Fixed vs open in the MDR

[Florida_gal_50]

15 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

In retrospect I should have asked to be reassigned, but I kept holding out hope things would improve, and they didn't.  I haven't abandoned fixed dining altogether, but once I tried open seating, I found out there were other advantages that work for me as a solo cruiser. 

No one should have to explain what has happened to them or their choices.  I refuse to answer questions that are no one’s business only to be questioned further.  I’ll pick open every time over fixed.  When they started open I was totally opposed to it.  Now I wouldn’t choose anything else.  

Edited August 21, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[Roz]

8 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

No one should have to explain what has happened to them or their choices.  I refuse to answer questions that are no one’s business only to be questioned further.  I’ll pick open every time over fixed.  When they started open I was totally opposed to it.  Now I wouldn’t choose anything else.  

 

Initially I wasn't a fan of open seating when it first started, but once I tried it, the advantages outweigh any disadvantages.  

[MINIroadster]

On 8/19/2022 at 5:44 PM, KroozNut said:

 

Should have booked sooner is all I can say here.. 😉

Hi KroozNut - We booked our upcoming November 20-December 11 cruise early last December and open dining was the only option. Is it because it’s a B2B or was that not soon enough? 

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, MINIroadster said:

Hi KroozNut - We booked our upcoming November 20-December 11 cruise early last December and open dining was the only option. Is it because it’s a B2B or was that not soon enough? 

Have you called HAL or your TA to change it?  There are some situations where open dining is all that is available but that doesn’t sound like your issue .  Open dining is the default if you don’t specify. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Mary229

[MINIroadster]

6 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Have you called HAL or your TA to change it?  There are some situations where open dining is all that is available but that doesn’t sound like your issue .  Open dining is the default if you don’t specify. 

Thank you for the advice, Mary229! We did ask our cruise consultant about it. She said we could be put on a waitlist. We decided to stay with open seating due to our planned excursions. We are on the west coast so late dining would be very late for us but early may interfere with excursions. I’ve only been on two cruises but I enjoyed getting to know my servers on both. I’m Facebook friends with a server I met in 2006! He would call me from port and I sent him gifts when he married. I also liked being able to go straight to “my” table. So I am torn about having open seating. My husband is very social, I call him a “puppy” because when he sees new people he hasn’t met he will engage them in conversation. I am much more reserved and shy but open up with time. Maybe he will like being able to meet new people each night. If we want a quiet night alone we can request a table for two.
 

I’m assuming we can ask for different sized tables each night with open dining. Am I correct about that? 

[Mary229]

9 minutes ago, MINIroadster said:

I’m assuming we can ask for different sized tables each night with open dining. Am I correct about that? 

Yes you can.  I still get my fixed seating and simply let the server know the night before if I will be delayed or absent.   As I talked about before we enjoy inviting people to join us for dinner.  It is the best of all worlds, society on demand or quiet when needed.

 

I tend to take longer cruises and that accounts for my preferences.  On short cruises I do open dining

Edited August 21, 2022 by Mary229

[Hlitner]

It occurs to me that there are probably some cruisers who have never tried an Open Dining scheme.  So lets dispel some myths.  With open dining you can dine when you want, with who you want, when you want!  In most cases (and this can be impacted if things are crowded) you can simply tell the host/hostess if you want a 2 top, share a table with others who are with you when you go to dinner, or you can ask to simply share a table with strangers.   On many ships it is also possible to request a specific wait station (which would depend on whether there is an available table).  Many cruise lines also allow you to make reservations for open sitting (it is not necessary, but an option).  So, for example, when we cruise on Princess I can open up their app (on my phone) and reserve a particular MDR (there are 2 or 3) for a specific time and specify if I want a 2-top or to share.  or....I can simply walk up to the door at the MDR whenvever I please and tell them what I want (i.e. 2 top, large table, etc).

