Anytime Dining Reservations

[Nashna]

We have anytime dining and typically like to dine at 7:00pm.  I understand that we can make reservations when we board.  Is it possible to do so for all the days that we plan to dine in the MDR?

[CruiserBruce]

Any Time reservations are not allowed during peak hours, which are typically 6 to 7:15, or similar. That may vary between ships.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Generally Open Seating on most ships will take reservations for 3 days at a time for the following times: 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9.

 

Check with the maitre'd when you get on your ship.

[Nashna]

I don't mind waiting 10 or 15 minutes for a table.  I just don't want to have a 30 minute or longer wait each night. This is an awkward question.  Does a generous, discrete tip persuade the maitre'd to assist with a 7:00pm time slot?  Another awkward question.  Do the HAL demographics lean toward earlier dining times being more popular?   

[Krazy Kruizers]

Some people do tip the maitre'd to hopefully get what they want -- I don't believe in that -- JMO.

 

Many people do like to eat early but the most popular time is between 7 and 7:30.

[Dulciana8]

Our experience with anytime dining over Thanksgiving was a little different than what I was expecting from what I’d read on the boards here. We were a party of three, requested 5:30 or 5:15 each night, and still waited 10-15 minutes to be seated every single night. Yes, there was a line, too. Additionally, except for the first two nights where we made reservations at the Lido bar prior to sail away, we were discouraged and dissuaded by the maitre’d and reservations folks from making reservations for more than one night at a time. 

 

If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely eat later! But, we had a four year old, so we needed to eat early. Just our experience. We were on the Oosterdam. 

[Stratheden]

We tried to book for 7.00pm and were not allowed.  It was 5.30 - 6.00pm or 7.45 - 8.00pm. 

 

We just turn up at whatever time we want and have had no trouble getting a table.  It helps if you are happy to share a table.  Although we have Anytime Dining we have so far been taken upstairs 3 times on this cruise.  Most people we have spoken with have had the same experience. 

 

Have never tried bribing the Dining Room Host.  🙄

 

[bobandjo]

26 minutes ago, Stratheden said:

We tried to book for 7.00pm and were not allowed.  It was 5.30 - 6.00pm or 7.45 - 8.00pm. 

 

We just turn up at whatever time we want and have had no trouble getting a table.  It helps if you are happy to share a table.  Although we have Anytime Dining we have so far been taken upstairs 3 times on this cruise.  Most people we have spoken with have had the same experience. 

 

Have never tried bribing the Dining Room Host.  🙄

 

Only problem we had one night on our Alaskan cruise last year when moved upstairs was we were forced to leave when the candy man came around ringing his chimes. We were with another couple and while we'd just finished our meal we were still having a pleasant conversation. If we'd stayed in the Anytime section we wouldn't have had to leave. Needless to say when they offered us upstairs the next night we declined.

[CruiserBruce]

Are you asking the maitre' d to violate HAL policy (NO reservations between pre-determined times) in order to get you a reservation, which don't exist??? Probably going to put the employee in a tight spot.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, Nashna said:

Does a generous, discrete tip persuade the maitre'd to assist with a 7:00pm time slot? 

 

So having been told that it's against HAL policy for reservations to be made at that time, you are asking if you can bribe the maitre d' to violate that policy? 

[terrydtx]

On our last cruise on the NA we used anytime dining every night between 6:30 and 7:00pm our preferred eating times and never waited more than 10 minutes for a table. We usually waited at a  nearby bar and our table was ready before we got our first drink ordered. We were also a group of 6 and it worked just fine. If you get to the MDR at 5to 5:15 the lines are very long for getting tables, must be a blue light special thing for the HAL demographics. By 6:30 to 6:45 tables open up with no lines to speak of. We never used or tried to get anytime dining reservations.

Edited December 31, 2018 by terrydtx

[TAD2005]

After reading all of the posts on this thread and others for "Anytime" dining, (As You Wish on HAL), it appears that most folks really want all of the features of fixed dining (same time, same table, same waiter, same size table, for the whole cruise) except they don't like the 5:30 or 8:00 pm fixed dining times.   For peace of mind and zero hassles, we always reserve way ahead with the Ship Coordinator for our ship (e-mail available from Ship's Services) for an ideal table, selected from the PDF's on HAL Facts dot com.   We prefer late seating, because after a long day off the ship, we like to relax, shower, dress, and have a pre-dinner cocktail before the 8:00 pm dinner call.   To me, eating at a fixed time of 1-1/2 hour earlier, or one hour later from the favorite 7:00 pm Anytime dining request, would be far better than having to deal with reservations every 3 days, standing in line, wondering who you will be seated with.   When the doors open up at 8:00 PM,  we walk right in to our same table, waiter is there greeting us, and our favorite bread selections and cocktails are already there, waiting for us.   Sure beats waiting in line, even for 5 or 10 minutes.

