Survey: Open or fixed dining /early or late seating

[Bobblsc]

We have been on about 12 cruises. The first was on the old Renaissance, with two good friends. This was open seating and was fine with our friends. Then until the last cruise, a Noordam TA, all our dining was fixed. We preferred tables for 6, but often were assigned 8. We enjoyed most of our table-mates each evening. once in a while there would be a couple we would not have ourselves selected, but always there were others we enjoyed at the table. Once there was an officious, all knowing lawyer whom the rest of us "worked on" and that couple never came back. ( I never took a vote about my compatibility. :D )

 

Our last cruise, Noordam, we were assigned anytime dinner. It was OK, but we never got to really know anyone at the tables.

 

We do want early diner, if it is not too early. We eat at home at 7:00 pm, so anything before 6:00 pm is very early. I think our early seatings have been typically 6:15 to 6:30 pm. I am afraid our early assignment on our next cruise, a Noordam TA, is 5:45 pm, too early.

So we are now stuck between a rock and a hard place for this next cruise. Because of music available in the Explorer's Lounge before dinner, I suspect we will have to change to anytime dining.

 

Does this answer you survey? :D;)

 

Bob :cool:

[erewhon]

Early fixed dinner for us.

[twodogmom]

I travel solo, I want early fixed table for 6. A table for 8 takes to long.

[kelmac]

Early Fixed -- we've taken a break from HAL because we have been forced out of fixed seating the last two cruises (couple of other issues as well). I think Holland America made a huge mistake by converting 65% of the dining room to open seating.

 

I'm looking at a holiday cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam, but concerned about the open seating issue.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[SmokinActuary]

Open Seating for me because I have found the early seating too early (especially now at 5:45 PM) and late seating too late.

[K&RCurt]

Late fixed. We always request a table for 6 or 8.

 

We have a routine on a cruise - between 6:45 and 7:00 we head down to the Ocean Bar, sit and enjoy a drink and people watch. This ets us in the proper mood to enjoy dinner.

 

The only problems we have encountered with this is when tablemates take a LONG time to finish course and we end up late or missing a show we wanted to see. It has been more than made up for by the interesting people we have gotten to know and the great times we have shared over a fine meal.

[Willsot]

Always assigned (fixed) main (late) seating.

[kyriecat]

I used to enjoy late fixed seating at a large table. I generally enjoy having the same table, same waitstaff, and same tablemates each night. I've tried open seating at large tables but did not care for it. Introducing myself and running through the standard opening questions every night gets old.

 

On my last couple of cruises, fixed seating has not worked out very well. There are just too many other dining options so people don't spend much time in the dining room anymore. On my cruise in April, we had fixed late seating at a table for 8. We sat with a couple from Canada, a couple from Miami, and the sister of the Miami wife. Out of 10 nights, the only night we all showed up was the first one. Hubby and I tried an alternate restaurant one night and another we ate in Aruba since we were docked late. Three nights Hubby and I were by ourselves at the table because the others decided to eat somewhere else.

 

I am thinking that I should try open seating and request a table for 2. It will take some of the pleasure of meeting people away, but I won't have to wonder whether or nor my tablemates will show up.

[DeepWaterMariner]

On my last couple of cruises, fixed seating has not worked out very well. There are just too many other dining options so people don't spend much time in the dining room anymore. On my cruise in April, we had fixed late seating at a table for 8. We sat with a couple from Canada, a couple from Miami, and the sister of the Miami wife. Out of 10 nights, the only night we all showed up was the first one.

 

This is one of the primary reasons we prefer open sitting. We have had similar problems on several cruise lines and about the only way we can assure that we sit at a full table is at open sitting.

[IRL_Joanie]

It depends upon where we are cruising as to when we eat. Caribbean, we prefer late. Alaska, we prefer early.

 

But then again we did AYWD last cruise and ate where and when we wanted and was quite surprised at how much we really enjoyed it:)

 

Joanie

[TWOFERTWO]

All cruises are assigned table and late seating......just our style.:)

[WOWJr1]

Last HAL cruise was Late Fixed but that was just before open seating was introduced. Next one will be open seating.

 

We always did Late Fixed regardless of cruise line until an NCL cruise to Bermuda. That introduced us to open seating and we have not looked back since.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We always take open

[jebhoward3]

Large table 6 - 8 people. Late fixed seating for us. Always enjoy having the same wait staff, same tablemates, and same table.

 

We did have a table for 4 one time when we were waitlisted for fixed seating. I was a little worried that conversation would lag - but they were and are great people and no lag in conversation. We have always been very lucky and have had tablemates that were interesting and everyone got along well.

 

We usually plan ahead when we are going to eat at a different location and let our tablemates know. They in turn have also let us know when they will not be at our table for dinner. Worked great this way.

[Himself]

I do the open seating on the lower level of MDR or sometimes the LIDO.

[cruisinjudy]

We used to be diehard fixed seating, trying both early and late. We now need to dine early, but have fond that open seating is really nice. We have never had to wait and we don't make reservations as you can't really pick your time with reservations. The slow time for people to come in seems to be our best time for dining anyway.

When we take the family we do try for fixed seating as it may be harder to get a table for nine in open.

[kayzmarie]

First choice - early fixed, second choice - open and either way I'd want a table for 6-8 people.

[Jalex63]

We had always sat for dinner at late fixed seating until open seating became available. However, we feel the service in the open seating dining room really lacks the quality it should have and therefore after several cruises utilizing the open seating we are returning on our next cruise to the fixed late seating. Guess this will answer our question as to service having droped noticeably in the open dining rooms.

[earlbird]

Late Fixed. Much more relaxing.

[SeaShoreX2]

Early fixed - and book way ahead to make sure we get it.

 

Have to eat early for medical reasons and like to get to know the

staff - especially on the long cruises.

[sail7seas]

Late fixed. Always.

[sail7seas]

I didn't read through the whole thread but did anyone do a count? Do we know approximately what percentage opts for each category?

 

[Tonklily]

Early fixed. Want to be able to see the shows in the evening.:D

[CruiseRev]

We like the flexibility of Open seating, but the ability to reserve the same table or the same staff if we want. We don't want our dinner time to control our day, port call or sea day.

[JamesEM]

On our last cruise in January we tried open on the Noordam for the frist time, did NOT the system and wound up eating most of meals in the Lido or ordering room service.