It's Official... Celebrity is rolling out Open Seating on all ships

[dkjretired]

So I guess if you have to make a reservation and there are none available when you want to eat, then its not really anytime dining is it?

 

Or, if you show up and there is a line and a 30 minute wait, its not really anytime dining either.

 

I like the traditional seatings. I will try the "anytime" dining but will look at alternative cruiselines if its not up to par. The traditional dining is one of the reasons we chose =X=.

 

I agree, I recently did an NCL cruise and waiting for 40 minutes with a beeper is not anytime dining to me. I enjoyed my cruise but there are glitches...

[dkjretired]

Hi,

 

I wonder if this explains why late seating was full when we booked Constellation for 9th May next year about 4 months ago, even though our travel agent confirmed that the ship was less than half full at the time. Seems to suggest they are holding back availability of tables to use for anytime dining when it is implemented fleet wide.

 

Not a good start as it hasn't even been implemented yet but could already be having a negative impact on my cruise experience as we have had to book with early seating.

 

We are wait listed for late seating so will have to see what happens over the next few months.

 

Mark

 

I doubt it has anything to do with not getting late seating since it hasn't even been officially announced and it is not on their website as of yesterday...

[wg6530]

I am a traditionalist myself but have no problems with choice, unless it is going to interfere with the ambience. On my last cruise my MDR table was fairly near the entrance and I certainly would have been upset if people were coming and going all the time while I was dining. As long as there is a separate area not intermingled among the traditional diners then I have no issues. Perhaps traditional diners should be in the back and the select diners could be nearer the entrance.

 

If people trickling in and out would bother you, imagine how it would feel to have a steady exodus of main seating diners followed shortly by a mass influx of late seating diners. And the waitstaff would be carrying food to the select tables while you were trying to enter and leave; sounds inefficient with an increased risk of accidents. So putting the select diners in front and traditional in back probably isn't really the solution. Fortunately, I believe Celebrity will have a better plan. Royal had anytime seated to the left and traditional to the right. It worked fine.

[STLCRUISIN]

I say "To each his own". We don't mind traditional dining although we did get spoiled on our last two Azamara cruises when we went to dinner whenever we wanted. We'll be in Aqua class on Equinox next year on a BTB so we'll be eating in Blu, late seating.

 

I think Anytime Dining is a great alternative and will not interfere with traditional dining at all. It gives cruisers a wider choice and there are certainly many people that would choose the Anytime Dining option.

[CLEMM]

Yes, "trickling" in and out would bother me and I would suggest that if select diners don't want to be disturbed by the mass exodus then they should not choose select. Select is the newcomer which I am all for as long as it doesn't effect the traditionalist. If there can be a separate area, with a separate entrance/exit, away from the tradidtional diners so as there is no cross traffic then that would be terrific. Anthing less would IMHO diminish the experience.

[A Sixth?]

What makes you think I'm afraid of letting you have a choice? All I did was voice my own preference. You must be pretty insecure to take offense of a choice I made for myself that is different than yours - or is having a choice a benefit only you can have? Lighten up, fer crying out loud! I'm not interested in a conflict - why are you?

 

Rick

 

Sorry.

 

it sounded like you wanted to avoid lines that offered open/freestyle dining. So much so you would give up cruising for land vacations.

 

 

Glad to hear we all can coexist with none of us having to trade clean seas for dirt. :D

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

While I prefer traditional dining, I am keeping an open mind. I have no problem with new choices being offered. Isn't choice one of the benefits of Cruising ? The only way I will have a problem with this, is if Celebrity tells me that I cannot have my desired seating, due to less seating being available for traditional. That's the slippery slope which Celebrity is about to embark on. The good news is... I've spoken with several folks at Celebrity about this, and they are working very hard to have a system that will please as many as possible.

 

Only time will tell if this will be a success, but I remain hopeful that additional dining options will ultimately please a larger group of passengers. Stay Tuned !

[hcat]

The way it is described in the OP is concerning. I hope I misunderstood..??

 

We were on Solstice in Jan. & sat alone at a table for 6/8. no one else ever showed up at the table although they were asssigned there. many other tables were the same...seats were assigned & cramped seating, yet tables not full

 

We would have preferred tablemates but I definitely do not want different people being plugged into my table randomly each night if others do not show up & I truly hope this is not what is contemplated.

 

This is what happens at lunch & breakfast in the MDR-- no choice in table, having to wait for the table to be filled for orders to be taken, making new intros & small talk For lunch & breakfast that's Ok, but at dinner I prefer my usual mates every night & well organized service where the waiters learn your preferences very quicky. Would not want the flow & ambiance to be changed... hopefully X will work this out to everyone's satisfaction & i am sure glad it's not on Solstice In Sept!

