As You Wish Dining - Opinions, Comments and Discussions

[Roz]

Lorekauf,

 

We didn't get a letter saying we could switch. However, I didn't ask, so that may have been a possibility.

 

Roz

[cruz chic]

Lorekauf,

 

We didn't get a letter saying we could switch. However, I didn't ask, so that may have been a possibility.

 

Roz

 

Strange.....more inconsistencies with HAL......:rolleyes:

 

My last cruise I had a bad bag to begin with for tablemates but ended up with some excellent people in the end. I have always gone traditional as I am a solo traveller. I haven't warmed up to the idea of trying the anytime..

[knitlady037]

We had traditional fixed late seating on the 3/8 Noordam sailing. One night I didn't fell well so we opted to try ayw dining. Didn't want to wait for salad bar in the lido. Glad we only had to do that one night. Service was slow, finished plates stayed in front of you a long time. Servers were very overworked on the 2nd floor. We stayed at our regular table everynight after that

[cruz chic]

We had traditional fixed late seating on the 3/8 Noordam sailing. One night I didn't fell well so we opted to try ayw dining. Didn't want to wait for salad bar in the lido. Glad we only had to do that one night. Service was slow, finished plates stayed in front of you a long time. Servers were very overworked on the 2nd floor. We stayed at our regular table everynight after that

 

I'm surprised they let you go back and forth like that. Everything I've heard, and experienced is that you could not go back and forth. Here we go with more HAL inconsistencies.

[knitlady037]

We only did this one time and assured the maitre'd that it was a one time occurance. I think because we were in a suite and we went very early things swung a little in our direction.

[Bramcruiser]

It's possible that people who live and sail with at least one other person (spouse, maybe) and has never sailed solo can't imagine what it's like to be all alone on a ship not knowing another soul there.

Having pre-set dinner arrangements matters.

 

Ruth, I have travelled solo but admitted never on a cruise. Yet, I exactly know what you mean because even as a couple I don't think having to wander from table to table and/or making reservations each and every night all that convenient. AYWD works for some because they want dining to fit their concept of 'I'll do what I want' but it fails those that want cameraderie with others or want a schedule to follow.

 

Having looked over the HAL official FAQ on this they claim they are bringing this onboard (on pun intended) to please a cross section of society. Maybe they are. Maybe they'll satisfy no one. Who knows how it will go.

 

Having done the Caronia dining on the QE2 I liked the fact that we could show up at the dining room at any time during certain dining hours. However, we were assigned the same table each night throughout the cruise and thus there was no need to constantly struggle to place a reservation and hope that you get the table or time you want or end up taking the next best thing. I loved this variation but I can see someone who is solo being out of luck if they show up at a time when everyone else at the table was finishing up at that moment or vice versa. It worked for us solely because we befriended our tablemates and arranged our dining throughout the cruise and it worked out well for us all.

 

While some get stuck with the tablemates from that hot place its also possible people get stuck getting whatever is left over. I just wish HAL would decide one way or the other and not be so wishy-washy over trying to please everyone. But admittedly, if I had to make a decision my as-you-wish would be for traditional dining. With bad tablemates you can at least switch if you see the maitre 'd.

 

David

[hammybee]

 

However.........as a person who doesn't want to fight constantly for a seat each night for dinner the AYWD scares me somewhat and reading these posts on how its perceived to be not working (or working for some) just makes the matter worse. Is the waitlisting and the whole process really that bad?

 

I know the Pinnacle Grill is an alternative but who can eat the same food over and over again and at an extra cost. Also, we are more of the dining room types and thus not big on Lido dining.

 

My question now is what happens when someone requests traditional dining, is waitlisted and then finds out that there are too many and they cannot get it and are "forced" to do AYWD? Seems unfair to those who pay all this money and reserve a long time in advance only to not get what they paid for. Does this happen often or are we just hearing more scare tactics over unusual circumstances rather than the norm? Just curious as its something I will need to research further. David

 

David, There is no way to tell how often passengers are not getting what they want and I am sure it varies from sailing to sailing, dependent upon the passenger mix and preference. This board tends to attract many who have sailed with HAL, for years and have a strong preference for fixed seating and therefore it stands to reason, that when they don't get what they want, it gets posted here. We are a small smapling of the almost 1 million passengers who sail with HAL each year.

