As You Wish Dining - Opinions, Comments and Discussions

[hammybee]

That sounds like a one-way street to me?

 

Not if you are a passenger who booked as part of a group.

 

Group cruises sell at a premium to individual passenger bookings. This premium covers whatever activities are planned for the group, sometimes some group perks and of course covers the organizers costs and a reasonable profit for the group organizer. Of course, I am talking about large groups, not friends/families with 8 cabins.

 

Perhaps you could form a "Table for Two" Group Sail. I suspect you might do well and cover the cost of your own cabin and get the table of choice.

[RevNeal]

I prefer 10 day or more cruises, guess I will stay away from the HAL 7 day itineraries.

 

Agreed ... and that's the best way to ensure that you don't have to worry about large Group bookings messing up everything else. Last year I arranged and headed up a Cruise Critic Group Cruise to Hawaii (15 days, round trip out of Hawaii). When the arrangements were first made I was warned that most Group Cruises for Itineraries longer than 7 days fail to actually "make." Indeed, I got about 2 dozen e-mails from people who have done lots of Group Cruise arrangements, and with one or two exceptions they all warned me that we almost certainly wouldn't make the minimum booking figures to get our "Group" status and perks since Group cruises longer than 10 days are rarely successful.

 

We went with 30 people. It was a "small," but sucessful, 15-day group cruise ... and a first for Cruise Critic on HAL.

 

My point is ... if you prefer 10+ day cruises, as do I, then your chances of being displaced from lounges and dining room locations due to Group bookings is minimized.

[terrydtx]

Agreed ... and that's the best way to ensure that you don't have to worry about large Group bookings messing up everything else. Last year I arranged and headed up a Cruise Critic Group Cruise to Hawaii (15 days, round trip out of Hawaii). When the arrangements were first made I was warned that most Group Cruises for Itineraries longer than 7 days fail to actually "make." Indeed, I got about 2 dozen e-mails from people who have done lots of Group Cruise arrangements, and with one or two exceptions they all warned me that we almost certainly wouldn't make the minimum booking figures to get our "Group" status and perks since Group cruises longer than 10 days are rarely successful.

 

We went with 30 people. It was a "small," but sucessful, 15-day group cruise ... and a first for Cruise Critic on HAL.

 

My point is ... if you prefer 10+ day cruises, as do I, then your chances of being displaced from lounges and dining room locations due to Group bookings is minimized.

 

But you can still be pushed out by the art dealers!!

[Dena]

Where to start......

 

 

I am sorry that you chose to not cruise for on any cruise line for 18 years due to uncertainties of securing a table for two. Given that so many ohers feel as you do and received what they requested, I am not sure why you did not.

 

DH and I returned to cruising a few years ago - only because Princess was offering Anytime Dining - I believe they were the only ones doing so. Our first cruise must have been around 20 years ago - at that time Anytime Dining didn't exist. Don't feel bad for us, we enjoyed land-based vacations during those non-crusing years.

[RevNeal]

But you can still be pushed out by the art dealers!!

 

I said "minimize" not entirely eliminate. And, the "art" shows will always be using lounge space on ships ... I just do other things.

[Dena]

 

Perhaps you could form a "Table for Two" Group Sail. I suspect you might do well and cover the cost of your own cabin and get the table of choice.

 

 

That is just too much work. If I sail Princess, I don't need to worry about a group taking away my Anytime Dining. Although what ReVNeal wrote about few groups being on longer cruises gives me some hope that I may be able to try HAL in the future - DH and I do prefer longer cruises. Still it is a gamble - although I saw another thread here listing known group sailings so that might help. Anyway my next cruise is 15 days on Princess, we'll see after that.

 

Here are some things I like about Princess, that some of you may also like: 1) very, very few announcements; 2) nice steamer chairs on the promenade deck (but only on some ships - be careful if this is important to you); 3) fresh water heated pools open late (some even 24 hours) - I like to swim at night because I burn so easily.

 

Here are a few things I wanted to try on HAL: 1) a much more extensive room service (for example, only full suites on Princess can get a hot breakfast), and 2) better beds and bedding (I'm tired of taking my viscoelastic foam mattress topper with me on Princess, but their beds are really bad).

 

Here is a Princess feature I haven't tried, so I'm not sure if it is a plus: Movies Under the Sun/Stars (MUTS). I'd stay away during the day as it is apparently used to pacify kids with cartoons, etc. However, at night, it might be a nice way to watch a good movie. (DH and I don't go the shows anymore - maybe we'll go to the piano bar, or just stroll on the promendae deck.)

[xpcdoojk]

Dena, groups sail on Princess as well.

 

jc

[HeatherInFlorida]

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

I prefer 10 day or more cruises, guess I will stay away from the HAL 7 day itineraries.

 

This is what we started doing a couple of years ago ... 10 days or longer. It's heaven.

 

I would love to try Princess for the very reason Dena points out. Friends have told me it's no problem getting Traditional. The only issue is the size of the ships with over 300 (though I just read a rave review in Cruise Travel swearing you'd never realize the ship is that big). But they also have a couple of smaller ones so maybe we can look into that in the future. But with back problems, the beds would be a problem.

 

We'll see how this AYW/Traditional thing all works out. I do like to have a couple of cruise lines to choose from and Celebrity doesn't always have an itinerary we like.

[hammybee]

And, the "art" shows will always be using lounge space on ships ... I just do other things.

 

Heck, it would not be a cruise ( any cruise line) without art hawkers. And again, there are a lot of people who love to buy art at seas which is why it persists. It helps keep the cost of cruising down which may or may not be a good thing.

[RevNeal]

Heck, it would not be a cruise ( any cruise line) without art hawkers. And again, there are a lot of people who love to buy art at seas which is why it persists. It helps keep the cost of cruising down which may or may not be a good thing.

 

Indeed. And, in the spirit of "choice" ... I choose not to view the "art," attend the auctions, or be bothered by it at all and in any other way. :) I don't mind having to walk through the gallery. And, when they take up the Ocean Bar with one of their auctions, I just go someplace else.

[hammybee]

Huh????? Amazing how two people can read the same thing and come away with vastly different meanings. I took Hammy's post as a compliment to Greg.

 

Fred

 

Thank you, Fred. Of course I meant it as a sincere compliment.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have to admit I took it as a compliment as well. I too think it is great that Greg has this attitude because Tom and I have the same. The art does not effect us in the least, we know it is there, we walk past it. It has always been on every cruise we have ever been on and I am sure it always will be, just a fact of cruising. Just my opinion we should all have the same great attitude:)

[peg013]

I also thought it was a compliment.

[O2B@C]

I read it as a compliment also. Heather's reaction is understandable, though, because:

 

First, "great attitude" is something that is commonly, though not always, said with a sarcastic intent.

 

Second, message boards and email and all other forms of written communication inherently suffer from the absence of body language, tone of voice, and other nonverbal cues which allow us to interpret one another's intentions better in face-to-face conversation. Thus, when a remark that might or might not be sarcastic (like "great attitude") is made in writing, it's hard to tell what the intent is.

 

Third, I think the disputatious spirit to which this thread has been subject of late has perhaps made folks a bit touchier than they otherwise would be.

 

So folks, let's all calm down and try to give one another the benefit of the doubt. I know that's hard sometimes, but this incident is a good example of why we should try to communicate in a spirit of mutual tolerance even when we believe others may not be doing so.

 

Peace and love.

[RevNeal]

Thank you, Hammy. I appreciate it.

 

And thank you too, Heather. It can sometimes very difficult to interpret the tone of bare words ... particularly given some of the history that's gone on around here. Personally, I wasn't entirely certain how to take the bareness of her two words ... but, clearly, she intended them positively, and for that I'm grateful. It could be very easy to let the Art Auctions get to us, but it's not worth it to be bothered by it aboard ship. I'm the same way when it comes to the bingo announcements. I just ignore 'em.

 

And, thank you O2B@C ... you're very correct. Well said.

[hammybee]

I'm the same way when it comes to the bingo announcements. I just ignore 'em.

Great attitude. :D

 

And again, this is indeed a compliment.

[jrzebird]

I have to admit I took it as a compliment as well. I too think it is great that Greg has this attitude because Tom and I have the same. The art does not effect us in the least, we know it is there, we walk past it. It has always been on every cruise we have ever been on and I am sure it always will be, just a fact of cruising. Just my opinion we should all have the same great attitude:)

 

I also took it as being complimentary. So many people let everything bother them and it ruins the entire experience for them and others. An attitude like Greg's and is to be admired!

[RevNeal]

Great attitude. :D

 

And again, this is indeed a compliment.

 

LOL ... The :D made that clear. And thanks!

[O2B@C]

I once saw a bumper sticker that said: "Attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure." I took it very much to heart, and it has definitely improved my outlook on life. Often we cannot do much to change our circumstances, but our reaction to them depends on us.

 

So - Greg - you're welcome, and thank you for the compliment - and for the great attitude!

[Roz]

I don't know if this has been discussed in the 47 preceeding pages :D , and if it has, just beat me over the head with a stick and I'll pretend I never mentioned it.

 

What do you think will be the effect (if any) on food prep and service with the introduction of AYW dining? I know when HAL went to 4 dining times instead of 2, one of the reasons given was to take some of the load off the galley staff. Is it easier or more difficult for the staff to accomodate traditional and AYW dining? I would guess that with AYW, the kitchen has to sort of guess when guests will arrive and how many, much like an on land restaurant.

