"Anytime Dining"???

[RuthC]

There is always a very long waitlist for people requesting traditional dining when booking with many people unable to be confirmed.

Ah, the great fallacy of the so-called "Personal Choice" dining. There is no "personal choice" if you can't get the dining option that you want. I have read far too many times that there are people sailing Princess who want the traditional option, but cannot get it and are "assigned" to Anytime Dining.

I hope I never have to endure this on HAL.

[RevNeal]

Thing is, Rita, I seriously doubt a majority want this. Look at other cruise lines and their huge waiting lists for traditional dining. Like in many facets of life, the vocal minority (who in this case want HAL to be just like other lines they've cruised) tend to get their way. "We" have not been vocal enough. (No, I'm not proposing mutiny ... just stating that we collectively haven't made our preference known up until now. And now is too late!) JMO

 

1. Those who don't like "traditional dining" complain.

2. Those who like it don't say anything because they like it the way it is.

3. Since we who like it the way it is are quite, the Line doesn't think we exist ... the squeaky wheel maxim comes into play.

4. When we DO complain about the changes, we're told "but these changes are what our passengers have been saying they want."

 

We can't win because the way the Line finds out things and makes it's decisions are NEVER oriented toward the Status Quo Ante.

[Gsel]

Revneal,

I have just become the "squeaky wheel"! My email has just been sent to HAL and a letter will be sent just as soon as my family consumes all of this food I have spent two days cooking. Hopefully some of you others who don't like this will do the same.

[RuthC]

... the squeaky wheel maxim comes into play.

I remember an old Arabic proverb:

Among walnuts the empty one speaks. :rolleyes:

[FoxyTerrier]

I am a bit confused here! Are you saying we will have the option of "reserving" a particular time, table, etc. once we get on board? We too would rather have dinner around 6:45 or 6:30 and have the same table and staff but were told we would not have that option.

 

It is my understanding you have to call and make a reservation - I guess you can request the same table. It's still so new I think we will have to wait and see.

 

I think this new plan will hurt tips for the dining room staff - If you don't have the same staff for the entire cruise are you expected to tip after each meal?

[SHayesShip]

I was referring to the dining options on Princess. Since this is so new to HAL I have no idea of how it will end up working.

 

I am a bit confused here! Are you saying we will have the option of "reserving" a particular time, table, etc. once we get on board? We too would rather have dinner around 6:45 or 6:30 and have the same table and staff but were told we would not have that option.

[SHayesShip]

You leave the autocharge on your account like you always do. Nothing will change in that regard. The only catch would be if you wanted to tip above and beyond the regular gratuity. In that case you would tip extra directly.

 

It is my understanding you have to call and make a reservation - I guess you can request the same table. It's still so new I think we will have to wait and see.

 

I think this new plan will hurt tips for the dining room staff - If you don't have the same staff for the entire cruise are you expected to tip after each meal?

[SandyMc]

We have already confirmed our dining time for our Volendam cruise in December 07 but - do you think this will be an option on Volendam by then? Don't quite know what to think about it but think it would be pretty disruptive to people with confirmed dining times unless they simply set tables aside for "anythime" dining.....:rolleyes:

[AAAAmerican]

Proof is in the Pudding.

 

Well establish an OnLine Pudding Site where a type of Petition will be able to show HAL what, we, Tradionalists still want.

 

Cruise Guest with HAL Mariner Numbers are great for inputting .. as even the Press will see an OnLine site for that and show others...

 

The more which know the more they show the more that is shared the more they have cared....

 

 

^!^!^!^

 

1. Those who don't like "traditional dining" complain.

2. Those who like it don't say anything because they like it the way it is.

3. Since we who like it the way it is are quite, the Line doesn't think we exist ... the squeaky wheel maxim comes into play.

4. When we DO complain about the changes, we're told "but these changes are what our passengers have been saying they want."

 

We can't win because the way the Line finds out things and makes it's decisions are NEVER oriented toward the Status Quo Ante.