First time on HA- dining question

[purduemom1]

Hello All,

 

We leave next week on our first HA cruise. We are a family of 5 adults with 3 confirmation numbers. Our TA told us all the reservations are linked. We have Open Dining. How will our table be assigned? Should we go immediately after boarding to the dining room and reserve for the first night? No info with our docs about this (maybe I overlooked it?). 

 

We have had open dining on other lines and on one we reserved online and on another we would reserve for the following night as we left the dining room the previous night.

 

Thanks for your help.

Sharon

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes -- once you are on board, check the daily planner and see where and what time you can talk to the maitre'd.  Make your reservation for the first night at that time.  Be aware that only during certain times are reservations accepted: between 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9.  The other time, 6:15 - 7:30 you just show up.  If you like your table, you can request it and make reservations for 3 days at a time.

 

There isn't any way you can reserve on line with HAL before your cruise.

[doone]

Welcome to HAL, which ship are you sailing?

 

Thanks KK, I have open seating for the first time on my next cruise, very helpful.

 

enjoy your cruise.....

Edited April 27, 2019 by doone

[san diego spartan]

We just got off the NA and had open dining - it was super easy - we just showed up when we wanted to eat at the MDR.  2 times they gave us a pager and by the time we got the bar to get a drink - the pager had gone off.  So very short wait.  I think that was on both gala nights that it was busier and we wanted to eat at 7pmish.

 

[purduemom1]

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate knowing how HA handles the Open Dining.  We are sailing on NS, leaving May 5th.  

Sharon

[ScottC4746]

23 hours ago, purduemom1 said:

Hello All,

 

We leave next week on our first HA cruise. We are a family of 5 adults with 3 confirmation numbers. Our TA told us all the reservations are linked. We have Open Dining. How will our table be assigned? Should we go immediately after boarding to the dining room and reserve for the first night? No info with our docs about this (maybe I overlooked it?). 

 

We have had open dining on other lines and on one we reserved online and on another we would reserve for the following night as we left the dining room the previous night.

 

Thanks for your help.

Sharon

First, you have open dining so you do not have a table assigned.  We had open dining but it was only two of us and walking up was never a problem for us.  I do know you can reserve once on board but do not know if you can only do a few days at a time or just one night at a time.  The Lido Cafe you may have some problems depending on the ship.  We were on Eurodam and did not recall seeing anything larger than a four top or if the tables could be moved together to create a larger table.

[BK512]

Boiler Up!

[Nang]

No need to book a table as the SD Spartan has stated. We always do Open Dining and usually just walk up to the Dining Room and get seated. Sometimes there may be a wait but nearly always it is literally 2-4 minutes. I think maybe 5 times in 150 cruise days we have had to wait maybe 10-15 minutes.

 

If you want the buffet its a grab a table yourself arrangement as I expect it is on all lines.

[purduemom1]

23 hours ago, BK512 said:

Boiler Up!

 

That would be our son. For DH and I it’s Go Hawks! None of us live in either Indiana or Iowa but we still cheer on the teams!

Sharon

[purduemom1]

Thanks again for all the help. 

Sharon