As You Wish Dining - Opinions, Comments and Discussions

[terrydtx]

For both RuthC and my self, our first experience of being aboard ship where the AYW dining system is fully in place and operational will be this next January, for our South American/Antarctica cruise aboard the Rotterdam. On this cruise we're with a small group of CCers most of whom planned this cruise while aboard the CC Group Cruise to Hawaii (The Voyage of the Spammed). Several of us are solo on this cruise, but we're with a group and that will change matters for us even if we're (as a group) placed in the AYW dining area. I don't anticipate any problems with our being able to arrange things to our liking for each evening, even if we're not in Traditional. It may take some extra work, and some extra negotiations with the Dining Room Staff, but such will be worth it to ensure our dining experience is agreeable. Of course, IF they give us Traditional Dining, we won't have anything to do beyond the "ordinary." And, given that most of us had booked this cruise by January of this year (a year in advance of the cruise) one would think that we should be able to get our dining choice. But ... no ... we're all "waitlisted."

 

 

I suspect the reason so many wanting traditional dining are waitlisted has to do with the way HAL has introduced the change without a lot of explanation to both TA’s and the public. We booked our November cruise for 3 cabins ( 6pax ) in January of this year and were confirmed for the 6:15 seating. In March my wife’s mother thought about going with us ( as a solo) and when we inquired with our TA if she could be added to our table of 6 the TA called HAL and discovered that we all had been moved to the 5:45 seating with no explanation. All 6 of us went ballistic at first because even the 6:15 seating was too early for us but much more desirable than 8:00. I demanded an explanation from HAL through my TA as to why we were moved to 5:45. On the TA’s next call to HAL she was that told HAL was eliminating the 6:15 dinner times on their ships and that we could not move to the later seating at 8:00 as it was waitlisted. I told the TA that we may all consider cancelling the cruise if we did not get our original 6:15 seating. Princess had a very similar itinerary that we began to look at. On the second call to HAL in April the TA was told about the new AYWD and we were delighted. I suspect that many already booked passengers that had the 6:15 or 8:30 seating times confirmed and have not had much communication with their booking agents or who booked online have no idea about the AYWD options and that they were either moved to the 5:45 or 8:00 seating or waitlisted. If we had not inquired about adding my mother in law we would not have known until we received our cruise documents in November. My point is there may be a lot of booked passengers who have traditional seating times and have no idea that AYWD is available and would change like we did when they find out. We even thought about keeping our 5:45 seating and use it on days at sea and use AYWD on days in port, but when we found out that if you are on the traditional dining you can not switch to AYWD on some days with out having to wait in line for a table or not be able to make a reservation all 6 of us switched to AYWD. This also freed up 6 spots for the 5:45 seating for those who want it. I will admit HAL has done a terrible job of disseminating information about the change to AYWD and I hope that you get your traditional choice in January as more like us give up the traditional seating for AYWD.

[Beyondships]

In my interview with Henk Mensink, the Hotel Manager on Noordam, he said that what HAL is doing is not Anytime Dining but rather a program to introduce more flexibility into dining. I have posted the interview at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Nooordam-Mensink.html with some photos of Noordam at http://beyondships.com/Noordam.html

 

I hope this is helpful.

[RevNeal]

I suspect the reason so many wanting traditional dining are waitlisted has to do with the way HAL has introduced the change without a lot of explanation to both TA’s and the public. We booked our November cruise for 3 cabins ( 6pax ) in January of this year and were confirmed for the 6:15 seating. In March my wife’s mother thought about going with us ( as a solo) and when we inquired with our TA if she could be added to our table of 6 the TA called HAL and discovered that we all had been moved to the 5:45 seating with no explanation. All 6 of us went ballistic at first because even the 6:15 seating was too early for us but much more desirable than 8:00. I demanded an explanation from HAL through my TA as to why we were moved to 5:45. On the TA’s next call to HAL she was that told HAL was eliminating the 6:15 dinner times on their ships and that we could not move to the later seating at 8:00 as it was waitlisted. I told the TA that we may all consider cancelling the cruise if we did not get our original 6:15 seating. Princess had a very similar itinerary that we began to look at. On the second call to HAL in April the TA was told about the new AYWD and we were delighted. I suspect that many already booked passengers that had the 6:15 or 8:30 seating times confirmed and have not had much communication with their booking agents or who booked online have no idea about the AYWD options and that they were either moved to the 5:45 or 8:00 seating or waitlisted. If we had not inquired about adding my mother in law we would not have known until we received our cruise documents in November. My point is there may be a lot of booked passengers who have traditional seating times and have no idea that AYWD is available and would change like we did when they find out. We even thought about keeping our 5:45 seating and use it on days at sea and use AYWD on days in port, but when we found out that if you are on the traditional dining you can not switch to AYWD on some days with out having to wait in line for a table or not be able to make a reservation all 6 of us switched to AYWD. This also freed up 6 spots for the 5:45 seating for those who want it. I will admit HAL has done a terrible job of disseminating information about the change to AYWD and I hope that you get your traditional choice in January as more like us give up the traditional seating for AYWD.

