Lunch on embarkation day

[bajae]

1 hour ago, KAKcruiser said:

The excuses are ridiculous - saving on food costs and waste!  Really! We are on a cruise.

That isn’t the reason since changing the location people eat doesn’t change the amount of food they eat. It is a staffing issue. Not having to staff in the MDR allows extra hands to help with embarking duties. 

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, bajae said:

That isn’t the reason since changing the location people eat doesn’t change the amount of food they eat. It is a staffing issue. Not having to staff in the MDR allows extra hands to help with embarking duties. 

IMO, it increases waste as people tend to get more food and leave more of it uneaten in the Lido than MDR (which, of course, has controlled portion sizes).

[shadow 123]

8 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

I which Holland would bring lunch in the dining room back, on embarkation day.

After all these years I just found out about it now it's gone. Just once did I have lunch in the main dining room. I don't even know how it happened I think I just stumbled up on it.

[Blackduck59]

This "issue" seems to be trotted out every couple of months. Perhaps rather than disregard your check in time and jam up the works for embarkation; all so you can "start your vacation" perhaps the answer is to have brunch or lunch ashore before check in. That way you will be fed, and not adding to the chaos of embarkation. There are choices to make and it's not always where on the ship you will have lunch on embarkation day. Have a nice lunch ashore, check in at your assigned time and relax at the bar while everyone else is enduring the crowded buffet.

Edited Friday at 04:23 AM by Blackduck59
typo

[Laminator]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

This "issue" seems to be trotted out every couple of months. Perhaps rather than disregard your check in time and jam up the works for embarkation; all so you can "start your vacation" perhaps the answer is to have brunch or lunch ashore before check in. That way you will be fed, and not adding to the chaos of embarkation. There are choices to make and it's not always where on the ship you will have lunch on embarkation day. Have a nice lunch ashore, check in at your assigned time and relax at the bar while everyone else is enduring the crowded buffet.

That is the issue. Everyone's assigned time is now 12 noon. The staggered check in times are gone. 

[Blackduck59]

Just now, Laminator said:

That is the issue. Everyone's assigned time is now 12 noon. The staggered check in times are gone. 

Fair enough, then still have lunch ashore and check in later; or stand in line with no food or water or shade from 1000 hrs (you know people will show up early no matter what check in time is). I'm guessing they gave up on staggered times because people thought it was a suggestion and they had a better idea. And complained about no food or water or shade. Even if you don't hit the sweet spot and end up in a line, if you eat ashore you aren't standing in line being hungry, just to find the few food venues that are open for embarkation a crammed with people eager to" start their vacation"

[Laminator]

1 minute ago, Blackduck59 said:

Fair enough, then still have lunch ashore and check in later; or stand in line with no food or water or shade from 1000 hrs (you know people will show up early no matter what check in time is). I'm guessing they gave up on staggered times because people thought it was a suggestion and they had a better idea. And complained about no food or water or shade. Even if you don't hit the sweet spot and end up in a line, if you eat ashore you aren't standing in line being hungry, just to find the few food venues that are open for embarkation a crammed with people eager to" start their vacation"

I am in no way disagreeing with you. I am always in an NS plus I am 4 star so I am onboard by 11:15 most every cruise. If I wasn't in an NS I would be following your advice and checking in at 1:30 or 2pm. Not a chance in hell of me standing in that line. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

8 hours ago, shadow 123 said:

After all these years I just found out about it now it's gone. Just once did I have lunch in the main dining room. I don't even know how it happened I think I just stumbled up on it.

It was a fun place to go on Embarkation day ,You would meet staff you new, as well as the menu was very good .  It gave you a felling that you were home again ..

[terrydtx]

5 hours ago, Laminator said:

That is the issue. Everyone's assigned time is now 12 noon. The staggered check in times are gone. 

When did this happen? Last November we had the staggered check in, but we had CO so we got onboard before noon, but at that time the MDR was still open for lunch.

[Haljo1935]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

When did this happen? Last November we had the staggered check in, but we had CO so we got onboard before noon, but at that time the MDR was still open for lunch.

In the past few months. Dec & Jan MDR was open for lunch, so it was after early Jan this year that MDR is no longer open for lunch on embarkation day. Staggered check in times began before then.

[shadow 123]

36 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

In the past few months. Dec & Jan MDR was open for lunch, so it was after early Jan this year that MDR is no longer open for lunch on embarkation day. Staggered check in times began before then.

So... no more staggered check in times? You can go whenever you want?   Sounds good to me. I always got a later time to get on the ship.

[acct1975]

Who knew this was such a hot button topic!

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and opinions, My family has cruised before (on different lines) so we know our likes a dislikes pretty well but we do have some fiends coming with us on their 1st cruise and want to give them some idea of what to expect and to have some pros and cons for getting on the ship later rather than earlier

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, shadow 123 said:

So... no more staggered check in times? You can go whenever you want?   Sounds good to me. I always got a later time to get on the ship.

I believe noon is what now shows on everyone's boarding pass for check in time. Then boarding is still priority first (PS, NS, CO, 5*, 4*, HC) followed by the remaining passengers.

[Haljo1935]

25 minutes ago, acct1975 said:

Who knew this was such a hot button topic!

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and opinions, My family has cruised before (on different lines) so we know our likes a dislikes pretty well but we do have some fiends coming with us on their 1st cruise and want to give them some idea of what to expect and to have some pros and cons for getting on the ship later rather than earlier

FWIW, I think w/o priority boarding status, you'll find yourselves spending time waiting to board the earlier you arrive. Once the majority of the group of early arrives has boarded, the lines will be shorter and you'll move through quicker.

Have a great trip - I hope your friends get hooked on cruising!!

[acct1975]

45 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

I believe noon is what now shows on everyone's boarding pass for check in time. Then boarding is still priority first (PS, NS, CO, 5*, 4*, HC) followed by the remaining passengers.

I figured out most of these codes but what does 'CO' & 'HC' stand for?

 

[sunviking90]

8 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Fair enough, then still have lunch ashore and check in later; or stand in line with no food or water or shade from 1000 hrs (you know people will show up early no matter what check in time is). I'm guessing they gave up on staggered times because people thought it was a suggestion and they had a better idea. And complained about no food or water or shade. Even if you don't hit the sweet spot and end up in a line, if you eat ashore you aren't standing in line being hungry, just to find the few food venues that are open for embarkation a crammed with people eager to" start their vacation"

We always get to the port around 10:45 am and always will. We are always on board by 12 (yes, even in Vancouver). If everyone has lunch off ship and wanders over later then there’s another problem and the ship is unlikely to leave at 4 pm.

[terrydtx]

4 minutes ago, acct1975 said:

I figured out most of these codes but what does 'CO' & 'HC' stand for?

 

CO is Club Orange, not sure about HC. CO has priority boarding as one of its benefits.

[KAKcruiser]

Embarkation lunch in the dining room was available for years before staggered boarding times were used.  It worked out fine then.  

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, acct1975 said:

I figured out most of these codes but what does 'CO' & 'HC' stand for?

 

As it was mentioned regarding priority boarding I would suggest it stands for those in Handicap Rooms/wheelchair assistance??

[terrydtx]

28 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

Embarkation lunch in the dining room was available for years before staggered boarding times were used.  It worked out fine then.  

After cruising with HAL for 10 years with the MDR open for lunch, I was surprised that Celebrity only had the MDR open for Concierge Class cabins and the Suites in Luminae. My first Celebrity cruise in 2019 was in neither of those categories and it reminded me how much I hated lunch in the Buffets on embarkation day. My next 6 Celebrity cruises were all in Suites and lunch was in Luminae, the suites only restaurant on embarkation day.

[atexsix]

19 hours ago, KAKcruiser said:

They often use the staffing issue for an excuse.  That is the reason I was given for the discontinuation of having the Catholic Priest onboard.

How could that be an issue?  I can't see the Catholic Priest changing beds or performing the Love Boat Julie thing with her little clipboard at the gangway.  

 

14 hours ago, shadow 123 said:

After all these years I just found out about it now it's gone. Just once did I have lunch in the main dining room. I don't even know how it happened I think I just stumbled up on it.

That's what I was alluding to, it's like they go out of their way to not heavily advertise it or promote it, even when it's supposed to be open on a collector's cruise. I'm surprised you even stumbled on it, since it never looks like anything going on at all, even the piped in music is off, possibly to hear all the announcements for embarkation?

 

3 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

FWIW, I think w/o priority boarding status, you'll find yourselves spending time waiting to board the earlier you arrive. Once the majority of the group of early arrives has boarded, the lines will be shorter and you'll move through quicker.

Have a great trip - I hope your friends get hooked on cruising!!

I second this.  If you arrive at the pier after 1:00, you can usually just walk right on, within about 10-15 minutes.  

[Laminator]

6 hours ago, terrydtx said:

When did this happen? Last November we had the staggered check in, but we had CO so we got onboard before noon, but at that time the MDR was still open for lunch.

Since at least February!

[Laminator]

2 hours ago, KAKcruiser said:

Embarkation lunch in the dining room was available for years before staggered boarding times were used.  It worked out fine then.  

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I do not believe the rooms were ready or very close to ready when you boarded back in the day. 

[Kay S]

4 minutes ago, Laminator said:

Since at least February!

I realized it has been almost a year since our last HAL cruise.  If staggered boarding is gone, then good.  We almost always sail from San Diego, so the plan is to eat lunch somewhere nice on shore and mosey over to the pier in the afternoon.

[KAKcruiser]

The cabins have been ready for occupancy for at least 10 years.