 

I am aware of a few sailings where Open Seatig was full and passengers who chose HAL because of this, were forced into Fixed Seating.

 

What really seems to be the problem is that confirmation of fixed seating is being held back as space is held for potential groups, top producing travel agencie, VIP and Delux Suite passengers. It strikes me as a variation of what used to happen with early fixed seating when more passengers than seats available, wanted the same time.

 

A significant exception was the late January sailing of the Rotterdam whereby there were second -hand reports that many had confirmed fixed seating and once onboard learned they were in Open Seating. Imagine how disappointing this must have been, for them.

 

There are many reports of passengers assigned to Open Seating who walk in when they are ready to eat and are seated relatively fast. Again, it all depends on how many want what you want at the same time.

[cruz chic]

I am aware of a few sailings where Open Seatig was full and passengers who chose HAL because of this, were forced into Fixed Seating.

Boy, I find that really hard to believe. How is it that you are privy to so many things that other are not?:D

[hammybee]

Boy, I find that really hard to believe. How is it that you are privy to so many things that other are not?:D

 

I am blessed with a good memory for useless information. :o

 

The one that comes to mind is the Mother's Day sailing of the Noordam, last year, whereby Open Seating to a large group. Passengers with confirmed open seating did not find out until they boarded. They were subsequently forced to share tables in fixed seating at times they did not want to dine.

[mancunian]

Hammybee, I had not heard that about the late January sailing on Rotterdam but it could be because it was the first AYW sailing. Certainly on our cruise (number 3) they seem to be going with the flow. There were more opens on our cruise so they overflowed into the top tier. I assume they may well reverse the situation and let traditionals into the lower tier if it is the other way round.

 

I still think some of the confusion has been caused by HAL. Many people who had confirmed traditional did not know about AYW until they got their tickets or came on board. This only inflames a difficult position. It has been suggested on here previously that my travel agent was at fault. It seems to me from the four evenings this was discussed on our table many travel agents were in the dark. We had known from this board and made an earlier decision to change but for many it was a late decision. By then a lot of people who booked later had been given open seating and although I am sure many tried to get this changed - and must have done so - many others just went with the flow and decided to try it. I must admit I was surprised that a) the upstairs was not full and b) that people seemed happy with the situation.

 

It is pointless to hope that open will go away - it won't. HAL too probably wishes it would - it is a lot more trouble for them than traditional but if they are to survive in the current market of ever growing ships and berths to fill they have to give choice. This is the reason I said in my report on Rotterdam on the other thread that I think traditional is safe too. The Berlitz Guide has said for a long time that the top grade ships need to have open sitting or one sitting. Okay - HAL is not in the top grade but the very fact that other similar lines notably Princess and NCL have done this would have made it difficult for HAL not to have done likewise. I am sure Celebrity will follow suit.

 

The other pressure on cruiselines particularly on the larger ships is to offer a bigger variety of eating places. For people who want this, open or freestyle or whatever you wish to call it is the only choice. If they are put on traditional tables and keep disappearing it makes a nonsense of the advantage of set tables.

[hammybee]

Hammybee, I had not heard that about the late January sailing on Rotterdam but it could be because it was the first AYW sailing. Certainly on our cruise (number 3) they seem to be going with the flow. There were more opens on our cruise so they overflowed into the top tier. I assume they may well reverse the situation and let traditionals into the lower tier if it is the other way round.

