Second Seating Pet Peeve

I've heard that the migrating passengers and waiters works well. It sounds crazy, but I guess the table layouts are the same for the different dining rooms.

 

Cruise lines do track all kinds of data about cruisers. I recall a galley tour on either HAL or Cunard, where the chef said they can predict to about 1 or 2 percent error how many of each entree will be ordered, based on previous experience. Another time a chef said the first night is their test--do more people order beef or fish or vegetarian? That trend is likely to follow through the cruise. So if they're tracking WHAT we eat, they're almost certainly tracking WHEN. First seating is tough to get. I look around at First and I see very few empty chairs. HAL has to know that the demand is there.

HAL Behind the Scenes Tour: I have heard the exact same thing from the Executive Chefs. I agree with your assumption of tracking other aspects of the behavior of us guests.

Same experience with Pinnacle wine steward on another ship. He could not find my bottle, even though I had it sent there from the night before.

It is interesting to learn of differing experiences with this wine question.

I have been mostly fortunate that a saved bottle of wine was found from wherever I requested on the ship. (Only once, in a fixed seating situation, was the wine hard to find and it had been "shipped" from PG to the MDR.) On my recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruises, towards the end of the 2nd cruise and not wanting to cart partial bottles of wine off the ship, I asked my Ocean Bar Steward if he could obtain my partly opened bottle from the MDR. And, could it be done in a timely manner. "No problem, he said." I thought to myself, "Yea, right".

He did it! It took no longer than it would have if I had ordered a glass of wine from the bar using his services!

This is just one example of the exemplary service my traveling companion and I received from the Ocean Bar Stewards on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Needless to say, I offered a well earned additional gratuity to them on the last night of the cruise.

Same experience with Pinnacle wine steward on another ship. He could not find my bottle, even though I had it sent there from the night before.

Wow. In our case the Pinnacle steward neglected to send it to the MDR as we'd requested. Instead he stuck it in the back of the wine in the Pinnacle and didn't put our cabin # on it. The MDR steward really went above and beyond searching for it. That's the kind of service you remember. :)

We always request a table just for us. Back with kids, for 5. Now for 2. It has honestly never been granted. ( I take that back, once we were a group of 8 and Costa did put us at a table for 8) Now that is just the two of us, my husband flat out refuses to eat at a group table. First HAL in a Neptune, guaranteed late fixed seating....ended up assigned to open. We got moved to a table for 6 where they other people never showed up, so it was fine. Second time we were assigned to a table for 4 and again the other couple never showed up, so again, it worked out.

This spring, I guess we wait and see if we get a table for 2. If not, I presume he will opt for specialty dining the nights we don't already have it set.

But, of the 7 nights, I already have room service planned for the first night, Sel de Mer, once and Pinnacle once. We also get a free Pinnacle assigned so that leaves little time in the main room anyway.

We always request a table just for us. Back with kids, for 5. Now for 2. It has honestly never been granted. ( I take that back, once we were a group of 8 and Costa did put us at a table for 8) Now that is just the two of us, my husband flat out refuses to eat at a group table. First HAL in a Neptune, guaranteed late fixed seating....ended up assigned to open. We got moved to a table for 6 where they other people never showed up, so it was fine. Second time we were assigned to a table for 4 and again the other couple never showed up, so again, it worked out.

 

This spring, I guess we wait and see if we get a table for 2. If not, I presume he will opt for specialty dining the nights we don't already have it set.

 

But, of the 7 nights, I already have room service planned for the first night, Sel de Mer, once and Pinnacle once. We also get a free Pinnacle assigned so that leaves little time in the main room anyway.

(bold is mine) If demand for 2-tops is high, they sometimes put 2 people by themselves at a 4-top. Did they take away the other place settings? That's what they usually do in those cases.

We always request a table just for us. Back with kids, for 5. Now for 2. It has honestly never been granted. ( I take that back, once we were a group of 8 and Costa did put us at a table for 8) Now that is just the two of us, my husband flat out refuses to eat at a group table. First HAL in a Neptune, guaranteed late fixed seating....ended up assigned to open. We got moved to a table for 6 where they other people never showed up, so it was fine. Second time we were assigned to a table for 4 and again the other couple never showed up, so again, it worked out.

 

This spring, I guess we wait and see if we get a table for 2. If not, I presume he will opt for specialty dining the nights we don't already have it set.

 

But, of the 7 nights, I already have room service planned for the first night, Sel de Mer, once and Pinnacle once. We also get a free Pinnacle assigned so that leaves little time in the main room anyway.

My pet peeve would be making someone feel uncomfortable when they came to their assigned table to eat.

 

Really, I think it is each person's vacation; they should eat how they choose. Why should they feel guilty for either trying the specialty places or not wanting to dress up and just going to the Lido on most nights.

