Booking Assigned Dining

[CMYK_iNK]

Hi folks,

 

I've seen a lot about the As-You-Wish dining, but I'm still not 100% sure how one can go about booking the assigned dining.

 

Please bear with me as I ask these newbie questions for our honeymoon on a Rotterdam cruise this Sept 7 :) (thanks to those of you who have already helped me with the cabin questions in a different thread)

 

1. Is it possible to book assigned dining in advance?

 

2. Which set dining times tend to be the busiest?

 

3. How difficult is it to get a table for 2?

 

4. If it is not possible to book in advance, what's the best way to go about making sure you get your desired dining time once on the ship?

 

5. Due to flight times we will be getting into our embarkation port (Rotterdam) a bit later in the day, so we may not get on the ship until just a couple hours before leaving. Will we miss out on all opportunities to get our desired dining time?

 

6. Now that they've implemented the new system, is assigned dining or as-you-wish dining more popular?

 

Thank you so much for your help and thank you for putting up with me ;)

[Cyclone92]

I think this should have been done when you booked the cruise. At least when my group booked out July 16th cruise, we put in our dining request (6 person table - MDR for us). You can always call your TA or HAL (if you don't have a TA) and double check. If you haven't put in a request, you will definitely want to do that before your cruise, as you will get what is left if you don't. You shouldn't have a problem getting a table for 2, just make sure HAL knows it is a honeymoon cruise.

[CruiserBruce]

Hi folks,

 

I've seen a lot about the As-You-Wish dining, but I'm still not 100% sure how one can go about booking the assigned dining.

 

Please bear with me as I ask these newbie questions for our honeymoon on a Rotterdam cruise this Sept 7 :) (thanks to those of you who have already helped me with the cabin questions in a different thread)

 

1. Is it possible to book assigned dining in advance? When you booked your cruise you should have chosen either fixed or open seating.

 

2. Which set dining times tend to be the busiest? Varies by cruise demographic. Europe might be busier at late seating.

 

3. How difficult is it to get a table for 2? Tough, unless in a suite.

 

4. If it is not possible to book in advance, what's the best way to go about making sure you get your desired dining time once on the ship? No matter what you have set up, you may try to change it by meeting with the Maitre D when you get on board. May or may not be successful

 

5. Due to flight times we will be getting into our embarkation port (Rotterdam) a bit later in the day, so we may not get on the ship until just a couple hours before leaving. Will we miss out on all opportunities to get our desired dining time? Probably. Very risky to arrive so late in a lot of ways.

 

6. Now that they've implemented the new system, is assigned dining or as-you-wish dining more popular? Varies by cruise.

 

Thank you so much for your help and thank you for putting up with me ;)

 

Congrats on your wedding.

 

Look at the Sticky at the top of the page about As You Wish dining.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hi folks,

 

I've seen a lot about the As-You-Wish dining, but I'm still not 100% sure how one can go about booking the assigned dining.

 

Please bear with me as I ask these newbie questions for our honeymoon on a Rotterdam cruise this Sept 7 :) (thanks to those of you who have already helped me with the cabin questions in a different thread)

 

1. Is it possible to book assigned dining in advance? When we book a cruise -- usually months in advance -- our TA requests fixed dining for us. And it is confirmed then.

 

2. Which set dining times tend to be the busiest? There are only 2 fixed dining times -- 5:30 and 8 -- and both fill up quickly

 

3. How difficult is it to get a table for 2? Again our TA requests a table for 2 when we book -- haven't had a problem yet.

 

4. If it is not possible to book in advance, what's the best way to go about making sure you get your desired dining time once on the ship? If you do not get assigned a fixed time -- once on the ship you can see the dining room manager -- usually in the Explorer's Lounge -- and make a request -- even then you may or may not get your wosh.

 

5. Due to flight times we will be getting into our embarkation port (Rotterdam) a bit later in the day, so we may not get on the ship until just a couple hours before leaving. Will we miss out on all opportunities to get our desired dining time? Really think you should fly in a day early -- you are cutting it way too close arriving only a couple of hours before the ship sails. You are suppose to be on the ship 90 minutes before sailing time.

Chances of getting you dining wish are now slimmer.

 

6. Now that they've implemented the new system, is assigned dining or as-you-wish dining more popular? Many of the long time HAL cruisers prefer fixed dining.

