When You are Seated in the Dining Room........

[LadyShiva]

I do notice the beautifully set table, as I sit as far away as possible, holding tightly onto my youngest child, praying the steward will promptly remove some of the glassware...

 

LOL!!! I recognize that fear! :D

[cruisinjudy]

Hmm

I don't think I have seen a fish knife on HAL for a while. That's okay. I don't think fish needs a knife. I also don't think I have seen all the silver above the plate lately, just the coffee spoon. I will have to pay special attention in January.

[nana51]

I love how beautiful the table looks. We never eat in the Lido, always the MDR. It is our treat. When we are home it seems too expensive to treat ourselves to a really nice dinner out, so we love to eat out and dress nicely when on a cruise.

[GeriatricNurse]

When you are seated at your table in the Main Dining Room each evening do you really look at the table or does the table setting blend into the 'background' for you?

 

I so enjoy seeing the tables set so beautifully, I know immediately if the flowers have been changed since the night before, (traditional assigned seating) I used to see right away if the HAL Logo on the gold and white plates (no longer in regular use) was not exactly centered when the steward put the plate down....... I notice the flatware and is it lined up neatly and appropriately.

 

Do you notice or is all fine by you whatever way as long as you have your knife, fork and plate? :D

 

 

When I am seated at my table in the Lido each evening I do not really look at the table, (as I am looking mostly at the food on my plate), and I am not concerned whether or not the table setting blends into the "background" for me! Why would I want to? :confused:

[WeLoveCruising]

I love that the butter comes in a butter dish, and that the cream for the coffee comes in the little silver pitcher. We toured a Carnival ship years ago and I noticed right away in the MDR for dinner that the butter was in those little plastic packets, and there were little creamers on the table.

 

PS Hi Sail :) Long time no talk. If I'm posting it can only mean we have another cruise booked. Yay!

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

This was Christmas on the Noordam. It was beautiful!

 

[Mar56]

How beautiful!!!!! I always notice table settings and for holiday meals at our house, we always decorate the table and I have lots of photos of them. lol. At this point, since I haven't cruised yet, my frame of reference is land based restaurants, but I think it's those finer details that set a dining room apart from just a room to eat in. I love it when DH and I treat ourselves to dinner at a higher end restaurant with the linens and the silverware and the details. Thanks to everyone for your photos of the tables.

 

We are very much looking forward to the MDR and Pinnacle Grill (we have a reservation at Pinnacle Grill for Valentines day 2012 and I am looking forward to that immensely as well.

 

Marion

[Caribbean Chris]

I love that the butter comes in a butter dish, and that the cream for the coffee comes in the little silver pitcher. We toured a Carnival ship years ago and I noticed right away in the MDR for dinner that the butter was in those little plastic packets, and there were little creamers on the table. !

 

In the good old days when ships used to do frequent tours before security changed everything, even very deluxe ones often used packaged items like sugar and butter in US ports due to some local regulation or another that prohibited open sugar bowls, cream pitchers, etc. Also the waiters could not use cloth hot pads to bring a plate to the table, only bare hands lest the Public Health ship officials cite the line...the officials were always in the dining room enjoying the lovely lunch!

 

When I worked for a cruise line I always explained it to the travel agents I escorted on tours of the ship in New York so they wouldn't think all that packaging was the norm. This was the explanation of a Hotel Manager, and sure enough, as soon as they left port, they always reverted to the more gracious service elements.

 

I definitely notice and appreciate the linens, china, silver, flowers.

[Caribbean Chris]

By the way, the fish knife discussion reminds me that years ago, Sitmar Cruises started using plastic ice tea spoons. The explanation: passengers kept stealing the silver ones..go figure..so they finally gave up replacing them.

 

Maybe that's why those fish knives aren't always putting in an appearance. They are kinda cute.

[sail7seas]

I love that the butter comes in a butter dish, and that the cream for the coffee comes in the little silver pitcher. We toured a Carnival ship years ago and I noticed right away in the MDR for dinner that the butter was in those little plastic packets, and there were little creamers on the table.

 

PS Hi Sail :) Long time no talk. If I'm posting it can only mean we have another cruise booked. Yay!

 

 

So good to 'hear' from you. And really great to hear you have an upcoming cruise. Wish it was on a ship with us. Have a great time.

 

 

 

How beautiful!!!!!

 

<snip>

 

We are very much looking forward to the MDR and Pinnacle Grill (we have a reservation at Pinnacle Grill for Valentines day 2012 and I am looking forward to that immensely as well.

 

Marion

 

 

Marion..... I think you probably will really love the table settings in Pinnacle. Versace service plates and the most lovely crystal stemware. It's kicked up even a notch from MDR. :)

 

A stem of alstroemeria in the bud vase on every table. :) (at least that's what I think that lovely flower is :o)

 

 

[Mar56]

Sail, now I'm looking forward to it even more!

