The dining room is open - do you run to a table or wait patiently in line?

[notamermaid]

Forgive me for seeing a bunch of school kids running to get the best seat on the bus and do not take this too seriously. :D

 

I am curious and not wanting to feed a discussion on another thread that is focussing on a horrible food experience I ask this here, do you all sort of run to a table and reserve it? Or do you just leisurely go to a table every night British politeness style asking if a seat is taken?

 

I had never thought about this before I joined CC as on my river cruise I was allocated a table together with my companion and joined two other couples. We had a great time and I was glad I had not been seated with some Scandinavians. That is actually a little unusual for me as I normally have only good experiences with Northern Europeans.

 

Is it that all river cruise lines have a "grab a seat" policy (eh, what is the proper name for it?)? Have you ever been seated by the restaurant manager with specific people on a river cruise?

 

notamermaid

[SuiteTraveler]

On Uniworld, we just walked in and found an empty table and soon enough, others joined us. We met really nice people on our river cruise. It was not a race for tables.

[FuelScience]

We've always had open seating. A couple of years ago when traveling with two other couples we often sent someone ahead to be sure that we got a table together. The only exception to open seating I've seen is with Vantage, where they allowed one group to reserve a prime table for the entire cruise.

[Got2Cruise]

We were never seated by staff on either AMA or Avalon. We needed the help of the Maitre'D once or twice finding seats and they were glad to help. We don't rush in. I would prefer to be seated. I wish the lines would institute this.

 

If you care to eat with specific people, simply meet in the lounge and then ask for seating together

 

This is how they do it on Star Clippers and there is no wandering around looking for seating which is very humiliating if you can't find a spot

 

 

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[Canal archive]

Thank you Notamermaid, British politeness style :D

We've have never had a problem on Scenic just wonder in and choose where to sit. It also works if you get to know the restraunt staff just catch their eye and they will indicate seats, they get to know who you have sat with previously it works but only if you get to know your waiting staff. I to dislike the rush for seats, actually it can be quite funny but then I do like people watching. CA

[Lois R]

I am thinking back to my wonderful River Cruise last year:D........If memory serves, I actually met quite a few people in

the lounge before dinner and as we chatted we went to dinner together on multiple evenings. Definitely did not "rush" to

get into the dining room.......there always seemed to be tables available.

I also remember on one evening the Cruise Manager and I had chatted and he joined me one evening...and his persona

being very classy, he asked 2 or 3 other folks to join us (I can't remember the exact number). But I do remember dinner

being a fabulous experience.:)....this was on AMAStella.

[bellemere]

On our Viking River cruises, it has always been opening seating. The dining room opens for dinner following the daily briefing about the next day. As the week progresses if you have found people who like to share the evening meal with or a wait service team that you prefer, then you select one person in your group to go a little early to wait outside the dining room to open so they can enter and go to the table that fits your group size or is in the area where the waiters work that you like. Some people are looking for round tables vs. rectangular tables. This only happens at the evening meal. Breakfast, people come and go and is a good time to sit and eat with people you have not met and lunch is much the same. However, we have found the Aquavit Terrace a wonderful place for a light lunch instead of the dining room.

[Cyber Kat]

On our Viking River cruises, it has always been opening seating. The dining room opens for dinner following the daily briefing about the next day. As the week progresses if you have found people who like to share the evening meal with or a wait service team that you prefer, then you select one person in your group to go a little early to wait outside the dining room to open so they can enter and go to the table that fits your group size or is in the area where the waiters work that you like. Some people are looking for round tables vs. rectangular tables. This only happens at the evening meal. Breakfast, people come and go and is a good time to sit and eat with people you have not met and lunch is much the same. However, we have found the Aquavit Terrace a wonderful place for a light lunch instead of the dining room.

 

This is pretty much what we did. I didn't care as long as I was facing a window, but my husband had wait staff he preferred and a table he liked. He would leave the briefing early. I would leave when it was over. I never saw a mad rush, but when you have 190 people all heading to the same place at the same time, I guess it could look like a mob :)

 

We've only done one river cruise on Viking and this was our experience :) (and the food was great :halo: )

[Roz]

My Uniworld cruise had open seating, but it also wasn't at full capacity. I don't remember anyone "rushing" to get a table, and there was plenty of availability. Some people went right to the DR after the lounge talk, some lingered a bit over their drinks.

