Prinsendam Dining Rooms

[gophercruiser]

Since there is no second level, how is the dining split between "fixed" and "as you like it"? Thanks.:confused:

[RuthC]

The smaller dining room on starboard side is fixed seating. The larger aft dining room is totally As You Wish, with fixed seating in the center sections, and open seating around the perimeter.

[jtl513]

The smaller dining room on starboard side is fixed seating. The larger aft dining room is totally As You Wish, with fixed seating in the center sections, and open seating around the perimeter.

Except on some cruises, such as our one segment of a Grand Med, it's ALL Fixed, no Open. Not sure if that's only on the Grands.

[gophercruiser]

Thanks.

[kazu]

Except on some cruises, such as our one segment of a Grand Med, it's ALL Fixed, no Open. Not sure if that's only on the Grands.

 

Only on the Grand cruises.

[jaspersmycat]

Just back from the Grand SA and small DR was fixed and Large DR was both fixed and open seating.

[kazu]

Just back from the Grand SA and small DR was fixed and Large DR was both fixed and open seating.

 

Thanks Elsie - the Grands were always fixed in the past on this ship. Nice to hear that they have moved to open.

[rkacruiser]

And, in my humble opinion, the best of the fixed dining rooms is the smaller one! More quiet, a much more exclusive feel. And, if one's table is not far from the entrance from the Ocean Bar, dinner music may also be able to be heard.

[kazu]

And, in my humble opinion, the best of the fixed dining rooms is the smaller one! More quiet, a much more exclusive feel. And, if one's table is not far from the entrance from the Ocean Bar, dinner music may also be able to be heard.

 

I totally agree with you. Love the forward dining room, music and the stairway :)

 

Our place of choice :)

[RuthC]

And, in my humble opinion, the best of the fixed dining rooms is the smaller one! More quiet, a much more exclusive feel. And, if one's table is not far from the entrance from the Ocean Bar, dinner music may also be able to be heard.

 

I totally agree with you. Love the forward dining room, music and the stairway :)

 

Our place of choice :)

Oh, hush---the both of you. The room is not all that large, and if we extol its virtues, we'll end up shutting ourselves out of it.

Let's just keep that our little secret. K? ;)

[kazu]

Oh, hush---the both of you. The room is not all that large, and if we extol its virtues, we'll end up shutting ourselves out of it.

Let's just keep that our little secret. K? ;)

 

 

Hanging my head in shame Ruth :halo:

[rkacruiser]

Oh, hush---the both of you. The room is not all that large, and if we extol its virtues, we'll end up shutting ourselves out of it.

Let's just keep that our little secret. K? ;)

 

OK, I will do my best to keep my fingers from typing any positive comments from our much desired location.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Except on some cruises, such as our one segment of a Grand Med, it's ALL Fixed, no Open. Not sure if that's only on the Grands.

 

That certainly was not the case on last years Grand Med. I did open seating the entire cruise and did it again on this years Grand South America. There were fixed seating tables in the outside area near the windows along with those in the middle section. Many had open seats where we open seating people were often seated, joining a fixed seating table. Its a very flexible arrangement.

[Hlitner]

We have spent exactly 200 days on the Prinsendam (our favorite HAL vessel) and can state, with no doubt, that how they handle open sitting vs fixed will vary depending on the cruise, the number of passengers who pre-book fixed seating, etc. The Maitre'd works out his strategy based on the numbers :). As to Grand Cruises, up until a couple of years ago...HAL did impose a Fixed Sitting Only policy on the Prinsendam during Grand Cruises. But they finally changed that policy and now allow open sitting on Grand Cruises (we experienced this change on last year's Grand Med cruise). The smaller dining room on the Starboard Side was used by Both some Fixed diners and also Open Diners on that cruise. Many frequent Prinsendam have their personal preference regarding the main or auxillary MDR....and the Maitre'd on the Grand Med Cruise was able to accommodate nearly everyone's wishes. Personally, DW and I dislike that smaller dining area (which is really in a corridor) since other passengers are often walking to and fro on their way to the regular MDR. But friends of ours love that smaller dining area because they find it more quiet and relaxed.

 

Hank

[casamariposa]

I was on the Prinsendam's 2016 Grand South America when Seattle decided to try open seating as well as fixed in the rear dining room. I was very disappointed. It changed the ambience and slowed service down. The DR stewards were disappointed also.

[Hlitner]

I was on the Prinsendam's 2016 Grand South America when Seattle decided to try open seating as well as fixed in the rear dining room. I was very disappointed. It changed the ambience and slowed service down. The DR stewards were disappointed also.

 

We hear you! But HAL is in a competitive market and open dining is now the norm on just about every cruise line. Our own experience (on well over a 100 cruises of 14 lines) shows that more and more folks demand open dining. In fact, on the larger Princess ships where they have 3 identical sized MDRs, only 1 of the 3 is dedicated for Fixed dining. The other two are primarily for open dining...although on some cruises one of those other two might be partially used for early Fixed dining. If you go on the ultra luxury lines (Silverseas, Seabourn, Regent, Sea Dream, etc) they all have an Open Dining scheme. On Celebrity where they have large 2 story MDRs, the smaller floor is usually dedicated to Fixed Seating while the much larger main floor is Open Dining. Even on the more formal Cunard Line...a majority of passengers opt for Open Dining Schemes.

 

 

So yes, the DR stewards might not be very happy about Open Dining....but they are the "stewards/waiters" and not the passengers! When we took a 62 day Grand cruise, our concern was dining at the same table, with the same folks, for 2 months! With open dining we can dine at large tables on some nights, and perhaps ask for a private 2 top on other nights when DW and I just want a quiet romantic dinner. Like many HAL cruisers, we have been at this cruise game for many decades and remember the days when everyone had to choose early or late dining! We also remember when just about everyone dressed to the nines on formal nights (DW used to bring several sequined gowns) and most men wore tuxedos (I still wear a Tux). But times have changed (for better or worse) and now you have some guys who will wear a baseball cap into the MDR without considering the etiquette of a man wearing a hat indoors. Some passengers idea of of gala night dress is a pair of jeans and a golf shirt!

 

Times and standards have truly changed..and HAL has been forced to change in order to compete. Ten years ago there was no way we would have expected to find a BB Kiing Group..playing loud Pink Floyd or Queen on a HAL ship. For many HAL cruisers, even Glenn Miller music was too modern (still true today).

 

So while many of us would love to roll back the clock to the cruise standards of the past, we no longer matter to management. My goodness, HAL now makes me pay $18 a bottle to bring aboard my own decent wine! How cheeky of them.