 

I still think some of the confusion has been caused by HAL. Many people who had confirmed traditional did not know about AYW until they got their tickets or came on board. This only inflames a difficult position. It has been suggested on here previously that my travel agent was at fault. It seems to me from the four evenings this was discussed on our table many travel agents were in the dark. We had known from this board and made an earlier decision to change but for many it was a late decision. By then a lot of people who booked later had been given open seating and although I am sure many tried to get this changed - and must have done so - many others just went with the flow and decided to try it. I must admit I was surprised that a) the upstairs was not full and b) that people seemed happy with the situation.

 

I was on the third AYWD sailing on the Noordam and the experience was similar to your own. People bolted out of fixed seating, once they discovered they could dine when and with whom, they wanted.

 

Passengers and their preferences change sailing to sailing and so few who sail post on any CC board and so there is no way to predict the outcome going forward.

 

It seems that Princess puts open and fixed seating diners side by side on some sails, some ships. I wonder how this works out.

 

I was checking into SAGA cruises recently because I like smaller and older ships. I noticed they have one fixed seating and there was something almost appealing about this, in that it nipped in the bud, the endless early versus late, fixed versus open seating, debate. I liked the "everything old is new again" approach. Given the exchange rate, this novelty makes it a no- go for me.

 

Like you, I believe open seating is here to stay. Perhaps having even more choices for dining, as there will be on the Eurodam, will help the balance.

[mancunian]

We have been on Saga and one of the things we did not like was the one sitting.

 

The problem is it means everyone is on the move at once - all getting pre dinner drinks together, all going for the entertainment together and it makes the ship seem crowded.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Boy, I find that really hard to believe. How is it that you are privy to so many things that other are not?:D

 

I am blessed with a good memory for useless information. :o

 

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

 

Hammybee, I'd still be interested in an answer to lorekauf's question ..... which wasn't how do you remember, but how would you even know?????

 

Because I'll be honest .... given what we've read on this thread about so many passengers not being able to get confirmed for Traditional even when booking a year or more in advance, it's very hard for me to imagine someone being forced into Traditional.

 

Where does this information come from?

[RevNeal]

Everyone has to keep in mind, CruiseCritic is a very, very small percentage of cruises.

 

This observation has gotten very old. Yes, CCers make up a very small percentage of HAL cruisers. However, (1) HAL has the highest percentage of repeat passengers in the industry, (2) the vast majority of CCers are repeat cruisers who often repeat more than once a year -- I average 25 - 30 days a year -- (3) while self-selected, and hence not a scientific sampling, nevertheless it is probably safe to say that, given the breadth of cruises and distribution across the fleet and throughout the year, we reflect a cross-section of HAL's Mariner base. As a result, we're a good gauge on how the base views/experiences things. Given that we're never unanimous about anything, I believe that this is probably even more true than I suspect or than those who wish to discount our observations would like to admit. I also suspect that this is part of the reason why HALHQ reads this board, and why our remarks here are often getting back to the ships, etc. ALL of this serves to ameliorate the "pooh-poohing" that is part-and-parcel of the above assertion. Granted, it is true ... but the nature of this particular grouping makes the assertion, itself, misleading.

 

Also, people are much more likely to go out of their way to criticize than praise something - hence you'll get MANY more "AYWD is the worst invention ever" than "AYWD works well and is a nice option."

 

When I have a less-than-pleasant experience, I report it. When I have a wonderful experience, I report it. When there's good and when there's bad, I report it. When it's good news, I'm accused of being a non-critical HAL cheerleader. When it's bad I'm told I'm such a small sampling that I'm insignificant (and, hence, I should just shut up my whining and "get with the program" or go to another Line).

 

And, AYWD is no different than the Pinnacle, where you still have to make a reservation for each day if you wished to dine there each evening.

 

You have to pay for the Pinnacle; Open Seating section of AYWD is part of one's cruise fair. I know ... I know ... your intention was to point out that the reservation system was "no different." However, even here it's not "no different" ... for one CAN eat in the Open Dining section of AYWD without a reservation ... one just cannot be assured of time/place or that they will be able to be seated immediately.

[RevNeal]

A significant exception was the late January sailing of the Rotterdam whereby there were second -hand reports that many had confirmed fixed seating and once onboard learned they were in Open Seating. Imagine how disappointing this must have been, for them.

