Just Curious to see what Cruise Crtic HAL Board really Thinks about the Dining issue

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sincere there has been a lot of talk about the current Dining issur of Dine As You Wish we might as well do a little poll here on the HAL CC Board. We know that Seattle does in fact read these boards so lets him them something more to think about.;)

[legalslave]

Lisa, I'm not sure how to vote. I like traditional and would always choose it. However, I think there should also be a dinning area for those who don't want traditional.

 

Diane

[hammybee]

I was thinking of doing this last night and got side tracked.

 

I am wishy-washy and do not care, one way or the other.

[jhannah]

I selected traditional, but I'd not go so far as to say I'd not even consider something else. I actually just did consider something else as we recently cruised on Princess. We were going with friends, so I decided to give their anytime dining a shot for comparison. (We booked relatively late in the game so didn't have any choice at that point.) However, through a great stroke of luck -- and help from folks onboard -- we were able to be assigned fixed seating. I was a happy camper.

 

When I cruise, I want traditional fixed seating. If I wanted "freestyle" or some such arrangement I'd book with a cruise line that designs their facilities to do that. I can clearly assert, however, that if Holland America continues playing with the dining arrangements and I cannot get confirmed seating at time of booking, then I'll simply back away and look somewhere else.

[Jemima]

I voted for traditional, but not to the extreme that I'd stop cruising. I very much like traditional and didn't like anytime on my one Princess cruise so assume I wouldn't like HAL's version. However, while I wouldn't be happy not to have traditional, I wouldn't quit cruising or quit cruising HAL unless there were other changes that we didn't like.

[jocelysue]

I voted for traditional but , honestly, I do not understand what all the fuss is about. Since the almost identical menu is served in the Lido, why not call that free choice dining

 

I do realise that there may not be waiters with as fine quality service as in the dining room, but you can go when you please and sit with whom and where you please.

 

You can also choose to have the full dinner served in your cabin if you prefer a table for two. For those who have a balcony, they can share their fine meal with their chosen friends or relatives.

 

Granted background music may be missing, but one can always get a DVD from the library.

 

Although I might cruise on a ship that had free style dining despite my personal preference, I do love the formal evenings and the theme meals and certainly hope cruise lines do not abandon them completely.

[RuthC]

Traditional. It's a deal-breaker with me.

If I were ever to be switched without my knowledge, and without the opportunity to be switched back, I would be livid.

[RevNeal]

Traditional. It's a deal-breaker with me.

If I were ever to be switched without my knowledge, and without the opportunity to be switched back, I would be livid.

 

And you DON'T want to see RuthC livid. No, you don't! :D

[O2B@C]

I couldn't vote, because the poll didn't offer an option that expresses what I think. While I'd strongly prefer that HAL retain the traditional dining system, I certainly wouldn't give up HAL's beds, food, and service - assuming they are as good as almost everyone on this board says they are - just because they switched to a window system, a choice between "as you like" and traditional, or even an entirely "as you like" system. For me, HAL may be my only option because of my DH's back problems and need for an exceptionally good bed. The dining issue just isn't the deciding factor.

 

More thoughts on the subject: I haven't been on HAL yet, but I have had traditional dining on every ship I've ever been on, including my most recent experience on Celebrity, and I have always liked it. (The only exception was Minerva, which was a special case - a very small ship, with only one dining time and restaurant for all pax. They had buffet-style service, and sit-where-you-like table assignments.)

 

Moreover, I agree with posts on other threads that have noted that the true freestyle system probably won't work satisfactorily on a ship that wasn't designed for it. That said, the "window" system doesn't sound all that bad to me - more or less the same as traditional, just with a little more flexibility as to the start time - sounds reasonably workable.

 

HAL management, if you're reading this: If you must experiment with offering the option of traditional or as-you-like, why not decide which part of the dining room gets devoted to which option based on how many people want which on a cruise-by-cruise basis, rather than deciding in advance that the lower level will be as-you-wish, only to find out that the majority of pax for a given cruise want traditional and you can't accommodate them? That's SILLY! Plus, you already offer the Lido as an option for people who want flexibility in their dining time and don't care about having a set table, so why devote the majority of space in the formal dining room to the exact same people?

 

Also, don't tell people one thing about the dining system when they book, and then switch it on them without warning after they've paid their final deposit. That's UNFAIR, and bound to cause the kind of hard feelings that have been so rampant on this board of late.

[jtl513]

DW and I are early diners anyway (between 5:30p and 6:00p at home) so "as you wish" would probably work just fine for us. We would just arrive early enough to avoid the crowds. We would definitely prefer the early "as you wish" to a traditional late seating.