 

So how does this work in practice?  DW and I typically go to a bar for cocktails before we go to dinner.  It will sometimes happen that we meet other folks while having drinks and there are times when we might want to extend our stay in the bar, or perhaps join our new found friends for dinner.  With open sitting there is not need to leave the bar if you happen to be in a nice conversation, enjoying the music, etc.   You go to dinner on your own schedule, not on the ship's schedule  There might be some nights when you want to dine alone, so you can ask for a 2 top.  On other nights you might want to dine at a large table and meet some new folks so you can ask to share a large table.  For us it is the best of all worlds.    I should add that it also is a great option when you might be in a port until late, and do not want to go rushing back to the ship because you must get to dinner on time!     I should also mention that all the luxury lines use open sitting (some also allow reservations).  There is generally no Fixed Dining on any luxury line.

 

When we started cruising (in the 70s) there only was Fixed sittings and 2 tops were rare.  Over the years we had many nice tables, some great tables, and a few awful tables (we would then ask to be moved).  With Open dining shared tables if you get a lousy group you simply do not dine with those folks in the future,  If you happen to find some great tablemates, you can simply agree to meet them for dinner in the future or even make a reservation as a group.  The only down side is that you would not likely get the same table and waiters every night (although you could make the request).  For us, not having the same waiters has actually been a good thing as we have met many of the wait staff and always have the option of requesting that we be seated at their station (which can be done if there is available space).

 

Hank

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

11 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

It occurs to me that there are probably some cruisers who have never tried an Open Dining scheme.  So lets dispel some myths.  With open dining you can dine when you want, with who you want, when you want!  In most cases (and this can be impacted if things are crowded) you can simply tell the host/hostess if you want a 2 top, share a table with others who are with you when you go to dinner, or you can ask to simply share a table with strangers.   On many ships it is also possible to request a specific wait station (which would depend on whether there is an available table).  Many cruise lines also allow you to make reservations for open sitting (it is not necessary, but an option).  So, for example, when we cruise on Princess I can open up their app (on my phone) and reserve a particular MDR (there are 2 or 3) for a specific time and specify if I want a 2-top or to share.  or....I can simply walk up to the door at the MDR whenvever I please and tell them what I want (i.e. 2 top, large table, etc).

 

So how does this work in practice?  DW and I typically go to a bar for cocktails before we go to dinner.  It will sometimes happen that we meet other folks while having drinks and there are times when we might want to extend our stay in the bar, or perhaps join our new found friends for dinner.  With open sitting there is not need to leave the bar if you happen to be in a nice conversation, enjoying the music, etc.   You go to dinner on your own schedule, not on the ship's schedule  There might be some nights when you want to dine alone, so you can ask for a 2 top.  On other nights you might want to dine at a large table and meet some new folks so you can ask to share a large table.  For us it is the best of all worlds.    I should add that it also is a great option when you might be in a port until late, and do not want to go rushing back to the ship because you must get to dinner on time!     I should also mention that all the luxury lines use open sitting (some also allow reservations).  There is generally no Fixed Dining on any luxury line.

 

Hank

 

 

 Good points.  I thought I’d read that Princess only has open dining, no traditional.  This seemed to be in the last few months.  I haven’t sailed with them since the start up so I don’t know.

[Hlitner]

38 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

 Good points.  I thought I’d read that Princess only has open dining, no traditional.  This seemed to be in the last few months.  I haven’t sailed with them since the start up so I don’t know.

Princess has had "issues" because of Covid.  On cruises where the ships are not close to being full (like our Enchanted Princess cruise last Dec) they will sometimes only open 2 of their 3 MDRs.  When they did this on our Dec cruise they had their normal Fixed and Open dining.  But we have heard of staffing problems on some cruises and this has caused schedule changes which seem to vary by cruise.  So what has happened?  Like many cruise lines, Princess has had problems fully staffing their ships because of staff shortages and the difficulty in getting the necessary visas for some crew members.  Many governments (including the USA) are not processing visa requests as quickly as in the past.  The other problem is that once they do staff a ship, there are too many crew members who get COVID and need to be quarantined for many days.  Princess finally cancelled 11 cruises of the Diamond Princess so they could free-up the crew to work on the other short handed ships.

