We are seasoned cruisers so we know what to expect based on the class of cruise booked. We cruised on the original Westerdam about 13 years ago and it was a horrible ship. Wow how things have changed! We selected "open dining" as we always do - we don't ever go on ships that don't offer it.The Good:- The food in the main dining room- Our cabin was outstanding- The public rooms- The entertainmentThe Bad:- The restaurant/buffet service staff We noticed that the staff were more interested in chatting in their native tongue with each other than providing service to guests. The overall service in the food areas has suffered greatly since the introduction of the service charge administereds by HA.. Solution - let the passengers decide how they want their $11 daily service charge split, listing all service areas that are usually tipped in the real world. The current practice of allocating 20% of the service charge to behind the scenes staff (plumbers, deck hands, etc.)is just silly!