Waitlist w/ large group onboard?

[summersigh]

We're booked on the Oosterdam this winter. Late fixed dining is already waitlisted (11 months out) - when my efficient TA asked HAL why, they said there was a large group on board that sailing who were automatically put into Late fixed. (I've searched everywhere but can't find a reference to a group on the internet)

 

In your experience, what are the chances that DH and I will finally be assigned to Late Fixed dining? :confused:

 

I check every few days as well as having my TA keep her eyes out too just in case it opens up.

 

Thanx

[sail7seas]

I am amazed any HAL rep was honest and told your TA there was a large group.

 

Chances of you getting your late fixed dining probably aren't terrific but maybe your TA can work magic.

 

Sorry you are being exposed to this stress about your booking.

[CowPrincess]

We're booked on the Oosterdam this winter. Late fixed dining is already waitlisted (11 months out) - when my efficient TA asked HAL why, they said there was a large group on board that sailing who were automatically put into Late fixed. (I've searched everywhere but can't find a reference to a group on the internet)

 

In your experience, what are the chances that DH and I will finally be assigned to Late Fixed dining? :confused:

 

I check every few days as well as having my TA keep her eyes out too just in case it opens up.

 

Thanx

 

 

Personally I would keep searching to find out who the "group" is. And then decide if you want to share dining with them. We shared a shuttle ride with members of a big group one time, and my eyes were glazing over with their chatter in the 7 minutes it took to go from hotel to dock. I'd have eaten dinner in our cabin or the Lido if we had gotten stuck with anyone from that group at our dinner table.

[RMLincoln]

Can't say about clearing the waitlist, but one option would be to request open dining and then within open dining, once onboard, request a table, whatever size you desire, at your desired time for the whole cruise.

 

It's possible that you might clear the waitlist if the large group doesn't book as many people as they are holding, but who knows 11 months out? Lets hope that the group doesn't grow large enough to occupy the late open dining tables also, as has been reported here recently. m--

[sail7seas]

Summersigh.....

 

I see you note in your signature Oosterdam, Winter, 2016 and say in your post 'this winter'. But you reference your booking is 11 months out? :confused: Winter is almost over....... the 11 months out is confusing me or are you saying you booked this cruise about 11 months ago?

 

Edited February 28, 2016 by sail7seas

[oaktreerb]

Did you check the charters and groups on this website? There are groups listed for January 2017.

[Keith1010]

I too am surprised they told you a group was on board.

 

Try a google search.

 

Keith

[DaveOKC]

Personally I would keep searching to find out who the "group" is. And then decide if you want to share dining with them. We shared a shuttle ride with members of a big group one time, and my eyes were glazing over with their chatter in the 7 minutes it took to go from hotel to dock. I'd have eaten dinner in our cabin or the Lido if we had gotten stuck with anyone from that group at our dinner table.

 

I agree - are you sure you would want to share the late dining with a large group? You might end up being uncomfortable with this. They may have events, announcements, etc. during dinner and this could be disruptive to you.

 

Better option - select open dining and go whenever you want - at least you will be on a different level of the dining room.

[jhsocal]

Summersigh,this has been a hot topic on other recent threads. Last Nov. we booked Alaska cruise for July and it was already waitlisted for late set seating. Some helpful cc members alerted us that Inspirations had booked groups on several HAL cruises. Our TA is monitoring this, not sure what our strategy will be when we board ship.

[summersigh]

Summersigh.....

 

I see you note in your signature Oosterdam, Winter, 2016 and say in your post 'this winter'. But you reference your booking is 11 months out? :confused: Winter is almost over....... the 11 months out is confusing me or are you saying you booked this cruise about 11 months ago?

 

I just reread my post ... no wonder I had you confused. I live in the south so we feel spring is already here ... thus the "this winter" meant late this year - 2016 .

We started looking in early January and late fixed dining was gone at that point - we sail Dec 9.

I hate to put the exact sailing date in my signature. :)

 

We need to go to Tampa FL in December anyway to have holiday time with relatives down there and still have time to get back home to have Christmas holidays with our son and granddaughters. This pretty much dictated our choice of departure city and dates possible (and this itinerary has a couple of ports we haven't done yet)

Edited February 28, 2016 by summersigh

[Hlitner]

Just a personal thing, but we try to avoid cruises with large groups...like the plague! Large groups have a tendency to take over too much of any ship. A good example might be the Crows Nest on HAL ships...which might often be closed for "Private Events." And there is always the issue of the type of group...some not being a major problem...but other groups can mean lots of annoying issues.

 

Hank

[summersigh]

Can't say about clearing the waitlist, but one option would be to request open dining and then within open dining, once onboard, request a table, whatever size you desire, at your desired time for the whole cruise.

Ahhhh ... I didn't know you could do this on HAL - we've always had late fixed dining on all of our previous cruises. Thank You.

