Misunderstandings by new people concerning the various dining options.

[catl331]

So we doing Ak what does that mean

Dining times in AK are shifted 15 minutes earlier.

[spacepotatoes]

Actually, the HAL website uses the term "As You Wish Dining" to refer to the entire spectrum of dining options:

 

Following the third heading there is a list of several other dining options.

 

Wow, I guess they got me too! Thanks for the clarification :)

 

Where??

 

Maybe I'm misremembering but I had thought I had seen something along the lines of what Opinions quoted:

 

Actually even HAL is confused about this...I received a brochure from HAL back in March titled "Value, Dreams On Sale"

 

On page 5 under "Savor" it said:

"Dine As You Wish" or choose a traditional preset seating in the Main Dining Room"

 

That wording certainly makes it sound like AYWD is Open Seating. After reading through this thread, I get that they mean Open Seating or any of other restaurants available but for someone who is completely new to HAL, it can be misleading.

[RuthC]

...for someone who is completely new to HAL, it can be misleading.

Not to mention the cause of much confusion trying to understand exactly what some posters are trying to say on this board. It's long since time that HAL came up with a new term.

[mightycruisequeen]

Yes, there's much discussion about the "confusion" on this board, but the truth of the matter is, if you tell a HAL staff member that you have "As you wish" dining, they not only understand that you mean open seating, but they also won't break a sweat trying to correct you about it.

This is really such a non-issue.:)

[Ray in NH]

That's probably the reason for the title on the note. But think of all the posts from disappointed people who thought they had open seating/anytime dining because it was "As You Wish." Then, they discovered they had an assigned, fixed time.

 

More of HAl's awkward naming. Maybe we should send them a thesaurus??[/quote]

 

 

That would only help "IF" they chose to use it. :confused: :D

Ray in NH

[Moby9]

We are told that to suscribe to the AYWD, just make a reservation for your evening meal at the time YOU would like.

[arlenez]

I just checked my reservation for our Bermuda cruise on the Veendam, and it states "open seating, any table size" and I assume that means it is not traditional, but that we can dine any time we want. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Regards,

Arlene

[Moby9]

Are you able to book your table for the time you would like in the morning?

[Krazy Kruizers]

So we doing Ak what does that mean

 

I see that you are on the Amsterdam -- we just got home a number of days ago from this cruise.

Dinning times were:

Traditional: 5:45 and 8 PM

Open Seating: 5:15 - 9 PM

Canaletto: 5:30 - 9:30 PM

Pinnacle Grill: 5:30 - 9:30 PM

Lido: 5:30 - 8 PM

There was no 15 minute change of time from the Caribbean schedules.

The show times were 8 and 10 PM.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Are you able to book your table for the time you would like in the morning?

 

You can book reservations fro 3 days at a time.

You can book between 8 AM and 4 PM -- there is no guarantee that you will get the table you want -- but many people have lucked out and been granted their wish.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I just checked my reservation for our Bermuda cruise on the Veendam, and it states "open seating, any table size" and I assume that means it is not traditional, but that we can dine any time we want. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Regards,

Arlene

 

That is correct -- open seating -- any table size you want.

You can go to the lower level of the dining room anytime between 5:15 - 9 PM.

[GeriatricNurse]

We are told that to suscribe to the AYWD, just make a reservation for your evening meal at the time YOU would like.

 

 

And, of course, if one chooses to dine in the Lido, (AYWD), one does not need to make a reservation! ;)

[Zyzygy]

I am shamelessly bumping this thread, because it relates to the current thread entitled "overbooking".

 

The numerous accounts of individuals being bumped by groups from confirmed reservations for traditional, reserved dining suggest to me that group bookings can also lead to cabin overselling.

[DutchByAssociation]

When one wishes to have tradional fixed dining and makes this request 7 months ahead of time through their agent, then after boarding ship being denied this request, I would hardly call this AYWD!!

 

Voyages are available for booking usually 16-18 months in advance. While it's great you booked 7 months in advance, if your option wasn't available, unfortunately others "beat you to the punch"

[DutchByAssociation]

Where??

 

Here ya go:

 

As You Wish® dining on all cruises

From a festive five-course affair to a quick, casual dinner for two, our As You Wish® dining lets you choose the venues and style that suit you.

