why can't HAL honor your table size request

[Nancyquilts]

OK, Grizzly Adams, the Kings just lost again - we're going for that #1 draft pick:rolleyes: - so what's with "the better part of Calif?" dude!;)

Anything north of the Grapevine Pass?:D

Off subject, I do enjoy your various avatars. Is (was) a previous one your police dog?

[IheartHAL]

I usually book far ahead, and request main seating with a table for 2. I even go so far as to request a specific table number, and have always gotten it. Maybe being really specific helps?

[cands]

Table for two, four, six, eight? We'd settle for any of these on our upcoming Statendam cruise.

 

We're still waitlisted:mad: . If we wanted AYW we would have chosen NCL or Princess!!!

Not happy, HAL.

[Copper10-8]

You southland folk wouldn't understand... ;)

 

You're killing me, Larry;)

[Copper10-8]

Anything north of the Grapevine Pass?:D

Off subject, I do enjoy your various avatars. Is (was) a previous one your police dog?

 

Yes Ma'am, his name was Wodan and he was a German shepherd from Holland. BTW, Sonoma is God's country! My work sent me to school in Santa Rosa a couple of times and my hotel was in Petaluma

[KAYEF]

You can always go up to the LIDO and have a lovely table for two.....

complete with a tablecloth and candles. You choose your appetizers, etc. and your entree is delivered to you (with a smile).

You can always get a window table up there as well.;)

[Vic The Parrot]

What is Maitre d' supposed to do with all his tables for six and eight if a huge number of folks want tables for two?

 

 

 

 

 

Easy ....

 

A hacksaw, bucket of nails ... instant new dining room furniture. ;)

[kryos]

Since I don't play well with others (like the gluttons who order two and three of an appetizer or several main courses) or loud and poorly dressed people, I expect that the cruise line should place me at a table for two if I request same. They always screw it up and then it takes an hour and a half just to speak to the maitre d' to request a change. There are better ways to do this.

Tables for two are highly prized. There could be people who have priority over you whose requests have to be honored first. So, especially as of late, it seems like HAL isn't confirming these requests until onboard. They have to make sure that the people in suites, and those with "suite enhancement packages," who have priority for dining requests, are taken care of first. Then, if there are any tables for two left, they will honor others' requests in the order they are in line to see the matri 'd.

 

As a sidenote, sounds to me like As You Wish Dining would be the perfect solution to just your sort of problem. If you can't get a table for two in traditional dining, just opt for As You Wish instead.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

What is Maitre d' supposed to do with all his tables for six and eight if a huge number of folks want tables for two?

Well ... to be honest ... if HAL sees that historically there are far more requests for tables for two than for the larger tables, they should simply reconfigure the dining room to have more of those tables for two, and less of the larger tables. Some of those tables (the square ones) can be broken down into duces.

 

Seems a simple enough solution.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Harry1954]

why the personal attacks on someone who is expressing their perception of the world ? frankly, i find it boorish when this occurs.

I am glad that those who prefer not to dine with my lovely wife and I due to their unusual view of life eat by themselves. We always request a table for six as the table for eight was too large to exchange pleasantries (or appetizers).

harry

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always book suites.

 

We always book months in advance.

 

About 2 years ago we were on a cruise and did not get the table that we requested. We had booked that cruise 16 months in advance.

 

So who knows how the maitre'd decides who gets what table??

 

Being in a suite and supposedly being able to make a request and booking early didn't work for us that time.

[MercedMike]

why the personal attacks on someone who is expressing their perception of the world ? frankly, i find it boorish when this occurs.

 

You're right, Harry, lots of us did find it boorish when the OP said

"like the gluttons who order two and three of an appetizer or several main courses) or loud and poorly dressed people, I expect that the cruise line should place me at a table for two if I request same. "

 

Maybe it just takes somebody from the best part of California (North of the grapevine) to recognize a spade when he gets hit in the face with it ...:D

[m steve]

and the other a Jefferson. Spade is politically incorrect.

I paid my fare and I'll eat in the dining room and scowl at the boorish people.

[sail7seas]

Well ... to be honest ... if HAL sees that historically there are far more requests for tables for two than for the larger tables, they should simply reconfigure the dining room to have more of those tables for two, and less of the larger tables. Some of those tables (the square ones) can be broken down into duces.

 

Seems a simple enough solution.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

I don't think it is as simple as that. Tables for two take up more space in the dining room than rounds for six and eight. Space is always a premium on every ship and adding more two's would mean making the dining room larger which is not something I would think they wish to do. Figure all the extra space needed between all these two tops, space to pull back chairs and for stewards/guests to walk. I don't think that is a practical solution.

