Freestyle dining ? HELP !

[Texas_firefighter]

Need help:confused: ,My wife is cruising Alaska with her Mom and sisters in June '07 on the Pearl, and my wife and I are researching a cruise to Hawaii in late '08. The latter quite possibly also being on a Norwegian ship. We both are still a little lost on this whole "freestyle" thing.I have read and read these boards trying to figure it out and can't quite get the answer I'm looking for. Thus the post. When eating in the dining rooms ,is a reservation still needed? Can we just walk in ,and if so what should we expect as far as being seated ?Are the main dining rooms the only place to have dinner without a charge? Is the food as good in main dining, ( I don't mean selection) , as the "charged" restaurants? We have only cruised once,on Carnival,and really did not mind at all "dressing" for dinner .My wife really loved the formal nights. And the food in Carnival's main dining was GREAT. I dont't really think you should have to pay extra each night for a "good" meal. That's not to mean that I wouldn't do that a couple nights for a change. Everything else we have reaserched about the ships and the line in general sound great.Sorry so long winded ,didn't set out to be. Thanks C.C.'ers .

[BeachBumMama]

I have read and read these boards trying to figure it out and can't quite get the answer I'm looking for.

First, if you can't quite 'figure' it all out, don't fret. Your freestyle daily will list all the restaurants available for the ship you are sailing on, and let you know whether reservations are required, and also whether a surcharge might be required.

 

When eating in the dining rooms ,is a reservation still needed? Can we just walk in ,and if so what should we expect as far as being seated ?

No reservations are required, but there are popular eating times that will be more crowded than others and there could possibly be a wait. Most times this can be taken care of by having a before dinner drink or such. You simply show up and tell them you want a table for however many is in your party.

 

Are the main dining rooms the only place to have dinner without a charge? Is the food as good in main dining, ( I don't mean selection) , as the "charged" restaurants?

Depending on the ship you will be sailing, the 'free' restaurants vary. There could possibly be 2 main dining rooms and for instance on the Dawn you would have the choice of Salsa (Tex-Mex style) or Trattoria (Italian). These restaurants are not 'pay' restaurants but require reservations as they are smaller venues.

 

Personally, where the food itself is concerned, I've always enjoyed meals in both the main dining rooms and the surchage and don't see that much of a difference. Others will feel differently but food is such a subjective topic.

 

We have only cruised once,on Carnival,and really did not mind at all "dressing" for dinner .My wife really loved the formal nights. And the food in Carnival's main dining was GREAT. I dont't really think you should have to pay extra each night for a "good" meal.

On the NCL cruises I've taken this hasn't been the case and the meals have been just as good in the main dining rooms or elsewhere. For instance one of my best meals on the Dream a week ago was a seafood lasagne found at the Pizzeria buffet. Go figure!:p The surcharge restaurants I look at as an option for more variety if one so chooses and the ambiance and atmosphere is different and can make for a special romantic dinner for two, so it can be different, but the food is just as good most other places.

 

As for 'dressing' for dinner, NCL is resort casual and I'm sure the way you dress on other cruise lines for dinner needn't have to change if you dont' want it to. Of course khaki's and collared shirts for men are more than appropriate on NCL, and casual capri's, slacks, skirts, etc. for women. It is 'resort casual', a space in between 'every day' wear and 'dressy'. As for formal night, this becomes a 'choice' and not mandatory. You can dress up as formal as you wish, most times the first sea day, or you don't have to dress up at all.

 

We just got off the Dream and decided to forgo the formal on this trip, our first time as we've always participated in formal night but this trip was solely for R & R. They had 2 night where they offered a set up for formal portraits and both nights had at least about 40 - 50% of passengers dressed up. So you won't be alone if it's something you choose to do.

