How Free Style is Free Style

[The Merrill]

Hi .. Just a small question here. We are booked on the Escape in September 2016. I have made the necessary reservations for the speciality restaurants just so that we could get the times we wanted. My question is this: I understand the whole free style dining. But I wasn't willing to stand in a huge line-up for the MDR's so I also made dinner reservations for that too. Does it make a huge difference reserving a time ? I have heard that although we have a reservation we still line-up. Is that true? Any insight would be great!!

 

Thanks .. happy sailing! :)

[mjkacmom]

We were on a cruise on the BA during a school holiday week. Our family of 7 never waited for a table in a MDR, just checked the boards and went to the least busy.

[punkincc]

Hi .. Just a small question here. We are booked on the Escape in September 2016. I have made the necessary reservations for the speciality restaurants just so that we could get the times we wanted. My question is this: I understand the whole free style dining. But I wasn't willing to stand in a huge line-up for the MDR's so I also made dinner reservations for that too. Does it make a huge difference reserving a time ? I have heard that although we have a reservation we still line-up. Is that true? Any insight would be great!!

 

Thanks .. happy sailing! :)

 

I don't know why people think there are huge line ups for the MDRs. Yo do have to wait for the hostess to seat you. If there are a few parties in front of you when you arrive, you might have to wait a few minutes, until they get to their tables. In 9 cruises with NCL, we were given a pager and a glass of champagne once at the door of the MDR. We sat at the bar next to the entry and were were paged before we even had a chance to finish the glass. All other times it was immediate seating. And there are 3 MDRs. You can always go to one of the other two.

[drvalo]

The only time I have ever seen or stood in a line for a MDR on any ship was if it was right before the dining room opened. All the folks who want to eat and get to the 7:00ish show will wait in line in order to make the show. Otherwise, I have never seen a line longer than a couple of people/groups/couples.

[casofilia]

We eat early, 5.45-6.00, and have never had to wait more than the time it takes to clear the, maybe 10, at most, people in front of us. However when we leave, about 7.00 so my wife can get tot he show, it is not uncommon to see a fairly long queue and the beepers being given out.

Choose your time.

 

Mike

[cb at sea]

If you want to eat around 7 pm, then you will wait...everyone wants to eat then! Eat early or later and you'll be good!

[Mandy412]

I didn't wait on the Escape when I wanted to eat in the MDRs at prime times like 6:30-7:30. I didn't make reservations either. I guess it just depends on the demand at the time.

[SheehanDJ]

Only difference on the Getaway we experienced was the nights I made reservations in one of the MDR's we got an excellent table right by the window. The one night we didn't have a reservation we still got in plenty quick but didn't get to sit near any windows, it was actually a pretty crappy table location wise.

[LrgPizza]

I've never made a reservation at an MDR, and I've never waited to be seated.

 

 

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[AtlantaCruiser72]

Only difference on the Getaway we experienced was the nights I made reservations in one of the MDR's we got an excellent table right by the window. The one night we didn't have a reservation we still got in plenty quick but didn't get to sit near any windows, it was actually a pretty crappy table location wise.

 

I got the general impression when I was on the Escape that the hostesses held aside the tables in prime locations for guests with reservations and gave "walk-ups" the less desirable locations. We ate in the Manhatten Room on 4 evenings and were always seated in the centre of the room near the dance floor while others seated before or after us were escorted to the corners, back of the room, etc. We were in a standard oceanview so not like we got "fancy" seats for being in some sort of "fancy" room. Our reservations were at peak times and several evenings they did come down the queue to see if anyone was waiting who had reservations .....

[The Merrill]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I think we'll just keep the reservation the way it is and go from there. Sitting by a window or having a prime location would be nice!!! :)

[KateQ22003]

I have always had to wait for a table in the main dining room unless we ate really early.

[hpecorari]

I think the main question was this :

 

If you have a reservation do you still stand in the same line with others who do not, can you go to the front of the line and say you have a reservation, or is there a separate line for those that have reservations?

 

In my experience, and we usually eat around 5:00-5:30 due to my sister-in-law being a diabetic and the fact that she likes to keep her eating schedule the same one ship as on land… There have at times been 10 minutes or so waiting in line just to get to the hostess. I have made reservations in the past and have always been told that I still need to wait in line. I was not permitted to go to the front of the line and say we had a reservation ( well, actually I did – but was told to wait in line )nor was there a separate line for those with the reservations. Again that is only my experience.

 

Harriet

[punkincc]

This is the way I see it, based on the responses here and my own experience.

 

It's a crap shoot on how many people will decide to show up at the same time you do on any given evening. Keep in mind that the entire ship will not show up, as there are multiple entertainment offerings scheduled throughout the evening, there are 3 MDRs, the buffet and O'Sheehans plus 7 or 8 specialty restaurants.