 

I also love looking at old dining linens - in antique stores. I have several sets that I was fortunate enough to receive from my grandmother many years ago. Just adds something special to the table.

[mamaofami]

I must admit that I don't take into account each item by itself, but rather notice how beautiful the table and dining room look. I especially love the table settings at The Pinnacle.

 

 

[Mary Ellen]

In the good old days when ships used to do frequent tours before security changed everything, even very deluxe ones often used packaged items like sugar and butter in US ports due to some local regulation or another that prohibited open sugar bowls, cream pitchers, etc. Also the waiters could not use cloth hot pads to bring a plate to the table, only bare hands lest the Public Health ship officials cite the line...the officials were always in the dining room enjoying the lovely lunch!

On our first Royal Viking cruise I remember our waiters explaining the last morning why we had the foil wrapped butter. It was a U.S. health regulation while in any U.S. ports. An infraction was an infraction.

 

The table settings add to the ambiance of the meal. When due to very rough seas basically everything is off the tables, other than what one is immediately using, it looks quite odd.

[GmaPajama]

My modest beginnings did not provide for exposure to fine dining. The first dinner of our first cruise ... I was totally overwhelmed by the place setting. What a relief it was to have a thoughtful steward who gently relocated each appropriate utensil as he served the various courses. I was fascinated throughout that first, and many following, dinners.

 

So yes, I do notice everything at the tables - and I most assuredly appreciate the elegance of it all.

[Megsie1000]

I do notice the beatuifully set table, as I sit as far away as possible, holding tightly onto my youngest child, praying the steward will promply remove some of the glassware...

 

This is me, too. :D

 

This time we're going to try and eat most of our MDR meals without the kids. They didn't enjoy it as much as we did and kept just begging to go to Club HAL, so we're going to try a new plan where they eat in the Lido and then go to Club HAL, after which we will enjoy an adult meal. Hopefully this will allow me to savor the whole thing and maybe even notice the lovely table settings instead of just being afraid of any of it being accidentally broken by one of my children. LOL

 

It could be they will not cooperate and will want to eat with us. I'm keeping my expectations low. ;)

[jhannah]

... I also don't think I have seen all the silver above the plate lately, just the coffee spoon.

That's all that was set above our plates on the Maasdam last month.

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

Here's one in the Pinnacle on Noordam. By the way, I copied the ribbon on the table for one of my Christmas Eve dinners at home. It came out great!

[sail7seas]

Yes, that's the beautifully set Pinnacle Table. It is VERY pricey when one of those special Versace service plates is broken. I think I'd cry to see one in shatters on the floor. :eek: I remember being so wowed with them the first time we saw them on Zuiderdam.

 

We happened to be dining with the Hotel Manager that night and he shared all the information about design etc and all that went into 'creating' that first Pinnacle. It was very interesting and an evening I still remember all these years later.

[nana51]

All this dining room talk is making me hungry. We are going on a cruise the end of January, (Oosterdamn) I was wondering if anyone had a link to the menus for the Mexican cruise. All I can find is menus from 2005, 2006 and one from 2009. I love to see menus and get excited about what we will be eating. I had gastric bypass 2 months ago and have lost 30 pounds. I will be a my goal weight by my sailing and will be able to eat everything, just very small amounts. This is only our second cruise. We went four years ago.

[buckirj1]

I notice in the sense of "oooh, ain't it purty!?!" but I honestly couldn't tell the difference if a few components of a formal table setting were missing.

 

I'm like most of us in that I'm only a couple of generations removed from a time when simply having enough plates and forks to go around was a considerable accomplishment, aristocratic wannabe notions of what's proper and formal notwithstanding.

[ore-ee-gun]

I always notice the lovely table setting - it really does make the evening special. When we went on a Princess cruise, I was disappointed to see that the tables didn't "sparkle" and they used rather ordinary pieces - no logo or special design on either the plates or flatware. It's been nearly 2 years since our last cruise - I didn't realize that the lovely blue rimmed plates with the HAL logo are no longer being used. Sad.

[sail7seas]

ore-ee-gun

<snip>

 

I didn't realize that the lovely blue rimmed plates with the HAL logo are no longer being used. Sad.

 

 

I notice. I appreciate. And I photograph :)

 

I use this photo for reference every Thanksgiving when setting the table

 

 

And I too love the look of the colors of the wine (and fruit) against the white table cloth.

 

The attention to detail on HAL ships is what keeps us coming back.

 

 

Don't be disappointed.

They are still using the lovely Rosenthal china with the blue border.

 

I miss the solid white plates with the gold HAL logo front and center on the rim. Every now and then one of those dishes appears either in Room Service of Neptune and I smile to see it. :)