As You Wish Dining - Opinions, Comments and Discussions

[WillieF]

In May, on the Noordam, so many in fixed seating bolted for AYW, that it was appaernet to the most causal observer that the crew had no idea when or where anyone would show up. They were tracking dining by cabin number/arrival time in all dining venues. As I understand it, this is also an issue on Princess.

 

So HAL has decided that those who choose fixed seating are not going to be able to opt in and out, because it's this kind of behavior that creates the a greater potential for for more diners, than tables available.

 

AND RIGHTLY SO!

 

Waitstaff 'downtime' must be given and, I'd assume, is predicated on 'guest' preference. Somewhere along the line 'guests' have to make up their minds - most things these days are not on a 'test and try before you buy' basis.

 

At home most people have a preferred 'dinner time' and specify at time of booking whatever is closest to it, be it early or late.

 

'Stuff' does happen on port days - you stay ashore longer than expected - so what! - there's always the Lido or room service....for sure you'll not starve!

 

It's like dining in the Pinnacle or (very infrequently!) being invited to 'dine with the Captain' - we make a point of telling our table companions and Steward that we'll be 'absent' tomorrow night or whatever - to us it is the polite thing to do.

 

Again I say AND RIGHTLY SO!

[cruz chic]

AND RIGHTLY SO!

 

Waitstaff 'downtime' must be given and, I'd assume, is predicated on 'guest' preference. Somewhere along the line 'guests' have to make up their minds - most things these days are not on a 'test and try before you buy' basis.

 

At home most people have a preferred 'dinner time' and specify at time of booking whatever is closest to it, be it early or late.

 

'Stuff' does happen on port days - you stay ashore longer than expected - so what! - there's always the Lido or room service....for sure you'll not starve!

 

It's like dining in the Pinnacle or (very infrequently!) being invited to 'dine with the Captain' - we make a point of telling our table companions and Steward that we'll be 'absent' tomorrow night or whatever - to us it is the polite thing to do.

 

Again I say AND RIGHTLY SO!

 

I agree 100%. You can't be deciding one day to do one thing...the next something else. It is not right to hold a table up in traditional and then go to anytime. I know people have mentioned that it is a problem on Princess. It is printed right on your cruise card which type of dining you have traditional or anytime. I've been asked to show my card so I wonder why it would be a problem. Sound like it should be a no brainer to me.

[RevNeal]

I believe that HAL should allow people to sign up for the dining system that they prefer, and then require that they stick with it for the cruise. If someone wants Traditional, they should be allowed to book Traditional and the line should guarantee to enable it. Likewise, if someone wants to book AYW, the Line should allow it and enable it on the cruise. However, NO ONE should be allowed to switch from one to the other while on the cruise. AYW people shouldn't be allowed to take tables in Traditional, and likewise Traditional people shouldn't be allowed to switch to AYW.

 

That my opinion.

[kryos]

I believe that HAL should allow people to sign up for the dining system that they prefer, and then require that they stick with it for the cruise.

I agree with you 100%, but how are they gonna enforce it? Of course, the first night of your cruise, you'll probably have to show your dining assignment card in AYW, but I can't imagine the Matri 'd will be checking those cards throughout the cruise. So, what's to stop somebody who maybe misses their assigned dining time in traditional due to an extended day in port from walking into the AYW dining room and requesting a table? Maybe they don't care to eat at the Lido buffet ... or maybe they got back too late for it. Either way, they want sit-down service and thus go to the AYW dining room.

 

That's the problem with offering both types of dining, and I know Princess wrestles with this as well. You should have seen our area of the traditional dining room by mid-way through a 15-day cruise ... empty seats everywhere ... yet the waiters could not seat someone else in those spots because you never knew if the assigned people were going to show up.

 

Personally, I think it's more efficient to have one type of dining ... either traditional or AYW. Go with the majority preference and those who don't like it can simply choose another cruise line to sail. NCL pioneered the freestyle dining concept and they seem quite able to fill their ships each week. So, if HAL is so bloody sure that AYW dining is in demand, perhaps they should scrap traditional altogether (and who knows? Maybe they eventually will) and focus all their energies on making AYW dining a success.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

In May, on the Noordam, so many in fixed seating bolted for AYW, that it was appaernet to the most causal observer that the crew had no idea when or where anyone would show up.

