As You Wish Dining - Opinions, Comments and Discussions

[Opinions]

There are also more serious safety concerns after one is back aboard. Martha's safety issue is valid.

 

As one who has cruised for over 40 years, the majority as a single,I certainly am aware of the worries, concerns, and dangers of crusing as a solo...I just pointed out that the cruiselines do have a system for checking on passengers who may miss the ship...By pointing this out doesn't mean that I question the validity of other concerns.

[pms4104]

I suspect HAL is treating open seating as the default.

 

Last December we made a deposit onboard for a future cruise, sailing not specified. Did our research when we got back home, found what we wanted (noted that all dining was shown on HAL's site as available), asked our T/A to price it out. She was unable to reach me with pricing but did put a hold on a specific cabin for us. When I OK'd the cabin choice, I questioned that we'd been assigned open seating. She said that HAL told her that was all that was available. Mentioned what I'd seen on HAL's website, and our T/A called HAL and told them what's on their site ... and got us confirmed for traditional early, which was our preference.

 

So, perhaps a year or more out, you or your T/A will need to be assertive to get your desired dining.

[takemewithyou]

I suspect HAL is treating open seating as the default.

 

Last December we made a deposit onboard for a future cruise, sailing not specified. Did our research when we got back home, found what we wanted (noted that all dining was shown on HAL's site as available), asked our T/A to price it out. She was unable to reach me with pricing but did put a hold on a specific cabin for us. When I OK'd the cabin choice, I questioned that we'd been assigned open seating. She said that HAL told her that was all that was available. Mentioned what I'd seen on HAL's website, and our T/A called HAL and told them what's on their site ... and got us confirmed for traditional early, which was our preference.

 

So, perhaps a year or more out, you or your T/A will need to be assertive to get your desired dining.

 

Thank you for this piece of information. We just made a booking for Prinsendam 8/09 and our TA told us that it was only "open dining" on the P then. Yet, the HAL web site says early traditional dining is available on that sailing. So I have e-mailed my TA and asked her to try to get us early traditional confirmed dining, which is our preference. Seems like they are pushing the open seating.

[takemewithyou]

Thank you for this piece of information. We just made a booking for Prinsendam 8/09 and our TA told us that it was only "open dining" on the P then. Yet, the HAL web site says early traditional dining is available on that sailing. So I have e-mailed my TA and asked her to try to get us early traditional confirmed dining, which is our preference. Seems like they are pushing the open seating.

 

I just got e-mail conformation from my TA that we now have traditional early seating dinner at 6:15 PM for our sail 8/09. Persistence paid off. Thank you for posting info that helped with this everyone.

[cruiseluv]

Is there anywhere where passengers with actual experience on AYW dining have posted about how they felt about it?

[bUU]

Yes, in this thread:

 

--> As You Wish Dining - What and How

[Dutchman010]

 

On the other hand, if your TA gets things straight, and pushes, and still can't get you at least a waitlist spot for traditional dining, over a year in advance, then I think HAL has really blown it. This is no way to treat people - and it is certainly NOT "as you wish"! :mad:

 

Main seating upper dining must been confirmed to me.

I always tell them; Forget the booking if that`s not possible.

Early seating means shower and change clothes for dinner at the wrong time.

I like to be outside when a ship leaves or enters port.

I also prefer the same table every night.

 

"and still can`t get you at least a waitlist spot for traditional dining, over a year in advance, then I think HAL has really blown it"

Sales going well and perhaps that`s the problem.

[bUU]

... I think HAL has really blown it"

Sales going well ...

"That doesn't compute." :D

[scottie99]

Just got off Noordam 16 Jan cruse. We got a table for 2 no problem every night at 8.15

[MoreMilesPlease]

Just got off Noordam 16 Jan cruse. We got a table for 2 no problem every night at 8.15

 

What time did you have to call to make the reservation? Was it the same table every night or did you get a different table/servers?

[scottie99]

What time did you have to call to make the reservation? Was it the same table every night or did you get a different table/servers?

 

We called about 8.30 each morning and with one exception we had a table in the same area and therefore the same server. (In fact we had the same table about 6 times)

[bob brown]

We prefer pre-assigned dining, but this new plan may work to our advantage. We always book less than 30 days out to get lowest rates, and our preferred early dining is always closed due to HAL's demographics.

With this new AYW plan, we can get our low fare, and get our early seating too.:)

[Roz]

The more I read the posts in this thread, the more confused I become. :confused: I'm confirmed for "Main Upper Dining". What is this? My understanding is that it's traditional dining at 8 pm. Is this correct?

 

Roz

[O2B@C]

The more I read the posts in this thread, the more confused I become. :confused: I'm confirmed for "Main Upper Dining". What is this? My understanding is that it's traditional dining at 8 pm. Is this correct?

 

Roz

 

Yes.:)

[Roz]

Thanks for the confirmation! I was starting to get a little apprehensive. AYW wouldn't be the end of the world, but close to it. :D

 

Roz

[mybagsarepacked]

NMNita, I too choose NCL for the anytime dining. However, unless HA comes up with some more dining rooms, it can never approach what NCL has going for it. The typical HA cruiser would probably appreciate some flexibility with dining times on port intensive cruises, but I seriously doubt they are ready to go completely "Freestyle". There is something to be said for the predictibility of the same table, same time, same Indonesian wait staff....which HA has made a success of providing. I, personally, am not anxious to see Holland America headed in this direction.

 

As an avid HAL cruiser, we were on the Noordam when they "introduced" this dining concept. We are preparing to go on the Zuiderdam for two cruises this year.

