Is HAL looking to disappoint Have it All Passengers

[Sea42]

3 minutes ago, foodsvcmgr said:

Probably HAL should more strongly suggest that booked passengers reserve their dining in advance of boarding.

I’m trying to use my two credits for Rotterdam in October but website keeps saying unavailable, try later.

What is the time frame for opening reservations, anyone have experience?

On a similar note a shorex I was looking at for Bruges went up $20 pp last week.

So another lesson in timeliness learned.

As long as you’re reasonably sure you are actually going to take the cruise no good reason to hesitate completing your arrangements IMO.

Our restaurant booking became available about 4 1/2 months before our upcoming May sailing.

I notice the excursion I booked went up $10 since I booked it in November.

[Sea42]

25 minutes ago, lobsternight said:

I guess I will be calling in tomorrow to change times.

You can do this online and save yourself the possibility of a long hold time. Just cancel your current reservation and book the new one.

[lobsternight]

2 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

You can do this online and save yourself the possibility of a long hold time. Just cancel your current reservation and book the new one.

Yes good point. Just being cheap with credit card exchange rates and what not.  Not worth the frustration.  Waiting to hear back from family members about new proposed time or date.

[Laminator]

I am on the NS Feb 11th. Every venue shows reservations available for every night including Valentine's Day. This cruise has been sold out for a few weeks now. Considering the vast amount of info shared on here I can't imagine anyone would take a chance waiting to book onboard. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

11 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I am on the NS Feb 11th. Every venue shows reservations available for every night including Valentine's Day. This cruise has been sold out for a few weeks now. Considering the vast amount of info shared on here I can't imagine anyone would take a chance waiting to book onboard. 

I can tell you that the Valentines Day special dinner at the Pinnacle Grill is sold out by all of the people on this sailing.  The passengers that board on February 4 won’t even get a chance to book the special dinner.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Ipeeinthepools

[Laminator]

4 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I can tell you that Valentines Day special dinner at the Pinnacle Grill is sold out by all of the people on this sailing.  The passengers that board on February 4 won’t even get a chance to book the special dinner.

It appears to be the case when you look at the dining reservations. However Valentines day for the Pinnacle is listed separately with 4 times still available. After a discussion with my wife we agreed that we will not go anywhere near any specialty restaurant on Valentine's day.

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by Laminator

[Ipeeinthepools]

I’m not sure what is showing online, I only know what the hostess at the Pinnacle Grill told me.

[Dutchman48]

Just curious?

Is the problem no reservations available or at times you want.

    If none are available, then that is something HAL needs to address.

    If you cannot get the times, you want that is another issue.

Have noticed on recent short cruise (7 day) it was hard to get times we normally dine but when we checked once we got on board, we could fine times we could live with. On our longer cruises we were able to find days and times more to our liking.

 

Specialty restaurant capacity is obvious an issue, their limited capacity and different menu options are what make the special and set them apart from the MDR.

 

 

 

 

[Laminator]

2 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I’m not sure what is showing online, I only know what the hostess at the Pinnacle Grill told me.

It's showing 4 times available. 5, 5:15, 8:45 and 9. Those times being available would make sense. I would bet that if I made the reservation we would be seated. But like I said we will not go anywhere near a specialty restaurant on Valentine's day.

[Sea42]

Out of curiosity I checked on reservations that were available for our May cruise. Every restaurant has all times still available on each night I checked except 2. Pinnacle  didn't have anything for 7 pm one night and Tamarind didn't have a 7:30 reservation available. Granted, I didn't check every single night for each venue.

The Taste of Librije and the Indonesian dinner and Rudi's also still have several slots available but are not a part of HIA.

[3rdGenCunarder]

26 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

Out of curiosity I checked on reservations that were available for our May cruise. Every restaurant has all times still available on each night I checked except 2. Pinnacle  didn't have anything for 7 pm one night and Tamarind didn't have a 7:30 reservation available. Granted, I didn't check every single night for each venue.

The Taste of Librije and the Indonesian dinner and Rudi's also still have several slots available but are not a part of HIA.

