dining options - question haven't seen

[Ellen Dio]

wow didnt' think I'd start such a tirade. Sorry gang. Just to be clear - I had assumed it would be rude to those sharing a table with us and would have certainly informed them as well as the waiters that we would probably not be making the 8pm fixed seating the next night (as I am figuring this will be on the days we are considering doing full day type excursions in the ports we are in) and if we were more than 5-10 minutes late to just assume we weren't making it (I try to be exactly on time or early for dinner reservations always). What I was wondering was if we did choose the MDR fixed seating option with a late seating, didn't make it one night and showed up and asked to do "open seating" in the MDR would they look at our room number and say "sorry you missed your 8pm seating time you have to go to the Lido" etc. or would they seat us in the Open seating section even if it was 8:45 or 9pm. I was also looking for input on how you all think the rest of the table would feel if it was a table for 6 or 8 if we weren't there 2 nights? Would it annoy some who don't like empty seats at their table etc. Those were my concerns and the basic question but it sounds like I should just make late reservations at Pinnacle or do the Lido when/if this happens.

Also not to fan a flame but as someone who's new to HAL but has cruised before and has read these boards as a lurker quite often - "As you wish Dining" WOULD make me think of what HAL really calls Open Seating (I think) cause being "forced" to choose 6 or 8 when I really would prefer about 7pm and think many people would does not seem to be any PART of an AS YOU WISH but more of a "As CLose to what You wish that We actually offer" which is why I think everyone is so confused. It was just a bad term marketing wise for Hal to chosen. Personally I think of the "fixed dining" as what is convenient for them as it must make things easier to know you'll have 600 people at 6 and 600 at 8 or whatever - than to have them coming in at all odd hours. So THAT being the NORM would make me, and obviously many others, think the AS YOU WISH part was the open seating - as for Lido and specialty restaurants - those options are pretty standard and I didn't even include them in my mind when trying to figureout what Hal meant by As You Wish dining, of course having read it explained like 45 times now I do get it and obviously it does make some sense - but it's very awkward phrasing to wrap your head around - I would think everyone should just assume that newbies (even those who have cruised some and even on Hal) will be confused and not be sarcastic or snarky or anything - if you take the time to answer here you obviously want to help. Tone is very hard in emails and posts - so hopefully everyone realizes we all just mean well. thanks gang.

[Mary Ellen]

Seavoyage - Glad I was able to help.

 

With open seating, you never know about waits. Some have reported no waits. We've seen waits where the elevator lobby is packed back to the stairs - people can't even get off the elevator on the lower level. It is all the luck of the draw as to when other passengers feel like dining.

 

To me - HAL's "As You Wish Dining" is all encompassing. They realize that some want to dine when they wish AND that others wish to have traditional fixed seating. If AYWD was to only apply to open seating - that says that those in fixed seating aren't dining as they wish.

[jtl513]

I believe the term was introduced at the same time as open dining - which is one reason for the confusion. And of course the idea that "as you wish" implies that you dine whenever you want ... more so than "any venue you choose."

I think a lot of TAs are contributing to the confusion by equating AYWD to "anytime", and then extending that to "open".

 

What I was wondering was if we did choose the MDR fixed seating option with a late seating, didn't make it one night and showed up and asked to do "open seating" in the MDR would they look at our room number and say "sorry you missed your 8pm seating time you have to go to the Lido" etc. or would they seat us in the Open seating section even if it was 8:45 or 9pm.

It really isn't fair to those who have Open seating to add to the load and possibly wait time downstairs at a prime time while your table upstairs was unused. However, if you show up at 8:45 or later I doubt that there will be much of a crowd by then, and you will probably be accommodated with a smile. :)

[sapper1]

Exactly!

And they don't take you to task for using the term incorrectly! ;)

That's good customer service.

I agree----it's all in the tone of the reply.

