what if NCL offered traditional dinning also ?

[melika091900]

Would you like it if NCL offered traditional and freestyle dining ? I would love it ,,

we love NCL and have had 2 great cruises on ncl star, but the freestyle dinning was a pain in the butt, everything was booked all the time,

so we had to eat at the buffet alot which is sooo hard with my mom in a wheelchair, we had to make her plate, our daughters plus our own,

it was just a nightmare,

 

i would love if they offered both, at set times every night for the traditional

they would still be freestyle, but a choice for traditional

 

maybe one day....

[CanadianTwosome]

Aside from having the same waiter and table every night - which apparently you can ask for if you want... I think if people want a traditional dining experience, they can still just go to dinner at the same time every night. To make it work on a Freestyle ship, you just have to choose the 'early sitting', which avoids crowds in the main dining rooms, certainly. If they did offer a 'traditional dining' experience, it would surely be in the main dining rooms... so there you have it. :)

 

Not all the dining rooms need reservations, so... was the wait that long at the main dining rooms when you wanted to eat? Was it longer than what it took to move your party to the buffet and then go up and down getting the various plates you needed?

 

To address the question directly, though, I think it would be very difficult to offer traditional dining on a freestyle ship. As I was saying above, though, I think it's very possible to create it for yourself depending on what time you want your dinner every night. :)

[Toyz711]

just the opposite here, we use NCL because of the freestyle....only way that really works for us. it's freestyle that has DH planning other cruises.

last cruise we were all over the place, never at a surcharges...it was the 1st time on any cruise we did exactly what we wanted. (other NLC cruises were with family or as a group) it was wonderful!!!

[caribsun]

I'm confused:confused: no reservations are needed for the main dining room, speciality yes. We always went to dinner around 7:30pm and walked right into the main dining room.

[mbisson]

I don't think I've ever waited more than 5 minutes to be seated on NCL, and I've never made a reservation for a main dining room. So even if offered the option, I'd stick with freestyle.

 

milika-when you say everything was booked up so you had to eat in the buffet, are you referring to the specialty dining rooms or the main rooms?

[electricron]

Since the waiters and waitresses switch restaurants often during a cruise, traditional dining is virtually impossible on NCL's ships.

 

As others have repeatedly posted here, even if you reserve the same table at the main restaurants, you're not guaranteed to get the same waiter. And they aren't going to sing and dance for you prior to the desert course. That's not Freestyle, and not what NCL wishes to do to set it apart from the other cruise lines..........

[Retired not Expired]

Nah. If they do offer traditional, I'd be afraid some of those who has said they will never sail with NCL again would come back.

[mbisson]

Nah. If they do offer traditional, I'd be afraid some of those who has said they will never sail with NCL again would come back.

 

I'm already afraid that with 2.0 some of em will come back!

[cruise4kicks]

Nah. If they do offer traditional, I'd be afraid some of those who has said they will never sail with NCL again would come back.

ROFL!!! :p

[Don Haynes]

The only problem is that the other cruise lines are slowly introducing speciality restaurants too. With speciality restaurants, anytime dining spreads and traditional dining dies. Its a hit, and NCL thought of it first.

[JWestShuh]

I have only cruised Royal Caribbean before and chose NCL specifically for the freestyle experience. I missed out on some really good food on Royal because I just hate getting dressed up. Just not for me on vacation - I want to be comfortable. I personally wouldn't travel on a cruise that didn't have freestyle or anytime dining just because there were also times that I wasn't hungry at the 8 or 8:30 dinner time. I didn't like feeling that structured. I am not really sure how it would work having two different dining styles on NCL. I think the reason most people chose NCL is to get away from the traditional. I am not sure of how many would be interested.

[smeyer418]

There are cruise lines that do it this way(traditional and personal choice) its called Princess. I like the NCL way. You can eat at the same time every night as boring as that is, you just aren't assured the same .....waiter(I was going to say slave because that is how some people describe the waiter- he knows what I want before I sit down and gets it for me.I don't even have to say hello to him first)....

[CorvetteLady]

There are cruise lines that do it this way(traditional and personal choice) its called Princess. I like the NCL way. You can eat at the same time every night as boring as that is, you just aren't assured the same .....waiter(I was going to say slave because that is how some people describe the waiter- he knows what I want before I sit down and gets it for me.I don't even have to say hello to him first)....

 

Why is it that you have to insult people who don't like what you like? And also insult the waiters who get to know their cruisers. If everyone liked the same thing they would only offer one entree at dinner and there would only be one cruise line.

 

It is hard to tell it from these boards, but I found all the same types of people on the NCL cruise that I did on Carnival. I chose NCL because I could drive to the port in 3 hours and there were 4 ports for a 7 day cruise. I never had to wait longer than 5-10 minutes for dinner and most of the waiters were nice. I still did not like "freestyle" and if that makes me boring, well there are a lot worse things I could be.

 

I don't mind if others like "freestyle", I just don't understand why people mind that I don't.

[smeyer418]

Why is it that you have to insult people who don't like what you like? And also insult the waiters who get to know their cruisers. If everyone liked the same thing they would only offer one entree at dinner and there would only be one cruise line.

 

It is hard to tell it from these boards, but I found all the same types of people on the NCL cruise that I did on Carnival. I chose NCL because I could drive to the port in 3 hours and there were 4 ports for a 7 day cruise. I never had to wait longer than 5-10 minutes for dinner and most of the waiters were nice. I still did not like "freestyle" and if that makes me boring, well there are a lot worse things I could be.

 

I don't mind if others like "freestyle", I just don't understand why people mind that I don't.