The elegant main Dining Room

 

• Luxurious Dining Room, graced with fine art and antiques
  
• Sophisticated Rosenthal china and crisp white table linens
  
• Five-course menus with offerings from classic preparations regionally inspired cuisine to vegetarian options
  
• Your choice of traditional pre-set seating and dining times or a flexible open schedule
  

 

 

The Pinnacle Grill experience

 

• Intimate dining featuring Sterling Silver Beef® and fresh seafood
  
• Luxurious appointments including Bvlgari® china, Riedel® stemware and Frette® linens
  
• Extensive wine list featuring many selections rated “Excellent” by Wine Spectator
  
• Featuring "An Evening at Le Cirque in the Pinnacle Grill"
  

 

 

Other delightful ways to dine

 

• Fresh, cooked-to-order specialties in the Lido Restaurant for breakfast and lunch
  
• Made-to-order dinner entrees and tableside waiter service in the Lido Restaurant for dinner
  
• Complimentary 24-hour in-room dining
  
• The Terrace Grill on deck
  
• Late-night snack; Chocolate Dessert Extravaganza
  
• Explorations Café featuring pastries and espresso drinks
  
• Daily Afternoon Tea service, elevated to Royal Dutch High Tea once per cruise
  

 

 

A master staff and crew

 

• Enhanced menu design under the direction of Master Chef Rudi Sodamin
  
• Executive chefs inducted into the prestigious Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, an international food and wine society
  

 

 

Signature touches

 

• Ice cream bar featuring complimentary treats
  
• Hot hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour.
  

 

 

Special dietary needs, such as vegetarian, diabetic or gluten-free meals, are easily accommodated with advance requests. Kosher meals and a Health Conscious Dining option are also available. To arrange special meals, please contact the Ship Services Department at 800-541-1576 at least 90 days prior to departure. As You Wish® dining is currently available on each of our ships on all cruises.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Voyages are available for booking usually 16-18 months in advance. While it's great you booked 7 months in advance, if your option wasn't available, unfortunately others "beat you to the punch"

 

Sorry, DBA, but I have to question this. I think the system defaults to open seating, and you have to go back and beg/whine/kick/scream to get assigned dining. We booked our Veendam cruise last year very quickly after it became available. We were given open seating and were told fixed wasn't available. Do you really think that many people "beat us to the punch" in the first 2 months the cruise was being sold? We booked the Maasdam repositioning cruise for Oct back in Sept. Same thing. We requested early fixed when we booked on board, but the reservation came through with open. My TA tried, but we can't change to fixed, even though the cruise is far from sold out. (Website shows lots of cabins available)

 

From what I've seen on CC, it's a lot easier to change from fixed to open than from open to fixed. It looks as if HAL holds back a lot of the tables for fixed dining times.

 

And if so many people want the fixed dining, why doesn't HAL increase the number of tables available for fixed dining times? Maybe swap the upper and lower levels of the dining room?

[arlenez]

That is correct -- open seating -- any table size you want.

You can go to the lower level of the dining room anytime between 5:15 - 9 PM.

 

Thank you for confirming that.

 

Regards,

Arlene

[jtl513]

Here ya go:

 

As You Wish® dining on all cruises

From a festive five-course affair to a quick, casual dinner for two, our As You Wish® dining lets you choose the venues and style that suit you.

The elegant main Dining Room

 

• Luxurious Dining Room, graced with fine art and antiques
  
• Sophisticated Rosenthal china and crisp white table linens
  
• Five-course menus with offerings from classic preparations regionally inspired cuisine to vegetarian options
  
• Your choice of traditional pre-set seating and dining times or a flexible open schedule
  

Sorry, but that does NOT equate Open seating to AYWD as spacepotatoes said, and Boytjie questioned:

The HAL website calls their open seating/anytime dining option "As You Wish" dining.

[Pete Jackson]

Sorry, DBA, but I have to question this. I think the system defaults to open seating, and you have to go back and beg/whine/kick/scream to get assigned dining. We booked our Veendam cruise last year very quickly after it became available. We were given open seating and were told fixed wasn't available. Do you really think that many people "beat us to the punch" in the first 2 months the cruise was being sold? We booked the Maasdam repositioning cruise for Oct back in Sept. Same thing. We requested early fixed when we booked on board, but the reservation came through with open. My TA tried, but we can't change to fixed, even though the cruise is far from sold out. (Website shows lots of cabins available)

 

From what I've seen on CC, it's a lot easier to change from fixed to open than from open to fixed. It looks as if HAL holds back a lot of the tables for fixed dining times.

 

And if so many people want the fixed dining, why doesn't HAL increase the number of tables available for fixed dining times? Maybe swap the upper and lower levels of the dining room?

