Dining Question

[san diego spartan]

Have booked an Alaskan cruise for this year with some friends.  We just met up to go over things and discovered that they had booked the Early Dining option and we have the As you Like it (or the flexible dining option).  

 

We would all prefer to dine together, though I'm not keen on a fixed dining time.  I haven't done that in so long and with the shore excursions I think we are planning on the Early dining (which I believe to be 5:45 p.m.) might be a bit rush.  

 

So question:  Can our friends simply decide to skip their Early dining time and come join us on the As You LIke It (hope that is the right phrase) when they feel like it or should they just switch to the flexible dining time? What happens if you miss your assigned dining time? 

 

Thanks!

[san diego spartan]

I should add I was always under the understanding that you could not alternative between the fixed and the flexible options - but I'd like confirmation so I can have them decide what they would like to do.

 

Thanks!

[kazu]

1 minute ago, san diego spartan said:

I should add I was always under the understanding that you could not alternative between the fixed and the flexible options - but I'd like confirmation so I can have them decide what they would like to do.

 

Thanks!

 

Your friends can’t switch back and forth.  You have to do one dining option or the other.

 

Now you can switch once if there are openings (always openings in Anytime Dining IMO) 

 

But that’s it.  You either do fixed or anytime.  

[Bemidji Ty]

We just got off the Oosterdam today. after a 7 day MR cruise  We had anytime dining with another couple.  We never had to wait more than 5 minutes and that was only once.  We usually ate between 6 and 7.

 

Cheers

[san diego spartan]

Thanks.  I just wanted to be sure.  We have never had a problem with the wait times for the any time dining.  We did an Alaskan cruise last year with my folks and did the anytime,  I think one time they gave us a pager, but before we got our drinks the pager was going off to get our table. 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

Just go see the Dining Room Manager on boarding (they will have a desk set up somewhere) and get your arrangements joined. Very easy...

[san diego spartan]

Thanks Bruce - exactly what I was thinking!

 

 

[BaxCruiser]

You can also do this now through your PCC, TA, or Ship Services. We have a group of 10 on 4 different bookings, and we were able to arrange for all of us to sit together for dinner. We just provided all the booking numbers so they could be linked. 

[DivotMaker]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

Your friends can’t switch back and forth.  You have to do one dining option or the other.

 

Now you can switch once if there are openings (always openings in Anytime Dining IMO) 

 

But that’s it.  You either do fixed or anytime.  

 

First time HAL cruiser here, so may I ask what happens if the folks who have assigned dining skip one night and do the anytime?  Do they lose their assigned time for the remainder of the cruise?  Thank you.

[san diego spartan]

Thank you!

[kazu]

19 minutes ago, DivotMaker said:

 

First time HAL cruiser here, so may I ask what happens if the folks who have assigned dining skip one night and do the anytime?  Do they lose their assigned time for the remainder of the cruise?  Thank you.

 

If you have fixed dining, you can't go to anytime dining unless there are special arrangements made.  

 

You have to pick one or the other.  and yes, if they go to anytime, once their cabin number is known if they opt to eat there,  they'll lose their assigned seating.  

 

[DivotMaker]

2 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

If you have fixed dining, you can't go to anytime dining unless there are special arrangements made.  

 

You have to pick one or the other.  and yes, if they go to anytime, once their cabin number is known if they opt to eat there,  they'll lose their assigned seating.  

 

 

Thank you.

[DoggyDaddy]

We had early fixed dining on the Princendam (was all one level dining) last year. I think you have a 15 minute grace period for your table. One night we were about a half hour late and when we went to our table, it was occupied by someone else! We went to the desk, explained what happened and they apologized profusely and brought us to a table next to “ours”. I explained that it was entirely our fault for being late and they should not apologize. When we were going to the Pinnacle or Cannoletto we told our waiter the night before. 
 

DD