Clarification requested re: AYW dining

[elycelynne]

Good afternoon (or whatever time it is in anyone else's part of the world). I've read a couple of reviews where people mentioned that they could only get their desired type of table for a time frame that was pretty unappealing (like 5:00). I'm assuming that this only applies if you're looking for a specific type of table occupied only by your party and that otherwise, regardless of time, seating shouldn't be a problem if you're going into the dining room without a reservation and with a willingness to share a table.

 

So is my assumption accurate? I decided on AYW dining because I wanted flexibility in scheduling my evening activities. I just want to be reasonably certain that I shouldn't have any trouble dining at a decent hour (between 6:30 and 7:00, for example).

 

Thanks!

[aliaschief]

On our November MS Noordam cruise we had AYWD for the first time. We made a reservation for the first night and after that we just showed up at our convenience and were seated without waiting. On two nights we asked for a table for two and were given it.

 

For us it worked great.

[Mary Ellen]

I just want to be reasonably certain that I shouldn't have any trouble dining at a decent hour (between 6:30 and 7:00, for example).

NO guarantees. I've seen the open seating (AYW covers 'traditional' seating too) lobby packed back to the elevator lobby stairs. Everyone was given a chain restaurant type of pager and told about a 45-min wait.

[suse]

We could never get a table for two. I confess, we were walk-ins. That was a first for us though. We went to the Pinnacle for four nights instead. It would have been fine except on the two nights we were in the main dining room, we were with crabby people. Not good.:eek:

[Krazy Kruizers]

On the majority of the ships, you can only make reservations for times between 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9.

The times between 6:15 - 7:30 -- no reservations -- just show up and tell them what size table you want. It still isn't a guarantee that you will get that size table.

[elycelynne]

I should have specified that I'm not actually looking for a table for two -- I was just citing that as an example of the posters who had difficulty getting a certain type of table at a decent time.

 

I'm hoping I MIGHT have a decent chance of not having to wait 45 minutes because I'd only be one person and would be more than willing to share a table (hey, there's nothing like playing table-mate roulette). Theoretically it shouldn't be too hard to find one empty seat for just me (I hope).

[PCruzer]

We were on the Oosterdam Panama Canal transit 2/28-3/14/09. Had originally booked the 8 pm fixed seating. After 2 nights, we decided to switch to open seating because we didn't like going to the show before dinner. We made a reservation the first 2 nights, but after that we just showed up whenever we wanted. We arrived anywhere between 7 pm & 7:30 pm and never had a problem being seated. Also, we overheard several passengers saying that when they tried to make a reservation for dinner by phone from their cabin that they constantly got a busy signal. We never encountered that. We made a total of 3 reservations while onboard (one night we requested and got a table for 2). You were permitted to make a reservation 1 day in advance. I have to say that we loved the open seating. I don't think we would go with fixed seating ever again. We got to meet a lot of interesting people. We were told that at some point in the cruise 1200 out of the 1800 passengers were on open seating. In fact, they did not allow anyone to switch from fixed seating to open about 1/2-way through the trip. We always said that we would always want fixed seating for dinner, but we are now converts to the open seating option.

[hammybee]

We were walk-ins and were always seated immediately.

 

We also were willing to share and met many delightful people.

 

There is no telling what will happen, on your cruise. If the majority of open seating diners decide to dine between 6:30-7:00, there is going to be a wait.

[kryos]

Good afternoon (or whatever time it is in anyone else's part of the world). I've read a couple of reviews where people mentioned that they could only get their desired type of table for a time frame that was pretty unappealing (like 5:00). I'm assuming that this only applies if you're looking for a specific type of table occupied only by your party and that otherwise, regardless of time, seating shouldn't be a problem if you're going into the dining room without a reservation and with a willingness to share a table.

You are absolutely correct. Oh, if you walk in at a very popular time, there is a possibility that you might have to wait for a few minutes ... but you will be seated rather quickly. The only people that have problems are the folks wanting to dine at two-tops. Those are very, very popular so naturally the dining room manager has to make the most use out of them. So, I believe he tries to turn them over three times in any given night ... and that means having to eat at certain times to facilitate that. You can't say you want to eat, say, at 7:30 ... because that time might be right in the middle of when the second couple would be using it. So you have to take your reservation at one of the standard times that would let that table turn over on schedule.

 

But if you are willing to sit at a large table with others, walk in whenever you are ready to eat and you should have no problem whatsoever.

 

And, after all ... unless I'm missing the point here ... isn't that what "flexible" dining should be all about?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Also, we overheard several passengers saying that when they tried to make a reservation for dinner by phone from their cabin that they constantly got a busy signal. We never encountered that. We made a total of 3 reservations while onboard (one night we requested and got a table for 2). You were permitted to make a reservation 1 day in advance. I have to say that we loved the open seating. I don't think we would go with fixed seating ever again. We got to meet a lot of interesting people.

