Champagne and Computers calm the troubled seas on Ryndam!

[Been There, Planning That]

On our recent Ryndam two week holiday we turned up for dinner shortly after 6:30 on the first night, only to find a long line of disgruntled diners ahead of us. The Maitre 'd was a master of calm and friendliness, but trouble was abrewing.

 

(The end of the story is that three large groups decided to attend early dining on the lower level, thereby leaving less than half the usual spaces available for others who turned up as singles, couples or small groups. This remained a challenge for the full week and didn't improve much the second.)

 

The point of this posting is to give full credit to the PR skills of the maitre 'd and the computer tracking of some computer type somewhere on board.

 

On that first night we were asked to return around 7:15 with promise of a seat. We waited at the back of the longer line for some time -- well past our assigned time and dared to head to the desk where the maitre 'd was still under attack. We caught his eye -- as had several others -- and simple hung around the desk. Then, a steward appeared with a tray of champagne to calm the situation for those who had returned. He made several return trips before we were seated. We enjoyed a great meal but the stewards were under horrendous pressure to clear things away and keep tables changing. All hands, officers and all were literally on deck.

 

Imagine our surprise when next morning we received a tray of chocolate covered strawberries along with a note of apology from the dining room manager. Somehow the computer experts managed to efficiently track each guest kept waiting after their second appearance!

 

I have no suggestions on ways to improve situations such as this, but it was professionally handled from a PR standpoint.

 

For the two weeks the dining room was filled by 6:00 and only luck made possible a seating before 7:15. But others too had learned and we usually had to only wait about 20 minutes, beeper in hand. A couple of times we were seated around 7:00 on the upper deck when they realized the assigned guests were not attending.

 

Now if we were night owls all would have been perfect!

[crusinbanjo]

That is refreshing to here the Maitre'd could handle a situation like that. On our last Ryndam cruise, Mrs Banjo & I were in open seating, we never even saw the Maitre'd, not once.... ....I'm fact we even asked if there was a Maitre'd in the MDR. Glad it worked out well!

[bakerintn]

We just got off a 7-day cruise on the Ryndam, and also had problems with getting seated with open seating.

 

At 6:00 on day one, we were told that all tables had already been booked for the whole week up to 6:00 and that we could not expect to be seated until 7:30 each night. I felt that 100% of the open seating tables should not be allowed to be reserved on any day, let alone for the whole week. We were told to not come earlier than 7:30 each night because of this. That night, we then went to the Lido for dinner.

 

I then wrote a complaint note to the Hotel Manager and that note was never acknowledged. However, the dining room manager did send a small plate of chocolate covered strawberries about 4 days later.

 

The strawberries did not make up for no feedback from the Hotel Manager in my view. The strawberries did come with a note, but no reference to why they were being offered, other that a generalized reference to not meeting our expectations. I feel that every written complaint deserves an answer, with specific reference to that complaint. As far as I know, someone at the front desk read that note and put it in the trash, and it never made it to the Hotel Manager.

 

However, the Rotterdam Dining room manager for Open Seating did a great job of facing lots of irate passengers while standing behind his desk and I applaud him for that. However, the practice of allowing a high percentage of open seating tables to be reserved (effectively making an early dinner impossible in that restaurant), needs to be evaluated. My feeling now is that there should not be any reservations allowed in open seating on HAL ships...keep it open seating as advertised. By the way, there was no publicity about being able to make reservations while on the ship ... we knew about it from postings on CC, but it should not be kept a "secret" in my view if it is going to be allowed.

[SilvertoGold]

On our recent Ryndam two week holiday we turned up for dinner shortly after 6:30 on the first night, only to find a long line of disgruntled diners ahead of us. The Maitre 'd was a master of calm and friendliness, but trouble was abrewing.

 

(The end of the story is that three large groups decided to attend early dining on the lower level, thereby leaving less than half the usual spaces available for others who turned up as singles, couples or small groups. This remained a challenge for the full week and didn't improve much the second.)

