Kdam Question

[Terre]

We will be on the Koningsdam for the first time in March.  Does anyone know if the MDR is open for lunch on embarkation day?  Some ships are and some aren't, and I'm hoping Kdam is.

[RuthC]

16 minutes ago, Terre said:

Does anyone know if the MDR is open for lunch on embarkation day?

Normally, all ships' dining rooms are open for lunch on embarkation day. This is kept fairly quiet by personnel as you check in and board, but it's worth going down to see for yourself.
Once in a while the dining room is closed for a private function, but the odds it is open are well in your favor.

[Terre]

Thank you, Ruth!

[rothbury]

I would agree with Ruth except K'dam is doing something different.  They are now assigning embarkation boarding times and those boarding times don't even start until 1PM and go until 4PM.  That is even the earliest time for 4 & 5 star mariners now.  I would still check but I get the impression this is the first step in doing away with embarkation lunch in the MDR.  Sad it has come to this actually.

[catl331]

16 minutes ago, rothbury said:

... boarding times don't even start until 1PM and go until 4PM.  That is even the earliest time for 4 & 5 star mariners now

Are they enforcing those times? 

[grsnovi]

FWIW, we had a suggested boarding time of 1:30 when we boarded K'dam (at 11AM) in June bound for Norway. We had a great lunch in the MDR and we were virtually alone there. Our server was great and we really enjoyed being on board.

[Cruise Suzy]

2 minutes ago, grsnovi said:

we had a suggested boarding time of 1:30

 

What was the earliest suggested boarding time for your cruise?

 

If the earliest time for boarding is now 1 PM (as in the message received today), can they process all Koningsdam passengers in 3 hours? Departure is 5 PM.

[WScruiser]

We just got off K'dam yesterday, and we were on the ship by around 12 noon on the 13th.  Although it was not advertised (and greeters suggested we go to the Lido), the dining room was open on deck 2 for lunch.

[rothbury]

Yeah, Cruise Suzy.  You have already been processed through the terminal so they probably have the prerogative to make you wait in the seating area until your assigned time.  My hotel checkout time is 11 so I'll be there shortly thereafter.  I'm just bringing a book and preparing for whatever comes up.  It just seems to me that if they go through the trouble of sending out emails it is probably only going to be a matter of time before they enforce them.  That being said and the earliest recommended boarding being 1 o'clock I wouldn't put it past them to do away with the embarkation luncheon in the MDR at some point.  For sure they won't still be serving lunch at 4 o'clock.  I seem to recall the MDR closes at 2: 30 at the latest.   

[taxmantoo]

9 minutes ago, rothbury said:

That being said and the earliest recommended boarding being 1 o'clock I wouldn't put it past them to do away with the embarkation luncheon in the MDR at some point.  For sure they won't still be serving lunch at 4 o'clock.  I seem to recall the MDR closes at 2: 30 at the latest.   

You seem to forget that some people are already on the ship and need to eat.  On one of our turnaround days in Fort Lauderdale, we were over 750 persons continuing on for a back-to-back 21-day Collectors Cruise.  The "When and Where" for that day shows the MDR open from noon to 1:30 pm.  I do not recall ever seeing the MDR open until 2:30 pm.

[rothbury]

Sorry taxmantoo.  I was just trying to remember what the MDR closing time was so I guessed.  That even emphasis's my point more.  Having never taken a back to back I can't speak to that but if I remember correctly they make you disembark as an immigration regulation.  If they really want to, they don't have to let you back on before 1 o'clock I would think.  I know they offer shore excursions so they could just extend those to make sure you are not back before 1:30.  My whole point is I see this as a way in the future to keep the MDR closed on embarkation until dinner at 5.  I could go on and on about how the MDR is closed for lunch on port days.  If you decide to stay on board you have no choice but the lido or someplace other than the MDR.  In HAL's eyes, FLL is just another port.  Don't get me wrong.  I HOPE I'm wrong.  I just see no other reason why HAL would do it.

[RuthC]

49 minutes ago, rothbury said:

Having never taken a back to back I can't speak to that but if I remember correctly they make you disembark as an immigration regulation. 

That's true if the turnaround port is in the United States, but not true everywhere. There are turnaround ports where it is treated like any other port day. There are no formalities, and you don't ever have to leave the ship.

[dfish]

When I sailed Koningsdam in 2017 they had the assigned boarding times.   No one was held to them as you were grouped in the hall according to the time you checked in.  

