Experienced Cruiser But New To HAL Questions

[SargassoPirate]

We are experienced cruisers with Princess and RCCL. We just booked a T/A on the Eurodam mainly because the schedule worked - it puts us in Rome a day before we need to be in Amsterdam for an extended stay in Europe. That being said, I've been studying the information on the HAL website and trolling the boards here for information that will help us prepare. Since I can't get the search feature to work on the boards here, I'll post a few questions and hope that you experienced HAL cruisers can help out.

 

1) What sort of complimentary beverages are available at breakfast and lunch in the buffet? I like to have OJ at breakfast and lemonade at lunch.

 

2) Is the coffee in the buffet fresh brewed or is it made from coffee syrup like on Princess?

 

3) We do not have an assigned table for dinner. How does the "anytime" dining program work?

 

4) On formal nights, is smart casual OK for the buffet?

 

Thanks for your help.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We are experienced cruisers with Princess and RCCL. We just booked a T/A on the Eurodam mainly because the schedule worked - it puts us in Rome a day before we need to be in Amsterdam for an extended stay in Europe. That being said, I've been studying the information on the HAL website and trolling the boards here for information that will help us prepare. Since I can't get the search feature to work on the boards here, I'll post a few questions and hope that you experienced HAL cruisers can help out.

 

1) What sort of complimentary beverages are available at breakfast and lunch in the buffet? I like to have OJ at breakfast and lemonade at lunch.

 

At breakfast there is freshly squeezed orange juice along with many other juices. At lunch -- varies by ship -- lemonade or punch.

 

2) Is the coffee in the buffet fresh brewed or is it made from coffee syrup like on Princess? Freshly brewed -- no syrup.

 

3) We do not have an assigned table for dinner. How does the "anytime" dining program work?

 

4) On formal nights, is smart casual OK for the buffet? Yes you can wear smart casual in the Lido buffet for dinner on formal nights.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Open seating is from 5:15 - 9 (9:30 on some ships) on the lower level of the dining room. You can just show up any time you are ready to have dinner -- ask for any size table you want. If you want to make reservations -- you can only make them for 3 days at a time and from 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9.

[SargassoPirate]

Thanks, Krazy Kruizers. That fresh brewed coffee will be a welcome treat for us, especially for She Who Must Be Obeyed.

[sail7seas]

HAL offers complimentary fresh squeezed orange juice in Lido for breakfast.

There is always hot coffee/tea/cocoa and iced tea at lunch and dinner. We haven't seen much lemonade recently but sometimes it is available. If you want it, easy enough to take a glass of iced water, lemons, sugar or artificial sweetener and voila...... lemonade.

[Katie333]

We are Princess regulars and I found the selection of complimentary self-serve beverages in the buffet to be much better on HAL. Unlike Princess you can get your own beverage at lunch and dinner, and lemonade was available about half the time. If I recall, it was fruit punch and peach drink the other times.

 

The coffee, according to my coffee-loving DH, is better on HAL but still not the best he`s ever had.

[SargassoPirate]

We are Princess regulars and I found the selection of complimentary self-serve beverages in the buffet to be much better on HAL. Unlike Princess you can get your own beverage at lunch and dinner, and lemonade was available about half the time. If I recall, it was fruit punch and peach drink the other times.

 

The coffee, according to my coffee-loving DH, is better on HAL but still not the best he`s ever had.

 

Thanks to all for the info.

 

Kate - anything is better than the Horizon Court swill on Princess. It's bad enough for me that I take Taster's Choice instant with me when we cruise on Princess - it's better than the reconstituted coffee syrup. She Who Must Be Obeyed switches over to tea for those cruises.