"Anytime" Dining on Celebrity ??
- Thread starter BSeabob
- Start date
Mbandy
Staff Captain
We have done it twice but not completely by choice. We booked last minute on Princess and traditional was full so personal choice was our only choice. On NCL freestyle was our only choice but we knew that going in.
It was ok, I guess. We missed having the same wait staff every night and the interaction with our table mates.
It was ok, I guess. We missed having the same wait staff every night and the interaction with our table mates.
I'm going on my first cruise next summer with Celebrity, and don't really know how a lot of it works - please excuse dumb questions.
It seems like you have to pay extra for everything on their ships - my husband seems to think you pay for anytime seating too, is that right?
We are travelling with extended family and the in laws would like us to eat with them - but that will mean early seating to suit the little kids and 6 is just TOO early for me to have dinner every night (particularly shore days!)
Also, would we be able to do anytime seating on shore days, and eat with the family as set seating times on other days? As I said, I'm a newbie =/
It seems like you have to pay extra for everything on their ships - my husband seems to think you pay for anytime seating too, is that right?
We are travelling with extended family and the in laws would like us to eat with them - but that will mean early seating to suit the little kids and 6 is just TOO early for me to have dinner every night (particularly shore days!)
Also, would we be able to do anytime seating on shore days, and eat with the family as set seating times on other days? As I said, I'm a newbie =/
Mbandy
Staff Captain
No such thing as a dumb question here at Cruise @ddicts. Welcome Aboard :spyglass:
You don't pay "extra" for anytime dining on Celebrity. What your husband is probably referring to is that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity require you to prepay your gratuities if you choose anytime dining so you'd only be paying "extra" if you didn't plan to tip. Also, you don't really pay for "extras" on Celebrity any more than any other cruise line.
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Thanks for that. If we pick any time, does that then mean we can't eat with the family if they want a set seating time?
I should also clarify - this is my first cruise of any kind. It happens to be on Celebrity. I wasn't implying that they have more "extras" than anyone else - for a perenniel backpacker-style traveller, they all seem pretty expensive! (I can't help thinking the the cost of my 2 days of shore excursions in St Petersburg, I could easily fund at least a week of normal travel with my husband).
I should also clarify - this is my first cruise of any kind. It happens to be on Celebrity. I wasn't implying that they have more "extras" than anyone else - for a perenniel backpacker-style traveller, they all seem pretty expensive! (I can't help thinking the the cost of my 2 days of shore excursions in St Petersburg, I could easily fund at least a week of normal travel with my husband).
Roselet Welcome aboard here ...
When you book "Anytime" that's the area in which you will eat and that will be different that those on first seating. So yes you are correct about eating together on a Set time.
That being said. Lots of options are available to you and your group including Specialty dining that includes extra costs.
Another option is : Casual
Described as follows:
International Marketplace Dining
You asked for more variety in the evening and here it is. In line with our globally influenced blend of classic and contemporary cuisines, Chef Jacques Van Staden presents the International Marketplace, with favorite flavors from around the world. Includes:
• Made-to-order Pasta Station with assorted baked pastas, breads, salad bar and condiments • Two made-to-order Stir-Fry Stations • An authentic made-to-order Curry Station with all the extras such as Raitha, Papadums and Paratha • Appetizer and Entrée Station including antipasti, cheeses & cold meats; Carving Station; Grilled pork chops, New York steak, chicken breast & fish; two types of fresh vegetables; a Loaded Baked Potato Station; and selection of gourmet sauces including béarnaise and traditional gravies. • Two, fresh made-to-order Sushi Stations • Made-to-order Pizza Station-open until 12:30 AM-featuring antipasti and fresh garlic bread • Dessert Stations with a nightly rotating selection of desserts, one of which is sugar-free
It's a buffet as supper I guess is the best description and that might look after you on several nights coming back after Tours etc. and you could eat with the others at fixed times on nights you wanted to join them as long as you booked with them at a fixed time before cruising.
There is an ebb and flow to dining on all cruises and on longer cruises getting to feel that after a few days your dining staff may be able to adjust certain things to help you all out .
So I might suggest fix your time early with all your family and then adjust your specific times to tours by eating casual or splurging with a Specialty restaurant for a time or two. The extra cost for the Specialty restaurants are just a fee charges to cover the upgrade & includes the "TIP" for staff there.
as someone said there are no questions that are out of order here. We will try to help.
Ask away if something doesn't make sense to you.
When you book "Anytime" that's the area in which you will eat and that will be different that those on first seating. So yes you are correct about eating together on a Set time.
That being said. Lots of options are available to you and your group including Specialty dining that includes extra costs.
Another option is : Casual
Described as follows:
International Marketplace Dining
You asked for more variety in the evening and here it is. In line with our globally influenced blend of classic and contemporary cuisines, Chef Jacques Van Staden presents the International Marketplace, with favorite flavors from around the world. Includes:
• Made-to-order Pasta Station with assorted baked pastas, breads, salad bar and condiments • Two made-to-order Stir-Fry Stations • An authentic made-to-order Curry Station with all the extras such as Raitha, Papadums and Paratha • Appetizer and Entrée Station including antipasti, cheeses & cold meats; Carving Station; Grilled pork chops, New York steak, chicken breast & fish; two types of fresh vegetables; a Loaded Baked Potato Station; and selection of gourmet sauces including béarnaise and traditional gravies. • Two, fresh made-to-order Sushi Stations • Made-to-order Pizza Station-open until 12:30 AM-featuring antipasti and fresh garlic bread • Dessert Stations with a nightly rotating selection of desserts, one of which is sugar-free
It's a buffet as supper I guess is the best description and that might look after you on several nights coming back after Tours etc. and you could eat with the others at fixed times on nights you wanted to join them as long as you booked with them at a fixed time before cruising.
There is an ebb and flow to dining on all cruises and on longer cruises getting to feel that after a few days your dining staff may be able to adjust certain things to help you all out .
So I might suggest fix your time early with all your family and then adjust your specific times to tours by eating casual or splurging with a Specialty restaurant for a time or two. The extra cost for the Specialty restaurants are just a fee charges to cover the upgrade & includes the "TIP" for staff there.
as someone said there are no questions that are out of order here. We will try to help.
Ask away if something doesn't make sense to you.
Einstein
Staff Captain
With our Equinox Group they were VERY easy going and basically we had a Table for 8 the entire cruise with the same wait staff. ALL we had to do was show up somewhere between 6:45 - 7:00 PM each night and walk right in. :boogie: We will definitely do it again on our next venture on X. :doubleup:
Parrot Mom
Bosun (Boatswain)
In October on the Equinox we did ANYTIME DINING and I did not like it, would have preferred to sit at the same table with the same wait staff every night.. If you have a large group you can request sitting at approx. the same time with possibly the same staff.
kansastimm
New Member
We did anytime dining last cruise on the Century. Loved the flexibility to look at the schedule and decide when we wanted to eat. We did our reservation daily after looking at the daily events. We had the same waiter 3 nights and a different one the other 2 nights. I think that our service was just as good as when we had traditional dining. It was fun setting by different people most nights and getting to know them a little bit. Seemed like that made for a lot of familiar faces for the rest of the cruise.
You do have to prepay the gratuities but we usually do that anyway. We also went ahead and gave additional tips to the waiter we had for three nights as he did an incredible job.
You do have to prepay the gratuities but we usually do that anyway. We also went ahead and gave additional tips to the waiter we had for three nights as he did an incredible job.
leonrdofan
Youth Counselor
You can't go back and forth between anytime dining and fixed seating. But anytime means just that--you can eat
early with the midgets when you feel like it and eat later when you want a more adult dinner. Just have everybody
reserve any time dining.I can't think of any reason why everybody would have to eat together every night
early with the midgets when you feel like it and eat later when you want a more adult dinner. Just have everybody
reserve any time dining.I can't think of any reason why everybody would have to eat together every night
