millacon

Wow, thanks everyone! Some great suggestions for our cruise. We are very excited and want to get the most enjoyment out of the cruise. Will definitely plan to layer as I do not like being cold.

We are taking an Alaskan cruise the first week of May and I know temperatures are still relatively cool for the area at that time. Since we have a balcony room and I want to use it to see the sights do they provide blankets that are warm enough to enjoy the balcony? Do the balconies typically get a lot of wind? We are on the port side of the ship toward the front on N. Amsterdam. Any tips or tricks would be welcomed.

 

In your case, either traditional dining or open dining would work, although I would suggest that you consider open dining. In traditional dining you certainly have the option of simply letting your table mates know a head of time that you will not be joining them on the next night, but I don't know how it would work if you were to miss the first couple of nights.

We are definitely going to select open dining. Last thing I want to do is cramp my style or other cruiser's style by assigned seating and then not showing up because we are on an excursion or found a quaint bar to enjoy and missing assigned dining.

I am so glad I have had an option to read about all the choices because originally we wanted early dining because we generally eat early. Do they offer seating possibilities for just two? Or will we always have to eat with a group? Not that I mind but we might want a quiet evening for just the two of us without having to eat in our room.

The other level is open dining, where you may just show up and ask to be seated at the time of your choosing. Open dining is what you describe--maybe 5 PM one night and 7 PM another night.

 

 

Whether you have set-time or open dining, you may opt to go to the Lido for dinner or book one of the specialty restaurants. The OP's point was that if you have set-time dining and choose not to go to the table that night, it's good manners to let your dining companions or the restaurant manager know. If you do not intend to eat at the same time each night, then you should ask for open dining when you book.

Yes, we would definitely want the open dining option. We don't want anyone to be waiting on us or have to be at the restaurant at a set time each day. I cannot imagine what a nightmare it is for the cruises when many are still on excursions during their normal 'dining' hours.

Might be helpful if the cruises had a dining etiquette brochure so newbies (or veterans) don't cramp other cruiser's style. After all I want MY cruise experience to be MINE but I also don't want to disrupt someone else's experience.

I remember our first cruise. We understood "As You Wish" dining meant just that - as we wished. We didn't understand that set dining meant that we had a reservation for dinner each night at the same time with the same people. So the first night we dined "As We Wished" and dined elsewhere. The second night we also dined "As We Wished" and dined in the dining room. I was appalled when a lady scolded us for not showing up the previous evening. I kept my opinions to myself but decided I would not dine any more with anyone as rude as that so guess what? We didn't show up for the rest of the cruise.

 

Okay, newbie here. Doesn't As You Wish mean that if we want to go to dinner at 5 in the MDR we just go there and get on the wait list but maybe the next night we want to dine at 7 and get on the wait list again? Otherwise wouldn't it be 'set dining with table x?' Maybe I am missing something.

We may or may not eat in the MDR each night and because of excursions we may eat much later one day than the previous. What's our best option?

Thank you! :)

The VD used to be the ones with the extra deep balconies on deck 4, but those are now VB and VC! :o

So if I am on deck 5 with a VC ranking does that mean it has a deep balcony or is that just for deck 4?

Looks like the MDR opens for dinner at 5:15.

Thank you! :D

 

My problem with the set dining times on HAL is that early is too early for us and late is too late. I'm hoping to be able to eat at around 6:30 and not have much of a wait and still be able to get the shows.

See I am just the opposite... I would prefer to eat dinner in the early afternoon between 2 - 4. Does anyone know the earliest time in the MDR to eat? Obviously it won't work when we are on excursions but when on ship I want to eat dinner as early as possible.

If you do Any Time Dining aka Open Dining as opposed to fixed then you go the MDR any time you want. You might have a wait depending on the table size you want, but most ships give you a pager - you go where you want and are beeped when your table is ready.

 

Then that sounds like the option for us particularly since we will be taking excursions that will go past our dining time for three of the 7 days. Thank you so much for your answer!

Thank you to Herfnerd also for your answer.

Sounds like the Empire Builder to Chicago - taking it so many times I know the stops as well as some of the conductors.

 

Will be taking it again twice next year to get to Boston and Miami for cruises.

 

I don't fly so Amtrak has become my method of transport to get to US cruise ports.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

Yes! That is the train we will be taking. We have a roomette (everything else was sold out). Hoping we enjoy the Empire as much as the cruise. My parents took the Empire and recommended it so we will take that to Chicago then the City of New Orleans to our stop. Looking for to our first HAL cruise and our first cross country train.

Taking a train to Boston and Miami both for cruises... lucky! :D

I have been trying to decipher what As You Wish dining really means so if anyone can shed some light on the options I would greatly appreciate it.

Does AYW dining mean that we would eat in the MDR just at a time that is more convenient for us? Or does that mean we would have to go to some other place to eat? If it means we could just go eat at anytime in the MDR why would it benefit us to get early dining that requires us to be at the MDR at a certain time? What am I missing? We are on the wait list for early dining but if we get it does that mean we must always eat at that time but then what happens if at port and still on an excursion? Would I let them know that we will not be dining at that time and would that mean we could get in at a different time?

Wow, four cruise ships at once should be interesting. :D We are planning to carry our luggage ourselves so we can get off the boat earlier. Hopefully we can beat the huge crowds.

Thanks for the information!

Yes will have lots of time to get to the train/bus station - hell if you walked you would still have lots of time - it's about a ten minute ride from Canada Place to the bus/train station.

HAL docks on the west side of Canada Place.

 

xlxo - the OP states in their opening post that they are using the bus service and not the train.

 

I have used both the train and bus service many times - if you could change your plans and take the evening train you will get a much better scenic view of the great Pacific Northwest than the drive down the I-5.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

Thanks, Dennis! We are planning to take the bus to Washington because the train we will be boarding across the US leaves the same day. If we took the later train out of Vancouver then we would have to book a hotel night in Washington before another train leaving the next day. We will be on the train for two days so we can make due with the bus to Washington. :D

It is a bus service to Washington to pick up the train. Do you think there would be enough time to make that itinerary from the port?

We are trying to plan our return trip and it shows the ship will be docking in Vancouver at 7am. About how long will it take to get off ship if we carry our bags ourselves? Would we have enough time to get from the port to the Amtrak station in Vancouver leaving at 11:30? Has anyone taken the Amtrak train using bus service from Vancouver, B.C. to Washington state in the US?

And is the return location the Port of Canada in Vancouver? Seems difficult to find where HAL lines dock.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

We are trying to plan our return trip and it shows the ship will be docking in Vancouver at 7am. About how long will it take to get off ship if we carry our bags ourselves?

And is the return location the Port of Canada? Are there cabs in the area? Has anyone taken the Amtrak train using bus service from Vancouver, B.C. to Washington state in the US?

Any information would be greatly appreciated!