What if Carnival did this...would you try it?

[Riley's Mom]

Heck No. I would want it to stay the same way it has always been. With the formal dining rooms and one buffet. I love to dress for formal night..

 

It is one of the highlights of the cruise in my opinion.

[picklebongo]

Are you high???? :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

Are you being rude, again?

[picklebongo]

I don't understand the hostility of many of these responses. The OP threw out an idea to discuss. I think he/she even said they wouldn't really be interested in one of these types of things. It was a point of *discussion*.

 

Can people no longer even bring up things to ponder, and respond to, without being attacked for even daring to voice a thought?

 

Those of you who wrote mean and sarcastic responses should be ashamed of yourselves. If you don't think it is a good idea, say so, but the fact that you do so in such a nasty manner says a lot more about you than it does the OP, or the idea.

 

Thanks for your response because I totally agree with you. Throw out an idea, suggestion and others will just jump all over it with rude comments. What's wrong with having certain types of cruising options for everybody. This idea would not appeal to me, but it might to others, nothing wrong with tossing around why it might or might not work.

[Nunu]

[SLIKWILL]

My wife and I would ABSOLUTELY do this. We don't go on cruises for the food, we go to get away from everyday life. The best thing about cruises is that our cell phones don't get reception

[Monkeythyme]

Based on my recent experience in booking Freedom of the Seas, I think RCI is already testing the waters. Not saying Carnival would not try it too, but I do not think they will be the first.

[krisko]

If the OP's idea is such a good one, why hasn't carnival or somebody else done it already? I know there are a couple of really cheap cruise options in europe where a lot of stuff is a la carte...do they do something like this?

 

I think the freestyle dining concept has legs but I don't see it resulting in losing the MDR. I think you will see the MDR shrink in size on newer ships along with an increase in the number of restaurants. Perhaps dining will be a choice you make when you reserve the cruise. Not only can you choose which seating but whether you want to eat in the MDR at all. There might even been a little surcharge for meals in the MDR.

[Monkeythyme]

Man, a no-frill cruise line? After all the failed experiments with no-frills airlines, haven't they learned anything?

 

You mean like Southwest?:D

[1980dory]

OP,

It all sounds like a tremendous amount of speculation and assumptions on your part. Where or how did you ever come up with such a scenario? What makes you think that Carnival or any other cruise line is going to take such a drastic course of action?

I think for you to have that kind of information would necessitate you being a corporate executive or insider. And in that case you wouldn't be broadcasting the plan on CC.

I think instead, that you probably have a very active imagination.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Based on my recent experience in booking Freedom of the Seas, I think RCI is already testing the waters. Not saying Carnival would not try it too, but I do not think they will be the first.

 

what exactly is RCI doing to make you think they are going in this direction?

 

Bill

[buckirj1]

what exactly is RCI doing to make you think they are going in this direction?

 

I can't speak for Monkeythyme, but in my (limited) experience the food on RCI was lots better in the buffet than in the MDR. Whereas in my experience on Carnival, the food was good shipwide. YMMV.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

what exactly is RCI doing to make you think they are going in this direction?

 

I can't speak for Monkeythyme, but in my (limited) experience the food on RCI was lots better in the buffet than in the MDR. Whereas in my experience on Carnival, the food was good shipwide. YMMV.

 

Our last RCI cruise we ate in the buffet every night. I have never eaten in CCL's buffet for dinner so I can't compare them.

 

I did enjoy their evening buffet having many choices.

 

Bill

[dan40]

what exactly is RCI doing to make you think they are going in this direction?

 

I can't speak for Monkeythyme, but in my (limited) experience the food on RCI was lots better in the buffet than in the MDR. Whereas in my experience on Carnival, the food was good shipwide. YMMV.

 

I'd agree with you. I find RCL's MDR food ranging from just OK, to mediocre, to poor. And I find their buffet to be very good, especially at dinner. Carnivals buffet is only better at their "made to order" stations. The steam table selections are better on RCL. And on Carnival's Steakhouse ships, RCL has nothing even approaching the same ball park. Not saying Chops is bad, Its like both Applebee's and Peter Lugers are good, but they cannot be compared. Just 2 different things.

[LemurCat]

You mean like Southwest?:D

 

I wouldn't call Southwest "no-frills" per say. Just that they're extremely selective with what frills they offer - i.e. no baggage charges.

[bobbyleduck]

You mean like Southwest?:D

 

Southwest isn't no-frills. That is reserved for airlines that charge you to take a suitcase with you on vacation.:(

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[willy32465]

will this doublewide ship be on wheels? :confused:

lmao

[dan40]

Will this doublewide ship be on wheels? :confused:

 

 

Makes cruising during hurricane season a whole new ball game.:D

[Monkeythyme]

what exactly is RCI doing to make you think they are going in this direction?

 

Bill

We booked ten months before sailing date. Early seating was already full, and late seating was "wait list only". The only available option was "my time dining". I figure if they are reserving that much of the capacity for "my time", they must be testing the waters for a phase-out of traditional dining.

[Monkeythyme]

what exactly is RCI doing to make you think they are going in this direction?

 

I can't speak for Monkeythyme, but in my (limited) experience the food on RCI was lots better in the buffet than in the MDR. Whereas in my experience on Carnival, the food was good shipwide. YMMV.

We have cruised RCI 3 times, and our opinion is the same. We really have no problem with the situation as it is, It just appears to us that RCI is drifting toward "my time dining" only.

[redlef]

. . . . . I would think that Carnival could charge a lot less for cabins.

 

Would you try it if Carnival charged, say $250 or $300 PP for an inside on a 7 day cruse? or say maybe $400 for a balcony? And only charged, say $5 or $6 per day PP for tips.

 

What would you pay?

 

Just something fun to think and talk about.:)

 

I like a Carnival Cruise because it's a good value for the money, but I'm not looking for the ultimate low cost vacation. I like the service in the MDR and would not choose a ship that was all buffet.

 

I wouldn't rent a car with a stick shift or stay at a southern hotel that didn't have air conditioning to save money either . . . .