First & Second Sitting Dining Times

[Garybem]

I am getting contradictory information from HAL around timing for first and second dining. The FAQ on the site says 5:45pm and 8pm. As do many blogs etc. But a HAL rep when calling says it is 5:30pm and 7:30pm! What are people currently or just sailed experiencing? I’m especially interested in Zuiderdam but any ship experience welcome !

[Kay S]

Hi Gary.

[sciencewonk]

I think it might be chosen by the captain.  Our two recent cruises were both on Noordam, but with different captains.  They had different times.  Early dining was 5:30 once and 5:00 once.  I didn't notice what time the late dining was.

[sunviking90]

It was 5 pm and 7:30 for us in Alaska recently.

[Shmoo here]

26 minutes ago, Garybem said:

I am getting contradictory information from HAL around timing for first and second dining. The FAQ on the site says 5:45pm and 8pm. As do many blogs etc. But a HAL rep when calling says it is 5:30pm and 7:30pm! What are people currently or just sailed experiencing? I’m especially interested in Zuiderdam but any ship experience welcome !

On our Zuiderdam Voyage of the Vikings cruise fixed early was 5:00 and fixed main was 7:30.  It really conflicted with the showtimes onboard and some nights we had to rush eating and/or miss a course or two when we wanted to see the show (7:30 and 9:00)

[Dancing Shoes]

Just off Volendam.  Our fixed early dining ended up being 5:00 and not 5:45 according to our paperwork.  

[shiner6]

1 hour ago, Garybem said:

I am getting contradictory information from HAL around timing for first and second dining. The FAQ on the site says 5:45pm and 8pm. As do many blogs etc. But a HAL rep when calling says it is 5:30pm and 7:30pm! What are people currently or just sailed experiencing? I’m especially interested in Zuiderdam but any ship experience welcome !

we went to early dining on Zuiderdam at 5:30 in August.

[Crew News]

For my last six cruises (repositioning, Caribbean, and Alaska) dining times were 5:00 and 7:30 PM.

 

It appears that some ships deviate from the above.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Dancing Shoes said:

Just off Volendam.  Our fixed early dining ended up being 5:00 and not 5:45 according to our paperwork.  

When it gets to 4pm it will conflict with tea time :).

[pengu1n]

Wow, I eat early, but that's (5:00) really early!

[Shmoo here]

14 minutes ago, pengu1n said:

Wow, I eat early, but that's (5:00) really early!

We had main (late) dining on the Zuiderdam, that's 7:30.  That's late for us, plus the issue of missing the shows (or showing up with the theatre full, so bad seats) didn't work for us.  We asked to be moved to early (5:00) seating.  It worked much better for us.

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

I am definitely a late traditional sort of person. I find the timing of the shows versus dinner just perplexing. On the older Royal Caribbean ships, it worked perfectly - show from 7:00 to 7:45, dinner at 7:45ish. 

[cruiseaholic78]

With all the above mentioned problems with dining times why not just choose “anytime dining”?

[sciencewonk]

44 minutes ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

With all the above mentioned problems with dining times why not just choose “anytime dining”?

Some of us prefer to have the same wait staff and table guests at each meal.  I also don't like standing in line, waiting to be seated.  I have never had any problems with dining times for fixed dining.

[VMax1700]

April 2024 in Med on Nieuw Statendam it was 5pm and 7.15pm. 🙄

[POA1]

It can vary by ship, depending on the itinerary. Consider the two times to be a guideline, but they may vary a little once you are on board. They'll be constant for the whole trip and the entertainment schedules coordinate with the two fixed dining times.

 

We're a late, fixed dining people by nature. (Technically called Main Upper seating.) It's been as early as 7:00 and as late as 8:15 over the years. I don't recall anything 8:00 or later in a couple of decades though.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

I don't recall anything 8:00 or later in a couple of decades though.

They really are not aiming at a southern european market, which would not eat before 9pm!  But 7, or 7.15 is much too early for me.  We all must be tramps!

