HAL Formaly introduces "as you wish dining"

[Peggy Sue]

We enjoyed our cruise on Princess last December ... we opted for Anytime dining .. We enjoyed anytime dining ....and offer a few observations about the process..

 

A 7-night cruise with 3000+ passengers - We ate in the dining room 3 evenings between 6:30 - 7 .. no wait and plenty of tables available for all party sizes. We ate in their specialty venues two nights and rounded out our dining in the Lido 3 nights. We spoke with many fellow passengers who mixed up where and when they ate as well ..Never heard anyone complain about having to wait for a table. We enjoyed the flexibility to come and go as we pleased ...to linger or speed up dining according to what our plans were for the evening. We opted to dine at tables for 2 ..and we never had problems securing this table size.

 

We did end the cruise feeling a bit odd ...when we discussed who we would like to consider for giving an additional tip ...we honestly could not come up with anyone from the dining room ...not that we didn't receive good service ...just that we never saw the same team twice ..wouldn't know how to find them if we tried ...That really felt strange to us, as we do enjoy getting to know the staff in the dining room ..yes, we spoke with every team, and we did tip at the end of the evening in the alternate dining rooms, but really felt bad that we couldn't remember the wait staff ..so we opted to bump up our daily automated tip amount and hoped they benefited.

 

We're traveling with a group of 14 this November ..we all booked early and have opted for traditional dining early seating...because we fear anytime with large parties will be harder to deal with, plus the dinner experience is a time we can all come together at the end of busy port days.

 

Hope HAL's new program works well for all!!

 

Peggy

[barbon2]

Since we are seeing more and more "anytime" dining from all of the lines, it is my opinion that before we know it, all ships will only offer anytime dining. I think that by offering both for now, the cruiselines are slowly transitioning the passengers to this concept. I am assuming within the next few years we will not have the option of traditional dining.

Barbara

[sail7seas]

I agree, Barbara.

.

 

[bepsf]

As You Wish dining will be introduced on the Holland America Line

ships with the following sailings:

5/23/08 ms Prinsendam

 

How the heck do they expect to implement this nonsense on Prinsendam?!?!

 

I daresay the Grand Voyage/World Cruise passengers are NOT going to like this either - Just watch them run for Cunard...

[bepsf]

I am assuming within the next few years we will not have the option of traditional dining.

Barbara

 

That being the case, HAL/CCL could then safely assume that I will no longer cruise.

(Yes, having a set table at a set time with a defined set of tablemates and waitstaff is that important to me - otherwise it's no better than dining ashore.)

[Oceanwench]

As a dedicated HAL fan, I've never experienced any type of freestyle dining.

I like traditional dining and enjoy having the same table, tablemates and servers throughout my cruise.

 

We brought our daughters on their first HAL cruise in 2005 and plan to take them on HAL again in the near future. They and their boyfriends -- all in their 20s -- really enjoyed the traditional dining.

One of the girls went on NCL last year and the first thing she mentioned, when she was telling me of her experience, was how much she did not like freestyle dining!

She's 26 and sold on HAL -- she even convinced her in-laws to try HAL, and they are sailing to Alaska this summer!

[O2B@C]

On Saturday, 7/14, I booked an April 5th 2008 10 day cruise on the Ryndam with a confirmed 6:15 (lower dining room) early seating. Today I opened up an e-mail document from HAL showing my reservation information with the dining section blank.

When I called to enquire about this I was told about the new "any time dining" and that the lower dining room was to be used solely for this purpose. I was also informed that the "early traditional dining time (now 5:45 and in the upper dining room) was completely booked by a large group. Thus we were denied both our confirmed traditional dining time and place. We were left with a choice of the late traditional or the "any time dining".

And this is all for a cruise almost 9 months away. I wonder how the "large group" got wind of the change that just was announced and scoffed up all the early traditional seating! Not even having a deluxe suite (booked to celebrate a very special birthday) could get us on a wait list.

 

Congratulations, Puli! You have managed to combine the two most popular thread themes from the last 6 months into one post! :D Now if you could just work in something about unruly kids and dress code violations ....

 

Seriously, the as-you-wish dining and the large group bookings are bad enough as separate issues, but as this post demonstrates, the combination of the two is a recipe for disaster. Obviously Puli is not getting "as you wish" dining - what Puli "wishes" is early traditional seating - possibly the most popular choice in general (though I prefer late) - and because of the large group, it is simply not going to be available to anyone on this particular cruise, unless they are in the privileged "group". "As you wish" indeed! Bah, humbug!