 

It's probably safe to say that the MDR can usually accommodate the number of people who show up at any given time. But, there is maybe only one hostess, and it might take 10 minutes tops to clear the line in front of you. You can make a reservation if you want, but you probably will have a wait of zero to 10 minutes to be seated, same as the guy behind you with no reservation. You are not going to wait 30 minutes in line.

 

So ask yourself, can you not wait 10 minutes, or more likely 3 minutes to be seated? And if, Heaven forbid, it looks like you choose the wrong time, can you not walk down the hall to one of the other two MDRs which are probably half empty for immediate seating? You are on Vacation. I don't understand all this angst over immediate seating. Here at home, our family waited 2 1/2 hours for a table recently on a high school graduation day. (Reservations not accepted). A few minutes is nothing to get your knickers in a knot about.

[IsanTom]

Bon Apetite!

[mking8288]

It's easy to "generalize" NCL's freestyle dining ... with #cough #cough reservations ... megaships like the Escape & in our case, Breakaway - did & do things a little differently, perhaps.

 

On most nights, we showed up on time or few minutes early for our reservations and like most others, are seated within a few minutes at most, it's a matter of waiting for the host/ess to look up, swipe your Guest key card and print a little paper slip for the "escort" to show you to the table & bring the menu along.

 

On the last day, night before disembarkation - the MDR's are usually more busy than usual and it was packed full in the Manhattan DR (the biggest) & many large groups (being a full sea day, folks aren't off the ship or doing sometime else) ... the pace is more hectic but still organize, speed of getting the orders out slowing down - our dinner took over 2 hours (usually 1 to 1.25 hour is sufficient)

 

Smaller parties of 2, 3, 4 to 5 or 6 are easiest for seating, even without reservations - if you pick a less busy time to do walk-ins and perhaps stroll over to the larger MDR, especially if it's a shore day & many aren't back on the ship yet (depending on the itinerary & port time scheduled).

[hpecorari]

This is the way I see it, based on the responses here and my own experience.

 

It's a crap shoot on how many people will decide to show up at the same time you do on any given evening. Keep in mind that the entire ship will not show up, as there are multiple entertainment offerings scheduled throughout the evening, there are 3 MDRs, the buffet and O'Sheehans plus 7 or 8 specialty restaurants.

 

It's probably safe to say that the MDR can usually accommodate the number of people who show up at any given time. But, there is maybe only one hostess, and it might take 10 minutes tops to clear the line in front of you. You can make a reservation if you want, but you probably will have a wait of zero to 10 minutes to be seated, same as the guy behind you with no reservation. You are not going to wait 30 minutes in line.

 

So ask yourself, can you not wait 10 minutes, or more likely 3 minutes to be seated? And if, Heaven forbid, it looks like you choose the wrong time, can you not walk down the hall to one of the other two MDRs which are probably half empty for immediate seating? You are on Vacation. I don't understand all this angst over immediate seating. Here at home, our family waited 2 1/2 hours for a table recently on a high school graduation day. (Reservations not accepted). A few minutes is nothing to get your knickers in a knot about.

 

I don't think anyone is getting their knickers in a knot. It's just a simple discussion since they are now allowing you to make reservations in the MDR on all their ships....what's the benefit? Most people do think if you have a reservation you either go to another line or right up to the hostess, at least that's how I do it on land. I believe we're only discussing the difference of having an MDR reservation or not.

 

No one, that I can see, has complained about 'waiting in line'. No one has their knickers in a knot. The fact of how long the line is or even if there is a line isn't what I thought the main question was about. Simply the benefit of having a reservation and not having one.

 

Harriet

[punkincc]

Hi .. Just a small question here. We are booked on the Escape in September 2016. I have made the necessary reservations for the speciality restaurants just so that we could get the times we wanted. My question is this: I understand the whole free style dining. But I wasn't willing to stand in a huge line-up for the MDR's so I also made dinner reservations for that too. Does it make a huge difference reserving a time ? I have heard that although we have a reservation we still line-up. Is that true? Any insight would be great!!

 

Thanks .. happy sailing! :)

 

I don't think anyone is getting their knickers in a knot. It's just a simple discussion since they are now allowing you to make reservations in the MDR on all their ships....what's the benefit? Most people do think if you have a reservation you either go to another line or right up to the hostess, at least that's how I do it on land. I believe we're only discussing the difference of having an MDR reservation or not.

 

No one, that I can see, has complained about 'waiting in line'. No one has their knickers in a knot. The fact of how long the line is or even if there is a line isn't what I thought the main question was about. Simply the benefit of having a reservation and not having one.

 

Harriet

 

 

It's pretty clear from the OP's post that he made MDR reservations because "I wasn't willing to stand in a huge line-up". So he does have the conception, as do many others, that huge line ups are standard. He then goes on to ask if a reservation really makes a difference or if he'll be in line anyway. So yes, people do make a big deal out of this supposed "problem" which based on anecdotal evidence here and on many other threads on the same topic, does not exist. You either walk straight in, or wait a few minutes for the hostess to seat those in front of you. So to answer your question, "what's the benefit?", probably there is none, as mostly the "wait" is two or three minutes.

