As You Wish Dining - Opinions, Comments and Discussions

[Two if by Sea]

GentlemanCruiser, I understand what you are saying and that is what I had thought, but that doesn't explain the current state of affairs. Why is the lower level traditional seating currently listed as "available" if they are saving the lower level for AYW Open Seating?

 

Just a few months ago when I signed up for this cruise, the LOWER level was listed as closed, and the UPPER level as "Waitlist". Now it seems to have reversed itself.

[Roz]

I agree that the HAL website is VERY misleading when it comes to dining availability. When doing my recent booking, the HAL website would seem to indicate that 3 fixed dining times were open, 1 was closed, and AYW was available. In reality, my options were 1 fixed time slot (Main Upper) and AYW.

 

Roz

[O2B@C]

I think all of the website confusion is just yet ANOTHER example of the fact that HAL's website people simply do NOT have their act together. The site is full of typos and outdated information. (There was another thread on this but it was months ago.) Just one example - Westerdam's "virtual tours" still show the Windstar Cafe and Internet Center, which have not existed since April 2007. Not to mention that the aerial photo of the ship itself dates from prior to the retrofit.

 

I suspect that the web application was programmed originally to show four dining slots, with the only available options for describing their status being "open," "waitlisted," and "closed." Then, when they switched to the AYW system, they added a fifth slot - "open seating" - but didn't add an option such as "unavailable" to describe the ones they were dropping.

 

They may have preserved the list of four fixed dining slots in case they decided to be flexible and assign fixed dining space on the lower level to accommodate demand on a particular sailing. If that's the case, I applaud them, since I have always been an advocate for the proposition that if AYW is going to work, the proportion of dining space allocated to open seating has to change from cruise to cruise depending on demand for traditional. BUT - the fact remains that they are doing a really DREADFUL job of explaining it, AND they appear to be trying to "steer" the demand into open seating (via TAs and waitlisting) instead of really responding to the demand.

 

Moreover the description of AYW on the website is misleading in several particulars, based on reports from people who have experienced it. Material in brown below is from HAL's website; blue is my comments.

 

As You Wish dining - the latest addition to Holland America's Signature of Excellence initiative - makes onboard dining more inviting with options to suit every taste. Guests will be able to choose a traditional pre-set seating and dining time or a flexible, open seating schedule in the Main Dining Room.... At the time of booking choose either flexible/open dining or classic pre-set dining time (early or main). [in truth, you often do not have that choice unless you book very early or are in a suite.] If you choose the flexible/open seating program, you may make reservations daily up to 4 p.m. - or simply walk up during dining hours. [in truth, it appears that unless you call at 8 a.m., you cannot get reservations - and even if you do call early, you can only reserve at off-peak hours.]

[AnitaE403]

A cynic would wonder if HAL has asked that open seating be pushed---or at least defaulted to. A real cynic would wonder if there's a little something in it for the :rolleyes: TA to "forget".

 

I work in a cruise only travel agency. I can assure you that HAL doesn't push open seating, nor do they ask us to and there certainly isn't a "little something in it" for the travel agency.

 

HAL tested open dining last year and it was well received by the people who tried it. Which is why they decided to roll it out fleet wide. They are simply trying to give people more options and find ways to please everyone.

 

I haven't tried "As You Wish" yet, but look forward to trying it on my upcoming SA cruise on the Rotterdam.

 

Anita

[Cruising-along]

When we booked our upcoming cruise with our PCC at HAL, we had to ask her to put us down for AYW dining. She certainly wasn't pushing it, she hadn't even suggested it.

[hammybee]

Roz, I appreciate this tid bit. I will place a call to my TA on Monday.

 

I wonder more and more why HAL has opted to change things. Undoubtedly there must have been some interest by the public which is perplexing since most of the opinions I've read on CC seem to point to the fact that the majority of HAL diehards prefer the traditional style of preset dining times. Perhaps we're all part of an experiment of sorts...the good news is that it's all taking place on board a cruise ship and that can't be all bad (she said, putting on her optimist hat.:rolleyes:)

 

Captain John Scott told us that almost a million passengers are sailing with HAL, each year. It has been said that this board represents about 1-2 percent of all people, who sail with HAL. So it stands to reason that those inclined to frequent this message board would be more inclined to not embrace change.

 

Given the historical bru ha-ha about the a surcharge alternative restuarant, the VISTA class, the introduction of auto tips and more causal evenings, it is obvious that many on this board like things the way they were.

[hammybee]

HAL is holding back space for potential group bookings, deluxe suite passenger preferences and top producing travel agencies and such agencies are not the ones with a huge internet presence.

[hammybee]

As many know, RCL still handles tipping the old fashioned way. To participate in the RCL Open Seating dinner plan, one must also now participate in auto tips, for the obvious reasons.

