Dinning Prefernces

[bobpatj]

Main upper for us, 8 pm.

[BCEagle78]

Here is a quote from the Holland America web site (http://hollandamerica.com/onboard/dining.do)

 

"Dinner times are 5:45 pm (First Upper), 6:15 pm (First Lower), 8:00 pm (Main Upper) and 8:30 pm (Main Lower)."

 

5:45 = First Upper

6:15 = First Lower

8:00 = Main Upper

8:30 = Main Lower

 

Our preference has been for the "First Lower". Early enough to get to the early show, late enough for us to get back from our excursions, most of the time at least. Close to our normal dining time at home.

 

Hope this helps.

[Ziggy7]

hahaha ok ok, I just had to go find my paperwork for our Zuiderdam cruise, I thought for sure we ate at 5:45 lower, nope I was wrong, we at lower but it was 6:15 pm eeeks I'm loosing it, somebody send me on a cruise!!!!!! hehehehe :)

[CLapple]

Am I the only one that hates the staggered dining times? Wish they would go back to just Early and Late!

[gizmo]

Am I the only one that hates the staggered dining times? Wish they would go back to just Early and Late!

 

You are not alone. I hate them too and wish they would go back to two seatings, early and late.

[Himself]

Call me anything you want but don't call me late for dinner.

[jhannah]

Just one more great benefit of sailing the Prinsendam ... no upper and lower. Just first and second seatings.

[blackbird71]

Just one more great benefit of sailing the Prinsendam ... no upper and lower. Just first and second seatings.

 

More reason to love that ship.... I like it's size too.

 

Add me to the list of two seating only group..

 

As for early or late, depends on the cruise and tours. :p Europe - Late, Caribbean - Early....

 

since I am looking at the Cooper Canyon cruise,,,, there is the midnight meal option... :D:D I also had that once on the Statendam in St. Petersburg.

[papadave]

Initially, when we could only get the early upper seating, I was concerned that 5:45 was too early for dinner. In reality, I seldom had more than a glass of water by 6:00, and the main course seemed to come around 7:00. In the future, either early seating will be fine for us (with a 6 year old daughter) and I would not be upset with the early upper seating.

[K&RCurt]

We prefer the Main Upper (8:00pm).

 

On our Westerdam cruise we had the Main Lower and it wasn't an issue getting to the shows etc., but as I was very hungry by the time the food arrived on our first night in the dining room. As a result, I started having a snack (ok...more like a 4th meal) right before the lido closed for the switch to dinner.....thus I ate too much!

[kelmac]

Up stairs, on the railing, early seating, table for two. The crew is fresh, the food is fresh and their is some chance I might digest a little before going to bed.:D :p :D

My wife and I are teachers and we always eat dinner late afternoon after school.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[HeatherInFlorida]

I love the 8:00 dining time ... wouldn't matter if it was upper or lower. I like the staggered times because it gives us a little bit more of a choice. The early sitting messes up the day, but 8:00 works perfect for us.

 

But you knew that Ziggy!!!;)

[SueOverend]

We're confirmed for Main Upper (8.00 pm) on the Westerdam in December, but once on board and going to try and switch to the 8.30pm if we can. If were given the early seatings i.e. 5.45 / 6.30 , we wouldn't eat in the dining room at all - would never be ready by that time of day. Would end up eating in the Pinnacle, the Lido or Room Service.

 

Thank goodness we are all different!

[Odd Ball]

Count us in with the people that would like to go back to 2 seatings.

 

We like Upper Main but do not like having the 4 dining times. Two seatings was so much better. I would like to see 5:45 and 8:00 for two seatings.

 

I think the 4 seating plan is nothing but a marketing ploy to compete with Personal Choice and Free Style. I have heard complaints from those that received the 8:30 seating. They all wanted the 8:00 and felt the 8:30 was too late.

 

I haven't seen a post from anyone who preferred the 8:30. Is anyone out there who actually preferrs 8:30?

[kruzkeen]

May I ask a secondary question?

 

Since going to the staggered times, does anyone think that the service or quality of the food has improved?

 

On a recent cruise at the 8:00 sitting there were several empty tables. Although the wait staff were as friendly and gracious as ever, the food still did not arrive hot and the beef and fish were usually overcooked.

 

I am neither a gourmet nor do I ‘live to eat’. Therefore, this did not bother me greatly as this is usually the case with banquet or convention food. I just thought that there was no marked improvement.

[gizmo]

May I ask a secondary question?

 

Since going to the staggered times, does anyone think that the service or quality of the food has improved?

 

On a recent cruise at the 8:00 sitting there were several empty tables. Although the wait staff were as friendly and gracious as ever, the food still did not arrive hot and the beef and fish were usually overcooked.

