Waitlisted for Early Dining-Don't want late dining

[mhg7274]

We are scheduled for late dining and witlisted for Early Dining onthe Westerdam on 12/02. What's the chance that we can get in to our preferred early dining. We have 2 children and eating late just isn't going to work for us.

Thanks!

H

[LegalSailor]

Just request it when you get onboard. Most people I cruise with and know from cruises want the late seating, so it shouldn't be a problem to get the early seating.

[RuthC]

Most people I cruise with and know from cruises want the late seating,

That's generally not the case on most HAL cruises.

You might clear the wait-list. Failing that, see the Maitre d' as soon as you board to see if you can get it changed. Failing that, you can bring the kids to eat in the Lido and either eat with them, or send them off to Club HAL then dine at your table at Main sitting.

[shipmix]

a good reason AYWD will come soon to a ship near you! ;) This will stop many folks from being in this kind of situation.

Good luck getting early.

[Maryandi]

Once on the Oosterdam - we made last minute res., and knew that early dining was out of the question.

 

I went to the Matre d' - 'begging' hour - and told them to tell our servers that we would not be there the whole week. Well, we ate in the Lido and Pinnacle and one night room service, we loved it. No 2 hour dinner, friendly everyone, better views, etc. We felt free of all that formality.

 

Some like that every night but now we mix it up between all the eating areas and enjoy the sail-aways more and everything else.

 

This was before the auto-tips and we tipped everyone wherever we were.

 

Don't worry - eat wherever you want, MaryAnn

 

PS. the waitlist for Early was over 100 because of a big group in Early.

[jjb415]

Just request it when you get onboard. Most people I cruise with and know from cruises want the late seating, so it shouldn't be a problem to get the early seating.

 

As RuthC said, not usually the case on Holland America. Lucky for some of us late-bookers.

[kryos]

We are scheduled for late dining and witlisted for Early Dining onthe Westerdam on 12/02. What's the chance that we can get in to our preferred early dining. We have 2 children and eating late just isn't going to work for us.

Thanks!

H

If you can't get early dining ... and sometimes this is just impossible because early dining seems to be the one that fills up first ... old folks like to eat early, plus others ... like yourselves ... with kids need to eat early. So, if it happens that you can't get early dining, just opt for "As You Wish" dining ... where you are not assigned a table and just come to the dining room when you are ready to eat each night. This way you can dine whenever you want ... with or without the kids.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

a good reason AYWD will come soon to a ship near you! ;) This will stop many folks from being in this kind of situation.

Good luck getting early.

Exactly. Let's face it ... only so many people can be accommodated in early/late dining ... and if you book late, it ain't gonna matter ... there is probably no way you will ever be able to get early seating ... not on a HAL ship anyway. HAL is the type of cruise line that draws older passengers, and generally they like to eat early because that's what they do at home. Also, HAL draws the family market. Naturally families traveling with kids are gonna want early seating, because kids can't wait until 8:30 to eat. They're heads will be bobbing in their soup bowls by 8:30.

 

So, it stands to reason that not everyone is gonna be able to be accommodated. It's just not possible. It's all gonna be a matter of luck of the draw, and how early you book. Luck is hoping that no big groups have taken over the early seating (because they will get priority). And how early you book will determine your place on the priority list for early seating barring any groups locking it up.

 

So, As You Wish will be a great alternative for those times when you just can't get your preferred time in traditional. At least you can still eat early ... you just won't have the same tablemates every night. Well, if you travel with a group, that really isn't gonna matter anyway ... you'll bring your own tablemates with you to the dining room each night.

 

So, I wouldn't fret the early/late problems anymore. As You Wish will make them go away in short order.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I went to the Matre d' - 'begging' hour - and told them to tell our servers that we would not be there the whole week.

I wonder if this might be a situation where "greasing the palm" of the Matri 'd would work? Does the Matri 'd have discretion in a case like this ... you clearly booked too late to get early seating, but he has a few empty spots he can assign at his discretion. If that's the case, a $50 might work some magic for you?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have found that early dining time on HAL fills up very quickly!!! That is the most popular dining time on all the cruises that we have been on.

When you get to the pier and get your folder, check to see what dining time you have as well as the table number - this will be listed on the card in your folder. Once you get on the ship, go to the entrance of the upper level of the dining room. There should be a diagram of the tables with their numbers (as well as level).

If you are not satisfied, once you get to your cabin - READ the daily program. There will be a time and place listed where you can meet with the maitre'd to make changes. GET THERE EARLY!!

Hopr all works out for you.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have found that early dining time on HAL fills up very quickly!!! That is the most popular dining time on all the cruises that we have been on.

When you get to the pier and get your folder, check to see what dining time you have as well as the table number - this will be listed on the card in your folder. Once you get on the ship, go to the entrance of the upper level of the dining room. There should be a diagram of the tables with their numbers (as well as level).

If you are not satisfied, once you get to your cabin - READ the daily program. There will be a time and place listed where you can meet with the maitre'd to make changes. GET THERE EARLY!!

Hope all works out for you.

[jtl513]

just opt for "As You Wish" dining ... where you are not assigned a table and just come to the dining room when you are ready to eat each night.

It's not available on the Westerdam for the OP's 12/02 sailing. :( It starts there 2/24/08.

[hammybee]

dupe response.

[gooselace]

We are also on the 12/2 Westerdam. My cruise buddy and I are old so the TA booked us for the early seating. We'd actually prefer later. Does anyone know whether the OP could just let the maitre d' know that we had agreed to swap and give him our names? Or maybe we could just go to the meet&greet and agree to do so on our own, if they are still waitlisted.

[hammybee]

We are also on the 12/2 Westerdam. My cruise buddy and I are old so the TA booked us for the early seating. We'd actually prefer later. Does anyone know whether the OP could just let the maitre d' know that we had agreed to swap and give him our names? Or maybe we could just go to the meet&greet and agree to do so on our own, if they are still waitlisted.

 

What an absolutely wonderful gesture on your part. I don't recall seeing anything like this on CC before.

 

I am thinking there are two of you and 4 of them so , they are still 2 seats short. Darn.

[gooselace]

Oops- just realized there are four in the OPs party - and only two of us. So this won't work, unless there's another willing pair. In any case, it would probably have to be done through the maitre d'. Tried to delete my post - but couldn't find a way to do so.

[hammybee]

Oops- just realized there are four in the OPs party - and only two of us. So this won't work, unless there's another willing pair. In any case, it would probably have to be done through the maitre d'. Tried to delete my post - but couldn't find a way to do so.[/quote]

 

Serves you right.:D Now there is a permanet record of your generosity.

[gooselace]

I wonder if this might be a situation where "greasing the palm" of the Matri 'd would work? Does the Matri 'd have discretion in a case like this ... you clearly booked too late to get early seating, but he has a few empty spots he can assign at his discretion. If that's the case, a $50 might work some magic for you?

 

Blue skies ...

--rita

 

If there really are some (two) discretionary spots, maybe our offer to trade and a $20 "pre-tip" might make the deal. If I were feeling really generous, I'd offer the tip. Too bad my DH isn't traveling with us - he's really good at the buttery handshake. ;)

[kryos]

It's not available on the Westerdam for the OP's 12/02 sailing. :( It starts there 2/24/08.

Oh.

 

Then that truly sucks. Hate to say it, but sounds to me like the OP is gonna have a choice ... late seating or Lido Dining every night with the kids. :( Unfortunately, when you book late, that's the way it goes sometimes.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

That's generally not the case on most HAL cruises.

You might clear the wait-list. Failing that, see the Maitre d' as soon as you board to see if you can get it changed. Failing that, you can bring the kids to eat in the Lido and either eat with them, or send them off to Club HAL then dine at your table at Main sitting.