 

So they are fighting a double bubble with the RCL traditionalists.

[ldog]

Our docs arrived for our Statendam cruise in Feb. We are waitlisted for traditional Main. I hope that clears. We have enjoyed all of our tablemates. It makes sense to me that before the cruise they go through the reservations and make enough room for traditionalists and leave the rest for AYW.

 

Yes, it's a bit of work but why can't we have what we want? sigh.

[caribbean girl]

Just got e-mail from our TA. We are waitlisted for Late Dining and, until we clear the wait list, we will be seated at Open. However, our TA also said that when he called HAL, they said we can choose a set time with the Maitre D' when we board and change that also, if we decide we like Open better. This almost makes no sense...why not just give us a set time NOW, instead of having us check the waiting list situation or choose a time when we board?:confused: Ugh... I've decided just not to worry about this right now and hope for the best. Thanks, everyone, for your imput.

[SeaRay48]

Today I booked a March 2009 cruise on the Zuiderdam with my TA. She told me that she could not confirm my dining option for the same table same time dining, although the HAL website indicates that all dining options are available. I would have to make my request when I go on board the ship. I think maybe I should have booked directly with HAL and maybe I would have been able to confirm my request.

[O2B@C]

Today I booked a March 2009 cruise on the Zuiderdam with my TA. She told me that she could not confirm my dining option for the same table same time dining, although the HAL website indicates that all dining options are available. I would have to make my request when I go on board the ship. I think maybe I should have booked directly with HAL and maybe I would have been able to confirm my request.

 

My sympathy. But I think your TA is misinformed, and/or is misunderstanding what you want, and/or is not being aggressive enough. This far in advance, with the website showing available, she should at least be able to get you on the waiting list for traditional dining. It should not matter, for this purpose, whether you book with a TA or directly with HAL.

 

Perhaps the problem is that you requested one of the dining times in the lower dining room? Those are - confusingly - still listed on the website, and sometimes they say "available," but in fact the lower dining room is actually dedicated (for the most part, anyway) to open seating. If your TA asks for an assignment to one of the traditional dining times in the UPPER dining room, she should be able to get it, or at least get you waitlisted - particularly if you are willing to take either early or late as long as you get a fixed time. You certainly should not have to wait until you get on the ship to request traditional dining. By that time, it will probably be too late.

 

On the other hand, if your TA gets things straight, and pushes, and still can't get you at least a waitlist spot for traditional dining, over a year in advance, then I think HAL has really blown it. This is no way to treat people - and it is certainly NOT "as you wish"! :mad:

[hammybee]

On the other hand, if your TA gets things straight, and pushes, and still can't get you at least a waitlist spot for traditional dining, over a year in advance, then I think HAL has really blown it. This is no way to treat people - and it is certainly NOT "as you wish"! :mad:

 

I agree. No way could both early and late fixed seating be filled 14 months into the future. I hope this is just a breakdown in communication.

 

Sea Ray, please come back and let us know.

[Alexat2]

(above in bold added by this poster)

 

Doesn't sound like it's as I wish. How does HAL dare call it As You Wish if I am assigned something I don't wish?

 

If I can't be confirmed to late, fixed seating then it's a deal-breaker for that sailing. HAL has the responsibility to make that arrangement up front so I can make the best booking for me.

 

 

:mad: I absolutely agree - I too just found out I've been relegated to open seating for dinner. I loath and despise open seating at dinner - THAT'S WHY I CHOSE HAL (and I DON't saile Oceania or NCL or....) - they're supposed to be a traditional cruise line. This is a real deal breaker for me. I sail alone and I like to have dinner with the same people every night - That's part of the "cruise" experience. I've made some great friends over the years that I wouldn't have met any other way. I also don't like having to repeate my entire life story with strangers 3 times a day during the whole cruise, twice is bad enough - especially since I'm usually on board for 4 weeks or longer. My only other choice is dining alone - which sucks. I have no choice but to go on the cruise Mar. 1 on the Statendam - but I can definately still cancel my Sept. cruise on the Veendam.

[gentlemancruiser]

Alexat2

I'm with you all the way. We didn't find out that we were "assigned" open seating on the Oosterdam until out doc's arrived on December 21st. Since that then I've been trying to get switched to assigned late seating. As a result of this situation we are no longer speaking with out TA, and we've told HAL this is our 5th and final cruise. Last week I called guest relations to see if there was any chance of booking traditional seating for a baltic cruise we'd planned to take in June on the Rotterdam, the answer was a simple no, but just check once you are on board.... To that I said, "We'll book with Cunard" and then I hung up the phone.

 

I prefer tradtional seating and that's exactly why we like HAL and Celebrity. The Oosterdam will be our 13th cruise, and every cruise we've taken so far we've had traditional late seating when dining. It's what we like, we go to the dining room to eat, not make new friends, we already have enough friends.