LOL ... don't get me started on the "reservations" subject ... :)

 

Personally, I just can't understand it ... it's "flexible" dining. I thought that meant dine when you wish ... As You Wish Dining, right? So, what's with the reservations? I personally don't think reservations should even be taken at all. It should be first come, first served. If you want a table for two, well ... then you put your name on a list when you arrive in the dining room and then wait your turn. Let them give you a beeper and you can head to a lounge for a drink, if you would like. Or head to the Explorations Cafe to jump on the internet while you wait, or even relax and read a book. If you'd prefer not to wait, then sit with others. You're still gonna have a great meal anyway ... and, as you say, meet some really interesting people in the process.

 

I'm with you, though. I was one of the biggest critics of As You Wish Dining when it first came out. But, on my last cruise I tried it ... pretty much because I had no choice ... I lost my fixed seating reservation when I cancelled and rebooked my cruise in order to save a thousand bucks. Well, guess what? I loved As You Wish Dining and it worked out perfectly in every way for me. I got to meet some interesting people, but the best thing was that I could eat when I was hungry, and could even opt at the last minute to eat in the Lido if I wanted, without having to worry about running down to the main dining room at the regular time to inform my tablemates that I wouldn't be joining them.

 

I also found that As You Wish Dining worked out perfectly when schedules changed. I often am not hungry when dinnertime comes. Maybe I was starving earlier and grabbed something in the Lido, or maybe I was on a shore excursion that day and had a nice lunch as part of that excursion, and now it's time for my fixed seating early dinner, and I'm just not in the mood to eat. That's why I loved As You Wish Dining. I could eat when I "dammed" well please.

 

Yep, I would have never believed I would have become one of the biggest champions of As You Wish Dining, but I guess stranger things have happened. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I'm hoping I MIGHT have a decent chance of not having to wait 45 minutes because I'd only be one person and would be more than willing to share a table (hey, there's nothing like playing table-mate roulette). Theoretically it shouldn't be too hard to find one empty seat for just me (I hope).

If you're a solo, you're gonna always get seated immediately. They always have a large table forming and will just put you there. You'll meet new people every night, and the best thing about that is that if you really hit it off with someone, you could always arrange to meet for dinner again the following night. If you get stuck with a dud, at least you know you'll only have to dine with him once. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[JerseyJaguar]

If you're a solo, you're gonna always get seated immediately. They always have a large table forming and will just put you there. You'll meet new people every night, and the best thing about that is that if you really hit it off with someone, you could always arrange to meet for dinner again the following night. If you get stuck with a dud, at least you know you'll only have to dine with him once. :)

Rita, did you ever have people who didn't want a solo joining their table? Like a large group who all knew each other, or did they always put you at a table with a bunch of people who didn't know each other.

 

The one thing I worry about is showing up and having people not want me there. If you get that vibe can you ask to be seated elsewhere?

 

I've done the open seating at lunch and tea, and only had one bad experience, but it was truly bad. This rude man was at the table with three other people he knew and picked on me so much that the woman who got seated after me thought I must know him for him to treat me so horribly. It all stemmed from me not wanting to talk politics (this was during the primary season last year). I asked him several times to stop, but he didn't. It was a truly awful time.

 

Fortunately, the next time I went to tea my table was so great that we ended up being the last to leave.

[twinkletoes4445]

We only tried the AWYD once, but we had no problem getting a table a 6:30. We were seated with a lovely mother and daughter. We also had great service. I looked around to see if anyone was waiting and there were a few people standing around, but from what I could tell from their conversations, they were waiting for others to join them. There were no lines and no waiting the night we tried AYWD. We're sold. Between the Lido, rooms service and AYWD we'll never go back to fixed dining.

[liketraveling]

I have only been on one Holland America Cruise and was Assigned to Open Seating.

 

We usually went anytime between 6:30 and 7:00 and were always seated right away except on Master Chef Night. They gave us a time to come back.

 

If you don't mind sitting at a large table you get seated right a way.

 

We are going on the Ryndam next week and we have open seating.

 

I like eating when I am hungry. Open seating is great!

 

Gail

[HVLcruiser2]

[quote name=kryos;18705840

But if you are willing to sit at a large table with others' date=' walk in whenever you are ready to eat and you should have no problem whatsoever.[/quote]

 

I'm sorry to say. That wasn't our experience at all. Most of the time, we were advised of a 45 minute wait time, and we never requested a table for only 2. We ate only in the dining room on 3 occasions on a 15 night cruise. Very disappointing. I wish you better success.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I should have specified that I'm not actually looking for a table for two -- I was just citing that as an example of the posters who had difficulty getting a certain type of table at a decent time.

