HAL Offering Personal Choice Dining?????

[Ali]

My husband and I and another couple will be cruising the Inside Passage on the Westerdam next summer. My cousin made the travel arrangements and her TA told her we had a choice of early, late or "Personal Choice" dining. I was not aware that HAL offered this choice. I know that some changes have been made to the dining hours - I believe there are 4 time slots now? But when I hear "Personal Choice Dining", I think of another cruise line.

 

Can anyone shed any light on this? Is the TA correct? We will be in a suite; does this make a difference? I just don't understand how we could walk into the dining room any time we want to eat where there is assigned seating for dinner. :confused:

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Ali

[RevNeal]

The TA is confused. Wouldn't be the first time ... nor the last.

[dakrewser]

Well, you can "personally choose" to eat at your assigned table at your assigned time in the dining room. Or not.

 

:rolleyes:

[kryos]

The TA is confused. Wouldn't be the first time ... nor the last.

Could there be some changes on the horizon ... at least for the Vista class ships? Maybe the TA is "plugged in?"

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[gizmo]

My money is on "The TA is confusing Hal with Princess".

[Bodger]

Maybe 'Personal Choice" is the Lido.;)

 

Bodger

[CruiseQueen13]

I agree - that's a Princess feature. Think there was a mistake by TA. Enjoy anyway.

[Randyk47]

I guess under some definition you could call the three dining venues (or maybe four counting room service) on most HAL ships as "personal choice" but it's not exactly the same as say, for instance, RCI. I would think that until HAL builds, heaven forbid, a mega ship or two really won't have the flexibility of a number of major dining venues with a variety of themes/menus. I'd hate to see major portions of a Vista class ship chopped up to add a steak house, Italian eatery, or whatever to the main dining room, Pinnacle and Lido.

[bdmarine]

During the CC member meeting with James Deering on the Zuiderdam last week, he mentioned that HAL may try to slowly get into the personal choice business. I think, though, that he was referring to possibly adding another dining venue.

[Sierrachik]

Yes, Mr. Deering did indicate it was going to be tested, this poster's TA may not be wrong after all, it could be this voyage is one that it will be tried on.

[gizmo]

Yes, Mr. Deering did indicate it was going to be tested, this poster's TA may not be wrong after all, it could be this voyage is one that it will be tried on.

 

I might as well Dine in one of the local chains and get handed "THE BEEPER". :mad:

[Sierrachik]

I might as well Dine in one of the local chains and get handed "THE BEEPER". :mad:

 

There are some that do prefer that, otherwise the local chain wouldn't be so successful. It isn't about taking what is currently available, it's about giving more options to those that want them.

[Stevesan]

What venues could be used by HAL to offer both traditional and PC dining? The existing alternative dining rooms on HAL ships couldn't accommodate both options. Princess has full sized dining rooms for each. NCL went completely PC which I'd assume HAL would need to do. That surely wouldn't go down well with the great majority of HAL's four million Mariners.

[sail7seas]

HAL ships aren't designed in a way that personal and traditional could co-exist IMO

 

But, I think your TA is seriously misinformed.

 

He/She needs to take an HAL cruise is they are going to sell them.

 

[RevNeal]

What venues could be used by HAL to offer both traditional and PC dining? The existing alternative dining rooms on HAL ships couldn't accomodate both options. Princess has full sized dining rooms for each. NCL went completely PC which I'd assume HAL would need to do. That surely wouldn't go down well with the great majority of HAL's four million Mariners.

 

Exactly ... with its current configuration I just don't see how they could possibly go to PC in an effective, meaningful way. People DO have a personal choice to eat in the dining room, in the Lido, in the Pinnacle, or in their cabins. Even with another dining venue onboard, it would still not be PC ... just more options other than the main dining room. HAL ship's are not currently outfitted to do anything else.

 

Deering's "mutter" on the subject is similar to what he suggested to me in February ... that there would be more alternative dining choices with a probable extra restaurant being added to the Vistas. If so, that's fine ... though I don't see how/where such could be added to any of the other ships ... they would have to wipe out needed lounge/meeting room space to do it, and they've already wiped out quiet a bit in putting the Pinnacle Grill in on the S-class ships.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I, for one, certainly do not want to see Personal Choice dining on HAL.

HAL ships have only one main dining room and there isn't any way that it could be changed into 2 separate dining rooms.

Maybe they are thinking about turning the Lido into the Personal Choice area?

[peaches from georgia]

[quote=Krazy Kruizers HAL ships have only one main dining room and there isn't any way that it could be changed into 2 separate dining rooms.

 

Might they be thinking of an arrangement with one level being traditional with 2 seatings and the other level being PC?

[elmorejj]

Peaches, that is exactly what I was thinking. Seems like that is the only way it would work.

 

So many lines are going to PC, and to keep up, HAL may have to think along those lines. Mariners don`t seem to be as important to them any more....JMHO.........jean:cool:

[RuthC]

Could there be some changes on the horizon ... at least for the Vista class ships? Maybe the TA is "plugged in?"

Let's hope not! Let's hope the TA is simply wrong/confusing HAL with Princess. There are already enough choices to please everyone---if you want PC dining it's available. Just not on HAL.

There's no need for every cruiseline to be the same. Vive la difference!

[m steve]

I don't understand what this is all about. All that I can see is that you can change the time you eat or the room you dine in. The menus are the same. It seems that NCL started this and it screws up everything. I like having the same wait staff every night as they get to know our tastes and needs. One special Dr is ok for a change of pace but jumping all over to sit in Chinese room to get a Dutch meals makes no sense to me.

I am sure that if you want to change dining time during the cruise the DR captain can accomidate if you call ahead.

What I don't like is using a specialty restaurant one night and they cancell your assigned table after that.

[Krazy Kruizers]

M Steve

When you say that if you go to a specialty restaurant one night and they cancel your regular dining table, are you refering to one of the other cruise lines?

[jhannah]

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. My personal feeling is that the bulk of HAL's Mariners are more traditionalist in nature and prefer that the dining setup be left as it is.

[TidePrideGA]

Might they be thinking of an arrangement with one level being traditional with 2 seatings and the other level being PC?

 

I was thinking this as well... would it/could it work? From a practical standpoint, not a preferred one?

 

Not having cruised yet I obviously can't say for sure, but I LOVE the idea of traditional dining. I knew NOTHING about cruising when I booked this (having not found this site yet), and I originally told my TA a table for 4 (there are 3 of us). After reading here and getting a handle on what cruising is about, I asked him to change it to a table for 8 because I thought the idea of tablemates sounded wonderful! Even the bad ones can be amusing....

 

BTW, I also had him change from 6:15 to 8:00 after reading here and thinking about shore days, etc. Even 8:30 wouldn't bother us even though we normally eat at home around 6:00. Now that I know the deal I think I would HATE early dining as I want time to enjoy an apertif in one of the lounges!

 

One learns sooooo much from these boards!

[gizmo]

There are some that do prefer that, otherwise the local chain wouldn't be so successful. It isn't about taking what is currently available, it's about giving more options to those that want them.

 

Being handed a beeper is not an option I want ! :eek:

[Stevesan]

As a side note if PC dining is more popular, why does Princess put restrictions on traditional dining that do not apply to PC?

 

ie, any time during the cruise pax can easily switch (permanently) from traditional to PC, but not the other way. Also, traditional diners are not permitted to enter the PC dining room (by rule).