Oh no!!

[merlindog22]

They absolutely are not bringing back ship wide formal nights on ships with Dynamic Dining. Recent reports in the press on this issue have been somewhat misleading.

 

With the rotational 'Dynamic Dining Classic' your group will have set nights in Grande, the formal restaurant. Not everyone on the ship will be formal the same night. Not everyone on the ship will enrol in classic so may not choose formal at all.

 

Whilst you think it's stupid it has (as another poster mentioned) been successful on Disney cruise line for many years and was introduced in response to customer desire to have the same table mates, waitstaff and dining time daily.

 

Well at least with the Classic you don't have to book every meal. Pity they don't make the show venue large enough to seat half the passengers, then you wouldn't have to book to see a show either. They managed to do this for years but because they wanted to save money and put in silly things like Robot bars etc. they had to cut back on the size of the theatres. Just to p... the customers off.

[knittinggirl]

With their push to attract new cruisers, and their apparent disregard for the feelings of quite a few of the long time cruisers, and what kept them coming back, it will be interesting to see just what the future holds for Royal Caribbean & Mr. Bayley. I, for one, have felt that the Royal Caribbean "experience" has seriously deteriorated over the past several years and it hardly resembles what we fell in love with when we started cruising about 20 years ago. While some of the new features are truly "WOW" items, it's not what we are looking for on a cruise. Unfortunately, the overall service and dining has gone downhill; and having to make reservations for shows and dining is a pain in the a** (especially with their web site). We have been fairly loyal to Royal, but our upcoming cruise next month on Liberty may well be the litmus test to determine if we continue to look to Royal first, if we continue cruising every year, or if we look at other options instead.

Royal Caribbean is definitely not the same cruise line we experienced back in 1996 for our tenth anniversary.

[Deenie33]

Disney have operated that system for years and years with great success

 

Yes, Disney has done it for over 20 years (that was probably our first Disney Cruise and first cruise ever) and it was great! We loved it!!! We didn't know any different back then but it was fun. And, We totally enjoyed our waiters following us in each different restaurant. No body does it better than Disney!!! I'm surprised the other cruise lines have take so long to catch up with them.:D

 

I, for one, DO NOT want to start making reservation on vacation . . . I agree that it would be a pain in the ***.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Deenie33

[Donsyb]

They managed to do this for years but because they wanted to save money and put in silly things like Robot bars etc. they had to cut back on the size of the theatres. Just to p... the customers off.

 

What many people who have cruised for years don't seem to be getting is that people get older cruise lines HAVE to start bringing in fresh blood - otherwise their market will die off and they will have no customers left.

 

Fresh blood means either younger people or non cruisers. And these people haven't cruised before for a reason - so cruise lines are trying new things to appeal to them. YOU might think they're silly, other people might not (and I have seen some positive reviews, so someone likes the "silly" robot bars).

 

What RCI don't seem to have got right is the balance i.e. attracting new customers whilst also managing the expectations of their existing customer base. They have tried to fix this with DD Classic and DD choice - everyone should be happy. Pre-book or don't - up to you. Keep the same waiters or don't - up to you. Keep the same table staff or don't - up to you.

 

What they maybe should have done was try all the new stuff out on a smaller ship - then people who didn't want all the new things could have just avoided that ship, but the Quantum ships are too large for that.

[SaintL]

im so bored of this threads, there are other cruise lines that cater to old style cruising, holland, cunard etc....

 

but im sure even they will eventually have to bring their product to newer standards of cruising,

[kitkat343]

I agree the cruise lines need to attract younger customers, and I think the nursery may go a long way towards doing that for RC. Only Disney and RC provides an option for child care for children under 2, so for many young families who are willing to try cruising they need to choose between these two lines. However, families will have the hardest time dealing with the following issues: dinner reservations disappearing from their account, and slow service in dining since there is a very limited amount of time that children can handle waiting for dinner. That's not to say that DD can't work for these families - if the bugs are eliminated from the reservation system, and there is adequate staffing in the dining room families should be fine. As others have noted, most people love Disney's rotating dining setup, and it is my hope that RC either has or will work out the kinks in their system soon.

