So I can eat at anytime on Hal?

[redshoe]

Ok, trying to make sure I understand this right. I'm going to be on the Zuiderdam for the 7 night cruise. Two formals nights,1 informal and 1 casual- Husband has already nixed the formal nights so that means my choices are either room service the lido right?

 

What's the difference between informal and casual nights? At the lido do we serve ourselves like a cafeteria?

 

Is the main dining room only open for dinner and we are served breakfast/ lunch at the lido resturant?

 

I've seen mention of pool side grills/food etc..is that just for special days or are there casual eating places besides the lido?

 

OK, let me see...

 

There is the pinnacle (you pay extra to eat there and make reservations)

Dining room -- that's for dinner and you have assigned times and tables?

Lido- for when you want to eat at any hour and alternatives for formal nights

room service - for anything else

 

Oh and I'm a SC suite so I keep hearing about the neptune but that's just for drinks and mingles and maybe a light pastry or snack?

 

*sigh* I'm confussed. :eek:

[RuthC]

OK, lets take this a bit at a time:

The difference between informal and casual evenings is a matter of the degree of dressiness. Informal is more dressed up than casual. Casual is more dressed up than daytime playclothes.

At the Lido, breakfast and lunch are cafeteria-style. During dinner there is still some "cafeteria" to it, but your enree is cooked to order and brought to your table.

The main dining room is open for breakfast during limited hours. It is open sitting. By that is meant that you may arrive any time they are serving, and you will be seated at any available table.

Sometimes (usually sea days) the main dining room is open for lunch on the same basis.

Dinner is at a scheduled time. Your time, table assignment, and table mates are set for the entire cruise.

The hamburger/hot dog grill near the pool is every day for lengthy hours. Yum.

That help?

[FoxyTerrier]

And don't forget room service. I think there is a limited menu that can be ordered 24 hours a day.

[lg rover]

Don't forget taco bar, which is outside by the grill, also pizza. Also ice

cream bar w/ yummy toppings at certain hours.

[zaandam_2]

Here's a link on HAL website, explaing the dresscode. It should be noted the dresscode is for the evening, not just dinner. I was surprised by that on my first HAL cruise, but I do like it.

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=packing&topic=dressCode

[RuthC]

You have a couple more choices on Formal nights if your husband doesn't want to go to the dining room. You can order from the dining room menu to have it served in your cabin. You must order during the first half-hour of early sitting, but it can be delivered at a time of your choosing.

Another option is to go to the dining room without him.

[peaches from georgia]

... Husband has already nixed the formal nights so that means my choices are either room service the lido right?...

 

No, not really. It means that HIS choices are room service and the Lido. YOU still have the choice of going to the Dining Room.

 

Don't miss at least one formal night. It's fun and makes the cruise special. My DH loves formal night, but if he disappointed me and refused to go to even one and we had tablemates I would get dressed up, look beautiful, and go anyway. His loss. ;)

[TedC]

We've never had dinner in the Lido, but I recall that the Lido dinner hours are limited, something like 6:30 pm to 8 pm.

 

During the day, the Neptune Lounge has cookies, "finger food", coffees, teas, juices etc. No booze in the lounge except during a special party. The NL closes about 8 p.m. In the morning you can have a light breakfast in the lounge.

 

I'm sure you'll not go hungry.

[SDHALFAN]

We've never had dinner in the Lido, but I recall that the Lido dinner hours are limited, something like 6:30 pm to 8 pm.

 

Yes, the dinner hours in the Lido are limited and more often than not only one side is open to passengers since the other side serves the officers and staff. Generally the food offered in the Lido is similar (if not identical) to the Dining Room menu. You will find quite a few people dining in the Lido and now it's all gussied up with white linen tablecloths, flowers and candles on the tables. While not as elegant as the Dining Room experience it's not your regular cafeteria experience either.

 

If you choose to dine in your cabin/suite then, as Ruth said, you have the option of ordering from the Dining Room menu. It used to be that the suite passengers had the dinner menu delivered to their suite so you wouldn't have to go to the trouble of going down and checking out the menu for yourselves - I don't know if this is still the case.

 

You can call Room Service at any time to order from the Dining Room menu - I usually call late afternoon/early evening - and you will be advised as to the earliest delivery time, but it won't be before early sitting has started.

 

Enjoy your cruise and especially enjoy all that good food.

 

Valerie:)

[Jemima]

You'll receive an activities sheet each evening and will want to check that for the next day's meal times. Both the lido and the dining room hours can vary according to sea days, ports, or the usually once per cruise barbeque. The lido has more generous breakfast and lunch hours than the diningroom, but not all day. If we wish to eat lunch onboard after a long morning excursion, we have to get right to lido upon returning or settle for something less than the lunch buffet.

[CruisinMK]

The original poster has indicated that the husband doesn't want to dress up for formal night, and they'd like to eat together as a couple.

 

The above messages suggest they are effectively confined to their room the whole night. There are no dining options available other than room service, even Lido isn't an option, and they cannot even go to the theatre or other public rooms. Is this right?

 

The "informal" nights require him to wear a jacket too.

 

To make you both happy, there are a few options --

1) Somehow change his mind and convince him to dress up.

