Thinking of first time cruise on Holland. Information and Advice please

[NJpassenger]

My husband and I are thinking of cruising with Holland. We have never cruised on this line however have cruised multiple time on Norwejian. We are thinking about the Westerdam in February because we like the Southern Caribbean itinerary. We will be traveling with our elderly parents (mid 80"s but very active and social).

I have a question about the dining options. Are there assigned seatings at assigned times or are we free to alternate dinner hours according to our wishes and schedule? (this was a big plus on Norwejian). If not what are the dining option hours or are we just assigned a time? We are not big buffet fans so would prefer to eat in the main dining room all evenings. Breakfasts and lunches we will gladly use the buffet. Are there any restaurants that require a cover charge or are they all included? Also if we book separately from the parents can we request (how do we request) that we are assigned the same time and table as the parents?

The website gives the impression that they have a somewhat "freestyle" dining option but unclear as to how this works.

Also, can anyone tell me what the general dress code is like in the restaurants on a normal night. And, l realize that they have a few "formal nights". Are tuxedos and gowns pretty much the dress code on formal nights? Would one be out of place in a suit and non-formal dress?

Thanks in advance!

[tcook052]

HAL's "flexible" dining option is called "As You Wish Dining", which has been shortened to AYWD on this forum, and there's a lengthy stickie at the top of the forum discussion its pros and cons and how it works so it might be good to search through it as it's likely to fill in many blanks for you. The set dining times are still available should you want to opt for that instead, though coming from NCL's "Freestyle" I wouldn't think you'd want to get tied down to a set meal time. If you want to browse more here's HAL's outline of AYWD:

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Dining.action


If you reserve both bookings as AYWD you can dine together onboard.

As to the specialty restaurants with a surcharge there is the Pinnacle Grill which is an upscale elegant and more formal restaurant that for $20 per person is well worth the experience. I hope you do book on HAL and would recommend making your Pinnacle Grill reservation well in advance online to secure your date & time as it's popular and some cruisers have waited until they boarded and found the whole cruise completely full.

The dress code on formal nights is a constant topic on this board so there is probably no shortage of threads there but I'll add that no, I don't think you'd feel out of place on a formal night on HAL with a nice suit for the men and nice dress for the ladies. The number of tux's is dwindling while the number of casually attired folks seems to be increasing but MHO is not to get bent out of shape about it and to enjoy your experience without worrying what or what not others are wearing or doing.

I really enjoyed my time on my first HAL cruise in '09 and am really looking forward to my next one on Eurodam in Jan. so hope you take the plunge and give HAL a try and become a convert. I hope the few thoughts helped some but there are many more experienced HAL cruisers who can add their thoughts. :)

[jtl513]

HAL's "flexible" dining option is called "As You Wish Dining", which has been shortened to AYWD on this forum, ...
Did you read the info in the HAL link that you posted? It clearly says:
•Your choice of traditional pre-set seating and dining times or a flexible open schedule
AYWD is NOT synonymous with Open seating. The term As You Wish Dining encompasses all possible forms. You can say that Open seating is called "anytime" dining, but not As You Wish Dining.

[KimberleyFL]

I've been on HAL, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian. My most recent cruise was on Norwegian.

Now days, there is some type of 'anytime dining' or 'open seating' on all the cruise lines. I did this on HAL and Carnival and I really didn't see a difference on Norwegian except they have more fee pay restaurants. You can go to the dining room when you want and ask for a table for just you and your parents or you can request that all of you sit with others.

If you want this type of dining, just specify it when booking yours and your parents cruises.

I find the food is the best on HAL. On my last two cruises with HAL, I found that the dress is a little more formal than the other cruises I've been on. This does not mean tux and formal gown though. That seems mostly a thing of the past for all the cruise lines, although you will see a few. I did however notice that most men were in suits and women were in dresses (any style), pant suits, or dress pants and nice blouse, on formal nights. On other nights, usually the men are wearing docker type pants and a golf (polo) shirt or a button up shirt. Women usually wear capris or pants and a nice top (some wear informal dresses).

There will be a lot of people of your parents age. There will also be some 40s-60s. My husband and I fall into the 45-55 range and we always have a great time on HAL. We love cruising with the older crowd. Most act younger than we do and they always have good stories to tell.

HAL is a much more elegant experience than Norwegian. I'm not knocking Norwegian; their brand is just different. I find the crew on both HAL and Norwegain to be very friendly and efficient.

[excruisestaff]

HAL would be a terrific choice for you and your parents! Although HAL offers both, we personally like the traditional seating, but that's a personal decision. Dress is just like the previous poster said, not as casual as Norwegian, but you don't have to wear tuxes and gowns either (unless that's something you'd like to do). Your travel agent should be able to give you more insight and answers (and maybe some perks!) as well. Good luck and enjoy!
MH

[guestyguestyguesty]

You'll love the Westerdam. The outside elevators are nice, (fast too).

[RuthC]

HAL's "flexible" dining option is called "As You Wish Dining",
Um, no, it isn't. HAL's flexible dining option is called "open seating".

[tcook052]

Apologies for my unintentional misinformation to OP.