I got a survey from HAL On Leisure Dining

[Tinknock50]

Because I was on the Oosterdam Nov 26 cruise, I received a survey on Leisure Dining. I responded that I prefer Traditional Dining, but if they used Upper or Lower Dining Rooms for Traditional and Leisure it might work.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Didn't get a survey, but then we weren't on your cruise.

Did you get the survey via e-mail?

[Tinknock50]

Didn't get a survey, but then we weren't on your cruise.

 

Did you get the survey via e-mail?

 

Yep, got it by e-mail. I also gave it a 7'' on the evaluation form, which may have prompted the e-mail to me.

 

My reason for the ''7" is that my early dining worked reasonably well. But the chimes telling us to get OUT of the Dining Room to make room for the next seating was annoying.

[FlorenceItaly]

Hi Sean! Chimes to get OUT of the dining room??? Is that new? We had early seating on the Zuiderdam last week, and never encountered that. How interesting!(to put it nicely).

 

My sis and I just booked solo cruises on the Oosterdam for March :).

 

Marie

[FlorenceItaly]

Okay, I think I get it now, lol,lol. The chimes were due to the new flexible dining schedule, or whatever they are calling it :). I agree, annoying.

 

Marie

[Tinknock50]

Okay, I think I get it now, lol,lol. The chimes were due to the new flexible dining schedule, or whatever they are calling it :). I agree, annoying.

 

Marie

 

Yep...you got it. The chimes weren't neccesary with assigned dining times of Traditional seating. Now that you are allowed to arrive up to 45 minutes late, they need to chase you out. I am not kidding, he wound in and out of all the tables constantly hitting the chimes. It took me a couple a minutes to figure out what the chiming was for since it used to mean the call TO dinner.

[FlorenceItaly]

It took me a couple a minutes to figure out what the chiming was for since it used to mean the call TO dinner.

 

LOL! Yes, I could see that happening with me; "What the heck", LOL.

Maybe they'll be done with all this foolishness but the time we sail. Currently, we are signed up for 8pm dining which is late for me, but we plan on making use of the pool/thermal suite, and would like to go 2 times per day, so early dining really wouldn't work for us this time. It's quite possible we'll end up in the lido most evenings.

 

Marie

[arzz]

Why is HAL taking a good thing and making it uncomfortable? A "bell" to get out of the dining room just like the bells at school! Somehow, this is not what dining is all about. It should be a pleasant repast full of good conversation and good food and not a quick stop gap between ways to spend additional dollars!

[KSCnCA]

I got the survey too, here's what it said:

 

Holland America Line is testing a new dining concept called Leisure Dining Service.

 

The intent of this new service is to offer our guests more accommodating dining times within a flexible structure. As you may recall, Leisure Dining Service allows you to visit the dining room anytime within a certain timeframe.

 

For example, if you were confirmed for either the 5:45pm or 6:15pm dinner seating, you could come to the dining room at anytime between 5:30pm and 6:00pm (arriving no later than 6:00pm). If you were confirmed for either the 8:00pm or 8:30pm dinner seating, you could come to the dining room at anytime between 7:45pm and 9:00pm. The table initially reserved for you (as indicated on your Guest Identification Card) was to be your table no matter when you chose to dine during these times.

 

Please answer these few short questions:

 

1. Have you cruised with Holland America Line before your most recent cruise on the ms Oosterdam?

 

Yes

No

 

2. How many out of the 7 cruise nights did you eat dinner in the Main (Vista) Dining Room?

 

3. At the start of your cruise, were you confirmed for the first dinner seating time

(5:45/6:15pm) or the second dinner seating time (8:00/8:30pm) in the main dining room?

First dinner seating (5:45/6:15pm)

Second dinner seating (8:00/8:30pm)

 

4. Was your assigned table on the upper or lower level of the dining room?

Upper level

Lower level

 

5. Did you feel you were sufficiently informed of the Leisure Dining Service option during the cruise?

 

 

Yes

No

 

6. Did your dinner tablemates generally arrive at the same time, or at different times during the flexible schedule offered under the Leisure Dining Service?

Same time

Different times

 

a. If at different times, was that a problem?

Yes

No

b. If yes, why?

 

7. Overall, do you prefer the Leisure Dining Service and its flexible structure, or do you prefer traditional set dinner seating times?

Leisure Dining Service (flexible structure)

Traditional Dining Service (set seating times)

a.Why?

 

8. Would you like to see Holland America offer Leisure Dining Service on all of its cruises?

Yes

No

a.Why?

[Jimsgirl]

I think the whole idea posted here is ridiculous of HAL, how can this add to the experience? I would not wish to be at a table where the others came 30 minutes late.

 

My neighbours here at home were on Westerdam, two weeks ago , confirmed for first seating, then no card in their room, saw Matre D' got table number, went to dinner NO SUCH TABLE, got put at another table told this was to be theirs for rest of cruise, next night went to that table, full of strangers, told "no other table available" then staff squeezed a makeshift table for them in a corner, next night NO TABLE, they ended up at a different table every night depending on who did not show up for dinner.

 

Not a very good way to handle this situation by Matre D'. My neighbour was not pleased

[ciana]

We got the survey too and we were on Nov. 26 sailing so maybe everyone on that sailing and maybe other specific sailings are getting the survey. We talked to various people on the cruise and many were quite happy with the leisure dining concept.

 

Ciana:)

[Tinknock50]

We got the survey too and we were on Nov. 26 sailing so maybe everyone on that sailing and maybe other specific sailings are getting the survey. We talked to various people on the cruise and many were quite happy with the leisure dining concept.

