How Do I Find My Dining Time?

[me-shel]

I sail with a friend in the Nieuw Statendam in 39 days, first time on HAL. We're going through and double-checking all our details but CANNOT find our dining selection. We *think* we have late dining, but don't even recall what that time is. Our boarding passes only show this: 

 

Confirmed Dining: Main, Table of 6 on request

 

Not even sure what that means? When I've cruised as a party of 2 with set dining in the past we've been seated anywhere from a 4-top to a 10-top with other people but we don't know what the "on request" means.

 

Am I just missing details on our dining somewhere? Or would we have to call or wait until we board? 

[POA1]

Main seating is late, fixed. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

"On request" means that your TA has requested the "main" dining time which could be 7:45 or 8 PM -- depends on the ship and that you want a table for 6.

 

Depending on when you booked your cruise, your request should be honored.

[POA1]

The "on request" refers to the table size. The "main" refers to late fixed, which as @Krazy Kruizerssaid will be either 7:45 pm or 8:00 pm. It was 7:45 on the Zuiderdam two weeks ago. We requested a table for four, so our reservation read like yours, only it said 4 in place of 6.

[VTcruisenut]

I have searched everywhere on our booking and I can't find the dining time we have been assigned either.   When I called in on Black Friday because the price was lower, I was told our booking had "free gratuities" and a $25 beverage card- I can't confirm that either!  why don't they put the details we want to see on the booking info?  Or am I missing the info somewhere?

[DaveOKC]

7 minutes ago, VTcruisenut said:

I have searched everywhere on our booking and I can't find the dining time we have been assigned either.   When I called in on Black Friday because the price was lower, I was told our booking had "free gratuities" and a $25 beverage card- I can't confirm that either!  why don't they put the details we want to see on the booking info?  Or am I missing the info somewhere?

I assume that you booked through a TA (travel agent), thus this information should have been sent to you by your TA.  I book through HAL directly and get a confirmation email which includes my dining times, bed selection, onboard credits (in total) and other special perks I get (usually on page 2).

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our TA puts all that information in the confirmation she sends to us.  She lists everything that we are getting from HAL as well as all the different shipboard credits.

 

That is why we prefer to use a TA.

 

If you booked through HAL, I guess you should have requested that person to send you an e-mail listing everything you are to get.

[VTcruisenut]

10 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

I assume that you booked through a TA (travel agent), thus this information should have been sent to you by your TA.  I book through HAL directly and get a confirmation email which includes my dining times, bed selection, onboard credits (in total) and other special perks I get (usually on page 2).

NO, we booked directly thru HAL when they offered the $1 deposit last spring!  and then when I called on Black Friday because the price was lower, I save another $300 but the agent said our original perk of free gratuities still stood.  I have sent them an email regarding my questions and I'm sure they will get back to me.  I haven't had good luck with TA as I usually find better deals myself, and truthfully don't want to pay more $$$ just so they get a commission.

[DaveOKC]

15 minutes ago, VTcruisenut said:

NO, we booked directly thru HAL when they offered the $1 deposit last spring!  and then when I called on Black Friday because the price was lower, I save another $300 but the agent said our original perk of free gratuities still stood.  I have sent them an email regarding my questions and I'm sure they will get back to me.  I haven't had good luck with TA as I usually find better deals myself, and truthfully don't want to pay more $$$ just so they get a commission.

Didn't HAL send you a confirmation email?  If they did, there should be an attachment to it (easy to miss as it is at the bottom of the email) that is your confirmation letter.

 

If you did not get one, or misplaced it, call HAL and ask them to send you another.

[VTcruisenut]

36 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Didn't HAL send you a confirmation email?  If they did, there should be an attachment to it (easy to miss as it is at the bottom of the email) that is your confirmation letter.

 

If you did not get one, or misplaced it, call HAL and ask them to send you another.

 Thanks!   I did find it on the very first email!!!! and yes, we have pre-paid gratuities and a Casino Discount- go figure!  Thank you for pointing that out to me!  also states confirmedm Main Dining, table for 8

Edited January 3, 2019 by VTcruisenut
new info

[DaveOKC]

29 minutes ago, VTcruisenut said:

 Thanks!   I did find it on the very first email!!!! and yes, we have pre-paid gratuities and a Casino Discount- go figure!  Thank you for pointing that out to me!  also states confirmedm Main Dining, table for 8

Glad you found it!

[VTcruisenut]

in the interim, Holland sent a new confirmation with the new pricing and the pre-paid gratuities are gone!  I will be calling them as soon as I get out of work!  That is just wrong!

[me-shel]

Thank you! Very helpful to work on some plans knowing we're set for 7:45 or 8:00. 

 

I'm still not sure how we ended up designated at a table for 6 but that'll work just fine. The only one that was 'too much' was having two of us seated at a 10-top. It was a table of groups of 2-3 and we were constantly waiting for people who were late or just never came that night. 

 

[POA1]

4 minutes ago, me-shel said:

Thank you! Very helpful to work on some plans knowing we're set for 7:45 or 8:00. 

 

I'm still not sure how we ended up designated at a table for 6 but that'll work just fine. The only one that was 'too much' was having two of us seated at a 10-top. It was a table of groups of 2-3 and we were constantly waiting for people who were late or just never came that night. 

 

 

Six is supposed to be the optimum number if you're joining other people. The table's small enough that you can talk to everyone and the odds of getting four people you dislike are pretty low. I would try to get your tablemates to agree that they'll let everyone, including the servers, know if they'll be missing on a particular night. You'd think that would be common courtesy, but you never know.