? As you wish dining

[Lyndihop]

On past cruises we’ve always chosen the set traditional dining. But are rethinking this. We’re considering doing the As You Wish seating. My question is: if you are a couple, do they tend to sit you at a table for two? Or when you show up is there an option to be seated with others?? We like to get to know our fellow cruisers and thought that might be a terrific way.

[nanlaur]

On past cruises we’ve always chosen the set traditional dining. But are rethinking this. We’re considering doing the As You Wish seating. My question is: if you are a couple, do they tend to sit you at a table for two? Or when you show up is there an option to be seated with others?? We like to get to know our fellow cruisers and thought that might be a terrific way.

They ask you when you get to the MDR if you are happy to share. You are seated more quickly during busy times if you share a table.

 

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[Sea42]

We've met some wonderful people that way. I would say we split it 50/50 on eating with others (you can tell the maitre d that you would be happy with a table for 4 or 6 or whatever) or at a table for 2. I much prefer it to being tied to a set time and group.

[Krazy Kruizers]

True -- just tell the person at the podium that you do wish to share a table.

Also you can request the size of table you want.

[Lyndihop]

Thank you for the input. I changed our dining, and look forward to meeting many fellow cruisers.

[Hlitner]

One reason we always book Open Dining options (on any cruise line) is that we love the freedom to either dine on our own (there are times when we enjoy a quiet meal) or ask to share a large table (we have made some life long friends that way)...or perhaps decide to dine with another couple we might have just met over pre-dinner cocktails. For us, its the best of all worlds. On several of our HAL cruises we have developed friendships early in the cruise...and formed our own table...which is another easy option with Open Dining. I should add that because we tend to dine late (usually after 7:45) we seldom have to deal with any kind of queues or waiting. On HAL...many of the passengers prefer to eat before the sun goes down and are probably in bed when we are still enjoying our dining time :). But for those who want to use Open Dining at an earlier prime time...you may well find yourself having to wait in line (or with a beeper). This is especially true if you want a 2-top..

 

Hank

[aotmc]

I think you will enjoy the Anytime Dining option. I met a variety of very interesting people this way (and avoided be assigned nightly to some no-so-desirable table mates).

 

A heads up, we when we chose a larger table, often the partial table would be seated and they fill it as people come, yet more often than not they started serving immediately. It seemed the waitstaff would try to get everyone in sync - so that meant sometimes a lag between courses for some and a rush between for others.

 

The only times we had to wait for a table was when we asked for a 2-top. Our wait was under 1/2 hour each time, except for one gala night they said it would be about an hour and we changed to any size table and were seated immediately.

 

*Keep in mind, ship size and how full the ship is will affect a lot of this info :)

[whogo]

I would never book set dining with strangers. With all the other dining options, you might end up with a table for eight with only six of you one night, seven the next, two the next, five the next, and who knows what after that. Book open dining.

[Herfnerd]

We've always booked late dining on our past cruises. Our cruise last month was the first time we booked Anytime and the experience was nothing but positive. We mixed between a two top and 6-top. We did get seated with a group that we totally enjoyed being with and stopped to speak with when passing on the ship or in port that almost made us wish we had assigned seating with them but to be able to show up when we want was definitely a plus.

[MVPinBoynton]

On past cruises we’ve always chosen the set traditional dining. But are rethinking this. We’re considering doing the As You Wish seating. My question is: if you are a couple, do they tend to sit you at a table for two? Or when you show up is there an option to be seated with others?? We like to get to know our fellow cruisers and thought that might be a terrific way.

 

Hi Sheryl,

Funny meeting you here. :D We have 2 upcoming HAL cruises. With the very early 1st seating they have, like 5:30 PM, we chose anytime dining. We have enjoyed it on other cruises, so unless we are traveling with several friends, we chose it now.

[igraf]

It's not that risky as your table mates tend to be like-minded in that all of you preferred traditional dining and all of you preferred the same dining time (early vs late). Add that to everyone selecting HAL and the same cruise itinerary, and you now have four things in common before you even sit down. We have had better luck with traditional dining table mates than open seating, though I can see why one might want more variety.

 

I would not be bothered by no-shows. It is perfectly normal for people to eat dinner in the alternative venues.

 

igraf

 

 

 

I would never book set dining with strangers. With all the other dining options, you might end up with a table for eight with only six of you one night, seven the next, two the next, five the next, and who knows what after that. Book open dining.

[Lyndihop]

Hey MV. We booked a 24 day Mediterranean/Transatlantic for October 2018. Are you booked on it?

[MVPinBoynton]

Hey MV. We booked a 24 day Mediterranean/Transatlantic for October 2018. Are you booked on it?

 

Nope. We are on a one week Caribbean on the Nieuw Amsterdam and a 22 day South America/Antarctica in January on the Zaandam.

[mhurdle127]

It has been a couple of years, but I seem to recall that the fixed dining is on either the upper or lower level, while the other level is for those who don't care for assigned seating. Is that still the case on all HAL ships?

