Freestyle cruising concern

[BLONDIE35]

I will be sailing on the Sun May 5-12 and I have never freestyled before. I am concerned that if I don't hurry up and decide upon set eating times at the alternate venues that I will be stuck eating at the buffets all week and never getting a decent meal. When do they allow you you reserve dinner times?? Is it fair to those who want to see how the day flows and decide on a meal latter in the day? I just don't want to be stuck at the buffet everyday because all of the "speciality" resaurants are booked and I missed my small window of opportunity to get a nice meal. I like the idea of eating at different times but i hope that by doing freestyle I don't miss out on the excellent food that I am used to on the set eating time cruises.

Also, is freestyle just either buffet or pay for dinner? Is there some included meals that you can order from a menu and have a nice romantic meal without having to pay extra? Thanks everyone for your help!!!!

:confused:

[ute_fan]

The current reservations policy is that you can make reservations for either that day or the next day. If you really want to eat at a specialty restaurant, I'd try to make reservations the day before, as it will improve your chances of being able to get the restaurant and time of your choice.

 

There will be two main dining rooms on the Sun that serve sit down meals similar to those on any cruise line. They don't require reservations and there isn't any additional charge. Personally, out of our 4 cruises on NCL, we've only eaten once in a specialty restaurant, with friends who enjoy eating there. We've been satisfied enough with the main dining rooms that we haven't seen any reason to spend more money for dinner. We've also seldom have any wait for dinner, but we do tend to earlier in the evening, and I think that's helped us avoid the lines that are sometimes mentioned.

 

Some of the specialty restaurants will have a cover charge, and some won't. I forget which restaurants are on the Sun, but you should be able to find that information in your freestyle daily which will be waiting in your room when you board the ship.

 

Have a wonderful time on your cruise. We sailed the Sun to Alaska 3 years ago, and I think she's still my favorite ship.

[BLONDIE35]

okay, so the other dining rooms don't all have buffets? I can actually order from a menu without having to pay extra?

 

Thanks!

[KeystoneCruiser]

okay, so the other dining rooms don't all have buffets? I can actually order from a menu without having to pay extra?

 

Thanks!

 

Each ship has at least two main dining rooms. These are full service, sit down restaurants. The menu in each is similar each night. The menu is more of the traditional cruise ship dinner menu. No reservations needed or accepted (except for large groups.)

 

There is also a "buffet" on each ship but it is not at the main restaurants.

[BLONDIE35]

Thank you very much!!!!

[margaret91326]

Just so you know, we didn't have reservations and we had to eat at the buffett 3 nights out of the week! Even when we did try to make reservations out choice was either 5:30 or 9:00! There isn't much "freestyle" about reservations or not even being able to eat at a decent time!

[ute_fan]

Margaret, can you give us a little more detail on your problems with reservations? It does make a difference as to whether you sailed before or after the fairly recent change in the menu policy, and also how many people you had that were trying to dine together. Also, were you trying to make reservations for the main dining rooms, or are you referring to the specialty restaurants?

 

I'm sorry you had such a problem on your cruise. We honestly have never had a problem, on all 4 of our completed NCL cruises. We normally show up at the dining room around 6 pm or a little bit after. On one of our cruises on the Sea, they weren't able to seat us immediately in one of the main dining rooms, but sent us to the other one and we had a table in about 5 minutes (with a group of 6 of us).

 

On our first cruise on the Sea, we did have a wait on the last day, but it was because we'd requested a specific waitress and her area was full. We'd enjoyed her enough that we asked if we could wait, went back to our rooms to pack, and they called when a table opened up. I've needed tables for different size groups, depending on whether we were traveling with just my DH and I, or with my kids (4 of us total) or my sisters and their husbands (6 of us). We've also chosen to eat with various members of our roll-call groups, which sometimes required a table for 8, and just have never had the experience of being unable to get a table.

 

Blondie -- Here's a link that was published a while back for the "new" menus on the Dawn. I'm pretty sure these are the ones that date back to last fall, when they revamped the menus after the ones that were causing such problems from January, 2006. This will give you an idea as to what is available in the main dining rooms -- which are definitely not buffets. http://www.kast.org/NCLDawnMenus/

 

If you're used to more traditional cruising, and enjoy having the same waiter throughout the cruise, you can also request to be seated in a particular waiter's area each night. They can't always fill the request, but they will try if that's something that appeals to you.

