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

[Krazy Kruizers]

I voted for Traditional. DH takes far too many medications andif we should find ourselves in a situation where we have to wait hours for dinner, that would screw up everything for him.

 

Should we ever get on a ship and find that we have been switched to anything but traditional, we would be eating in the Lido and that would be the end of HAL.

[The Tsar]

Traditional!

 

If someone wants something else - Let them go somewhere else!:mad:

[lizf]

We like freestyle or "as you like" dining. We don't always want to eat at precisely the same time each day depending on the days activities or tours. Mostly we like as early as possible, but if we want to have a drink and some of those delicious hot snacks at the bar before hand we will wait an extra half hour before we dine. Some days we gobble our food and leave to go to an activity, and some days we want to chat and sit at the table longer and relish a good (read that GREAT) meal, so you can do both this way.

 

Someone said earlier in the thread, that as long as others want to eat at different times, and they don't want a set table :confused:, let them eat in the Lido. Who said we didn't want a set table or didn't enjoy theme nights? We like all of it. I want a set table, theme nights, good HAL food, etc. We really like the dining room best, it is just that we don't always do exactly the same thing every night. Flexibility is what we like.

 

Not trying to vote against anyone here. I can see both sides. But if I have a choice for us, then this is what we prefer. We don't want to leave HAL or anything of that kind. Also hope none of the others of you do, just give us our pick and this is what we'd pick. Thanks for the opportunity to vote.

[sab490]

Traditional!

 

If someone wants something else - Let them go somewhere else!:mad:

 

Don't hold back Tsar! Tell us how you REALLY feel! :D

[sab490]

I am not surprised at the results so far. After all, we are all (at least most of us) fans of what HAL has always been. I would think one of the reasons for adding an "as you wish" option would be to differentiate the HAL experience from Celebrity which seems to be the most similar of the other mass market lines. I am sure that a certain percentage of "X" loyalists would appreciate a more flexible dining option and may be willing to give HAL a try. I just hope that we don't see a backlash of HAL people abandoning the DAM ships for the more traditional X experience.

[babba]

I chose 'As You Wish" dining even though I prefer "Traditional" if I can choose my set time as well as my table size. I have not been fortunate in getting my requests fulfilled on previous cruises. So I am "stuck" dining at a time I really don't want.

[seniormiss]

I am taking my first HAL cruise next month, have been on 8 or 9 other cruises on other lines, always traditional dining.

 

I am still confused about what the difference is between "anytime dining", "freestyle dining" or "as you wish dining" they all sound quite the same to me.

My daughter and her family were on the Oosterdam last month and had anytime dining which they loved mainly because they were traveling with a 3 year old and it worked out fine. They never had to wait and the service was wonderful.

 

Just received my docs and it looks like I have early, lower dining with a window of 30 minutes. this sounds fine to me. Would that be considered traditional dining?

 

I don't think I would ever cancel a cruise or not cruise on a line because of the dining. Eating is an important part of a cruise, but there are other things that I think are more important.

 

From reading this board I think lots of HAL people are very traditional and do not care for any kind of change!!

DON'T KILL ME for saying that pleeeeze.

[Opinions]

I wouldn't say I would never consider anything except traditional 'set-time and table' dining because I do plan to sail on Oceania and/or another luxury line which has seating for all pax at one time and this is called 'Dine Anytime You Wish' on these premium lines.

 

I don't believe Oceania has seating for all at one time...Am I wrong?

[HeatherInFlorida]

Well, it's all in how you look at it I guess because I see it as an absolute LANDSLIDE for traditional. Over 60% is generally called a landslide. And when you factor in the percentage that don't know/don't care, we're left with a tiny percentage preferring "As You Wish".

 

Gizmo is absolutely right. We cruise to get away from it ALL!!! That includes getting away from worrying about what time do we want to eat, shall we make a reservation, what time might there be a line/not be a line, shall we dine alone or eat with others, will the friends we like want to eat at the same time as us and on and on. We go on vacation to avoid all that.

 

Very often it's people who think they don't care who end up caring once they experience it.

 

I agree with Peaches and I should not have said "never". I should have said never in this particular venue. I, too, am considering Oceania for our next European adventure. But I think that falls into another category altogether because it's all they do ... like Windstar where we were perfectly happy with unassigned times and seating. What we're looking at here is a mishmash all thrown together haphazardly.

