Dining - fixed or open

Has anyone noticed any difference in the quality and speed of service between fixed seating and "as you wish" seating?

DD

Has anyone noticed any difference in the quality and speed of service between fixed seating and "as you wish" seating?

 

DD

p.s. - the term As You Wish includes both Fixed and Open. Any Time Dining is a better synonym for Open.

The workload on the stewards affects the speed of service more than anything else. If a given area is full, the service will be a little slower. Doesn't matter if it is traditional or open seating.

We have found that the stewards learn your preference (for faster serving, for example) and do their best to provide that, in both dining arrangements.

After probably 15 cruises, we are booked on a February cruise and find that fixed dining is already booked (8 months away!). So, we are faced with open dining. Are we going to find that on this 18-day cruise we will need to stand in lines waiting for a table? Also, we have enjoyed having the same table as our stewards rapidly learn our preferences and the thought of needing to have a different steward daily is not something we are looking forward to.

After probably 15 cruises, we are booked on a February cruise and find that fixed dining is already booked (8 months away!). So, we are faced with open dining. Are we going to find that on this 18-day cruise we will need to stand in lines waiting for a table? Also, we have enjoyed having the same table as our stewards rapidly learn our preferences and the thought of needing to have a different steward daily is not something we are looking forward to.

That is the exact reason why we always reserve fixed dining, always late seating. We love having our favorite beverages waiting for us when we sit down, a basket of our favorite rolls, and a waiter who knows how I like my steaks, when to bring two of them, and providing us a sampling of all deserts each evening. You may be able to get that in open seating if you take the extra time to reserve a specific table, but that is still no guarantee you will get it. Open seating is called that for a reason. The only time we have experienced slow service in fixed dining is when a large group was onboard, and the matre'd would fill in the unused tables in fixed with open seating from the group. That would cause the waiters to have to deal with guests they knew nothing about, and they would wait until the tables were full before taking orders and serving. It did lengthen the service.

It depends on the cruise length and the port or sea day.

By reserving the same tables in Open seating, you can have the best of both worlds of dining. We do it all the time.

After probably 15 cruises, we are booked on a February cruise and find that fixed dining is already booked (8 months away!). So, we are faced with open dining. Are we going to find that on this 18-day cruise we will need to stand in lines waiting for a table? Also, we have enjoyed having the same table as our stewards rapidly learn our preferences and the thought of needing to have a different steward daily is not something we are looking forward to.

You may want to check to see if there is a large group booked for your cruise. Last Feb. we did a B2B and found to our surprise that the second week the MDR was closed for late dining to anyone not a part of a 1200 member group onboard. No advanced warning. We showed up at our usual 8:15 time at the beginning of our second week for anytime dining and that's when we found out. There were other guests who had made reservations for that time frame who also found out when they presented themselves at the MDR.

It might not be an issue if you are on a full 18-day cruise, but if you are on B2B itineraries you might want to check. We usually book late fixed and it was waitlisted when we booked.

If we have alot of ports, especially with late boarding times, we go with open. Otherwise we go for Fixed Early.

By reserving the same tables in Open seating, you can have the best of both worlds of dining. We do it all the time.

Same here. We will usually reserve a table after we've found a location and serving team we like. Sometimes that's right away, sometimes it may take a few nights.

Are we going to find that on this 18-day cruise we will need to stand in lines waiting for a table?

After probably 15 cruises, we are booked on a February cruise and find that fixed dining is already booked (8 months away!). So, we are faced with open dining. Are we going to find that on this 18-day cruise we will need to stand in lines waiting for a table? Also, we have enjoyed having the same table as our stewards rapidly learn our preferences and the thought of needing to have a different steward daily is not something we are looking forward to.

By any chance is this a Collectors' cruise? I have often found that fixed dining is not available on ours, we are waitlisted and then accommodated so still do fixed. Not sure why HAL offers all options to the segments and not to the collectors' but that is what has happened to us on our last few.

You can also check once on board to see if there is availability.

You can get the same table on open dining and reserve up to 3 nights I believe as long as it is not peak times. (Usually around 6:30 - 7:30 approximately are not reservable - varies by ship and sailing).

By any chance is this a Collectors' cruise? I have often found that fixed dining is not available on ours, we are waitlisted and then accommodated so still do fixed. Not sure why HAL offers all options to the segments and not to the collectors' but that is what has happened to us on our last few.

 

You can also check once on board to see if there is availability.

 

You can get the same table on open dining and reserve up to 3 nights I believe as long as it is not peak times. (Usually around 6:30 - 7:30 approximately are not reservable - varies by ship and sailing).

On HAL we have had no wait on open seating. You can also make reservations. (Hi Kazu!)