Unfortunately I have to work so I cannot book cruises 14 to 18 months in advance which you need to do to be guaranteed the traditional seating, and we cannot afford to always book the suites.

 

 

 

:mad: I absolutely agree - I too just found out I've been relegated to open seating for dinner. I loath and despise open seating at dinner - THAT'S WHY I CHOSE HAL (and I DON't saile Oceania or NCL or....) - they're supposed to be a traditional cruise line. This is a real deal breaker for me. I sail alone and I like to have dinner with the same people every night - That's part of the "cruise" experience. I've made some great friends over the years that I wouldn't have met any other way. I also don't like having to repeate my entire life story with strangers 3 times a day during the whole cruise, twice is bad enough - especially since I'm usually on board for 4 weeks or longer. My only other choice is dining alone - which sucks. I have no choice but to go on the cruise Mar. 1 on the Statendam - but I can definately still cancel my Sept. cruise on the Veendam.

[bUU]

To that I said, "We'll book with Cunard" and then I hung up the phone.

This is really good for both sides. You get the cruising experience you want, and CCL still gets your business.

[ldog]

We had been waitlisted for Traditional Main on our upcoming cruise. I spoke with out TA and he called HAL and they, reluctantly, have confirmed us with traditional. I can understand them wanting to keep flexibility but is that worth upsetting the guests?

[bUU]

Depending on how things are, it perhaps isn't a matter of "upsetting guests" but rather determining which guests to please and which guests to upset. Nothing ever works out perfectly -- and surely those wanting AYW versus traditional will never perfectly match any discrete, contextually-appropriate division of the dining room between the two.

[Stakeout]

we just booked on the Noordam for Jan '09 .. back to backs.. thru our TA two days ago.. got our table early traditional seating confirmed right away... don't want "AS You Hope" dining.. :D

[FinelyRetired]

:mad: I absolutely agree - I too just found out I've been relegated to open seating for dinner. I loath and despise open seating at dinner - THAT'S WHY I CHOSE HAL (and I DON't saile Oceania or NCL or....) - they're supposed to be a traditional cruise line. This is a real deal breaker for me. I sail alone and I like to have dinner with the same people every night - That's part of the "cruise" experience. I've made some great friends over the years that I wouldn't have met any other way. I also don't like having to repeate my entire life story with strangers 3 times a day during the whole cruise, twice is bad enough - especially since I'm usually on board for 4 weeks or longer. My only other choice is dining alone - which sucks. I have no choice but to go on the cruise Mar. 1 on the Statendam - but I can definately still cancel my Sept. cruise on the Veendam.

 

Please call HAL and speak to a supervisor. This is first and foremost a safety concern for us solo gals. Traditional dining provides a "safety net" in that someone will miss you earlier if you've had a problem in a Port & miss the ship. Otherwise, it could be Noon the next day before your cabin steward notices.

 

Have always told my tablemates if I wont be at dinner on a night, they do the same. For that reason. Traditional dining is the only way I feel safe cruising alone.

[Opinions]

Please call HAL and speak to a supervisor. This is first and foremost a safety concern for us solo gals. Traditional dining provides a "safety net" in that someone will miss you earlier if you've had a problem in a Port & miss the ship. Otherwise, it could be Noon the next day before your cabin steward notices.

 

.

 

If someone misses the ship it will be noticed at the check-in where cruisers reboard...That's one of the uses of the cruise cards...Hopefully it would be noticed long before dinner time.

[cruz chic]

If someone misses the ship it will be noticed at the check-in where cruisers reboard...That's one of the uses of the cruise cards...Hopefully it would be noticed long before dinner time.

 

You would think that. Once I was on a cruise and they came to the dinner table asking if (my name) was at the table. I said yes, that's me. He told me that my card hadn't registered when I got back on the ship. I've heard them page passangers before when they don't appear to be on the ship before it leaves. Didn't hear a peep.

[watersprite]

I hope this option does not spread. We love having the same service crew. On the Sapphire Princess Feb 14 2008 sailing we are waitlisted for early and late seating--200 people are on the list for one set seating and 100 for the other. Doesnt' this tell Princess many of us want to be in comfort and love having our preferences remembered!

 

we do extra tip our staff, please let us get something going on why we like fixed seating

[RuthC]

If someone misses the ship it will be noticed at the check-in where cruisers reboard...That's one of the uses of the cruise cards...Hopefully it would be noticed long before dinner time.

There are also more serious safety concerns after one is back aboard. Martha's safety issue is valid.

[FinelyRetired]

There are also more serious safety concerns after one is back aboard. Martha's safety issue is valid.

 

You're right, Ruth. There are many other serious ( and equally valid) safety concerns after one is back onboard. Thanks for reminding us.

 

Martha