 

The only thing to really 'get' about freestyle is that you choose when and where you want to eat with no reservations required. Again, the details will be available to you once you board and receive your freestyle daily to tell you on that particular ship what restaurants are available to you, and if you choose another restaurant you make your reservations for say the Italian restaurant or a 'surcharge' restaurant if you like. If not, you simply go to one of the main restaurants whenever you feel like having dinner.:)

 

Oh, did want to say we left from Houston on the Dream and hubby wants to come back. His first time in Texas and we stayed a few days after and toured around a bit. Lovely area!

[GrapevineTx_Cruiser]

Need help:confused: ,My wife is cruising Alaska with her Mom and sisters in June '07 on the Pearl, and my wife and I are researching a cruise to Hawaii in late '08. The latter quite possibly also being on a Norwegian ship. We both are still a little lost on this whole "freestyle" thing.I have read and read these boards trying to figure it out and can't quite get the answer I'm looking for. Thus the post. When eating in the dining rooms ,is a reservation still needed? Can we just walk in ,and if so what should we expect as far as being seated ?Are the main dining rooms the only place to have dinner without a charge? Is the food as good in main dining, ( I don't mean selection) , as the "charged" restaurants? We have only cruised once,on Carnival,and really did not mind at all "dressing" for dinner .My wife really loved the formal nights. And the food in Carnival's main dining was GREAT. I dont't really think you should have to pay extra each night for a "good" meal. That's not to mean that I wouldn't do that a couple nights for a change. Everything else we have reaserched about the ships and the line in general sound great.Sorry so long winded ,didn't set out to be. Thanks C.C.'ers .

 

Reservations aren't required for the main dining rooms. You can walk in anytime they are serving. There may be a small wait time during prime dining hours (usually around 6:30-7:30). Whenever we dined in the main dining rooms, we usually had no wait to occasionally a small wait. The only time we had an appreciable wait was a couple times during lunch (5-10 min) and once during dinner (around 15 min). If you show up during prime dining time and want a table for two, you may have a wait. They will ask if you don't mind sharing a table, if you want a table for two there may be a wait. We didn't mind sharing occasionally for the conversation. The food in the main dining rooms is good. The food in the pay specialty restuarants is a cut above and was worth it. The venues are more intimate with more attentive service. The free specialty restuarants are also good.

 

Apparently the reservation system has changed since we sailed last May. You used to be able to make reservations for the whole week the first day, but apparently now you can only make reservations for the day of and the next in advance unless you are in a higher end cabin (suite or above I think). On our cruise last May, we dined in specialties -Cagney's (very good for steak/lobster), Le Bistro (very good, I hear they don't have the chocolate fondue anymore), La Trattoria (good Italian, no extra charge), Endless Summer (Pseudo Tex Mex, OK, also no extra charge). The rest of our meals were in the main dining rooms and the food was always good.

 

The reservation desk should have the menus for you to look at in advance to see where you would like to dine. The main dining rooms usually had their evening menus posted in advance outside the doors.

 

Dining isn't like it was when we first cruised, you could get top of the line meals (filet mignon, lobster, fabulous desserts such as baked alaska, etc.) and midnight buffets every evening in the main dining room if you wanted. To cut costs due to increased competition and the expense, you now get good food in the free venues and food/service a cut above the average the way it used to be in the pay venues.

 

Hope this helps.

[hotspur]

Dining isn't like it was when we first cruised, you could get top of the line meals (filet mignon, lobster, fabulous desserts such as baked alaska, etc.) and midnight buffets every evening in the main dining room if you wanted.

Midnight buffets (the epitome of gluttony) are long gone , but I don't understand the rest of this statement. On our NCL cruises last fall we had Chateaubriand, lobster, rack of lamb, prime rib, beef wellington, all sorts of steaks, baked Alaska, bananas foster, cherries jubilee, crepes suzette, creme brulee, and all sorts of "top of the line" foods in the main dining room.

[Texas_firefighter]

From Beach Bum Mama - "Oh, did want to say we left from Houston on the Dream and hubby wants to come back. His first time in Texas and we stayed a few days after and toured around a bit. Lovely area!"