[fsalzer]

I would think that's one reason people use the AYW on other lines--they don't want to be seated with people they don't know.

 

We like the open seating options on Princess, HAL and Oceania because many times we want to be seated with people we don't know. We can also dine with our new-found friends at a mutually agreeable time.

 

Fred

[Dbedros]

Many pax found a table they liked the first night and then booked it at a specified time for the entire cruise. (Some just a booked a reserved time for the entire cruise--sounds like traditional dining to me--except pax choose the time.) Now that's great for those who acted quickly, BUT there were MANY unhappy guests who had to wait in line or with beepers, for tables that entire cruise! I understood after the first night or two, you couldn't reserve a specific time--all taken.

If you like to eat very early, there were no problems but after 7:00--major waits. Unfortunately on Princess, the room service menu is quited limited also.

This does happen on Princess, but we found on our last cruise that if you go to another dining room that there usually was not a wait. Sometimes the Matre'd would suggest it. I also think that perhaps the size of the ship affects how efficiently AYW works. On our Oceania cruises we never waited more than a couple of minutes while the Matre'd ascertained what tables were free.

What there's always been--the Lido, The Pinnacle, or room service. Now that the Lido has tablecloths and waiters in the evening, with a very similar menu (I know--no lobster), it's a very nice atmosphere. We dined there one evening on our Volendam cruise to avoid the theatrical spectacular that was going on in the main DR that evening.

We ate in Lido most of of the time on one of our cruises and it is nice, but it is hard to just join a table with others.

Those who prefer fixed seating WANT the same table mates, servers, etc. The Lido is much more in line with what the AYW crowd prefers...

What the Lido does give us (AYW crowd) is flexibility in too early (5:45 & 6:15) or too late (8:15 & 8:30) dining times, but is not what we prefer.

As a single diner on this upcoming cruise, will I get the stink eye in AYW when I'm led to a table of strangers who are most likely dining together? I would think that's one reason people use the AYW on other lines--they don't want to be seated with people they don't know.

Diane, do not be concerned because AYW gives us flexibility in dining times plus the opportunity to meet different passengers each night or eat with those we have met during the day on the ship or in port. Just ask the Matre'd not to sit you with big groups traveling together. AYW dining tables are normally made up of those arriving at the about the same time to dine.

The two times I sailed Princess, I ended up at tables for eight in traditional with only two or three people at them. Everyone else had switched over to flexible dining.

We too found that in passing the traditional dining rooms that at the early seatings the room would have plenty of empty tables because of this.

As for people reserving the same table for the same time every night in flexible dining ... I'm sorry, but I don't think that should be permitted. You either want flexible or traditional ... you can't have both. Reserving the same table for the same time every night in effect means that you want traditional dining in the flexible dining room. I personally think you should only be able to make reservations in flexible for that day only. Then tomorrow, you have to call back and make reservations for that day. This way everyone gets a fair shot at the more "popular" tables.

What everyone appears to miss and the cruise lines have discovered is that alot of us would accept "Traditional" just not at the times offered. At one time the cruise lines offered later traditional times and probably changed them to earlier times due to there entertainment schedules. What we have with "Traditional" is the choice of eating earlier and going to the entertainment or going to bed with indigestion (late seatin) or going to bed late (also late seating) and be tired the next day. What "AYW" gives us is choices. We can choose to relax after a day of excursions prior to dining, go early and attend the entertainment, or eat late and sleep late because it is a sea day. [highlight]AYW TAKES NOTHING AWAY FROM THOSE THAT OPT FOR TRADITIONAL.[/highlight] I do not understand those that are opposed as they still get traditional and there are wait list now without AYW. I am just sorry that the Zaandam will not have changed by the time I sail.

[hammybee]

[ So, how is HAL, with no experience, going to avoid this situation with only one "Anytime Dining Room?" I certainly wouldn't want to be one of the passengers who are among the front line to experience Anytime. Good luck to you all. We will be waiting with bated breath to hear your experiences.[/b]

 

I chose AYW dining on the Noordam's 5/20 cruise. We did not make reservations and never waited for a table. As the cruise progressed, it became apparent that many in fixed seating abandoned it for the flexibility of AYW dining. The LIDO was also popular especially in the early evening with families with young kids and those who preferred to remain very casual.

 

The most obvious issue was that it was apparent that the crew had no idea when or where passengers were going to dine on any particular evening. How could they? We did not know.

 

I am thinking that since this cruise was, I think, only the 3rd sailing with AYW dining, the crew was still trying to get their arms around a pattern so that they could appropriately staff for the surge, where ever it was going to be on a particular evening. I also think passenger demographics can change the patterns, sailing to sailing.

[bepsf]

On Saturday, 7/14, I booked an April 5th 2008 10 day cruise on the Ryndam with a confirmed 6:15 (lower dining room) early seating. Today I opened up an e-mail document from HAL showing my reservation information with the dining section blank.

When I called to enquire about this I was told about the new "any time dining" and that the lower dining room was to be used solely for this purpose. I was also informed that the "early traditional dining time (now 5:45 and in the upper dining room) was completely booked by a large group. Thus we were denied both our confirmed traditional dining time and place. We were left with a choice of the late traditional or the "any time dining".

And this is all for a cruise almost 9 months away. I wonder how the "large group" got wind of the change that just was announced and scoffed up all the early traditional seating! Not even having a deluxe suite (booked to celebrate a very special birthday) could get us on a wait list.

 

I'd cancel and book Crystal or Cunard instead - and let HAL know in no uncertain terms why.

[RevNeal]

On Saturday, 7/14, I booked an April 5th 2008 10 day cruise on the Ryndam with a confirmed 6:15 (lower dining room) early seating. Today I opened up an e-mail document from HAL showing my reservation information with the dining section blank.

When I called to enquire about this I was told about the new "any time dining" and that the lower dining room was to be used solely for this purpose. I was also informed that the "early traditional dining time (now 5:45 and in the upper dining room) was completely booked by a large group. Thus we were denied both our confirmed traditional dining time and place. We were left with a choice of the late traditional or the "any time dining".

And this is all for a cruise almost 9 months away. I wonder how the "large group" got wind of the change that just was announced and scoffed up all the early traditional seating! Not even having a deluxe suite (booked to celebrate a very special birthday) could get us on a wait list.

 

This is precisely the kind of gymkhana that I'm afraid we'll be seeing more of with this new schedule. Large groups gobbling up the traditional time section, leaving everybody else stuck with As You Wish, even though for most of them it will most definitely NOT be what they wish.

 

In my opinion, unless it's a charter HAL should not allow a large group to take half (or more) of the traditional dining section. This is simply unfair to everybody else aboard the ship. A large group should be accommodated in the "As you Wish" section (particularly so since HAL is setting aside the larger portion of the Main Dining Room for As You wish). As a large group, they can easily be taken care of at the same time in the As You Wish section without having to unnecessarily inconvenience everybody else who wants traditional.

 

Seattle ... take note. You're going to lose a lot of people if you screw all of us who want traditional in situations like this. A LOT of us. Including me.

[hammybee]

This is simply unfair to everybody else aboard the ship. A large group should be accommodated in the "As you Wish" section (particularly so since HAL is setting aside the larger portion of the Main Dining Room for As You wish). As a large group, they can easily be taken care of at the same time in the As You Wish section without having to unnecessarily inconvenience everybody else who wants traditional.

 

Seattle ... take note. You're going to lose a lot of people if you screw all of us who want traditional in situations like this. A LOT of us. Including me.

 

In another thread, a poster had an email from HAL saying that they will be diverting large groups to AYW dining, going forward. This was done on the 6/17 sailing of the Noordam. In this case, it caused dissappointment for those that chose HAL/Noordam because it offered AYW dining.

[hammybee]

 

AYW TAKES NOTHING AWAY FROM THOSE THAT OPT FOR TRADITIONAL.[/u][/highlight] I do not understand those that are opposed as they still get traditional and there are wait list now without AYW. I am just sorry that the Zaandam will not have changed by the time I sail.[/b][/color]

 

AYW was, as I recently learned, only a one month experiment on the Oosterdam and implemented on the Noordam during the 2007 Alaskan season. The overwhelming number of negative posts are from posters who have not experienced it.

 

It is not too disimilar to the posts that were made ( interestingly by some of the same people) about the VISTA class ships, when first introduced. Some went so far to proclaim they would never sail VISTA class. Times change. They did. And almost all of them have had good experiences.