Edited April 23, 2015 by kitkat343

[cathykb]

Many of us who have been cruising for 20 or more years are no longer the target market for Royal Caribbean, especially for the newer ships. Let's just face it and quit the complaining.

[snorkelman]

Many of us who have been cruising for 20 or more years are no longer the target market for Royal Caribbean, especially for the newer ships. Let's just face it and quit the complaining.

 

^^ Tough love, but true. I am 42, but I use the flowriders, zip lines, I go ice skating, use the gym, etc.

 

Sure there are things for everyone, but when I spend my cruise in a library, watching movies, playing bingo, and attending art auctions, then I will be the target customer of lines such as Holland America and others that cater to older folk.

[Paul65]

I remember seeing somewhere on CC recently about the revamped DD concepts. If I'm remembering correctly, one was called Dynamic Dining Classic, and the other was Dynamic Dining XXX (can't remember the name). Seemed to be explained that the Classic option would allow your waiters to transfer with you somehow? I have no clue how that would work. Does anyone else remember seeing this?

 

Hmm. The XXX version of Dynamic Dining sounds intriguing. I'll have to try that on a cruise when the kid's not with me, though. :cool:

[meripour]

There have been a lot of complaints over the years in regards to the food in the main dining for various reasons. Perhaps they listened and feel offering a choice to eat what you like in a setting that meets your personal choice of dining style could allow for a more memorable experience is the way to go? Dinner isn't all about the food that makes the evening memorable, but the who/what/when/where/why all play into the memory. You can always eat again. Gone are the days of early/late Main dining only or Windjammer. The first step were the addition of specialty restaurants, then to offer flex dining time. This just seems the next level in effort to keep themselves current. A recent poster just off Anthem said it was a great experience for him so I am very optimistic - in particular after seeing the pictures of the options!!!

The newest ships (Quantum Class) physical design concept involves the thought of no main dining room, but dining with the option of venue type without the specialty dining cost. Example, The Grand on Anthem allows for formal every night if you want, while others; traditional dining to contemporary - your choice; fancy or clubby. Clearly this also allowed additional 'for fee' restaurants too, but there are those that want to indulge in this for a special night or every night if they desire.

The dining reservation system admittedly does take some time to plug in all the spots, but for us, its nice to think every evening will offer a new adventure at a time and place that takes into account the activities we intend to pursue on a given day. I suspect the point of reservation system is to help insure there are no waits, allow the kitchen & wait staff to adjust accordingly, but also to put you in control of your vacation experience. For some, I could see this being an issue and in that case, book the same restaurant every night/same time to fulfill your preference.

Loving this remains to be seen, but for having to keep up with where to go when, the ships are going 'Smart' and will integrate your online (pre) 'Cruise Planner' data to 'Smart Concierge'. Via the room, kiosk or with an phone/iPad Ap 'Royal iQ' you can see everything you have planned and activities onboard, plus be able to manipulate. This technology will also allow you to check-in at the curb when you hand off your luggage as you have the ability to download your own picture & documentation prior to leaving home. No more line, but straight on the ship. You will even be able to see where you luggage is and when it reaches your room via their RFID luggage track system!! I have seen on a recent post the Seapass card has been/will be replaced by a wristband system - nice.

I am sure if this does not work they will retreat to Plan A. It will probably take a while to get their groove going on ships that were not built for Dynamic Dining (may be part of the confusion on the DD concept) or Smart technology in light they have made changes between the Quantum and Anthem to further refine the concept as they roll this out. It will be good to hear the boots on the ground reports of how this works in real life onboard.

[boonert]

Many of us who have been cruising for 20 or more years are no longer the target market for Royal Caribbean, especially for the newer ships. Let's just face it and quit the complaining.

 

You've hit the nail on the head there. Without attracting new customers- customers who have never cruised before- RCI or any other cruise line cannot stay in business. And younger people and people with small children just don't care about all of the things that long time cruisers like. They don't want to have to eat at the same time every night or get dressed up for formal nights. They want more and more activities, internet access, entertainment geared towards children. And these kids who grow up cruising with their parents will be the next generation of cruisers in 15-20 years from now.

 

I love Royal Caribbean and I hope to continue cruising with them but at some point I might have to consider looking for another cruise line that is geared towards old style cruising.

