. If there are some nights you'd prefer to eat in the Main Dining room instead; you actually would not have a set time there and would have to make a reservation so you could request a later time for those nights.

 

Gonzo70 is correct! Go see the head Maitre D' as soon as you get on the ship, but he forgot to tell you to have a $50.00 bill in your palm to help convince him that you really want that late seating. He always keeps a few tables open for just that reason.:D

[Dr. Cocktail]

Hi thehighseas and EssexGary:

 

Can I call you SeaEssexGaryhigh for short?;)

 

I think that you are answering your own question - ditch AquaClass!

 

I also enjoy the main dining room for its grand ocean liner setting but enjoy the alternatives, less for their specialized cuisine but more for the ability to "break things up". I (personally, so don't everyone attack me now!) never liked the idea of Blu as I felt that the "exclusive" atmosphere was not what I wanted in a ship and would likely limit my access to a table for two. I don't really care about the Persian Garden and my veranda with a couple of Single Malts is relaxation room enough. If I need mood lighting, my partner will turn the lights on and off in a harmonious sequence and I have body sprays in my shower at home (OK, so my partner turns the garden hose on me!). I have also felt that AC cabins are in less than desirable locations.

 

Book a ConciergeClass cabin if you want some added niceties or book a standard veranda. Again, standard, CC or AC balconies are all the same except for selected 2C verandas that appear to be considerably larger.

( I will start a thread to discuss their location on the weekend)

[EssexGary]

Dr, that's really funny - maybe you could pioneer the DrClass? whiskey and automatic light switches while being sprayed with a soda syphon! totally relaxing....!

 

Seriously, I spoke to Celebrity in the uk AGAIN this morning. She firstly said that the early sitting we were given related to the main dining room, and that Blu was simply a speciality venue that we had free access to. Then she went away - and rechecked - came back and apologised. INDEED BLU HAS TWO SITTINGS - WE ARE NOT ALLOWED WITHOUT PERMISSION TO USE THE MAIN DINING ROOM!!!! we finally got to the bottom of it. Sadly late dining isn't available even in CC for this cruise.

 

She then suggested that I book the cruise the week after in a CC cabin. I could then get late dining.

 

What a pain in the backside. I am now thinking of QM2 3/1. Nobody can say that I didn't try...

 

ps - Dr what is your view of a Moscow Mule made with Ginger Ale rather than ginger beer? :rolleyes:

[Ma Bell]

It's too bad you had all this aggravation because your travel agent didn't know about the product she was selling.

[EssexGary]

Folks, the discussion has been fun - but today I cancelled my booking on Solstice and rebooked Princess Grill on QM2 instead for the Jan 3rd caribbean voyage. I have to say, my venture away from Cunard was stressful and confusing. You guys are probably used to how Celebrity works - for me, I was having to fit in with their rules too much. This cabin goes with this restaurant... you cant eat here if you're in this cabin.... your friends will have to eat in a different place if they haven't booked your cabin grade.... oh and what made it all worse was the potential stress of having to wait 4 months to sort it out with a maitre 'd who would probably end up saying that they couldn't do anything...

 

QM2 obviously has restaurants that fit with cabins.. but it's made clear from the start - I have found this whole experience awful - celebrity are not clear in their information about the AQ grade and what it involves (or doesn't involve) around dining.

 

Sorry to sound bitter - and hey, there's other more important things in life than all this - I know. So thanks for all your help and advice along the way...!!! maybe see you on Equinox in 2009!!

Gary