Celebrity gal back to HAL after 4 years..do they still have little cups for ice tea?

[ck8mom]

Going back to try HAL after a 4 year break...cruising Celebrity and loving it. Very picky about dining too... I want good, consistent service. Now, do they still have those tiny plastice blue cups for ice tea in the lido? And when do you need to make reservations for the "as you wish dining?" Sailing this weekend on NA and we are very excited. Thanks!

[catl331]

didn't see blue cups for Ice Tea. But the cups aren't restaurant ice tea size. I bring my insulated cup from home! Reservations can be made for certain times for the dining and for certain sized tables but we have found that each ship has different times to do it. You may not get the time you want though. Check with the Dining Room people at the podium outside the Lido.

[sansterre]

I seem to remember blue plastic cups in the one Carnival Cruise we took. I think the Ice Tea in the Lido is all clear glass, two sizes are usually available, small and medium, but nothing real big. Best follow cat's suggestion above and bring a large one from home.

When we did as you wish dining (only twice that I can recall) we had to call in each day. We loved our table and waiter so the second day we asked for the same waiter and same table. By the third day, they were willing to confirm us for the rest of the cruise at that table and that time. Don't know that it always works that way though.

[ck8mom]

Thanks so much...in 2007 we went to Alaska on the Oosterdam and they had colbalt blue tiny, tiny glasses to drink the water and ice tea. They would have them already filled and on a tray. You would need at least 4 of them to make a regular size drink. I'll bring my own!

 

Also thanks for the suggestion that if we like a waiter to request them...that would be great and it also gives you an opportunity to switch from a not so good waiter. It seems that the open dining is really not so open if you have to call each day to confirm. A few evenings in the Pinnacle grill and Tamarind may reduce MDR, but it does seem like all of the fun happens in the MDR! Can't wait to be reintroduced to HAL!

[Krazy Kruizers]

you will love the tamarind!!

 

we have sailed alaska on different hal ships and never had blue glasses for ice tea

 

always just have the small glasses already prepped on a tray

[kazu]

Thanks so much...in 2007 we went to Alaska on the Oosterdam and they had colbalt blue tiny, tiny glasses to drink the water and ice tea. They would have them already filled and on a tray. You would need at least 4 of them to make a regular size drink. I'll bring my own!

 

Also thanks for the suggestion that if we like a waiter to request them...that would be great and it also gives you an opportunity to switch from a not so good waiter. It seems that the open dining is really not so open if you have to call each day to confirm. A few evenings in the Pinnacle grill and Tamarind may reduce MDR, but it does seem like all of the fun happens in the MDR! Can't wait to be reintroduced to HAL!

 

I have sailed Celebrity and, frankly I far prefer HAL's food. Of course all dining is subjective. I think you are in for a delightful surprise. do let us all know what you think. You don't have to make reserves for your dining. You can just take the pager and enjoy the strings. I understood the wait was never very long from our fellow cc'ers on the ship. (we always do fixed dining).

 

Have a great cruise :):)

[ck8mom]

Glad to hear that Tamarind is good....we love asian food too. Getting hungry just thinking about all of the food....this week eating salads only!

 

I probably get the color blue from Celebrity glasses but on Celebrity the glasses are regular size. I just remember being annoyed at lining up the tea for my lunch! And Oosterdam ran out of Alaskan beer by the time they had a salmon bbq. We loved all of the Cappucinos from the Neptune Lounge!

 

Thanks!

[Mary Ellen]

And when do you need to make reservations for the "as you wish dining?"

We make them when we book the cruise.

[ck8mom]

We make them when we book the cruise.

 

 

They did not offer to make a set time when we booked. I just Called HAL and she said once you board the ship you can make a set time for up to 3 days in a row for a 7 day cruise in "as you wish dining" and up to 4-5 days in a row for a longer cruise.

[DutchByAssociation]

Going back to try HAL after a 4 year break...cruising Celebrity and loving it. Very picky about dining too... I want good, consistent service. Now, do they still have those tiny plastice blue cups for ice tea in the lido? And when do you need to make reservations for the "as you wish dining?" Sailing this weekend on NA and we are very excited. Thanks!

 

Little blue (and green) cups sounds like the lido restaurants on Carnival.

[Mary Ellen]

They did not offer to make a set time when we booked. I just Called HAL and she said once you board the ship you can make a set time for up to 3 days in a row for a 7 day cruise in "as you wish dining" and up to 4-5 days in a row for a longer cruise.

Are you asking about reservations in open seating? That is only one part of "as you wish dining". We make our reservations for what we want in "as you wish dining" when we book.

[NMLady]

... It seems that the open dining is really not so open if you have to call each day to confirm. ...

 

You do NOT have to call each day for open dining. You can just show up at the MDR anytime during its open hours and ask for whatever kind of table you want. If it's a twosome, you might have a short wait -- that is why some people phone for reservations.

We like to share a table with others so we always ask the host/hostess for shared seating. On the Amsterdam this past May in Alaska we were always seated right away at a sharing table.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Funny you should mention the little plastic glasses for the ice tea. In two weeks we will be cruising with my best friend since High School and she drinks gallons of ice tea a day and she last cruised with us on the Oosterdam a few years ago and she just asked me do they still have those tiny glasses in the Lido for the Ice Tea? I told her probably so she said she was bringing her own large mug with her to refill it with.