Volendam Menus & Daily Reports Wanted & Needed

[synet165]

:) A plea to anyone who has sailed recently on the 10 Day Volendam partial Panama Canal cruise. We are on the April 1st sailing and never previously sailed on any HAL ship we are extremely anxious to see the menus and daily reports(or whatever they call them).
Having read these blogs for a while we would like to see the menus especially so if we don't like what's on for that day, we can go to the pay restaurant.
We have prefer not to have assigned dining times(we are freestyle people)and have no intention of going to the Lido or eating in the cabin. We will admit that we only chose this cruise because of the port calls, formal nights are not for us, no tuxs or evening gowns but they will not keep us from the dining room.
I make this comment because I have read the blogs with many comments being made if you don't wear formal wear eat in your cabin or the Lido. I may get mail saying that our attitude is wrong. But we paid the same amount of money or maybe more than the rest of the passengers.
Frankly, there are alot more important things going on in the world, people are dying in the war every day,what one wears is not important.
Please if you have menus, please post them.
Thank you
synet165:) :)

[6rugrats]

I don't have the menus or the daily activity sheets. I think I understand your post to say:

1. You have no intention of following the dress code

2. You have no intention of eating in the Lido or in your cabin

3. If you don't like what is being served in the dining room, you want to eat in the "pay restaurant"

Be advised that even if you don't like the regular menu, there are certain choices that you may order every night in the main dining room. I am certain you will find something you like. The menus will be posted in the morning and you can make your decision where to eat. If you are in the main dining room, you can even ask your waitstaff bring you what you want from the Lido. They will do what they can to make you happy.

HAL is a more formal line and you will stick out like the proverbial "sore thumb" if you saunter into any restaurant but the Lido on formal night if you aren't dressed appropriately. Whether or not they would deny you entrance, I have no idea. You do not have to wear a formal gown or a tux; a nice dress for ladies and a suit and tie, or even a sport coat and slacks for men would do. HAL has suggestions what to wear on their webpage and in the packet you will receive.

I agree that this is not a major issue in life, but I feel it's disrespectful, especially when you do have other choices (eat in the Lido, order from the main dining room and have it delivered to your cabin, etc.) to ignore the ship's dress code.

That said, have a great trip.

[Robin7]

Whether or not they would deny you entrance, I have no idea.

They were enforcing the dress code in the Dining Room on the Volendam on our cruise (November 23-December 3). We were seated with a gentleman on a formal night (As You Wish Dining) who'd tried to enter without a coat and tie and was told he had to be dressed appropriately or dine elsewhere. He seemed fairly good natured about it. He said he didn't know it was 'required'.

Loved that itinerary. Wish I could help the OP out with the programs. Was there something in particular you were interested in? Maybe I can remember.

Robin

[dakrewser]

I may get mail saying that our attitude is wrong. But we paid the same amount of money or maybe more than the rest of the passengers.

With an attitude like that I'm not sure I'd even like to be in the same city sas you.

What you pay, what you are worth, has no bearing on whether or not you should follow the rules. You follow the rules because that's what civilization is all about. Wars, which you mentioned, occur because people don't follow the rules of civility.

Do note, by the way, that the Pinnacle Grill (which you refer to as the "pay restaurant") has the same dress code as the dining room.