 

Three of those "second-hands" are RuthC, Mary Ellen, and myself. If you'll remember, I stated some reluctance to report it because I KNEW that it would be discounted because it didn't happen to me. Nevertheless, it is the truth. The First hands included (1) those to whom it happened, spoken with on multiple occasions, and (2) the Maitre D.

 

Oh ... and might I add ... we now have on the board (due to contacts with us while aboard ship) someone who was one of those First Hands who had been placed into Open Seating. Granted, she managed to get transferred back to Traditional, but she was not-too-happy about the experience or the way it was done. She complained about it most of the cruise, and then when she got on this board. If she felt that way, even though she eventually got the dining she wanted, how much less happy must those have been who didn't get Traditional at any point during the cruise?

[hammybee]

Hammybee, I'd still be interested in an answer to lorekauf's question ..... which wasn't how do you remember, but how would you even know?????

 

Because I'll be honest .... given what we've read on this thread about so many passengers not being able to get confirmed for Traditional even when booking a year or more in advance, it's very hard for me to imagine someone being forced into Traditional.

 

Where does this information come from?

 

I think poster "spacecat" was one of the first to report getting the onboard bump out of Open Seating. I remember it because she said it was the reason she chose the cruise. I think she got shuffled around in fixed seating before she landed somewhere.

[hammybee]

Nevertheless, it is the truth.

 

Never doubted it for a minute. Your sail was, I think, the first for AYWD, on the Rotterdam. Given this intinerary is often planned well in advance, it's possible some passengers booked and got confirmation of their dining preference before HAL announced it's conversion schedule, in July.

 

Maybe HAL decided to roll the dice rather than risk that some might cancel their cruise. And so the ball was dropped into the lap of the onboard management.

 

I do recall you met up with someone who, several days into the cruise, was enventually accommodated in Fixed Seating. This suggests that perhaps some who booked Fixed Seating decided they preferred Open Seating, as sometimes happens.

 

Poster Mancunian recently reported a positive outcome with Open Seating on the third Rotterdam sailing. As we all know, mileage will vary.:)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I think poster "spacecat" was one of the first to report getting the onboard bump out of Open Seating. I remember it because she said it was the reason she chose the cruise. I think she got shuffled around in fixed seating before she landed somewhere.

 

Spacecat's entire saga was outlined for us on this very thread in post #43 last July, 2007.

 

Here it is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=10705349&postcount=43

 

And then this, from another thread, where she mentions that a large group was responsible for the mix-up regarding her open seating request. CC member "Spacecat" (Shari) was with me on the Noordam last June 17-24 2007, to Alaska. We had a group with 400+ members onboard who were seated together at one of the late dining room seatings. This impacted the implementation of AYWD, which had recently been introduced on the Noordam. Spacecat (Shari) had wished for "open seating", and because of the large group onboard, she had to switch to "traditional".

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=10739958&postcount=7

[twinkletoes4445]

Because I'll be honest .... given what we've read on this thread about so many passengers not being able to get confirmed for Traditional even when booking a year or more in advance, it's very hard for me to imagine someone being forced into Traditional.

 

I've yet to read where anyone was "forced" into traditional. All the posts I've read are from posters who are steamed that they're booking a year or more out and can't get the traditional seating.

 

If I wanted to "call ahead" for dining each day, I'd stay home and head to Friday's. I know this may work for some people, and that's fine, but I have not desire to participate in this form of dining. And I really don't understand the "phone in and reserve a time, table and waiter." Isn't that what traditional dining is without the hassle of calling each day?

[twinkletoes4445]

Spacecat's entire saga was outlined for us on this very thread in post #43 last July, 2007.

