Fixed Dining on Boudicca

[don26]

Although I have done 9 cruises (3 NCL, 6 Thomsons), I have not cruised with FO previously, so I am not aware of their “little foibles”. Neither have I experienced “fixed dining” before having previously been able to dine in MDR at whatever time & whichever table I wished.

I am interested in the “In Search of the Northern Lights” cruise on Boudicca on February 6th, but as this would be a late booking, I expect FO would not allow me to choose which sitting I would like, but allocate whatever sitting they thought fit. Neither my CW or myself would be able to dine at the later sitting for health reasons, & I would object strongly to being asked to pay £60 odd to switch to the earlier sitting if that were necessary.

I appreciate that there are other self-service dining alternatives, but I would not like to miss out on the MDR experience. How stringently do FO police the dining arrangements of their guests? Is it possible to switch sittings with other passengers if they are agreeable? Before anybody points out the obvious, I know that I don’t have to go with FO if I am not happy with things, but this particular cruise appeals to me.

Any suggestions. Incidentally CW is Current Wife. I like to keep her on her toes!

[RivaDiva]

Hi Don

I haven't got an answer for you but your post made me giggle! You had better watch that your 'CW' doesn't start referring to you as her DDH.!

Do you think if you phoned FO and explained your medical requirements for dining they may be sympathetic? Maybe worth a try. But if you are paying very reduced rates anyway wouldn't it be worth just biting the bullet and paying the extra if they can't accommodate your needs?

I await with great anticipation peoples comments. You have opened a simmering can of worms.

[bobstheboy]

"Can of worms ? " Why, who would object to paying an extra £2 per person a day for a choice of dinner sitting ?

 

You can bet your life I would !!

[tiggertom]

Although I have done 9 cruises (3 NCL, 6 Thomsons), I have not cruised with FO previously, so I am not aware of their “little foibles”. Neither have I experienced “fixed dining” before having previously been able to dine in MDR at whatever time & whichever table I wished.

I am interested in the “In Search of the Northern Lights” cruise on Boudicca on February 6th, but as this would be a late booking, I expect FO would not allow me to choose which sitting I would like, but allocate whatever sitting they thought fit. Neither my CW or myself would be able to dine at the later sitting for health reasons, & I would object strongly to being asked to pay £60 odd to switch to the earlier sitting if that were necessary.

I appreciate that there are other self-service dining alternatives, but I would not like to miss out on the MDR experience. How stringently do FO police the dining arrangements of their guests? Is it possible to switch sittings with other passengers if they are agreeable? Before anybody points out the obvious, I know that I don’t have to go with FO if I am not happy with things, but this particular cruise appeals to me.

Any suggestions. Incidentally CW is Current Wife. I like to keep her on her toes!

 

You only have to pay £2 pppn if you chose the Anchor Fare! When you book tell them you wish to chose when you dine and they will advise of the correct fare. BTW they do know who sits at each table for each sitting so you wouldn't be able to change. Enjoy your cruise.:)

[Cruising Nomads]

I think you will find at the moment this cruise is not selling under the Anchor Fare Pricing so there is no charge for picking your dining seating times. But at the moment it looks like 1st sitting is full, this might be that nobody would want to be dining when the lights might appear.

[jeanlyon]

I couldn't eat at 6.30 even if the lights were appearing :-)

[Mark_T]

I'll answer in the spirit of the question first :)

 

No, you will not be able to just make your own swap even if you could locate a willing couple.

 

The waiters know who is on each table for each sitting and which cabins they are in, for this to work, you'd have to make the swap before the first night and maintain the fiction by using each others name and avoid charging anything to the cabin.

 

Now, an alternative answer, first, if you are booking late enough to get an anchor fare and hence fall into the 'no choice unless you pay category' then you have already saved way more than the price of selecting your sitting, so just accept that as a rather small reduction in the saving you've already made ...

 

Further though, if you do have a medical condition which means that you can't eat later than the first sitting then call FO and be prepared to offer support by way of a Doctor's letter if needed and see if they can help out ...

[handy andy]

On a recent 18 day cruise we paid £72 before travel to secure first sitting on Anchor fare.

Plenty of vacant seats in Dining room at the start of cruise but Fred would not budge on charge as people tried for 1st sitting.

We know people tried to get round it quoting medical reasons, however they were told they could always use the open sitting restraunt.

 

In fairness, when you consider our total price including the £72, we had paid a lot less than other people on our table.