[Nasmas]

We did the AYWD on our last Westerdam cruise and it worked very well for us. 5:45 is too early and 8:15 is just a tad late for us. But, we went anytime we wanted and never had to wait. We usually dined alone except for two or three times. That was fine. We had a great time and enjoyed going when we wanted.

[Oceanwench]

We did the AYWD on our last Westerdam cruise and it worked very well for us. 5:45 is too early and 8:15 is just a tad late for us. But, we went anytime we wanted and never had to wait. We usually dined alone except for two or three times. That was fine. We had a great time and enjoyed going when we wanted.

 

 

See ... confusion about just what AYWD means continues!!!

 

Maybe some think it stands for Anytime You Want Dinner? :confused:

[Mary Ellen]

Maybe the confusion continues because some don't bother to read the thread before posting.

[Boytjie]

What I was wondering was if we did choose the MDR fixed seating option with a late seating, didn't make it one night and showed up and asked to do "open seating" in the MDR would they look at our room number and say "sorry you missed your 8pm seating time you have to go to the Lido" etc. or would they seat us in the Open seating section even if it was 8:45 or 9pm.

 

That could start a bad precedent in that some might abuse the Fixed dining concept by showing up at their appointed time when they feel like it and at other times switching to Open dining - negatively affecting those that have selected Open dining.

[Ellen Dio]

The plan now is to make reservations at the specialty rest for one of the nights we want more hanging out time after we return from port and on the other night we're considering the italian option (sorry can't remember name) or just doing dinner in Lido. Thanks again makes perfect sense that bailing out on our table would be rude. I do think I'm going to put in for the late MDR seating - table for 8 so we won't be missed as much when we aren't there LOL

[serendipity1499]

Maybe the confusion continues because some don't bother to read the thread before posting.

 

Come on, Mary Ellen let it go!.. Agree with Oceanwench! You are continuing to be snarky...It has been confusing for years to many posters... ;)

Betty

[I_r_a]

<Daily Afternoon Tea service, elevated to Royal Dutch High Tea once per cruise.<

 

Does this mean that if I take a 14 day cruise I get only one Dutch Tea, but if I do 2 x 1-week cruises btb that I get 2 Dutch Teas?

 

Ira

[Cruising-along]

Come on, Mary Ellen let it go!.. Agree with Oceanwench! You are continuing to be snarky...It has been confusing for years to many posters... ;)

 

Betty

 

 

Agree. The agenda is quite clear to many of us. Obsession comes to mind...

[travelgenie]

wow didnt' think I'd start such a tirade. Sorry gang. Just to be clear - I had assumed it would be rude to those sharing a table with us and would have certainly informed them as well as the waiters that we would probably not be making the 8pm fixed seating the next night (as I am figuring this will be on the days we are considering doing full day type excursions in the ports we are in) and if we were more than 5-10 minutes late to just assume we weren't making it (I try to be exactly on time or early for dinner reservations always). What I was wondering was if we did choose the MDR fixed seating option with a late seating, didn't make it one night and showed up and asked to do "open seating" in the MDR would they look at our room number and say "sorry you missed your 8pm seating time you have to go to the Lido" etc. or would they seat us in the Open seating section even if it was 8:45 or 9pm. I was also looking for input on how you all think the rest of the table would feel if it was a table for 6 or 8 if we weren't there 2 nights? Would it annoy some who don't like empty seats at their table etc. Those were my concerns and the basic question but it sounds like I should just make late reservations at Pinnacle or do the Lido when/if this happens.