[Herfnerd]

It has been a couple of years, but I seem to recall that the fixed dining is on either the upper or lower level, while the other level is for those who don't care for assigned seating. Is that still the case on all HAL ships?

 

On the Eurodam last month, the lower DR was for Anytime and the upper for fixed

[kazu]

It has been a couple of years, but I seem to recall that the fixed dining is on either the upper or lower level, while the other level is for those who don't care for assigned seating. Is that still the case on all HAL ships?

 

No it's not.

 

Prinsendam's dining room is one level. Open and some fixed eat in the aft dining room. The more forward one is only for fixed dining.

 

Traditionally on the other ships, fixed has been on the upper level and open on the lower. On our Westerdam cruise they had it mixed and we were in the lower even though we were on fixed dining. The couple next to us was also on fixed dining. It was well done though and no issues ;)

 

Our most recent sailing on the Rotterdam held to the standard rule of fixed in upper and open on lower.

[catl331]

It has been a couple of years, but I seem to recall that the fixed dining is on either the upper or lower level, while the other level is for those who don't care for assigned seating. Is that still the case on all HAL ships?

On the Koningsdam last Nov Fixed and Open were mixed on both levels. With Open we were free to choose either level any night. I don't know if it is still that way, or whether that has spread or will be spreading to other ships. (On the Oosterdam in Dec it was the usual Fixed Upper, Open Lower.) Edited October 25, 2017 by catl331

[MarKandi]

On the Eurodam last month, the lower DR was for Anytime and the upper for fixed

 

 

 

Zuiderdam had same format last Apr on

T/A...Upper=Fixed, Lower=Anytime

 

 

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[raesive]

For As You Wish in the MDR, can you reserve a specific time earlier in the day or do you just show up and get seated on a first-come-first-served basis?

[sevenseasnomad]

On ‎10‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 10:03 AM, Hlitner said:

One reason we always book Open Dining options (on any cruise line) is that we love the freedom to either dine on our own (there are times when we enjoy a quiet meal) or ask to share a large table (we have made some life long friends that way)...or perhaps decide to dine with another couple we might have just met over pre-dinner cocktails. For us, its the best of all worlds. On several of our HAL cruises we have developed friendships early in the cruise...and formed our own table...which is another easy option with Open Dining. I should add that because we tend to dine late (usually after 7:45) we seldom have to deal with any kind of queues or waiting. On HAL...many of the passengers prefer to eat before the sun goes down and are probably in bed when we are still enjoying our dining time :). But for those who want to use Open Dining at an earlier prime time...you may well find yourself having to wait in line (or with a beeper). This is especially true if you want a 2-top..

 

Hank

You can reserve by telephone or at the MDR desk if you want a specific time and table.  We normally asked for a certain 2-top and received it.  Having a reservation meant no standing in line.  We were shown directly to the table.  Consider this, OP, if you are dining at a busier time whether by yourselves or with a group.

[sevenseasnomad]

1 hour ago, raesive said:

For As You Wish in the MDR, can you reserve a specific time earlier in the day or do you just show up and get seated on a first-come-first-served basis?

Answered in the above quote, except I'll add that you can reserve up to three days in advance for the next three days.  So if you like a certain time, location, wait staff, or table, go for it.

[raesive]

2 hours ago, sevenseasnomad said:

Answered in the above quote, except I'll add that you can reserve up to three days in advance for the next three days.  So if you like a certain time, location, wait staff, or table, go for it.

 

Great! Thanks 🙂

[sammiedawg]

Fixed dining is the epitome of a banquet experience.  Kitchen literally cranks out hundreds of servings of the same course at the same time.  

We hired the best restaurant group in town to cater our daughter’s wedding.  But the wedding food was at a lower level compared to their restaurants. Everything  had to be prepped, precooked, cooked and served to hundreds at the same time.  

We always eat prior to attending any kind of a banquet. 

 

There is a reason fine restaurants stagger their reservations.  

 

[DaveOKC]

We sometimes do Open, other times Fixed Early.  For us it depends on what are plans are for the cruise.  If we plan on dining at several of the alternative dining options, or we have a late port or two, we tend toward Open - that way we are not imposing on the others at our Fixed table.  Further, Fixed Early is often full with people waitlisted to get this time slot.  I guess you could say we are being overly considerate, but we feel better in doing this.

 

Plus, we get to meet more nice HAL travelers this way.

 

The only thing I dislike about Open is when I get a wine package.  Sometimes it takes the wine steward a bit of time to find my open bottle.

[terrydtx]

We have booked open dining on all cruises that offered it, 5:30 is too early for port intensive cruises and 8:00 is way to late for us. We usually like to get to the MDR between 6:30 and 7:00 and I do not recall waiting for more than 10 minutes on any cruise. The last time we had fixed dining was with Celebrity on a Mediterranean cruise without the open dining option. We got back late from shore excursions 4 times and missed our early fixed dining time which at that time resulted in us having dinner in the buffet or specialty restaurant.

Edited February 25, 2019 by terrydtx