 

How soon do the special nights show up on the booking site? I don't remember seeing them for my recent cruise, although I didn't search every night.

[Sea42]

2 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

How soon do the special nights show up on the booking site? I don't remember seeing them for my recent cruise, although I didn't search every night.

For our cruise they were shown as soon as we were able to book reservations at about 4 months out. They were listed on the main page along with each individual restaurants. They are each one night only in the Pinnacle restaurant.

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 hour ago, Laminator said:

It's showing 4 times available. 5, 5:15, 8:45 and 9. Those times being available would make sense. I would bet that if I made the reservation we would be seated. But like I said we will not go anywhere near a specialty restaurant on Valentine's day.

There are really two seatings an early and late.  They stagger the early seating at 5, 5:15 and 5:30 and the late seating at 8:30, 8:45 and 9

[Laminator]

7 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

There are really two seatings an early and late.  They stagger the early seating at 5, 5:15 and 5:30 and the late seating at 8:30, 8:45 and 9

Must have been a change then. Last week I could have booked any time til 9:30. Including 6, 7 and 8pm. 

Edited January 29, 2023 by Laminator

[Ipeeinthepools]

5 minutes ago, Laminator said:

Must have been a change then. Last week I could have booked any time til 9:30. Including 6, 7 and 8pm. 

That was before they put in the special times.  They still haven’t finalized the menu.

[SeaCapt]

4 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

How soon do the special nights show up on the booking site? I don't remember seeing them for my recent cruise, although I didn't search every night.

Reservations and specialty nights are already showing for our July cruise, with all dates and times available, and I've booked everything we want at the the times we prefer.

[Hlitner]

6 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I’m not sure what is showing online, I only know what the hostess at the Pinnacle Grill told me.

You might want to try booking online, via the app, and see if it accepts your reservations request.

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

You might want to try booking online, via the app, and see if it accepts your reservations request.

There is something very odd about that situation.  I believe that the next cruise on that ship is February 4th.  I’ve always been told that can’t see the reservations for the next cruise until about 2 days before so how can she possibly see what has been booked for February 14 this early?  I’ve heard it multiple times so it not something made up.

[Sea42]

13 hours ago, davemac44 said:

As a retired Mariner, I'm amused to hear the term used as a passenger! It's a person that assists in navigating a ship!

Isn't that why they give us the Navigator app?

[Laminator]

6 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

There is something very odd about that situation.  I believe that the next cruise on that ship is February 4th.  I’ve always been told that can’t see the reservations for the next cruise until about 2 days before so how can she possibly see what has been booked for February 14 this early?  I’ve heard it multiple times so it not something made up.

I booked my Tamarind dinners for the 2/11 cruise on 1/8 on the app as you can see. Am I not understanding what you are saying?

Edited January 30, 2023 by Laminator

[shack]

1 minute ago, Laminator said:

I booked my Tamarind dinners for the 2/11 cruise on 1/8 as you can see. Am i not understanding what you are saying?

Booked specialty dining and excursions for May 27 cruise on Jan 1.  Carrying the printed confirmations in case of SNAFUs.

[Ipeeinthepools]

4 minutes ago, Laminator said:

I booked my Tamarind dinners for the 2/11 cruise on 1/8 on the app as you can see. Am I not understanding what you are saying?

I think the question is can you see them on your itinerary after you book them.  I’m on the current cruise and the Feb 11 trip as a continuing voyage and restaurants that I booked were not visible until yesterday.  I also do seem to be able to book anything on the app for the rest of this cruise.  

[Laminator]

5 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I think the question is can you see them on your itinerary after you book them.  I’m on the current cruise and the Feb 11 trip as a continuing voyage and restaurants that I booked were not visible until yesterday.  I also do seem to be able to book anything on the app for the rest of this cruise.  

That's been there since I booked also!

[Ipeeinthepools]

It must be a feature of the Navigator system 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Laminator]

7 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

It must be a feature of the Navigator system 🤷🏻‍♂️

Maybe if you book them online they will show up. If you book them onboard they do not. This is HAL so who knows!