[VTcruisenut]

21 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

After reading all of the posts on this thread and others for "Anytime" dining, (As You Wish on HAL), it appears that most folks really want all of the features of fixed dining (same time, same table, same waiter, same size table, for the whole cruise) except they don't like the 5:30 or 8:00 pm fixed dining times.   For peace of mind and zero hassles, we always reserve way ahead with the Ship Coordinator for our ship (e-mail available from Ship's Services) for an ideal table, selected from the PDF's on HAL Facts dot com.   We prefer late seating, because after a long day off the ship, we like to relax, shower, dress, and have a pre-dinner cocktail before the 8:00 pm dinner call.   To me, eating at a fixed time of 1-1/2 hour earlier, or one hour later from the favorite 7:00 pm Anytime dining request, would be far better than having to deal with reservations every 3 days, standing in line, wondering who you will be seated with.   When the doors open up at 8:00 PM,  we walk right in to our same table, waiter is there greeting us, and our favorite bread selections and cocktails are already there, waiting for us.   Sure beats waiting in line, even for 5 or 10 minutes.

I also prefer the set dining time, same table etc. but the early seating is too early and the late seating, we always miss the evening show!   We are traveling with 2 other couples this March and have As You Wish dining, so we will see!

[tregatti]

The size of the ship may also affect wait times. We did anytime dining on a Eurodam Christmas cruise last year and on the Veendam this year, and in both cases were willing to sit with others and usually showed up around 7. We had a couple waits of 10-15 minutes on the Eurodam but nothing longer than 5 minutes on the Veendam. 

[TAD2005]

34 minutes ago, VTcruisenut said:

I also prefer the set dining time, same table etc. but the early seating is too early and the late seating, we always miss the evening show!   We are traveling with 2 other couples this March and have As You Wish dining, so we will see!

The late seating (Main) fixed dining time is 8:00 pm.  The late show starts at 10:00 pm.    Even eating slowly and sipping coffee and an after dinner drink, we have never left the MDR later than 9:30-9:45.   The waiters won't try to hustle you out,  but if you are still sitting there at 9:55 pm, you will be the only people in the MDR, and probably be getting some strange looks from your waiter and assistant.

[Stratheden]

2 hours ago, bobandjo said:

Only problem we had one night on our Alaskan cruise last year when moved upstairs was we were forced to leave when the candy man came around ringing his chimes. We were with another couple and while we'd just finished our meal we were still having a pleasant conversation. If we'd stayed in the Anytime section we wouldn't have had to leave. Needless to say when they offered us upstairs the next night we declined.

We had to be asked to leave twice as we were the last table left on both occasions, as they wanted to prepare for the 8.00pm sitting.   

[aa7yy]

2 hours ago, TAD2005 said:

After reading all of the posts on this thread and others for "Anytime" dining, (As You Wish on HAL), it appears that most folks really want all of the features of fixed dining (same time, same table, same waiter, same size table, for the whole cruise) except they don't like the 5:30 or 8:00 pm fixed dining times.   For peace of mind and zero hassles, we always reserve way ahead with the Ship Coordinator for our ship (e-mail available from Ship's Services) for an ideal table, selected from the PDF's on HAL Facts dot com.   We prefer late seating, because after a long day off the ship, we like to relax, shower, dress, and have a pre-dinner cocktail before the 8:00 pm dinner call.   To me, eating at a fixed time of 1-1/2 hour earlier, or one hour later from the favorite 7:00 pm Anytime dining request, would be far better than having to deal with reservations every 3 days, standing in line, wondering who you will be seated with.   When the doors open up at 8:00 PM,  we walk right in to our same table, waiter is there greeting us, and our favorite bread selections and cocktails are already there, waiting for us.   Sure beats waiting in line, even for 5 or 10 minutes.

 

That about sum's it up.  That being said, on our last two cruises (30 and 24 days) we were fortunate enough to have a  host that saved out table for 7:00, every night.  Good things happen to nice people. (my wife) 

[doublebzz]

I wonder if many of the difficulties in getting seated revolves around wanting a table for two or some other particular desire.  We prefer sharing a table and never had to wait more than a few minutes for a table between 7-7:30 in any of the HAL ships.  When as you wish dining was first introduced in HAL, they would give you a voucher for a half price drink in the adjacent lounge if a wait was required..  

Edited January 1, 2019 by doublebzz

[Nashna]

16 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

So having been told that it's against HAL policy for reservations to be made at that time, you are asking if you can bribe the maitre d' to violate that policy? 

Since others have posted here about having 7:00pm reservations for their entire cruise, it doesn't appear to be a strict policy.  I do not consider a reward for service to be a bribe.  It is customary to give the maitre'd a gratuity for extra service.  

[Cruising-along]

16 hours ago, aa7yy said:

 

That about sum's it up.  That being said, on our last two cruises (30 and 24 days) we were fortunate enough to have a  host that saved out table for 7:00, every night.  Good things happen to nice people. (my wife) 

We were that lucky on one cruise, the Veendam a couple years ago.  On the second night the maitre'd noticed we'd asked for the same table and asked us if we would like that table for the whole cruise at 7pm.  Of course we said yes!  He said that he could offer that because on this cruise most people were asking to dine early.  He then added we weren't to worry if we were earlier or later, that table would be ours for the cruise.  We did let him know on days we wouldn't be having dinner in the MDR.