Eurodam dinner seating only has open seating available = Almost fully booked ship??

[scomar]

Below is taken from HAL website dinner seating options. This is the 12-12-09 sailing of the Eurodam, which we are booked on. So should I surmise from this that the ship is close to being fully booked?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Scomar

 

 

Dining

Early Upper Dining: Closed

Early Lower Dining: Closed

Main Upper Dining: Closed

Main Lower Dining: Closed

Open Seating: Available

[IRL_Joanie]

Below is taken from HAL website dinner seating options. This is the 12-12-09 sailing of the Eurodam, which we are booked on. So should I surmise from this that the ship is close to being fully booked?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Scomar

 

 

Dining

Early Upper Dining: Closed

Early Lower Dining: Closed

Main Upper Dining: Closed

Main Lower Dining: Closed

Open Seating: Available

 

 

scomar, from what I've been reading ovver the last week or so, there are one heck of a lot of people doing the Holiday cruisings.

 

It would appear to me that yes indeed, your ship is just about full.

 

Joanie

[Jemima]

I assume it means the fixed dining slots are full at this time and that the waitlist slots are also full . They probably have to leave some fixed dining space available for suites and possibly for people traveling with suite passengers. It isn't final payment yet, so some people will cancel.

[jtl513]

I don't think you can judge anything from the dining options. The Early Lower and Main Lower will always be closed (and IMO shouldn't even be shown) because lower is only used for open seating, not fixed. Early and Main Upper frequently close months ahead.

 

I just looked at availability on your cruise and nearly every category is still open. Other than the ones that are always closed now until near or after the final payment date (SZ, VH, HH) the only categories closed are CA, IA, and SU.

 

I'd say your cruise has lots of room still. :)

[CowPrincess]

Don't assume the ship is nearly full -- we've twice experienced booking online showing main upper being "closed" and as soon as I've spoken to a live person at HAL, have been able to get our choice.

[RuthC]

Early and Main Upper frequently close months ahead.

For example, a friend was the very first person to book a particular cruise. Main Upper was already closed. :confused: :eek: :rolleyes:

[Two@Sea]

Maybe it's just me, but whenever I attempt to do a "pretend" booking on the HAL site (so I tend to 'dream' a lot... ya gonna make something out of it ;) ?) fixed seating is ALWAYS closed, no matter how far in advance I go!

[RuthC]

It's not you. HAL steers people to open seating. If you push the issue you can get fixed seating---at least if you're far enough out from sailing. But you do have to push. :mad:

[madelinerose]

It's not you. HAL steers people to open seating.

 

Sorry for the ot, everyone.

 

Ruth, I was watching HGTV's House Hunters where a young couple were looking for a home in Warwick. Having never been there, I found it absolutely charming and everytime a neighborhood was shown, I thought "Hmmm...maybe Ruth lives there." That's all...seems like a nice place to rest your head. ;)

[RuthC]

Sorry for the ot, everyone.

 

Ruth, I was watching HGTV's House Hunters where a young couple were looking for a home in Warwick. Having never been there, I found it absolutely charming and everytime a neighborhood was shown, I thought "Hmmm...maybe Ruth lives there." That's all...seems like a nice place to rest your head. ;)

It's home. With all the emotional overtones that word generates.

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled topic.

[pms4104]

Sometime, things change as time goes on ... by that, I mean that for our sailing (both this year and last), what is available on a pretend booking for a particular sailing might change from closed to waitlisted to available to closed to waitlisted a couple to several times over the booking life of that sailing. Just keep checking.

[catl331]

Sometimes I think the upstairs seating is held for groups and then when the group booking is done, they seat the waitlist and open the waitlist again. Our first night of seating downstairs we were taken upstairs via the dining room staircase to an empty table. It is all a mystery. We just go with the flow. Never went hungry on a HAL cruise that is for sure!

[cat0341]

We also saw that only open seating was available when we booked last month for a cruise on Oct 24. It doesn't bother us though because we don't have to rush to be there at a certain time with the open seating.

[Willsot]

We were waitlisted for assigned main (8:00 p.m.) seating on two consecutive cruises, even though we booked 7 and 9 months in advance. Upon boarding, we received our assigned seating in both instances.

 

IMHO "As You Wish" continues to be a misnomer for many.

[coho ken]

I for one am looking forward to open seating for our March 2010 cruise on the Eurodam. Actually chose it for flexabiltiy with dinner options. Room service is very good on HAL IMO, especially when you are worn out from a port of call day.

[2Labs2Many]

Whew - I'm glad to hear someone else that is looking forward to open seating. I'm not so good with a schedule (well, I am, DH is not) and frankly, would prefer sitting at a table for 2 most of the time.

 

Too often on other cruises I've actually dreaded dinner time because of the table I was assigned to.

 

What are the chances of actually getting a table for 2 when you have requested it in your special requests? Is it an automatic thing or do you just get whatever open table is open? That's the way I remember it from when I've done open seating on another line.

 

I guess in short - what are the best tips for managing Open Seating - dining time? best time to get requested small table? etc.