Embarkation Day Dining Question

[Zeno]

We will be cruising for the 1st time on HAL (the Zaandam) soon and I have an embarkation day dining question.

 

Will the Main Dining room be open at lunch time? If not - what lunch time choices are there likely to be?

[Krazy Kruizers]

The dining room will be open -- but only to Mariners -- people who have sailed on HAL or Carnival, Costa, Princess, Seabourn, P&O.

Looking at your signature you have not sailed on any of the above cruise lines. So your choices are the Lido Buffet or the new Dive-In (burgers).

Everything for the first 48 hours in the Lido and Dive-In and Taco Bar will be in Code orange for all meals -- no self-service -- not even for coffee, tea, ice water, etc. in the Lido. The Taco Bar on some ships is not even open during that 24 hour period.

[Typhoon1]

The Lido is your best option.

 

The embarkation buffet is quite extensive.

[Zeno]

Oh well I will miss lunch in the dining room but I can cope. (I don't like buffets on Embarkation Day because in my experience they tend to be overcrowded on that day.)

 

Another question - the friends we are travelling with have been on HAL before - can they have lunch in the Dining Room on Embarkation day.

[luvteaching]

Hi,

 

Yes they can have lunch in the dining room and they, I believe, can take you with them! Others will chime in if I'm incorrect. We board fairly early - 11:30 or as soon as they open - and we haven't found the Lido to be too busy at all at that point. We go to our cabin, drop off our bags, orient ourselves and head up to lunch. We are done eating by the time it starts to get busy.

 

Karen

[RoupMom]

Just as a side-note.......we experienced one time when the MDR wasn't open at all for passengers, even Mariners, as there was some sort of special group there, TAs or something, being entertained as a promo.

[Zeno]

Hi,

 

Yes they can have lunch in the dining room and they, I believe, can take you with them! Others will chime in if I'm incorrect. We board fairly early - 11:30 or as soon as they open - and we haven't found the Lido to be too busy at all at that point. We go to our cabin, drop off our bags, orient ourselves and head up to lunch. We are done eating by the time it starts to get busy.

 

Karen

 

That's good to know (Lido not being crowded early). We should be there pretty early (depending on ferries - we will be coming from our friend's place in Sechelt).

[aliaschief]

Some days the MDR fills up fast and is closed due to full capacity. So best to be early.

Edited August 5, 2014 by aliaschief

[sherryf]

The dining room will be open -- but only to Mariners -- people who have sailed on HAL or Carnival, Costa, Princess, Seabourn, P&O.

 

We've cruised with Princess, so if we end up taking a HAL cruise next summer, we would be able to go to the dining room for lunch. Are there specific hours? On Princess the dining room is only open 12 - 1:30, so we always make sure we are on board early. Also, is there a standard menu for the embarkation day lunch, as on Princess?

[Typhoon1]

Hi,

 

Yes they can have lunch in the dining room and they, I believe, can take you with them! Others will chime in if I'm incorrect. We board fairly early - 11:30 or as soon as they open - and we haven't found the Lido to be too busy at all at that point. We go to our cabin, drop off our bags, orient ourselves and head up to lunch. We are done eating by the time it starts to get busy.

 

Karen

 

We use the same plan. The earlier you get there, the less crowded it will be.

[RuthC]

(I don't like buffets on Embarkation Day because in my experience they tend to be overcrowded on that day.)

There was a time when we could board early, but the cabins weren't ready until about 1:30-2:00. In those days, the Lido certainly was crowded, since people would come in for lunch, then stay put until the cabins were available. They had nowhere else to go.

But since the cabins are now ready when we board, people come up to eat, finish their meal, then head down to start to unpack and get organized. The traffic flow in AND out of the Lido is much better, and it's not as crowded.

[RMLincoln]

I believe that one can order room service as an embarkation day lunch option. I know I've ordered room service while I unpacked quietly, avoiding the (then) chaos of the buffet... but I don't recall the hours it was available. It's a good ploy for me to have DH hit the Lido and give me some space to organize :) m--

[Alberta Quilter]

We've cruised with Princess, so if we end up taking a HAL cruise next summer, we would be able to go to the dining room for lunch. Are there specific hours? On Princess the dining room is only open 12 - 1:30, so we always make sure we are on board early. Also, is there a standard menu for the embarkation day lunch, as on Princess?

 

Yes, there are specific hours. It is usually from 12:00 - 1:00, possibly to 1:30, so you will want to board early. It is a limited menu. I had hoped there would be a copy of the menu at halfacts.com but I couldn't see it. Try doing a search here if you'd like to see what the menu is for the embarkation lunch (not to be confused with the Mariner's Brunch).

[oofroggie]

Depending on how many mariners onboard it is sometimes limited to certain star level cruisers.

[Oceanwench]

We were all Mariners but one when we took our kids and grandson on a cruise. We all enjoyed lunch in the MDR on embarkation day -- and they didn't kick the 2-year-old (non-Mariner) out! :)

[olson99]

I cannot remember the full menu but there is a delicious salad with chicken, buttermilk fried chicken, a type of sandwich and fish.

[sherryf]

Depending on how many mariners onboard it is sometimes limited to certain star level cruisers.

 

I doubt this will be an issue for us. We are planning an Alaskan cruise and in my experience with Alaskan cruises on Princess, the newbies far outnumber the repeat passengers. ;)

[solocanadian]

Try and get a very early ferry so you can be at Canada Place by 10:30. Embarkation starts at 11:30. You should have no problem having lunch in the MDR with your friends but you must be there by noon. Sometimes they won't let you in after 12:15. Enjoy your cruise.

[Crew News]

I cannot remember the full menu but there is a delicious salad with chicken, buttermilk fried chicken, a type of sandwich and fish.

 

Here is a link to the Embarkation Menu: http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Mariners-Embarkation-Lunch.pdf

[cruising cockroach]

I've heard that the Pinnacle Grill is not only open but free on embarkation day. Is this true?

 

On the Zaandam to S America on 5 Oct ex-Vancouver. Wondering whether to get there early or not.

 

We're 1* on HAL.

[Alberta Quilter]

I've heard that the Pinnacle Grill is not only open but free on embarkation day. Is this true?

 

On the Zaandam to S America on 5 Oct ex-Vancouver. Wondering whether to get there early or not.

 

We're 1* on HAL.

 

Oh, I don't believe that the PG is free, to all, on embarkation day. It's not open for lunch as the staff are required elsewhere. I think some people have had complimentary dinners at the PG on embarkation day but that is only through their Platinum Amex credit card or some such thing. It most definitely is not a perk to all who board the ship.

 

The MDR is open to all mariners for an embarkation lunch. You would qualify as a 1 star mariner. Although, sometimes, if there are many mariners on a sailing, they may limit it to 3 - 5 star mariners.

[jammen]

We will be cruising for the 1st time on HAL (the Zaandam) soon and I have an embarkation day dining question.

 

Will the Main Dining room be open at lunch time? If not - what lunch time choices are there likely to be?

 

You may use the Lido, the returning Mainers can use the main dinning room.

There is a window of time that the dinning room will be open.

[windandsun]

This will be our first cruise on HAL but we've been on Carnival four times so from what I've seen on this board we would qualify for lunch on embarkation day in the MDR.

 

My question: how will HAL know about our Carnival cruises?

 

Thanks.

[RuthC]

My question: how will HAL know about our Carnival cruises?

All the Carnival Corporation computers talk to each other. There are no secrets among the lines. :D

 

Seriously, if you check with the Mariner Society, you will probably find that you already have a Mariner number, and it was derived from your Carnival history.

[windandsun]

You may use the Lido, the returning Mainers can use the main dinning room.

There is a window of time that the dinning room will be open.

 

All the Carnival Corporation computers talk to each other. There are no secrets among the lines. :D

 

Seriously, if you check with the Mariner Society, you will probably find that you already have a Mariner number, and it was derived from your Carnival history.

 

 

Thanks. I figured it was something like the computers taking to each other but it is nice to know. BTW, you're right .. we do have a Mariner's number for our Nov. cruise.