[RuthC]

HAL management, if you're reading this: If you must experiment with offering the option of traditional or as-you-like, why not decide which part of the dining room gets devoted to which option based on how many people want which on a cruise-by-cruise basis, rather than deciding in advance that the lower level will be as-you-wish, only to find out that the majority of pax for a given cruise want traditional and you can't accommodate them? That's SILLY! Plus, you already offer the Lido as an option for people who want flexibility in their dining time and don't care about having a set table, so why devote the majority of space in the formal dining room to the exact same people?

Exactly. There is no reason to set one level for each style, if HAL decides to have separate styles of dining. There is no reason that if 75% (for example) of the passengers on a cruise want traditional HAL cannot allocate sufficient tables for them. Why does traditional have to be held at 50% (roughly. I know the two levels have a different number of seats).

[ekerr19]

Exactly. There is no reason to set one level for each style, if HAL decides to have separate styles of dining. There is no reason that if 75% (for example) of the passengers on a cruise want traditional HAL cannot allocate sufficient tables for them. Why does traditional have to be held at 50% (roughly. I know the two levels have a different number of seats).

 

RuthC - I agree too! I just explained all this in (probably too much!) detail to my husband... his first response was, "Isn't that why they implemented the Lido dining option?"

 

We both agree - breakfast & lunch are already seated this way.

 

Why not keep about 50% (on EACH level) traditional... the remaining 50% can be flexible "whatever" they want to call it.... :confused:

[RevNeal]

HAL management, if you're reading this: If you must experiment with offering the option of traditional or as-you-like, why not decide which part of the dining room gets devoted to which option based on how many people want which on a cruise-by-cruise basis, rather than deciding in advance that the lower level will be as-you-wish, only to find out that the majority of pax for a given cruise want traditional and you can't accommodate them? That's SILLY! Plus, you already offer the Lido as an option for people who want flexibility in their dining time and don't care about having a set table, so why devote the majority of space in the formal dining room to the exact same people?

 

Also, don't tell people one thing about the dining system when they book, and then switch it on them without warning after they've paid their final deposit. That's UNFAIR, and bound to cause the kind of hard feelings that have been so rampant on this board of late.

 

I must say that this is the most precise, and certainly the clearest, statement of how I feel that I've seen articulated by someone else on this board. WELL SAID!

 

Now, here is my suggestion. Write a formal letter to:

 

Mr. Stein Kruse

President and Chief Executive Officer,

Holland America Line Inc. and Windstar Cruises

300 Elliott Ave. West

Seattle, WA 98119

 

And put the above-quoted statement into it. Yes, they read this board in Seattle. They sometimes print and pin up on bulletin boards in conference rooms and in the halls whole threads and selected posts from this board, with statements, praises, criticisms, and problems highlighted.

 

HOWEVER, your statement really needs the added attention that physical mail will generate. It probably will not make it to SK, but it will make it to a mid-to-upper-level executive.

 

Send it!

:)

Or I will!

[RuthC]

Why not keep about 50% (on EACH level) traditional... the remaining 50% can be flexible "whatever" they want to call it.... :confused:

Laura, I'm agreeing that the %-age should be what's "flexible" and should be determined on a cruise-by-cruise basis.

If this week 90% of the passengers want traditional, then 90% of the seating should be traditional. If next cruise 65% want to dine "as they wish", then make 35 % of the availability traditional.

From what I read Princess has more people wanting traditional than they have tables available. That leaves many passengers not getting "Personal Choice"; they don't get to choose when they're assigned something they don't want. Why not just increase the number of "traditional" tables in that case? Why make passengers unhappy just to keep to some pre-conceived notion of how many tables to allocate to each set-up?

[ekerr19]

Laura, I'm agreeing that the %-age should be what's "flexible" and should be determined on a cruise-by-cruise basis.

If this week 90% of the passengers want traditional, then 90% of the seating should be traditional. If next cruise 65% want to dine "as they wish", then make 35 % of the availability traditional.

 

 

Well, this sounds like the voice of reason!!!! Why not try it? It certainly can't hurt.

 

I think you and O2B@C have hit on a brilliant idea!!!!

 

I also agree with O2B that it seems unfair - especially in our case - we we had one thing confirmed; booked and paid in full - now our docs come and there is something else entirely. What it truly will be, remains to been... and since it is our 20th Anniversary, it's sort of a special one for us. :)

 

We'll make the best of it, don't get me wrong - and we have a great CC group so far; so I'm sure it will be fine, but if I said we weren't disappointed a bit, I'd be lying.

[bepsf]

Traditional. It's a deal-breaker with me.

If I were ever to be switched without my knowledge, and without the opportunity to be switched back, I would be livid.

 

Ditto - Tho I think that the relaxed seating times we experienced on Noordam recently worked fairly well, don't you?