[Gypsy025]

m steve.....I'm with you. My wife and I always request two tables for one and so far we haven't had any 'luck'.

[George W. Bush]

I wouldn't mind sitting with Mercedmike, we could discuss whether or not we should let epsilon >0. :)

[Philip217]

Sizes and capacities of ships' dining rooms are governed by a multitude of international organisations. International law prohibits cruise lines from simply adding more chairs and tables to their dining rooms. Even altering the size of a table top could require approvals from several Coast Guards, Flag State, Port State, International Maritime Organization, Insurance Companies, and a large group of company Vice Presidents. As ships are always pressed for space, they are forced to try to maximize every bit of available space they have.

 

HAL is famous for smaller ships. Smaller ships are particularly short of dining space, and must make more compromises.

 

A table of four takes far less space than 2 tables for 2. So most HAL ships have a very small number of tables for 2 - especially compared to their competitors.

 

A decade or two ago, when most HAL ships were designed and built, far fewer passengers requested smaller tables as they do today. So most HAL ships have a rather large number of larger tables and a small number of smaller tables in their dining rooms. It is too late to rebuild those ships to fit more modern dining trends. Putting in smaller tables would reduce the capacity of the dining rooms, which are already struggling to fit everyone in.

 

HAL's traditional style also works against them in this case. Many new ships today feature dining room tables that are not welded to the deck. The tables can be moved to accommodate the requests of different demographics. HAL decided to stay traditional with their ship designs. Nearly all dining tables are welded in place and cannot be moved.

[RuthC]

Nearly all dining tables are welded in place and cannot be moved.

This is a very good thing when the seas are so rough that people are toppling over in their chairs. I wouldn't want to be tossed on the floor only to have the table come crashing down on me, too.

[hammybee]

This is a very good thing when the seas are so rough that people are toppling over in their chairs. I wouldn't want to be tossed on the floor only to have the table come crashing down on me, too.

 

Toppling over in chairs??????

 

You mean to tell me that cruise ships are not firmly planted on the floor of the seas?:rolleyes:

 

The horror of it all.

[shepp]

Toppling over in chairs??????

 

You mean to tell me that cruise ships are not firmly planted on the floor of the seas?:rolleyes:

 

The horror of it all.

 

Oh dear, the Poseidondam!

[pipedreams62]

Oh dear, the Poseidondam!

 

 

 

[jhannah]

Speaking of unstable ships ... I saw TWO programs today that showed how methane bubbles coming up from the sea floor can sink a ship. (Reduces bouyancy properties of the water.) :eek:

[Philip217]

RuthC,

In theory you are correct. Always better to have the tables welded to the deck for safety.

 

The Norwegian Dawn is a good example for our discussion. Not one of her dining tables is welded to the deck. She hit a rogue wave off the Carolina Coast a few years ago. The Captain (a good friend of mine) told me that this 120 foot wave washed completely over the 93,000 ton ship, destroyed quite a few suites, and flooded the forward passenger staircase.

 

Do you know how many dining tables (in the ship's 11 different restaurants) tipped over?

 

None.

[Krazy Kruizers]

RuthC,

In theory you are correct. Always better to have the tables welded to the deck for safety.

 

The Norwegian Dawn is a good example for our discussion. Not one of her dining tables is welded to the deck. She hit a rogue wave off the Carolina Coast a few years ago. The Captain (a good friend of mine) told me that this 120 foot wave washed completely over the 93,000 ton ship, destroyed quite a few suites, and flooded the forward passenger staircase.

 

Do you know how many dining tables (in the ship's 11 different restaurants) tipped over?

 

None.

 

I remember when that happened. In fact saw her in Nassau a few weeks after that incident and saw all the various cabins that still had boards over their windows/doors/verandahs.

[MercedMike]

and the other a Jefferson. Spade is politically incorrect.

I paid my fare and I'll eat in the dining room and scowl at the boorish people.

 

I like to call a spade a spade --not a shovel, a trowel, a teaspoon, a plowshare nor a sword.

 

SOOOO -- now I'm a glutton, a boor AND politically incorrect!

 

But we have a hell of a lot of fun in the dining room with our tablemates, whoever they may be ...

 

C'mon and join me, friends, and we will have a bit of a laugh at the non-social ones huddled over in the corner at their two top, and all feel superior.

 

;) ;)