If that's the case, then it is obvious traditional is not very popular. There is no way HAL is gonna be able to effectively track this. The problem, in my opinion, is that the dinner hours in the Lido are far too restrictive. If someone is late getting back to the ship from port, chances are they would have missed the dinner service in the Lido anyway, since it ends by about 7:30 p.m. So, where do they eat? In the AYW dining room, of course! Perhaps if HAL extended the Lido dinner service hours on port days, more people would do the right thing and just go up there if they missed their early seating time in Traditional.

 

It's a thought anyway.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[bUU]

I think you're overestimating the difficultly of checking a cabin number against a list of those registered for AYW.

[gizmo]

If that's the case, then it is obvious traditional is not very popular. There is no way HAL is gonna be able to effectively track this. The problem, in my opinion, is that the dinner hours in the Lido are far too restrictive. If someone is late getting back to the ship from port, chances are they would have missed the dinner service in the Lido anyway, since it ends by about 7:30 p.m. So, where do they eat? In the AYW dining room, of course! Perhaps if HAL extended the Lido dinner service hours on port days, more people would do the right thing and just go up there if they missed their early seating time in Traditional.

 

It's a thought anyway.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Agree. I always thought the Lido hours were too short.

 

As far as tracking who eats where, it probably won't make a difference. They are not going to make a scene and turn people away. They have difficulty enforcing dress code, and things related to kiddies, I don't see where dining would be handled any different.

[terrydtx]

So I'm understanding that if I have already elected a fixed seating time (ours is Early) we cannot take advantage of the open dining occasionally, such as when we're returning late from a shore excursion? Too bad we can't use the "open dinning" for those times. We usually just go up to the Lido, and that's fine too.

 

My understanding is that HAL crew members will hold an orientation session on AYWD the day of departure and allow at that time only those booked in traditional seating times the opportunity to change to AYWD. This should open up more traditional seatings for those passengers who are waitlisted for dining times and is the only fair way to further the opportunity to take care of passenger’s choice for dining options. To allow back and forth dining would not be fair to those who want only the traditional seatings and are waitlisted.:)

[mamaofami]

After reading Lisa's post on another thread about how popular ATD is on the Noordam this week, I had some questions. If you request the same time and same table every night, it's almost like the fixed dining.When do you do this? Every night? Every morning? Or when you first come to the dining room?

But, what if you ask for 7pm and the next night, because of an excursion, you want to eat at 7:45pm? Then, are you calling up to make a new reservation, canceling the one you had the day before, or just arriving at the dining room when you wish? This sounds very confusing to me. Could someone please tell me how this is supposed to work?

 

One further question. Since the show times have been co ordinated with the dinner times, if you have AYWD and want to go to a show, how do you manage to eat at &:30 and make the 8:30 show?

[RevNeal]

I agree with you 100%, but how are they gonna enforce it? Of course, the first night of your cruise, you'll probably have to show your dining assignment card in AYW, but I can't imagine the Matri 'd will be checking those cards throughout the cruise. So, what's to stop somebody who maybe misses their assigned dining time in traditional due to an extended day in port from walking into the AYW dining room and requesting a table? Maybe they don't care to eat at the Lido buffet ... or maybe they got back too late for it. Either way, they want sit-down service and thus go to the AYW dining room.

 

Code their cards and, if there is a question as to wether or not someone is where they belong for dinner, ask them to present their card. If it's a special occasion or circumstance ... long shore excursions, etc. ... exceptions could be made either way. Similarly, they might allow passengers one opportunity per cruise to try out the other venue -- if one is Traditiional, give them an option for trying one night as an AYW, and visa versa. That might help those of us who are Traditional to find out if we like it without having to commit to 7 or more days of it; and, it may give those who are only cruising HAL because of AYW, but are curious to find out if "Traditional" is all it's "cracked up to be" by us crack-pot Traditionalists. :)

 

That's the problem with offering both types of dining, and I know Princess wrestles with this as well. You should have seen our area of the traditional dining room by mid-way through a 15-day cruise ... empty seats everywhere ... yet the waiters could not seat someone else in those spots because you never knew if the assigned people were going to show up.[/Quote]

 

Have a "window" of arrival during which the Line Guarantees that a Traditional dining person's seat will be reserved. After that window, if the line wants to sit someone else there, they may.

