Open seating being considered by RCCL???

[DonnaK]

Could you explain how open seating affects the entire atmosphere of the ship?

 

 

Too many examples to list here, but how about this: The show times are synchronized to fixed dining times. With anytime dining, you get large numbers of people walking into shows late or leaving early, which is disturbing to the rest of us.

 

As well, it affects the level and quality of service when all the meals aren't synchronized. One of the reasons Mariner is our favorite ship is because the crew seems so happy and it trickles down to how they interact with the passengers - this atmpsophere can be destroyed by moving away from traditional dining - the waiters we are friendly with don't want it because it makes their job much harder.

 

You said that the waiters shouldn't be given such high esteem, and should be invisible, because you do not cruise to make buddies with them. We'll, then you are missing out on one of the best aspects of cruising - the personal and individualized service of a dedicated and friendly wait team. By the end of the week, they have become like part of the family.

 

And, what about all the people who want tradtional dining on Princess but cannot be accomodated. We tried to book the Crown Prinicess a year in advance and already traditional dining was sold-out and the waiting list was over 300 deep. Needless to say, we changed to Mariner of the Seas so we could be guaranteed traditional. This is a huge complaint over on the Princess board. On the HAL board, many people complain of the same thing. Now, maybe this, and the long waits, are only a problem in high season when the ships are sailing at capacity, but that's when I travel, so it affects me.

 

And before you think my opinion is based solely on what people talk about on these message boards, I have friends and family who have been on NCL and Princess, and I trust their negative opinions enough to know that I do not wish to make the same experiences.

[2ladies]

I don't understand where people come off thinking that because i want to eat at my own time, i must be relegated to the lower choice/"service" of the wind jammer.Absolutely!! We are all paying customers - and I resent the fact that I may have paid double what others are paying if I am in a better cabin and book late and yet, 'cos I book late, we can't eat in the Dining Room at a suitable time!! This is a ridiculous situation - everyone should receive the same opportunity to eat in the Dining Room at the time of their choice.

Also i am amazed at the special esteem the waite staff is given.

They are waiters. they should be invisible.

bring the food and move out of the way. i'm not on the cruise to make buddies with the waiterCOLOR=#ff0000]Agree 100%. Very peculiar!![/color]

Can't understand the mentality of those who are against others being given a choice!! Traditional will STILL be offered on RCCL - can't see the problem!!

 

Again, RCCL can't please all of the people all of the time - but they do have to move with the times and PC Dining will be welcomed by a good percentage of cruisers and help alleviate the problem of pax not being able to eat in the DR.

[2ladies]

I don't understand where people come off thinking that because i want to eat at my own time, i must be relegated to the lower choice/"service" of the wind jammer.Exactly!! Equal opportunity is the name of the game, no matter if you book early or late - after all, everyone is a paying customer and entitled to the same amenities.

 

Also i am amazed at the special esteem the waite staff is given.

They are waiters. they should be invisible.

bring the food and move out of the way. i'm not on the cruise to make buddies with the waiter!

Couldn't agree more. We find this very 'odd'!!

[trf1960]

Our first cruise was with Princess and we chose the "Anytime Dining" feature and loved it. There was only the two of us but never did we have a problem getting a table (for two) and any time of the evening, found the food and service as excellent as I had been told it would be and to be honest, am hoping that our next cruise with RCI will be up to the same standard. Unfortunately we have had no choice but to put ourselves on the 6:30 sitting (we will be with my 88 year old Father) and really dislike being 'allocated' a time to eat never mind the same table.

 

I am all for flexibility where dining is concerned. I/we are on holiday for goodness sake, I want to be able to do, see and eat what I like, when I like. :)

[trf1960]

posted in error

[Bakincakes]

I don't understand where people come off thinking that because i want to eat at my own time, i must be relegated to the lower choice/"service" of the wind jammer.Absolutely!! We are all paying customers - and I resent the fact that I may have paid double what others are paying if I am in a better cabin and book late and yet, 'cos I book late, we can't eat in the Dining Room at a suitable time!! This is a ridiculous situation - everyone should receive the same opportunity to eat in the Dining Room at the time of their choice.

 

Also i am amazed at the special esteem the waite staff is given.

They are waiters. they should be invisible.

bring the food and move out of the way. i'm not on the cruise to make buddies with the waiterCOLOR=#ff0000]Agree 100%. Very peculiar!![/color]

 

Can't understand the mentality of those who are against others being given a choice!! Traditional will STILL be offered on RCCL - can't see the problem!!