 

Ciana:)

 

Really it wasn't all that bad....just the annoying chimes.

[RuthC]

Although there are a couple of questions that are open-ended, the majority of them are closed-ended---much more likely to achieve a desired result. Cynical? Perhaps. Perhaps it's justified.

Was there room on the survey for additional comments? :confused:

[Tinknock50]

Although there are a couple of questions that are open-ended, the majority of them are closed-ended---much more likely to achieve a desired result. Cynical? Perhaps. Perhaps it's justified.

 

Was there room on the survey for additional comments? :confused:

 

Wherever it says "why?", there is a large box for comments. I think question 8 gave a particularly good opportunity to comment.

 

I really think they are handling the follow up well. Its good that they really want to know what we think.

[elmorejj]

Sorry, but do you really think they care what we think. If its down to surveys, they`ve probably decided which way they are going to go in the future. JMHO..........jean:cool:

[HeatherInFlorida]

I am beyond confused! It says if you had 8 or 8:30 seating, you get the table initially reserved for you but you can arrive anytime between 7:45 and 9:00????!!!

 

How ridiculous is that? Let's say there are 6 or 8 at your table. Everyone would wander in sometime between 7:45 and 9:00 ... all ordering separately and having different courses at the same time? How confusing for the Dining Room Stewards!!! .... not to mention for the people sitting together coming and going at all different times.

 

So the only way to eat together with your tablemates is to decide on a time the night before that everyone would arrive.

 

Somebody over at HAL has GOT to be smoking something ....... :o

[KAKcruiser]

I agree that if they are sending a survey, they have probably already decided to do it. I got a survey before they went with the new tipping policy. I voted against it. I was really surprised when they implemented the automatic tipping shortly after that.

[Tinknock50]

Sorry, but do you really think they care what we think. If its down to surveys, they`ve probably decided which way they are going to go in the future. JMHO..........jean:cool:

 

Yes, I do think they care what we think. If this were a mass mailing, I would be a little more skeptical. But they are contacting people that have actually experienced it. I think they would just make a big splashy intro of Leisure Dining without any input if they weren't concerned with the impact on their customer base. Also they wouldn't bother testing it and would just make it fleetwide.

 

You know it could just be the majority of the cruisers will like some sort of Leisure Dining. Read Cianas last post. I didn't ask many people like she did,but if the majority are favorable to Leisure Dining can you blame them for instituting it?

[alex_drew]

Well, my husband and I recently booked the 2/9 Maasdam out of Norfolk and all that is available is the 8:30 seating. His Dr. told him a few years ago that he should eat early because of digestion issues and 8:30 is just not an option for him. I am really distressed that we will probably have to eat every night in the Lido instead of being able to enjoy the dining room...the dining room experience really makes the cruise, doesn't it? So for us (and probably a lot of seniors or others with various "digestion" issues), the possibility of having a late seating and being able to show up at 7:45 would be wonderful. Just another view.

[ciana]

I know that many really like the traditional dining but I think there is also a strong element who prefer some flexibility. Maybe HAL is trying to incorporate the best of both worlds. On Princess with Personal Choice Dining, unless you make a reservation for a specific table you are seated randomly with different tablemates. On the Oosterdam for the early seating you had a small window from 5:30-6:00 (so some flexibility) but then you were at the same table with the same wait staff and wine steward. Personally we really like not having to be totally regimented and punch a time clock for dinner but then sitting at the same table. We thought it was great. I will probably be "burned at the stake" for this LOL... but maybe HAL is in fact listening to a large number of their customers who want more flexibility.

 

Ciana:)

[annemarie]

Princess does have Personal Choice Dining but it is also in a totally different dining room apart from traditional dining. Which makes it alot less complicated.

[Tinknock50]

I am beyond confused! It says if you had 8 or 8:30 seating, you get the table initially reserved for you but you can arrive anytime between 7:45 and 9:00????!!!

 

How ridiculous is that? Let's say there are 6 or 8 at your table. Everyone would wander in sometime between 7:45 and 9:00 ... all ordering separately and having different courses at the same time? How confusing for the Dining Room Stewards!!! .... not to mention for the people sitting together coming and going at all different times.

 

So the only way to eat together with your tablemates is to decide on a time the night before that everyone would arrive.

 

....... :o

 

Well, when you think about it, why not discuss it the first night and agree on a time that works for your table and arrive at that time every night. Do that and guess what......for the rest of your cruise you will have Traditional Dining. The same people, the same waiters,the same table and the same time. That also does away with getting assigned a dining time you don't like which sometimes happens with traditional dining.

Really not so bad is it?

[Krazy Kruizers]

You really have to know your tablemates well in order to convence them to arrive at a certain time so that everyone can eat together. When you have been assigned to a tbale with strangers some may not like the idea that they have to be exactly on time - especially if some of them have stopped at a bar to have a pre-dinner cocktail.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Chimes to tell me when I need to leave the dining room???

 

I don't think so. Restaurants don't chime or ring bells to tell you to leave knowing that there is someone waiting for your table.

[grannynurse]

If HAL chooses to go this route they should reserve a particular space for this option. Pax should have the option to choose at booking which type of service they prefer.

 

We like the traditional dining service. Several times on longer cruises we were "ported-out" after long tours and chose Lido dining or room service. I'd like to see it stay this way.

 

We like our present choices as 90% of the time we sit with friends with whom we've been in the Ocean Bar before dinner. We often cross reference our booking numbers to get the same table. If someone is not going to be at dinner on a particular night we all let eachother know in advance.

GN