As You Wish Dining - What and How

[Copper10-8]

Yes, I've seen an attractive blonde (aren't they all) uniformed lady roaming the upper level - haven't talked to her yet. I'll definitely mention that you said I deserve a bottle of champagne.

 

Go for it!:D She gave my wife a recipe for applefoam (or something like that:confused: ) so a bottle of bubbly is not out of the question

[GHN]

I just came back from New Year's cruise from Ryndam. We had aywd and are group of 9 people and had a hard time to walk in anytime to get a table for the size of our group. If we called and made reservation , they treated us like regular aywd and only allowed us to have the time slot before 5:45 or after7:30pm. That was not right.The head waiter told us that they didn't have a table to seat 9 people . I finally had to talk to the mater'd and got a fixed time seating at 5:45 every night which is NOT exactly anytime we wish. However, we didn't want to argue anymore.

[panddas]

I thought I had already sent this - but guess I didn't- we are booked on a 46 day cruise on Volendam fall 2008 - we are on late seating/traditional dining. We are wondering if there are some days that we feel like eating earlier could we go to for AYWD and get a table....we don't mind a bit of a wait. this would be on evenings that we don't want to go to PG or Lido. We are not sure that we want to do the AYWD everynight....but as I said there may be some days that we don't feel like eating later. How do they know when you go for dinner AYWD if you are on traditional dining or?

Thanks very much for your help. We are not trying to do a 'freestyle' cruise - I can just picture some evenings wanting to eat earlier...especially during 46 nights!

[terrydtx]

I thought I had already sent this - but guess I didn't- we are booked on a 46 day cruise on Volendam fall 2008 - we are on late seating/traditional dining. We are wondering if there are some days that we feel like eating earlier could we go to for AYWD and get a table....we don't mind a bit of a wait. this would be on evenings that we don't want to go to PG or Lido. We are not sure that we want to do the AYWD everynight....but as I said there may be some days that we don't feel like eating later. How do they know when you go for dinner AYWD if you are on traditional dining or?

Thanks very much for your help. We are not trying to do a 'freestyle' cruise - I can just picture some evenings wanting to eat earlier...especially during 46 nights!

 

HAL does not allow you to cross over from one type of dining to another. Your seapass card has your dining assignment and the Maitre D has a computer that he checks for all AYWD passengers when you request a table. On the Volendam last Novenber we usually ate at 7:30 on aywd and I heard the MD tell several traditional late dining passengers that they could not be accommodated in the AYWD level and had to wait until their 8pm seating for their table.

[hammybee]

I thought I had already sent this - but guess I didn't-

 

You started a thread on this and several have responded. Here is a link to it:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=692538

[cands]

HAL does not allow you to cross over from one type of dining to another. Your seapass card has your dining assignment and the Maitre D has a computer that he checks for all AYWD passengers when you request a table. On the Volendam last Novenber we usually ate at 7:30 on aywd and I heard the MD tell several traditional late dining passengers that they could not be accommodated in the AYWD level and had to wait until their 8pm seating for their table.

 

Boy, that's a relief!

Imagine being stuck with AYW and not be able to get a table because some 'fixed' diners felt like dining at a different time. Let's just hope it's enforced.

 

The option is of course still there for those traditional diners wanting a change to eat in the Lido.

 

Steve.

[cands]

We are aboard Statendam. The waitlist on day one was 200 people for fixed dining. The first two nights we booked for large tables at 8:15. We were seated immediately and had enjoyable dinners both nights. On day 3 we received a telephone call saying we now had fixed late. We are at a great table for six and are enjoying getting to know our tablemates.

 

Cheers,

Steve.

[Steve Q]

This will be our 4th HAL cruise in 4 years. We just booked and have been assigned AYWD. While we would have liked the late assigned seating, we are going to give this a try. Clearly, some people seem to prefer this form of dining so we will see. We will let you know after our March 16 return.

[bUU]

Another first-hand observation of how AYW Dining is working (from the "opinions" thread):

Just got off Noordam 16 Jan cruse. We got a table for 2 no problem every night at 8.15

[Aussie Gal]

When I recently made a reservation for a voyage on Prinsendam, I was told that all dining on Prinsendam is going to be "As You Wish", with no early or late available. Maybe this is the exception to the rule because of the one level dining rooms.

 

We too have just booked the Prinsendam for Nov, 2009 and have had to accept "As you Wish". I asked our T.A. why we couldn't have late sitting Traditional and she said that "As you Wish" was all that was being offered but it could be changed further down the track.

 

Can anyone shed some light on to this.

 

Jennie

[bUU]

Our travel agent was also not very forthcoming about the waiting list for traditional dining. I suppose their interest is getting the reservation firmed-up and such that they don't need to worry about following-up on it, so they'd rather their customer accept a firm guarantee of open seating rather than going onto the waiting list. >shrug<

[takemewithyou]

We too have just booked the Prinsendam for Nov, 2009 and have had to accept "As you Wish". I asked our T.A. why we couldn't have late sitting Traditional and she said that "As you Wish" was all that was being offered but it could be changed further down the track.

 

Can anyone shed some light on to this.

 

Jennie

 

I booked Prinsendam for 8/09 and was told the same thing by my TA (only open seating was available) . However, when I looked at booking the voyage on the HAL web site, it listed early traditional dining as "available" and their 2009 brochure states it is an option available to those who prefer fixed dining times. After thinking about it and reading some other posts by people here on this board who had gotten fixed dining times, I decided to press her further and she was able to get me confirmed early dining. I can only conclude that the booking agents must be pushing open seating.

 

Hope this helps you to get your preferred dining.

[Aussie Gal]

takemewithyou,

 

Thanks for that. I will send your message to our T.A. and see if she will change ours to traditional.

 

Jennie

[hammybee]

This is from tomc from his recent Noordam cruise:

 

I just got off the Noordam, after requesting Traditional Dining. Several people I met, including myself, ended up with AYW (As You Wish) Dining: Come when you want, sit where they put you.

 

At first, I was quite opposed to this. Next trip, I'm going with AYW. It was great! I loved it! I'm not knocking Traditional Dining at all and will do it in a minute, but AYW gave me new faces and personalities each evening, different tables with new views.

__________________

 

BTW, he is a solo cruiser and survived.

[mybagsarepacked]

This is from tomc from his recent Noordam cruise:

 

I just got off the Noordam, after requesting Traditional Dining. Several people I met, including myself, ended up with AYW (As You Wish) Dining: Come when you want, sit where they put you.

 

At first, I was quite opposed to this. Next trip, I'm going with AYW. It was great! I loved it! I'm not knocking Traditional Dining at all and will do it in a minute, but AYW gave me new faces and personalities each evening, different tables with new views.

__________________

 

BTW, he is a solo cruiser and survived.

 

Thanks, Hammybee. Perhaps I should change my negative attitudes and take on your great perspective-you've helped me slap myself and get a grip and perhaps get on the ship on the 15th of March with a more positive outlook. Maybe it will be more of an adventure, and less of a hassle, than I had previously envisioned!

[hammybee]

Thanks, Hammybee. Perhaps I should change my negative attitudes and take on your great perspective-you've helped me slap myself and get a grip and perhaps get on the ship on the 15th of March with a more positive outlook. Maybe it will be more of an adventure, and less of a hassle, than I had previously envisioned!

 

Well aren't you just the sweetest.....

I am a realist and have never gone hungry on a cruise.:D

 

If you are a solo, I suspect that you can be accommodated in fixed seating, by letting it be known to the Dining Room Manager, on boarding day, especially if you are flexible about which seating. It's usually not too hard to make room for one more. Have a fabulous cruise.

[Quent]

We just returned from a cruise to Austratraia on the Statendam. We made our reservaton about 11 months early and were told that the traditional dinning was full and we were waitlisted. We ended up getting early dinning on the lower level.

