The do's and don'ts of open seating/ anytime dining?

[bjarrett7]

Hello...

This will be our first HAL cruise and I would really appreciate any advice you may have for open seating/ anytime dining. Do we need to make a reservation? Does it truly work to just "show up"? Are there two tops or are you matched up with someone else? Sorry for the many questions but I thought I should probably ask so we didn't just show up and miss dinner all together! 😯

 

 

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[OTOW guy]

If you call to make a reservation they give you the same times as fixed dining. Just go. It usually empties out about 7:30.

[PathfinderEss]

You can go anytime you want, but you may have to wait a few minutes. If you want a set time it will be as the other poster said.

[DeckLife]

We have always gone somewhat early, certainly by 6 or so, and have been seated more or less immediately. Also, the maitre-d' always asked if we minded sharing. We didn't mind, and did share tables, usually 6 or 8 people. The question, though, suggests there are two-tops readily available. (At least at that hour.)

[PatsyAnne]

One of the things I like about open seating is that we can be spontaneous about when we want to eat, and whether we want to share a table. We've met some really nice people at dinner. We don't always get what we want when we want it, but usually do. There are also no concerns about just deciding to go to the Lido or Canaletto (sp?) when we feel like it. Since we usually like more port intensive cruises, it provides us with more flexibility to work around our day schedule. You can make reservations if you want to, but only for specific times.

 

 

Trish

[OCruisers]

We love the flexibility of Anytime Dining!

Yes, you can just show up whenever you wish.

There is seldom any wait when you say you'll share. ;)

LuLu

[mjjden]

We did Anytime our last cruise and loved it. We usually made reservations for 5:45 or didn't make any. On the NA, they wouldn't take reservations from 6-7 but would any other time. The longest we had to wait was 10 min and that was on a formal night. They gave us a beeper and we waited with a drink in the Lounge until we were beeped! We find the early seating too early and the late too late, so this works well for us

[Yodalicious]

We had open seating for our last 2 cruises, but opted for assigned for our most recent. We prefer to dine alone, and that Always seems to be an issue with Anytime. We are on vacation and really just want to relax with each other.

[esimon]

We had open seating for our last 2 cruises, but opted for assigned for our most recent. We prefer to dine alone, and that Always seems to be an issue with Anytime. We are on vacation and really just want to relax with each other.

 

WE have done 4 anytime cruises - usually at 2 top Never had a problem or had to wait more than 5 mins.

[bjarrett7]

Thanks for all your replies. We have done one cruise with assigned times and table and one anytime. However, the anytime was on Celebrity in Blu so I wasn't sure how it would work in a MDR situation. Curious to know what your thoughts are about the specialty restaurants... Since we have no idea about the food offerings on HAL, we are not sure if should book those ahead of time or just wait and see if we feel it is necessary. Thoughts??

 

 

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[cb at sea]

You will be seated with your own party.....the food is fine and good. Show up or make a reservation...your choice.

[dateacher]

If you eat during the non busy times, you can get the same table for the whole cruise. We did that in August but we were eating at 8PM. When we were seated the first night we told the waiter how much we liked the table and he had it reserved for us for the net 6 nights.

[bjarrett7]

If you eat during the non busy times, you can get the same table for the whole cruise. We did that in August but we were eating at 8PM. When we were seated the first night we told the waiter how much we liked the table and he had it reserved for us for the net 6 nights.

 

 

That's a really good idea. Are the shows always at 8?

 

 

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[catl331]

One good rule: Always have a smile on your face and be pleasant and undemanding. It really works. We don't want to share a table with 8 people as it takes to long to eat. If you like your waiter the first night, make a reservation for the next night and if you follow the rule, you just might have the same table for the rest of the cruise.

 

I don't know if they keep a record of how you act during your cruise, happy, smiling, non-demanding etc. but on our last cruise I swear our room steward knew quite a bit of info about us and our needs. It is impressive to meet employees from your last cruise that remember your names.

[KirkNC]

We have always gone somewhat early, certainly by 6 or so, and have been seated more or less immediately. Also, the maitre-d' always asked if we minded sharing. We didn't mind, and did share tables, usually 6 or 8 people. The question, though, suggests there are two-tops readily available. (At least at that hour.)

 

We are the same, I can't recall the last time we had to wait to be seated and we are always asked our preference to sit alone or with others.

[albingirl]

We also like the flexibility of open dining. We usually start the cruise with a table for two, but if we are on a long cruise, generally we meet people with whom we'd like to dine with so we do that. We met a wonderful entertainer on this last 42 day cruise and asked him to join us, as well. We had a wonderful and fun dinner.

[cruz chic]

One good rule: Always have a smile on your face and be pleasant and undemanding. It really works. We don't want to share a table with 8 people as it takes to long to eat. If you like your waiter the first night, make a reservation for the next night and if you follow the rule, you just might have the same table for the rest of the cruise.

 

I don't know if they keep a record of how you act during your cruise, happy, smiling, non-demanding etc. but on our last cruise I swear our room steward knew quite a bit of info about us and our needs. It is impressive to meet employees from your last cruise that remember your names.

 

That sure would be a lot of people to keep track of, wouldn't it? I'm always amazed when people need to be told to be nice. You'd think that would be common sense. I guess not.

[RuthC]

Are the shows always at 8?

The normal show times are 8:00 & 10:00. Sometimes there is a special event later in the evening, so the second show is moved to before dinner (6:30 or so). Once in a while there is a single show (like the first night), and that is generally at 9:30.

 

There was a time when the "2nd" show was very early as a standard time, but that seems to be gone (thankfully).

[57redbird]

Hello...

This will be our first HAL cruise and I would really appreciate any advice you may have for open seating/ anytime dining. Do we need to make a reservation? Does it truly work to just "show up"? Are there two tops or are you matched up with someone else? Sorry for the many questions but I thought I should probably ask so we didn't just show up and miss dinner all together!

 

 

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What we do is, after depositing our carry-ons in our cabin, head to the main dining room & check out 2-top tables in the area we'd like to be seated. All the tables have a number on them - we make a note of our preferred table numbers & call dining reservations & give them the time & table # we prefer...so far it's worked out well for us (on 4 cruises) & after the 1st couple of dinners, we basically just head for 'our' table with or without a crew member.

[bjarrett7]

What we do is, after depositing our carry-ons in our cabin, head to the main dining room & check out 2-top tables in the area we'd like to be seated. All the tables have a number on them - we make a note of our preferred table numbers & call dining reservations & give them the time & table # we prefer...so far it's worked out well for us (on 4 cruises) & after the 1st couple of dinners, we basically just head for 'our' table with or without a crew member.

 

 

That's a really great suggestion! Thanks. Is that in the downstairs section only or anywhere on the dining room?

 

 

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[cruz chic]

That's a really great suggestion! Thanks. Is that in the downstairs section only or anywhere on the dining room?

 

 

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That is downstairs. Upstairs is traditional.

[POA1]

That's a really great suggestion! Thanks. Is that in the downstairs section only or anywhere on the dining room?

 

 

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Lower dining room.

[bjarrett7]

Thanks all. 😄

 

 

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[RMLincoln]

Love Open Dining! We prefer a 2-top not only for our own company but for a speedier dinner - 90 minutes is plenty for us - and we have zero problem getting a 2-top as we eat early. Usually I make reservations for the first two nights then we are usually asked by the dining captain if we would like to have that table for the whole cruise. If we want another location, that is a good time to ask what else may be available.

 

But the real flexibility in this process is that even though they are expecting us at a certain table at our usual time we have at least 15 minutes before they give the table to someone else, and we can show up later. So if we are delayed by a late shore excursion and don't show up, no problem, we can eat later in the MDR.... if you have traditional dining and come in late for your Early Dining seating they don't want to seat you late, you can eat in the buffet.

 

Hope your experience is good. m--

[scopewest]

We had open dining last month on the Noordam, and we got a table for 2 reservation for three nights in a row (the most they would let us book at one time). It turned out to be one of those tables of two set by the windows where the table for 2 next to you was so close you had no trouble talking to your neighbor, and the lady next to me was chatty with all four tables in our group of tables!

 

After two nights of nonstop chatter (including comments on what I (and everyone else at our "8 top") ordered for dinner, asking us how it tasted, etc. etc.) I went begging to the maître 'd to switch us, and he gave us a table for two elsewhere. If she had just said hello, how was your day, and then ignored us, that would have been fine with me but she didn't stop with the chatter.

 

If I had wanted to talk to others, I would have asked for a table for four or six in the first place!