"R class ship " dining rooms

[skidroe]

We are new to HAL, left Princess because their ships are TOO big for us !

On the "R class ships " dining rooms, are breakfast and lunch "open seating" on both levels?

For dinner, which level is reserved for traditional dining?

[RuthC]

Breakfast is open seating on the lower level, as is lunch on the days the dining room is open for lunch. It is not always open.

 

Fixed seating dinner is on the upper level of the dining room. On occasion open seating passengers will be brought up to a table that is empty that night.

I did once have open seating passengers assigned to my fixed seating table one night when two people were elsewhere. I spoke to the dining room manager later and asked that not be done again; I never had that happen on another ship.

 

I understand that on the newest ship open and fixed seating is mixed on both levels, but that has not typically happened on the R-class ships.

[OlsSalt]

Late fixed-dining on the upper level of both the smaller R and S class HAL ships remains our favorite time and place for the true delight in traditional onboard dining. No waiting, no crowds, no frantic busyness that we feel when dining in the lower as-you-wish setting. Service is friendly and prompt, and the over-all feeling is serene and predictable. Dining stewards get to know you and your preferences right away, and you fall quickly into their welcoming embrace for the duration of the cruise.

[bigenna]

Breakfast is open seating on the lower level, as is lunch on the days the dining room is open for lunch. It is not always open.

 

 

 

 

Fixed seating dinner is on the upper level of the dining room. On occasion open seating passengers will be brought up to a table that is empty that night.

 

I did once have open seating passengers assigned to my fixed seating table one night when two people were elsewhere. I spoke to the dining room manager later and asked that not be done again; .

 

Why did that bother you?

Curious, as we mainly request fixed dining but on occasions that we know we will not be able to attend we always advise the head waiter so that they can use our space if needed. Our thought was it helps alleviate wait times in open seating.

 

 

 

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[Homosassa]

Why did that bother you?

Curious, as we mainly request fixed dining but on occasions that we know we will not be able to attend we always advise the head waiter so that they can use our space if needed. Our thought was it helps alleviate wait times in open seating.

 

 

 

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I can answer that question.

 

Placing open seating guests on a table or on an empty table in traditional dining after service has started disrupts the flow for that table and everyone else in the wait staff assigned area.

 

I, too, have also complained about the disruption of service due to open seating guests being added to the traditional dining.

[MajMom96]

Late fixed-dining on the upper level of both the smaller R and S class HAL ships remains our favorite time and place for the true delight in traditional onboard dining. No waiting, no crowds, no frantic busyness that we feel when dining in the lower as-you-wish setting. Service is friendly and prompt, and the over-all feeling is serene and predictable. Dining stewards get to know you and your preferences right away, and you fall quickly into their welcoming embrace for the duration of the cruise.

 

 

 

Very eloquently put, OS! I couldn’t have said it better. And I totally agree with you. It is our preferred dining as well for all the same reasons.

 

 

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[RuthC]

Why did that bother you?

Curious, as we mainly request fixed dining but on occasions that we know we will not be able to attend we always advise the head waiter so that they can use our space if needed. Our thought was it helps alleviate wait times in open seating.

I don't mind open seating passengers being brought to an empty table in fixed seating, especially when they are seated as the fixed seating passengers are arriving.

 

One reason I choose fixed seating, however, is because I don't want to get into the first night conversation every night of the cruise. When one couple leaves for the evening, the remaining people continue with an established dynamic; one-night only fill-ins throw that off completely.

Here you think you're going to have a really great conversation with people you've already gotten to know, and poof! That's gone.

[Hhagatha]

Late fixed-dining on the upper level of both the smaller R and S class HAL ships remains our favorite time and place for the true delight in traditional onboard dining. No waiting, no crowds, no frantic busyness that we feel when dining in the lower as-you-wish setting. Service is friendly and prompt, and the over-all feeling is serene and predictable. Dining stewards get to know you and your preferences right away, and you fall quickly into their welcoming embrace for the duration of the cruise.