 

We are signed up for traditional seating on all of our 5 booked cruises & if things turn bad we can always cancel & go land based..

[Herb44]

I'm going to be back on X for the first time in several years, sailing on teh Equinox "Ancient Empires" on Oct 23. To be honest, the Freestyle of NCL concept is great, but the food was pretty bad.

 

On the other hand, the regimented lifestyle of X scares me. My wife & I dressed for work for 40 years. We're now on vacation. We will not participate in any Formal nights. X has a problem telling us what the options are for those nights. I'm not eager to accept the choices of pizza, pasta, burgers, sushi, or being sent to my room for being a bad boy. We're going on Aqua class and interested in the reaction when I show up in the Blu Restaurant not wearing a tux or suit on formal nights. Perhaps they'll kick me off the ship!

 

I agree with the majority that everyone should have a choice. My exception is to the traditionalists who demand that the only option is their option. Why are they objecting to others enjoying a different, less regimented, cruise lifestyle?

[C-Dragons]

personally i hated it on princess!!! Why should i have to wake up at 7am to try and make a reservation just to be told it wasnt available. buzzers? oh please..i could wait online at FRIDAYS if i wanted a buzzer.

On princess, the souffles were NOT an option on anytime dining FEH

 

Even with anytime dining, we found ourselves eating the same time every night.

*sweet*

 

I really do not understand why you had problems on Princess. We sailed on the Crown Princess and because we booked at the last minute the only option was anytime dining. We went to the MDR after embarcation, spoke to the Maitre' D, and picked not only the dining room we wanted, but also a table for two by the window which we reserved for 7:30pm for the entire cruise. It was perfect! Anyone can do this.

 

We are glad Celebrity is giving us this option and look forward to trying it as we feel that 8:45 is just too late to dine on our upcoming cruise.

[hcat]

I am a traditionalist myself but have no problems with choice, unless it is going to interfere with the ambience. On my last cruise my MDR table was fairly near the entrance and I certainly would have been upset if people were coming and going all the time while I was dining. As long as there is a separate area not intermingled among the traditional diners then I have no issues. Perhaps traditional diners should be in the back and the select diners could be nearer the entrance.

 

I see your point about the "comingling" but hope they do not remove prime seating areas from Traditional seating guests & stick them in the rear of the MDR.

 

On Solstice, the back areas of the MDR are very closed in & stifling with tables literally on top of each other. We had one lunch back there & concluded that location is NEVER going to be an option for us...

 

On other ships, the further back in the MDR you go the bigger the vibration!

[hcat]

I'm going to be back on X for the first time in several years, sailing on teh Equinox "Ancient Empires" on Oct 23. To be honest, the Freestyle of NCL concept is great, but the food was pretty bad.

 

On the other hand, the regimented lifestyle of X scares me. My wife & I dressed for work for 40 years. We're now on vacation. We will not participate in any Formal nights. X has a problem telling us what the options are for those nights. I'm not eager to accept the choices of pizza, pasta, burgers, sushi, or being sent to my room for being a bad boy. We're going on Aqua class and interested in the reaction when I show up in the Blu Restaurant not wearing a tux or suit on formal nights. Perhaps they'll kick me off the ship! QUOTE]

 

From your brief description I do not think Celebrity is going to be right for you...you will have to be properly dreesed for formal night in Blu..(not fair to the other diners if they do let you in) ..

[dkjretired]

I'm going to be back on X for the first time in several years, sailing on teh Equinox "Ancient Empires" on Oct 23. To be honest, the Freestyle of NCL concept is great, but the food was pretty bad.

 

On the other hand, the regimented lifestyle of X scares me. My wife & I dressed for work for 40 years. We're now on vacation. We will not participate in any Formal nights. X has a problem telling us what the options are for those nights. I'm not eager to accept the choices of pizza, pasta, burgers, sushi, or being sent to my room for being a bad boy. We're going on Aqua class and interested in the reaction when I show up in the Blu Restaurant not wearing a tux or suit on formal nights. Perhaps they'll kick me off the ship!

 

I agree with the majority that everyone should have a choice. My exception is to the traditionalists who demand that the only option is their option. Why are they objecting to others enjoying a different, less regimented, cruise lifestyle?

 

There is a very good chance that you will be denied entry into BLu but then the choice is yours not Celebrity's....You chose to disregard the dress code...