It is always possible that others assigned to early seating might wish to switch to late once onboard. I know that one of my former TA's told me that she ALWAYS sets her clients up for early seating for HAL cruises. She does that because on HAL, it works the opposite from what it does on other cruise lines. She said most people want early seating on HAL and it is almost impossible to switch from late to early once onboard. But, if someone wants to switch the other way, it is very, very easy to do. So that's why she sets her clients up for early seating and then lets them make the switch once onboard if they decide early doesn't suit them. Of course, this assumes those clients book in time to get their first choice of early.

 

This is where As You Wish Dining is gonna be a real lifesaver. In cases where people book too late to get their preferring dining time, they can simply use AYW dining and still dine at a time convenient to them.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

If there really are some (two) discretionary spots, maybe our offer to trade and a $20 "pre-tip" might make the deal. If I were feeling really generous, I'd offer the tip. Too bad my DH isn't traveling with us - he's really good at the buttery handshake. ;)

Frankly, it would seem to me that the folks wanting the early dining slot should be the ones to pre-offer the tip, not you.

 

But, I was just posing the question ... let's assume no one was offering to trade ... but someone really wanted to move to early from late. I just wonder if the matri 'd had some discretionary open slots that he could give way if the mood "hit him" ... meaning that if a nice tip were preoffered, if he had a couple of slots ... say a table for four that he was holding in his "back pocket," that he could assign the OP to at his "discretion?"

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[LegalSailor]

Before reading this thread, I never would have guessed that the majority of folks on HAL prefer early dining. DW and I like the fact that we can linger longer in port and don't feel rushed getting back to the ship to rest, shower, and dress for dinner. To his own I guess.

It makes sense that with the older clientele to have more people for early seating, but it never dawned on me - all the times I've been on HAL, we were waitlisted for late upper dining, but we always wound up getting it.

Cheers!

[hammybee]

Before reading this thread, I never would have guessed that the majority of folks on HAL prefer early dining. DW and I like the fact that we can linger longer in port and don't feel rushed getting back to the ship to rest, shower, and dress for dinner. To his own I guess.

It makes sense that with the older clientele to have more people for early seating, but it never dawned on me - all the times I've been on HAL, we were waitlisted for late upper dining, but we always wound up getting it.

Cheers!

 

This is, I think, a newer phenomina and I see the trend on most CC cruise line boards. It used to be, not that long ago, that late seating was more inclined to book faster than early seating. So what's changed:

 

Some passengers prefer early seating because they prefer more time to work-off and digest their food, before bedtime.

 

Many diets precribe not eating after 6 or 7:00 PM.

 

Mature passengers and young children often prefer to eat sooner rather than later.

 

More groups sail and are assigned early seating so their private evening activities can be held without disruption to all passengers.

 

High production travel agents sometimes hog early seating to give their clients a better shot at getting what they want.

 

Many passengers continue to find early seating too early and late seating, too late and it's not possible to feed all passengers at the same time on any mass -marketed cruise line.

[mamaofami]

The one time we didn't get the table for two we wanted, we were told to come to the dining room every evening and they would find us a table for two. It really worked out well every night because there was always someone who either went to the Pinnacle, had room service or ate in the Lido. I would guess it would be a bit harder when there are four of you, but it's worth a try to see if you can do that. If they can't accommodate you that night, you can always go to the Lido. Good luck!

[kryos]

High production travel agents sometimes hog early seating to give their clients a better shot at getting what they want..

I was told by a TA that HAL (and a few other lines) was unusual in this regard. On most cruise lines, it is late seating that is in demand, but on HAL (and a few others) it is early seating that goes first. That's why she told me that she always books her clients in for early seating, and then lets them switch around once they get on the ship. If they decide they really want late seating, then it shouldn't be a problem to get that. But if she had assigned them to late seating, only to have them want early seating, then they would have a major problem switching to early seating and would spend the rest of the cruise cursing her. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita