Oosterdam dining time changes for this week

[DAllenTCY]

They're at it again! Today's sailing has the first seating 5:30-6pm and the second seating from 7:45-9pm....period.

Although tables are assigned, they are not guaranteed. Accoding to the information handed out, the Maitre'd (sp) has the descretion to seat you with others arriving at the same time, so as to keep everyone being served the same course at the same time.

Of course this is all because of the "Freestyle Dining"/"Personal Choice Dining" offered by NCL and Princess, and widely advertised.

According to what I read here on this board, this experiment was not generally accepted a month or two ago.

David

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I wish they would figure out what for sure they want to do. I like have my specific table and table mates every night and as a matter of fact we always request the same table. We have had table 135 for the past two sailing on the Oosterdam and really do not want to change:mad:

Ohe well, I still have 10 weeks before we sail again on her.

 

Here is a picture of her tonight right before Sail Away.

[Iggipolka]

I feel sorry for the dining stewards. Their table could be full by 5:30, which would give them two full hours for dinner, or it could be full at 6:00, which would be 90 minutes, or one table could start at 5:30 and another at 6:00, which just seems even more complicated.

[RuthC]

So far I see no winners in these experiments. :(

Every passenger has the opportunity to be inconvenienced---some just don't have it realized. This time.

Stewards are constantly trying to learn the trick du jour (or du "week"?).

Sad. :(

[sail7seas]

It keeps getting worse!! What are they thinking?

Why don't they plan their vacation; expect to actually have honored the dining times they have requested and even had confirmed at the time of booking and then have this nonesense thrown at them.

 

At what point in time, will it occur to them that people really do expect and want what it is they have bought. If we wished for that kind of dining plan, we would have gone elsewhere.

 

Does their confirming table reservations in writing have no meaning? Do they feel no obligation to honor their committments?

[BJane]

This is just ridiculous. My upcoming Oosterdam cruise is mercifully only three nights. If this keeps up I think I'll just plan on the Lido for dinner and not even take anything dressy. I hope this nonsense doesn't splash over to the Volendam, which is a seven nighter. I already have a less than favorable impression of the dining room on the Oosterdam and this doen't help it at all. We attended a Mariner's luncheon when the ship was in San Francisco about a year and a half ago. Although the event was really nice, the dining tables seemed to be very close to each other and I came away with the feeling of being very crowded while eating.

[Iggipolka]

Once again, it doesn't sound like HAL let any of the pax on this sailing know that they are playing with the dining times.

[jhannah]

As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief!" :rolleyes:

[arzz]

HAL make up your mind! Do you wish to be HAL or be Cruise Clone Inc., same as all of the others?

 

When I cruise, the ship is my home. I want to know that I can eat when I wish, that I will not miss the shows or other scheduled activities that I would like to participate in, and that I will enjoy the company of the same new friends not just nodding acquaintances, every evening. If I want a resort vacation I will go to a resort.

 

Princess has anytime dining. In my experience this was more like "anytime, your guess is as good as mine, time dining" as I waited with my beeper for a table to be ready, and as I missed the shows and other activities that I hoped to attend.

 

NCL has freestyle dining. To be fair I have not experienced this but....from what I read in reviews and on line it is a cute way to offer several dining venues that charge fees that are NOT included in the cruise fare -- so their prices seem cheap on the surface, but they will nickle and dime you at dinner each night. I have read that their regular (included) dining fare is so mediocre that you are motivated to spend extra and go to one of their several extra charge venues.

 

This is not the way I want my cruising to go! I also read that Carnival is upgrading their amenities....So HAL and Carnival become more similar, and again the distinctions between lines blur....

 

I choose my cruises by itinerary, price and attributes -- Soon the only choice to be made will be price as the clones march on in a misguided effort to be "competitive" rather than "distinctive".

[RevNeal]

My cruise Documentation for the Oosterdam, departing January 7, 2006, has printed on the top: "CONFIRMED DINING: MAIN LOWER" and the "Know Before You Go" booklet clearly states the 4 dining times.

 

I have drafted an email enquiring about the dining time situation and asking, SPECIFICALLY, if there is any dining time experimentation planned for the week of my cruise. If the response back is that there is no such experimentation planned and/or they don't know what I am talking about, I am going to print out their response and take it with me. IF such experimentation occurs, I'm going to raise holy hell with the Hotel Manager and DEMAND that my negative feedback be channeled back to Seattle, immediately.

 

Yes ... yes ... I most certainly KNOW that such won't do any good to stop the stupid experiment, but perhaps ... just perhaps ... enough passengers asserting enough EXTREME DISPLEASURE with this crappy treatment and these stupid experiments will eventually put a stop to it spreading around the line.

 

Kruise needs to figure out that he's with HAL now, and he can stop trying to remake the line into the visage of one of its competitors.

[JohnR49er]

Gee Rev, I'd hope you would start out raising Holy Heck first............... LOL

[RevNeal]

My E-mail to HAL's VP for Public Relations (Ms. Rose Abello ... I have the e-mail address if anyone wants it ... it's easy to find on the internet.):

 

Dear Ms. Abello:

 

I am writing to you because I have been informed that on the Nov. 26, 2005 sailing of the Oosterdam the dining times are being experimented with yet again. The first seating is at 5:30-6pm and the second seating is open from 7:45-9pm. Although tables are assigned, they are not guaranteed. Accoding to the information handed out, the Maitre'D has the descretion to seat passengers with others arriving at the same time, so as to keep everyone being served the same course at the same time. This is a continuation of the experimentation begun over a month ago on the same ship.

 

I will be on the Oosterdam for her 01/07/2006 cruise, for which I will be writing a "follow up review" to my highly-favorable review from February 2005 (link: http://www.sealetter.com/May-05/ooster.html). My question is this: will such experimentation in dining times be carried out during the 01/07/2006 cruise?

 

Please be advised that this kind of experimentation is both unwanted and unappreciated by a very large number of highly loyal and highly vocal Mariners. I have long cruised with HAL for the traditional experience; if I had wanted a "Personal Choice" or "Freestyle" type of dining experience I would have cruised with NCL or Princess. I cruise with HAL because yours is a "Traditional" Cruise Line. If HAL continues to monkey around with its cruise experience by engaging in such annoying, unwanted experimentation, I will have few options other than to take my cruising dollars elsewhere. And, please be well advised, I will not be alone in this response.

 

Repeat of my question: is such dining time experimentation planned for the January 7, 2006 cruise of the Oosterdam?

 

Thank you for your attention,

 

Dr. Gregory S. Neal

Mariner Number: XXXXXXXX

[RevNeal]

Gee Rev, I'd hope you would start out raising Holy Heck first............... LOL

 

hehehe ... I've been to Hell (Grand Cayman) and found it to be too small, too crowded, and too much of a tourist trap for my taste. :D

[JohnR49er]

I wouldn't doubt thats the first place you went on your first trip to the Caymans............:D

[kryos]

They're at it again! Today's sailing has the first seating 5:30-6pm and the second seating from 7:45-9pm....period.

Although tables are assigned, they are not guaranteed. Accoding to the information handed out, the Maitre'd (sp) has the descretion to seat you with others arriving at the same time, so as to keep everyone being served the same course at the same time.

So, unless I am reading this wrong, it appears this whole sailing is then "leisure time" dining? You can walk into the dining room anywhere between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. if you have early seating and 7:45 to 9:00 p.m. if you have late? Is that right? If so, then it would seem to me that if you only have a small party ... say two to four people, your odds of getting a table to yourself are slim to none. After all, there are only so many two and four-tops to go around. That means you can almost bank on being seated each night with different tablemates.

 

But, if you have a large party ... six to eight people, then you can probably rest assured that you will be able to dine with your party exclusively, even with this new dining order.

 

Boy, this kinda sucks ... especially for singles like me.

 

Sure hope they don't pull this crap on the Amsterdam in January. I will be a bit upset. I'm not a real stickler for dining times ... I have early seating, but if they gave me late it wouldn't be that great a hardship. But if they told me I had to sit with different people every night ... and feel like I'm imposing on their dinner companionship ... I would freak. I like having set dining companions who I can look forward to seeing each evening. I also like the fact that HAL generally tries to put solo travelers with other solo travelers in the dining room. That's nice because you don't feel the odd one out shoved in at the same table with a bunch of couples who are all traveling together. That can be awkward if they decide to exclude you from their conversations.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

No offense but we do not care to join a table with other cruisers. We did that for dozens and dozens of cruises. We met a large number of great folks....some of whom we are still friendly with.

 

But Now......No thanks. We want only to dine by ourselves or with HAL friends we know from the various ships.

 

If the Maitre d' insisted we dine at a large table with 'friends we have yet to meet', we would refuse. We would be as insistent as he that we want what we want; not what he wants.

 

That creates an unhappy atmosphere and while he might begrudingly grant our request, we will now be dealing with hard feelings. Why should we (or any guest) be put in that circumstance because of HAL's hijinx that ultimately are at our expense.

[denims]

I wouldn't doubt thats the first place you went on your first trip to the Caymans............:D

Hi John!

 

Glad to see you posting!

 

Rev. Neal: do you mind sending me Ms Abello's email address. We are sailing HAL for the first time on The Oosterdam on 1/28, I would like to send her a little "love" note.