 

Here it is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=10705349&postcount=43

 

And then this, from another thread, where she mentions that a large group was responsible for the mix-up regarding her open seating request. CC member "Spacecat" (Shari) was with me on the Noordam last June 17-24 2007, to Alaska. We had a group with 400+ members onboard who were seated together at one of the late dining room seatings. This impacted the implementation of AYWD, which had recently been introduced on the Noordam. Spacecat (Shari) had wished for "open seating", and because of the large group onboard, she had to switch to "traditional".

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=10739958&postcount=7

 

Thanks, MAM. :)

 

So she was bumped from AYWD because of a large group. It wasn't because this AYWD was a hot ticket on her sailing, but rather the large group took over that time (what was supposed to be for AYWD) and forced her to move to traditional seating.

[hammybee]

Thanks, MAM. :)

 

So she was bumped from AYWD because of a large group. It wasn't because this AYWD was a hot ticket on her sailing, but rather the large group took over that time (what was supposed to be for AYWD) and forced her to move to traditional seating.

 

Yes, the lower dining room had been reserved for the large group and those with confirmed Open Seating did not find out about it, until boarding.

 

This is similar to large groups or multiple groups dominating fixed seating causing individual passengers to not get what theywant, when they want it. Most however, find out before they board.

 

That groups trump most individual requests is an issue with all cruise lines.

Those who pay more or buy more, usually get more.

[RevNeal]

I do recall you met up with someone who, several days into the cruise, was enventually accommodated in Fixed Seating. This suggests that perhaps some who booked Fixed Seating decided they preferred Open Seating, as sometimes happens.

 

Yes ... she was seated at our table ... and she posts on this board.

[bUU]

...it is probably safe to say that, given the breadth of cruises and distribution across the fleet and throughout the year, we reflect a cross-section of HAL's Mariner base.

Which isn't meaningful. What is needed is a reflection of their target customer base. And only they know who they are and are not targeting, and why. Their business, their rules. The reality is that dissatisfaction like this is a clearer indication that they are aiming for a different set of customers than that they have made an error.

[SharonN]

 

I do recall you met up with someone who, several days into the cruise, was enventually accommodated in Fixed Seating. This suggests that perhaps some who booked Fixed Seating decided they preferred Open Seating, as sometimes happens.

 

 

Yes ... she was seated at our table ... and she posts on this board.

 

And there were two women at my table on the same cruise that had confirmed fixed seating only to arrive and be assigned to Open. They had their documentation that showed confirmed and were able to convince someone that first day to correct it but it took quite some discussion.

 

I did not hear from anyone that they wanted to change from Fixed to Open. I think the fact they were able to move some people later to traditional is that they had not assigned all of the seats in fixed to begin with. There were 3 empty chairs at our table (even after they moved the two women mentioned above) for the entire 3 weeks even though I know there were people who wanted to move to fixed. There were other empty chairs throughout the dining room. There were also two women (one who posts on this board) that weren't at either RevNeal or my table that were also assigned open when they'd had confirmed traditional. They were among those that took several days to get transfered. There were many others I talked to that just gave up trying to change because of the hassle it was taking to get it changed. I only met one person the entire 3 weeks (and that was on the tour the last day) that was happy with Open Seating. I heard from several every day that were unhappy with it and many of them just ended up in the Lido because that was easier at that point.

 

It definitely concerns me that they did not honor so many confirmations when people got aboard. Lucikly they did mine and I met some wonderful people (including my new "sister") at my table but there were quite a few that were very disappointed and some of them let it ruin their cruise. I wouldn't have let it ruin my cruise but it certainly wouldn't have been as enjoyable as it was. I guess I don't need to worry about it as much for my next cruise as I'll be going with some family members but I'll need to decide how to handle it for my next solo cruise. I guess I'd recommend that anyone that wants traditional be prepared to fight for it when you get on board.

[Two if by Sea]

Everyone has to keep in mind, CruiseCritic is a very, very small percentage of cruises.

 

No, CruiseCritic is a small percentage of cruisers. I would venture that, on the HAL boards at least, CruiseCritic represents something very close to 100% of the actual cruises, with at least one person from here onboard just about every cruise HAL sails. Am I wrong?