 

Personally, I think it's more efficient to have one type of dining ... either traditional or AYW. Go with the majority preference and those who don't like it can simply choose another cruise line to sail. NCL pioneered the freestyle dining concept and they seem quite able to fill their ships each week. So, if HAL is so bloody sure that AYW dining is in demand, perhaps they should scrap traditional altogether (and who knows? Maybe they eventually will) and focus all their energies on making AYW dining a success.

 

I suspect that is coming in a few years ... but then they'll have to change the semantics from "As You Wish" to "Anytime" or "Open" or some such other, for those of us who want "Traditional" won't be able to get it.

 

<sigh> Eventually, the only way one will be able to tell which Line one is on is the ship's name, nomenclature for things, and/or uniform styles (oh, and the nationality of the stewards).

[RevNeal]

My understanding is that HAL crew members will hold an orientation session on AYWD the day of departure and allow at that time only those booked in traditional seating times the opportunity to change to AYWD. This should open up more traditional seatings for those passengers who are waitlisted for dining times and is the only fair way to further the opportunity to take care of passenger’s choice for dining options. To allow back and forth dining would not be fair to those who want only the traditional seatings and are waitlisted.:)

 

So ... this would also allow those who want Traditional to be able to switch if they were forced (or pushed by HAL) into AYWD during the booking process. Reasonable.

[HeatherInFlorida]

My understanding is that HAL crew members will hold an orientation session on AYWD the day of departure and allow at that time only those booked in traditional seating times the opportunity to change to AYWD. This should open up more traditional seatings for those passengers who are waitlisted for dining times and is the only fair way to further the opportunity to take care of passenger’s choice for dining options. To allow back and forth dining would not be fair to those who want only the traditional seatings and are waitlisted.:)

 

This makes excellent sense to me particularly at start-up when the majority of passengers don't even realize there's been a change.

 

It might also explain why everyone is now getting waitlisted. The majority of people booking HAL right now don't visit cruise boards and their TA's are uninformed. So they simply sign up for Traditional not even knowing they will have a choice.

 

I'm awfully glad my cruise on Veendam won't have switched over yet, because I think the next year as each ship transitionalizes over, it's going to be a bit of a mess getting everyone what they want. After it all sorts out over the next year or two, hopefully they'll manage it better.

[terrydtx]

So ... this would also allow those who want Traditional to be able to switch if they were forced (or pushed by HAL) into AYWD during the booking process. Reasonable.

 

Revneal, logic would say that as traditional passengers opt over to AYWD their traditional seats would open up to those of you who are waitlisted for them. But, that's assuming HAL follows the lines of logic.

[RevNeal]

Revneal, logic would say that as traditional passengers opt over to AYWD their traditional seats would open up to those of you who are waitlisted for them. But, that's assuming HAL follows the lines of logic.

 

Contrapositively, as those passengers who had no choice but to book AYWD transfer over to the openings in Traditional -- openings that will be there because so MUCH of the venue is closed off so EARLY in the booking process -- the reservations will even out to some balanced equilibrium.

 

My point is that it's an error to assume that the only direction of transfer will be from from Traditional to AYWD.

[moveup]

Our experience on the Noordam in August:

