After Reading Numerous Posts over the last Several Weeks, These are my thoughts

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, ExpatBride said:

 

Things must've changed. Last time I sailed on HAL I got them even when I asked for them to be left off. This is a cost-cutting measure I can support!

They must be giving you mine or it varies by ship.  I always ask for them and about 50 percent of the time it actually happens.

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, cgolf1 said:

 

We did ask for the same table and serving team, and was assured it would happen once we set a reservation time, and it never happened. Also one night we got there for our reservation time and we were given a buzzer to wait to be seated, while people without a reservation were seated right away. If we were waiting to get the same table, I would understand this, but nope it was to a random table that night too. We had lots of comments on the after cruise survey about the disorganization in the main dining room. I guess I fell into the trap here and also commented about the inconsistency in service quality as well night to night.

What did they say when you asked them why you weren’t getting the same server?  On hal, on every cruise I’ve been on the early part of dining seems to be overrun with people.  When people start lining up an hour before the mdr opens it’s not surprising.  If they are letting people in quicker with out a reservation maybe that would be a better way to go.  Also when you get on the ship sometimes there is a possibility to switch to fixed.

[cgolf1]

9 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

What did they say when you asked them why you weren’t getting the same server?  On hal, on every cruise I’ve been on the early part of dining seems to be overrun with people.  When people start lining up an hour before the mdr opens it’s not surprising.  If they are letting people in quicker with out a reservation maybe that would be a better way to go.  Also when you get on the ship sometimes there is a possibility to switch to fixed.

 

At that point we didn't push it. It seemed so chaotic that we let it go and rolled with it. Did it cause some frustration sure, but we were on a cruise so all in all life was good. It takes a lot for us to seriously get bent out of shape to complain, especially in this case. 

 

I would hate for someone to get a mark against them for what appears to be a flawed system because of my complaint. Back in my teens I worked fast food counter, and we are seen as a lower lifeform than servers, and the way some people treat you is atrocious, so I try to be open minded. If a server is just rude or inappropriate, yes there would be a complaint, if it is the system, it would have to be really bad and we would go to great lengths for it not to reflect on the staff who are trying. 

[Guest ldtr]

3 minutes ago, cgolf1 said:

 

At that point we didn't push it. It seemed so chaotic that we let it go and rolled with it. Did it cause some frustration sure, but we were on a cruise so all in all life was good. It takes a lot for us to seriously get bent out of shape to complain, especially in this case. 

 

I would hate for someone to get a mark against them for what appears to be a flawed system because of my complaint. Back in my teens I worked fast food counter, and we are seen as a lower lifeform than servers, and the way some people treat you is atrocious, so I try to be open minded. If a server is just rude or inappropriate, yes there would be a complaint, if it is the system, it would have to be really bad and we would go to great lengths for it not to reflect on the staff who are trying. 

My experience on recent HAL cruises in anytime dining room is that if you ask the first night for the same table you can usually get it with the same servers. If you do not you get whatever table cones up with whatever servers are in that location.

[Florida_gal_50]

27 minutes ago, cgolf1 said:

 

At that point we didn't push it. It seemed so chaotic that we let it go and rolled with it. Did it cause some frustration sure, but we were on a cruise so all in all life was good. It takes a lot for us to seriously get bent out of shape to complain, especially in this case. 

 

I would hate for someone to get a mark against them for what appears to be a flawed system because of my complaint. Back in my teens I worked fast food counter, and we are seen as a lower lifeform than servers, and the way some people treat you is atrocious, so I try to be open minded. If a server is just rude or inappropriate, yes there would be a complaint, if it is the system, it would have to be really bad and we would go to great lengths for it not to reflect on the staff who are trying. 

I don’t think they would get a mark against them.  Hal seems to keep pretty much anyone on.  There was a server in the pinnacle on the koningsdam that was easily one of the worst servers I’ve seen in my life.  I refused to go back there after the experience and talked to the manager about it.  I had heard he had a ton of complaints.  The next cruise he was he was on the ship on a brand new contract.  I happened to be talking to another crew member not related to the food service dept and they knew all about this dude and how many complaints he’d had.  If you don’t speak up in my mind things will never change.  Even if you do they may not but you have nothing to lose in my mind.

[DCThunder]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

They don’t.  I have to specifically ask for them otherwise it comes without.  Seems to me the person you quoted wanted them.

Exactly.  I love anchovies on my Caesar salad and when I've forgotten to request them, they don't come automatically.

[cgolf1]

43 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t think they would get a mark against them.  Hal seems to keep pretty much anyone on.  There was a server in the pinnacle on the koningsdam that was easily one of the worst servers I’ve seen in my life.  I refused to go back there after the experience and talked to the manager about it.  I had heard he had a ton of complaints.  The next cruise he was he was on the ship on a brand new contract.  I happened to be talking to another crew member not related to the food service dept and they knew all about this dude and how many complaints he’d had.  If you don’t speak up in my mind things will never change.  Even if you do they may not but you have nothing to lose in my mind.

 

I wonder if that is because of the issue lines are having getting staff. It sounds like most lines are running understaffed, likely both to save money, but have also heard from numerous sources that it is more difficult to get staff onboard now.

[highscar]

Always requested fixed late dinning.  Table number is on the key card and have the same servers for all cruise.  

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, highscar said:

Always requested fixed late dinning.  Table number is on the key card and have the same servers for all cruise.  

The person that was talking about the servers not being the same was in open dining.

[highscar]

Yes, I realize that.  

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

3 hours ago, ExpatBride said:

 

Things must've changed. Last time I sailed on HAL I got them even when I asked for them to be left off. This is a cost-cutting measure I can support!

Some waiters will ask, Would you like them or not.

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, decrepit old man said:

Wow talk about first world problems

You accidentally left Twitter and are now on Cruise Critic😉

[cgolf1]

36 minutes ago, highscar said:

Always requested fixed late dinning.  Table number is on the key card and have the same servers for all cruise.  

 

We booked late, month before the cruise, so fixed dining wasn't an option or we would have chosen early seating. We are first time HAL so we are used to how Celebrity and RCCL handle the anytime. Once we has a set time on those lines, like we ended up with on HAL after day 2, we always had either the same table/server or a table in the same servers area.

[cgolf1]

1 hour ago, decrepit old man said:

Wow talk about first world problems

 

Yup and we chose to cruise on lines with the least first world problems:) 

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, cgolf1 said:

 

We booked late, month before the cruise, so fixed dining wasn't an option or we would have chosen early seating. We are first time HAL so we are used to how Celebrity and RCCL handle the anytime. Once we has a set time on those lines, like we ended up with on HAL after day 2, we always had either the same table/server or a table in the same servers area.

It’s very, very difficult to get early dining on hal at least it was when I did fixed.  You could book a year out and still not get it.  It does sound like a person might be more successful on board to do that.  Late dining doesn’t seem to fill up as fast.  On celebrity you could book every night ahead of time when I last sailed with them.  The line was long to get into the mdr anyway in my experience.  I “think” there was at some time the ability to book the mdr before you got on the ship but it didn’t last long and I’m almost positive that’s no longer an option.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, cgolf1 said:

 

I wonder if that is because of the issue lines are having getting staff. It sounds like most lines are running understaffed, likely both to save money, but have also heard from numerous sources that it is more difficult to get staff onboard now.

I was about to post basically the same thing citing staff shortages, but you beat me to it.

[albingirl]

36 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It’s very, very difficult to get early dining on hal at least it was when I did fixed.  You could book a year out and still not get it.  It does sound like a person might be more successful on board to do that.  Late dining doesn’t seem to fill up as fast.  On celebrity you could book every night ahead of time when I last sailed with them.  The line was long to get into the mdr anyway in my experience.  I “think” there was at some time the ability to book the mdr before you got on the ship but it didn’t last long and I’m almost positive that’s no longer an option.

The dining is a difficult issue.  Early is too early for me, and late is, well, just too late.  We are "in between" diners, so the best option for us was Club Orange.  Waiting in line for dinner is a total drag, in my opinion, and we really had minimum wait times with CO. 

[DCThunder]

It is amazing how far this thread has drifted in the 10 days since it started. 😎

 

The original post lamenting about the state of HAL in May 2023 and how it is at a "crossroads" between "sinking or cruising".  Now we're talking about getting MDR dining reservations after going down the road of entertainment options, the age of ships and God knows what else.

