Jacqueet

Ship's time will change with time zones. The TV always has ship's time displayed and you will get a notice in your daily mail.

I agree with Real NHDOC, it was good but not great, probably won’t do it again, but glad we tried it. The one-night event did sell out before embarkation, but we were able to get in after talking to the hostess one afternoon.

@Iamthesea My TA called and got it straightened out and we have the cabin I wanted. The original HAL agent was wrong, as so many here have said.

I appreciate everyone's help!

26 minutes ago, LordSpain said:

OP here.  I asked my TA to check with HAL periodically in case the cabanas became available.  About three weeks ago she informed me that they were now taking reservations for the cabanas, so I booked one for the entirety of the cruise. This particular trip starts as a regular Alaska cruise then continues west to Japan and Hawaii.

 

Unfortunately HAL just raised the prices of their cabanas.  If anyone is interested in the 2023/2014 fleetwide cabana pricing, let me know and I can post them here.

I would be interested in the pricing, as we are sailing on the Westerdam in April.

33 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Anytime dining aka open seating - not Fixed dining.

Ah! I've seen it called "As You Wish" dining on the HAL site. Thanks!

13 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

I always ask my travel agent to book MDR times before we leave home (most often at time of booking the cruise). Usually My Time. I do not book tables for two as we want to meet new people. We try for a total of 6 or 8 people, tops. On our recent RCL transatlantic, we had met up with another couple precruise so dined with them most nights. Although we had booked My Time, it was the same time (6:45) every night at the same table with the same servers. Of the fifteen nights, we ate there twelve times.

 

On our Rotterdam cruise, we were traveling with cousins but had My Time dining at a table for 6 so two others joined us. Same table and servers every night we ate in the MDR. Four nights of eleven  we ate in specialty spots.

What is “My Time”? That’s a term I haven’t heard before.

25 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

That doesn't sound right at all. At the time you buy CO, there isn't an upgrade offer - you select the actual cabin you want. HAL can still send upgrade offers later, but that has nothing to do with CO.

23 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

That HAL rep, or your TA was misinformed.  I had trouble when going through my TA the first time I purchased CO (after the cruise had already been booked.)  For my latest booking, I made sure that CO and the new room were booked at the time that I made the deposit.  Sounds like the HAL rep is thinking  "upsell offers" instead of the CO upgrade.

Thank you both. I have reached out to my TA and asked her to call HAL and request our preferred cabin.

We have never bought the CO package but decided to try it for a fall '24 Mexico cruise. When our TA called HAL to add it, she was told they would send us an upgrade offer and that the upgrade couldn't be awarded right then. Yet I am reading here that that may not be true...does anyone know and can offer any advice?

14 minutes ago, Shippy said:

Yes, just cruises. I cannot name them because years ago i did that.

I got a reprimand from cruise critic that if I did that again, I would be banned    :O(

 

I understand. 😉

25 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

That's pretty interesting. I guess you'd have to call HAL to find out, but I think I'd trust the HAL site. I've seen the opposite, when an agency (not Co) didn't show cabins that were available on the HAL page.

I sort of assume that HAL or any other line would hold some inventory aside, so your experience doesn't surprise me.

3 hours ago, S&B said:

When I want to see cabins available I use the website that the large store sells the 1.50 cent hot dogs and the pizza that we love.  You do not need a membership to go online and look at their travel section.  Don't know how to explain it more.  Begins with a "C".  I go there a lot to check out cabins even though I know that it might not be completely accurate.

Yes, I did that but found their availability was different than HAL's. As an example, the HAL site showed zero availability of aft verandah cabins, but the "C" store' site showed they were all available. I wonder if the "C" store had just bought all the aft verandah cabins. 🤷‍♀️

18 hours ago, Shippy said:

I use a large internet agency

 I go to the exact cruise I want to take

I put in the cat. cabin I want & hit continue

It will show me ALL the cabins available in that category.

 I ALWAYS do that before I book.

Just google...large internet travel agencys

I am sure that it will work within the first few names that pop up

 

Not having a lot of luck...is your TA a cruise specific agency? 

15 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

I would suggest that you try the websites from some of the large online TAs.  For example, I use a TA that also sells toilet paper.  When you use that site, after you select a category (inside, ocean view, balcony, suite) you can see all of the available rooms within that category on each floor.  After two or 3 clicks on the back button, you can switch category and then see all of those available cabins in the new category.

I decided to try this with an itinerary we've already booked, and it does work, BUT that TA's site show very different availability than the HAL site. For example, the cabin I am interested in shows unavailable on the TA site, but available on the HAL site and the HAL site shows no aft verandahs available, whereas the TA site shows them ALL available. As someone else said, availability seems to be a State Secret!

27 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

The easiest way is to use the list of pages just below the blue bar at the top of the page. For example, after you have chose the deck, seeing the available rooms, there will be a list at the top;

Itinerary/Guests & Rooms/Fare/Location/Section/Deck

Click on whichever page you want to return to, such as "section" or "deck". This is an easy way.

Easier, yes, but I still wish there were a way to see room availability without going through half the reservation process. 😊

39 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

You can use the back arrow to check other categories but it is a cumbersome process.

Exactly. Very cumbersome.

I'm wondering if there is any way to see what staterooms are available on a specific cruise without going through the process of partially booking the cruise? I'd like to be able to see what's open before choosing a specific itinerary. All I have been able to figure out so far is to use an incognito page, find the cruise, start the booking process, get to the page where you can choose your cabin, and see the availability for the category chosen. Then I have to start all over again if I want to see another cabin category. Is there an easier way?

Just booked! July 2025 Zuiderdam - 19-Jul-25 - 35 day Voyage of the Vikings

20 hours ago, shadow 123 said:

How did you download the MDR for your particular ship? I'd like to do that as well. Thank you

Halfacts.com has them for most ships.

16 hours ago, foodsvcmgr said:

As Dutchman has experienced, sometimes the table configurations change from sailing to sailing.

That’s why I tend to request a general location, i.e “a two top along the railing” as opposed to a specific number.

Great idea!

21 hours ago, NorbertsNiece said:

Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter, from Amazon. Struggling with linking

 

 

We have two of these and LOVE them for international travel!

12 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

The first night when we were seated. But I should add that we were in a Neptune suite, so automatically Club Orange, and the Noordam doesn't have a separate room for CO, we were in the MDR, so that might be the reason. But no harm in asking.

Ah, you're likely correct. We have a Sig. Suite on the Westerdam in April. I think I'll have my TA see what she can do. Thanks!

3 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

We were given the same table when we requested it in the MDR.

When did you request it? At booking or onboard?

6 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

I haven't.  I have though been asked, when booking cruises onboard, if we prefer a certain table in the MDR so I assume from that comment that it is possible.

 

I am hoping others will comment that it is as we have discussed possibly availing of fixed dining on any future cruises.

I've never been asked but that's good to know! Thanks.

1 minute ago, CruiserBruce said:

Assuming its probably a window table? They get dozens of those requests...almost everyone wants to sit by a window.

 

After 27 cruises, a window seat is usually not our goal. We usually seek tables for 2 where we can people watch well.

No,  not necessarily window tables. Just tables for two that aren't next to a service station. 🙂 

Has anyone tried to reserve a specific MDR table when initially booking? Is that a request that can even be made? Or do we have to wait until we get onboard to get our assigned table? I downloaded the MDR layouts for our next three cruises and know exactly where I'd prefer to be seated. 🙂