Iona; the beginning of the end for club dining?

A recent edition of the Daily Mail included a special P&O supplement featuring Iona. It stated that Iona would be P&Os first ship dedicated to freedom dining, implying that club dining would not be available. Should this be the case I would expect it to be extended to the rest of the fleet in the not too distant future.

A recent edition of the Daily Mail included a special P&O supplement featuring Iona. It stated that Iona would be P&Os first ship dedicated to freedom dining, implying that club dining would not be available. Should this be the case I would expect it to be extended to the rest of the fleet in the not too distant future.

Why?

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A recent edition of the Daily Mail included a special P&O supplement featuring Iona. It stated that Iona would be P&Os first ship dedicated to freedom dining, implying that club dining would not be available. Should this be the case I would expect it to be extended to the rest of the fleet in the not too distant future.

Yes, probably a sign of the times as a growing number of P&O passengers appear to prefer freedom dining.

We prefer freedom dining so it wouldn't be an issue for us but for some it would be.

We prefer Club Dining but times change and we have booked Iona. so will go along with it. I think that the end of Club Dining is inevitable, the younger cruisers will want a more relaxed environment like the NCL model and the formal nights are probably under threat as well.

Hi....yes I think too that Club Dining will be phased out especially on the new ships then maybe filter down to include Azura/ Ventura/Britannia. Aurora/Arcadia not sure as with those ships doing longer cruises it narrows the market down to people who are not quite as " time poor" which in general is more " retired" people who maybe prefer the Club dining....I am of that category but still prefer Freedom dining. Freedom dining is slowly being expanded within the fleet. At first it was in one of the 3 restaurants on Azura/Ventura now it is in two of the 3 restaurants

As a solo traveller, I should be very unhappy should club dining be discontinued. It is an excellent way for solo travellers to meet like minded travellers. Ships do have coffee mornings available but these are not suitable for everybody.

P&O stated some weeks ago that Iona would be Freedom Dining only so this not new information. There is no evidence to say this will spread to the other Ships & remember Iona is family friendly with over 5000 passengers!.

We are not retired but prefer club dining, late sitting.

I like to get to know our waiters and fellow diners over the course of the cruise.

I like the rapport you build with your waiters and as they get to know you, the extra little touches they add to your experience.

But if freedom dining was all that is available, we would happily go with that.

Think it would be a shame though...

As a solo traveller, I should be very unhappy should club dining be discontinued. It is an excellent way for solo travellers to meet like minded travellers. Ships do have coffee mornings available but these are not suitable for everybody.

Me too. I'm in exactly the same position.

We are of the older generation as well but prefer Freedom Dinning, especially if you are on a ship where people start getting to the theatre earlier and earlier each night to get a seat. If you are Club Dinning you sometimes miss out.

With Freedom Dinning if you dine at roughly the same time each night and like a particular table they will give you the same one each night.

We like the flexibility of freedom dining and the opportunity to sit with different people, if you get on well with your table companions you can always arrange to sit with them on other nights. Some of the Marella ships have freedom dining only and it works for them. As to whether this is extended to the P&O fleet we will have to wait and see.

We are of the older generation as well but prefer Freedom Dinning, especially if you are on a ship where people start getting to the theatre earlier and earlier each night to get a seat. If you are Club Dinning you sometimes miss out.

With Freedom Dinning if you dine at roughly the same time each night and like a particular table they will give you the same one each night.

If you are arriving for freedom dining at the same time every night and requesting the same table, is that not club dining?

People booking next week for Summer 2020 on the other ships will have the option of choosing Club Dining, so you would like to think it is safe until then, but would that stop P&O changing to all Freedom before then, who knows.

When sailing solo, I would not consider Freedom Dining on P&O. I can't think of anything worse than sitting with a different set of people for dinner three times a day! I am happy to meet new people at breakfast & lunch but not dinner too thank you. I think they probably will extend it to all the larger ships eventually but all the time they have smaller ships, I think Club Dining will be kept on those.

We are not retired but prefer club dining, late sitting.

I like to get to know our waiters and fellow diners over the course of the cruise.

I like the rapport you build with your waiters and as they get to know you, the extra little touches they add to your experience.