 

The only topics not touched on in the thread seem to be smoking in the casino and chair hogs.😁

[albingirl]

41 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

It is amazing how far this thread has drifted in the 10 days since it started. 😎

 

The original post lamenting about the state of HAL in May 2023 and how it is at a "crossroads" between "sinking or cruising".  Now we're talking about getting MDR dining reservations after going down the road of entertainment options, the age of ships and God knows what else.

 

The only topics not touched on in the thread seem to be smoking in the casino and chair hogs.😁

Plenty of time for that. Full speed ahead lol.

[Florida_gal_50]

53 minutes ago, albingirl said:

The dining is a difficult issue.  Early is too early for me, and late is, well, just too late.  We are "in between" diners, so the best option for us was Club Orange.  Waiting in line for dinner is a total drag, in my opinion, and we really had minimum wait times with CO. 

Same.  I eat very early at home.  My sweet spot on a cruise is 6pm.

[cgolf1]

51 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

It is amazing how far this thread has drifted in the 10 days since it started. 😎

 

The original post lamenting about the state of HAL in May 2023 and how it is at a "crossroads" between "sinking or cruising".  Now we're talking about getting MDR dining reservations after going down the road of entertainment options, the age of ships and God knows what else.

 

The only topics not touched on in the thread seem to be smoking in the casino and chair hogs.😁

 

The Canada/New England cruise on the Zaandam had zero issues with chair hogs. That said it was cold and the top was always closed, and we only had one sea/river day. Being our first HAL cruise, I just thought HAL had it controlled:)

 

All joking aside, we appeared to have a full ship based on rooms booked and no upgrades available and other then the piano bar by the casino being packed at night, I really never saw many people congregating in one area during the trip. Other than the lines for the MDR at 5:30 that is to tie it all together;)

[Destiny0315]

55 minutes ago, cgolf1 said:

All joking aside, we appeared to have a full ship based on rooms booked and no upgrades available and other then the piano bar by the casino being packed at night, I really never saw many people congregating in one area during the trip. Other than the lines for the MDR at 5:30 that is to tie it all together;)

Actually during the last two weeks all the entertainment venues were quite filled on the Zaandam in the evenings throughout the ship with music being played in all of them. The piano bar being the smallest of them always has a packed filling which is what you want and expect at a piano bar.  

[Guest ldtr]

3 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It’s very, very difficult to get early dining on hal at least it was when I did fixed.  You could book a year out and still not get it.  It does sound like a person might be more successful on board to do that.  Late dining doesn’t seem to fill up as fast.  On celebrity you could book every night ahead of time when I last sailed with them.  The line was long to get into the mdr anyway in my experience.  I “think” there was at some time the ability to book the mdr before you got on the ship but it didn’t last long and I’m almost positive that’s no longer an option.

I have not had any luck getting early fixed dining either, but have had very good luck getting the same table and servers in anytime.  Might be because we go when it opens.  Have noticed that service is very quick for the first 30 minutes or so, but then slows down as all of the rest of the tables in the section fill up.

 

If one wants to come in about an hour after early anytime opens then they may find service to be slower, as well as having far more issues getting the same table and server.  One has to decide what is more important.  Speed, dining time, or same table.

[DCThunder]

26 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

Actually during the last two weeks all the entertainment venues were quite filled on the Zaandam in the evenings throughout the ship with music being played in all of them. The piano bar being the smallest of them always has a packed filling which is what you want and expect at a piano bar.  

Billy Joel has entered the chat.....

[Florida_gal_50]

8 minutes ago, ldtr said:

I have not had any luck getting early fixed dining either, but have had very good luck getting the same table and servers in anytime.  Might be because we go when it opens.  Have noticed that service is very quick for the first 30 minutes or so, but then slows down as all of the rest of the tables in the section fill up.

 

If one wants to come in about an hour after early anytime opens then they may find service to be slower, as well as having far more issues getting the same table and server.  One has to decide what is more important.  Speed, dining time, or same table.

On my last cruise I ate in the mdr twice.  I was only able to make a reservation for 5:30 even though I was in a Neptune Suite. I should have just done a walk in because there didn't seem to be a line up. I don't want to eat with others so that's why I made the reservation.