 

Discuss this among yourselves while I go off and visit another forum.

 

Roz

[kryos]

What do you think will be the effect (if any) on food prep and service with the introduction of AYW dining? I know when HAL went to 4 dining times instead of 2, one of the reasons given was to take some of the load off the galley staff. Is it easier or more difficult for the staff to accomodate traditional and AYW dining?

The kitchen preps all the food ahead of time ... to a certain extent. In actuality, I've been told that AYWD will improve food prep because the food can be more prepared specifically to the guest's tastes. Since the kitchen does not have to get 200 steak dinners out at the same time, they can prepare each dish more in an "ala minute" style ... at least as to the final preparations.

 

As for service, I would imagine it would be faster in many cases ... especially if you tend to dine at off times. The waitstaff could conceivably only have you to serve for most of the meal. They may be set up to serve three tables at their station, maybe two tables for six and a table for two. If you and your spouse are the only ones sitting at that table for two, and the other two tables are empty, you can only imagine the personalized service you will get.

 

The only bad thing I see as that the waitstaff could be screwed. What happens if they are almost ready to go off duty and a party of six walks into the dining room? Now they have to serve that party of six, which may take two hours, and needless to say the waitstaff will be working late that night. But, if that party of six came in before the stroke of the deadline time, they have to be seated and served. The waitstaff has no choice. This AYWD, at least as far as I see it, is gonna definitely cause them to work longer hours ... even if they are not working as hard.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

What do you think will be the effect (if any) on food prep and service with the introduction of AYW dining? I know when HAL went to 4 dining times instead of 2, one of the reasons given was to take some of the load off the galley staff. Is it easier or more difficult for the staff to accomodate traditional and AYW dining?

The kitchen preps all the food ahead of time ... to a certain extent. In actuality, I've been told that AYWD will improve food prep because the food can be more prepared specifically to the guest's tastes. Since the kitchen does not have to get 200 steak dinners out at the same time, they can prepare each dish more in an "ala minute" style ... at least as to the final preparations.

 

As for service, I would imagine it would be faster in many cases ... especially if you tend to dine at off times. The waitstaff could conceivably only have you to serve for most of the meal. They may be set up to serve three tables at their station, maybe two tables for six and a table for two. If you and your spouse are the only ones sitting at that table for two, and the other two tables are empty, you can only imagine the personalized service you will get.

 

The only bad thing I see as that the waitstaff could be screwed. What happens if they are almost ready to go off duty and a party of six walks into the dining room? Now they have to serve that party of six, which may take two hours, and needless to say the waitstaff will be working late that night. But, if that party of six came in before the stroke of the deadline time, they have to be seated and served. The waitstaff has no choice. This AYWD, at least as far as I see it, is gonna definitely cause them to work longer hours ... even if they are not working as hard.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Roz]

Rita,

 

Thanks for your thoughts. Do you care to speculate as to what will be the "off" hours? I know on cruises with a lot of people of retirement age, there's a preference for the earlier dining times.

 

Another thing I thought of was the evening shows. With the set dining times, HAL could accomodate passengers pretty well. Now I'm guessing we'll have to get to the show lounge early in order to get a seat.

 

It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

 

Heather, I'm sorry you've been subjected to unwarranted criticism.

 

Roz

[xpcdoojk]

Rita,

 

Thanks for your thoughts. Do you care to speculate as to what will be the "off" hours? I know on cruises with a lot of people of retirement age, there's a preference for the earlier dining times.

 

Another thing I thought of was the evening shows. With the set dining times, HAL could accomodate passengers pretty well. Now I'm guessing we'll have to get to the show lounge early in order to get a seat.

 

It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

 

Heather, I'm sorry you've been subjected to unwarranted criticism.

 

Roz

 

My guess is that like the 4 dining times instead of two it will decrease attendance at the shows. On our trip in Nov/Dec 2005 for 16 days in South America, that the 8pm dining time, meant that when we finished dinner it would be almost an hour til the late show started inevitably we would end up skipping the show.

 

Heather, there is not really enough bandwidth available on the entire internet to communicate in a manner befitting that topic. Fortunately, for us the topic is like watching a dryer tumble clothes they go round and round and after we watch them for a few hours we still haven't learned anything meaningful, intelligent or even interesting. It must be a curse to be that uninteresting.:)

 

jc

[KLLund]

We are coming back to HAL after several princess cruises and I must say I am particularly disappointed that we can only get the "Open Seating" on the cruise we booked. We detest the Anytime on Princess .. for a myriad of reasons .. so a practical question ..

 

Is there someone on HAL that can be bribed to get us out of this and into fixed traditional dining ???