 

 

I do pick fixed seating and a small table for 2, because I don't want that drama.

Well said. I never want drama on vacation either and have been known to change tables to avoid it. Vacation is what you make it, and everyone has their own reality.

My pet peeve would be making someone feel uncomfortable when they came to their assigned table to eat.

 

Really, I think it is each person's vacation; they should eat how they choose. Why should they feel guilty for either trying the specialty places or not wanting to dress up and just going to the Lido on most nights.

 

 

I do pick fixed seating and a small table for 2, because I don't want that drama.

Well said. I have been known to change tables just to avoid negativity and drama. Vacation is what we make it, and everyone has a different version.

Hi thereI am just not able to agree with many voicing their opinions.

 

It is not a cruisers responsibility to inform fellow guests or staff of their dining intentions. It might be nice but it is not required. Many people may not even know what their plans are for the next day.

 

Some people have suggested that by not informing staff, those not showing up are holding tables places that could be used by others. Well, that's just not the case. Everyone has a seating place assigned. So that is the place that they would be able to sit if they do show up. These people do not ask for seating at a large table, it is assigned to them by the ship.

 

If you feel that other people (in this case people not showing up for their assigned seating) is adversely impacting your cruise, it is you who needs to ask to be reassigned. Just the same as if you were at a table and did not like your table mates for any other reason.

 

The wait staff don't know that you specifically want a large group unless you tell them. There are times that they may ask, but to be clear you should let them know and if you are not happy by the second night, I would ask to move.

 

hope this helps

I'm 100% with you Nic. It's vacation for God's sake and things happen to change your plans. I sometimes don't know until the last minute if I'm going to the MDR or not. LOL, this reminds me of the "formal night dress codes" discussion.

My husband and I also prefer a table for two. We'll be on Koningsdam this spring for two weeks and we wanted late seating with a table for two by a window. I emailed guest services and received an email confirmation two days later. I've printed this out to take with us, but I doubt if that would be necessary. Easy, peasy![/quote

My husband and I prefer early traditional dining. We eat early at home.

We want the same waitstaff each night because they do learn your preferences and will have your choice of beverages (coffee, bottled water, tea, etc) waiting for you when you arrive. My husband also has a food allergy and the waitstaff always knows before we arrive which food item he can not order or if it can be prepared without the allergen.

We also find that the service flows better when all tables in the section are on the same schedule for the different courses.

On our Rotterdam cruise in the beginning of January, we were assigned a table for two (we requested a larger table, but that is a different issue). The first night, service was efficient.

The second night, we noticed that the empty seats and tables were being filled with anytime diners a half hour after the traditional seating had started.

That meant traditional dining service came to a screeching halt as the newcomers had to be given menus, drink and food orders taken, etc.

It especially affected the larger tables where any time diners were shown to the table and the passengers already in progress with their dinner ended up waiting for the latecomers to catch up in the courses being served.

We found that our meal time was 45 minutes longer than the first night.

Third night, the same thing happened, at which point we talked to the maitre d' about the disruption of service (we were not the only ones to do so).

He asked what was he suppose to do with the anytime dinners waiting for a table when there were tables and seats available in early seating. Our response was that the anytime diners needed to wait for an open table in the open dining section and that one of the advantages of traditional dining was the fact that table service flowed more efficiently because all the tables were on the same course schedule.

For the rest of the cruise, tables in sections where the passengers had voiced displeasure with the stopping of service because of back filling the seats with anytime diners remained empty.

Our waiter very quietly thanked us for speaking out. He said the late back filling the tables made it impossible for him to do his job efficiently and made the traditional diners upset with the slow down in table service.

I'm 100% with you Nic. It's vacation for God's sake and things happen to change your plans. I sometimes don't know until the last minute if I'm going to the MDR or not. LOL, this reminds me of the "formal night dress codes" discussion.

It's not so contentious as that.

My post - #42 - explains what and why I think so. :)

Slightly off topic. but on a recent cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam...out of 12 nights we only ate in the MDR on 3 nights. The other 9 nights we ate at either the Pinnacle or Tamarind.

Honestly, the food in the MDR has just become inedible. Food is cold, steaks that taste like rubber, can't get the water glasses refilled, wine steward is nowhere to be found, etc.

YEs, I know the food in the MDR is included in the cruise fare, but when it gets to the point of ruining a perfect day at sea or on shore, we would rather pay the surcharge, sit by ourselves, get our food promptly, hot and cooked to order ( steaks in the Pinnacle are outstanding). Also the waitresses who served us in the tamarind could not have been nicer....hot towels to start, no hustle and bustle of the MDR ( you can actually carry on a conversation without shouting) food was exceptional.