 

Thank you so much for your help and thank you for putting up with me ;)

 

Hope everything works out for you.

[CruiserBruce]

KK, you get a table for two because you are always in a Suite.

[K&RCurt]

CMYK Ink;

 

Just follow the advice you have recieved above. A dining time / format had to have been entered for you and it should be listed in the upper middle portion of your Confirmation doccuments from HAL under "Dining". For the cruise I booked yesterday it sates "Confirmed Main Request Table for 8" So yours should say either "Confirmed Early" or "Confirmed Main" if you are assigned fixed seating or "Confirmed Open" if you are assigned to Open seating or "Waitlist X" if you are on the waitlist for any seating option. If what is listed on your confirmation is NOT what you want, call your TA or HAL (whichever you booked your cruise through) and ask for what you want.

 

BTW - With a name like CMYK ink, are you a printer? I ask as I work in Felxible Packaging Printing and always like to know more people in the Printing world!

[CMYK_iNK]

Hi everyone,

 

I called HAL and they told me I am waitlisted for early assigned dining and have been put in open seating. I am really disappointed, especially since it is our honeymoon. They said both early and late assigned dining were full.

 

How likely is it to actually get off the waitlist and get assigned dining?

 

K&R, no unfortunately not in the printing business, just a screen name from way back when :)

[CMYK_iNK]

Any ideas? :)

[kazu]

Hi everyone,

 

I called HAL and they told me I am waitlisted for early assigned dining and have been put in open seating. I am really disappointed, especially since it is our honeymoon. They said both early and late assigned dining were full.

 

How likely is it to actually get off the waitlist and get assigned dining?

 

K&R, no unfortunately not in the printing business, just a screen name from way back when :)

 

You have been waitlisted, right? If someone cancels, you might get there yet. Otherwise, once you are on board, speak to the maitre d' - he/she might be able to do something for you. We'll all hope for you;)

[robertmnch]

CMYK Ink;

 

Just follow the advice you have recieved above. A dining time / format had to have been entered for you and it should be listed in the upper middle portion of your Confirmation doccuments from HAL under "Dining". For the cruise I booked yesterday it sates "Confirmed Main Request Table for 8" So yours should say either "Confirmed Early" or "Confirmed Main" if you are assigned fixed seating or "Confirmed Open" if you are assigned to Open seating or "Waitlist X" if you are on the waitlist for any seating option. If what is listed on your confirmation is NOT what you want, call your TA or HAL (whichever you booked your cruise through) and ask for what you want.

 

BTW - With a name like CMYK ink, are you a printer? I ask as I work in Felxible Packaging Printing and always like to know more people in the Printing world!

 

You mentioned you would appreciate hearing from people with careers in Printing. I graduated from Rochester Tech in 1963 with two degrees: Associate in Applied Science and Bachelor of Science = School of Printing. Worked on Business Week magazine and Billboard magazine.;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

You have been waitlisted, right? If someone cancels, you might get there yet. Otherwise, once you are on board, speak to the maitre d' - he/she might be able to do something for you. We'll all hope for you;)

 

Make sure to tell the maitre d' that it's your honeymoon. When we were on Veendam, we had open seating and wanted fixed early. We were one of the first to get to the maitre d', but he said he couldn't change it on the spot. We had to dine in open seating the first night and after that he would be looking at tables and trying to accommodate requests. Sure enough, we got a note the next day saying we got our fixed early dining. So even though we didn't get an instant change, we did get what we wanted.

 

Maybe your honeymoon status might help you get attention in the table shuffle. Good luck!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sept 7 cruise -- still time for things to happen -- keep having your TA call HAL - frequently - and explain that you will be on your honeymoon - anything can happen.

If by the time you get on the ship -- go and see the dining room manager -- usually located right in the Explorer's Lounge on the Upper Promenade Deck.

[Krazy Kruizers]

KK, you get a table for two because you are always in a Suite.

 

Not all Deluxde Suite passengers get the dining that they want.

On that repositioning cruise that we were all on in 2008 on the Westerdam -- there was a Deluxe Suite couple who were really mad because they ended up in Open Seating and for the first few days they were constantly hounding the coincierges to do something -- which they could not.

[CMYK_iNK]

Fantastic, great ideas... thank you SO much for your responses.