I had stayed at the Movenpick and had my reservations through HAL which included luggage transfer and "transportation" to the port.   Since it was basically next door, we were told we could walk down whenever we were ready.  It was suggested that we wait until 10:30 am as they would still be disembarking guests from the previous cruise.  

Once on board I asked about the dining room and was directed right there.  I was directed to the dining room on my previous cruise on the Westerdam as well.  I didn't find that the crew was trying to hide the fact that the dining room was open.  

In August I plan to walk down to the port around 10:30 am and to go to the dining room after I drop my carry on bags in my cabin.  I don't even need to ask anymore.

[rothbury]

Agree here, Ruth.  I think we are talking about FLL.  If not then everything I'm saying is for U.S. ports only. dfish, are you talking about U.S.?  I'm aware of Movenpick in Europe but not in U.S.  I'm just suggesting that there must be a reason they have started this assigned boarding time.  I was on K'dam last March and there was no assigned boarding time emailed to me in advance of my sailing.  I realize they offer an embarkation lunch as I have partaken many times.  However, if they are going to start assigning boarding times AFTER the MDR closes it seems to me they are moving away from an embarkation luncheon.  The email I got has boarding times as late as 4 o'clock.

Edited January 24, 2019 by rothbury

[Terre]

So Kdam is "assigning" boarding times or are they "suggested" times?  Every cruise we've taken, and this one will make #42 for us, has given us a suggested time for boarding.  We get there around 10:30-11:00 and have always gotten checked and on board before the buffet opens for lunch.  I hope HAL is giving suggested times rather than an actual assignment.

 

Your conversations have been interesting. Thank you, everyone!

[catl331]

53 minutes ago, Terre said:

I hope HAL is giving suggested times rather than an actual assignment.

At this point they aren't enforcing the times, so it is just an attempt to lessen the early crush. It is probably working to some degree, since about 95% of the passengers on any given cruise are not CC members, many may believe that they are firm times.

[rothbury]

I have attached the email that was sent today.  I guess you can interpret how you would like.  Maybe for now it is voluntary but I can see a time when say you're on deck 4 and you get there at 11AM.  They check you in and hand you a card stating your boarding time is 3PM and say something to you to like, "You can have a seat and we will call you at 3 o'clock".  Why else would they even bother to put out the email?

[flygirl2]

10 hours ago, catl331 said:

Are they enforcing those times? 

No, they did not enforce theses times and started boarding at 11:30 on our Jan 4 Koningsdam cruise.

[dfish]

11 hours ago, rothbury said:

Agree here, Ruth.  I think we are talking about FLL.  If not then everything I'm saying is for U.S. ports only. dfish, are you talking about U.S.?  I'm aware of Movenpick in Europe but not in U.S.  I'm just suggesting that there must be a reason they have started this assigned boarding time.  I was on K'dam last March and there was no assigned boarding time emailed to me in advance of my sailing.  I realize they offer an embarkation lunch as I have partaken many times.  However, if they are going to start assigning boarding times AFTER the MDR closes it seems to me they are moving away from an embarkation luncheon.  The email I got has boarding times as late as 4 o'clock.

I am talking about Amsterdam.  

[catl331]

15 hours ago, rothbury said:

when say you're on deck 4 and you get there at 11AM.  They check you in and hand you a card stating your boarding time is 3PM and say something to you to like, "You can have a seat and we will call you at 3 o'clock".

The email says that those are check-in times, not boarding times, so they could say "come back at your assigned time for check-in".

[Nashna]

We also just returned on January 23rd from the Koningsdam.  We had a 1:00pm designated arrival time.  We arrived at 10:40 and were assigned boarding 8.  We were on the ship and in our stateroom at 11:40am.  We proceeded to Deck 2 to change our dinner reservations and were in the MDR by 12:10pm.  It could not have been easier.  I'm glad we did not wait until 1:00pm as I was told that the wait was longer.  

 

[GulfShoresCruiser]

Similar experience as Nashna on the Nieuw Statendam last week (same size ship as Kdam).

 

We arrived at 10:40am, were given boarding position 12, boarding began at 11:40am, we were onboard at 11:50am and ordering lunch int the MDR by 12:15pm after a bag drop in our stateroom.  Lunch was available in the MDR from noon until 1:30pm.

 

Simple and stress free.......That's one of many reasons why we love HAL!