 

I am sure some people prefer the anytime dining, but we thought it was ridiculous and saw lots of people flustered and confused over it. What is so wrong with knowing exactly when and where you are supposed to be for dinner? We got stuck with anytime dining for the upcoming march cruise and we'll try and get it changed because we hate that unorganized, fly by the seat of your pants kind of planning.

 

And no, we aren't ancient and set in our ways. My DH and I are young so it definitely isn't a "you can't teach old dogs new tricks" thing.

 

I understand HAL wants to be hip and cool and compete with Princess and some of the lines that have this dining, but let me tell you if I wanted so badly to eat in this manner I would book the cruises with Princess.

 

Princess also has many other dining options to choose from so there is far more flexibility than with HAL with one dining room, the Lido (no thank you) and the Pinnacle, reserved for special occasions. If HAL had 6 or 10 dining options, like some Princess ships, then this would make senses.

 

It makes zero sense to me and most of the friends I know that book cruises on HAL.

[mybagsarepacked]

And I forgot to add that having to call every single day to confirm a reservation is also not exactly good customer service. The whole point of a cruise is to take it easy and have things done for you. What happens when I am on an optional tour and leave the ship before 8 and won't be back until late afternoon? There are many optionals like this, and I can't be calling the concierge to make reservations if I am on a tour bus somewhere or hiking into some village.

 

It is fine if they want to offer it to those who desire this option. However, those of us who prefer traditional dining ought to be given the same opportunity to book our preference. We requested traditional dining for the march cruise and we were assigned the "anytime" dining. I have a feeling that for the first time in history we'll be losing weight on this cruise as we will not eat on the LIDO and we'll likely miss too many windows of dining in the main dining room.

[mybagsarepacked]

I work in a cruise only travel agency. I can assure you that HAL doesn't push open seating, nor do they ask us to and there certainly isn't a "little something in it" for the travel agency.

 

HAL tested open dining last year and it was well received by the people who tried it. Which is why they decided to roll it out fleet wide. They are simply trying to give people more options and find ways to please everyone.

 

I haven't tried "As You Wish" yet, but look forward to trying it on my upcoming SA cruise on the Rotterdam.

 

Anita

 

Anita,

You might relay to HAL that those of us who have been devoted HAL clients for years HATE the open dining idea and I have heard little to no good things about it. SEriously, devoted Mariners do not want this option.

 

Instead of trying to drum up new business by trying to please people out there and steal them from Princess and RCL, they ought to focus on their devoted clientele who keep coming back again and again.

 

This dining fiasco and their inability to even entertain any other ideas with regard to how to handle all these disgruntled clients is not setting a good example of customer service. I know dozens and dozens of Mariners, and to a person, no one I know likes this option. And we don't like having it pushed on us with no choice whatsoever.

[bUU]

What is so wrong with knowing exactly when and where you are supposed to be for dinner?

As with most things, there are two sides. "What is so wrong with having flexibility with regard to when and where you wish to have dinner?" That's really the whole context of this thread, and the only logical conclusion I can see people drawing from all this is that reasonable people disagree about the merits, and that's okay.

[O2B@C]

As with most things, there are two sides. ... the only logical conclusion I can see people drawing from all this is that reasonable people disagree about the merits, and that's okay.

 

Definitely. Some prefer open seating, others prefer traditional. Nothing wrong with that - I couldn't agree more.

 

However, what most of us "AYW dissenters" have been complaining about is not that people are being given the option of open seating. If that's what they prefer, and HAL wants to give it to them, fine. The problem is that HAL pretends to be allowing people to dine "as they wish," but in reality, it is not maintaining enough traditional dining slots to give people a real choice - even when they book many months in advance.

[bUU]

Just read these threads; I've read every message and my conclusion from all I've read is that that's ostensibly not a problem in most cases.

[airlink diva]

I'm all for each person having the option of as you wish or standard dining times. My main concern is as a solo cruiser, I want the fixed time.

I don't want to be like the last kid being picked to play ball each day hoping that I get a table with some great people.

I think that this option is great for the day you want to eat at 5:30 p.m. because you want an early start the next day, to eating at 9:00 p.m. because you wanted to rest and catch a show before dinner.

[gentlemancruiser]

Just read these threads; I've read every message and my conclusion from all I've read is that that's ostensibly not a problem in most cases.

As you wish means as I wish. Well, in November we booked our upcoming Oosterdam cruise, at that time there wasn't even an option of wait listing for 2nd seating. To me that, says to me that it is not as I WISH....

We couldn't even get what we wanted for a cruise that was more then 6 months from now.

 

I agree with mybagsarepacked - we totally loved HAL until this happened. One of the reason we've chosen not to cruise with Princess or NCL is because of the 'freestyle' dining.

[cruz chic]

I'm all for each person having the option of as you wish or standard dining times. My main concern is as a solo cruiser, I want the fixed time.

I don't want to be like the last kid being picked to play ball each day hoping that I get a table with some great people.

I think that this option is great for the day you want to eat at 5:30 p.m. because you want an early start the next day, to eating at 9:00 p.m. because you wanted to rest and catch a show before dinner.

 

I'm a solo cruiser as well and traditional is important to me too.

[Opinions]

If HAL had 6 or 10 dining options, like some Princess ships, then this would make senses.

 

 

Are you confusing NCL with Princess...I have sailed NCL and their newer ships have many dining options...I have also cruised Princess and am not aware of ony of their ships that have "6 or 10 dining options...Perhaps I've missed them...Which ships are you referring to?