 

Sounds like a mess. But, then, not surprising. My prayer is that the poor communications don't reflect an equally poor implementation. HAL has been known to fumble things before.

 

Speculation has been rampant as to why so much of the Traditional Area is wait-listed, while AYW is so often open. Some suspect that HAL is trying to push people into AYW. Others suspect that it has to do with HAL reserving as much space in the Traditional venue as possible for large group bookings (though why they would want to put them in Traditional and not in AYW is beyond me). Still others believe that HAL is setting aside too small of area in hopes of AYW being very popular, and are being very slow in the up-take on the fact that HAL regulars tend to prefer Traditional (and HAL repeat traffic averages much better than 40% of most sailings). Me? I'm now willing to reserve judgement while being suspicious of "all of the above."

 

As for our group on the Rotterdam, I think we all selected second-seating, and specifically 8 pm -- that happens to be my favorite dining time, but I'm not bothered by 8:30 either. Early dining is just TOO early for me, and hence people like you switching out don't help us at all. IF I have to eat at 5:45 aboard ship I'm not hungry post-lunch and I don't like being rushed on port days AND I don't like being rushed in dinner (second seating one isn't rushed unless one wants to be). Additionally, consider that this is a South American/Antarctica cruise: 20 days, Rio - Santiago, in late January, and very expensive (even in the cheap cabins). It's a cruise that will attract a LOT of HAL Mariners ... people who mostly prefer Traditional. It's also the FIRST cruise on the Rotterdam with AYWD in place. My concern is that it won't be implemented properly and too much of a Traditional-preferring Passenger census will be forced into AYWD, including me-and-mine. Of course, again, as a group we can probably make arrangements to our liking. But, then again, perhaps so many people will be trying to do this that we might be out-of-luck. We might have to choose a different time than our preference, or be willing to move around a lot (from night to night) in order to be able to get the times we want and/or a table for all of us. It could become very difficult, and we might be forced to put up with some rather significant delays or other inconveniences (like no table for 8 but 2 tables for 4 on OPPOSITE ENDS of the Dining Room). This will NOT sit well with us, if this happens, and the reviews we file form the ship, and upon returning home, will NOT be pretty. I PRAY that this is all just unnecessary speculation and that nothing even remotely like this will happen. However, I'm still too much of a Boy Scout to not "Be Prepared."

[RevNeal]

In my interview with Henk Mensink, the Hotel Manager on Noordam, he said that what HAL is doing is not Anytime Dining but rather a program to introduce more flexibility into dining. I have posted the interview at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Nooordam-Mensink.html with some photos of Noordam at http://beyondships.com/Noordam.html

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

Thank you! I'll read it with MUCH interest. Henk is a class-act and a good friend.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

In my interview with Henk Mensink, the Hotel Manager on Noordam, he said that what HAL is doing is not Anytime Dining but rather a program to introduce more flexibility into dining. I have posted the interview at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Nooordam-Mensink.html with some photos of Noordam at http://beyondships.com/Noordam.html

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

Thanks, only that's not the program which is actually on Noordam now. Now there is fixed traditional dining on deck 3, one early and one main seating. Deck 2 is allocated for As You Wish Dining, which is available from 5:15 to 9:00 pm. When you make your booking you must choose between one or the other. If the program were as you described above in your link, this thread would probably be considerably less contentious:) .

[hammybee]

In my interview with Henk Mensink, the Hotel Manager on Noordam, he said that what HAL is doing is not Anytime Dining but rather a program to introduce more flexibility into dining. I have posted the interview at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Nooordam-Mensink.html with some photos of Noordam at http://beyondships.com/Noordam.html

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed your interview and web site. I suspect your interview was conducted before the 2007 Alaskan season when the the alternative "As you Wish" lower level dining program was introduced.