 

(Of course, over 95% of the folks in Upper Dining Room/Main Seating showed up within 15 minutes of the VDR opening...)

;)

[HeatherInFlorida]

I guess 2 threads on this subject aren't quite enough:) . Three threads at once about one subject may just be a record. Then again, maybe not;) /

 

Here's a shock ..... anything other than traditional dining being offered along with the ability to secure a confirmation of same in advance of final payment would be the deal breaker for us.

 

It is that important to us for all the reasons I have said more often than anyone wants to hear. So I won't list them all again:D. Aren't I nice???

[ekerr19]

Ditto - Tho I think that the relaxed seating times we experienced on Noordam recently worked fairly well, don't you?

 

(Of course, over 95% of the folks in Upper Dining Room/Main Seating showed up within 15 minutes of the VDR opening...)

;)

 

Brian -

 

We also had this with great success on the Noordam this past summer.

 

Our tablemates showed up within 15 minutes of everyone else... but we are also not big on sitting and ordering right away anyway - we like to chat and perhaps order a cocktail and see what everyone else was up to that day...

 

How often (in our day-to-day lives ) do we have the opportunity for such a relaxing experience??? :confused:

[O2B@C]

I must say that this is the most precise, and certainly the clearest, statement of how I feel that I've seen articulated by someone else on this board. WELL SAID!

 

... your statement really needs the added attention that physical mail will generate. It probably will not make it to SK, but it will make it to a mid-to-upper-level executive.

 

Send it!

:)

Or I will!

 

Thanks for your very kind words - I'm blushing! :o

 

Frankly, since I have only one HAL cruise booked and have not entirely paid for it yet, I think this would all carry much more weight coming from you! So, you have my permission - nay, my heartfelt encouragement - to borrow whatever language you want to from my post, and incorporate it in any communications with HAL that you believe will be effective. GO FOR IT! :D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I am glad to see that the Traditional Dining is leading. I want and definitely prefer Tradtional Dining. I just think that there might be a way to offer other alternatives other than going to the Lido. This should be a good poll for HALL in Seattle to take a look at. What I am surprised at are how many of you that enjoyed the Leisure Dining. I was very open when we went into it last year just like I am about the Dine As You Wish but found we did not like it at all. We will most likely request a table for two if we encounter this again.

It will be interesting to say the least what HAL will decided but maybe we have given them a bit more to chew on over this weekend;)

[JBWNJ]

We vote for traditional. If we want to pick our own time we can go to the Lido or have room service, although we have never done that on HAL.

[RuthC]

Ditto - Tho I think that the relaxed seating times we experienced on Noordam recently worked fairly well, don't you?

Yes, I do. We were able to hold our arrival back just long enough for the crowd to clear. It was as close as we'll ever come to the old 2-sittings.

One thing that made it work so well for us, though, is that the twelve of us were travelling together. When one person did come a bit late she was brought in line with the rest of us easily.

I don't know a single soul on my next cruise. There are a few folks on the Roll-Call board, but only one is so much as an infrequent poster on this board. I don't know any of the others.

I strongly suspect that the Leisure Dining concept would play out differently if it were to be in place on this upcoming cruise.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Thanks for your very kind words - I'm blushing! :o

 

Frankly, since I have only one HAL cruise booked and have not entirely paid for it yet, I think this would all carry much more weight coming from you! So, you have my permission - nay, my heartfelt encouragement - to borrow whatever language you want to from my post, and incorporate it in any communications with HAL that you believe will be effective. GO FOR IT! :D

 

Believe it or not, it's really better coming from you. HAL believes that it's already GOT Greg on their side. They're looking to get more people who either have not cruised at all or have cruised other lines.

 

So fire a letter off.:) It can't hurt.

[puddles'n splashes]

I too prefer traditional dining. I enjoy dining each evening with friends booked on the same cruise or with new found friends. The formal nights are also a plus with me, as there are too few opportunities these days to "dress up".

[RevNeal]

Believe it or not, it's really better coming from you. HAL believes that it's already GOT Greg on their side. They're looking to get more people who either have not cruised at all or have cruised other lines.

 

So fire a letter off.:) It can't hurt.

 

O2B@C, Heather is correct. Their actions and words over the past few years have proven to us that HAL management takes those of us who are long-time Mariners entirely for granted. They don't believe that if they piss us off we'll leave, and even if they do they really don't care. They figure that a large percentage of us will be dead in 10 years, so we don't matter (of course, if nature is kind to me I'll still be cruising in 2050 ... but, at the pace things are changing it WON'T be on HAL). To put it simply, a letter from me will not receive nearly as much attention as one from you. Mine ... they'll file under "we'll get his money anyway." You ... they'll pay attention to because they really haven't gotten your money yet.