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Anthem eliminates Dynamic Dining

TeeRick

By TeeRick,
in Royal Caribbean International

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OfTheSeasCruiser

OfTheSeasCruiser

Posted
Posted
On Oasis, it's not the same. The dining rooms are still where they were. There were 3 levels and they just basically renamed them.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The section of Silk that I was in was most definitely Asian themed. Buddhas and elephants sat on shelfs behind my head. So, I'd say its pretty close to being the same.

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hapster85

hapster85

Posted
Posted

Haven't read the whole thread, but at the end of the day, its not really a big change. Choice becomes MTD, without the need to choose a venue, only a time. Classic becomes Traditional, without the need to rotate. It's a name change.

 

I don't see this making sailing on the Anthem any more or less enjoyable. Capacities of the venues won't change. Getting a table on MTD won't be any easier than on Choice. Those who complained about Dynamic Dining will still find something to complain about.

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robbykapnj

robbykapnj

Posted
Posted (edited)

It is a different experience. We decided to stick with Royal despite being sick of the same old everything because this was indeed something new. It made us stick with Royal for why we love them without us having a need to migrate over to NCL.

 

Dining in a new venue would prevent the feeling of being stuck in the same venue every single night and would keep it interesting (for those in our party sick of eating at the same place every night not wanting to pay for speciality restaurants). It also would allow us to have NEW MENUS aside from the same old escorgot and chicken parm and lamb every cruise. We were looking forward to the variety of cuisines and menues, not the same menu with a new look and 2 or 3 newly named items of the SAME THING for the past 4 cruises over the past FOUR years.

 

Change sometimes is good. Without SOME change, we have no reason to keep cruising Royal Caribbean.

 

We were sold ON Dynamic Dining. It is the premesis of the ship. Now that final deposit is a week away, we will cancel. This is a vastly different experience, one that is the same as what we've become very tired of. I feel bad for those that were sold on this different expererience who can no longer cancel.

Edited by robbykapnj
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dsvd79

dsvd79

Posted
Posted

Are going to notify other bookings? My booking isn't until 2018, and it still says this below:

 

Dinner Seating: Dynamic Dining Choice lets you enjoy the flexibility to choose your preferred restaurant and dining time each night. Dynamic Dining Choice

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BekkaW

BekkaW

Posted
Posted
Haven't read the whole thread, but at the end of the day, its not really a big change. Choice becomes MTD, without the need to choose a venue, only a time. Classic becomes Traditional, without the need to rotate. It's a name change.

 

I don't see this making sailing on the Anthem any more or less enjoyable. Capacities of the venues won't change. Getting a table on MTD won't be any easier than on Choice. Those who complained about Dynamic Dining will still find something to complain about.

 

Are you serious? It's a very significant change. They're going from 4 distinct restaurants with different menus to the same MDR menu across all of them.

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hapster85

hapster85

Posted
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Are you serious? It's a very significant change. They're going from 4 distinct restaurants with different menus to the same MDR menu across all of them.

Yes, I'm serious. We found the food quite good, but the menus at all four already have the same "classic" left side each night, and the right side isn't all that distinct. At least it's not at Chic, The Grande, and American Icon. We didn't eat at Silk. I chose a chicken dish one night over prime rib at one of them, I can't even remember which. Two nights later, prime rib was on the menu at one of the others. Plus, if you don't want anything from the right side that night, you can ask for something from across the hall.

 

After 9 nights onboard the Anthem, other than lobster tails at The Grande, I cannot name one dish unique to the 3 main venues where we dined, and that was twice at each. Don't get me wrong. As I said above, we enjoyed the food, including Solarium Bistro, the Wind Jammer, James Italian, and even dare I say, Sorrento's.

 

So no, I do not see this as a major change. But I do see it as an attempt to ameliorate the negativity that has surrounded Dynamic Dining, and placate the whiners.

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Baron Barracuda

Baron Barracuda

Posted
Posted
Yep ... for the folks who didn't like making reservations for DD, there's a pretty good chance things may only get worse. Unless they jam in a ton more tables, you're still going to have the MTD diners fighting for dining times. I potentially see either long MTD waits, or they keep the reservation system which means booking far in advance just like you currently would with DD but now it will really depend on the tables and seating arrangements in the 2 MTD venues.

