medfordgirl

There are more tables downstairs, where the anytime dining takes place. The dining room is 2 stories, with the center of the 2nd level open to down below, so no tables & chairs are suspended from the ceiling in that space.

 

I did anytime last April, and never waited to be seated. I usually showed up with the couple in the cabin next to mine, so we were a party of 3 & always opted to be seated with others. Just as you mentioned seeing people you've seen before as you wander the ship, and exchanging polite greetings? Well, I had far more of that on this anytime dining cruise than I ever did with traditional dining. I'm not on the cruise to make lasting friends, but I do enjoy meeting a wide variety of people during the week - and anytime is the best way to do that. As for your people being "elderly" - what does that have to do with anything?? An elderly person can wait or not wait just like a 20-something or a child. What happens when they go to a restaurant back home? There's a lounge right nearby where your party can go sit (with a beeper) in the unlikely event you have a wait at 6pm.

 

Sue/WDW1972

Westeram 1/11/09

I understand that but we expect to wait here at a restaurant, even if I have a reservation, but we don't expect to wait on a cruise. All the cruises I have been on and the ones they have been on, when 5:45 pm comes, the doors open and you go to your seat. The doors do not open and then I have to wait. As a matter of fact, when I get to a restaurant at opening (say 4pm at bonefish grill) I get right in and seated. I don't like that now we have to wait. I am a huge fan of the fixed dining. I am not a fan of the anytime dining. It is just the way I feel about the subject. I don't think bad of the people who like the anytime dining but myself, I prefer fixed. that is all I am saying.

I haven't read thru all the pages but if anytime dining is so popular then how come when I made my reservation, it was the fixed dining that was closed and not the open seating? I couldn't even get wait listed. I like tradition and dressing up. I also read that you will probably encounter a wait time if you go to open seating at about 6pm. I have 4 elderly people in my group and I would hate to have them wait especially since I was the one who suggested this cruise. I had no idea the dining had changed, I was last on HAL back in '05. I loved seeing the same people every night all dressed up. Even if you don't sit with them, you still feel like you know them because you see them every night. you get the polite hellos and smiles and seeing what everyone is wearing. If I want to be that casual I can just go to Outback steakhouse. If Westerdam in November turns out to be a disappointment (I was hoping for a new favorite line, since my Radiance of the Seas left FL after I just fell in love with her) then I don't know where to go?

thank you, just glad that it can be done. :)

Tell me if I am correct......my parents have a "nextcruise booking #" that they got on their cruise last month. I was searching all the online TA's and found a great resident rate for January. Can I call this TA and give them the booking # and tell them which cruise to attach it to? And then their $200 deposit will be applied and they will get their $50 OBC (it is a 4 nite cruise)? And all they will have to pay is the rest of the cruise fare? :confused:

I am using Shelly for the first time for our cruise on Dec 3. She is great. Real pleasant. We are getting wine, champagne, OJ and water delivered to our room. Much cheaper than buying on board and now we don't have to carry anything.:D

HI CRITTERCHICK!!! You would think that would be the case but read the thread on this year's JOS repo and the comments. There was a separate thread by the 2 ladies who had the ROYAL SUITE...and they were not able to get the Concierge to do much of anything. The ROYAL SUITE has a wet bar and they always stocked it with whatever you wanted...now it seems to be a new deal.

 

HI MEDFORDGIRL!!! I was going to ask you about that name!!! I live near Tufts...and know Somerville real well...what was the name of you mom's store???

She owned (with her mom and sister) the yarn shop it was right beside the somerville theatre. On the other corner was a drug store.

Does anyone know if I can bring a bottle of wine from JBOY to dinner and if they would charge a corkage? I had read somewhere that if you had a gift in your room from say, your TA then they wouldn't charge a corkage? So, how would they know it isn't a gift?

Hey CGTNORMANDIE from Somerville MA, I grew up in Medford and Cambridge and my mom used to own a store in Somerville next to the somerville theatre back in the 70's. Hung around the MCD's. getting off the subject oops:o

We debated alot about taking our wine and we were going to, we weren't so much afraid of getting kicked off the ship but, if they did happen to take our wine from us, then we would get stuck paying quadruple the amount for the bottles. JBOY was reasonable, maybe 5-10 dollars more than what we would pay ourselves. Plus we don't have to lug it with us and worry about it breaking. Maybe next year we will try taking it on ourselves again?:)

I've read that also. However in my cruise Docs it states that they may remove said person & deny them boarding. My luck their would be 50 people that would get it picked up & I'd get denied.

 

I use to think that people were crazy for bringing it on board until I really started reading these posts. It seems like 80% if not more probably bring some type with them.

 

Why do I have to be a scardey cat?

We are from the same feline breed, we called JBOY today and arranged for them to supply our wine. They are very reasonable. The thing that upsets us is that we have a grand suite with a great bar and we can't bring our own liquor...what's up with that:confused:

just looking at my pics from my first cruise on carnivale way back when:o we had a porthole. 4 girls. I have a pic shaving my legs at the sink in the room! bathroom was too small for the sink. I thought that ship was huge. it was on 640 ft. I'll be on the explorer of the seas in 5 weeks, we have come a long way. We did have a great time. Could never do it now. I like the big ship and the big suites and my DH with me:p