Also not to fan a flame but as someone who's new to HAL but has cruised before and has read these boards as a lurker quite often - "As you wish Dining" WOULD make me think of what HAL really calls Open Seating (I think) cause being "forced" to choose 6 or 8 when I really would prefer about 7pm and think many people would does not seem to be any PART of an AS YOU WISH but more of a "As CLose to what You wish that We actually offer" which is why I think everyone is so confused. It was just a bad term marketing wise for Hal to chosen. Personally I think of the "fixed dining" as what is convenient for them as it must make things easier to know you'll have 600 people at 6 and 600 at 8 or whatever - than to have them coming in at all odd hours. So THAT being the NORM would make me, and obviously many others, think the AS YOU WISH part was the open seating - as for Lido and specialty restaurants - those options are pretty standard and I didn't even include them in my mind when trying to figureout what Hal meant by As You Wish dining, of course having read it explained like 45 times now I do get it and obviously it does make some sense - but it's very awkward phrasing to wrap your head around - I would think everyone should just assume that newbies (even those who have cruised some and even on Hal) will be confused and not be sarcastic or snarky or anything - if you take the time to answer here you obviously want to help. Tone is very hard in emails and posts - so hopefully everyone realizes we all just mean well. thanks gang.

 

 

Isn't it interesting what gets people going on these boards..... Dining on HAL is pretty simple, early or late seating, open seating or whatever they call it, and the alternative, ie., Pinnacle, Canaletto, etc, it's not rocket science. Yes, you have to choose one or the other and I think you can change when you board from fixed seating to open if that is what you want. We are just back from a 17 day cruise, we opted for open seating, did not experience any long waiting times and we average liking to have dinner around 7. I will share an experience that we had 2 years ago. We had been invited to a wedding of a friend of mine's daughter, there was a group of us, we really only knew the immediate family and my friend had arranged a large table for 12. The first night, everyone dined together, after that on a 12 day cruise, my husband and I on occasion, ate alone at a table for 12, the others preferring the Windjammer(RCCL version of Lido) and were joined on occasion by maybe 4 or 5 others. It was a huge oversight by my friend, whom we had never traveled with before and did not know that their dining preference was the Windjammer. Unfortunately for us, there was no other option, other than not going to the MDR which we enjoy, so we made the best of it, even though uncomfortable and even had offers form other tables to squeeze in with them. My point is, if you think that you will not be dining with your assigned table, I think it would be best to let them know as not to keep your other table mates waiting. I would not hesitate again to select open seating, it worked well for us and noticed that longer waits were for guests who were waiting for a table for 2, which are few and far between and then of course you can always reserve in advance.

[Taxguy77]

To me the phrase is pretty clear - You can dine as YOU Wish - be it open seating, or fixed, or casual in the Lido, in your robe in your cabin.... It isn't JUST those who are dining in open seating who are dining as they wish. ;)

 

Or dining as HAL wishes as many of us who wanted fixed and could not get it.

[fridayeyes]

Amen to that!! If I am dining in Open Seating, I am NOT dining as I wish. ;) On at least my last 3 cruises, late fixed has not been available at booking. Two of the three times, we've been able to switch to late, fixed on board.

[serendipity1499]

Her posts are almost always snarky (in my opinion anyways). I enjoy reading and learning from these boards but I admit I want to pull my hair out sometimes so I discovered the "block" option so I can now continue to enjoy these boards!

 

Understand what you are saying, but I can't use the block option, as have found that even those I disagree with, can teach me something..I'm sure, that I too, can get pretty snarky at times..Plus the fact, I'm also quite nosy..;)

Loved the debating team in school & my Friends know, that I enjoy a good debate...Decided in High School that I was going to do one of three things; Become an attorney, become a Vet or marry a rich guy, so I could travel the world..Unfortunately, never became a Lawyer, or a Vet & never married a rich guy...But did find my niche in International Airline field & have no regrets..Not much pay, but plenty of perks..;)

Cheers....Betty

[mexico5]

You are too funny Betty! I also wanted to be a vet or marry someone rich! I married a lawyer and I think that's why I sometime hate all the drama and get tired of debating! I never seem to win an argument with my DH! I can be in another room, driving in my car, etc...and I am sure he is STILL arguing his point!

 

Looking forward to my first HAL cruise!!