The dining experience is an important part of any cruise. Sadly, it is no longer an enjoyable experience in the MDR of most HAL ships.

(bold is mine) If demand for 2-tops is high, they sometimes put 2 people by themselves at a 4-top. Did they take away the other place settings? That's what they usually do in those cases.

No, someone was scheduled for the seats. Lucky for us they never came.

In reading a post above I am horrified that anytime diners were placed at a table of fixed diners partway through a meal service. To ask a fixed diner to wait as others catch up in courses is inexcusable.

In reading a post above I am horrified that anytime diners were placed at a table of fixed diners partway through a meal service. To ask a fixed diner to wait as others catch up in courses is inexcusable.

That certainly makes a huge difference in the atmosphere of the dinner. But it isn't the only thing that is wrong with mixing fixed and open seating passengers together.

Even if the open seating passengers are brought to the table just as people are arriving, it throws off the dynamic of the table to introduce new people, especially people who are unlikely to return.

People choose fixed seating, among other reasons, to avoid having different people to dine with every night.

Slightly off topic. but on a recent cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam...out of 12 nights we only ate in the MDR on 3 nights. The other 9 nights we ate at either the Pinnacle or Tamarind.

 

Honestly, the food in the MDR has just become inedible. Food is cold, steaks that taste like rubber, can't get the water glasses refilled, wine steward is nowhere to be found, etc.

 

YEs, I know the food in the MDR is included in the cruise fare, but when it gets to the point of ruining a perfect day at sea or on shore, we would rather pay the surcharge, sit by ourselves, get our food promptly, hot and cooked to order ( steaks in the Pinnacle are outstanding). Also the waitresses who served us in the tamarind could not have been nicer....hot towels to start, no hustle and bustle of the MDR ( you can actually carry on a conversation without shouting) food was exceptional.

 

The dining experience is an important part of any cruise. Sadly, it is no longer an enjoyable experience in the MDR of most HAL ships.

I have a few days on HAL ;) and some experiences are recent. I actually found the desserts improved and the food was quite edible.

I hope it will be the same on our next cruise in just over 30 days.

Methinks you do protest too much ;). You must have had one horrific cruise. And, of course, if it is that abysmal, you can do specialty dining every night.

While we do specialty dining and other special dining,we eat in the MDR a lot and we were very pleasantly surprised on our last cruise and our food on P'dam was certainly worthy :)

I have a few days on HAL ;) and some experiences are recent. I actually found the desserts improved and the food was quite edible.

 

I hope it will be the same on our next cruise in just over 30 days.

 

Methinks you do protest too much ;). You must have had one horrific cruise. And, of course, if it is that abysmal, you can do specialty dining every night.

 

While we do specialty dining and other special dining,we eat in the MDR a lot and we were very pleasantly surprised on our last cruise and our food on P'dam was certainly worthy :)

Well, all I will say is that I have cruised HAL 15 times over the past 10 years and on average the dining "experience" in the MDR is not what it used to be. This includes the quality of the food, the attention to detail, the ratio of dining guest to waiters/busboys, etc. This is especially evident since HAL was devoured by Carnival.

Sure, you will still find a cruise here and there that is above "average", but overall just not what it used to be. If you like it good for you! Some people think Olive Garden serves authentic Italian food or that Red Lobster has the best seafood around! THose people are usually from Iowa.:rolleyes:

Well, all I will say is that I have cruised HAL 15 times over the past 10 years and on average the dining "experience" in the MDR is not what it used to be. This includes the quality of the food, the attention to detail, the ratio of dining guest to waiters/busboys, etc. This is especially evident since HAL was devoured by Carnival.

You do realize, I hope, that happened coming on 30 years ago. It didn't happen within the last ten years.

The HAL cheerleaders are out in fine form.

@cruisetheworld67 I can echo the same experience. By far the worst dining experiences we have had on HAL have been in the MDR. We have tried MDR dining across different ships and different times and we always end up abandoning it due to poor service and poor food.

From waiters who bring you your meal and never return, to missing cutlery and orders, to food that was literally served ice cold when we tried the crime brûlée and discovered ice crystals in it. After numerous cruise and continued poor experiences we have sworn off MDR dining.

.....

 

If you sign up for traditional dining, please show up a majority of the nights. I understand that there will be a few nights when some people will not make it. If you know ahead of time that you have reservations at the Pinnacle Grill or other plans for the following night, let your waiters and tablemates know so that they won't have to wait to see if you'll show up. And don't show up for the first time on the last night of a cruise and expect to still have a seat waiting for you.