2) Decide that being trapped in your room for the entirety of several evenings somehow isn't so bad.

3) Enjoy the evening without him, ha!

4) Cancel your cruise and book NCL, which doesn't ever require that you dress up. :)

[Bucky3]

We very much enjoyed our Lido dinners on Oosterdam last year. As I remember the "window" for dining was quite limited - beautiful views from up there and it was definitely much more than a cafeteria experience.

[SDHALFAN]

The original poster has indicated that the husband doesn't want to dress up for formal night, and they'd like to eat together as a couple.

 

The above messages suggest they are effectively confined to their room the whole night. There are no dining options available other than room service, even Lido isn't an option, and they cannot even go to the theatre or other public rooms. Is this right?

 

The "informal" nights require him to wear a jacket too.

 

To make you both happy, there are a few options --

1) Somehow change his mind and convince him to dress up.

2) Decide that being trapped in your room for the entirety of several evenings somehow isn't so bad.

3) Enjoy the evening without him, ha!

4) Cancel your cruise and book NCL, which doesn't ever require that you dress up. :)

 

 

Aw Mike, come on:

 

No, of course the OP and DH are not confined to their rooms for the night, and the Lido certainly is an option, as long as they get there before 8:00 p.m.

 

They will find themselves, if they venture out into public rooms, to be underdressed for the evening, but none of the other passengers are going to give much of a whit either way. I know this for a fact because I have done it myself a couple of times;) . I have yet to see the Captain make anyone disobeying the dress code "walk the plank".

 

I only mentioned the options of dining in the Lido or dining in one's cabin because, since being widowed two years ago, I now find myself sailing "solo". As to the cruises I have taken since my husband's death I have eaten in the Dining Room with my assigned table companions and had the very best time with them, and they all remain really good friends to this day. The other two cruises: well to be kind, let's just say that I preferred to eat in the Lido or in my cabin alone with my DVD'S;) .

 

By the way, I particularly like you option #2 - trapped in my cabin for the entirety of the cruise wouldn't be so bad, as long as I had room service, a diligent cabin steward and had brought some good DVD's with me.

 

Valerie:D

 

p.s. For me NCL is just not an option!

[Linda&Vern]

Ok, trying to make sure I understand this right. I'm going to be on the Zuiderdam for the 7 night cruise. Two formals nights,1 informal and 1 casual- Husband has already nixed the formal nights so that means my choices are either room service the lido right?

 

Just curious: Why did he nix the formal nights? Although others will tell you a suite or tux is a must, there will be many gentlemen with conservative sport coat, dress slacks, shirt & tie. I hate to see you take a cruise and not enjoy the entire experience by worrying about eating dinner.

 

:rolleyes: Another curious question to other cruisers: If HAL says "dress for the evening is formal" would that mean you can't come out of your cabin after 5:45pm (first dinner seating) until dressed formal? What if you have 8:30 dinner? Would you be expected to "dress" early or hide out?

 

Linda & Vern

Maasdam Holiday 2004:p

Maasdam Thanksgiving 2005:p

Maasdam not coming back to Norfolk at end of 2006 Holiday cruise - how sad that now we can't go :mad:

[redshoe]

ohhh-- so during the evening hours if I want to stroll the deck, library, gift shops etc...I need to be in dress pants/blouse insted of capri's and knit shirts? What about a toddler should he be in little slacks etc for just strolling and stretching our legs on those nights?

[redshoe]

sorry, forgot to add that he nixed the formal nights because he wants to take a break from dressing up (dresses nice for work) and just wants to totally relax- and we will have our toddler with us so husband figures that our son would "spoil" the atmosphere for us and others in the dining room on the formal nights and that we should have room service or something else that night.

 

I agree that I wouldn't want our child to be a nusiance for others trying to enjoy an elegant evening not to mention that he has the patience of a toddler and kind of ruins the fancy dinner for me too. I'm not sure how long it takes to eat all those courses during dinner. :confused:

[zaandam_2]

I I'm not sure how long it takes to eat all those courses during dinner. :confused:

 

In the dining room, plan on 1.5 - 2 hours for dinner. In the Pinnacle, plan on 3 hours.

[MrLee]

On my last cruise the dining room service was terrible (That was a 1st!) so we ate our meals on the Lido deck for 12 out of 14 days. We were quite pleased with the food and service there.

[RuthC]

ohhh-- so during the evening hours if I want to stroll the deck, library, gift shops etc...I need to be in dress pants/blouse insted of capri's and knit shirts?

HAL's dress code extends to the public areas in the evening. That would be the dining room, lounges, show lounge, and casino. Since the library and shops are in the midst of all that it would follow that guests in those venues would be appropriately dressed.

Walking the outside decks and spending the evening on Lido Deck are another matter---no need to be as dressed up.

What about a toddler should he be in little slacks etc for just strolling and stretching our legs on those nights?

If you were to dress your toddler in something clean and fresh for the evening---something a bit dressier than what he would wear in the sandbox---that would be adorable.

[boards]

We have eaten in the Lido for dinner on the Veendam and it was fine and enjoyable. One thing that I really liked is if you wanted seconds of anything it was real easy to get. All you had to do was go back up and ask for it. Cannot get any better than that. Two shrimps in one night, wow.