[hammybee]

Thanks, only that's not the program which is actually on Noordam now. Now there is fixed traditional dining on deck 3, one early and one main seating. Deck 2 is allocated for As You Wish Dining, which is available from 5:15 to 9:00 pm. When you make your booking you must choose between one or the other. If the program were as you described above in your link, this thread would probably be considerably less contentious:) .

 

Sorry for the redundancy, MaM. I took a phone call in the middle of my posting and we came to the same conclusion.

[RevNeal]

In my interview with Henk Mensink, the Hotel Manager on Noordam, he said that what HAL is doing is not Anytime Dining but rather a program to introduce more flexibility into dining. I have posted the interview at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Nooordam-Mensink.html with some photos of Noordam at http://beyondships.com/Noordam.html

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

I've read the interview, and I have a question. When was this interview done? What Henk says is:

 

In addition to upgrading amenities,

HAL is continually adjusting its practices

to meet competition and to meet the

desires of its clientele. For example, in

the wake of Norwegian Cruise Line’s

implementation of “Freestyle dining” in

which passengers can chose when and

where they want to dine, several of the

cruise lines have sought to add more

flexibility to their dining practices.

“Mariners told us that they would like to

eat a little earlier and would like to have

a window during which they could come

down to the dining room. Then you

have the other clientele that would like to

not be restricted to one time at the later

seating.” Accordingly, HAL has

introduced a program whereby

passengers can arrive between 5:30 and

6 for the early seating in the dining room

and between 8 and 9 for the late

seating. “We should be careful not to

say that it is Freestyle dining because it

isn’t, it is still according to the dining

room assignment and table assignment.

It is just the arrival time that gives you

the flexibility.”

 

This was the test that was in place aboard the Noordam in January, when I was aboard. It is not, however, the As You Wish Dining schedule that is being implemented fleet-wide here in 2007 - 2008. Things have changed, somewhat, since this interview with Henk.

 

Ooops ... while I was reading the interview and writing my post others beat me to the punch. Sorry for being "redundant."

[HeatherInFlorida]

......Bruce Muzz:

 

Does open dining on ships denigrate the relationship that passengers have always enjoyed with the service staff? It certainly does. Breaking that relationship makes the service appear to be less personal and friendly. Americans generally do not like that, as they frequently confuse and equate friendliness with excellent service. ........

 

I definitely equate friendliness with service. Not saying this is rational of me, but I can't help it. If the staff is friendly, I'm less apt to notice if the service is less than stellar:) . I think that's human.

 

New and improved? The cruiseline version of planned obsolescence?

Sure says something about how they value loyalty. :(

Get 'em in; wring 'em dry; move on to the next newby. :rolleyes:

 

Ruth, you have hit the nail on the proverbial head;) . I think this is exactly the point.

 

As well there should be if there are less of HAL's target market driven by it than there was in the past. (That's something they'd know, not any of us.) .............

 

Bicker, I completely agree :) . However, my particular point is that if it's really true that (as quoted above) 65% of the passengers want open dining, then there should be absolutely no problem getting Traditional by those of us who want it.

 

What I think everyone is saying here (those of us who like Traditional) is we have no issue at all with a choice being offered as long as we don't have to book 2 years out to get what we want.

 

So if their statistics are true, it will all work out great and everyone will be happy:D . Only time will tell. If, however, the numbers come from some survey of people who have not cruised HAL and are simply saying they'll only cruise HAL if open dining is available, then all bets are off ... because there's no guarantee that they will choose HAL over other lines. There's only the guarantee that HAL wants them to and will do whatever they have to (including upsetting their loyal HAL Mariners) in order to get new bodies on their ships.

[RevNeal]

Bicker, I completely agree :) . However, my particular point is that if it's really true that (as quoted above) 65% of the passengers want open dining, then there should be absolutely no problem getting Traditional by those of us who want it.

 

Precisely right ... because more than 35% of the main dining room is being set aside for Traditional. If anything, it will be those who want AYW who will be whining and upset about not being able to get AYW. Time will tell.

 

What I think everyone is saying here (those of us who like Traditional) is we have no issue at all with a choice being offered as long as we don't have to book 2 years out to get what we want.

 

If at all. And, I agree.

 

So if their statistics are true, it will all work out great and everyone will be happy:D . Only time will tell. If, however, the numbers come from some survey of people who have not cruised HAL and are simply saying they'll only cruise HAL if open dining is available, then all bets are off ... because there's no guarantee that they will choose HAL over other lines. There's only the guarantee that HAL wants them to and will do whatever they have to (including upsetting their loyal HAL Mariners) in order to get new bodies on their ships.