 

 

Were you booking a suite on the Veendam (I mean a Suite Suite, S class, as opposed to a Verandah Suite). I think is an unwritten rule on HAL to only give Suite Suite (S class) pax their choice of fixed dining. They have to save most of the tables for groups or other travel agent perks. If they still have fixed tables available close to sailing, or if you approach the maitre'd once on board, they may let you reserve a fixed dining table. Mariner class (1 to 4 star) may also have something to do with success of getting a fixed table.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Were you booking a suite on the Veendam (I mean a Suite Suite, S class, as opposed to a Verandah Suite). I think is an unwritten rule on HAL to only give Suite Suite (S class) pax their choice of fixed dining. They have to save most of the tables for groups or other travel agent perks. If they still have fixed tables available close to sailing, or if you approach the maitre'd once on board, they may let you reserve a fixed dining table. Mariner class (1 to 4 star) may also have something to do with success of getting a fixed table.

 

That's really interesting. I hadn't thought about the issue of cabin type. We asked for early fixed on Veendam (oceanview), but got open. The maitre D' changed it for us on board. We asked for early fixed on Zuiderdam (deluxe suite) and got it. We asked for early fixed on Maasdam this fall (oceanview) and got open. Our TA belongs to a group that has a bunch of cabins on this, and supposedly, we will get what we want when they submit the group list. We'll see...

[DutchByAssociation]

Sorry, DBA, but I have to question this. I think the system defaults to open seating, and you have to go back and beg/whine/kick/scream to get assigned dining. We booked our Veendam cruise last year very quickly after it became available. We were given open seating and were told fixed wasn't available. Do you really think that many people "beat us to the punch" in the first 2 months the cruise was being sold? We booked the Maasdam repositioning cruise for Oct back in Sept. Same thing. We requested early fixed when we booked on board, but the reservation came through with open. My TA tried, but we can't change to fixed, even though the cruise is far from sold out. (Website shows lots of cabins available)

 

From what I've seen on CC, it's a lot easier to change from fixed to open than from open to fixed. It looks as if HAL holds back a lot of the tables for fixed dining times.

 

And if so many people want the fixed dining, why doesn't HAL increase the number of tables available for fixed dining times? Maybe swap the upper and lower levels of the dining room?

 

Am uncertain what the online systems travel agencies use will do or when booking direct through the HAL website, but the system we use (Polar) has those fields BLANK upon getting to that screen. Guests then state preference of fixed or open, what time if fixed, and table size preferred (if fixed). If any of those options are full and no longer available, the system alerts that either they are waitlisted, or if the waitlist has reached its threshold, it advises that option is simply not selectable.

[DutchByAssociation]

Were you booking a suite on the Veendam (I mean a Suite Suite, S class, as opposed to a Verandah Suite). I think is an unwritten rule on HAL to only give Suite Suite (S class) pax their choice of fixed dining. They have to save most of the tables for groups or other travel agent perks. If they still have fixed tables available close to sailing, or if you approach the maitre'd once on board, they may let you reserve a fixed dining table. Mariner class (1 to 4 star) may also have something to do with success of getting a fixed table.

 

This is correct. Suite guests will have their TIME force-confirmed if necessary. Table SIZE is still a REQUEST ONLY

[DutchByAssociation]

Sorry, but that does NOT equate Open seating to AYWD as spacepotatoes said, and Boytjie questioned:

 

Not when you quote out of context...

 

That portion of the website I pasted states that AYWD includes the Main Dining Room, the Pinnacle and other delightful ways to dine.

 

It addresses it perfectly.

[Opinions]

That portion of the website I pasted states that AYWD includes the Main Dining Room, the Pinnacle and other delightful ways to dine.

 

It addresses it perfectly.

 

So why does their brochures state Dine "As You Wish" or choose a traditional preset seating in the main Dining Room"?...It seems as HAL doesn't always address it perfectly.

[carlmm]

---, it advises that option is simply not selectable.

 

Sorry DBA but you did not answer the key question posted by 3rdGenCunarder:

"And if so many people want the fixed dining, why doesn't HAL increase the number of tables available for fixed dining times? "

 

There are constantly complaints by passengers not getting fixed dining and being forced into open dining, which for whatever reason you and HAL seem to prefer.

 

Why doesn't HAL serve there customer by giving them the alternative "as they wish", why doesn't HAL increase the number of tables available for fixed dining times?