But if freedom dining was all that is available, we would happily go with that.

Think it would be a shame though...

I agree. I like to share the days events with our fellow diners and listening to theirs. Plus getting to know them and their lives.

We do have breakfast in the MDR and each time your reintroducing yourselves I'd hate to be doing this every evening too.

I think offering both is the best option for the other ships. Hands off club dining.

Absolutely agree. We enjoy getting to know our table companions and when we arrive at the table each evening it's good to be able to say - "How did you enjoy your trip to......?" instead of going through the monotonous exchanging of names, where we come from, how many times we've cruised etc. As has been said, that's what happens at breakfast and lunch - if you take lunch in the main restaurant - but at dinner it's pleasant to meet up with people you have got to know. We've been on over 20 cruises now and never had a table of people we can't get on with - always table of 8, second sitting. I know some people, especially younger ones, have a horror of meeting up with people they don't get on with but it's never been a problem for us. However, I agree, eventually Club Dining will disappear, hopefully not in the near future.

If you are arriving for freedom dining at the same time every night and requesting the same table, is that not club dining?

Hi....no it isn't. Freedom dining uses totally different MDRs although it is the same menu in all of them. Club dining is either 6:30 or 8:30....same table every night ...same table companions. ...guaranteed. Freedom dining you just go at a time to suit you....even if it is the same time every night....and you take " pot luck" if there is an available table and you have different table companions every night. Unless you turn up at the restaurant as a group and even then it will be if there is a table spare.

We have had some good tables on Club Dining and also been unfortunate to have a few very poor tables which put a dampener on the whole cruise so now prefer Freedom dining and then can choose a time and table size to suit me on different days.

Not all younger people prefer freedom dining. I am early 40s and prefer Club Dining like some have said for getting to know people over the course of the cruise. You get to know your wine waiter and food waiters and build a lovely rapport with them and they get to know what you like etc. We have kept in touch with people from our table as we have got to know them so well. If we had met them one night on Freedom we would probably never have met again so there is a lot to be said for keeping it. By keeping it that gives everyone the choice and suits all of our preferences.

Personally have never understood why anyone would want tied to a fixed time every evening, you are on holiday after all!

I have been on first sitting on Oceana on a cruise where huge queues of "Freedom" diners built up in anticipation of the restaurant opening early evening. Later on during the cruise it seemed that the queue formed earlier and earlier and were bigger each day.

We will find out when Iona sails whether an unmanageable number turn up as soon as the restaurant opens. If 80% of the passengers turn up at the same time things will get hectic and a bit rowdy to say the least. There does not seem to be a lot of choice on Iona; Fjords, Fjords or Fjords let's hope the menu isn't spam, spam or spam.

None of this is my idea of freedom.

Regards John

Have to agree. The queue started to form on Oriana at 5.45!! Just to get a table for 2 - ridiculous. Specially when they are in their finery on formal nights.

Second sitting Table for 8 suits us really well. Have had some great tables. Drinks at 7.15 and go down at 8.30, then theatre at 10.30. Have also never had a problem getting into the theatre, but maybe that's because we don't like the big ships.

No one is tied to same time every night even on club dining. You have lots of options with the speciality restaurants and we vary it up and if we want to eat later we book elsewhere. Eating early enables us to see both shows if they both appeal. Everyone has different tastes which is why it is good to start for all. Not sure why you need to understand why people want to do things a certain way? Just do what pleases you at the end of the day and there is no need to fathom out why others prefer different to you.

Hi....no it isn't. Freedom dining uses totally different MDRs although it is the same menu in all of them. Club dining is either 6:30 or 8:30....same table every night ...same table companions. ...guaranteed. Freedom dining you just go at a time to suit you....even if it is the same time every night....and you take " pot luck" if there is an available table and you have different table companions every night. Unless you turn up at the restaurant as a group and even then it will be if there is a table spare.

The point I was making was that it didn’t sound very free to me if you choose to eat at the same table at the same time.

Each to their own...

Don't know what will happen on Iona, if the queue for tables for 2 is anything like I have seen. Queue will form on the Prom Deck!!