"she gets too hungry for dinner at eight....." 😉

 

[FlaMariner]

Breakfast at 8, lunch at noon, dinner at 5....

 

just like at home...rinse and repeat. 

 

We also love the fixed dining...Early sitting. the schedule is perfect for us. 

[shadow 123]

14 hours ago, Garybem said:

I am getting contradictory information from HAL around timing for first and second dining. The FAQ on the site says 5:45pm and 8pm. As do many blogs etc. But a HAL rep when calling says it is 5:30pm and 7:30pm! What are people currently or just sailed experiencing? I’m especially interested in Zuiderdam but any ship experience welcome !

Gary!!!!! I watch you all the time! I'm sailing on that ship next month but I have no idea when the dining time's are. I do have late reserve dining. If that interferes with me seeing the entertainment I'll just go to anytime dining.

Edited Wednesday at 02:56 PM by shadow 123

[Garybem]

16 minutes ago, shadow 123 said:

Gary!!!!! I watch you all the time! I'm sailing on that ship next month but I have no idea when the dining time's are. I do have late reserve dining. If that interferes with me seeing the entertainment I'll just go to anytime dining.

 

Thanks for watching the videos. I am double checking as my next Group Cruise is back on HAL and the information is always contradicting as trying to lock in next time to all dine together. Yes, that is the big challenge especially with late dining as end sup being rush to get to the later show.....

[Shmoo here]

4 hours ago, POA1 said:

They'll be constant for the whole trip and the entertainment schedules coordinate with the two fixed dining times.

Not very well.  As I noted, we had later seating at 7:30 and the show was at 9:00.  That's only  1 1/2 hours to order and be served.  Forget about any small talk with dining companions.  Early seating at 5:00 had the option of 7:30 show (2 1/2 hours for dinner) or 9:00.  

[bbodb1]

@Garybem - if you are getting confusing and conflicting information from HAL, what chance do we non influencers (i.e. non You_Tubers) have?   😉 

 

On a more useful note, we are about to cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam in November and I'll be happy to share whatever info I can from that trip.  

[dfish]

We had late dining at 7:30 on the Zuiderdam last month and except for one evening when service was slow, we were able to eat dinner in a relaxed manner, converse with our tablemates and waiters, and make the show at 9 pm with time to spare.  

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, dfish said:

We had late dining at 7:30 on the Zuiderdam last month and except for one evening when service was slow, we were able to eat dinner in a relaxed manner, converse with our tablemates and waiters, and make the show at 9 pm with time to spare.  

That certainly wasn't our experience onboard Zuiderdam for the Voyage of the Vikings.  We'd be seated at 7:30 and about 10 minutes later we'd get water service and menus.  Then it took about 15 minutes before the order was taken.  Another 30-40 minutes before the food started showing up.  If we did both starters and entree, that would take another 30-45 minutes.  

 

When we moved to early seating (5:00) the service wasn't a whole lot quicker, but we had more time to fit it all in.

 

The early seating had the option for either 7:30 or 9:00 for the show, but late seating only had the 9:00 option, if you could get done eating in time.  Another option - show up late and take your chances you didn't have to sit behind the support columns in the theater.

[dfish]

37 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

That certainly wasn't our experience onboard Zuiderdam for the Voyage of the Vikings.  We'd be seated at 7:30 and about 10 minutes later we'd get water service and menus.  Then it took about 15 minutes before the order was taken.  Another 30-40 minutes before the food started showing up.  If we did both starters and entree, that would take another 30-45 minutes.  

 

When we moved to early seating (5:00) the service wasn't a whole lot quicker, but we had more time to fit it all in.

 

The early seating had the option for either 7:30 or 9:00 for the show, but late seating only had the 9:00 option, if you could get done eating in time.  Another option - show up late and take your chances you didn't have to sit behind the support columns in the theater.

That's terrible for a Legendary Voyage!   Our cruise was the one right after yours so perhaps the negative reviews lit a fire under some people.  I do remember reading about the slow dining room service during the VoV.