As You Wish Dining - Opinions, Comments and Discussions

[hammybee]

The part that bugs me is,why should people be assigned this if they don't want it?

 

To the best of my knowledge, based only upon what has been reported here, I am not aware of a single cruiser who was actually forced into open seating. What I read is fear of being assigned to open seating, with no recourse.

 

I am aware of one post where the OP was forced into fixed seating because open seating had been assigned to a group. And this poster chose her sail because it had open seating.

 

There are hundreds, if not thousands of posts where people do not get their desired time slot for fixed seating, either early or late. This has been a forever problem when more people want a specific time slot than the cruise line has seats available and is certainly not limited to HAL.

 

Of course, sooner or later, some people will not get fixed seating, either because too many wanted the same seating time, and/or a group was given priority over the individual passenger, and/or those in deluxe suites and/or those booking through certain agencies were given priority.... Not too different than the current situation, with fixed seating.

 

How HAL is communicating before the cruise, relative to dining assignments, creates unnecessary uncertainty, especially since, thus far, it appears the size of fixed and open seating have been adjusted, cruise to cruise.

 

Perhaps it is better to focus on the end result, rather than the process or we will make ourselves nuts.

[HeatherInFlorida]

What is Galileo??? :confused:

 

I have been waiting for an answer to this question ever since Starbored posted. But so far, nothing. If it's a ship, it's not HAL:D

[SharonN]

What is Galileo??? :confused:

 

I have been waiting for an answer to this question ever since Starbored posted. But so far, nothing. If it's a ship, it's not HAL:D

 

Well I don't know exactly what it is but I get a reservation # and link to see my flight information when I book the air thru HAL. It has other travel tools etc with it but I haven't used any of them.

[hammybee]

It appears to be techology tools for the travel/hospitality business, Here's a link :

 

http://galileo.com/galileo/en-ca/?cc=y

[HeatherInFlorida]

It appears to be techology tools for the travel/hospitality business, Here's a link :

 

http://galileo.com/galileo/en-ca/?cc=y

 

Okay. That makes some sense, then. Thanks, Hammy. I honestly thought the poster was referring to a ship I'd never heard of and just happened on this site by mistake:) .

[DesertDogs]

Okay. That makes some sense, then. Thanks, Hammy. I honestly thought the poster was referring to a ship I'd never heard of and just happened on this site by mistake:) .

 

I was also wondering what ship the poster was referring to. :) Thanks for the responses.

[hammybee]

I copied this from Retired Mustang's review of his recent Noordam Panama Canal cruise:

 

Hammybee, I did not have to risk getting a wedgie to try AYWD, because it was not necessary, as the ship was very accommodating. We had confirmed seating, but had a table downstairs as did other confirmed parties, which tells me that the ship does adjust percentanges of confirmed/open tables by cruise. Reservations for AYWD could be made from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, and you could make multiple ones at one time; that is, reservations for more than one night.

 

The third deck doors were for confirmed seating on that level, and opened as normal. The doors on the second deck opened at 5:15, and there were two lines with check-in booths -- to the right for people with reservations (at which those of us with confirmed seating just told them we had confirmed and proceeded to our table) and to the left for walk-ups. There were stewards available to show people to their seats, which I thought was smart since with AYWD you often would have a different table.

 

From our table (a table for 10 with very congenial table mates) I could see the doorway, and rarely saw a line develop and when it did, it was not for long. We talked to another CC couple who had changed from confirmed to AYWD and they loved it. They reported that the only time they had to wait was the night of the big production show, and the wait even then was only a few minutes. We noticed that at the AYWD tables near us, they would not seat anyone else once the food orders had been taken, so the issue of eating dessert while somebody was on the soup did not arise.

 

The bottom line is, I think most of us can be taken care of. The ones who will be most affected I think are Greg and Ruth and other solo travelers if they cannot get a confirmed seating. Yes, you can find others and reserve tables together if in AYWD, but that is more difficult than having a confirmed seating.

