NHBob

I have a perhaps overly optimistic :rolleyes: speculation to offer about what all of this means. Maybe HAL is planning, after all (as many of us have been urging) to adjust the dining space between trad'l and open seating according to demand, on a cruise-by-cruise basis, rather than always devoting the lower level entirely to open seating. This would explain why fixed dining times are listed (even if closed or waitlisted) on both levels.

 

I certainly hope this is the case; it is completely logical, but then why doesn't HAL simply say so and end all the speculation and hand wringing? And why is HAL encouraging my TA to recommend open seating to her clients because of the long waitlist for traditional on my March '08 Zuiderdam transatlantic?

On Monday I'll be mailing a letter to HAL's Executive VP for Marketing, Sales and Guest Programs asking these very questions. I'll post any response here.

What is going on is AHW("As Hal Wishes"). :rolleyes:

 

Early Upper (Closed) and Main Upper (Waitlisted) are Traditional.

Why the the open seating times are listed and Closed and Waitlisted is beyond me, but Hal's web site is not known to be very good with things.

 

IMO, Hal wants you to commit to AHW. :rolleyes:

The only consistent thing about HAL's website is that it is frequently screwed up. Another puzzling example of AHW is dining for Noordam's October 2008 crossing, another big band cruise I was considering.

14 months out, the website is showing the following dining options:

Early Upper Dining: Available

Early Lower Dining: Closed

Main Upper Dining: Available

Main Lower Dining: Available

Open Seating: Available

Judy, thank you for your observations. However ... and I'm trying to be gentle in saying this ... please be VERY careful about the "regimentation/cattle call" language. It's pejorative, negative, and non-reflective of what Traditional Dining on HAL all all been about. Indeed, it is mostly just a stereotype of Traditional that has been generated by a marketing agency to sell cruises. Also, please note that some of us Traditionalists have very specific reasons for not liking the AYW/anytime schemes; many of us solo/single cruises, for instance, have very SPECIFIC and highly particular reasons for not wanting to be a part of the AYW system. Flexibility can very well be nice -- and it has long-existed on HAL in the Lido and, more recently, in the Marco Polo and Pinnacle Grills -- but when the trade-off for flexibility is an uncomfortable uncertainty about with whom/where/when a solo diner will be eating, night after night, the benefits of "flexibility" dim. I eat alone most nights in my life ... I cruise for the socialization, getting to know and enjoy a while cruise with my dining partners. Changing dining partners every night -- or eating along because there's not anyone who wants a lone guy to join their couple/family/group for dinner -- is not my idea of "fun."

 

Contrary to what you suggest, we DO have open minds. But we also have reasonable, rational, real concerns about AYW and how it will be implemented and how we solo-cruisers will be treated in the process. In other words, please realize that these concerns do not make us closed-minded.

Well said!

Solo Cruiser Bob

Have we beaten this subject to death yet? Probably, so I think I'll shut up for a while. After all, I have until the 12/31 final payment date to decide whether to cancel and absorb the non refundable insurance cost and fee for cancelling a frequent flier ticket. I'm tempted, having just learned that the Music of Your Life folks are in final contract negotiations for a Caribbean cruise with a group led by Buddy Morrow on Fred. Olsen's new Balmoral (former Norwegian Crown) in March 2008.

I continue to hope things will work out, even if I don't have traditional dining confirmation before boarding and decide to go anyway. In the past when I have wanted to change something on board, the Maitre d' has always been accommodating, usually seating me at an officer's table on Crystal and Cunard Caronia. I guess there is some advantage to being a solo male passenger - there are not a lot of us. As I said, I don't have to make a go-no go decision until December.

Bob

And it's impacting those who want early seating moreso than late seating. Those who prefer late seating are potentially oblivious to this trend.

