Excellent Service

[ciska40]

Just got an email from HAL on my request to have table 2 or 4 on our cruise on the Zuiderdam.

 

They put it on my reservation and are doing their best to provide me with the table I requested. They also mentioned that their are pleased that we are choosing to sail with them again.

 

I love this thats why we cruise HAL.

 

 

Ciska

[mmp13]

I have to agree, I am new to HAL but have been impressed by the speed with wich they have answered my email questions. Not with canned response but with a personal reply to my specific inquiries! Very nice.

[hammybee]

I hope you get one of the tables that you requested.

 

As an aside, I cannot imagine how it is that HAL and other cruise lines began accepting requests for specific tables and/or locations, independent of those that sail in Suites and are entitled to special considerations. ( I rarely do so I am not talking about me.) What were they thinking?

 

It reminds me of wedding dinner table planning, week after week, with the added challenge that X % of passengers are going to show up, once on board, and ask for a change because they want a different seating, location, different tablemates and so on. And the more who make special requests, the more challenging it becomes. In the end, some passengers get dissappointed and a few allow it to cloud their entire cruise experience and or perception of the cruise line.

 

If HAL is intent on being democratic, perhaps the so-called better tables, as with cabins, should go to those who book earlier, instead of the better late than never crowd. And then, if there is a group on board, it seems they trump everyone. Maybe a lottery is the best way to go. It has got to be the worst part of the dining room's job.

[mmp13]

I agree it must be a difficult job but we have always been pleased with our dinner assignment on past cruises. I beleive some of the larger ships have no tables for 2 available anymore except in there optional upscale dining restaurant where they charge you to dine or in the less formal dining areas where seating is done as guests arrive.

[ciska40]

Well I have cruised several times with HAL and never had any problems getting the table we want.

Maybe it's because we are from the netherlands, but we always got the table we requested or we talked to the maitre and he would give us a table for four.

It's not that I don't like americans I love them but at dinner we just want to eat with our family.

Well I hope this time will work out too. I haven't been on a vista ship yet so I will have to wait and see.

 

Ciska:) :) :)

[BumperII]

I love this thats why we cruise HAL.

 

 

Ciska

 

Thanks for posting this thread. I say thanks, because this is what we experience most on HAL ships: Excellent service! Every request we have ever made has been accomodated promptly. We think HAL is one of the better run operations we've ever seen.:)

[sail7seas]

I hope you get one of the tables that you requested.

...............

 

It reminds me of wedding dinner table planning, week after week, with the added challenge that X % of passengers are going to show up, once on board, and ask for a change because they want a different seating, location, different tablemates and so on. And the more who make special requests, the more challenging it becomes. In the end, some passengers get dissappointed and a few allow it to cloud their entire cruise experience and or perception of the cruise line.

 

If HAL is intent on being democratic, perhaps the so-called better tables, as with cabins, should go to those who book earlier, instead of the better late than never crowd. And then, if there is a group on board, it seems they trump everyone. Maybe a lottery is the best way to go. It has got to be the worst part of the dining room's job.

 

Hammybee..... I've had Maitre d's tell me in the past that table requests are approached just as you mention. They have told me they first look at the date of booking when trying to honor all requests. If he can only please this passenger or that one but not both because they both want the same table at the same time, the date of booking and if in an "S" or "PS" are considered. He who booked first, gets the table. I don't have it in writing and can't produce the 'evidence' but have no reason to think this isn't true.

 

(If both in an "S", the one who booked first gets it.)

[hammybee]

Hammybee..... I've had Maitre d's tell me in the past that table requests are approached just as you mention. They have told me they first look at the date of booking when trying to honor all requests. If he can only please this passenger or that one but not both because they both want the same table at the same time, the date of booking and if in an "S" or "PS" are considered. He who booked first, gets the table. I don't have it in writing and can't produce the 'evidence' but have no reason to think this isn't true.

 

(If both in an "S", the one who booked first gets it.)

 

Thanks Sails. My heart goes out to them because no matter what, some passengers are going to be dissappointed. Premium cabins and early bookers should have first dibs and I understand the dynamics of a group booking .