 

They need not only new bodies but new bodies that can be added to old bodies, and new bodies that won't go away after just one cruise. They need to build their passenger base larger, not just fresher. Hence, they need to keep as many of us as they can while gaining new Mariners. I would be curious to see the results of the survey that's went out last week to a sizable percentage of the Mariner base. Among the questions asked were the kinds of questions that will give us data on what Mariners want regarding traditional as opposed to "Open" dining. I would be very surprised if the Mariner census is anything less than 50% Traditional. Probably higher.

 

HAL wants to expand that base -- increase the size of the past-passenger pool -- but it doesn't necessarily want to lose their existing past passengers in the process. I know ... I've asked. The response back is that HAL wants to do BOTH. They understand that some trade-offs are necessary, and some people will not be able to handle change at all (and that's nothing new ... some people quit HAL over the building of the S-class ships!); however, they expect that better than 70% of frequent Mariners will stick with the Line for at least some of their cruises, and if they can add to that a significantly sized group of people who, over time, eventually doubles the size (and more) of the original group they'll lose over this, they'll be happy. They would like a higher margin of gain, but they'll settle for twice the loss factor.

[terrydtx]

As for our group on the Rotterdam, I think we all selected second-seating, and specifically 8 pm -- that happens to be my favorite dining time, but I'm not bothered by 8:30 either. Early dining is just TOO early for me, and hence people like you switching out don't help us at all. IF I have to eat at 5:45 aboard ship I'm not hungry post-lunch and I don't like being rushed on port days AND I don't like being rushed in dinner (second seating one isn't rushed unless one wants to be). Additionally"

 

I bet that there will be people booked at 8 and 8:30 who will opt out for AYWD too. Your quote from above makes the point in favor of AYWD, wheras 5:45 and 6:15 are too early for you (and for me too) maybe 7 to 7:30 would work better for you, it does for me, than the 8 or 8:30 seating which are way too late for me.

[RevNeal]

I bet that there will be people booked at 8 and 8:30 who will opt out for AYWD too. Your quote from above makes the point in favor of AYWD, wheras 5:45 and 6:15 are too early for you (and for me too) maybe 7 to 7:30 would work better for you, it does for me, than the 8 or 8:30 seating which are way too late for me.

 

I agree. I'm sure some of those who are originally booked for 8 or 8:30 will opt for AYWD, so while you're cancellation wouldn't help if I were aboard your sailing, someone else's might.

 

7-7:30 is still too early for me. On a cruise I prefer to eat at 8 pm. :) Of course, this means that AYWD would be good for me with regarding to WHEN I eat if, for instance, I can't get the second seating. But it might not be at all helpful for where or with whom or via which stewards. If I'm solo I'm going to want to meet people over the dining table and get to know them across the duration of a cruise, not have 20 or so sets of different dining companions, none of whom I get to know very well and at most of which I feel like I'm intruding on their conversations and cruise.

 

I would rather accommodate myself to an earlier dining time than I would prefer, and have a great time with a table of interesting people who become my friends, rather than having 20 different meals with strangers and not enjoying it nearly so much, even though it's at the time of my choice.

[boards]

I have been trying hard to stay out of this, but you have hit it right on the head when you say you not want to have 20 or so sets of different dining companions, none of whom I get to know very well and at most of which I feel like I'm intruding on their conversations and cruise. That is exactly how we feel. We have enjoyed the group we have set with on each cruise for the 7 days or 14 or what the length of time, have got to know each other and have maintained contact with a number of them after the cruise.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I have been trying hard to stay out of this, but you have hit it right on the head when you say you not want to have 20 or so sets of different dining companions, none of whom I get to know very well and at most of which I feel like I'm intruding on their conversations and cruise. That is exactly how we feel. We have enjoyed the group we have set with on each cruise for the 7 days or 14 or what the length of time, have got to know each other and have maintained contact with a number of them after the cruise.

 

Exactly!!! So have we. And wouldn't you just love to begin dinner every night with "Hello, I'm ****", "Where are you from?", "Cruised often?", all the introductory stuff over and over every night. It would be either that or finding dining companions every day, or by luck meeting up with people the first day and you all feel the same about eating with the same people every night, or eating alone.

 

Greg, I agree ... it will be most interesting to see how it plays out in the coming months. And I'd love to see the result of that survey.

[RevNeal]

Greg, I agree ... it will be most interesting to see how it plays out in the coming months. And I'd love to see the result of that survey.

 

I have contacts in HAL that I might be able to manipulate and get at least a summary of the results. :) I'll try.

[Jemima]

We are booked on the Ryndam in Oct. and the Ryndam starts AYW dining that month. We were waitlisted for the early traditional dining time when we booked. This was a direct booking and the HAL rep simply stated what was available and didn't pressure me. Our documents came today and we are still, as expected, waitlisted. As we booked late we realize we probably won't get our request.

Our documents also say "So that we may accommodate all our guests, we are unable to offer the opportunity to switch between fixed and open dining during the cruise. If you have questions, please speak to our dining room staff during embarkation from 11:30am until 3:30pm outside the Explorers' Lounge."

[bUU]

However, my particular point is that if it's really true that (as quoted above) 65% of the passengers want open dining, then there should be absolutely no problem getting Traditional by those of us who want it.

That may not be a logical implication. An offering is only tangentially affected by wants; it is directly affected by capacity and demand, and more specifically by market sensitivity to the availability of the offering. I surely have no problem with traditional being offered -- it's what we want this time, incidentally. What I'm saying is that desire does not prevail; contribution to long-term shareholder value prevails; and the reason why that is important is because people shouldn't feel (specifically) entitled to something they want which may or may not be offered. People should feel entitled only to that which they are explicitly promised.

[terrydtx]

I have contacts in HAL that I might be able to manipulate and get at least a summary of the results. :) I'll try.

 

Revneal, I see you are booked on the Volendam Nov. 3rd cruise, is that the first sailing on the Volendam with AYWD? If so, I look forward to your comments when you return. I am on the Nov. 23 sailing and I know it has AYWD.

 

I would like to see more posters on this forum who experienced AYWD this summer and what they liked or disliked about the open dining.

[HeatherInFlorida]

That may not be a logical implication. An offering is only tangentially affected by wants; it is directly affected by capacity and demand, and more specifically by market sensitivity to the availability of the offering. I surely have no problem with traditional being offered -- it's what we want this time, incidentally. What I'm saying is that desire does not prevail; contribution to long-term shareholder value prevails; and the reason why that is important is because people shouldn't feel (specifically) entitled to something they want which may or may not be offered. People should feel entitled only to that which they are explicitly promised.

 

I'm sorry; maybe my brain hasn't clicked in yet but I have no idea what you're saying. I understand, of course, that from cruise to cruise the numbers wanting one or the other choice will vary. But even then, if the numbers are correct we should not read here over and over that passengers cannot get Traditional dining.

 

I think my implication is definitely logical. We are told by Bruce Muzz (who I'm confident knows what he's talking about given his association) that 65% of the people want some form of open dining.

 

If that's the case, that is what they will choose when presented with 2 options. So on average there should be plenty of room for those who wish Traditional and there's really no reason for waitlists when booking a year out.

[RevNeal]

Revneal, I see you are booked on the Volendam Nov. 3rd cruise, is that the first sailing on the Volendam with AYWD? If so, I look forward to your comments when you return. I am on the Nov. 23 sailing and I know it has AYWD.

 

I would like to see more posters on this forum who experienced AYWD this summer and what they liked or disliked about the open dining.

 

The November 3rd sailing is the last sailing with just Traditional Dining. :) If I remember this correctly, it is being implemented on the Volendam on the November 13th cruise.

 

I didn't try for that when I booked it ... I booked it, with others, for a specific reason, and that reason had nothing to do with dining schedules (they announced the AYWD schedule and its implementation schedule after I booked.)

 

I, too, would like to see more reports from those who have sailed with the AYWD in place. The only problem is that it has yet to be implemented on any ship except the Noordam. Indeed, MOST of the reports we have received, thus far, are from the Noordam and the Oosterdam dining experiments that HAL has been conducting over the past year and a half; what was experienced in these tests was NOT AYW, per se, but a dining test that, in most cases, varied some -- if not a great deal -- from the AYWD schedule that HAL has finally decided to adopt.

 

The Ryndam will be the first ship (other than the Noordam) to get it, but that won't be until October 11, 2007. From there, the implementation schedule is phased through the first half of the coming year, with the last existing ship sheduled to adopt AYWD being the Prinsendam on May 23, 2008 (the Eurodam will sail, on its maiden voyage, with AYWD in-place).

 

Hence, it's going to be a little while before we have a lot of reports from across the fleet on how it's running. Indeed, my first cruise aboard the Rotterdam on January 27, 2008 will be the Rotterdam's first cruise with AYWD in place, so I'll be able to offer a report regarding that from the ship and when I get home. You'll be able to report on it as it is in operation on the Volendam sooner. And, since you're actually selecting the Open Dining seating option of AYWD, I'll be particularly interested to read your remarks. On the other hand, if I get what I want, I'll be in Traditional aboard the Rotterdam and shouldn't be able to tell any difference.

[RevNeal]

I'm sorry; maybe my brain hasn't clicked in yet but I have no idea what you're saying.

 

He's just trying to impress by framing his response that way. :) Nothing new there ... he's done that before, and from what I'm told from people who've known him for a while on other boards, it's par for the course with him. As you have done -- and done well, might I add -- just read through the verbiage and don't allow it to snow or intimidate you.

 

I think my implication is definitely logical. We are told by Bruce Muzz (who I'm confident knows what he's talking about given his association) that 65% of the people want some form of open dining.

 

Was Bruce's figure an industry-wide result, or one specific to HAL? I suspect it's true industry-wide. HAL doesn't reflect the industry as a whole, neither now nor in what they're targeting. What will happen WILL be an increase in the numbers who want an Open Seating option, but it will be from a different starting point on the scale -- about 30% -- to something closer to 50%. Hence, the ships SHOULD be able to handle the demographics ... but, at least at first, those of us who want Traditional are not going to get what we want unless HAL shifts the percentages of the dining room that are set-aside for Traditional as opposed to AYWD. I can foresee certain sailings, on certain itineraries and certain times of the year, where those who want AYWD might be as high as 65% - 70% (think over holidays, etc.) while I can see other cruises, on other itineraries, etc., where the percentage will be almost exactly reversed. I hope that HAL staff will be flexible to the changing dynamic from cruise to cruise and be able to provide what is requested. That is what HAL is telling us they're going to try to do, but it remains to be seen if that is what is actually going to happen. We'll know by this time next year if it's do-able.

 

If that's the case, that is what they will choose when presented with 2 options. So on average there should be plenty of room for those who wish Traditional and there's really no reason for waitlists when booking a year out.

 

Correct. Your logic is impeccable. Spock would be pleased. :D

[terrydtx]

I, too, would like to see more reports from those who have sailed with the AYWD in place. The only problem is that it has yet to be implemented on any ship except the Noordam. And, since you're actually selecting the Open Dining seating option of AYWD, I'll be particularly interested to read your remarks. On the other hand, if I get what I want, I'll be in Traditional aboard the Rotterdam and shouldn't be able to tell any difference.

 

Don't worry I will back here after my cruise in December with what I liked or maybe disliked about AYWD. By the way, if we ever meet up on a HAL cruise you are welcome to sit at my table anytime. but it will probably on a AYWD table.

[RevNeal]

Don't worry I will back here after my cruise in December with what I liked or maybe disliked about AYWD. By the way, if we ever meet up on a HAL cruise you are welcome to sit at my table anytime. but it will probably on a AYWD table.

 

Thank you so much, I appreciate that. And, of course, if I've got people that want me to eat with them, and I want to eat with them, then AYWD becomes less of an issue ... I'm not intruding on someone, unwanted, or being "footballed" around the dining room from night to night.

 

:D

[hammybee]

I, too, would like to see more reports from those who have sailed with the AYWD in place. The only problem is that it has yet to be implemented on any ship except the Noordam. Indeed, MOST of the reports we have received, thus far, are from the Noordam and the Oosterdam dining experiments that HAL has been conducting over the past year and a half; what was experienced in these tests was NOT AYW, per se, but a dining test that, in most cases, varied some -- if not a great deal -- from the AYWD schedule that HAL has finally decided to adopt.

 

If memory serves me, the AYW esperiement on the Oosterdam was about a month long. The Noordam has offered the AYW alternative all of the Alaskan season, under two different hotel managers. And yet, I am aware of only a handful of AYW reports, my own, included.

 

I had not considered before this very moment, that hearing back from only 5 posters, representing about 18,000 lower berths throughout the YTD Alaskan season (assuming half the passengers dined in AYW) , tells us how few HAL passengers are posting, on this board.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

If memory serves me, the AYW esperiement on the Oosterdam was about a month long. The Noordam has offered the AYW alternative all of the Alaskan season, under two different hotel managers. And yet, I am aware of only a handful of AYW reports, my own, included.

 

I had not considered before this very moment, that hearing back from only 5 posters, representing about 18,000 lower berths throughout the YTD Alaskan season (assuming half the passengers dined in AYW) , tells us how few HAL passengers are posting, on this board.

 

It may also tell us how few passengers are finding that AYW dining is an issue about which to complain.