1st time Freestyler questions about dining

[icemaiden]

hi there planning on taking a cruise in december with ncl but i noticed that when they talk about freestyle dining does that mean that you can eat 24hrs a day in the buffet or are the buffets closed at certain times and is room service food and drink (soft drinks and tea/coffee) included in the price, it will be my first time on ncl so i have lots of questions i will probably ask at some time,

 

icemaiden:p

[flashdog_1]

an expanded room service menu. I hope it includes being able to get the dinner meal in a restaurant (not served by a butler, but just delivered, like they do on Celebrity and RCI)

 

I, too, wonder if the buffet has hours. When it's been described as having no steam trays, but servers cutting meat etc. I don't know how that's possible, but maybe just certain sections are open 24 hours but not all are open 24 hrs, like maybe the sandwich one is open 9-11, pizza 3-5, and pasta all night etc. Please tell us how it works.

[Toyz711]

one of the dailys from my dec cruise says the buffet hours were

breakfast: 6:30 am to 11:30am

lunch: 11:30 am to 3pm

snacks 3pm to 5pm

dinner: 5pm to 9pm

late night snacks: 10:30pm to 11:30 pm

 

the snacks were (usually) premade sandwiches and such. things you could help yourself with. they would have some other stuff...but limited.

yes, they did have steamers to keep the food hot.

i know they are upgrading the buffet areas on all the ship...adding table cloths and making it more fancy. but i added some photos on the buffet area on the spirit..

for 24 hour food, room service or blue lagoon...if your ship has a blue lagoon.

[flashdog_1]

Thank you so much. I have emailed the shipcoordinator for Majesty to find out if they will have the enhanced room service menu on my sailing. If so I will post it on the NCL board for everyone.

[AFT_LOVER]

where your tray is carried & they get you a table. But if you both get up for desert & coffee and come back to other people at your table.

 

But NCL has stated that they are making the buffet a cooked to order area with meat slicers & they have the side dishes to go with it. So I will check this out on our next cruise.

 

We get a table first if its crowded then one of us sits as the other get their meal. My husband will get me a cup of coffee & then go get his meal. Then I go when he gets back. Or Visa Versa.

 

I'm sure you just get used to that but it is new to me so I have a question I'd like answered (so I don't hear any grumbling from my husband his first time in the buffet!). I don't want to delay lunch (or a line) by asking for a tray if that is considered "out of the way."

 

Do you, for instance, get, on your first time up, just salad and in the other hand brea?. Then do you go back for the entree or sandwich? Go back for dessert? Gosh, if you were sitting alone you might lose your table!! ha

 

Logistically, is one member of the party assigned to getting the drinks from the dispenser, and picking up the tableware and napkins while someone else will get two plates of salad?

 

Do you get a table first and then go get the food or after you get the food?

 

Forgive my ancientness but I am accustomed to a steward stepping up at the end of the line and carrying my tray and finding a table for me (sometimes so quickly that my husband who is still deciding on dessert does not know where I've gotten to). I've learned to decline this service unless my tray is really heavy, so I can wait for DH.

 

I've solved that problem on occasion by leaving "things" at a table so we'll both know where we'll be sitting, but I'm reading on these boards that tables are sometimes scarce at busy times, and that would not be a polite thing to do (feels sort of like reserving of a chair at the pool by putting down that towel, except that I WILL be back, unlike the owner of the towel).

 

Please take me seriously. I've never done it before without a tray. Thanks

[flashdog_1]

that's what they say. i don't drink coffee(s) ...i forget to put that down.

 

 

I can't have caffeine, but I order decaf capuccino!

[flashdog_1]

I heard back from NCL this evening. Basically the coordinator said they didn't know any more than we did about the new menus: just what the press release said about Freestyle 2.0. In other words, nothing has been done yet on Majesty.

[Toyz711]

i am ice tea and pepsi...

just remember, your ship is the older ship..it doesn't have all the restaurants and fancy buffet area that the newer ships have.

i think it's going to take the year to put 2.0 into the work on the ships. it's going to be great, but not a over-night thing. the newer ships will be easy to get it up and running. i can see adding the table cloths to the buffet area, but new menus will take some time. they will have to change their orders with the supplier before they can change the menus.

[Pamsicle]

Cathi - I am looking at the albums you have on webshots - THANK YOU for taking the time to scan all the "dailies" and load all these pictures. I am finding it VERY informative!

 

Thanks!

Pam

Calgary, CANADA

[Toyz711]

glad it's of use...even if you see one ship's daily, you can get an idea of what all the ship's offer. especially in regard to dining times.

have a great cruise,

[flashdog_1]

Cathi, those are the first and only photos of Quirigua that I've ever seen. Thank you SO much for posting your pictures. Were the explanations given only about the life of that king? Must have been v interesting.