[gisnered]

I'm going to be back on X for the first time in several years, sailing on teh Equinox "Ancient Empires" on Oct 23. To be honest, the Freestyle of NCL concept is great, but the food was pretty bad.

 

On the other hand, the regimented lifestyle of X scares me. My wife & I dressed for work for 40 years. We're now on vacation. We will not participate in any Formal nights. (snip)

 

(snip) My exception is to the traditionalists who demand that the only option is their option. Why are they objecting to others enjoying a different, less regimented, cruise lifestyle?

 

I won't book other cruise lines because I don't like the lifestyle they provide. Not to be argumentative - truly - but why are you booked on a cruise with a line that offers a "regimented lifestile" that scares you? I really don't understand.

[lauralou2]

We are booked on Equinox April 19th Transatlantic the only downside for us was no anytime /select dining so we are delighted with the latest news , however I can't for the life of me see why either preference should be denigrated , traditionalists carry on with set times and let the rest of us choose a time , provided Celebrity organise it well it should please everyone :)

[CLEMM]

Having not yet sailed on the Solstice class, can anyone tell me if the MDR would accomodate separate sections for select and traditional? I just really feel that if people are going to be coming and going during my traditional time meal that Celebrity will have lost something that distiguished it from the other mass cruise lines. I have sailed Celebrity exclusively and will be so disappointed if that traditional feel is lost. That includes dining and dress code. If however, the two dining areas can remain separate so as nothing is lost from either, then I am all for it.

[IanB]

Perhaps Celebrity should analyze why people choose to eat in the alternative restaurants instead of the main dining room. Could it be the mediocre food being served? The food for non-meat eaters on the Solstice is very poor. The Murano is far superior as an eating venue.

[lauralou2]

I can see that a problem might arise if the 2 dining styles are inter mingled Princess has seperate dining venues so maybe thats why it works so well dress code etc wasn't affected on Princess everything was the same except the style of dining you choose . I'm sure the posts from September onwards will have plenty of information and give us all the pros and cons :)

[lifevicarious]

You, like most people who do not like traditional seating, just don't get it. To me, traditional seating heightens the dining experience in a way similar to the experience of attending a banquet or wedding reception. It just seems to be a bit more special. There is the anticipation of seating with new friends since sitting with the same people several times gives us a chance to get to know each other. There is the structure of the set time. My wife and I relax on our balcony until the appointed time, get dressed, have a leisurely drink in a nearby lounge, and then enter the dinning room to share the daily adventures with our new friends. Our wait staff becomes our friends too, as they have always seemed to be interested in us, our adventures, and in turn share glimpses into their own lives, both onboard and at home.

 

Maybe the experience brings back many fond memories of sitting down together for dinner as a family each night when we were children, discussing our daily activities. Or maybe some of us like the feeling of doing something as a group instead of only for ourselves. It harkens back to the days when people spent more time with each other than as in today's culture where everyone seems to be solely intent on their own lives.

 

Whatever the reason, I prefer traditional dining and will stay with it. What bothers me about anytime dining isn't the idea of it, but the boors that belittle us for preferring traditional. To each his own, as long as having your preference does not infringe on mine.

 

Rick

 

I think it's rude of you to say people "don't get it" when they simply disagree with you. Many don't want to be regimented to the same time and same people every night. And I very much disagree with calling a banquet or wedding reception a "heightened dining experience" at least from a culinary perspective (how often has anyone ever said banquet or wedding food was superb?). I agree with you it can be nice to dine with the same folks every night provided that you get along. And that is certainly part of the experience but it can also very much detract from it. Aanother huge perk of anytime type dining is you can still dine with the same people every night if you like them and you are not stuck with those you don't like.

 

Never once have I stated that traditional should be done away with completely. However, there have been MANY "traditionalists" who have been aghast at Celebrity offering ANY form of anytime dining (I'm not stating you are one of those) and basically stating that they will no longer sail Celebrity if they do this. They are the boorish ones who as you put are infringing their preference on everyone else (and the same thing can be said for formal nights truth be told). If you want to eat with the same people at the same time every night, that's great. I won't stop you. But your statement that others are 'boorish' after your post below seems a bit ironic.

 

Wow, imagine that. I can eat anytime I want. Now I can be thousands of miles from home after spending thousands of $$$$ and still live my life like I never left home. Amazing!

[Cruising Bill]

We cruised on HAL last year, which has a setup so that the lower level Main Dining Room is As You Wish (or whatever they call it), while the upper level Main Dining Room is traditional early and late seating. This seemed to work well for us--we were on the upper level but next to the rail, so got to see the people downstairs being seated at various times. This seems to keep the distraction and disruption to the traditional dining to a minimum.