 

 

 

 

Again, RCCL can't please all of the people all of the time - but they do have to move with the times and PC Dining will be welcomed by a good percentage of cruisers and help alleviate the problem of pax not being able to eat in the DR.

 

And what of "traditional" diners who are being forced to accept anytime because all reservations have been taken and they are put on a wait list of over 300 people?

 

You do have a "choice". You can choose early or late seating and if you can't manage to get there you can reserve at a specialty or order room serve or the WJ.

 

I'm not sure why those who want to eat when they wish feel as if the cruiselines is punishing them? There are many choices for people who can't bring themselves to eat at the early or late seating. :rolleyes:

[Bakincakes]

Our first cruise was with Princess and we chose the "Anytime Dining" feature and loved it. There was only the two of us but never did we have a problem getting a table (for two) and any time of the evening, found the food and service as excellent as I had been told it would be and to be honest, am hoping that our next cruise with RCI will be up to the same standard. Unfortunately we have had no choice but to put ourselves on the 6:30 sitting (we will be with my 88 year old Father) and really dislike being 'allocated' a time to eat never mind the same table.

 

I am all for flexibility where dining is concerned. I/we are on holiday for goodness sake, I want to be able to do, see and eat what I like, when I like. :)

 

 

Were you aware that RCI didn't offer anytime dining when you booked?:confused:

[hayesktrm]

You mentioned the buffet being "so good". Were you on NCL's Pearl??? OMG, the best buffet on any cruise line is on NCL Pearl. Hopefully other cruise lines will follow suit and have the same type of buffet with hot food being prepared by chefs at most stations.

 

Yes it was the Pearl! We knew that if we couldn't find my Dad, to look in the buffet (and he usually hates buffets)!

[Hypo]

I hadn't thought about the fact that most of RCI's tables are for 8 to 10 people. NCL's tables are smaller, 2 and 4 tops. That is a big difference. I would hope RCI doesn't continue to use the large tables for dinner. At lunch open seating, you are filed into the dining room and seated at a large table. You then wait until the table fills us so the wait staff can take orders and begin the lunch service. I would NOT want that type of service for anytime dining at dinner.

 

For the trial period that is on the Freedom of the Seas, I doubt very much that they are going to remove the large tables and replace them with 2/4 tops. (They may change the tables if they decide to do anytime on a permanent basis). The info that I received from RCCL about anytime for my cruise next week on the Freedom indicated that we "might" be seated with others. I understood that to mean that we would be seated at the next available seats, just like they do for breakfast and lunch in the dining room.

 

Hypo

[karle]

We went on NCL a few years ago , it was our first and last time with them. It was terrible, people were fighting over getting seated, the service was not up to par. I stick to RCCL.

[linda_22003]

Some of my best cruise memories are of our waiters! Sounds like you've not had some of the great waiters I've had. So sorry! IMHO waiters are some of the great highlights of a cruise. It's wonderful having one who remembers my likes and dislikes, entertains me during a meal, forming lasting friendships.

 

I have only done freestyle on Regent, which is a luxury line with smaller ships, so it may work better on smaller ships - I don't know. The waiters were professional and non-obtrusive. I have never thought of "forming a lasting friendship" with a waiter on land or sea. Do they come to your house on their vacations?

[trf1960]

Were you aware that RCI didn't offer anytime dining when you booked?:confused:

 

Yes, but I will try anything once and if I don't like it, won't book with them again (unless they give us the option like Princess etc). I have also been told, from so many sources, that the food on the RCI vessels is nowhere near the standard of the Princess fleet but we will just have to wait and see. I won't not book a particular cruiseline just because of one aspect to it although I appreciate the evening dining is a fabulous part to the experience.

[Digitalguy3]

Just off Freedom yesterday and our head waiter explained how the trial dining will occur. In the dining rooms on deck 3 and 4 will be traditional dining and on deck 5 will be the "anytime dining". It sounds like many of the RCCL dining staff are opposed to it (for good reason), but they are trying it anyway. I agree with most...keep it traditional.

 

Bob

[Sugar*Magnolia]

I vote for keeping cruiselines "traditional" dining options (well RCL cruiselines). There are still options, 3 to be exact. Main, second or Windjammer. Why change something that already seems to work well? Are people that needy that they cant find one option that suits them? I know freestyle seems like the trend but sometimes it is not ALWAYS best to go with the trend if it reduces quality somehow.

 

I think it is inevitable as well, but I like to forget I think that and hope it doesnt effect us. We look forward to cruising for many reasons, one is still the grandeur of cruising, the getting drfessed up for the DR etc. Call us old fashioned but we just appreciate the finer aspects.

 

If all of RCL went Freestyle we would probably only sail Celebrity and hope they remain traditional.

 

quick shout- is anyone planning on doing a live report from Oct 7th on Freedom regarding the trial freestyle dining??

[SherriZ366]

Just off Freedom yesterday and our head waiter explained how the trial dining will occur. In the dining rooms on deck 3 and 4 will be traditional dining and on deck 5 will be the "anytime dining". It sounds like many of the RCCL dining staff are opposed to it (for good reason), but they are trying it anyway. I agree with most...keep it traditional.

 

Bob

I've heard the same explanation about which decks had which dining. In the early confused days of the annoucement, RCI was saying that deck 3 would be open dining. Deck 3 has the most tables so glad they did not make that the open dining section. Feel bad for the wait staff -- good waiters, asst. waiters and head waiters really make a cruise and RCI has lots of them. To me, cruising is about its uniqueness. I can go to a restaurant at home and make a reservation or wait for a table but I love having my wine waiting for me and someone who knows my likes and dislikes.

[Reijo]

I read in Budget Magazine that RCCL is considering open seating in their dining rooms. We just took a NCL cruise in late July and tried Freestyle for the first time. I just didn't care for it...and here's why. I just didn't feel we got the level of service we got on other traditional cruiselines with traditional dining. I like having the same waiter who gets to know my likes and dislikes, and who is working extra hard because he wants a good tip. I really don't mind going to dinner at a set time. On NCL, I was going at those times anyway...so it just didn't matter.

 

I like having other dining venues that you can choose from...and dine whenever we like. And, I like having a set time with set waiters in the main dining room.

 

What do you all think and do you think RCCL will change?

 

I hope that Royal Caribbean will think this through before making a complete change ro open seating.

 

As you mentioned, when you have the same waiter they get to know your likes and dislikes. My husband and I just returned yesterday from another Mariner cruise. Our waiter asked our names on the first night and called us by name the remainder of the cruise. My iced tea was brought without asking, my decaf coffee was brought without asking and our waiter even knew the type of dessert that I wanted based on a few remarks that I had made the FIRST night. I just greatly enjoy the level of personal service that traditional dining gives. I also absolutely HATE going into the dining room at breakfast or lunch because I feel like I'm herded into the first available table until it is full. People seem to not want to talk and they just sit awkwardly because they have to repeat the same thing each time they choose to eat those particular meals in the dining room.............."Where are you from?", "What do you do?", "Any children, what are their ages, etc. etc. etc."

 

I know that this becomes a "sore point" with many people and everyone has their own feelings about it but as long as there is traditional (main and late seating) as well as open seating then I don't see a problem. I would have a problem if I was forced to go to the late seating in order to have traditional dining and others might feel that they would have a problems with being forced to have traditional at the the main seating.

[SherriZ366]

I hope that Royal Caribbean will think this through before making a complete change ro open seating.

 

As you mentioned, when you have the same waiter they get to know your likes and dislikes. My husband and I just returned yesterday from another Mariner cruise. Our waiter asked our names on the first night and called us by name the remainder of the cruise. My iced tea was brought without asking, my decaf coffee was brought without asking and our waiter even knew the type of dessert that I wanted based on a few remarks that I had made the FIRST night. I just greatly enjoy the level of personal service that traditional dining gives. I also absolutely HATE going into the dining room at breakfast or lunch because I feel like I'm herded into the first available table until it is full. People seem to not want to talk and they just sit awkwardly because they have to repeat the same thing each time they choose to eat those particular meals in the dining room.............."Where are you from?", "What do you do?", "Any children, what are their ages, etc. etc. etc."

 

I know that this becomes a "sore point" with many people and everyone has their own feelings about it but as long as there is traditional (main and late seating) as well as open seating then I don't see a problem. I would have a problem if I was forced to go to the late seating in order to have traditional dining and others might feel that they would have a problems with being forced to have traditional at the the main seating.

 

Good comments -- you may want to send them to RCI or include on a comment car.