We agree. Love meeting new people and sharing cruise experiences.

[OlsSalt]

Best thing about late-fixed dining is you can have that little, late-afternoon nacho fix near the Dive-Inn before it closes, and still have an appetite for dinner at 8pm.

[Floridiana]

We were seated in the fixed dining area several times. People had obviously informed the staff that they were not coming. We eat early so no disruption of the flow. Asking that nobody be seated there is like pretending this is your private table. If you are absent anyway, it is the staff's responsibility to do what is right for other passengers.

[TAD2005]

We agree with other posts here that late, fixed traditional dining is our favorite. Plenty of time for a shower, short nap, and dress for dinner, then a few pre-dinner drinks in the Ocean Bar. We contact the ship's coordinator months before our cruise, and using PDF plans of the MDR, (available on that site that has HAL facts) we select a list of maybe 10 table numbers that we would like. We get 2-tops when we travel by ourselves, and 4-tops when we travel with another couple. We always get one of our selected table numbers. When we dine at the PG or Tamarind, we inform the dining room manager of our plans. But, like others, we do not appreciate them seating any-time diners 30 minutes or later at our table if there is a vacancy. But it really is a mute point, because by 8:00 PM, our fixed dining time, there are always loads of empty tables in anytime. That is not the case in early fixed dining around 5:45 pm.

[rkacruiser]

Best thing about late-fixed dining is you can have that little, late-afternoon nacho fix near the Dive-Inn before it closes, and still have an appetite for dinner at 8pm.

 

May I add enjoying some of the appetizers at served at Happy Hour? (And, I discovered recently can still be obtained, usually, for those of us who patronize the Ocean Bar prior to 2nd Seating.)

[bigenna]

We were seated in the fixed dining area several times. People had obviously informed the staff that they were not coming. We eat early so no disruption of the flow. Asking that nobody be seated there is like pretending this is your private table. If you are absent anyway, it is the staff's responsibility to do what is right for other passengers.

 

 

 

That is what I was thinking. I do agree though with Ruth’s answer to my question that if people are brought in late it would upset the flow that has already started at that table.

 

This will be my first HAL cruise and I hope that other cruisers will be open to meeting us HAL newbies, as I have found on my other preferred line.

 

 

 

 

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[AtlantaCruiser72]

Best thing about late-fixed dining is you can have that little, late-afternoon nacho fix near the Dive-Inn before it closes, and still have an appetite for dinner at 8pm.

 

where's my like button when I need it most!!!!!!! :D:D:D

[Stratheden]

We were seated in the fixed dining area several times. People had obviously informed the staff that they were not coming. We eat early so no disruption of the flow. Asking that nobody be seated there is like pretending this is your private table. If you are absent anyway, it is the staff's responsibility to do what is right for other passengers.

We always select anytime dining and we have been seated upstairs in fixed dining on the odd occasion. Thank goodness at tables for two. We always feel we are intruding into some private club. Everyone around us knew one another and chatted - we were totally ignored. I can't imagine what it would be like being put at a table for 6 or 8 with people who already knew one another.

[kazu]

We always select anytime dining and we have been seated upstairs in fixed dining on the odd occasion. Thank goodness at tables for two. We always feel we are intruding into some private club. Everyone around us knew one another and chatted - we were totally ignored. I can't imagine what it would be like being put at a table for 6 or 8 with people who already knew one another.

 

Strath,

 

In your situation, I am pretty sure if you said hi and introduced yourselves that people would be welcoming.

 

And in the fixed dining thing, you're right people do know each other and either talk or don't (depends on the ambiance and the people in the room). We always introduce ourselves to the people at the table next to us.

 

If it happens that someone from open dining is seated, we do the same.

 

You may have to be the ones to make the first moves, depending on the people there. Just a thought.

[Floridiana]

That is what I was thinking. I do agree though with Ruth’s answer to my question that if people are brought in late it would upset the flow that has already started at that table.

 

 

 

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They never did that to us. They don't do it at any time dining either. They fill the tables with people coming in within minutes.