 

Its because some of the reasons people like traditional is in fact insulting. I don't insult what they like only the reasons some people give, not all. But most of the people who like traditional do have a fetch it attitude...sometimes people get angry because it hits too close to home. I have no problem learning about the waiters family see their pictures etc I have waited tables my self. But if its because you don't have to ask for drinks....it says more about you...but it isn't aimed at you personally. I too am entitled to my opinion as small and as narrow as it might be.

[JWestShuh]

 

It is hard to tell it from these boards, but I found all the same types of people on the NCL cruise that I did on Carnival.

I don't understand what you mean with this line.

[CorvetteLady]

I don't understand what you mean with this line.

 

I have read some posts that imply a better "class" of people sail NCL. Not on this thread, but some that I read before my cruise. I think someone referred to Carnival cruisers as WalMart shoppers, or words to that effect. I think the poster was called on that remark. But it was just an impression that I got from reading a lot of different threads and I just found the same cross section of people on NCL that were on Carnival.

 

I should have been more clear about what I meant and not made such a generalization. Sometimes my fingers get ahead of my brain.

[CorvetteLady]

Its because some of the reasons people like traditional is in fact insulting. I don't insult what they like only the reasons some people give, not all. But most of the people who like traditional do have a fetch it attitude...sometimes people get angry because it hits too close to home. I have no problem learning about the waiters family see their pictures etc I have waited tables my self. But if its because you don't have to ask for drinks....it says more about you...but it isn't aimed at you personally. I too am entitled to my opinion as small and as narrow as it might be.

 

I did not take it personally. I just never thought that because my waiter remembers that I don't drink coffee it made him my slave. I like learning about my waiter, and I like being greeted like a friend.

[smeyer418]

I did not take it personally. I just never thought that because my waiter remembers that I don't drink coffee it made him my slave. I like learning about my waiter, and I like being greeted like a friend.

 

so do I but that's not the reason most people state and BTW they can do that in Freestyle too....I get remembered from trip to trip...

[cruizinwithkids]

so do I but that's not the reason most people state and BTW they can do that in Freestyle too....I get remembered from trip to trip...

 

In 1999 we sailed on the Majesty. In 2001 we again sailed on the Majesty. The bar waiter greeted my husband with, "MILLER LITE!!!!!!!!!"

 

I was horrified and my husband has yet to live it down.:eek: :D

[Toyz711]

everybody's experience if different, but i get greeted like i am their long-lost friend most of the time. this last time, in 1 meal...alexendra and her assistant made us feel like we had known them forever....all in 1 meal.

i hate early/late seating...i don't mind the same waiters part, but i hate the rushing to make the early or waiting until the late. i love eating when i am hungry. we don't eat on a schedule at home, don't see why we should do that on a cruise.

i am glad to not have the dancing waiters, it was fun for the first 2 cruises..but it got old quick.

(the long-lost friend thing may be us, we got that at the movie theater tonite...guess we look friendly?)

but on NCL, when we approach the hostess we get greet with a big smile...when we sit down at the table, same thing. the teasing, the smiling, the wanting to talk...still there with freestyle.

[salty dingo]

Personally, I think freestyle has its place, but it's a fad and like all fads it will fade.

 

People don't like being restricted, but people usually are creatures of habit, eating at the same time every day. It would be nice if:

 

a) we never had to wait to be seated

b) our waiters got to know our likes and dislikes

 

Hey - that's the traditional dining way!

[NorthernNeighbour]

I have only cruised Royal Caribbean before and chose NCL specifically for the freestyle experience. I missed out on some really good food on Royal because I just hate getting dressed up. Just not for me on vacation - I want to be comfortable. I personally wouldn't travel on a cruise that didn't have freestyle or anytime dining just because there were also times that I wasn't hungry at the 8 or 8:30 dinner time. I didn't like feeling that structured. I am not really sure how it would work having two different dining styles on NCL. I think the reason most people chose NCL is to get away from the traditional. I am not sure of how many would be interested.

 

I have not been on ROYAL, but I was on CUNARD -- which is very traditional and encourages people to dress for dinner. However, I did not feel out of place not getting all dressed up for dinner. I just wore a dark blue suit (as did several others) and did not feel out of place, nor was I made to feel out of place. Other gentlemen at the table were dressed up in their tuxes. We had a wonderful time.

 

However, I also like freestyle on NCL. I can be relaxed as to the time for dining (although we tend to go very early or very late so there is never a line) and can go casual by wearing my sports jacket with trousers instead of the suit. I still have a tux (from cruising 25 years ago) but it is hanging at home in the cupboard -- probably not of much use now, except maybe I can wear it at my own funeral!!!

 

If we ever encountered a line waiting for dining, DW and I would probably just wait it out in the bar with a cocktail and munchies, until are 'signaling device' went off to signal us to report to the dining room. Not really a hardship, in my opinion -- we love to have a nice cocktail and a end-of-the-day chat about our day since we tend to go to separate activities.

[Brad1185]

With the 2.0 upgrades, and if traditional was offered, I would come back.

[melika091900]

I don't think I've ever waited more than 5 minutes to be seated on NCL, and I've never made a reservation for a main dining room. So even if offered the option, I'd stick with freestyle.

 

milika-when you say everything was booked up so you had to eat in the buffet, are you referring to the specialty dining rooms or the main rooms?

everything was booked except at 9p every night,

the only place we got a reservation for was Ginza..

i heard they are better with the reservations now, but when we went you could book the whole week at once, so everything got taken

[deepnite10]

i think it would work..NCL could alway s set aside a certain area within the

2 main restraunt s just for traditional diner s..

 

of course passenger should sign up and commit to this schedule throughout their cruise as a courtesy to other passenger s and

the wait staff that must scheduled for those table s..

 

unlike other cruise line s traditional dining can be part of the Freestyle Experience..rather than being part of the tradional..