 

A few probably might still prefer to sail the old Noordam and play plumbing roulette on each and every cruise which towards the end of her run, is what is came down to, for most passengers.

 

I think many passengers will be pleased with AYW. Some will not. It will be hosed on some sails as traditional dining sometimes is. Some will love the food. Others will be dissappointed and tomorrow is another day. :)

[RevNeal]

In another thread, a poster had an email from HAL saying that they will be diverting large groups to AYW dining, going forward. This was done on the 6/17 sailing of the Noordam. In this case, it caused dissappointment for those that chose HAL/Noordam because it offered AYW dining.

 

If someone who wants AYW can't get it in the Main Dining Room, they can still get it in the Lido. If someone who wants Traditional can't get it in the Main Dining Room, they're out of luck because no other venue on the ship provides traditional.

 

In theory, ship-by-ship and cruise-by-cruise HAL could enable everyone who wants to have Traditional and everyone who wants to have AYW by making the arraignments elastic. If 75% of the passengers on any given cruise wants Traditional, they can use the lower level and part of the upper level to enable that, while making the AYW section on the upper level smaller. If, on the subsequent cruise, 40% of Traditional and 60% was AYW, they can use the upper level for Traditional and the Lower level for AYW and it should work fine. But ... that would make too much sense for bureaucrats to arrange.

[RevNeal]

Unfortunately looks like I'll be one of those "lucky" ones that get to be on the first sailing when the Rotterdam starts this new "experience" next Jan/Feb. I'm waitlisted for traditional late seating but have been told I should clear it with no problems (I'm within the top 20 on the list) so feeling more confident that I'll get what "I want" than I was a few weeks ago and was thinking about canceling the cruise so I didn't get stuck with the AYW option as a solo cruiser. However, I'm still concerned there could be impacts to the service etc in the Traditional Seating while they deal with the expected kinks in their first experience with this.

 

Ditto ... I'll be aboard that January 27th sailing of the Rotterdam, along with RuthC. This should be fun. :)

[RevNeal]

Since we are seeing more and more "anytime" dining from all of the lines, it is my opinion that before we know it, all ships will only offer anytime dining. I think that by offering both for now, the cruiselines are slowly transitioning the passengers to this concept. I am assuming within the next few years we will not have the option of traditional dining.

 

<Sigh>

Probably.

Which means I'll quit cruising solo

[RevNeal]

[highlight]AYW TAKES NOTHING AWAY FROM THOSE THAT OPT FOR TRADITIONAL.[/highlight] I do not understand those that are opposed as they still get traditional and there are wait list now without AYW. I am just sorry that the Zaandam will not have changed by the time I sail.

 

It takes quite a bit away from those who can't get Traditional.

 

It takes quite a bit away from Solo travelers who don't relish the idea of being footballed around the Dining Room from night to night, never knowing when they're going to eat, with whom, or where ... or if they'll have to wait for the staff to find others who are willing to let them sit with them (or will they have to sit alone?). We don't get the chance to build up a table-community, like we do under traditional assigned seating ... we have to make it ourselves, and without the assigned system to help. And, frankly, some solo travelers have trouble doing that. I'm an extravert and can make friends easily, but I don't like pushing myself on families or other groups when and where I'm not wanted. If everyone has assigned tables and times, the playing field is leveled between families, groups, and singles because everyone has to deal with the assigned table system. Under AYW, there is no such system or leveling of the field ... if you don't want some solo passenger eating with you, you don't have to have them at your table ... the solo traveler is locked out. While it might not happen often that a solo, or solos, are locked out of table groupings, it can still happen that solos end up sitting alone, or having to wait a while for a table to become available -- or for several solos to show up to make a table grouping of solos.

 

When I go to dinner the greeter usually says something like: "just one?" I usually look around myself, and then say "the last time I looked there was only one of me." They then look and look and look around the dining room for a small table, and will even make me wait for a while until a table for two becomes available rather than sitting me at a table for 4. Since dining space is at a premium aboard ship, this will happen to us.

[puli]

I'd cancel and book Crystal or Cunard instead - and let HAL know in no uncertain terms why.

 

I will be calling HAL tomorrow to either change the sailing date to one that can offer us our dining option and cabin selections of choice or canceling altogether.

 

We have sailed with HAL for 25+ years and the dining experience has always been one of the highlights of each cruise. We look forward to sharing meals with such interesting fellow passengers and equally as important being afforded the opportunity to enjoy the same wonderful wait staff throughout our cruise.

