As You Wish Dining

[ScottC4746]

We are set up for As You Wish dining.  This is my first time doing this on any line although DH who has used it on RCCL loves it.  He said RCCL allows you to pre-reserve before your cruise such as 6:30 PM every night in the main dining room.  How does it work on HAL?  I cannot seem to find anyway of doing that.  Am I missing something or is it too early for a 6 April cruise?

[catl331]

Once on board you can reserve up to 3 days at a time, and on some cruises, the entire cruise ... but you can not reserve before boarding with Open seating.

[ScottC4746]

Thanks.

[Krazy Kruizers]

As mentioned, you can not reserve Open Seating.

 

Also, there only certain times when you can make reservations.  On most ships you can only make reservations between 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9 PM.  You can ask for an size of table and you can make reservations for 3 days at a time.  A few ships will allow you to make reservations for the entire cruise on embarkation day.  Just ask the maitre'd when you get on the ship about being able to do this for the times I listed above.

[terrydtx]

Our only experience with open dining was on the Nieuw Amsterdam and we didn't bother making any reservations. We were a group of six and usually entered the MDR between 6:15 and 6:45 and never waited more than 10 minutes for a table, most nights we all were seated right away. If you get there any earlier you will wait inline since so many want to get seated when the MDR opens at 5:15 or so. It was a great experience because the early sitting diner is too early and late is too late for my liking.  

Edited November 18, 2018 by terrydtx

[boards]

We had open seating on the Koningsdam recently and it worked out fine.   We did not have to wait, however I did see some who were given the "buzzer".   Not sure why that did not happen to us, but we were always seated quickly and it was very much appreciated.

[catl331]

32 minutes ago, boards said:

... some who were given the "buzzer". Not sure why that did not happen to us,

Did you say you would take any size table?  Many wait for a table for just two.

Edited November 18, 2018 by catl331

[doublebzz]

It seems to me that making reservations defeats the purpose of open seating which gives you the flexibility of showing up when you want.  We always select open seating, in probably over 25 cruises now, and agree to share a table.  We have never had to wait more than a few minutes, if at all.  

[matondo]

I have yet to try open dining on HAL but have done it on Celebrity on more than one occasion. I love the freedom of being able to head down to dinner when I am hungry not when it is time for me to be hungry. 

 

Terrydtx we are like neither time works for us for set time dining so I was thrilled when they rolled out the my time dining.

[cayman09]

Our last four cruises were Anytime Dining and we got a table for 2 every night without a wait every time we chose the MDR.

[Hflors]

I actually really like the "open seating" dining times.  It has worked out very well for us.  It is nice to have the flexibility to go when ever you want or not go to the dining room and eat at the buffet.  I guess even us older people can get use to some new things!!!

[boards]

2 hours ago, catl331 said:

Did you say you would take any size table?  Many wait for a table for just two.

Yes we did say we would take a table up to six, but most often we got a table for two and even to table that had been set for four.  

[kwb101]

I think it may depend on the dining room host.

We were on Zuiderdam in August and September, and had booked this trip in early July. Because we booked so late, only open dining was available. We much prefer a set time in the upper dining room.

The cruise was 20 days, so the host reserved our table for our usual time for three days, and renewed this on the fourth day. However, noticing that we were very regular in getting there on time, we talked with him, and he graciously agreed to reserve our table for the rest of the voyage.

[sevenseasnomad]

We flip back and forth between early fixed and open dining, depending on the cruise.  On longer more port-intensive cruises where the ship often stays in port later, we discovered that open dining works well.  We prefer early fixed for shorter cruises where the ship has generally left ports before or right at 5.  Having the option of going back and forth suits us.  Passengers have to pick whatever dining style suits them.  Of course, if a person waits too long to book, the fixed assignments could already be spoken for, and they must adapt.  No matter which one a passenger gets, it shouldn't ruin a cruise because as others have pointed out, even with open seating, a passenger can still reserve a time and table if he/she is so inclined.

 

What we find rude is for passengers to know that they're not coming to dinner one night, especially with fixed dining, yet they fail to notify the wait staff.  

[ScottC4746]

10 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Our only experience with open dining was on the Nieuw Amsterdam and we didn't bother making any reservations. We were a group of six and usually entered the MDR between 6:15 and 6:45 and never waited more than 10 minutes for a table, most nights we all were seated right away. If you get there any earlier you will wait inline since so many want to get seated when the MDR opens at 5:15 or so. It was a great experience because the early sitting diner is too early and late is too late for my liking.  

We are only 2 wanting to snag that coveted two top table.

[ScottC4746]

48 minutes ago, sevenseasnomad said:

What we find rude is for passengers to know that they're not coming to dinner one night, especially with fixed dining, yet they fail to notify the wait staff.  

I saw this on RCCL in 2005.  There was an 8 or 10 top table across from our 2 top.  They only showed up two or three times throughout a 7 night cruise: 1st, last, and another non formal night.  The rest of the week, the table sat all set for dinner including water for everyone when they arrived and a waiter standing around twiddling his thumbs because they did not tell him they would not be there the next night.