MDR General Questions

[harryw]

This will our first HAL cruise next month. We were wondering -

Is there ever a long wait for seating?

Can reservations be made?

Upon arrival, can we request a shared table?

 

Harry

[dfish]

Hi Harry,

From your questions I am guessing that you have Anytime Dining.   The longest I've ever had to wait for a table is about 10 minutes.  That happened on a Gala night when there is a higher dinner count in the MDR.   They gave us a beeper and we went to a lounge to wait.  By the time we got there, the beeper went off and we returned.

Yes, reservations can be made for up to 3 days, but the times for reservations are restricted.  Someone will come along and give you the restricted times.  And, yes, you can ask to be seated at a shared table. 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[ArtsyCraftsy]

I assume you’re talking about the Main Dining Room.  I always choose “anytime” dining for the flexibility.  Based on my experience on two HAL cruises,

 

1. The only time I ever saw a line was on one Gaia night on last sumner’s Voyage of the Vikings, and it resulted in a wait of about 10 minutes.

 

2.  Yes, you can makes reservations for the Main Dining Room.

 

3.  Yes, you can request a shared table.  I always do (I travel solo), and enjoy meeting new folks.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

 

[iflyrc5]

I would add to the other comments that the first night can be rather busy and if you try and go between 5:15 and 6:00 you may experience a longer wait..

[harryw]

Thanks. Yes, I meant “anytime dining”. We usually arrive 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Is that usually a busy time?

[faerievert]

I think we waited 15-20 minutes once for a table for two. But in three cruises we've rarely waited more than 5-10, and often less. 

Yes, you can make reservations, but they have to be off peak hours. I think before 6:30 / after 7:30? You can make several days reservations at once and choose your location for reservations.

We almost always request a shared table so we can socialize. As a couple, this will make your wait even shorter because there's more options. Be sure to tell them if you prefer a shared table and do not want to sit at a table alone. Otherwise, you could get called up for either.

 

If you like a group you sit with, you can start making reservations with them, or coordinating to meet up another day without a reservation. 

 

If you have a server or area or table you like but don't want to make reservations, you can request that server or area or table but you will likely have a longer wait as a result.

[faerievert]

3 minutes ago, harryw said:

Thanks. Yes, I meant “anytime dining”. We usually arrive 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Is that usually a busy time?

Yes, that's peak time. But I still wouldn't expect that much of a wait (especially if you're willing to share a table)

[crystalspin]

If you tell the maitre'd "Seat me wherever it's easiest for you" (this will result in a shared table at least 90% of time!) -- you will be rewarded with the biggest smile or most grateful look! You'll be fine and will never have to wait longer than a "runner" takes to get back to the front, to take you to your seats. People who want a table for two are the ones who get the beepers, in my experience.

 

I don't know your ship, but this is our experience on Zaandam (smaller ship) and Nieuw Amsterdam (larger ship).

[Krazy Kruizers]

On the majority of the ships, for Open Seating you can only make reservations for times between 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9.

 

 

[harryw]

6 hours ago, crystalspin said:

If you tell the maitre'd "Seat me wherever it's easiest for you" (this will result in a shared table at least 90% of time!) -- you will be rewarded with the biggest smile or most grateful look! You'll be fine and will never have to wait longer than a "runner" takes to get back to the front, to take you to your seats. People who want a table for two are the ones who get the beepers, in my experience.

 

I don't know your ship, but this is our experience on Zaandam (smaller ship) and Nieuw Amsterdam (larger ship).

Thanks! We will be on the  Nieuw Statendam. We have sailed mostly on Oceania the past 5 years, and it sounds like HAL  has a similar MDR, except for the beepers and reservations.

[onthelake]

On the Rotterdam last week, the cruise director announced that those in anytime dining should expect a wait if arriving between 6 and 7pm so plan accordingly.  Since we had second seating, I am not aware of how that actually worked out but there were A Lot of early diners waiting for the doors to open.

[Travrat]

Since you usually sail on Oceania I hope you will not be disappointed with the food on HAL. I have sailed HAL 7 times over the past 20 years and Oceania 3 times in the past 7 years. I find the food and service on Oceania far superior to HAL but the entertainment on HAL is better. HAL used to have great food and service but I personally have seen a decline in both recently. I hope you have a nice experience on the N Statendam

[harryw]

24 minutes ago, Travrat said:

Since you usually sail on Oceania I hope you will not be disappointed with the food on HAL. I have sailed HAL 7 times over the past 20 years and Oceania 3 times in the past 7 years. I find the food and service on Oceania far superior to HAL but the entertainment on HAL is better. HAL used to have great food and service but I personally have seen a decline in both recently. I hope you have a nice experience on the N Statendam

 

Someone posted menus on the maiden voyage thread. The MDR breakfast seems better than the Oceania counterpart. And we like to start the day with a leisurely hot

 breakfast. So that is promising, Though the Oceania specialty restaurant menus are more enticing.