[BeachBumMama]

As the others have posted, you'll have the main dining rooms, just as you do on a 'traditional' cruise. Only difference is, you don't have to show up at either 6:00 or 8:00. You go when you're hungry and eat when you want. These are the nice venues with full service, etc.

 

And, as others have posted, I have eaten in the surcharge restaurants but find the food just as good at the main restaurants. Think of the surcharge restaurants just as an option for something different.

 

When you board, all of the restaurants available for your ship will be posted in the freestyle daily. Have fun!:)

[snorklinbarb]

Just so you know, we didn't have reservations and we had to eat at the buffett 3 nights out of the week! Even when we did try to make reservations out choice was either 5:30 or 9:00! There isn't much "freestyle" about reservations or not even being able to eat at a decent time!

 

margaret91326,

 

You were not doomed to the buffet those 3 nights - the main DR's are open, require no reservations, offer wonderful tables for 2 if that's what you're looking for (BLONDIE, take note) and would have accommodated you anytime between 5:30 and about 11:00 pm! You didn't tell us you passed those up.

 

And as ute fan said, there is a new specialty restaurant reservation policy that was instituted precisely because of the problems you mention. So your experience of being closed out except for very early or very late should be a problem of the past.

 

On the Sun, BLONDIE, you can, besides the main DR's Four Seasons and Seven Seas, go to Las Ramblas to have some tapas (little appetizers) at no charge. For a special evening you might want to book Le Bistro for a particularly romantic dinner for 2. The Italian is also very nice especially if you get one of the banquettes (don't be afraid to ask). If you're looking for a Japanese hibachi experience, book the Teppanyaki. Watch for 1/2 price specials for earlybirds (check the Freestyle Daily).

 

There's also a free specialty restaurant called Endless Summer (not sure) that advertises they serve the "Cooking Light" menus. Believe me, DH never knew that's what he was getting and there was really no discernible difference between these menus and any other (the taste was that good). It does require a reservation, I think, but no extra charge and is certainly worth a stop.

 

Most people choose one of the alternatives for a special evening and stick to the DR's the rest of the time. Check out those new menus - they offer you a 5 course experience - a big improvement this year!

 

Have fun on the Sun.

[Zeno]

Just so you know, we didn't have reservations and we had to eat at the buffett 3 nights out of the week! Even when we did try to make reservations out choice was either 5:30 or 9:00! There isn't much "freestyle" about reservations or not even being able to eat at a decent time!

 

WhY didn't you just eat in the main dining rooms???? (which are sit down restaurants) - No reservations are required and we have NEVER had any problem being seated in less than 10 minutes.

[hotspur]

WhY didn't you just eat in the main dining rooms????

I keep saying NCL has to do a better job of explaining freestyle dining and all its choices, because we continue to get these complaints about things that passengers should never be experiencing. I don't know whether it's something written in the cabins, a brief explanation given by the cruise director at the first night's main theater shows, a ship-board orientation meeting for passengers new to NCL, a repeating television program, a clear, ship-specific page in the pre-cruise document package, or what. But it really pains me that NCL has by far the most flexible, accommodating, choice-filled dining program of any cruise line anywhere and yet people continue to somehow turn it into a negative experience because they simply don't understand it.

[mikedw]

This is where a good TA comes in handy. People book a cruise themselves or on a online site without doing any research and they're surprised when it's totally different from the other cruises they been on. I've made up my own restaurant sheet on several NCL ships that I sell a lot that explain the different restaurants, what's free, and what's extra, and about reservations. I explain that to my clients and they know what to do.

 

Take care,

 

Michael

Hagerstown, MD

[mikedw]

Also I think a lot of people don't read there newsletter. The last NCL one I saw was off the Pearl when my manager was on there for the Christening. It explained everything in great detail, you just have to take 10 minutes to go through it, if you're not familiar with the system.

[Globaliser]

okay, so the other dining rooms don't all have buffets? I can actually order from a menu without having to pay extra?

Specifically on the Sun: The two main restaurants are the Four Seasons and the Seven Seas.

 

The Four Seasons is just off the atrium, on deck 5 (the lowest level, where the purser's desk is).

