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When will ccl end traditional dinning

vols_159

By vols_159,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Maraprince

Maraprince

Posted
Posted (edited)
I can't speak for the OP of that comment, but I thought the same thing. There has to be space and crew available to accommodate creating several different types of food. The reason there are two traditional dining times with Carnival is so that they can spread the workload out for the serving staff and kitchen staff. If there are 6 different restaurants seating people who are ordering vastly different types of dishes you need a bigger kitchen and prep area, as well as more staff trained in the different styles of food you're offering.

 

 

With the speciality chefs (RCCL must have paid $$$$), either they would have to enlarge the current kitchen prep space to keep the always available food options for each of the speciality restaurants and still be able to dedicate areas exclusively to prepare the menu items for each speciality restaurant, OR create smaller kitchens just to prepare each of the speciality menus. Either way, to do so they have to reduce the size of the MDR and chop it up into smaller segments to create kitchen prep space for all the new menu items. Remember, they are doing this on a ship with over 4,000+ people from the very beginning.

 

By forcing you to reserve dining place and time before boarding the ship RCCL hopes to determine how many meals they need to prepare. But there is always the wild card -- people not prereserving or changing after reserving. Maybe they just hope people will end up at the buffet:p.

 

At least some of the wait staff will benefit by:

 

1. prepayment of tips that will be shared

2. creation of more maitre'd positions

3. creation of host/reservation desk positions

 

MARAPRINCE

Edited by Maraprince
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EZ4

EZ4

Posted
Posted
who is the man ? I am guessing you mean Heald. If so please prove he said that because I would bet my pension you cannot

 

Why does it matter? John's a big boy. He can fight his own battles.

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missy428

missy428

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Posted

My $.02: I've done NCL's freestyle and I've done assigned dining on Princess and will do on Carnival. My only issues with assigned dining is I don't not want to eat with strangers whether I'm cruising solo, as a couple, or with family.

 

I've never sailed solo but If I was to sail as a solo I would hate to be forced to sit with strangers. I'm a very quite, shy person (in person) and it would take me the whole week to feel comfortable enough to exchange pleasantries. I also wouldn't want to feel like I have to hide in the buffet to avoid my table mates cause I'm uncomfortable, that's not something I want on my vacation.

 

I like the way things are now on Carnival, if I'm traveling solo I could do anytime if I'm traveling with a group I would go with whatever the group wants. I think Carnival has a perfect compromise. Would I be mad if they did away with traditional dining? Absolutely not. Do I think they should change and follow NCL and now RCI? No. I think they would be alienating a huge group of pax that like the whole traditional experience.

 

Side note: I know NCL will sit you with strangers if you ask and there is another group who asked as well...

 

 

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tandemcruzr

tandemcruzr

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Posted (edited)

Another vote for "I hope never." We look forward to being able to do our own thing during the day and getting together at dinner to discuss the day's event and the next day's plans. And having the same waitstaff is also a plus.

 

I know you can request the same staff with ATD, but trying to get everyone in your party to agree to a meeting time may be difficult.

Edited by tandemcruzr
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Lemontini

Lemontini

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Posted

I do not like the traditional dining room seating. I don't want to sit with strangers for 2 hours of dining & multiple courses. I always hated the way they make the waiters do the stupid dancing & singing. I just want a nice meal & to leave & do other things on the ship. I like to dress nice, just not formal. We do the anytime dining & like that, but on the Breeze last year the dining room experience was terrible. Waited & waited for drinks, the food was cold (every night one of our tablemates had to send something back because undercooked, overcooked, cold, etc), then it took over half an hour to get it back. Never did get a cocktail because no one came to the table to ask. We are going on the Breeze again in May & will do the Italian rest., the steakhouse, & maybe one night in the dining room to see if it has gotten any better. Loved the Breeze, just not the dining room experience. Just my opinion, not trying to offend anyone.:cool:

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1kaper Great Review Rare

1kaper

Posted
Posted
I do not like the traditional dining room seating. I don't want to sit with strangers for 2 hours of dining & multiple courses. I always hated the way they make the waiters do the stupid dancing & singing. I just want a nice meal & to leave & do other things on the ship. I like to dress nice, just not formal. We do the anytime dining & like that, but on the Breeze last year the dining room experience was terrible. Waited & waited for drinks, the food was cold (every night one of our tablemates had to send something back because undercooked, overcooked, cold, etc), then it took over half an hour to get it back. Never did get a cocktail because no one came to the table to ask. We are going on the Breeze again in May & will do the Italian rest., the steakhouse, & maybe one night in the dining room to see if it has gotten any better. Loved the Breeze, just not the dining room experience. Just my opinion, not trying to offend anyone.:cool:

 

 

Did they get away from the singing and dancing? I only saw it on two nights (Elegant night and the last night). But we did do ATD so I may have missed it. Also said the Glory with the new menu.

