Westerdam dining question

[orchidking]

Hi All:

 

We are long time Princess cruisers, but are booked for our first sailing on HAL on November 19. With Princess' anytime dining as our usual option, we are not used to assigned seating. Our online TA says we have a late seating reservation, but we are "on the list" for a table for 2. I have seen folks on the boards talking about requesting specific tables. Are there steps I should take to improve our chances? We are a category vf so no suite priorty available.

Thanks very much for your help.

 

Marty

[grannynurse]

Late could be 8 or 8:30. It may be a little too late to request a table for 2 for 11/14. If you don't get it before you sail, see the maitre D' when you board. He has hours in one of the public rooms day of boarding. Sorry, short of having a suite concierge to go to bat for you I don't have any suggestions.

You'll love Westerdam, she's a great ship, and the food is wonderful.

GN

[orchidking]

Hi GN:

 

Thanks for the tip. We are very excited to give HAL a try.

 

Marty

[synman]

You should have a great time. We thoroughly enjoyed our 3-day repo on the Westerdam a couple of weeks ago, and the upgrade to a Deluxe Verandah Suite didn't hurt...we are now totally spoiled.

 

While the HAL dining thing may be a bit more structured than you are used to on Princess, hopefully you will be blessed with good tablemates (we were) and will enjoy the difference.

 

At least one night you will want to do the Pinnacle Grill (the best of our 5 times on 4 different HAL ships) and you can always hit the Lido or do room service if you want to eat at some other time than your seating.

 

We found the food on the Westerdam to be consistent with our previous HAL trips, meaning always good to sometimes outstanding.

 

The dining room service on the W was the best we have enjoyed. Iceman was far and away the best dining room server we have yet to meet.

[Wildcats]

We are traveling on the Westerdam on the 12/17 cruise in an SB cabin. Last year we went on the Zuiderdam in an SS cabin. My understanding is that in an SA, SB or SC cabin you can go to the Pinnacle for breakfast. Is that true? I know tipping is the norm (and expected) for the Pinnacle Grill dinner, but is tipping also expected for breakfast if you are in a SB, SA or SC cabin for the Pinnacle Grill?

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Tom

[milichnj]

No breakfast in Pinnacle; Food not what it was 5 years ago.

[LolaWiz]

OP,

i have had MUCH success by faxing a very nice (I call it a "suck up" letter :D ) note to ship services prior to our sailing and request a table for two.

This is what i did on the O a few years ago and it was perfect.

 

If you do not get a table that you want upon check in, there is a time and place you can go to speak with the Matire D to change your seating.

 

Have a great time. The westerdam is a wonderful ship, and the crew is amazing~

[pog27]

Hey orchidking you should join the roll call for our cruise. It's pretty dead right now but we need some more people to join and liven it up!