 

No one has indicated there is a "reservation" line. Only one person on here indicated that they sometimes come down the line asking if anyone has reservations. If they do that, those folks maybe get seated a few minutes before someone without one, but my opinion, the line usually goes so fast, that there is no need for them to check with those lined up because the wait is going to be very minimal. So if it makes anyone feel better, make a reservation. But it is probably totally unnecessary. I would maybe do it for a very large group.

Edited June 18, 2016 by punkincc

[The Merrill]

This will be our first cruise. I have no idea how long lines will be or not be for that matter. We simply just want to eat at the MDRs a few nights that's all. Of course I don't like line-ups; who does? But if that's the case so be it. My knickers will be firmly in place and not in knots I'm sure. I will keep my angst in check with a few beverages which will make the line seem not so long. :)

[$hip$hape]

For our past Escape cruise, we had everything mapped out weeks in advance.

For the MDR's we would skip out of the show a few minutes early.

We like the early show, but also like early dinners, so we tried some coordination.

It's hard to get dinner reservations before and after shows.

Someone suggested that, if you just smile, the hostess will treat you better.:rolleyes:

 

One day, when NCL canceled one of our booked shows 'til the following night(rough seas),

we tried to reschedule one of the specialty restaurants, but it was ”sold out”.

“Sir, you have to understand we only have limited capacity.”

[punkincc]

For our past Escape cruise, we had everything mapped out weeks in advance.

For the MDR's we would skip out of the show a few minutes early.

We like the early show, but also like early dinners, so we tried some coordination.

It's hard to get dinner reservations before and after shows.

Someone suggested that, if you just smile, the hostess will treat you better.:rolleyes:

 

One day, when NCL canceled one of our booked shows 'til the following night(rough seas),

we tried to reschedule one of the specialty restaurants, but it was ”sold out”.

“Sir, you have to understand we only have limited capacity.”

 

 

Keep in mind "sold out" or "no reservations available" may simply mean they have booked their allocated percentage of tables in advance. That does not mean that if you simply walked up at the date and time desired you would not be seated. Something similar happened to us on the Escape. They had technical difficulties and our show in the theatre was cancelled as we stood waiting to enter. Our group of 7 walked to a specialty and asked for a table. We waited less than 15 minutes to be seated. No doubt had I called, I would have been told, no res available. And you are never more than a few steps from a bar to make the waiting very easy.

[punkincc]

This will be our first cruise. I have no idea how long lines will be or not be for that matter. We simply just want to eat at the MDRs a few nights that's all. Of course I don't like line-ups; who does? But if that's the case so be it. My knickers will be firmly in place and not in knots I'm sure. I will keep my angst in check with a few beverages which will make the line seem not so long. :)

 

Now you're getting the hang of this "Freestyle" thing!

[$hip$hape]

Now you're getting the hang of this "Freestyle" thing!

I agree. Don't expect, and you won't be disappointed.

Found this NCL review, from March of 2009, and it somewhat still applies:

"Overall There were lines for everything. Even with reservations, there were lines to be seated in the restaurants.

Even at off-peek times, there were lines for boarding and disembarking in the ports.

There were even lines for the nightly special deserts and the extra charge OJ in the buffet.

In my opinion, Free Style meant that one was free to stand on line and pay extra to get what one should have received with the price of the ticket. Given the price paid, especially after all of the extra charges, I would rank this NCL trip at the bottom of my list for value and only in the lower end for overall quality. "

[punkincc]

I agree. Don't expect, and you won't be disappointed.

Found this NCL review, from March of 2009, and it somewhat still applies:

"Overall There were lines for everything. Even with reservations, there were lines to be seated in the restaurants.

Even at off-peek times, there were lines for boarding and disembarking in the ports.

There were even lines for the nightly special deserts and the extra charge OJ in the buffet.

In my opinion, Free Style meant that one was free to stand on line and pay extra to get what one should have received with the price of the ticket. Given the price paid, especially after all of the extra charges, I would rank this NCL trip at the bottom of my list for value and only in the lower end for overall quality. "

 

This sounds like someone so in need of instant gratification that a 3 minute "line" for anything could simply not be tolerated. And some of the things mentioned, like lines to embark and disembark, are standard on any cruiseline. It literally takes a few seconds to re enter the ship in port. I often see reviews that say the disembarkation experience on NCL was the best they have had.

 

What is included in the cruise fare on NCL are the same things that are included on any cruise line. What NCL charges extra for, most other lines do as well. Cruiselines that offer lots of "inclusive" items in the cruise fare are simply adding those costs into the cruise fare. Why pay upfront for a lot of extras you might not want. Isn't it better to have them offered as add ons, so that if you don't want it, you don't pay for it? Lots of choices on NCL.

[Cruzaholic41]

I don't know why people think there are huge line ups for the MDRs.

 

Because many of us have had the unfortunate experience of being handed a pager and made to wait 30+ minutes for a table, like I have on several NCL ships. That's why.