Freestyle dining

[falconfan]

I am interested in your experiences with Freestyle dining. Do you typically have a wait? If so, how long?

Can you request the same table? If so, do you get the same wait staff?

Can you request the same wait staff?

How long does the dining experience take?

Do you just dine with your group or do they seat you with other diners?

Does the menu change throughout the week?

 

I have read horror stories about having to wait 45-60 minute to get a table and this concerns me. I hate waiting for a table at a restaurant on land and will walk out if it takes longer than 10 minutes.

 

Thanks in advance.

[weltek]

Do you typically have a wait? If so, how long?

-I've never waited more than 5 minutes for a table for two on my three cruises with NCL. We dine at various times (anywhere from 5:30 to 7:30).

 

Can you request the same table? If so, do you get the same wait staff?

-You can request a certain table, but you'll have to describe it to the hostess and may have to wait for it to be open. It's not that likely you'll have the same wait staff based on table selection alone. They often rotate dining rooms and shifts.

 

Can you request the same wait staff?

-Yes, and they'll accomodate you if the person is working that restaurant. You may have to wait if it's busy, however, for a table in that section to open up.

 

How long does the dining experience take?

-I've had it vary. I would say it's been as short as I'd like it to be (less than five minutes to get first course, then other courses arrived seamlessly) and longer than I'd like it to be (10 minutes til first course, then a lag in between). If you tell your server you'd like a quick service to make it to a show/activity, they'll work to accomodate you. Same with wanting a slower, more leisurly service.

 

Do you just dine with your group or do they seat you with other diners?

Does the menu change throughout the week?

You can ask to be seated with others if you'd like, but it's not the norm on NCL.

You'll be guaranteed some staples at each meal (steak, chicken, etc.), but then there will be rotating specials. I can't give more detail as the menus in the main dining rooms (MDR) seem to be changing (see Dawn menu threads).

[roger001]

It is very similar to going to a restaurant on shore. Wait tiimes will vary from none to a while, depending on what time you want to eat, same as on shore restaurant. However, the only wait I had was about 15 minutes. They give you a remote buzzer to notify you when a table is ready. So go wander the ship for a few minutes. Different waitstaff probably, maybe not, Whatever tables would be available probably. However, that is for the 2 main dining rooms. The buffets and grills are just walk up. Blue Lagoon is sit down with possibly a table wait. Electronic screens are throughout the ship showing the dining areas capacity at any moment. I don't eat at prime time, so never had a problem. We prefered to have a few adult beverages in one of the lounges first, eat later.

[falconfan]

Thanks for the replies, I am trying to get an idea of what the experience may be like.

[garycarla]

We have never waited for a table more than 5 minutes. There have been a few times there was a line and we either went to the other dining room, went for a drink, went to a speciality and got a seat or did the buffet. So many options.

 

If you scan through the postings you will find this is an often asked question and only a very small percent of people seem to run into waits.

 

By the way, it is rare we would even wait 30 minutes at a local restaurant. Guess we are either not picky or impatient, or both.

[uppitycats]

I am interested in your experiences with Freestyle dining. Do you typically have a wait? If so, how long?

The longest I waited was 10 minutes ...once, on an 11 day cruise. Otherwise we just walked in.

Can you request the same table? If so, do you get the same wait staff?

 

You can request the same table, and you may get the same waitstaff -- but they circulate through the specialty restaurants, so they won't be in the main dining room each night.

Can you request the same wait staff?

See answer above. You can request them, but if they're assigned elsewhere, you may not get them.

How long does the dining experience take?

As long...or as short..as you want. Generall around 45 minutes, but if you need it to be shorter or longer, just let them know when you arrive, and they'll adjust their service accordingly.

Unlike with traditional dining, you don't have to wait for everyone at your table to be seated, or everyone to finish each course (including a course you may not have ordered) before they'll serve the next course. You eat at your pace.

Do you just dine with your group or do they seat you with other diners?

Does the menu change throughout the week?