[TMaine]

Anytime dining is offered on most other cruiselines, if thats your style thats fine, you have choices. Celebrity was one of the last holdouts for a traditional cruise experience. There has obviously been some sort of business decision made to attract more customers which has led to offering anytime dining. My fear is the next thing will be climbing walls, wave pools and ultimately just another Carnival at sea.

[BKFlowerMound]

In the past year, we have cruised on Celebrity, Princess, and HAL. Overall, our preference was for Celebrity. On both Princess and HAL, we were forced into Anytime Dining or As You Wish Dining as Traditional Dining was not available when we booked. Despite this (and surprising us), we liked it on both of them.

 

On both HAL and Princess there were issues with people who wanted reservations at particular times. Essentially, reservations were difficult to come by at times other than the traditional dining times (e.g., before 6 ish and just after 8 ish). If you wanted 7, there wasn't anything available. Our solution, if we wanted to dine at 7 was to just walk up at 7 without a reservation. We never once waited on HAL (and often there was a line for the people with reservations to get seated). On Princess we waited once for about 10 minutes. We actually got to know Waiters on both cruises and requested to be seated in their sections. It worked.

 

I'm not sure that I would like Celebrity's program if it did not give the freedom to just walk up or if it forced you into Open Seating.

[agabbymama]

I'm going to be back on X for the first time in several years, sailing on teh Equinox "Ancient Empires" on Oct 23. To be honest, the Freestyle of NCL concept is great, but the food was pretty bad.

 

On the other hand, the regimented lifestyle of X scares me. My wife & I dressed for work for 40 years. We're now on vacation. We will not participate in any Formal nights. X has a problem telling us what the options are for those nights. I'm not eager to accept the choices of pizza, pasta, burgers, sushi, or being sent to my room for being a bad boy. We're going on Aqua class and interested in the reaction when I show up in the Blu Restaurant not wearing a tux or suit on formal nights. Perhaps they'll kick me off the ship!

 

I agree with the majority that everyone should have a choice. My exception is to the traditionalists who demand that the only option is their option. Why are they objecting to others enjoying a different, less regimented, cruise lifestyle?

 

I'm not objecting to your different, less regimented, cruise lifestyle. But why choose Celebrity in the first place if that's what you want. Go to NCL, RCCL, Oceana, Azimura or Carnival. There are plenty of cruiselines out there that offer exactly what you want. Leave Celebrity and HAL to those of us that do like the traditional/set dining times and dress to the nines to enjoy that dining experience?

[Gracie115]

FOR ALL those that are concerned about missing the "traditional" dining experience, I can only say, "DON'T BE." We did MTD on Jewel for 10 nights last fall and had same wait staff, same table all but one night. We DID NOT have to make reservations every night, we DID arrive every night between 7 & 7:30PM, we NEVER waited for a table. Our wait staff was among the best, if not THE BEST we've ever had on either an X or Royal ship. The dining experience was very much enhanced by having this option. We always chose early seating before, which was TOO EARLY and late seating is far too late, this was great option. There was no disturbance of traditional diners as the MTD section was on one side of dining room on 2nd floor. It ran so smoothly we were amazed. I can not help but believe that X will do it even better. They have the luck of having learned from Royal what bumps/blips there may have been when it was implemented on Royal and have had time to fix those blips.

 

This is a wonderful new addition to X, all traditional diners should be happy and those of us who like the freedom of choice in dining can be happy too.

 

Don't understand those that seem to think it's just terrible that this option is going to be available.

 

I am booked on Solstice in January and all I want to know is will this option be open to those of us booked in Aqua Class for the "BLU" dining room....anyone have an answer?

[Denny01]

....My fear is the next thing will be climbing walls, wave pools and ultimately just another Carnival at sea.

 

I think the only Slippery Slope concept we that enjoy Traditional (and those that enjoy flex dining but want others to enjoy their choice) should be concerned about is if it goes the way of Princess with a limited seating for Traditional where we can't get it if we want it. Or those that want Flex dining can't get it. If 'X' sets it up where they have enough seating areas once they know pretty much the numbers, then I have no concerns and look forward to the concept. A few who sign very close to the cruise date might not get what they want but that is the risk they take. Our concerns should be about the dining concept, not changes that have nothing to do with it.

As to 'X' becoming Carnival because of this change, this change also makes it more in line with Oceania, Azamara and other more luxury lines so we could all bemoan the high costs that 'X' will charge because it moves into that market.

In so many areas of life, we get very upset at any change and argue against it because we think the extreme will be implemented

 

Denny