Dinner on the Black Watch

[cazzy caz]

I am looking forward to the Easter cruise from Liverpool to the Canaries.

I have been booked on the late dinner seating.

Can somebody please answer :- is there only one venue to eat at or are there others?? If there are other eating venues are you able to eat anywhere and anytime?

Thanks in advance.

[Mark_T]

I am looking forward to the Easter cruise from Liverpool to the Canaries.

I have been booked on the late dinner seating.

Can somebody please answer :- is there only one venue to eat at or are there others?? If there are other eating venues are you able to eat anywhere and anytime?

Thanks in advance.

 

During meal times there is always a buffet option elsewhere if you do not wish to eat in the main dining room at your assigned table.

 

You may eat there whenever it is open, the opening times tend to mirror the main dining room times, but it is open seating so no limit on when you go or where you sit.

 

It also opens again later in the evening for those looking for food late at night.

 

FO are also adding a separate small dining area that offers a different menu at a premium price, but that is by reservation only as far as I am aware.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Mark_T

[cazzy caz]

During meal times there is always a buffet option elsewhere if you do not wish to eat in the main dining room at your assigned table.

 

You may eat there whenever it is open, the opening times tend to mirror the main dining room times, but it is open seating so no limit on when you go or where you sit.

 

It also opens again later in the evening for those looking for food late at night.

 

FO are also adding a separate small dining area that offers a different menu at a premium price, but that is by reservation only as far as I am aware.

 

Many thanks Mark for your very useful reply.

[boatboy2000]

During meal times there is always a buffet option elsewhere if you do not wish to eat in the main dining room at your assigned table.

 

You may eat there whenever it is open, the opening times tend to mirror the main dining room times, but it is open seating so no limit on when you go or where you sit.

 

It also opens again later in the evening for those looking for food late at night.

 

FO are also adding a separate small dining area that offers a different menu at a premium price, but that is by reservation only as far as I am aware.

 

Hi, we are on the Black Watch in May for the first time, you mention assigned table, what does this mean, we do not want to be stuck on a table with maybe (please don't take this the wrong way) people who hard to get on with. We sometimes like just a table for two.

At times we have been put on a table with some really nice people and sometimes not, we would not like to have to put up with same table every night if we were not comfortable with those also on it.:(

[Coravel]

If you don't like your assigned table companions you can always ask to be moved. Otherwise you can dine at the open seating restaurant which is usually self service.

[Mark_T]

Hi, we are on the Black Watch in May for the first time, you mention assigned table, what does this mean, we do not want to be stuck on a table with maybe (please don't take this the wrong way) people who hard to get on with.

 

Breakfast and lunch are open seating so you can sit where you want, dinner is at your designated table in the main dinning rooms, so yes, you will be on a table with the same people each evening unless you opt to eat in the buffet every day.

 

I believe, as mentioned above, you can request a change, but that is subject to availability of course.

 

Also do consider that the tables are of varying size and you should have had the opportunity to specify your preference when making your cruise booking?

Edited January 16, 2015 by Mark_T

[tring]

We got a requested table for two on our last cruise, but we booked 9 months ahead and were on freedom fare (albeit on a multi buy deal). Not something you can rely on though.

 

If you do not want to eat at the times when the restaurants are open, or do not want to go to the restaurant there is another option of room service, but the menu is limited and does not include hot meals. It includes soup, cold platters and small sweets. No charge for that, but it is normal to give a small tip. We have used it when we are scenic cruising at meal times so we can stay in the observation lounge then.

[boatboy2000]

Thanks for the replies, we prefer mdr for evening meal, hopefully we will opt for a table for two, or if we have to sit with a party we may be fortunate enough that they are not too stuffy and are down to earth people.:)

[Coravel]

We always book a table for 6 or 8 because there is a greater chance of making friends with someone. But to be fair, we have only once had to share a table with people whom we really didn't like at all because they were heavy drinkers and particularly boring. All he wanted to talk about was the Freemasons and she just talked about the important work she did for her church. There was another couple on the table who simply didn't want to communicate with anyone else and would have been better suited at a table for two. On a long cruise with several legs, at the end of the first leg we've simply made up our own table from people we've met over breakfast or lunch and sanctioned it with the maitre d. You are paying good money for the cruise and the staff will always try to be helpful if you are nice to them.

[boatboy2000]

We always book a table for 6 or 8 because there is a greater chance of making friends with someone. But to be fair, we have only once had to share a table with people whom we really didn't like at all because they were heavy drinkers and particularly boring. All he wanted to talk about was the Freemasons and she just talked about the important work she did for her church. There was another couple on the table who simply didn't want to communicate with anyone else and would have been better suited at a table for two. On a long cruise with several legs, at the end of the first leg we've simply made up our own table from people we've met over breakfast or lunch and sanctioned it with the maitre d. You are paying good money for the cruise and the staff will always try to be helpful if you are nice to them.

 

Thanks, we were on a Thomson cruise in the Adriatic and were put with a couple on the captains night, trying to have a conversation with them was liking pulling hen's teeth, at first they seemed really stuffy and stand offish.

My wife asked them what they did for a living and it turned out they were ordinary working class people, she worked in a supermarket and he worked in a factory, nothing wrong with that but why do act as though they were some thing else.

On the same cruise it would be a race to get into the dining room to get one of the few tables for two, there were about four in the same area and we would get chatting to the other couples on these tables, then we suggested why not get a big table for us all and that's what we did for the rest of the cruise.:)

[Julessmiles]

Thanks for the replies, we prefer mdr for evening meal, hopefully we will opt for a table for two, or if we have to sit with a party we may be fortunate enough that they are not too stuffy and are down to earth people.:)

 

Boat boy - you should have requested your table allocation (2,4,6 or 8) & dining room preference & dinner time when you booked. Might be worth contacting FO & clarifying.

[boatboy2000]

Boat boy - you should have requested your table allocation (2,4,6 or 8) & dining room preference & dinner time when you booked. Might be worth contacting FO & clarifying.

 

Thanks Julessmiles, just done it:)

[Berkshire Lass]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the Orchid Room while talking about Black Watch dining facilities. We were on a trip a couple of years ago and the other people at our table (who were quite large) thought the MDR under the windows was too crowded and

asked if we would be interested to transfer to the Orchid room as they had asked the Matre 'D. Very nice area just off the MDR. The last time I was on board it was still there.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Berkshire Lass