 

I'm hoping I MIGHT have a decent chance of not having to wait 45 minutes because I'd only be one person and would be more than willing to share a table (hey, there's nothing like playing table-mate roulette). Theoretically it shouldn't be too hard to find one empty seat for just me (I hope).

 

Thanks for clearing that up.

Didn't realize you would be solo.

You won't have any problem being seated at any time anywhere -- it is always easier to seat a solo person when they are not asking for a specific table and/or size.

Have a good cruise.

[GeriatricNurse]

NO guarantees. I've seen the open seating (AYW covers 'traditional' seating too) lobby packed back to the elevator lobby stairs. Everyone was given a chain restaurant type of pager and told about a 45-min wait.[/quote]

 

 

Well, I would have immediately handed back the pager and gone to the Lido!

[PCruzer]

I'm sorry to say. That wasn't our experience at all. Most of the time, we were advised of a 45 minute wait time, and we never requested a table for only 2. We ate only in the dining room on 3 occasions on a 15 night cruise. Very disappointing. I wish you better success.

 

Wow! I have to say that we never experienced a wait at all on our 14-night Canal cruise. We mostly went to dinner around 7:15-7:30 pm. Never saw anyone waiting. Although I did see the beepers at the podium, I never saw any passenger holding one. We were told by Kiki Basuki, the Dining Room Manager, that on our cruise, out of 1800 passengers, 1200 were on open seating. I believe it because the upper level of the dining room looked pretty empty. Lots of unused tables. (We started the cruise at 8 pm fixed seating and changed to open after 2 nights.) Maybe we were just lucky. Or maybe most people wanted to eat earlier and possibly there were lines for the 5:15-6:00 pm seatings. I don't know - we were never in the dining room vicinity at that time. Anyway, I definitely think we would opt for open seating in the future.

[smtcan]

We are just back from the Zuiderdam, and since we booked late had no choice but as you wish dining. I was apprehensive, but actually enjoyed it. We walked in every night, never made a reservation and never had to wait. We usually went between six and seven, but one night went after eight and once at five forty-five. Once we asked for a two top and got it without waiting. The other nights we shared. The only night we were not really happy was when we were at a table for ten with only nine people. Conversation was difficult at such a large table, especially when sitting next to a space. After that we asked for a table of six or less and were always accommodated. Overall the experience was good, and I would choose this again. We met some very interesting people and didn't have to follow any schedule except our own.

 

Sheila

[hammybee]

Rita, did you ever have people who didn't want a solo joining their table? Like a large group who all knew each other, or did they always put you at a table with a bunch of people who didn't know each other.

 

The one thing I worry about is showing up and having people not want me there. If you get that vibe can you ask to be seated elsewhere?

 

No one is forced to share. A large family or group is likely to ask for a private table because they do not want to share with anyone.

 

I have yet to cruise solo. I always feared I would be all dolled up on formal night, having replaced my signature pineapple topper with a behive and tiara, only to arrive at my assigned fixed seating and find out all the tablemates went elsewhere, for the evening.

 

Open seating eliminates this fear cause I know I can fit in at so many different tables. The odds are in my favor as a solo.

[lardor]

We are just back from the Zuiderdam, and since we booked late had no choice but as you wish dining. I was apprehensive, but actually enjoyed it. We walked in every night, never made a reservation and never had to wait. We usually went between six and seven, but one night went after eight and once at five forty-five. Once we asked for a two top and got it without waiting. The other nights we shared. The only night we were not really happy was when we were at a table for ten with only nine people. Conversation was difficult at such a large table, especially when sitting next to a space. After that we asked for a table of six or less and were always accommodated. Overall the experience was good, and I would choose this again. We met some very interesting people and didn't have to follow any schedule except our own.

 

Sheila

 

Same with us on our 33 day cruise....except on formal nights when we went to the Lido...We asked for and got the same serving team after the 1st week when we found a good team...sometimes at a table for 4,6, or 8 whatever was open, no waiting ...

[Taxguy77]

We dined in AYW 2 times with people we met at the CC meets. It was great getting to know some folks early in the cruise. (Go to the thread for your sailing and log in, wish it had been available on earlier cruises.)

The rest of the cruise we dined in the Lido, same food, cafeteria style for soup and salad but entre delivered and served.

The same crew worked the area on our cruise and was great. The 'wine steward' bar staff guy brought our usual order without asking, told me what table my wife was sitting (as did other employees) if I was a little later, told folks we had been friendly with on deck (or us if they got there first) where the other was seated so we could decide if we wanted to dine with them that evening. Excelent service and the same dishes as the dining room with better service!

[elycelynne]

You've all definitely put my mind at ease. Now I just have to worry about whether the showtimes are at 7 and 9 or 8 and 10! :eek: :rolleyes: