Dining options

After reading a few opinions on dining options, I have come to the
conclusion that an open dining (or whatever its called lol) is what would
work best for us.

Which cruise lines offer this option?

When it says open seating, does that mean anytime between x and x (like 6-10
or something) and basically any empty table.. or any table with new friends
you have made?

If I were to take a cruise line that does not offer this, there are dining
options where I wouldn't have to eat at the same place each night...
especially the formal nights? Or do the other dining options close for
formal nights?

Also, what cruise lines offer sodas for free, as part of your cruise?

And finally... I know that most cruise lines offer room service. Is the room
service food included in your cruise price, or is it extra? Do you tip the
delivery person then or wait til the end of the cruise?

I know this all varies from line to line most likely. So lets just say for
Carnival, Princess, HAL, NCL, RCCL, & Celebrity (The lines I would most
likely consider)

Thanx In Advance (again lol)

--
LES!

To send me an email, please remove Your Hat
YourHatDaddie @ bonbon.net

Ali's Daddie wrote:

After reading a few opinions on dining options, I have come to the
conclusion that an open dining (or whatever its called lol) is what would
work best for us.

Which cruise lines offer this option?

When it says open seating, does that mean anytime between x and x (like 6-10
or something) and basically any empty table.. or any table with new friends
you have made?

NCL has Freestyle dining, you can go to the restaurant you want, at the
time you want. If you do with friends, you can arrange to sit together.
Princess has Traditional Dining and Personal Choice Dining. On Princess
there is one or two dining rooms that will be Personal Choice and you
can go there anytime that the dining room is open. As with NCL Freestyle
if you go with a group, you can arrange to sit with them.


If I were to take a cruise line that does not offer this, there are dining
options where I wouldn't have to eat at the same place each night...
especially the formal nights? Or do the other dining options close for
formal nights?

A lot of the ships have the lido set up for a sit down dinner in the
evening. It varies a lot and you would have to check on a ship by ship
basis.

Also, what cruise lines offer sodas for free, as part of your cruise?

Most don't have free soda, but do have soda cards where you pay a set
amount for the entire cruise.

And finally... I know that most cruise lines offer room service. Is the room
service food included in your cruise price, or is it extra? Do you tip the
delivery person then or wait til the end of the cruise?

Yes room service is included in the price of your cruise and you should
tip the person who delivers it to your cabin. Room service on most ships
is very limited, not the dining room menue.

sue

HAL only offers two dinner times at a set table in their dining room.

Most (if not all) of their ships offer "The Pinnacle Grill", an upscale
restaurant off of the main dining room. There is an additional charge of
$20 per person but it is well worth it. While tipping is not currently
required on HAL, they are expected at Pinnacle. And while advance
reservations are requested, I don't recall ever passing by and seeing the
place full.

HAL's Lido is a buffet at breakfast and lunch, and, according to their
website, for dinner on selected nights, whatever that means.

Room Service is available 24 hours a day. We never used it other than for
breakfast, but I seem to recall that they offered a decent assortment the
rest of the day.

Sadly, only coffee, tea, lemonade and water are free, and "water" is
desalinated but palatable. Bottled water carries a charge EXCEPT in
Pinnacle.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ


"Ali's Daddie" wrote in message
...
After reading a few opinions on dining options, I have come to the
conclusion that an open dining (or whatever its called lol) is what would
work best for us.

Which cruise lines offer this option?

When it says open seating, does that mean anytime between x and x (like
6-10
or something) and basically any empty table.. or any table with new
friends
you have made?

If I were to take a cruise line that does not offer this, there are dining
options where I wouldn't have to eat at the same place each night...
especially the formal nights? Or do the other dining options close for
formal nights?

Also, what cruise lines offer sodas for free, as part of your cruise?

And finally... I know that most cruise lines offer room service. Is the
room
service food included in your cruise price, or is it extra? Do you tip the
delivery person then or wait til the end of the cruise?

I know this all varies from line to line most likely. So lets just say for
Carnival, Princess, HAL, NCL, RCCL, & Celebrity (The lines I would most
likely consider)

Thanx In Advance (again lol)

--
LES!

To send me an email, please remove Your Hat
YourHatDaddie @ bonbon.net

Playing with yourself again, cheesy.

Howie - thinking this dude should be locked up.

Chuck.K wrote in
s.com:





Sadly, only coffee, tea, lemonade and water are free, and "water" is
desalinated but palatable. Bottled water carries a charge EXCEPT in
Pinnacle.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ


Once more, DICKy doesn't seem to understand which line he CLAIMS to
cruise on. HAL offers an assortment of juices for free at the LIDO,
in the dining room and (for suite passengers) in the Neptune lounge.
Cappuccino, lattes and other fancy coffees are available for free at
the Java cafe,

It is the Windstar cafe on Oosterdam (and I suspect that this is more
widespread than one ship) and the coffees espresso and the like are now
Torrefazionne from Seattle and are for a charge, albeit less than a
Starbuck's ashore.

Last reply to cheesy Chuck.

Practice doing some serious stretching, there's no substitute for good
flexiblity when you're all by yourself.

Howie

I am so TOUCHED by your concern, Cheesy. You and Queenie both have
shown such tender interests in bettering the magical relationship my
huband and I have enjoyed for 39 years!

Fear not; somehow we will continue to thrive in spite of your jealousy.

Eileen

Hi Les... Although I'm not a big fan of Princess, I did like the
Personal Choice dining option offered on the Sun Princess. ...We were
assigned to a table with a Dr. and his wife. We ate a few meals with
them, but felt like intruders (Especially with his wife); hence, for the
major part of the cruise we ate downstairs in the Personal Choice dining
room. We just arrived early, asked for a table for two, and received
just as good service as if we had we gone to our assigned table. .. I
found that they do take reservations, although they are open for
walk-ins for an extended period of time (-6:30 to 10, give or take an
hour ...I forgot the exact times ).

...I thought the room service sandwiches on the Sun Princess were crap;
however, I felt that way about most of their food (excluding the
breakfasts, the lobster and the escargot). ...I prefer HAL for a number
of reasons, plus their late night room service sandwiches are
"excellent." ...They go the extra mile. ...If you order, say a beef
sandwich... You don't just receive a slice of beef between 2 pieces of
bread. Rather, they go all out with the lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo, and
even include the salt and pepper (a must for beef sandwiches). ...And
one more thing: you can even get a shrimp cocktail up 'till ten PM .
Jesus... Now you've set my mouth to watering. Incidentally, there is
no charge on either of these lines for room service; however, we always
tipped the delivery Steward..

I believe the lido is open on HAL for every evening; however, they don't
serve the classier dish of the night . ...For example, if the dining
room offered both lobster bisque, and chicken noodle soup for choices,
the lido would only have the chicken noodle. ...Further, I've never
seen lobster or escargot served in the lido. ...Both places are great
for having dinner, and in spite of the relaxed buffet and seating style
in the Lido, they still set all the tables with table cloths and
cutlery. ...Jon

In article ,
wrote:
one more thing: you can even get a shrimp cocktail up 'till ten PM .
Jesus... Now you've set my mouth to watering.

Wait a minute! Are you a travel agent????????

--
Asya Kamsky

In our society, you can state your views, but they have to be correct.
--- Ernie Hai, coordinator Singapore Gov't Internet Project

Sorry, Asya... Just reminiscing. ...Jon