It's possible that you might clear the waitlist if the large group doesn't book as many people as they are holding, but who knows 11 months out? Lets hope that the group doesn't grow large enough to occupy the late open dining tables also, as has been reported here recently. m--

I'll just have to keep checking to find out the identity of this large group - it's not listed on the groups posting on the HAL thread here - :(

[summersigh]

I am amazed any HAL rep was honest and told your TA there was a large group.

 

I too am surprised they told you a group was on board. Keith

 

My TA is a jewel who handles all of our travel arrangements like ships, trains and planes. We've planned together for 15+ years so she knows us well.

 

At first we told her that if we couldn't get late fixed dining we wouldn't book the cruise so in her very best southern sweet voice she was wielding her TA Magic through the phone to HAL... unfortunately, although HAL gave up the reason for the lack of seating to her but it wasn't strong enough magic to get seating :D

[CowPrincess]

This is probably it

 

https://bookcruisesdirect.com/na16/

 

:(

[sail7seas]

I just reread my post ... no wonder I had you confused. I live in the south so we feel spring is already here ... thus the "this winter" meant late this year - 2016 .

We started looking in early January and late fixed dining was gone at that point - we sail Dec 9.

I hate to put the exact sailing date in my signature. :)

 

We need to go to Tampa FL in December anyway to have holiday time with relatives down there and still have time to get back home to have Christmas holidays with our son and granddaughters. This pretty much dictated our choice of departure city and dates possible (and this itinerary has a couple of ports we haven't done yet)

 

Thanks for explaining. :)

I hope it works out well for you.

My late DH and I always had main upper Traditional Dining and he would not book a cruise if he wasn't promised that was available. :) It was that important to us.

 

[CowPrincess]

I'm pretty sure there have been other posters on CC who have cruised on the same cruise as that group. You might want to do a search for some of those threads.

 

For me, personally, I'd try to find another date, ship, embark port....

[CowPrincess]

This is probably it

 

https://bookcruisesdirect.com/na16/

 

:(

 

and a bit more info

 

http://www.nationcruise.com/picts/pdf/application.pdf

 

http://www.nationcruise.com/

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is probably it

 

https://bookcruisesdirect.com/na16/

 

:(

 

 

 

You are great researcher -- job well done!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP -- are you flexible with another date?

If do, I would try to change to that date.

[RuthC]

and a bit more info

 

http://www.nationcruise.com/picts/pdf/application.pdf

 

http://www.nationcruise.com/

Good find. Your second link offers some very interesting information when deciding whether or not to share the ship with them. I suspect they are going to have an impact on the cruise for non-group passengers.

[summersigh]

Oh my, it's a liberal magazine. We're pretty much conservative.:eek:

 

I wish I was psychic and knew who was going to win the election in November :D

 

Alas, not being so ,,,, I think we may just reconsider this trip.

 

A HUGE THANK YOU to CowPrincess, Krazy Kruizers, Hlitner, RuthC and others. To walk onto this cruise (if we even do it now) blind would NOT have been comfortable. I don't think we would enjoy sharing the dining room with a group as active as this one purports to be even if we were like minded.:)

[Scrapnana]

I booked a cruise on the Westerdam in late April 2015 for April 2016 and was waitlisted for main dining (and all I need is one seat!). When my TA called many months ago she was told there was a group on board. The only group I have been able to find is a Road Scholar group numbering 20-30 people. My e-docs now show that I am confirmed open seating which I do not want. My TA was supposed to call and see what the problem was on Thursday but I haven't heard back so I am expecting the worst. Has anyone had any luck getting changed to main dining when they get on board?

[sail7seas]

If there is a large group that has taken the whole seating, you likely will not get switched. However, if it is only the small Roads Scholar Group, there is a good chance you could get reassigned particularly if you are somewhat flexible for table size.

 

These groups are really impacting the rest of us in unhappy ways. HAL may like them (and the other cruise lines) but the guests not a part of the group are superfluous with a large group aboard. You might think we were sailing for free...... :rolleyes:

Edited February 29, 2016 by sail7seas

[CowPrincess]

You are great researcher -- job well done!!

 

Good find. Your second link offers some very interesting information when deciding whether or not to share the ship with them. I suspect they are going to have an impact on the cruise for non-group passengers.

 

 

Thank you :) :o :)

[CowPrincess]

>SNIP<

 

Alas, not being so ,,,, I think we may just reconsider this trip.

 

A HUGE THANK YOU to CowPrincess, Krazy Kruizers, Hlitner, RuthC and others. To walk onto this cruise (if we even do it now) blind would NOT have been comfortable. I don't think we would enjoy sharing the dining room with a group as active as this one purports to be even if we were like minded.:)

 

You're very welcome, glad I could find the info :)