What is the difference between the upper and lower dining rooms?

[jocelysue]

I've been reading the various posts about the advantages of early vs 2nd sitting and of eating at 8 p.m. or 8:15 but nowhere have I seen the difference between the upper and the lower dining rooms.. What is the difference between them? Are there any advantages to one over the other? Are meal times staggered in both? Is service the same? Please do clue me in as I'm sure you will be helping many other px too. We are sailing on the Veendam Aug 29 (southward) from Alaska to Vancouver and would like to request a table which best suits our lifestyle so your input will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your kindly help.

[RevNeal]

What is the difference between the upper and lower dining rooms?

 

The upper level is upstairs. The lower level is downstairs.

 

Puh-dum-bum :D

[Keith B.]

Typically, the Upper Level is seated first at each seating. Early seating 5:45/6:00; Late seating 8:00/8:15. Upper level is seated at 5:45 and 8:00 and Late at 6:00 and 8:15. Service, food, etc. are identical. The only negative comment I have heard involves the Formal Nights when the Baked Alaska Parade is scheduled with the Upper Level when they have completed their meals and the Lower is still on their salads. Any events they may have at dinner would be they same.

My wife and I have been in both situations (1st and 2nd seating) and it doesn't phase us either way. Well O.K., they do turn the lights off and we couldn't see our food until the parade stated and the lit "Alaska" relit the room.

[stillfrantic]

Is part of the lower area overhung by the upper section where some lower tables wouldn't be looked down upon by the upper section?

[Sage]

The upper dinning room is located on the same level as some of the lounges and can be accessed directly, whereas the lower level is reached by elevator or the stairs.

[Lisa63]

The upper dinning room is located on the same level as some of the lounges and can be accessed directly, whereas the lower level is reached by elevator or the stairs.

Do many pax walk through the upper level to get to the lower level? That could be distracting to the upper level diners, who have the earlier dining time at each seating. Does HAL do anything to dissuade this?

[gizmo]

Lisa,

 

Pax don't actually walk through the upper dining room since the staircases are located close to the doorways as you enter.

 

Stillfrantic,

Yes there are tables located under the overhang.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

On the Vista class ships the stairs are in the middle of the dining room. There is a set of stairs outside the dining room as well.

We had a table by the rail this past May on the Maasdam when the new dining times began. We had 5:45 dinner time. Every evening there was a small parade of people who would come into the dining room about 6:20 - 6:25 for their 6:15 meal and used those stairs to get to their tables. A couple of the area captains tried to convince them to use either the stairs outside the dining room or the elevator - didn't work.

 

On some ships you can not access the the lower dining room directly. For example, if you have attended an affair in the main show lounge before dinner, you have to go up the stairs or elevators and walk to the stern stairs or elevators to go down to the lower level of the dining room.

On the older ships, Ocean Bar, card room, library, boutiques, etc., are all on the same level as the upper level of the dining room.

There are tables on the lower level that can not be seen by the people above.

 

:)

[the2ofus]

Sometimes there is a difference in temperature also. We have found that the tables at the rear of the ship near the windows on the upper level tend to be quite warm some evenings. If you are one of those "always chilled in air conditioning" people, these might be the tables for you.

[General Max]

The early seating in the upper dining room is almost guranteed not to run out of menu items.

 

General Max

[Tatka]

Typically, the Upper Level is seated first at each seating. Early seating 5:45/6:00; Late seating 8:00/8:15. Upper level is seated at 5:45 and 8:00 and Late at 6:00 and 8:15. Service, food, etc. are identical. The only negative comment I have heard involves the Formal Nights when the Baked Alaska Parade is scheduled with the Upper Level when they have completed their meals and the Lower is still on their salads. Any events they may have at dinner would be they same.

My wife and I have been in both situations (1st and 2nd seating) and it doesn't phase us either way. Well O.K., they do turn the lights off and we couldn't see our food until the parade stated and the lit "Alaska" relit the room.

Do they have Baked Alaska for both seating (Early and Main) or just Early?

[sail7seas]

Everyone gets to enjoy the Baked Alaska Parade.

 

On our recent Maasdam cruise, there was a parade for the 5:45 and 6:15 seatings. There was another for the 8:00 and 8:30 seatings.

[Tatka]

Everyone gets to enjoy the Baked Alaska Parade.

 

On our recent Maasdam cruise, there was a parade for the 5:45 and 6:15 seatings. There was another for the 8:00 and 8:30 seatings.

Thank you sail7seas... I wanted my DH to see it as we didn't have it on Splendour of the Seas. (they had Baked Alaska on the menu once though)

 

On Century it was very nice.

[sail7seas]

Joceylsue....I'm not sure what you mean by "lifestyle" choices deciding whether to dine upper or lower level. If by lifestyle you mean you would or would not enjoy a cocktail before dinner and if your dinner was at 5:45 P.M., you'd be dressing very early, then I see what you mean.

 

 

If you are early to bed people, you may wish an early dinner. If you always dine at 5:30 at home, you may wish early and conversely, if you alway dine late at home....you'd want late dinner.

 

You may wish to think in terms of selecting which you want by the time of the seating rather than where you will be seated.

 

Hope this helps.

[OCruisers]

Sometimes there is a difference in temperature also. We have found that the tables at the rear of the ship near the windows on the upper level tend to be quite warm some evenings. If you are one of those "always chilled in air conditioning" people, these might be the tables for you.

 

the2ofus .... Thanks! :cool: This is actually a very helpful tip!

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[cruzincurt]

On the Veendam last year, we were in the upper for the 8:15 seating and had a two-person table along the upper railing. It was a little distracting and noisy because the waiters are tearing down and setting up the lower dining room to get ready for the 8:30 seating. Sometimes they were trying to get the slowpokes from the first seating out.

 

It was interesting to see the people who came in upstairs at 8:20 and tried to go down the stairs. Since they didn't let people in down stairs until 8:30, these people obviously couldn't wait to get in so they came in upstairs and ran into the waiters trying to use the stairs. I guess they were afraid someone would take their seat if they didn't get there first.

 

We booked the upstairs again because we just liked the smaller upstairs dining room.

[sivia]

I've been reading the various posts about the advantages of early vs 2nd sitting and of eating at 8 p.m. or 8:15 but nowhere have I seen the difference between the upper and the lower dining rooms.. What is the difference between them? Are there any advantages to one over the other? Are meal times staggered in both? Is service the same? Please do clue me in as I'm sure you will be helping many other px too. We are sailing on the Veendam Aug 29 (southward) from Alaska to Vancouver and would like to request a table which best suits our lifestyle so your input will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your kindly help.

 

 

Really, trying not to be sarcastic here....difference between upper and lower dining room.....a flight of stairs. Having had dinner in both the upper and lower dining rooms, I've really never noticed a huge difference other than the fact that the upper dining room usually seats fewer people, therefore, the noise level is a little less. Hope this helps.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

Veendam last year? I didn't know that HAL had started the different times that soon? I thought that the new dining times started this year.

Any way, the area captains gave up trying to stop people from using the dining stairs to go down to the lower level for dinner on our cruise when we had the dinfferent dining times.

:)

[cruzincurt]

On the Veendam, last November, we had the split dinner times between upper and lower.

 

You would think that by the 6th day, people would know which floor to enter on.

[RevNeal]

Veendam last year? I didn't know that HAL had started the different times that soon? I thought that the new dining times started this year.

 

I think the Veendam was a test ship last year for the new dining schedule. I might be mistaken on that, but I seem to remember hearing that somewhere.

[RevNeal]

You would think that by the 6th day, people would know which floor to enter on.

 

LOL ... of course they do. :) They just like to make an entrance on the upper floor and then making a sweeping descent of the stairs ... particularly on formal nights. ;) On the Statendam we had couple which enjoyed entering the dining room upstairs and then parading down the stairs to the lower level, where our large table for 8 was located just to the left of the stairs. It made for a dramatic entrance. :D We called them "Mr and Mrs American Airlines" because he was a retired senior executive with American Airlines and she made sure everyone knew it. They were a great couple, but did enjoy being a bit ostentatious. We was liberal with the wine, though ... so we happily overlooked it! :D

[HeatherInFlorida]

Jocelysue, a huge consideration in choosing your dinner hour has to do with your ports and the times you're in them and what you choose to do during the day. If you expect to be in port late in the day, then you'd be advised to take the later sitting if you don't mind eating late and staying up late.

 

We have always chosen the later seating, this time choosing the 8:00 upper level, for this reason. We like to take our time getting ready for dinner, relax on our balcony for awhile and so forth. If you think you'll be hungry eating so late, not to worry!!! Head for the Lido Deck for hamburgers or tacos when you come back onboard and that will get you through;) .

[jocelysue]

Really, trying not to be sarcastic here....difference between upper and lower dining room.....a flight of stairs. Having had dinner in both the upper and lower dining rooms, I've really never noticed a huge difference other than the fact that the upper dining room usually seats fewer people, therefore, the noise level is a little less. Hope this helps.

 

 

No, I realise you weren't being sarcastic. My post was really poorly worded. Sorry. What I was attempting to determine was whether there were different meal times in the upstairs and the downstairs dining rooms and what were the advantages and drawbacks of both. Since my husband and I are slow eaters we were attempting to figure out what time would suit us best without disturbing anyone else. We hoped to tell our TA to book us a table for , most likely, the "first" second seating, wherever that is. When we broached the subject with her she didn't understand what we were talking about, so we thought this forum migh help. And so far, people have been great. Thanks. We still aren't sure "when" or "where" that seating is.

[jocelysue]

Jocelysue, a huge consideration in choosing your dinner hour has to do with your ports and the times you're in them and what you choose to do during the day. If you expect to be in port late in the day, then you'd be advised to take the later sitting if you don't mind eating late and staying up late.

 

We have always chosen the later seating, this time choosing the 8:00 upper level, for this reason. We like to take our time getting ready for dinner, relax on our balcony for awhile and so forth. If you think you'll be hungry eating so late, not to worry!!! Head for the Lido Deck for hamburgers or tacos when you come back onboard and that will get you through;) .

 

 

Heather,

 

You've given me the answer I was looking for. Thanks

[HeatherInFlorida]

We still aren't sure "when" or "where" that seating is.

So glad I could help!!:) To answer your other question, generally the 1st sitting is at 5:45 upstairs, 6:15 downstairs (or maybe 6 and 6:30--not sure:confused: ). The 2nd is 8:00 upstairs and 8:30 downstairs. When we were confirmed for ours on the Oosterdam, they called it "Main Upper at 8:00". Hope that helps, too!