 

It is obvious that the traditonal dinning has more requests and that HAL should plan on accommodating thoes requests by reversing the traditional seating to the lower level that can seat more people. The lower level has far more tables in that it does not have the open center area of the upper level.

 

I mentioned this the ship dinnng personnel and they said that they had recommended this to HAL and were truned down. I feel sure that the people that were waiting in line for seats for tradatonal dinning did not "wish" for the wait.

 

Thank goodness that there are still some cruise lines that still have "traditional dinning".

[Been There, Planning That]

We've been back for a week now from our 30 day Ryndam voyage and were generally pleased with free style dining. We were window steerage so I don't imagine fixed seating was even an option for us, even though we'd requested it.

 

We never had to wait in line more than a few minutes no matter the time.

 

My biggest complaint was being seated at a table for 6 or 8 when the other couple(s) were already well into their meals. I found it quite disconcerting to be ordering a first course when others were being shown the dessert tray. The worst meal was a table of eight where we were at three different stages of the meal. The empty places were being cleared away (I guess better than leaving dirty dishes) while we were on our main course. Of the 8, 4 of us finished with dessert at the same time.

 

We learned to insist that the maitre d' only seat us at a table where we'd all be ordering at the same time. We preferred to wait a few minutes until all guests were seated than to dine alone for a course or two until others arrived. I think the waiters have to be trained when to take orders, and not rush to get one couple 'done', before the table is fully seated. Of course, some might insist on immediate service.

 

The maitre d' soon got to know us and after four mistimed dinners all went well.

 

On a long cruise I now think I prefer free style dining; though I must admit repeated introductory conversations are exhausting for an introvert.

 

We met many lovely couples and often agreed to meet at a given time so we could be seated together.

[Quent]

We were a party of 4 and sat with some wonderful people at a table for 8 on the lower level during the free style dinning. We worked it out with the maitre d' for the same table each night with all the 8 people and had a wonderful dinner each evening. We became good friends and talked about everything, other than beginning table conversation. Some nights we waited at the table several minutes for the entire party to arrive and then we all ate together. The waiter seemed to enjoy out party and quickly learned our likes and preferences. The maitre d' visited our table each night and asked for any special needs and became a friend to us all.

 

These are some of the reasons that traditional dinning seems to be more popular. Again, I sugest that HAL move the traditional dinning room the the lower level, with more seating for thoes that want to eat with friends at a defined time.

[bUU]

My biggest complaint was being seated at a table for 6 or 8 when the other couple(s) were already well into their meals.

This is a pretty stupid practice, regardless of whether it is traditional or open seating. There is simply no excuse for a restaurant to do this -- ever -- regardless of circumstances.

[hammybee]

.

 

My biggest complaint was being seated at a table for 6 or 8 when the other couple(s) were already well into their meals. I found it quite disconcerting to be ordering a first course when others were being shown the dessert tray. The worst meal was a table of eight where we were at three different stages of the meal. The empty places were being cleared away (I guess better than leaving dirty dishes) while we were on our main course. Of the 8, 4 of us finished with dessert at the same time.

 

I have heard that those seated first , sometimes have to wait for their table to fill before dinner orders are taken, same as fixed seating. This however, sounds like mayhem. I suspect it was also quite challenging for the wait staff too. What's up with this?

 

Glad you stuck it out and found a winning formula that worked for you.

[orchestrapal]

Are there tables for 2 in the Any Time Dining area.

That solves many problems and is what many would want.

[hammybee]

Are there tables for 2 in the Any Time Dining area.

That solves many problems and is what many would want.

 

Yes there are. If too many beat you to it though, it might mean a wait, unless you are willing to share.

 

Snagging that 2 top in fixed seating is also sometimes challenging, depending upon how many want the same thing, at the same time.

[Jsipes]

Now that Fidel has "stepped down" do you think HAL might consider docking in Havanna in the future ??:) Jer

[Roz]

What does Castro have to do with AYW dining???

 

Roz