Not quite so, at least for Zuiderdam 3/15/08. I always request late seating and I'm certainly not oblivious to the fact that for the first time ever I am wait listed for second seating 8 months out. And to rub a little salt into my wounds, at the time of my booking (July 7th) I was offered the traditional HAL choices: early or main seating, upper or lower. No mention by HAL of the forthcoming change that was to be announced in their press release just 10 days later!

A couple of us have mentioned the possibility of cancelling because of this situation. Be aware: even within the no-cancellation-penalty period, HAL will not refund premium if you have purchased their insurance!

Maybe Luckiest Lady 21 is just plain tired and worn out from a tough day dealing with the over-reaction to the As You Wish Dining. Maybe she wishes somebody would cut her and the other customer service agents some slack, because they're just trying to do their best with a new situation. Maybe it's time for all of us to take a deep breath and calm down, and reserve judgment until we've actually experienced As You Wish Dining.

 

Karin

Karen, I resent your implication that I am over-reacting when all I want is for HAL to accommodate my preferences stated when I booked over 8 months out, before HAL's press release announcing AYW dining. As noted by several posters, it is not AYW if HAL can't accommodate my wishes; it is "as HAL wishes" when they tell my TA that I should request open dining due to the length of the fixed seating wait list.

As for reserving judgment until after experiencing AYW dining, are you suggesting that I should be willing to endure 17 days of anytime dining? I don't think so! If I wanted that I'd sail with NCL.

Luckiestlady, I can sympathise with your frustration in having to deal with situations you have no control over, but that's a hazard of the service industry. I do question your judgment in some of your posts, and you had better hope that HAL doesn't find out who is hiding behind your CC screen name. They'll probably fire your a**. I know I would! Like it or not, you are never completely off duty as long as you represent your employer to the public.

Further to my post yesterday regarding my booking on Zuiderdam’s March ’08 crossing, my TA has just forwarded the following from HAL:

Good Morning,

At this time the ship has not released all of the dining to me for confirmation. Based on the total number of seats available and the number of guests that are already on the waitlist, I would recommend open dining for your guests. (emphasis added)

Please let me know if you questions or need additional information.

Warm Regards,

Margaret Knight

Ship Services Coordinator

ms Zuiderdam

TA has again informed HAL that her client wants traditional dining and told them that this is affecting future booking decisions; don’t know if it will do any good – won’t hold my breath!

If HAL doesn’t care enough to fulfill a 15-year customer’s dining preferences 8-1/2 months before departure, they obviously don’t care to keep me as a client. So, this has made one decision easy for me – no further consideration of HAL, including the Noordam’s October ’08 crossing.

Only thing keeping me from canceling the Zuiderdam booking immediately is my love of the Harry James Orchestra.

One final question: how can the new dining scheme offer the "best of both worlds" when one of the worlds is unavailable?

Doesn't sound like it's as I wish. How does HAL dare call it As You Wish if I am assigned something I don't wish? :mad:

If I can't be confirmed to late, fixed seating then it's a deal-breaker for that sailing. HAL has the responsibility to make that arrangement up front so I can make the best booking for me. :rolleyes:

As a solo traveler I fully agree with Ruth's and other posters' concerns. Has anybody been able to get a straight answer from HAL as to whether they will commit enough traditional dining space to meet demand? I am still wait listed for main/upper seating on Zuiderdam's March 15th sailing, even though I booked this the beginning of July. All my TA has been able to get from HAL is that I am wait listed - they won't even tell her whether this is simply because they haven't assigned tables yet or if they really do have too many requests for traditional dining. I do know that any arbitrary decision to switch me to anytime dining will be completely unacceptable.

My own attempt to get anything directly from HAL was also unproductive - they simply sent me a form e-mail that all matters relating to table assignments had to go thru my TA.

My TA is continuing to try to get answers through a "back-door" contact at HAL. I have told her to make it very clear to them that I am holding off on further 2008 bookings until I receive some assurances that I won't be forced into an NCL free style mode.

Will post anything new I learn.