 

I ended up at a 4-top with 3 other single ladies. We didn't do anything during the day together, but ate together at dinner. For breakfast and lunch, I ate with different people at different tables, depending on where there was an open seat.

 

Roz

[JohnKen3]

On the Crystal Mozart, we always get walked to a table by the Maître D' or by a waiter under the instruction of the Maître D. They alway try to offer us a choice where possible. Passengers did tend to stagger themselves so the passengers come into the dining room over the first hour of the dinning hours. The staff worked out quickly with regards the larger group numbers and it was very well co-ordinated.

 

On the one Uniworld cruise I was on, I always found a long queue forming outside the expensive rooms in the corridor leading to the dining room 5 mins before dinner time. Staff could not cope with seating passengers due to the queues and it was always a speedy walk for a with a view or for one of the larger tables . We needed a table of 5 so one of the group had to make a bee-line for one of the few tables that was for more than 4 people.

[Hoyaheel]

We walked in after waiting in line and sat where we could. We were traveling with parents (2 sets) and sometimes they held seats for us, but more often they ate with friends they made and my husband and I sat wherever. Other than our parents (and we were most likely to eat breakfast with them, not lunch or dinner) I don't think we sat with the same people more than maybe 2 meals. Or at least we sat in new combos.

 

(Avalon, Christmas Markets - for one leg of our trip, the boat was not full, which made dining pretty easy! Also, the flu ran around - I was the only person in our group not to get sick at all - so there were possibly more empty tables due to that....)

[notamermaid]

Thanks everyone for replying. Turns out the open seating (will remember that expression from now on) is not as chaotic as I thought. Could cope with that... If I ever go on a river cruise alone I am confident now that I will find a nice restaurant crew member who could help me with finding a seat should I be a bit shy about it.

 

Canal Archive,

 

I always find it such a relaxing thing to go shopping in Britain, supermarkets are more polite places than they are in Germany. Some smaller places have been trying to get a better attitude and are succeeding, so there is hope yet in this country of mine.

 

Once in a while I am caught out a bit, not quite doing the queueing properly. A few years ago, I was asked by a lady "are you in the queue??" She looked confused and almost a bit panicky. :D

 

notamermaid

[Canal archive]

Notamermaid, Is this the queue or something similar is most probably a good English phrase to learn, it's not that many people would say anything but a look can say it all. Our cruise this year takes us to Cologne which according to my other half he knows quite well and he's going to show me his old haunts (not to sure about that) he worked for a German company, he may even remember some of his hard learnt German which he assures me is restraunt German. CA

[bolk]

We have not gone on a river cruise before and would like to know the dress for dinner. We are on Avalon. Would nice shorts and a polo work for men?

[pacmom]

No shorts at dinner on any of the lines for men or women. Just a s on ocean cruises the MDR frowns on shorts at dinner. Some Maitre'd might send you to change from shorts to more appropriate clothing.

[Lois R]

We have not gone on a river cruise before and would like to know the dress for dinner. We are on Avalon. Would nice shorts and a polo work for men?

 

Good morning:).....I have only cruised on AMA and nobody wore shorts to dinner. (it has been a year but I don't

recall seeing any shorts)......I sailed in April last year out of Amsterdam and it was too cold to even wear shorts during

the day. Jeans/long pants were the majority of the attire for the day. Evenings some folks did wear their jeans to dinner.

I normally always changed my clothing. After touring all day I just always felt freshened up with a shower and change of

clothes for dinner time. (but that is just me).

[pacmom]

Have been on 22 river cruises--only saw shorts once in the dining room. It was on the Rhone, temp of 103 F. and some very late coming back from touring. Plus it was only one couple. Even on the Mekong and the Nile, no shorts at dinner. Most men wore Docker type pants and a collared polo or short sleeve shirt. Women wore long pants, capris or skirts with a nice top. The dining room is quite cool, so you might enjoy having the legs covered.;)

[caviargal]

When it is just DH and I, we head to the dining room 30-45 minutes after the doors open. Generally that allows us to have a table to ourselves, which is our usual preference.