I completely agree with the "show up a majority of the nights" sentiment. That's common courtesy imho. As for showing up only for the last night, perhaps those people were residents of Outer Oblivia (which would make them Oblivioids) ;)

Slightly off topic. but on a recent cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam...out of 12 nights we only ate in the MDR on 3 nights. The other 9 nights we ate at either the Pinnacle or Tamarind.

 

Honestly, the food in the MDR has just become inedible. Food is cold, steaks that taste like rubber, can't get the water glasses refilled, wine steward is nowhere to be found, etc.

 

YEs, I know the food in the MDR is included in the cruise fare, but when it gets to the point of ruining a perfect day at sea or on shore, we would rather pay the surcharge, sit by ourselves, get our food promptly, hot and cooked to order ( steaks in the Pinnacle are outstanding). Also the waitresses who served us in the tamarind could not have been nicer....hot towels to start, no hustle and bustle of the MDR ( you can actually carry on a conversation without shouting) food was exceptional.

 

The dining experience is an important part of any cruise. Sadly, it is no longer an enjoyable experience in the MDR of most HAL ships.

Interesting. On a recent cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam, the food in the main dining room was the best we have experienced on a cruise ship in many years. Everyone at our table agreed about that. All were three, four and five star Mariners, so definitely not newbies.

Feel free to dismiss my comments by calling me a cheerleader. :rolleyes:

:cool: what is a two, four, six top? Do you mean two seat, four seat, etc? That term is not used in the west at all.

Yes, a 2-top is a table for 2 people, 4-top for four people...

If one were to read my signature they'd see that we sail an assortment of cruise lines - I'm not a cheerleader for any. I attempt to tell it like I see it in any of my replies.

We don't eat in the "pay" dining venues on cruise ships. It's our feeling that if we're going to pay extra for food it's going to be at one of the lovely restaurants in our home town. Thus we have dinner every evening in the MDR late fixed seating large table.

The posters who find the HAL MDRs to be terrible are as entitled to their opinions as I am to have my opinion that Hal;s MDRs are - in my experience - far from the nightmare they are depicted by some others.

My experience - Sitting in the MDR this December on the Zuiderdam among a sea of smiling faces. Was it perfect? Not especially except for the great service but it was not of a level that it "was no longer enjoyable".

My husband and I prefer early traditional dining. We eat early at home.

 

We want the same waitstaff each night because they do learn your preferences and will have your choice of beverages (coffee, bottled water, tea, etc) waiting for you when you arrive. My husband also has a food allergy and the waitstaff always knows before we arrive which food item he can not order or if it can be prepared without the allergen.

 

We also find that the service flows better when all tables in the section are on the same schedule for the different courses.

 

On our Rotterdam cruise in the beginning of January, we were assigned a table for two (we requested a larger table, but that is a different issue). The first night, service was efficient.

 

The second night, we noticed that the empty seats and tables were being filled with anytime diners a half hour after the traditional seating had started.

 

That meant traditional dining service came to a screeching halt as the newcomers had to be given menus, drink and food orders taken, etc.

 

It especially affected the larger tables where any time diners were shown to the table and the passengers already in progress with their dinner ended up waiting for the latecomers to catch up in the courses being served.

 

We found that our meal time was 45 minutes longer than the first night.

 

Third night, the same thing happened, at which point we talked to the maitre d' about the disruption of service (we were not the only ones to do so).

 

He asked what was he suppose to do with the anytime dinners waiting for a table when there were tables and seats available in early seating. Our response was that the anytime diners needed to wait for an open table in the open dining section and that one of the advantages of traditional dining was the fact that table service flowed more efficiently because all the tables were on the same course schedule.

 

For the rest of the cruise, tables in sections where the passengers had voiced displeasure with the stopping of service because of back filling the seats with anytime diners remained empty.

 

Our waiter very quietly thanked us for speaking out. He said the late back filling the tables made it impossible for him to do his job efficiently and made the traditional diners upset with the slow down in table service.

This just happened to us on the Zuiderdam. We are anytime diners who ( usually ) eat early.

On Lobster gala night the Lido was packed starting at 5pm. We had our cocktail at the Seaview Bar and headed down to deck 3 for Anytime Dining. This was about 5:45pm. We requested our usual table for three,not to be seated with others. We were surprised that we could get right in but I ( rightly) theorized that people were going the easy Lido route for Lobster.

They took us up the stairs ( which was hard for my mom to tackle) and tried to seat the three of us at a 4top which not only had two available seats but also had meals in progress. Then we were left standing there as staff scrambled to find us a place.

It was shades of Noordam, the exact same thing happened to us a couple of years ago.

They finally found us an empty table and then the wait began.

We waited for menus, bread, water and some one to take our order. Food took forever to come . It was an ordeal. Serving us DID cause the waiters extra work and it made for a poor experience for us. Everyone lost.

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