 

 

[OVgirl]

You can use Galileo to review your booking information. Get the reservation number from your TA or airline and check your itinerary.

http://www.viewtrip.com

[Frick_&_Frack]

I copied this from Retired Mustang's review of his recent Noordam Panama Canal cruise:

 

Hammybee, I did not have to risk getting a wedgie to try AYWD, because it was not necessary, as the ship was very accommodating. We had confirmed seating, but had a table downstairs as did other confirmed parties, which tells me that the ship does adjust percentanges of confirmed/open tables by cruise. Reservations for AYWD could be made from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, and you could make multiple ones at one time; that is, reservations for more than one night.

 

 

As an update, my parents boarded the Noordam on Saturday 10/20 with AYWD and wanted to change (medical reasons and food allergies are their concerns) and were told no. They had to stick with AYWD and reservations were taken every day from 8AM onward for that evening and no reservations could be made for the 6PM to 8PM time period (which, they don't care, since they took 5:30PM for first night out).

 

So, it appears that, for this sailing at least, there was not going to be any adjustment on percentages of tables for AYWD and "assigned".

 

BTW, anyone who may remember me, my parents are the computer illiterate twosome ;) , but we happened to be on the NCL Spirit which was docked next to them, and they used their cell phone a LOT that first afternoon :eek: (I can't wait to get this months' bill!! :eek: )

 

Happy cruising! :)

[hammybee]

As an update, my parents boarded the Noordam on Saturday 10/20 with AYWD and wanted to change (medical reasons and food allergies are their concerns) and were told no. They had to stick with AYWD and reservations were taken every day from 8AM onward for that evening and no reservations could be made for the 6PM to 8PM time period (which, they don't care, since they took 5:30PM for first night out).

 

So, it appears that, for this sailing at least, there was not going to be any adjustment on percentages of tables for AYWD and "assigned".

 

Great to hear your parents got the dining time of their choice, regardless of venue.

[Frick_&_Frack]

Great to hear your parents got the dining time of their choice, regardless of venue.

 

Hammy - unfortunately, they will have to call each day to request 5:30 pm - the maitre d' said there were no guarantees and that sometimes they may not get that. He was also unclear on how "pre-ordering" dinner would work for them with food allergies.

 

Big Al is with them on the cruise; but hasn't seen or heard from them. He told me he is going to try to find them today and give me an update.

[hammybee]

Hammy - unfortunately, they will have to call each day to request 5:30 pm - the maitre d' said there were no guarantees and that sometimes they may not get that. He was also unclear on how "pre-ordering" dinner would work for them with food allergies.

 

Big Al is with them on the cruise; but hasn't seen or heard from them. He told me he is going to try to find them today and give me an update.

 

Frick and Frack:

 

I am sorry that your parents have to experience uncertainty.

 

Used to be that passengers could bring a note from a doctor and get early seating. It was abused by passengers with strong preferences to dine early.

 

I think the whole food allergy thing is up for grabs too. When a ship, any ship, any cruise line, feeds 2000 passengers, it becomes increasingly difficult to accommodate individual passenger food allergies/preferences, especially when the cost of the average cabin remains unchanged for more thean a decade.

 

I suspect that cruising may not be the best choice of vacation for those with such needs unless one is willing to pay for the acommodation, ala a deluxe suite and or sailing with a luxury cruise line.

 

I used to pay almost $800 RT to fly coach between Ord and the NY tri state area, every week. I can do so today for less than $200, occasionally a lot less. The flying experience is very different than it used to be.

 

Airlines and cruise lines have a lot in common. It's the consumer who changed the business. We pay for what we value.

 

I am not trying to be snarky here and this is not about HAL. I understand your parent's dissappointment. I also strive to understand cause and effect. We are all a part of the change.

[Frick_&_Frack]

Hammy -

 

I understand your points. For clarification, my parents, and we, travel in the accommodations that are supposed to be given certain "preferences" since we know we need to pay for service and are willing to do so. When Mom & Dad cannot afford it, we pay the difference for them. I'd like them to be as comfortable as possible at this stage of their lives.