 

Our favorite aspect of cruising with Uniworld is that we can go to the dining room any time we choose to for dinner, and we appreciate the flexibility.

 

If we are traveling with friends and need a larger table, one of us will generally go ahead to secure a table.

 

Ships that offer alternative dining seem to have less of a mad rush for a table, as passengers are disbursed among the venues. On the JDV last month, the MDR was rarely more than 3/4 full and sometimes less. Very nice and relaxed.

[Arona]

In the summer of 2016 I traveled on Viking from Paris to Prague. I'd say 98% of the men WORE SHORTS to dinner ! This summer I am traveling on Avalon from Lucerne to Amsterdam with a group of 10 people and all of the men plan to wear shorts to dinner.

[FuelScience]

In the summer of 2016 I traveled on Viking from Paris to Prague. I'd say 98% of the men WORE SHORTS to dinner ! This summer I am traveling on Avalon from Lucerne to Amsterdam with a group of 10 people and all of the men plan to wear shorts to dinner.

Can't say for sure, but I think that Avalon may be a little more serious than Viking about the no shorts at dinner policy. Let us know after your trip.

[Arona]

Can't say for sure, but I think that Avalon may be a little more serious than Viking about the no shorts at dinner policy. Let us know after your trip.

Hi Fuel ,

I note from your comment that you have travelled on Avalon a few times. Have any of trips been in July or August ? Does Avalon have a written no shorts policy ? We have not gotten out travel documents so I am unaware of their written dining room policy. THANKING YOU in advance.

[pinotlover]

On my last Viking cruise, some passengers did start lining up for dinner 10 to 15 minutes before meal time. Not sure why, perhaps to get their free drinks quicker. It was impossible to be hungry, and you get your food at the same time as everyone else. Unless one is sailing in the heart of the summer, it is dark, or near so, by 19:00. That means you see nothing out the window. Therefore, having a window seat means the same view as everyone else. Viking does not have a dress code and people wore everything from grunge to sports jackets to dinner. Grunge = cargo shorts, an old Greatful Dead tee shirt, and flip flops at dinner. Of course, some might consider that casual, but for the occasion it looked mostly grunge!

 

Uniworld does not allow shorts and has open seating. People meander in for dinner at will between 7-8ish for dinner.

[Arona]

I just phoned Avalon to get their official word on any dress code in the dining room for men for dinner. I spoke to a nice gentleman , Jack , who advised that shorts and a collared shirt for men is acceptable. He said that Avalon wants everyone to be comfortable.

[FuelScience]

Hi Fuel ,

I note from your comment that you have travelled on Avalon a few times. Have any of trips been in July or August ? Does Avalon have a written no shorts policy ? We have not gotten out travel documents so I am unaware of their written dining room policy. THANKING YOU in advance.

We cruised last July/August with Avalon, and we just got back from an Avalon cruise on Monday. On both cruises, the cruise directors said no shorts in the dining room for dinner. On the cruise last summer, They made an exception for the first night since we were delayed in getting to the ship in Remich and got there just before dinner time.

 

I never saw a man with shorts at dinner on either of those cruises. I just saw your note about your conversation with Avalon. So I guess that it'll be OK.

Edited May 7, 2017 by FuelScience
typo

[Hydrokitty]

Regarding the line: it depends on who we're traveling with. If we're with other couples one of us will go to the dining room early to get a table for 6 or 8 because we like to eat together. It it's just DH and me we'll wait on the line and pick a table with 2 empty seats.

 

Regarding shorts: they are never acceptable in the dining room for dinner. Gentlemen usually wear slacks with golf shirts or sport shirts. Ladies can wear dress jeans with nice top. I usually wear black jeans with a lacy top and black ballet slippers. Hardly anyone dresses in really fancy clothes or suits , jackets and ties. Not with the charges for luggage these days.