 

I'm not a fan of sitting with other people either, I'm just not an outgoing person. We don't like to have a set time either. Never had a problem getting a table although sometimes we would have to wait for a table for two - not that it is really a table for two.

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mousey

mousey

Posted
Posted
My $.02: I've done NCL's freestyle and I've done assigned dining on Princess and will do on Carnival. My only issues with assigned dining is I don't not want to eat with strangers whether I'm cruising solo, as a couple, or with family.

 

I've never sailed solo but If I was to sail as a solo I would hate to be forced to sit with strangers. I'm a very quite, shy person (in person) and it would take me the whole week to feel comfortable enough to exchange pleasantries. I also wouldn't want to feel like I have to hide in the buffet to avoid my table mates cause I'm uncomfortable, that's not something I want on my vacation.

 

I like the way things are now on Carnival, if I'm traveling solo I could do anytime if I'm traveling with a group I would go with whatever the group wants. I think Carnival has a perfect compromise. Would I be mad if they did away with traditional dining? Absolutely not. Do I think they should change and follow NCL and now RCI? No. I think they would be alienating a huge group of pax that like the whole traditional experience.

 

Side note: I know NCL will sit you with strangers if you ask and there is another group who asked as well...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You're right, on one of our NCL cruises we asked to be sat with a group of strangers rather than have to wait 1/2 hour for a table for just the three of us. No problem, met some new people and enjoyed a nice dinner with great conversation.:D But I highly respect that others prefer to be with just their own family or friends, or even alone. That's why I think it should stay the way Carnival has it now. Part ATD and part traditional dining.

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keishashadow

keishashadow

Posted
Posted
Ncl sky and sun are pretty small ships. Probably a lot smaller than 80% of carnival ships.

 

 

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we sailed on the star several years ago for the itinerary and thought the freestyle idea to be interesting. Only took one try in the MDR to send us scrambling to Cadillac lounge for chicken wings and the numerous OOP venues. We were able to get seatings, just not necessarily the times we wanted, difficult with a starving kid.

 

I just cannot imagine CCL ships, having few specialty dining venues in place, being able to make the RCCL Quantum system work for them.

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jonbgd

jonbgd

Posted
Posted

to answer the OP's question

It will be about the same time the OP sails on Carnival:rolleyes:

 

Traditional dining is one of the things I miss from Carnival when I sail on NCL

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vols_159

vols_159

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to answer the OP's question

 

It will be about the same time the OP sails on Carnival:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Traditional dining is one of the things I miss from Carnival when I sail on NCL

 

 

If my wife wasn't 33 weeks pregant we would of sailed carnival this month

 

 

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asalligo

asalligo

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Posted

I have avoided NCL for that reason, I like Formal nights and I like traditional dining. I doubt I will ever sail NCL. Much more likely that I will move to a line that is more formal and enforces the dress code in the MDR.

 

On a side note, not picking on any one person, I see this all the time on this forum. Dinning is not a word, Dining is. Sorry, just a personal peeve.

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Dave85

Dave85

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Posted

Count me as one of the RCI fans who was quite surprised by the Quantum announcement. I was thinking it might be a rotational deal like Disney, wasn't expecting the full Freestyle. It is worth keeping in mind that it's just for Quantum and Anthem for now, the rest of the line will have traditional.

 

My worthless $.02 re: Carnival based on anecdotal wait-listing and JH's comments is that they'll gradually increase the amount of dining room real estate they dedicate to YTD in an attempt to find the right balance that makes everyone happy to the maximum extent possible. Maybe someday that's 1 full dining room YTD and 1 full dining room traditional on certain ships, who knows. At the end of the day, Carnival has a very traditional product in comparison to other lines that are innovating and pushing the envelope in certain respects, so I would be totally shocked in Carnival did away completely with traditional dining anytime soon.

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IPlayWithString

IPlayWithString

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Posted
IMHO, I believe Carnival will always have one dining room for traditional seating. There are many, many cruisers who love dining with strangers who become friends by the end of the cruise. Of course, I could be wrong, but from the experience of hearing stories of table mates, I think traditional dining will survive.

 

 

I totally agree. On our first cruise, two of our table mates were these cute college age girls and they would end up discussing their bar tab from the previous 24 hrs before every night at dinner. Sometimes it went up to $500 (between the two of them) and I was like,:eek: "Gee I wish I had that kind of disposable income!". How they managed to rack up $500 worth of drinks between the two of them I'll never guess.

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