[O2B@C]

If someone who wants AYW can't get it in the Main Dining Room, they can still get it in the Lido. If someone who wants Traditional can't get it in the Main Dining Room, they're out of luck because no other venue on the ship provides traditional.

 

In theory, ship-by-ship and cruise-by-cruise HAL could enable everyone who wants to have Traditional and everyone who wants to have AYW by making the arraignments elastic. If 75% of the passengers on any given cruise wants Traditional, they can use the lower level and part of the upper level to enable that, while making the AYW section on the upper level smaller. If, on the subsequent cruise, 40% of Traditional and 60% was AYW, they can use the upper level for Traditional and the Lower level for AYW and it should work fine. But ... that would make too much sense for bureaucrats to arrange.

 

Amen, Reverend! I wrote a letter to Mr. Kruse saying almost exactly that. I did get a response, but it was basically a form letter saying thanks for your comments. We'll see - I think this will be an evolving situation, and maybe HAL will come around to seeing it the way you and I think they should. Anyway, I'm glad AYW isn't going to be in place yet for my Nov. W'dam cruise.

[RevNeal]

Amen, Reverend! I wrote a letter to Mr. Kruse saying almost exactly that. I did get a response, but it was basically a form letter saying thanks for your comments. We'll see - I think this will be an evolving situation, and maybe HAL will come around to seeing it the way you and I think they should. Anyway, I'm glad AYW isn't going to be in place yet for my Nov. W'dam cruise.

 

I'm not so confident. I tend to agree with some of the other remarks here that AYW, or some version of it, will become standard and Traditional will eventually vanish. Then ... 10 or 15 years from now ... HAL will try a new dining experiment ... a novel new idea where they have 2 dining times and assigned seating for passengers. What a great, innovated idea!!!!!!! :eek: :cool:

 

AYW isn't supposed to be in place on the Volendam for my Nov 3rd cruise, but I'm not holding my breath on that. The fleet phased in the new dress code early on many of the ships, so what's to keep them from phasing in the new dining schedule?

[gizmo]

I have my own "alternative" plan---when I travel alone I will either be confirmed traditional, main sitting or I won't book.

It's a deal-breaker for me.

 

 

Mr. Gizmo and I have the same plan. If we cannot get confirmed, Main (Upper) forget it. It is a deal breaker.

[Desdemona01]

I'm not so confident. I tend to agree with some of the other remarks here that AYW, or some version of it, will become standard and Traditional will eventually vanish. Then ... 10 or 15 years from now ... HAL will try a new dining experiment ... a novel new idea where they have 2 dining times and assigned seating for passengers. What a great, innovated idea!!!!!!! :eek: :cool:

 

AYW isn't supposed to be in place on the Volendam for my Nov 3rd cruise, but I'm not holding my breath on that. The fleet phased in the new dress code early on many of the ships, so what's to keep them from phasing in the new dining schedule?

 

Reverend Neal, I agree with everything you've said. We are on the cruise where AYW will begin on the Westerdam. Luckily, we have confirmed upper dining and, hopefully, will be able to avoid this *experience* for at least one more cruise. As others have stated so well, I can stand in line at the local Olive Garden. Part of the cruising experience, for us, is having the same time, table, table mates and servers each night. As a vegetarian, I preorder my dinner each night for the next night's meal--I'm sure that would work so well with AYW.....:rolleyes:

 

Count us as two more who will seek out other options if we cannot get confirmed traditional seating. We've been HAL-only cruisers from the start, partly because of traditional dining and some semblance of a dress code.

[sail7seas]

They told me on Maasdam that everyone who wants Traditional Dining will be assigned to it even if they need to use part of the lower level of the dining room to do it.

 

If they are flexible from cruise to cruise and accomodate each group of guests, it might be better than we expect. I imagine within a relatively short time period they will find a fairly consistent pattern. That an approximate percentage of guests will opt for Traditional vs. AYW. If they are willing/able to assign guests to their choice, it would be perfect but I don't know enough about dining room operation to know if that is practical or possible.

 

[GayleArc]

Sail, I was told exactly the same thing by Tom on our April cruise. The way we understood it was that if 70% wanted treditional on a cruise, they would tap into lower level. If on the next curise 70% want AYW they will tap into

the upper level, but everyone will get what they want. We can only hope.I stillfind it veru\y confusing. Gayle