 

I would emphasize that staffing issues are plaguing all the cruise lines.  We have heard that the current Seabourn Quest cruise (a popular itinerary from Europe to North America) is having some staff problems.  The ship is nearly at capacity, but they have some crew shortages.  We had a similar situation on a March-April Seabourn Ovation cruise when some of the crew would get sick (we assume it was COVID) which would cause temporary shortages in some areas (like bar waiters).  On that same cruise the Cruise Director caught COVID which took him out of action for a week!  We all must remember that crew members are human and are constantly working close to passengers and other crew.

 

Hank

[FlaMariner]

55 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

 I thought I’d read that Princess only has open dining, no traditional.

 

We tried Princess in March for the first time (and will never leave "the reservation" again as we were fools).

 

On the Princess Sky.....

 

We made reservations for same time, same dining room, table for 2,  on their app.....

 

(the app rarely worked and if HAL decides to use the Princess app all Mariners must immediately chain themselves to the gangway and refuse to leave until they relent and not implement that piece of garbage...go to Princess boards if further details as to why are needed)

 

On the first night, we were assigned a table for 2 but it was maybe 13 inches apart from a line of tables for two....I found a quiet table nearby and took note of the table number (it belonged to the same servers and we liked them)....On night two, we requested that table and got it.  On nights 3 thru 14, we would have to line up before the tall suited man at the kiosk and beg and plead for the same table.  We got it but we had to work it.  They told us on night 3 that the same table could never be held or guaranteed. 

 

So our experience is that Princess does not have traditional dining and has a very inefficient way of getting folks seated in the MDR.

 

(Lots of other reasons we will never book Princess again but that was near the top for us...you have been warned. LOL)

 

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by FlaMariner

[sofietucker]

We used to always ask for second seating, tables of 6 or eight. But as Hlitner mentioned, you sometimes DO have to rush to be seated--to not hold up the others at your table from being served, as the servers would delay for 15 minutes in order to take latecomers' orders, thus pushing back the entire meal, thus risking being late for a post-dinner show, etc. Similarly, you have to wait for everyone to finish before they serve the next course, dessert being notorious for being served late. Courteous  folks finally learn this and asked to be served in advance, leave early or say "go head, don't wait for me," etc.

 

But in terms of compatible diners, while we've had many delightful experiences and made some longtime friends, we've also had to ask to be moved a few times. Due to: inappropriate questions such as, before we were fully seated, being asked who we were voting for in a national election (please, we're on vacation); the couple who always showed up already drunk; the couple who made vicious remarks to each other all through dinner, every night; the two single women on the make, who made dirty jokes all through dinner (we are not prudes but there's a time and place). 

 

Then there was the cruise where we looked forward to dinner for the entertainment value. It was like being at a fascinating trainwreck or movie, due to the wealthy foursome who were "characters," each acting their roles, apparently needing an audience. An anorexic plastic surgery queen who was  consistently outrageous; her gigolo (could have been interesting guy on his own); the copycat best friend of low intelligence; the insecure one-upping toady... (The final other "normal" couple became our dear friends.) People at nearby tables or on excursions with us kept wanting to know what happened at dinner the night before.

 

Since covid, we've been dining alone (or traveling with family). 

Edited August 21, 2022 by sofietucker

[Mary229]

@sofietucker  you cruise different from me🤣

[sofietucker]

4 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

@sofietucker  you cruise different from me🤣

Yes, well some of the folks described above were all at the same table; we haven't asked to be moved THAT many times, lol.

[KroozNut]

3 hours ago, MINIroadster said:

Hi KroozNut - We booked our upcoming November 20-December 11 cruise early last December and open dining was the only option. Is it because it’s a B2B or was that not soon enough? 

 

In that case, I would have gone further and contacted HAL to express your desire for fixed dining. I've done that before with success. Don't give up simply because the booking process says that your dining preference is not available, especially that far out.