 

The point of this posting is to give full credit to the PR skills of the maitre 'd and the computer tracking of some computer type somewhere on board.

 

On that first night we were asked to return around 7:15 with promise of a seat. We waited at the back of the longer line for some time -- well past our assigned time and dared to head to the desk where the maitre 'd was still under attack. We caught his eye -- as had several others -- and simple hung around the desk. Then, a steward appeared with a tray of champagne to calm the situation for those who had returned. He made several return trips before we were seated. We enjoyed a great meal but the stewards were under horrendous pressure to clear things away and keep tables changing. All hands, officers and all were literally on deck.

 

Imagine our surprise when next morning we received a tray of chocolate covered strawberries along with a note of apology from the dining room manager. Somehow the computer experts managed to efficiently track each guest kept waiting after their second appearance!

 

I have no suggestions on ways to improve situations such as this, but it was professionally handled from a PR standpoint.

 

For the two weeks the dining room was filled by 6:00 and only luck made possible a seating before 7:15. But others too had learned and we usually had to only wait about 20 minutes, beeper in hand. A couple of times we were seated around 7:00 on the upper deck when they realized the assigned guests were not attending.

 

Now if we were night owls all would have been perfect!

 

 

 

Thanks for posting this. Wonderful to hear about! Who was this perfect example of how good HAL can be?

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have often wondered what would happen when a large group was on a ship and literally took over a certain time during the Open Seating. Doesn't sound like a good situation.

 

One couple happy here with the end results -- another couple disappointed with the end results.

[whogo]

But others too had learned and we usually had to only wait about 20 minutes, beeper in hand.

 

One couple happy here with the end results -- another couple disappointed with the end results.

 

I am surprised that the OP could be happy with regular waits of 20 minutes for a table. I don't go on a cruise to stand outside the dining room with a beeper. It is another example of "As You Wish Dining" being a misnomer.

[Been There, Planning That]

Cruisinbanjo, perhaps I misnamed the 'person' at the computer station assigning tables. Part of the problem was the lack of diningroom stewards who usually stand nearby ready to escort guests to their tables. He'd have to do this and then would race back to his station. We did feel that HAL cutbacks were partly to blame as there appeared to be fewer of the 'tablestewards' -- the young ones -- around to assist the stewards.

 

Whogo, while we weren't happy to wait, the only alternative was the Lido on last minute notice. We prefer diningroom service and so were prepared to wait. And we were on a holiday, determined to enjoy the time away.

 

And we travel modestly in window cabins. I'm not sure we'd be as content had we spent many more thousands in a high end suite.

[happy cruzer]

Whether it is one large group or just the majority of the folks in open seating wanting to eat as early as possible, there are just so many tables available. This is issue and has been. When most of the people want to eat at 6 there is no way to make them all happy - short of doubling the size of the dining rooms. could not work with only traditional, and can't with anytime.

[Crazy Gramps]

This is why beloved bride and I do the assigned seating time.

I absolutely despise waiting on line for anything.

 

Gramps

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am surprised that the OP could be happy with regular waits of 20 minutes for a table. I don't go on a cruise to stand outside the dining room with a beeper. It is another example of "As You Wish Dining" being a misnomer.

 

Waits for us wouldn't work either -- thus we always book early and ask for fixed dining.

[Mary Ellen]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. :eek: :eek:

[NordicPrince]

Waits for us wouldn't work either -- thus we always book early and ask for fixed dining.

 

If my alternatives are to book early at regular fares and get fixed dining or book later at a discounted sale price and get open seating, DW and I are happy to sit down with beeper in hand waiting to get a table and go listen to music and have a cocktail anytime.

 

After all, one of the intentions of vacation is to slooow down. This only helps IMO.

 

Of course DW and I are not in the same income bracket as some HAL cruisers so we make choices. That's the only way we can get on the ship in the first place.

[Boytjie]

I don't go on a cruise to stand outside the dining room with a beeper. It is another example of "As You Wish Dining" being a misnomer.

 

And others don't like to be told they can either eat at 6 or 8. :) Viva variety