 

The Seven Seas is also on the same deck, but at the aft of the ship. It can normally only be accessed by the stairs at the aft of the ship, so for most people that basically means using deck 6 (the Promenade Deck) to get to the aft of the ship, and then going downstairs just before you reach the theatre.

 

FWIW, I personally prefer the Seven Seas to the Four Seasons, which I find darker and less cheerful. But that's very personal.

 

If you really want to eat at a specific specialty restaurant, and hopefully at a time to suit you, then you need to make a reservation. But if you want to go with the flow, IME the restaurants do sometimes have cancellations and no-shows. So if it gets to dinner time and you're want to give it a try, it's always worth it. They might say yes, come on in. Or they might say we can do you a table in an hour - then you can decide whether that fits in with your plans.

[BLONDIE35]

Thanks everyone for you help! You have put my buffett fears aside!! I think I am sailing on the Star out of Seattle to Alaska not the Sun.

I hope that the restaurants are about the same on each ship and THANKS Ute fan for the menus... this has helped A LOT!!!:) :) the food choices look great and it looks like you can still get the four course meals that were served on the designated seating time cruises so this looks great to me! I like the idea of eating when we want to because I like to gamble and I hate to leave a hot craps table to eat or miss a sunset! or even a late nap! Thanks again!!!!

[ute_fan]

I hope you enjoy your trip Blondie, whichever ship you're on. We loved the Sun, but I have CC friends who've sailed the Star repeatedly and love her too. We found, for Alaska especially, that freestyle is wonderful. The scenery for most of the cruise is so beautiful that it was great to not have to leave the spot you were viewing from to rush to the dining room to meet some set dining time.

 

The menus on the ships should be fairly similar. Entrees may be served on different days, but for the most part, they're pretty consistent between the different ships.

 

Enjoy Alaska -- we're sailing on the Pearl on 5/20, and I can't wait!

[Toyz711]

about the NCL star...great ship.

our family of 7 had a great time last year. food was a big factor, we are a real mixed lot. we ate at the main dining rooms 3 times, 1 times (as a family) at cagneys, 1 time at endless summers(2 of us), buffet or other choices the rest of the time.

one afternoon my FIL said he didn't want a "meal", i said was heading to blue lagoon. FIL didn't know what that was, but his son pushed his wheelchair, so he was stuck. i got my afternoon bowl of chili (got hooked on it), hubby got the best hamburger with fresh fries, FIL got a bowl of chinese noodles..then tried some other stuff. turned out he was hungry!

we ate at the buffet for lunch, but the 1 time we ate there for dinner...there was the rest of the family. turned into the seat-down family dinner. you will not be stuck at the buffet!!

the star has 2 main dining rooms, they have the same menus..that change per day. 2 other dining venues included, plus the buffet and the blue lagoon. then you have steakhouse, mexcian, asian(several) with surcharges/reservations required.

the main dining rooms are great, but if the big one (versailles) is busy..go to the smaller one (aqua)..it's even better.

here's one hint, we had a party of 7..dinner could take 2 hours (they don't serve the next course until everyone is done, FIL is slow eater).

if you are running late for a show, you can come back for dessert/ coffee!!

blue lagoon - 24 hr small diner style. seat down seating, table service.

they have their own grill, everything is cooked fresh. limited menu. where you can find self-serve coffee/tea/juices/cookes/dessert breads

main dining - try the beef wellington, DH and his sister raved about it!!

[hotspur]

the food choices look great and it looks like you can still get the four course meals that were served on the designated seating time cruises so this looks great to me!

Blondie, you should think of the Star's two main dining rooms as being the same as the big dining rooms on those "designated seating time" ships. The choices and quality of meals will be comparable.

 

What's different is you get to dine when you want to, sit with the people you want to and, within the guidelines of "resort casual," wear what you want to. It will be like going to a nice restaurant ashore in that everyone doesn't have to show up at the same time. About the only thing you won't have are the singing and dancing waiters that some cruise lines think are a form of entertainment.

 

Relax. Have a great time.

[Zeno]

I keep saying NCL has to do a better job of explaining freestyle dining and all its choices, because we continue to get these complaints about things that passengers should never be experiencing. I don't know whether it's something written in the cabins, a brief explanation given by the cruise director at the first night's main theater shows, a ship-board orientation meeting for passengers new to NCL, a repeating television program, a clear, ship-specific page in the pre-cruise document package, or what. But it really pains me that NCL has by far the most flexible, accommodating, choice-filled dining program of any cruise line anywhere and yet people continue to somehow turn it into a negative experience because they simply don't understand it.

 

I wish people would just READ the Freestyle dailies - I think the available dining choices are usually listed pretty clearly there. But you are correct - any of those suggestions sound good to me - since some people obviously just don't understand what is available.

[mbisson]

Also I think a lot of people don't read there newsletter. .

 

 

BINGO!

 

-Monte

[BeachBumMama]

I can remember when NCL first began freestyle and not knowing anything about it, other than reading there are restaurants you pay at, all I could think was Ahhhhh, I have to pay for the cruise and the food? It isn't included anymore?:eek: So I'm in agreement they need to do a better job at explaining it in more detail. It isn't a given that people know 'exactly' what it is because not everyone has sailed NCL. Maybe they should have something standard on their website to explain in full detail exactly what we cruise critics explain.:)

[mikedw]

I can remember when NCL first began freestyle and not knowing anything about it, other than reading there are restaurants you pay at, all I could think was Ahhhhh, I have to pay for the cruise and the food? It isn't included anymore?:eek: So I'm in agreement they need to do a better job at explaining it in more detail. It isn't a given that people know 'exactly' what it is because not everyone has sailed NCL. Maybe they should have something standard on their website to explain in full detail exactly what we cruise critics explain.:)

 

You can put out all the information in the world, but some people don't read there newsletter. Also as a TA, if it takes 2 hours to explain the Freestyle Concept to you, I'm more then happy to do it. Some people just can't be taught new tricks and should stick to another cruise line with standard dining. If you can't figure out Freestyle Dining from reading the daily newsletter, perhaps you shouldn't be traveling:)LOL

[NowVoyager908]

I sailed on the Spirit last June - first time on NCL. I was aware of the various dining policies and I made the reservation directly with NCL, no TA involved. The funny thing, I probably figured out the dining policy by reading the review on this website which mentioned both the two main dining rooms and the specialty restaurants. Plus, I had previously traveled on Princess which has a similar dining policy in Personal Choice.

 

We found the food and the service in the main dining rooms to be excellent. And, we never had to wait to be seated (usually arrived at about 7:30 - 8:00). The only annoyance related to dining happened on the first day; the line to make reservations for the specialty restaurants was horrendously long mainly because a couple of people were making reservations for the whole week and it seemed to take forever. Glad to hear that policy has been changed.

[BeachBumMama]

You can put out all the information in the world, but some people don't read there newsletter. Also as a TA, if it takes 2 hours to explain the Freestyle Concept to you, I'm more then happy to do it. Some people just can't be taught new tricks and should stick to another cruise line with standard dining. If you can't figure out Freestyle Dining from reading the daily newsletter, perhaps you shouldn't be traveling:)LOL

The newsletter is nice when you get on the ship, I was mainly talking of this confusion before people stepped foot on the ship. That's where the question comes into play. Maybe NCL should put that section of the freestyle in pdf format for each ship and people could download it and see exactly what their options are and get a better understanding.:)

[hotspur]

If you can't figure out Freestyle Dining from reading the daily newsletter, perhaps you shouldn't be traveling:)LOL

There was nothing in the "daily newsletter" on Jewel that said one word about the availability of tapas in Tango's, for example, or the fact that you could stop at the tapas bar, ask to have a dish made up of your favorites, and take it back to your stateroom for a pre-dinner snack on the balcony. When we did this, a number of people, seeing us carrying the dishes in the elevator, asked what it was and where we got it, and had no idea such a offering was available.

 

And, yes, if you really read the fine print, you would have noticed that Chin Chin was open for lunch on sea days, but few did so and it was nearly empty every time--except for crew. Why not a page in the daily on the first day that tells what each specialty restaurant offers, how much it costs, and when it's going to be open?

 

You're right, no matter what a cruise line, some dolts will miss it. But that doesn't excuse the fact that NCL simply doesn't do enough to make clear the wonders of freestyle dining, and the result is they get disappointed passengers, we get complaints posted here, and others read these complaints and as a result worry unnecessarily about freestyle dining.