 

Thanks and thanks again for your great review.

 

Larry

[cruzn single]

And I for one know that my husband would be furious at being seated with other "friends that he has yet to meet." He insists on our having a table for two and that is that! We have had some most unpleasant experiences and he just feel that he is on the cruise to enjoy the dining experience, and if he doesn't want to gab with a bunch of people, he doesn't have to!

[AirGorilla]

No offense but we do not care to join a table with other cruisers. We did that for dozens and dozens of cruises. We met a large number of great folks....some of whom we are still friendly with.

 

But Now......No thanks. We want only to dine by ourselves or with HAL friends we know from the various ships.

 

If the Maitre d' insisted we dine at a large table with 'friends we have yet to meet', we would refuse. We would be as insistent as he that we want what we want; not what he wants.

 

That creates an unhappy atmosphere and while he might begrudingly grant our request, we will now be dealing with hard feelings. Why should we (or any guest) be put in that circumstance because of HAL's hijinx that ultimately are at our expense.

 

I totally agree with the frustrations here. We always book a table for two. This type of treatment would be a "deal-breaker" for me.

 

Fortunately, there are options available. They are called Celebrity and Crystal, depending on how much one chooses to pay. They don't have this type of nonsense with the dining reservations.

[RevNeal]

I wouldn't doubt thats the first place you went on your first trip to the Caymans............

 

Actually ... no. :(

The first time I went to Grand Cayman (in 1994) Mom and Dad didn't have any interest in going to Hell ... we did shopping. I went again in 2000 and we did the Atlantis Submarine drive ... EXCELLENT. I didn't get to go to hell until this last trip, on the Westerdam, 2 weeks ago. :)

[RevNeal]

Rev. Neal: do you mind sending me Ms Abello's email address. We are sailing HAL for the first time on The Oosterdam on 1/28, I would like to send her a little "love" note.

 

:)

shoot me an e-mail and I'll reply back with it.

revneal@aol.com

[sail7seas]

I totally agree with the frustrations here. We always book a table for two. This type of treatment would be a "deal-breaker" for me.

 

Fortunately, there are options available. They are called Celebrity and Crystal, depending on how much one chooses to pay. They don't have this type of nonsense with the dining reservations.

 

 

Speaking only for myself.....

 

Neither Celebrity nor Crystal are options. We've been on Celebrity about five or so times and the last time probably will be the last time. We were not at all satisified.

 

We have personal reasons for not caring to try Crystal. We'll stop cruising before we'll cruise Crystal. As I say, this is just my personal opinion.

[BEAV]

We've sailed both NCL and Princess since their switch to Freestyle/Personal choice dining. Although I prefer traditional dining, we've never had problems getting a table for two on either line. But in the end I'd prefer to just have my own assigned table, rather than repeat the whole routine night after night.

[BEAV]

Fortunately, there are options available. They are called Celebrity and Crystal, depending on how much one chooses to pay. They don't have this type of nonsense with the dining reservations.

 

We've sailed 4 times w/Crystal in the last 18 months, and they have quickly become our favorite line, with their overall food and dining service being one of the main reasons. They truly excel when it comes to the traditional dining room experience. Yes, their fares are higher, but we've come to discover our overall vacation expense (when you factor in your shipboard spending) is much the same in the end compared to mass market cruising. This is due to substantial shipboard credits, travel agents prepaying gratuities, numerous complimentary cocktail parties, etc.

 

If fine dining on the high seas is your cup of tea, I can heartily recommend Crystal.

[kryos]

No offense but we do not care to join a table with other cruisers. We did that for dozens and dozens of cruises. We met a large number of great folks....some of whom we are still friendly with.

 

But Now......No thanks. We want only to dine by ourselves or with HAL friends we know from the various ships.

And you have that right. This is specifically what sucks about this dining plan and it's the same reason that I never did "anytime dining" on Princess. True, anytime dining does offer convenience, and I understand why a lot of people go for it. For them, the convenience outweighs the possibility of having to wait for a table or having to sit with strangers. But, for me ... because I am generally a solo traveler, traditional fixed seating is the only way to go. To me, dining becomes a social outlet at the end of my day ... a chance to meet up with some familiar faces and share how we spent our day. Anytime dining doesn't allow for this because unless you are traveling with a larger group who can all sit together in that dining room as well ... you're stuck meeting new people every night ... and some of them won't necessarily be amenable to a new face at a table which, before you were placed there, consisted only of their traveling party.

 

If some of the larger ships in HAL's fleet have the capacity for two dining rooms, then fine ... anytime dining might work. Devote one dining room to that and the other to the traditional fixed seating. But, if the capacity is not there ... especially on HAL's smaller ships ... I think they are better off leaving well enough alone.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita