Just on the Holland site and wow.

[MikeNKim]

The cabins are so nice.!!!!

Can someone explain to me the dining?? It is assigned seating or freestyle???

Thanks

Kim

[sail7seas]

Hi MikeNKim and Welcome to HAL CC.

Dining on HAL ships is assigned and there are four dining times.

The dining rooms are two level and the four seatings are divided with two seatings for each level.

5:45 P.M. is upper level.
6:15 P.M. is lower level.
8:00 P.M. is upper level.
8:30 P.M. is lower level.

Casual Dining is available every evening in Lido and there is no assigned seating there.

[jhannah]

Dinner seating on Holland America ships is assigned. There are fixed times for early seating and late seating. Times on most ships are staggered. The upper dining room and lower dining room seat 30 minutes apart. But tables are assigned.

An "experiment" is being conducted now only on the Oosterdam where they're attempting to introduce an element of "freestyle" to the experience. Tables are still assigned, but you're given an arrival window of 30 minutes for early seating and an hour for late seating. I didn't care for it. I'd prefer they stick with the fixed dining times.

[MikeNKim]

Thank you for the welcome and thank you all for the info.

Kim

[lougee1043]

An "experiment" is being conducted now only on the Oosterdam where they're attempting to introduce an element of "freestyle" to the experience. Tables are still assigned, but you're given an arrival window of 30 minutes for early seating and an hour for late seating. I didn't care for it. I'd prefer they stick with the fixed dining times.

havent done it yet but will in january on the odam --now that i
"understand" the concept i personally dont think it will be that bad -- sailing with another couple and we have agreed that our seating time will be 5:45 so we will show up at that time just as if its a fixed time