[meripour]

Recent review of someone just off Anthem.

 

Dining - Royal Caribbean have had some issues with their new concept “Dynamic Dining” where you have to pre book all your meal times, prior to cruising, and choose between four inclusive restaurants - Chic, American Icon, Grande (always formal) and Silk (Pan Asian). So, to placate those of us who prefer a Traditional dining time, and a set table, and waiter, they have now introduced for Anthem, “Dynamic Dining 2.0″ which means you can choose early or late seating, have the same table companions, and waiter, but here’s the (I think quite genius) twist - you will rotate around the four restaurants throughout your cruise, to experience them all but in a set way. Brilliant! I like this, as it gives you consistency and variety all at the same time, and removes the stress of being at home scheduling your entire holiday before you have even started it.

[poncho1973]

If we have to make reservations for everything then I will not be sailing with Royal Caribbean. Also with all this rotating you have to remember which restaurant you have to go to next. I can see people forgetting and going to the wrong place. Then there won't be enough spaces for everyone that should be there.

Stupid idea, however I hear that they are bring back the FORMAL NIGHTS. they are bowing to demand.

 

1. OK, vote with your wallet.
   
2. As a dozen people have said, Disney does this and people rave about it. I like it, too. It's not chaos and it's not nearly as difficult as you pretend it will be.
   
3. HAHAHA. No. They aren't bringing back formal nights under DD. They have a formal restaurant for that.
   

Royal Caribbean is definitely not the same cruise line we experienced back in 1996 for our tenth anniversary.

 

With much respect and no ill-will intended AT ALL, you guys aren't the same people that sailed on Royal Caribbean back in 1996 for your tenth anniversary either. We all change, even businesses. You're older, more refined, or maybe just different.

 

With their push to attract new cruisers, and their apparent disregard for the feelings of quite a few of the long time cruisers, and what kept them coming back, it will be interesting to see just what the future holds for Royal Caribbean & Mr. Bayley. I, for one, have felt that the Royal Caribbean "experience" has seriously deteriorated over the past several years and it hardly resembles what we fell in love with when we started cruising about 20 years ago. While some of the new features are truly "WOW" items, it's not what we are looking for on a cruise. Unfortunately, the overall service and dining has gone downhill; and having to make reservations for shows and dining is a pain in the a** (especially with their web site). We have been fairly loyal to Royal, but our upcoming cruise next month on Liberty may well be the litmus test to determine if we continue to look to Royal first, if we continue cruising every year, or if we look at other options instead.

 

1. Comic sans????? Really?
   
2. Older cruisers are, bluntly, a dying breed. Things aren't the same as they were 10 years ago, much less 20, 30, 40, or 50 years ago. At this point, even younger Baby Boomers are approaching retirement and the older ones are close to a decade into it. Even those of my own Gen X group are entering or even firmly into middle age.
   
3. There are cruise lines that don't bother with WOW factor items, they cater to older cruisers who like things the way they were before.
   
4. You can sail on ANY cruise line you want! It is useless to judge you for that. Do it and make yourself happy on whatever line that is.
   

 

A funny side comment, I annoyed my dad several months ago. He was telling some story that I can't remember, but the conversation went like this:

 

Dad: "... and so I'm standing there, this middle-aged guy, looking at them..."

Me: "You planning on hitting a buck-twenty-five?"

Dad: "What????"

Me: "Are you planning on hitting a buck-twenty-five?"

Dad: "$1.25 what do you mean?"

Me: "You called yourself 'middle-aged' and I was wondering if that meant you planned on living to 125 years old since you are in your 60s?"

Dad: "Hahaha, you jerk!"

Edited April 23, 2015 by poncho1973

[svillager]

I don't really feel that the dynamic classic will be the answer that everyone who enjoys classic dining expects.

 

Sadly, I feel that the era of cruising, as we remember it, is gone. It died when they got rid of the midnight buffet, the officer meet and greets - that actually took place in a lounge -where pictures were taken with you standing next to the captain, Not toasting a glass to a horde in a promenade. It's been dead for awhile, sadly. And yes - I obviously date myself as no spring chicken.

