First time Cruising

[coffeehit]

We are booked on the Noordam this October and have a question about dining. We have requested as you wish dining but my husband wants to change it to preset seating, mainly for when its Formal night then we don't have any waiting around...would that be correct in assuming that??? Also if we do the preset seating can we join another couple for 1 or 2 meals as the "as you wish" dining with them???? hope that makes sense:)

[CtheW0rld]

it is one or the other. fixed seating is much more popular, and at this stage you probably will not be able to switch to fixed (maybe when you get on the ship). sounds like you really want as-you-wish, though, since you want to occassionally dine with others. ccabin numbers are checked and they will know if 'fixed' tries to crash the as-you-wish party.

[CtheW0rld]

forgot to add, enjoy your 1st cruise.

[English_in_Spain]

You will not have to wait around on formal or any other night. You can pre-book a table if you wish.

 

We never book a table and, except at the very busiest times, we have never had to wait for a table in open seating.

 

Enjoy your first cruise - but I warn you it is addictive :)

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree.

You can not do fixed seating and then switch to Open Seating.

It sounds like you are cruising with another couple who also has Open Seating. So you all be better off to stay there.

You can make reservations for times in the Open Seating. As a rule they only allow you to make reservations from the times of 5:15 - 6:15 and from 7:30 - 9 PM. And you can make reservations for up to 3 days at a time. Now the rules change from ship to ship so when you get on the ship -- just ask the dining room manager what the rules are for your ship.

[coffeehit]

OK thanks for clearing that up for me! I think we will stick with as you wish dining and then book a table for when we want to. I cant wait till we leave, and just want everything to go smoothly with no surprises when the time comes....although husband can surprise me with gifts of course :)

[PathfinderEss]

OK thanks for clearing that up for me! I think we will stick with as you wish dining and then book a table for when we want to. I cant wait till we leave, and just want everything to go smoothly with no surprises when the time comes....although husband can surprise me with gifts of course :)

Just relax, everything will go smoothly. Have a great cruise. Please come back and tell us all about your trip.

[George C]

You can always have dinner with another couple at Pinnacle ( great steak resturant 25 dollars) or Cannellto a Itilian resturant that for some reason is free on some ships and 10 dollars on others ( 10 dollar charge includes a glass of wine)

[George C]

You can always have dinner with another couple at Pinnacle ( great steak resturant 25 dollars) or Cannellto a Itilian resturant that for some reason is free on some ships and 10 dollars on others ( 10 dollar charge includes a glass of wine)

[chipq]

Enjoy your cruise. On some ships with Any Time Dining you can ask to share a four top with another couplr if they get one in a reasonable time when you are seated.

 

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[Cruise Fanatic]

On our Hawaii cuise last Oct, we were assigned "As You Wish" dinning. I didn't think I would like it, but after the first nite, I really liked it. We never had to wait for a table except for one nite, and that was about 10 min. We like the flexibility, and would never go back to "fixed" seating.