 

If I hear one more time that I must accept change, that it's the wave of the future, etc., etc., I'll probably explode. Because it doesn't have to change if it's not a wise change. I'm all for change when it's an improvement and makes sense. But change just to try to make everyone happy who might cross that gangplank doesn't make sense.

 

There will always be someone left unhappy and it might possibly be me ... and that's okay because there are other choices out there. It's a great country:) .

[Tinknock50]

Where did the 60% figure come from? Can you give me a link to that survey?

 

Unless you mean 60% of the posters here. That doesn't factor in the lurkers on CC that don't like to get into arguments on this hot topic.

(I have talked to some privately during the first experiment last November. After posting how well it worked for them and getting flamed, they stopped posting on the topic.)

 

It also doesn't factor into the total number of past HAL cruisers that might not even know Cruise Critic exists.

 

Would be nice if we would have access to HAL surveys and comment cards so we could make informed posts about who prefers what.

[Copper10-8]

...........If I hear one more time that I must accept change, that it's the wave of the future, etc., etc., I'll probably explode......

 

Can you maybe give us a 15 minute to an hour warning when you feel that urge coming up so that we can get the Bomb Squad rolling your way?;)

[Copper10-8]

WSOD Gremlins

[Tinknock50]

Copper .....how did you get the double posts? Did you forget about back button twice and then refresh?

 

I did notice that your post wasn't showing up....I feel your pain!

[Tinknock50]

Can you maybe give us a 15 minute to an hour warning when you feel that urge coming up so that we can get the Bomb Squad rolling your way?;)

 

Not to mention the mop and bucket....what a mess!

[fsalzer]

I am still confused about what the difference is between "anytime dining", "freestyle dining" or "as you wish dining" they all sound quite the same to me.

My daughter and her family were on the Oosterdam last month and had anytime dining which they loved mainly because they were traveling with a 3 year old and it worked out fine. They never had to wait and the service was wonderful.

 

As You Wish Dining is HAL's dining style comparable to Princess' Personal Choice Dining.

 

"Anytime dining" is Princess' Personal Choice option for open dining and is comparable to As You Wish Dining's open-dining option. As You Wish Dining has two options---traditional fixed dining and open dining.

 

Personal Choice Dining

http://www.princess.com/answer/dining.html

 

We experienced As You Wish Dining's open-dining option with no waiting and excellent service. We prefer open dining and will likely cruise again with HAL once As You Wish Dining is permanently in place.

[url=http://www.princess.com/answer/dining.html][/url]

 

Fred

[Atomica]

I love traditional dining, but I also appreciate the flexibility that a dine as you wish concept could provide. I could go either way.

 

But I would absolutely NOT stop cruising HAL, even if this system was put in place fleetwide. I just can't give up all the other wonderful things I love and enjoy about HAL because of one thing that I may dislike.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Where did the 60% figure come from? Can you give me a link to that survey?

 

Unless you mean 60% of the posters here. That doesn't factor in the lurkers on CC that don't like to get into arguments on this hot topic.

....................

 

Obviously I'm referring only to the poll which was reading 60% when I posted. Lisa posted that there was not an overwhelming landslide "vote" for traditional dining and I was simply disagreeing. She was referring to this poll. I am referring to this poll.

 

BTW, lurkers do vote in polls. You can vote in this poll and not post. As you can see not everyone who voted posted. Currently 184 people have voted in this poll. There are only 65 posts and several of them are made by the same people.

 

As far as people who don't express their opinions, obviously I can't address that. It's just a poll ... nothing more:).

 

Can you maybe give us a 15 minute to an hour warning when you feel that urge coming up so that we can get the Bomb Squad rolling your way?

 

I sure can! And I will!:D

[bepsf]

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 ...

 

SK had better wise up and remember that he should be nice to us Mariners - after all, we often make up more than half the passenger compliment of his sailings, particularly the cruises longer than 7 days...

I'm only 41 and I plan on cruising for a good long time yet. I've brought other friends to HAL who have never cruised before and enjoyed HAL so much that they won't consider another line. Plus I've just learned today that my parents (who have never been on a cruise) have decided on a nice long cruise on HAL - a B2B from Seattle via Alaska to NYC!

If HAL hadn't kept me satisfied, M&D might be sailing with NCL, X or Princess - but mess things up by turning HAL into NCL and SK will have them, my friends and myself looking elsewhere.

[bepsf]

I wouldn't say I would never consider anything except traditional 'set-time and table' dining because I do plan to sail on Oceania and/or another luxury line which has seating for all pax at one time and this is called 'Dine Anytime You Wish' on these premium lines.

 

The big difference in Oceania and HAL/NCL/Princess is that Oceania's 3 ships were all built to accomodate 100% of the passenger compliment at one time - so it doesn't matter if/when you show up as there will never be a wait for a seat.

However, if everyone showed up at the same time on HAL/NCL or Princess, 1/2 the passengers would have to wait for a seat or go elsewhere (...like the Lido or Room Service)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Heather currently 41% either want Dine As You Wish or Do Not Care. Yes, 59% of the 188 that have voted want only Traditional, but many that said they voted for Traditional also commented they would try the Dine As You Wish. Yes, I agree the favored vote is toward Traditional but what I was saying is it is not an over whelming land slide, now if it was 85% Traditional and 15% that wanted the Dine As You Wish or Simply did not care I would consider that a land slide. Unfortunately right now HAL could easily interrupt this poll to show a need of the Dine As You Wish.

[Seago2]

I like developing a relationship with the waiters and a more formal dinner setting, but I hate getting trapped at a table with people who I don't jive with... I usually travel with a large family group so it is usually not an issue. I like meeting people but after ten days I am ready to scream!

[O2B@C]

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.

 

OK. Will do my best!

[kryos]

I like developing a relationship with the waiters and a more formal dinner setting, but I hate getting trapped at a table with people who I don't jive with... I usually travel with a large family group so it is usually not an issue. I like meeting people but after ten days I am ready to scream!

I hear this often ... and I don't understand it. How can you possibly get stuck with people you don't jive with? Just ask to be moved. The matri 'd will accommodate you. I've done it and had no problem at all.

 

But, as someone else on this thread stated, there are certainly plenty of people who like "As You Wish" dining, and there is definitely no landslide on this poll for traditional. Personally, I think the only reason HAL is experimenting with this is because lots of people in the past have commented on their evaluation forms that they wish the dining were more flexible.

 

We can take polls and debate as long as we want. I think the bottom line is that at least part of HAL's fleet will eventually be exclusively on "Dine as You Wish," and there's really nothing we can do about it. If you think about it honestly, a flexible dining strategy is absolutely perfect for the shorter port-intensive cruises in that it allows people to dine at different hours each day, depending upon port times.

 

My only hope is that they isolate it to those cruises alone ... and the ships that generally do them.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[RevNeal]

I fully agree with Lisa that it's a little too soon to start worrying about HAL doing away with "traditional dining" on all thirteen of her dam ships. If that time were to come sometime in the future, we'll deal with it then:) In the mean time we'll continue to worry about how to combat and bring to justice blatant booze on board smugglers, felonious dress code violators, irritating chair hogs, hazmat baby diapers in hot tubs and, least but not last, those rascals that continue to affix bungee cords to their balcony doors in order to keep them open during the night! We know who you are!! You can run but you cannot hide!!;)

 

ABSOLUTELY! Death to 'em all!!!!

LOL ;) :D <evil grin>

[PRINSENDAM]

The big difference in Oceania and HAL/NCL/Princess is that Oceania's 3 ships were all built to accomodate 100% of the passenger compliment at one time - so it doesn't matter if/when you show up as there will never be a wait for a seat.

 

However, if everyone showed up at the same time on HAL/NCL or Princess, 1/2 the passengers would have to wait for a seat or go elsewhere (...like the Lido or Room Service)

 

 

Hi Brian,

 

If I'm not mistaken, the Oceana ships can only handly everyone at 'one sitting' if they include the two alternate restaurants. The main dining room cannot handle everyone at a single sitting.

 

On the PACIFIC PRINCESS two sittings were necessary and if I'm not mistaken, Princess do not run those ships on the 'anytime dining' system.... at least they didn't in 2002 when I was aboard.

 

Saga Rose and Saga Ruby can handle everyone at a single sitting. Their dining rooms are very large but seem almost intimate.

 

Stephen