 

 

Thanks for the info,and to GrapevineTx cruiser,too!I live about 80 miles from Houston,If I can give a tip ,let me know.We go into Houston quite often.Both of your input REALLY helps alot.I feel much more clued in.The dining thing was the last piece of the puzzle for me,everything else sounded fine. I am certainly willing to try another line this early in my cruise experience.I read somewhere on these boards where they stated that most of the "newer" ships (I guess,last several years),were all equally as nice in most ways so to book by itenerary, not line. I agree with the itenerary part,don't know enough about the first part yet.I will probably agree with that as well. Itenerary is why we are considering NCL now.

[SuMac]

Hey, fellow Texans,

 

Enjoy those Houston cruises while you can! April 7th is supposed to the last one for NCL - ever!

 

Same for Princess, by the way. No more out of Galveston either. I wonder why!

 

Freestyle dining is wonderful! I cannot imagine a cruise where you HAVE to go to dinner at a scheduled time and sit with certain people. We always dress for dinner, but it's usually dress jeans, which TG, NCL allows in the evenings now, even formal night, too.

[kimc0486]

In the main dining rooms, are they buffet style, or are there menus? Do you just sit down and go grab food or does someone seat you and bring you food? Thanks

[cruiserssandr]

The main dining rooms are sit down and a waiter will brings you a menu and each course of food.

[Bermudamal]

We are 6 travelling together on the Majesty in May and would like to eat dinner each night together. Will be be able to make dinner reservations for the main dining room, or will be need to show up all together and wait for a table for 6?

[BeachBumMama]

We are 6 travelling together on the Majesty in May and would like to eat dinner each night together. Will be be able to make dinner reservations for the main dining room, or will be need to show up all together and wait for a table for 6?

You can do either/or. We just got back from the Dream and had a party of 6 and never had a long wait to get a table. Only real wait was the very first night and that was about 15 minutes but it was the prime time everyone wanted to eat. Other than that we merely walked up and got a table for 6 right away. Making reservations for every night kind of defeats the purpose of freestyle and there are options available for different restaurants so if you were to make reservations every night you'd have to know which restaurants you felt like eating at.

 

Since the Majesty is older it was not specifically built for freestyle, it doesn't have a large # of options when it comes to alternative restaurants. There is Le Bistro (which is a surcharge restaurant you pay extra for), and La Trattoria (an italian restaurant you don't pay for but you need reservations).

 

Personally, unless you want to eat at the same time and the same place every evening, I would think it would be more of a hassle to worry about reservations as you shouldn't have a problem getting a table for 6 most times. Have fun!:)

 

And for kimc0486 - The dining rooms are a sit down/menu affair, there is a seperate restaurant for a buffet you can also choose for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and most times late night snacks and such. You'll find out all the restaurants and their info on your freestyle daily when you board the ship.

[Toyz711]

we did alaska last sept on the NCL star. had a family of 7..

 

we did make reservations for lobster night, just to make sure FIL got his lobster when he wanted it. otherwise they don't like making reservations (in the main dining roooms) for less then 8. they will not seat you until the whole party is there. one thing we found out, once on the ship there were so many choices, people may go there own way. 3 times all 7 ate together...lobster night and one night at the buffet, last night @ cagney's steakhouse. we ate more lunches together then dinners.

on the star the 2 main dining rooms are beautiful seat-down venues. even though the cruise line doesn't make you dress formal, the venues are.

if you do go to the buffet:

it can get crowded...have 1 person, in your party, save a table. remember that the food stations are in different locations around the buffet...look first to see where everything is.

i could have gone the whole week without a speciality (sur-charge) restaurant. but the family did get reservations, called on friday for saturday night.

as someone else said...it's all listed in the ship's news that is left on your bed each night. menus can be found at the restaurant desk near the purser's desk.

(for 1st time cruisers, they take the WHOLE meal order up front..don't be surprised if they ask what you want for dessert before you get your salad)