 

I sailed Quantum - and I survived. It was different, but I expected it to be. Unfortunately for me, as a solo cruiser - not once - was I ever able to dine with others - in theory - Yes, in actuality, for my sailing - No. I dined alone. There were never any tables to share.

 

So I was quite happy with the decision for dynamic classic. Today I changed my booking on Anthem from dynamic classic - back to dynamic.

 

Seems I started making dining reservations - and discovered that I could only reserve specialty dining, I was unable to reserve anything else.

 

So I asked RCCL - not knowing our schedule for which restaurant we cycle - what if I skip a restaurant, due to my specialty reservation - can I request a reservation onboard. Example Grande. What if activities onboard cause me to be late, or miss a night? How will I know how many formal nights we will cycle thru ? What if I just don't care for that restaurants menu - am I forced to go to WJ.

 

The answer - we are not sure, possibly just WJ, maybe there will be an ability to book onboard, but it may be full, time will tell.

 

So I changed back to dynamic

[floridaglen]

We are fans of MTD and have signed up for Dynamic Dining Choice on Harmony of the Seas.

 

In the past we've always just done dinner on a walk up basis without reservations as we typically will eat a couple of nights at a specialty restaurant and a night or 2 in the Windjammer. We will only be dining in the MDR for 3 possibly 4 nights of a 7 day cruise. I'm hoping it works this way for Dynamic Dining Choice. Of course on a ship this size and as many restaurant choices, it's very possible we wont even go to the MTD.

 

My take is that DD Choice is similar to MTD. Is that how anyone else understands it?

 

Of course our HOTS cruise is almost 2 years away, so anything could happen in that amount of time. :D

 

Yes that is correct, DD Choice is similar to MTD except that it is advisable to book the complimentary restaurants in advance. You can take a chance, by just walking up on the night, but you may end up eating in the Windjammer if there are no available tables. BTW there is no longer a MDR, there are 4 (5 if you are in a suite) smaller restaurants, so you choose when and where you wish to dine each night. Each one has a different menu. Hope this helps.

[Biker19]

Did I miss the memo that this week was "Let's rehash all things Dynamic Dining"?:cool:

 

Biker, who thinks we should just resurrect the threads from a year ago when all of this stuff was discussed already.

[nelblu]

Yes, menus available at the Royal Caribbean website http://www.royalcaribbean.com/anthemoftheseas/dining/restaurants/

 

Those are sample menus and not necessarily what you'll get on board. For instance, when they released menu for American Icon Grille, surf & turf was listed on the menu every nite--Never appeared--Only at Grande. It reminded me of when escargot were on the RCL's menus for every nite and for a long period of time simply were not available. Also, got a pleasant surprise on the last nite of our 2/2/16 cruise at Silk--Lobster tails were on the special menu.

[depplep]

Personally I'm dreading having to spend the time booking my dining venues when the time comes.:rolleyes:

 

Amen. I'm not even going to try. I'll eat wherever I can get a seat. We don't do the shows and I don't care who serves me so I'm flexible.

[Dinkachu]

Those are sample menus and not necessarily what you'll get on board. For instance, when they released menu for American Icon Grille, surf & turf was listed on the menu every nite--Never appeared--Only at Grande. It reminded me of when escargot were on the RCL's menus for every nite and for a long period of time simply were not available. Also, got a pleasant surprise on the last nite of our 2/2/16 cruise at Silk--Lobster tails were on the special menu.

 

When we compared the classic menus from previous cruises, where each night was a different themed menu, to the current ones listed on RCI's website, we found the new sample menus lacking. They offered fewer options than the traditional menus with simpler, less varied dishes. There was some broiled fish, grilled chicken and strip steak on every menu except Silk. Did you find the actual menus a pleasant surprise or disappointing compared to the sample menus, and in what way were they different? I understand they change the menu 1/2 way through a 7 day cruise, instead of every night as they do now.

 

One reason I think newer cruisers are pleased with the new menus is because the don't have memories from the 'golden days' of cruising to compare it to.

 

We are hoping to be pleasantly surprised on our upcoming Allure (post dry dock) cruise. I would love to come back singing praises of the 'new' dining arrangements on Allure.

[Kartgv]

Everyone at the table, as well as the wait staff stay together and move to a different restaurant each night. It gives you a different choice of menus, but lets you stay with the same group of people.

