POLL: Freestyle Dining

[rjg41]

Never cruised NCL. Just wondering how people like freestyle dining.

[lhall85917]

We love it. We are on a Carnival cruise this summer and a little apprehensive about assigned dining times and tables. Being able to go eat when we want is a big plus since you don't always want to be on a defined time schedule. We also tend to like to eat by ourselves instead of with other people. The biggest negative I've heard is that sometimes people have had to wait in line during peak times. We always go early and have never had to wait.

[Zeno]

Love it! We were on 3 'traditional' dining cruises before our first NCL cruise. Now I think I would have some problems returning to traditional style dining.

[cliffd64]

We love it compared to traditional :)

 

Instead of planning our night's activities around dinner... we plan our dinner around our night's activities, which is the way it should be :) If we get back from a shore excursion late, there is no rushing to get ready for a meal.. we can go whenever we want :) Can't beat it for flexibility :)

[98Charlie]

We enjoy Freestyle when on NCL. We like meeting other people and always share tables. But, it is only one part of our total cruise experience.

 

Some of the pros and cons:

• You gain flexability of dining time.
  
• You won't have the same wait staff or tablemates each evening.
  
• If you go duing peak periods you will probably encounter a wait for a table. We have never had more than a 5 minute wait.
  
• In our 5 NCL cruises we have only had one poor dining experience. The meal took nearly 3 hours. We had nothing planned for the evening so it wasn't a great problem.
  

 

Charlie

[vette]

We still like the Traditional dining. We usually go with a large group, so planning the dinner meal is no hassle. Our time and place is set and we just all meet there.

 

Vette

[shoreguy]

I think everyone should experience traditional cruising. The show is great. I amazes me how skilled the staff is at becoming your best friend. You will know all about their family (even if they don't have one). All this to make you feel special and for one other small reason to maximize the the tip and or minimize the chance of you being a no show the last night :eek:

 

All that said I was dragged kicking and screaming into freestyle. I remember when they first annouced it. My reaction - last NCL cruise for me. Might work in Asia but not here. Off I went to RCL, Princess, QE2, Carnival for my next cruises/

 

My first freestyle cruise was the Dawn out of Miami in Feb. 2003. I choose it because my partner at the time could not be ontime for anything. I though this Freestyle would be an answer. It did

 

Jump ahead 7 Freestyle cruises. I don't know how I would go back to traditional. I will give up "the show" for flexibility and choices. The lack of structure puts the burden on you to plan your days and nights. I like that. Some what that structure and to know what and where they will be every minute. I don't need that on vacation.

 

Do you miss some shows? Yes. Do you have to wait a few minutes from time to time for a table? Yes. If you are late back from port are you shut out of the dining room? Never. If the early seating runs late are you stuck in a line with 600 of your fellow passengers? Never. Can you eat lobster and filet every night? Yes. Can I wear my Tux? Yes. Do I have to wear my Tux? No.

 

It is all about choices - my current choice is Freestyle

[immargaret]

I don't think I could handle going back on a traditional dining cruise....Freestyle is the only way for us!

[shoreguy]

I don't think I could handle going back on a traditional dining cruise....Freestyle is the only way for us!

 

 

I could for the right itinerary at the right price. Given a choice I will select Freestyle.

[OceanDreams]

Perfer the "Freestyle" and accept the "traditional" dining. Shoreguy, your right it all depends on the Itinerary.

 

OceanDreams

[CruisinMatt]

These polls are always subjective. It's like having a poll saying "Who loves Carnival" on the Carnival board.

 

PS I like Freestyle

[NJcruiser21]

These polls are always subjective. It's like having a poll saying "Who loves Carnival" on the Carnival board.

 

PS I like Freestyle

 

exactly. or my favorite is the wasted poll of "whats your favorite cruiseline" magicly whatever board that poll is on, that cruiseline wins! :p

 

never been on a cruise (first will be the dawn) but freestyle seems right for me.

[ron46936]

It's no surprise that a lot of people on this board like it. I am a bit surprised that some on other boards don't like it even though they have never tried it.

 

But really what is not to like? You choose what you want. In traditionall dining someone else chooses what you will have.

 

We've enjoyed traditional cruises, but there is a lot of effort spent on trying to maximize the tip. I remember one head waiter telling us for several minutes how his wife had adopted a neighbor child. At the same time he and his staff had provided the absolute worst service I ever experienced on any line. Friendly is nice but service is essential. I think we get good service on NCL.

[TVLady2]

LOVE IT A GREAT DEAL! It seems like all ships are following in NCLs footsteps in one way or another in this regard.

[98Charlie]

Love freestyle myself - made many, many friends around freestyle dining tables, but still like traditional dining on the right cruise and right itinerary as well. Hope not all cruise lines go exclusively to free style. Met some really great friends at dining tables on traditional dining cruises - friends I wouldn't have made had it been a one-night stand at a dinner table.

 

Free style give us options. Traditional sometimes gives us great friends forever. We are booked on Carribbean Princess in Nov. with a couple we met on NCL Norway in 2003 - at traditional seating. Haven't been able to hook up with them since - they live in FL. we live in Ohio. We're so excited about sharing a dinner table together once again.

 

There's room in the industry for both styles of dining. May it last.

 

Dianne

[patsicruiser]

I've only cruised where they had traditional dining and didn't like the idea always being held to a schedule. We selected NCL for the most part for the freestyle. You don't have to hurry back to the ship for dinner. Plus I don't have to worry about packing any evening dresses. My husband is glad he doesn't have to pack his suit too. Not saying I'll be taking less clothes though!!!

[smeyer418]

I like both the freestyle eating and the freestyle disembarkation

[tinkerbelldee]

We are first time cruisers and we never even considered a traditional dining ship.

 

When we travel we like to relax and not be on a schedule. There is no way that I could truly enjoy myslef, if I HAD to be at dinner at a specific time or with specific people.

 

Will we cruise again? I hope so, put I dont think that we would ever cruise on a non freestyle ship.

 

I will let you all know when we return from our 4/2 Sun sailing

[newmexicoNita]

It's one of the reasons NCL is our favorite line. We are doing Celebrity twice this year; neither time do we have a choice, but we would really rather be on NCL. Of course people on this board feel the way we do, other boards would say NO to freestyle. whether they had tried it or not. For those who think part of cruising is being pampered freestyle is not for them. I get pampered at home by DH, I don't need to cruise for that. LOL NMNita

[NitaBcruising]

I've done both, and prefer traditional, main seating. I mainly go on NCL for price and itinerary. Like not taking formal clothes, however! But, I do like having the same waitstaff, and getting to know my tablemates! :)

[cs]

Sorry if this has been answered before -

 

Do all the restaurants allow casual clothing? If not, is the casual wear only for the buffet area like on Carnival? Can you get a steak or lobster dressed casually?

 

Not sure I get the idea of freestyle dining. Carnival always has food available in the buffet area whenever you fell like eating - is this how it is on NCL? Is everything buffet style?

[mommiemudd]

Only way we will cruise! Hubby would not be happy any other way!

[cruisingfromMN]

We keep going back to NCL because of Freestyle!!! Love it!

[trish1c]

The last thing I need on vacation is a schedule. the option of getting a table to share adds a social element.

 

I don't mind traditional but I have family who absolutely will not sail on another line because they love freestyle so much.

[jmcdon7230]

Does anyone remember the time period leading up to NCL's implementation of Freestyle? These boards were in an uproar of complaints. Most were vowing never to cruise with NCL again. And now.....nearly 80% endorse Freestyle.

 

We've cruise Freestyle twice and would never go back to traditional. :)