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We have a collector's cruise booked, Oct 14, Westerdam, Venice to Rome, then Rome to Ft. Lauderdale. We always book fixed, late seating. Around March, we e-mailed the ship coordinator for the Westy, and gave her a list of 15 possible table numbers for 4 that we would like in the upper level of the MDR. She e-mailed back in a few days with one of our choices confirmed. Naturally, I printed out that e-mail and will have it my hot little hands when visiting the matre'd after boarding. We did get the table reservation for the full 25 days. There are (fortunately) no groups on either segment of our cruise.

Since HAL now mixes open seating guests in the same dining room with fixed diners it probably doesn't matter.

We enjoy the fixed late seating at a large table. So far we've been very lucky to have found great table mates. This is especially true on longer cruises. We all have so much fun we are normally the last to leave the dining room.

Allan

We also like late fixed seating at a large table. On our Zuiderdam cruise in February, we were at a table for eight. Unfortunately, only three of us showed up the first few nights. We finally recruited a couple of ladies traveling together to join our table--checking with the head waiter. He assigned another couple as well, so for the last two-thirds of our cruise (10 nights total), we had seven of us. On the very last night of the cruise, a couple assigned to our table from the beginning showed up. It still ticks me off that they thought they could waltz in on the 10th night of the cruise and think we would still have their seats available. The head waiter moved them to another available table.

We have only found significant waits at the peak time (6:30 - 7:30) or if we wanted a specific size table. We usually reserve a table before 6:00.

Sorry for a newbie HAL question : how do you go about reserving a specific table for open seating ? Is it just a matter of requesting for a specific table when we show up for that particular meal ?

Thanks !

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We enjoy the fixed late seating at a large table. So far we've been very lucky to have found great table mates. This is especially true on longer cruises. We all have so much fun we are normally the last to leave the dining room.

Allan

We've had the same experiences as ski. :):)

We normally eat lunch later than the noon rush group so the later dinner suits us. If we get hungry before dinner we might split a sandwich or pizza or even order a snack from room service.

We see dinner as part of our evening actives so we not in a rush to get out of the dining room quickly. Last December we had a great dinner group and even though we never hurried and did have after-dinner coffee to sip while we chatted ....we still had time to stop at the restrooms before making it to the late show a few minutes early.;p

If we have alot of ports, especially with late boarding times, we go with open. Otherwise we go for Fixed Early.

Dave, what is it that you like best about fixed early vs. fixed main seating? We have fixed early on our upcoming September Oosterdam sailing, but it seems that main (late) seating is the more popular arrangement from reading these boards.

Also, is early typically 5:30pm or 5:45pm? We've read about both times here on the boards, but HAL's 'Know Before You Go' flyer lists the time as 5:45pm for early. Is it dependent on the particular ship and/or itinerary?

Interested in your comments on this subject.. Thanks.

One advantage of fixed early is going to the theatre after dinner. On a number of ships late go to the theatre first.

Other than that, it makes little difference - you can tell your stomach that dinner time is whatever time you ant it to be - while is what you do whenever you cross time zones. People who insist that they can't eat as early as 5:30 (or as late as 8:30) are really kidding themselves.

:cool:we like 9 or 9:15 anytime there is never a line

Dave, what is it that you like best about fixed early vs. fixed main seating? We have fixed early on our upcoming September Oosterdam sailing, but it seems that main (late) seating is the more popular arrangement from reading these boards.

 

Also, is early typically 5:30pm or 5:45pm? We've read about both times here on the boards, but HAL's 'Know Before You Go' flyer lists the time as 5:45pm for early. Is it dependent on the particular ship and/or itinerary?

 

Interested in your comments on this subject.. Thanks.

the early dining time does seem to depend upon the ship and itinerary.

I've seen early anywhere from 5:15 to 5:45 pm. 5:30 seems to be the most common. I'll let Dave answer you other question ;)

One advantage of fixed early is going to the theatre after dinner. On a number of ships late go to the theatre first.

 

Other than that, it makes little difference - you can tell your stomach that dinner time is whatever time you ant it to be - while is what you do whenever you cross time zones. People who insist that they can't eat as early as 5:30 (or as late as 8:30) are really kidding themselves.

You and I obviously do different itineraries. So far, other than the odd "special evening", the show has always been after main dining. Usually 10:00 pm.

Umm, I am kidding myself if I can't eat at 5:30? really? We don't eat at that time at home and I doubt I would be hungry at that time on a ship. things don't change that much. If I'm not hungry I don't eat. Simple as that. I don't need to eat if I am not hungry ;)

If you are on fixed early dining, do you miss the various "sail away" parties on deck, or can you come in for dinner a bit later?

DD