 

This sounds like mass confusion. Are all the restaurants set up identically, so that everyone from one restaurant moves on to the next restaurant the following night, then moves one more step the nest night? All of one waiters' tables then must move to the same restaurant at the same time? How is that 'choice'? And, if it's truly 'choice' as far as dining time goes, then how could they guarantee the same waiter? IF that's even close to what they're doing, why not rotate the menus from restaurant to restaurant nightly - seems an easier solution than rotating people and waiters. From what I'm reading, after our Jewel cruise next month, we will probably book elsewhere for the next year or so and let the system evolve into something a little more stable.

Edited April 24, 2015 by Kartgv

[Stateroom_Sailor]

When we compared the classic menus from previous cruises, where each night was a different themed menu, to the current ones listed on RCI's website, we found the new sample menus lacking. They offered fewer options than the traditional menus with simpler, less varied dishes. There was some broiled fish, grilled chicken and strip steak on every menu except Silk. Did you find the actual menus a pleasant surprise or disappointing compared to the sample menus, and in what way were they different? I understand they change the menu 1/2 way through a 7 day cruise, instead of every night as they do now.

 

One reason I think newer cruisers are pleased with the new menus is because the don't have memories from the 'golden days' of cruising to compare it to.

 

We are hoping to be pleasantly surprised on our upcoming Allure (post dry dock) cruise. I would love to come back singing praises of the 'new' dining arrangements on Allure.

 

On my first cruise I expected a Quality Inn and a cheap casino buffet, just about ANYTHING above that would have surprised me! Dynamic Dining has more options for a 3-5 day cruise, which will have more first time cruisers, but on a 7-14 day cruise? Lacking indeed.

Edited April 24, 2015 by Stateroom_Sailor

[GottaKnowWhen]

Many of us who have been cruising for 20 or more years are no longer the target market for Royal Caribbean, especially for the newer ships. Let's just face it and quit the complaining.

 

 

I've been on 3 cruises in my adult life, twice on Adventure of the Seas, once on Celebrity Infinity. I will not go back to Royal if they continue with the idiotic notion of making me spend my cruising time working through a decision and reservation process for dinners. Traditional MDR or I am gone. Ditto for sister-line Celebrity. But maybe my projected 3-5 weeks cruising per year over the next 10 years isn't the target audience? Corporate RCCL would rather become another Carnival party line?

[cruisin-m]

Many of us who have been cruising for 20 or more years are no longer the target market for Royal Caribbean, especially for the newer ships. Let's just face it and quit the complaining.

 

This is so true! People whinging about Royal Caribbean changing, if they didn't change they would be wiped out of the market in a heartbeat.

 

Especially people whinging about them losing their "traditional" elements, there are several cruise lines that offer that experience already.... HAL, Cunard, Celebrity, Azamara, Princess etc.

[BekkaW]

I've been on 3 cruises in my adult life, twice on Adventure of the Seas, once on Celebrity Infinity. I will not go back to Royal if they continue with the idiotic notion of making me spend my cruising time working through a decision and reservation process for dinners. Traditional MDR or I am gone. Ditto for sister-line Celebrity. But maybe my projected 3-5 weeks cruising per year over the next 10 years isn't the target audience? Corporate RCCL would rather become another Carnival party line?

 

Luckily you have that available on every ship but Quantum and Anthem. Eventually it will also be on Oasis class - still leaves you quite a few ships with an MDR to choose from.

[floridaglen]

This sounds like mass confusion. Are all the restaurants set up identically, so that everyone from one restaurant moves on to the next restaurant the following night, then moves one more step the nest night? All of one waiters' tables then must move to the same restaurant at the same time? How is that 'choice'? And, if it's truly 'choice' as far as dining time goes, then how could they guarantee the same waiter? IF that's even close to what they're doing, why not rotate the menus from restaurant to restaurant nightly - seems an easier solution than rotating people and waiters. From what I'm reading, after our Jewel cruise next month, we will probably book elsewhere for the next year or so and let the system evolve into something a little more stable.

 

There is Dynamic Dining Choice and Dynamic Dining Classic, I think you are confusing the two.