Question re: Noordam Dining Options

[bkel57]

Is an "any-time" dining option offered on the Noordam? We returned from a Princess cruise a few weeks ago and really enjoyed going to dinner when we felt like it. Thank you.

[RuthC]

Noordam has had fixed dining times at 5:45, 6:15, 8:00, and 8:30.

There have been posts on this board that in January a dining experiment that has been tried on the Oosterdam will be extended to the Noordam. In that experiment there are two dining "windows" in that early sitting diners may arrive any time between 5:30-6:00, and late sitting diners may arrive between 8:00 and 9:00.

 

You are still assigned to a specific table with specific tablemates, but there is some room for flexibility when diners at the same table arrive at vastly different times.

[Gsel]

Ruth,

There is another thread going on this. We have the Noordam booked in June and were told we could only have 5:15, 8:30 or "Leisure Dining". That means show up and get a different table and wait staff each evening. Some will love it and others will hate it. I have an email in to HAL and also a letter going in the mail today protesting the arrangement.

[WNYCRUISER]

I know that the Noordam had traditional fixed dining times when it first set sail.

 

I believe the arrangement that Ruth is describing, with the "arrival windows" began while the Noordam was sailing in Europe over the summer, and I believe continues to this day. I know that they are having this type of arrangement on the Christmas Cruise.

 

The third arrangement "change" is being implemented on the Oosterdam in January. A setup as Gsel has described. One level of the dining room will be traditional fixed dining times, (two seatings) and the other level will be a come whenever you want/ stand in line/ wait for a table setup. The type of setup it sounds like the OP had on Princess.

 

The way Gsel writes here, it sounds like this Oosterdam "experiment" will be hitting the Noordam soon.

[Gsel]

That is exactly what has happened. You can either eat very early or very late if you want the same table and same wait staff each evening, otherwise you have to wait in line for a different table and different staff each evening. Doesn't sound like a good deal either way to us. We are not very happy about it, but not much we can do about it but write letters. Hopefully others will do the same.

[RuthC]

You're right. HAL has been changing and experimenting and shifting things around so much that I lost track. :o

 

I sure hope the "new and improved" :rolleyes: dining arrangements disappear before I have to deal with them.

[shortnsweet]

The dining arrangements even with the "trial" are pretty much the same. We opted for the late seating (between 8-9pm). We asked for a table for two but were seated at a table for four. We had the same waitstaff each night and as long as we were there before 9pm, all was well. Everyone at our seating was there by 8:30, including our table mates. What impressed me was the way they slowed our service down a little while our table mates "caught up". We were so busy chatting, you could barely notice. I was skeptical at first, but it was done very well and everyone was happy. Now the Lido was another story.........:cool:

[FoxyTerrier]

I booked the Noordam for next August last week and we were offered "Anytime Dining" along with the traditional early and late dining. Note: We were not offered the upper and lower early and upper and lower late only early and late. This might have been an over sight.

 

I started the Anytime Dining thread and after someone told me my TA was wrong I logged to my TA online booking sight and there were 5 dining choices listed: Upper and Lower early and upper and lower late as well as "Open".

 

Last June while also on the Noordam they changed to the what they called "Leisure Dining" which I hated - so I hope that is gone for good.

[Navy_Chief]

Here is the exact text in the letter included in our Noordam Documents package:

 

Holland America Line

IMPORTANT DINING NOTICE

Dear Guest,

We are excited to advise you of a new dining concept - Leisure Dining Service - that will be featured during this sailing. We have designed Leisure Dining Service to provide our guests with that extra flexibility that we all want on our vacations.

Simply stated, Leisure Dining Service means you do not have to arrive at the Vista Dining Room at a specific time. Instead, we have created two dining time windows which you can use as you please.

For those guests who had confirmed dining times of either 5:45 p.m. or 6:15 p.m., you may now come to the Vista Dining Room at any time between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. We do request that you arrive no later than 6:00 p.m.

For those guests who had confirmed dining times of either 8:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m., you may now come to the Vista Dining Room at any time between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. This is truly leisure at its finest.

No one has to make a special reservation for a certain time. Furthermore, the table previously reserved for you will still be your table.

If you have questions, our Dining Room Staff will be available during embarkation from 12.30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. outside the Explorer's Lounge on Deck 2.

At Holland America Line, we are always looking for ways to make your vacation just a little more luxurious. It is with that goal in mind that we are proud to present our new Leisure Dining Service.

BON VOYAGE!

 

And here's the Q&A from the flip side:

Leisure Dining Service

Questions & Answers

 

Q: Why has Holland America Line decided to test the "Leisure Dining Service" concept?

A: Based on guest feedback, we are providing more accommodating dining times.

 

Q: Is the change permanent?

A: Currently Holland America Line is featuring this concept on a trial basis.

 

Q: I was previously confirmed for either 5:45 p.m. or 6:15 p.m. When do I dine?

A: You may come to the Vista Dining Room at any time between 5:30p.m. and 6:00p.m. It is necessary that you arrive no later than 6:00 p.m.

 

Q: I was previously confirmed for either 8:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. When do I dine?

A: You may come to the Vista Dining Room at any time between 8:00p.m. and 9:00p.m.

 

Q: How do I know what my dining assignment is?

A: Please refer to your Guest Dining Identification Card and the guest dining reference letter. It will note: "Dining 5:30p.m. to 6:00p.m. " or, "Dining 8:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. "

 

Q: Do I have to reserve a specific time between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. or between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.?

A: Absolutely not. Just show up at any time during your respective time period.

 

Q: What table will I be sitting at?

A: No matter when you arrive at the Dining Room, you will continue to be at the table specified on your Guest Dining Identification Card. However, if someone else at your table arrives significantly before you, we will try to find a different table for you so that people at the same table are not eating different courses at the same time.

 

Q: What if I do not want to eat dinner in the Vista Dinning Room on one or more nights?

A: The Lido Restaurant is open for dinner from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. We do not need to know in advance that you will be dining in the Lido Restaurant. If you 'd like to eat at the Pinnacle Grill, please make a reservation by dialing #98.

 

Q: I was confirmed for either 8:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. but had previously asked to be waitlisted for one of the earlier seating times. What are my options?

A: You can dine at any time between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. If you would like to dine at an earlier time, please proceed to the Table Reservation Desk on Deck 2 in the Explorer's Lounge after embarkation between 12.30p.m. and 4:00p.m and we will try to accommodate your request.

 

Q: What if I still have questions?

A: After embarkation, please proceed to the Table Reservation Desk on Deck 2 in the Explorer's Lounge between 12.30p.m. and 4:00p.m.

[NHBob]

Glad to hear that HAL is finally explaining leisure dining system in final travel documents. As recently as my Sept.-Oct. transatlantic on Noordam, final documents were still showing the old staggered upper and lower seatings, and Seattle was denying any knowledge of leisure dining, even though the trial had been in effect for some time. So, it's no wonder people were a little confused.

 

The HAL website still doesn't mention leisure dining, at least it didn't when I last checked a couple of weeks ago.

 

I thought the leisure dining worked well; we never discussed schedule at our table, but quickly came to a consensus with everybody arriving within 10 minutes of each other between 8:15 and 8:30.

[jhannah]

Glad to hear that HAL is finally explaining leisure dining system in final travel documents.

We had the notification in our document package for our July Noordam sailing.

[Gsel]

As of last evening there is still no explanation of Leisure Dining on the HAL website and our TA can get nothing from Seattle. The only thing we know is we were offered 5:15, 8:30 or Leisure. The letter quoted by Navy Chief is wonderful (Thanks!) but we don't have the luxury of having the times he was given. If I don't hear from my email or letter soon I plan to start calling HAL myself or will call the Mariner number and see if I can get some explantion from there. INMHO this is a huge mess! Some information should have been given to travel agents before this was ever implimented and there should be something on the website about it right now.

[Navy_Chief]

Gsel, I don't know if this will help but here is the info for the ship's event coordinator. If she can't help you, perhaps she can direct you in the right direction. She was real helpful organizing our CC "Meet n Greet"

 

Arica M. Hawley

Coordinator, Onboard Event Services

ms Noordam

Phone: 206-298-3807

877-885-4259 xt 2826

Direct Fax: 206-577-7052

E-mail: ahawley@hollandamerica.com

[Gsel]

Navy Chief, Thanks so much! Email will be going out soon, appreciate your help I will let you know what I find out. Getting thru the red tape at HAL is more than frustrating sometimes!

[Navy_Chief]

I know it can be tough unless you book directly through HAL. That's how we booked this cruise and the small amount of about $50 difference between going through a TA and through HAL made it worth paying the difference, IMHO. I've had no difficulty what so ever with HAL on this trip and have "bugged" them quite a bit as time went by :D

[Gsel]

FINALLY! Got thru to a lovely lady named Becky in Ship's Services. She explained that what we wanted was the difference in Upper and Lower Dining and if we wanted to have the same table, waitstaff each evening we could ask for the upper dining room and arrival between 5:30 and 6:15. No waiting in line, no different table, no different waiter, but still Leisure Dining. Confusing? You Bet! They hope to have the bugs worked out soon, but right now everyone is confused, including Seattle. We will see how this works, bet it won't last long!

[Navy_Chief]

FINALLY! Got thru to a lovely lady named Becky in Ship's Services. She explained that what we wanted was the difference in Upper and Lower Dining and if we wanted to have the same table, waitstaff each evening we could ask for the upper dining room and arrival between 5:30 and 6:15. No waiting in line, no different table, no different waiter, but still Leisure Dining. Confusing? You Bet! They hope to have the bugs worked out soon, but right now everyone is confused, including Seattle. We will see how this works, bet it won't last long!

 

We're on the Noordam next week, I'll report back on how we made out Gsel. Of course, we're a group of 3 couples and asked for a table for 6 when booking. I'll post from the ship on the 7th or 8th.

[Gsel]

Thanks, appreciate your help.