Questions on Dinners in the Baltic

[keep on cruising]

Being new to HAL and European cruising, I have a couple of questions. We are sailing on the Rotterdam, July 2nd in the Baltics.

 

Does anybody know which nights are designated as formal nights? I know there are 3 since it is a 12 day cruise. I'm guessing the first two at sea days but I was wondering which port is usually the formal night. We want to book the Pinnacle Grill as soon as we board but we would like to be in the main dining room on formal night.

 

Does HAL have full dinner service in the Lido? We've taken cruises on several lines but have always eaten dinner in the Dining Room. On our cruise, the night in St Petersburg and the night we tour Berlin, we will be off the ship during our dining times. In St Petersburg, our tour returns around 6:00 pm and we're leaving at 7:30 for an evening tour.

 

Since I assume the dining rooms will be pretty empty those nights. do they do anything special for dining service?

 

Thanks for any information anyone can provide.

[doone]

I did the Baltics cruise a few years back with HAL on the Amsterdam. This still remains my favorite cruise, you certainly will enjoy it.

 

I don't recall which nights were formal, you are correct though, there are 3 formal nights.

 

We did a 12-hour tour, not to Berlin, but we were exhusted and didn't care to eat in the dining room that night, we did eat in the Lido. They have a very nice menu. You go through the line and get your salad, bread, etc., order your entree, they will give you a number, put it at your table so they can see it and when your entree is ready, they'll deliver it to your table. We usually eat once or twice in the Lido on our caribbean cruises, but I still prefer the dining room, I guess I like to get waited on. But the Lido is a very nice alternative especially after a long day on an excursion. This cruise is very port intensive.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[keep on cruising]

Thanks for the information and your kind thoughts. The Lido sounds like it will be just what we want - especially since they deliver your entree and its not all buffet food. I too like to get waited on when I go out to eat but this sounds like a great alternative.