 

I am neither a gourmet nor do I ‘live to eat’. Therefore, this did not bother me greatly as this is usually the case with banquet or convention food. I just thought that there was no marked improvement.

 

No. I think the service got worse.

 

I haver no complaints about the quality of food on my last cruise but plenty about the service.

[HeatherInFlorida]

When I posted, I wasn't clear. It's not the 4 sittings I like ... it's the 8:00 choice. I really didn't care for 8:30, just too late for us because we really drag out the entire experience so often didn't leave the table until almost 10:30.

 

I've been on HAL ships with the 2 and the 4 sittings. I noticed no difference in service. On both occasions the service was okay, but not superlative.

 

I can't say the number of sittings makes the difference. I still believe any lessening in the quality of service directly relates to the number of tables assigned to each Steward ... not on how many sittings there are.

[papadave]

There was never a line at the door outside the dining room on our HAL cruise. On a previous cruise (RCL) we frequently were behind dozens of people waiting for the doors to open at dinner time.

[heartofamerica]

When I was on the Zuiderdam last year, I ate at 6:15 and was on the lower dining room. I prefer the 6:15 seating - I usually eat about that time at home,, and it lets me catch the early shows or just stroll the decks in the early evening hours.

[gizmo]

There was never a line at the door outside the dining room on our HAL cruise. On a previous cruise (RCL) we frequently were behind dozens of people waiting for the doors to open at dinner time.

 

On my last cruise which had the 4 seating, there was a line at least on one night, and maybe 2. We were not early, they were just running late.

 

Previous cruises with the 2 seatings, I found the same thing, 1 or 2 nights there was a line and they were also just running late.

 

I never found it to be a problem. The wait was not that long. People were civilized and there was never any pushing or shoving when the doors opened.

[sail7seas]

For those who don't like having the four seatings, what is it that you don't like about it?

The interruption for the lower level diners from the Baked Alaska Parade and the 'Goodbye Song"? I can't think of another negative.

We like 8:00 Upper Dining. We'e always dined on the upper level late seating so the 8:00 works fine for us.

[bookworm0911]

For those who don't like having the four seatings, what is it that you don't like about it?

 

The interruption for the lower level diners from the Baked Alaska Parade and the 'Goodbye Song"? I can't think of another negative.

 

We like 8:00 Upper Dining. We'e always dined on the upper level late seating so the 8:00 works fine for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, the 4 seatings are fine if you are lucky enough to get what your preference is. I'm sure those who don't like it are those passengers who wanted the 8 pm time, but since there are only so many chairs on upper level at that time, well not everybody could be placed there and some had to take the later lower level time, like it or not.

 

4 times are fine IF you get what you want, like you have. But if there were only 2 times and downstairs was also at 8, then a lot more people who wanted 8 o'clock dining could be accomodated, too, with the more popular time.

[sail7seas]

Sure, the 4 seatings are fine if you are lucky enough to get what your preference is. I'm sure those who don't like it are those passengers who wanted the 8 pm time, but since there are only so many chairs on upper level at that time, well not everybody could be placed there and some had to take the later lower level time, like it or not.

 

4 times are fine IF you get what you want, like you have. But if there were only 2 times and downstairs was also at 8, then a lot more people who wanted 8 o'clock dining could be accomodated, too, with the more popular time.

 

 

I see your point, of course, but the same thing happens when there are only two seatings. There were always some who wanted early dining but got late and vice versa.

 

I don't think any more folks are not getting their choice than happened in the past with two seatings. Do you think that is the case?

I think the best way to get the dining hour of your choice is to book as early as you can. As the cruise gets closer, certain seatings become filled and are no longer available to be booked.

[bookworm0911]

I don't think any more folks are not getting their choice than happened in the past with two seatings. Do you think that is the case?

 

Yes, I do. I think 5:45 is extremely early and 8:30 is extremely late for most people and both these times are outside what most people would prefer. So I think most people eating in either of these times would prefer a time either a little later or a little earlier than what they got- in other words would prefer what the times were when there were only the 2 dining choices.

[gizmo]

I agree with Bookworm. I think more people are not getting their choice. Very few seem to like the 8:30.

 

With the 2 seatings there were a number of people who got assigned late seating and did not like it.

 

Now you have those people plus many from the 8:30 seating thus more unhappy people.

 

Sails,

I can think of a couple more negatives.

 

I always enjoyed the music. Now it is only a couple of nights instead of every night. Canned music in now pumped in. :(

 

We sat along the railing. The banging of silverware and plates from the lower level was horrible.

 

Service went down hill with the 4 seatings. We sailed early Dec. after 911 and service was still better than what we had with the 4 seatings.