Dinning question

[silly44]

Hello everyone. I've been on two HA cruises and have always had anytime dinning. For our next cruise we have the late seating as there are 6 of us and we would like to eat together. We were wondering if we can eat at the anytime dinning on the night that we have an evening shore excursion? Any input would be great.

 

Thank you in advance.

[mllewis48]

Hello everyone. I've been on two HA cruises and have always had anytime dinning. For our next cruise we have the late seating as there are 6 of us and we would like to eat together. We were wondering if we can eat at the anytime dinning on the night that we have an evening shore excursion? Any input would be great.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

 

Even with Fixed seating you can still do anytime dining from I believe 5:30 to 8:00 pm by going to the lower level DR.

 

 

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[CruiserBruce]

If you are booked into Traditional seating, that is where you go.

 

If you have a conflicting excursion, eat at the Lido.

[Shmoo here]

Hello everyone. I've been on two HA cruises and have always had anytime dinning. For our next cruise we have the late seating as there are 6 of us and we would like to eat together. We were wondering if we can eat at the anytime dinning on the night that we have an evening shore excursion? Any input would be great.

 

Thank you in advance.

No, you can't switch dining for just one night. I know, if you want to do it, you can change (as in a permanent change) your dining once at the beginning of the cruise, but then that's the dining option you will have for the cruise.

 

Even with anytime dining, you can eat together, it just may take a little longer to get a table for 6.

[mllewis48]

If you are booked into Traditional seating, that is where you go.

 

 

 

If you have a conflicting excursion, eat at the Lido.

 

 

Not true even if you have fixed seating you can still do open seating on the lower level of the dining room. You can do the Lido but you do not have to.

 

 

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[mllewis48]

No, you can't switch dining for just one night. I know, if you want to do it, you can change (as in a permanent change) your dining once at the beginning of the cruise, but then that's the dining option you will have for the cruise.

 

 

 

Even with anytime dining, you can eat together, it just may take a little longer to get a table for 6.

 

 

Not true!

 

If you want to do anytime you can!

 

 

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[iflyrc5]

If you talk to the dining room manager you can switch to As you Wish for the one night. First seating there is 5:15/5:30 depending on the cruise and it may take up to 2 hours so your best bet might be the lido that night. If you do the lido make sure you tell your waiter then night before that you won't be there.

[mllewis48]

If you talk to the dining room manager you can switch to As you Wish for the one night. First seating there is 5:15/5:30 depending on the cruise and it may take up to 2 hours so your best bet might be the lido that night. If you do the lido make sure you tell your waiter then night before that you won't be there.

 

 

If you have fixed seating you can go to open or as you wish without telling your DR Steward any evening period. You have a fixed seating for the cruise if you choose to go elsewhere it's your choice but we let our DR Steward know when we change[emoji41]

 

 

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[Boytjie]

Six of you can do "any time" (or open) dining every night, you don't need fixed dining for that.

[MekesMom]

I've always done open dining and whenever there is a lengthy wait I've wondered if it was because of people that didn't go to their fixed dining time.

[Shmoo here]

Not true!

 

If you want to do anytime you can!

 

 

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Sorry!! Didn't mean to push your button!!!

 

That must have changed since we cruised last. We were told that we could change our dining time, but we couldn't just "go to the other dining" one night.

 

We wound up going to the Lido a couple of nights.

[donswife]

We had anytime dining with 6 people on 2 different cruises, and only had to wait a couple of times. The main issue was picking a time each night. If I remember correctly, when the ship was in port at night, the times for fixed were sometimes different or all "open dining" those nights because so many people were off the ship.

[Lizzie68]

Not true even if you have fixed seating you can still do open seating on the lower level of the dining room. You can do the Lido but you do not have to.

 

 

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I'm sorry, but no you can't. Friends tried that, and were directed to the Lido.

[jtl513]

If you have fixed seating you can go to open or as you wish without telling your DR Steward any evening period.

I'm very surprised you could get away with that. Most Assistant MDR Managers will not allow it. It is unfair to people who have Open seating to have you using their space and adding to their wait time while leaving your Fixed space idle. As Shmoo said, the rule is on most ships is that you can make a "permanent" change one time from Fixed to Open or vice-versa but you can not flip back and forth.

 

I have heard of cases where people on a HAL excursion were late returning and could not make their Early Fixed time were allowed to eat in Open, but that is an exception, not the rule. Please stop telling people that they can do this freely.

.

Edited March 17, 2016 by jtl513

[dakrewser]

Not true even if you have fixed seating you can still do open seating on the lower level of the dining room. You can do the Lido but you do not have to.

 

No, you cannot. Should you do that you will need to go to "anytime" for the rest of the cruise.

 

However, if you speak to the dining room mgr and explain the situation he may allow a one night shift. Otherwise, the Lido or specialty dining are good alternatives.

[RuthC]

I have heard of cases where people on a HAL excursion were late returning and could not make their Early Fixed time were allowed to eat in Open, but that is an exception, not the rule..

That's as close to the standard operating procedure as you are going to get.

Will there be some exceptions, some of the time, by some dining room managers? Possibly. But don't count on it. The policy is that fixed seating passengers go to their chosen dining, or eat elsewhere.

 

If you think you will not be able to make it to dinner the evening of your late shore excursion, you might want to ask about it the night before so you will know what your options are on your cruise.

[OVgirl]

It's possible that being seated in Open Dining was allowed just to avoid a scene. Some passengers can get quite loud and vocal if they aren't accommodated.

[jtl513]

It's possible that being seated in Open Dining was allowed just to avoid a scene. Some passengers can get quite loud and vocal if they aren't accommodated.

If that's the case, then they know full well that it's not the norm, and shouldn't go around saying that it is.

[cruz chic]

If that's the case, then they know full well that it's not the norm, and shouldn't go around saying that it is.

 

Exactly. As someone that does open its busy enough without encouraging people to go to open. When I did traditional if I missed my early time I made other arrangements. I wouldn't dream of going to another seating. That's not fair to those that choose open. Would those in tradition enjoy it if I plunked myself down in your spot on a night that you are using it?

Edited March 17, 2016 by cruz chic

[silly44]

Thank you everyone. I will switch my party over to open dinning. I wouldnt want to make a scene or cause others a delayed dinner.

[Fouremco]

Thank you everyone. I will switch my party over to open dinning. I wouldnt want to make a scene or cause others a delayed dinner.

If it's just because of the one night, I'd just eat in the Lido that night as others have suggested.

[Banditswife]

I think this was already suggested, but... You could reserve a table at one of the specialty restaurants that evening if lido is unappealing to you.

I agree that those of us who have open seating wouldn't want to give our table to someone who has fixed seating.

[silly44]

After speaking to my party I think we may just do lido that night. It's an overnight stop in St. Petersburg and the excursion starts at 7pm so we would likely be rushed at any dinning venue.

[cb at sea]

If you have late seating, you'll have no trouble getting there, even on a port day. And, with traditional, there's no waiting for a table to open for a larger party. Stick with what you have...takes all the guess work out of it for everyone! If you're planning on being late, you will still inconvenience your dining partners,even with anytime seating.

Edited March 18, 2016 by cb at sea

[OVgirl]

After speaking to my party I think we may just do lido that night. It's an overnight stop in St. Petersburg and the excursion starts at 7pm so we would likely be rushed at any dinning venue.

 

If you have the opportunity to ask about using open dining for the one night, please come back and let us know what they say.