You can call the dining room 1:00 - 4:00 to reserve a table for that night. However, they would NOT accept a reservation between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. For those times you showed up at the dining room and made your request and waited. Although the ship was full, we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table even at 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. So the lack of reservations did not seem to matter. And we had an ordinary cabin, not a suite or ginormous verandah cabin, so we weren't getting any special consideration. (I think if you have one of the high-end cabins they will even reserve a table for you during the coveted 6:30 - 8:00 window.) By the way, when we showed up at the dining room (without reservations) the maitre d' asked our cabin number each time, checked his computer screen, then greeted us by name, and entered something in his computer. So they know who has traditional dining and who has As You Wish, and they would know if you're trying to circumvent the system. By the way, the first time we went to the dining room without a reservation they sat us at a large empty table, but we couldn't order until the table was filled. On other nights we asked for a table for two and we were always accommodated. A great advantage of As You Wish dining is that you do not need to eat at the same speed as the rest of the diners. If you are in a mood to linger over your appetizer, just tell the waiter to delay putting in your entree order. On another night if you are in a hurry, tell the waiter and they will speed the courses. With traditional dining, you don't have this flexibility as the entire table must be served each course in unison (and the kitchen expects the entire dining room to be more or less in sync). While I understand that solo passengers may prefer to be seated at the same table every night so they will have familiar dining companions, they can achieve the same result with As You Wish by showing up at the dining room on the first night and requesting a large table, then if they hit it off with any of the other people at that table, they can arrange to get to the dining room at the same time on other nights and be seated together. As You Wish worked perfectly for us because we wanted to dine at different times depending on what else was going on that day. If we wanted to see the show, we made sure to get to the dining room early enough to allow for a short wait for a table, and the usual time to dine. As for missing a meal, that's very hard to do on any ship -- especially with HAL which has extensive room service at no additional cost (although we tipped the room service waiter, which is not required). You can get a full meal anytime you want in your cabin, and there's no reason you couldn't then transport your tray to one of the lounges if you didn't want to eat in the cabin. I am amazed at the negativity of many of the posts on this topic because everyone on our cruise seemed delighted with the way the Noordam accommodated varying desires for traditional dining, as you wish, and Lido buffet. Solo passengers seemed as satsified as those traveling in pairs or groups.

[mickeyfitz]

Is it clear that AYW diners will be able to reserve a table for the same time every night? It would seem that there will be problems with that since so many people prefer a time right in the middle of the dining hours, neither too early nor too late, and the calculated capacity of the dining room needs most tables to turn over twice during an evening. If too many people are allowed to reserve tables for the same times every evening and so I see HAL limiting that option.

[terrydtx]

Thank you Moveup, finally a very well presented report and description from a passenger on the Noordam who experienced AYWD first hand.. Sounds like the AYWD is working very well, I can’t wait until our cruise in November on the Volendam:D

[bUU]

<sigh> Eventually, the only way one will be able to tell which Line one is on is the ship's name, nomenclature for things, and/or uniform styles (oh, and the nationality of the stewards).

And within groupings, price. In the end, that will drive the most significant distinctions.

[bUU]

My point is that it's an error to assume that the only direction of transfer will be from from Traditional to AYWD.

I think it is more likely for folks wanting Traditional to ensure they're on the wait-list for it than for folks wanting As You Wish to somehow end up with Traditional and have the need to switch.

[bUU]

Our experience on the Noordam in August:

Thanks! This was a very helpful message!

 

This especially answers a question a lot of folks have had...

By the way, when we showed up at the dining room (without reservations) the maitre d' asked our cabin number each time, checked his computer screen, then greeted us by name, and entered something in his computer. So they know who has traditional dining and who has As You Wish, and they would know if you're trying to circumvent the system.

[RASHOPPER2]

We Sail Princess Regularly - Largely Because Of Anytime Dining. Dh And I Are So Happy That It Is Being Instituted On Ha. We Left Ha A Number Of Year Ago, Because We Do Not Like Traditional. Now We Can Return To This Wonderful Cruise Line.

 

A Few Brief Comments About Anytime Dining On Princess. Each Evening The Matre'd Asked For Our Room Number. If We Were Willing To Share A Table (great Opportunity To Meet Many More People) You Are Seated Immediately. Sometimes If You Want A Table For 2 Or 4, You Have To Wait A Short Time. On Evenings When We Were In Port Late (twice On The Last Alaska Cruise From Which We Just Returned), Both Dining Rooms Were Open Seating Those Evenings.