 

None of us has ever experienced a problem with dining with food allergies before (except we did on NCL's Dawn this past April). I'm hoping that they will be able to get their meals without problems. They never ask for more than plain fruit to start dinner and their meal. They usually try to stick with items off the daily offerings - just without sauces, etc. that may contain Dad's allergens. When in doubt, it's the salmon :D

 

DH & I are rather outspoken and will go through the concierge if necessary for assistance since we don't need him going into anaphylactic shock (been there, done that and it's scary as all get out and, while the medical staff is generally very pleasant - that is one department that I'd rather not deal with while at sea :) ); however, Mom & Dad will not do so. They don't want to be a "problem" for anyone. We will eat in our suite - nightly if necessary - to avoid exposing DH to any issues (we did so on the Dawn for 12 nights). Mom & Dad feel that this use of room service "puts those young men out"... Heck, I can't even get them to order breakfast! I love them dearly, but some days they could tax the patience of a saint (which I am not).

 

My initial post on this subject was to let others know that, even though the transit cruise appeared to have adjusted for percentage of persons wanting fixed vs. AYWD, the first cruise from NYC this year apparently was not doing so.

 

If I hear from them (and they will call during various port stops - it's a standing rule that they use the cell phone), I'll update.

[gizmo]

As an update, my parents boarded the Noordam on Saturday 10/20 with AYWD and wanted to change (medical reasons and food allergies are their concerns) and were told no. They had to stick with AYWD and reservations were taken every day from 8AM onward for that evening and no reservations could be made for the 6PM to 8PM time period (which, they don't care, since they took 5:30PM for first night out).

 

So, it appears that, for this sailing at least, there was not going to be any adjustment on percentages of tables for AYWD and "assigned".

 

BTW, anyone who may remember me, my parents are the computer illiterate twosome ;) , but we happened to be on the NCL Spirit which was docked next to them, and they used their cell phone a LOT that first afternoon :eek: (I can't wait to get this months' bill!! :eek: )

Happy cruising! :)

 

 

I am glad to hear your parents are making out ok.:)

 

Sorry to hear they are not adjusting things like someone reported on another thread.:mad:

[Frick_&_Frack]

I am glad to hear your parents are making out ok.:)

 

Sorry to hear they are not adjusting things like someone reported on another thread.:mad:

 

Thanks Gizmo. A friend (Big Al) is aboard with them and finally found them :D and is meeting up with them later today (they were all at the M&G and, somehow, didn't meet).

 

If he gets me an update, he'll e-mail me later. If not, I should hear from them Wednesday when they are in St. Thomas so I'll try to find more out for everyone (so the next groups will know what's going on for this trip). It appears that since the program is new, they are still working out a lot of the details for each cruising "season".

[Frick_&_Frack]

I just spoke with my parents (who say the Noordam is as beautiful as ever :) ) and the AYWD "reservation line" opens at 8:00AM every day and, if you wish a reservation, you need to call daily. They eat prior to 6PM; but believe that you cannot reserve specific tables between 6PM and 8PM to be fair to other guests.

 

They have managed to have the same wait staff each night by calling at exactly 8:00AM each day. One day, they called at 8:15AM and the table they usually have was gone and (obviously) wouldn't be available again until after 8PM, so they were placed at another table within the waitstaff's section.

 

So far, dining has been good (in their opinion) and food allergies are being handled graciously as always (with the same waitstaff each day, it probably helps).

 

If there are any other questions, please let me know. I'm scheduled to speak to them on Sunday morning again.

 

Happy Cruising!! :)

[Roz]

Frick & Frack,

 

Thanks for posting your parents' experience with AYWD. Quite frankly, I could not be bothered with having to make sure I called for reservations every day, let along at 8 am. :eek:

 

Another reason why I want traditional. I know I'll have a standing reservation every night.

 

Roz

[Frick_&_Frack]

Roz -

 

Someone from my sailing of the 02/16/08 Noordam, one of our people was confirmed for late/main seating - lower level and was bumped to AYWD. All lower level appears to be being left for AYWD now. I guess it may be subject to change as they go.... Upper level seems to be left for "traditional".

[SherriZ366]

Frick & Frack,

 

Thanks for posting your parents' experience with AYWD. Quite frankly, I could not be bothered with having to make sure I called for reservations every day, let along at 8 am. :eek:

 

Another reason why I want traditional. I know I'll have a standing reservation every night.

 

Roz

As you wish and other open dining programs are making the hassle free style of cruising more like a land vacation where you have to spend lots of time booking dinner reservations.

[hammybee]

As you wish and other open dining programs are making the hassle free style of cruising more like a land vacation where you have to spend lots of time booking dinner reservations.

 

And for everyone who says this, there is someone else who applauds the trend towards open seating because they do not want to be regimented.

It all depends on your perspective, I guess.

[SherriZ366]

And for everyone who says this, there is someone else who applauds the trend towards open seating because they do not want to be regimented.

It all depends on your perspective, I guess.

I think the winning thing for the cruise lines is to come up with a FLXIBLE formula that accomodates demand for open/traditional from week to week. Folks who have food allergies like Frick and Frack's parents should be able to easily get their food needs taken care of.

[hammybee]

On Lisa's ( Laffinvegas) most recent cruise on the Noordam, in September, early fixed seating was far from being full.

 

On Retired Mustang's most recent Panama Canal cruise on the Noordam, everyone got what they wanted, in terms of seating.

 

Given this is the AYWD discussion thread, I am thinking (speculating) that the current sailing has been overwhelmed with requests for early seating. Had there been no AYWD, I suspect many would have been forced into the late seating, and not gotten what they wanted. So, it is quite possible AYWD may give some passengers a better shot at getting the time they want, than if it was all fixed seating.

 

This happens all the time on all cruise lines with multiple dinner seatings. It's all about the passenger dynamics/preferences on any given sailing.

Only difference is that now we are perhaps more prone to blame AYWD, than the realities. There are only so many seats at a given seating and when there are more passengers than seats, some of the passengers are going to be dissappointed.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Frick & Frack,

 

Thanks for posting your parents' experience with AYWD. Quite frankly, I could not be bothered with having to make sure I called for reservations every day, let along at 8 am. :eek:

 

Another reason why I want traditional. I know I'll have a standing reservation every night.

 

Roz

 

Roz, I am in such agreement with you!!!! No way I'm going to be sure to be calling reservations every day at 8:00 a.m.!!! I pay little attention to time in the morning when I'm on a cruise.

 

Frick and Frack, thanks so much for keeping us updated about your parent's experience. It's very helpful and interesting information and I'm glad they're able to make the best of it and hopefully are having a really good time..

 

The problem ends up being that sometimes it's all working out fine and other times it's just not. So it's the luck of the draw and I'm not willing to take that chance on the one cruise we take all year. After our next HAL cruise (which is still Traditional) we have nothing booked with HAL. The chances are, we likely never will. But you just never know:) .

[Frick_&_Frack]

No problem on getting the updates out there. My parents would do it if they knew how to use a computer :p They want to share their experiences so others will be able to adjust their expectations to enjoy their cruise.

 

They are relatively early risers, so calling in at 8AM is no biggie to them. My DH would be able to do it (we have confirmed late, so it's not an issue). Now, for me....well....I'm no where near together enough at 8AM on vacation to think let alone dial a phone (I wind up working most of the late night to get things done for work and e-mailed so I don't go to bed sometimes until 5AM).

 

The morning room service guys always laugh since I pull the covers over my head when they, every so cheerfully, announce "Good Morning" and I respond with "Let me know when it's Noon" :p :D

[Marmarjudy]

And for everyone who says this, there is someone else who applauds the trend towards open seating because they do not want to be regimented.

It all depends on your perspective, I guess.

 

 

Amen.

 

Judy