 

As many others have said, the Anthem just wasn't designed for this type of system.

 

The reservation system is a big part of the current problem. System habitually loses reservations (mine twice), aggravating people months before sailing. Show times and dates change just before sailing causing you to have to adjust meals, and there are no open slots. When you change a reservation the system doesn't always delete the old one, causing bookings to be double-counted. System blocks out two hours for meals which usually take under 1 1/2 hours causing people to be turned away while tables sit empty inside.

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beachbuddy

beachbuddy

Posted
Posted (edited)
The section of Silk that I was in was most definitely Asian themed. Buddhas and elephants sat on shelfs behind my head. So, I'd say its pretty close to being the same.

 

 

 

What I meant was they are the same rooms we always ate at and the ship wasn't built for DD. That's the reason they decided not to do it on Oasis. You either ate on deck 3,4,or 5 so nothing really changed much because your still eating on those same decks and same rooms. Quantum class restaurants are much smaller. Quantum class was advertised as a different style of dining. There was so much hype about it in their marketing.

Oasis class was never advertised as DD.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by beachbuddy
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beachbuddy

beachbuddy

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Posted
Yes, I'm serious. We found the food quite good, but the menus at all four already have the same "classic" left side each night, and the right side isn't all that distinct. At least it's not at Chic, The Grande, and American Icon. We didn't eat at Silk. I chose a chicken dish one night over prime rib at one of them, I can't even remember which. Two nights later, prime rib was on the menu at one of the others. Plus, if you don't want anything from the right side that night, you can ask for something from across the hall.

 

After 9 nights onboard the Anthem, other than lobster tails at The Grande, I cannot name one dish unique to the 3 main venues where we dined, and that was twice at each. Don't get me wrong. As I said above, we enjoyed the food, including Solarium Bistro, the Wind Jammer, James Italian, and even dare I say, Sorrento's.

 

So no, I do not see this as a major change. But I do see it as an attempt to ameliorate the negativity that has surrounded Dynamic Dining, and placate the whiners.

 

 

 

Believe me, them dropping the ball on this will create more negativity.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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hapster85

hapster85

Posted
Posted
Believe me, them dropping the ball on this will create more negativity.

 

Of that I have no doubt.

 

Our cruise history is limited, of course, but we had a hard time understanding why Anthem is so low rated. In general, not just the dynamic dining. We might've come away with a different impression if I hadn't researched, and been fully prepared ahead of time, but we loved it all.

 

Fingers crossed that the changes aren't for the worse.

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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted
This is true, but it was not advertised as DD, so nothing was changed after people booked it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

But there were several announcements that Oasis would have Dynamic Dining by Spring of 2015. It was cancelled in December 2014.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

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beachbuddy

beachbuddy

Posted
Posted
But there were several announcements that Oasis would have Dynamic Dining by Spring of 2015. It was cancelled in December 2014.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

Not exactly the same. It wasn't something that was happening and then taken away. Ship wasn't built for DD. There was no hype about it. Quantum class was unique and designed for DD. Royal caved and I'm very disappointed in them.

 

 

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BEENSAILING

BEENSAILING

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But there were several announcements that Oasis would have Dynamic Dining by Spring of 2015. It was cancelled in December 2014.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

 

They were not able to correct whatever technical / kitchen problems they were experiencing which is why after so much was money was spent on "redecorating" it did not happen.

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woodyren

woodyren

Posted
Posted (edited)
So, will RCI have a Grand sale on all those loaner jackets in Grande?

 

They will need more now. With all restaurants being formal on the same night. :D

 

Can we assume that Quantum and Ovation are still going with DD?

 

One of the issues with DD was the lack of staff. There seemed to be less assistant waiters and waiters were run off their feet. Am I correct in this observation?

 

Will they add more staff when traditional begins?

Edited by woodyren
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woodyren

woodyren

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I thought they had already been doing something other than DD?:confused:

 

I just read another thread in the Australian & NZ cruisers section. They posted a flyer with the heading about changes on Anthem. It made one small reference that the changes will affect Ovation sailings between Nov 2016 and April (?) 2017. This is the period in which it repositions from/to China for its Australian season.

 

Not sure what is happening on Ovation and Quantum when they are based in China. Would be interesting to see how they cater to the local dinning styles.

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