 

It Works Smoothly And Everyone Is Happy. There Are So Many Negative Comments On This Thread. Why Not Give It A Chance - See How It Works? The Combination Of Traditional And Ayw Will Make Everyone, Except The Chronic Complainers, Happy.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Our experience on the Noordam in August:

You can call the dining room 1:00 - 4:00 to reserve a table for that night. However, they would NOT accept a reservation between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. For those times you showed up at the dining room and made your request and waited. Although the ship was full, we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table even at 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. So the lack of reservations did not seem to matter. And we had an ordinary cabin, not a suite or ginormous verandah cabin, so we weren't getting any special consideration. (I think if you have one of the high-end cabins they will even reserve a table for you during the coveted 6:30 - 8:00 window.) By the way, when we showed up at the dining room (without reservations) the maitre d' asked our cabin number each time, checked his computer screen, then greeted us by name, and entered something in his computer. So they know who has traditional dining and who has As You Wish, and they would know if you're trying to circumvent the system. By the way, the first time we went to the dining room without a reservation they sat us at a large empty table, but we couldn't order until the table was filled. On other nights we asked for a table for two and we were always accommodated. A great advantage of As You Wish dining is that you do not need to eat at the same speed as the rest of the diners. If you are in a mood to linger over your appetizer, just tell the waiter to delay putting in your entree order. On another night if you are in a hurry, tell the waiter and they will speed the courses. With traditional dining, you don't have this flexibility as the entire table must be served each course in unison (and the kitchen expects the entire dining room to be more or less in sync). While I understand that solo passengers may prefer to be seated at the same table every night so they will have familiar dining companions, they can achieve the same result with As You Wish by showing up at the dining room on the first night and requesting a large table, then if they hit it off with any of the other people at that table, they can arrange to get to the dining room at the same time on other nights and be seated together. As You Wish worked perfectly for us because we wanted to dine at different times depending on what else was going on that day. If we wanted to see the show, we made sure to get to the dining room early enough to allow for a short wait for a table, and the usual time to dine. As for missing a meal, that's very hard to do on any ship -- especially with HAL which has extensive room service at no additional cost (although we tipped the room service waiter, which is not required). You can get a full meal anytime you want in your cabin, and there's no reason you couldn't then transport your tray to one of the lounges if you didn't want to eat in the cabin. I am amazed at the negativity of many of the posts on this topic because everyone on our cruise seemed delighted with the way the Noordam accommodated varying desires for traditional dining, as you wish, and Lido buffet. Solo passengers seemed as satsified as those traveling in pairs or groups.

 

Moveup, thank you so very much for taking the time to describe your recent As You Wish dining experience. I find your information most helpful:) .

 

Karin

[HeatherInFlorida]

Moveup, thanks so much for posting your observations and reaction to AYW dining on the Noordam. It's great to read an actual experience:) .

 

I wonder if you happened to notice the upper DR? I'm sure you weren't exactly paying much attention, but I'm curious whether everyone was flocking to AYW as some have said or whether there was anyone choosing Traditional.

 

I still think for solos or individuals who enjoy the company of others who they get to know over the course of the cruise, it's difficult depending on your personality to set up a regular group. If you're very outgoing you might be comfortable saying to your table of 8 the first night ..... "So do you like me? Do we like each other? Would we all like to eat together every night?"

 

That would be awkward given that all these people signed up for AYW which usually means they won't be amenable to sitting with the same people every night. Personally I would never want to put anyone in the uncomfortable position of having to say they'd rather not.

[Dena]

 

I cannot agree that it is a better world for women today, Women have shot themselves in the foot so many times that we now are back to square one as far as I'm concerned. .

 

 

It is undeniable that women today enjoy unprecedented educational and career choices. It is a near certainty that, had I been born 25 years earlier, I would not have earned a Ph.D. in engineering and would not be enjoying this financially rewarding and intellectually satisfying career of my choosing that matches my interests and abilities.

How anyone could argue that more choices are a bad thing for women is mind-boggling. :confused: But then again, there are those who would deny us the simple freedom of choosing when and where to dine.:(

[madelinerose]

Although the ship was full, we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table even at 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. I am amazed at the negativity of many of the posts on this topic because everyone on our cruise seemed delighted with the way the Noordam accommodated varying desires for traditional dining, as you wish, and Lido buffet. Solo passengers seemed as satsified as those traveling in pairs or groups.

 

 

moveup, Thank you, thank you, thank you! :D

 

Basically, DH and I view dinner on a cruise ship as you do, a meal and really just that, a meal. Sure, it's fun watching everyone decked out on "formal" nights and enjoying the ambience, but on our last cruise we weren't hungry at the time one of the formal night dinners was served, so we did other things during the 8-9:30ish time and grabbed something to eat later in the evening. It's just not an issue for us. Dinner is dinner.