You eat with your group. If you ask to share a table, two things could happen: They'll seat you with another group who also agreed to share, and you'll start right in eating with them, or..

they'll seat you at a table (you'll have said "share with 2, 4, 6 others..whatever size group you want), and you'll wait until your table is full for them to begin service.

 

I have read horror stories about having to wait 45-60 minute to get a table and this concerns me. I hate waiting for a table at a restaurant on land and will walk out if it takes longer than 10 minutes.

 

Watch what happens -- on my cruise, if the dining room was going to open at 5:30, folks started lining up at 5 o'clock (as if they were heading to traditional dining!), and so indeed there was a long line, and it took awhile to get everyone seated. We waited until 6 oclock most nights, and walked right in.

Or if you time your arrival at the dining room to correspond with a show or activity being done, there'll be a crowd. Otherwise..again..the longest we had to wait was around 10 minutes.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

It's a lot like dining at land-based restaurants: you show up, you tell them how many in your party, and after they've checked you off and designated a table, you're seated, handed a menu, and you begin to order.

 

If you want to share a table with strangers, there may..or may not be..a delay, depending on whether the other party is already seated, or if they'll wait to fill yo ur table.

 

We just ate by ourselves (our choice!), or with folks that we met on board and at excursions, and never had any problems.

 

I'll never choose traditional dining again.

[WinnieinWA]

We've never had to wait for more than 5 minutes to eat in the MDR whether there were only two of us or six of us. Enjoy your cruise. :) I'll never go traditional dining again either.

[njhorseman]

We have been on a couple of NCL cruises where we had to wait up to a half hour if we chose to eat at during the peak dinner rush. On ships where the hostess gives you a buzzer to notify you that your table is ready this hasn't been a problem. We just go to a nearby bar for a pre dinner drink, walk around, or even go to the casino. On ships without a buzzer system we learned it was best to just our dining time slightly to avoid the wait.

[falconfan]

I have read some reviews where people said they could make a reservation for a specific time. Is this true on all NCL ships?

[uppitycats]

I have read some reviews where people said they could make a reservation for a specific time. Is this true on all NCL ships?

 

Generally you can't do this if you're a party of two, except in the specialty restaurants. There, recommendations are suggested, but not necessary. But you certainly could try.

[STARFISH*4]

on the SPIRIT we made reservations for 2...no prob...all you can do is ask

[Giantfan13]

We just came back off the Jewel on a Baltic Cruise. We are just two of us,and we just love the Freestyle dining experience. We also like the idea of 'sharing' tables, especially on a European cruise as you get to meet so many people from all over the world.

On our particular cruise, we never had to wait at all for any dinners. They asked us if we want a table for two or do we want to share a table.. We did some of both. The only times we did see people waiting was usually when the early show had ended and people were coming to eat. Then there was a wait of about 15-20 minutes and the people were given buzzers.

The two dinning rooms, Tsar's was more for adults and Azuma was more for families, as the latter was a lot more informal as families with teens etc just wanted to eat in a tshirt and jeans. Tsar's was a bit more formal in that most people had khaki's and golf or dress shirts.

[Don Haynes]

With Freestyle dining, there isn't an empty dining room after the first show. Seems the longest lines are when the dining room opens and after the first show. In both situations, dine twenty minutes later. Usually whatever line there is disappears. Timing is everything....

[falconfan]

Thanks for the responses. I am comfortable with the "formal" assigned dining times and am a little hesitant to change. From your responses it does not seem that Freestyle dining is any worse then going through the buffet.

[trish1c]

Do you typically have a wait? If so, how long?

On my 1st NCL cruise we only had to wait when we wanted to dine with our whole cc group about 12-14 people; I hve since learned with a group that big we could have called ahead & made a reservation. On the last cruise we had to wait about 20 minutes the last night b/c the seas were very rough sailing up to NYC in January everybody wanted to be in the MDR midship. On the newwer NCL ships there are displays by the elevators telling you how crowded a dining room is so you can plan accordingly. They also give you those square light up pager things so you can wander around. I'm not about to stand there for a 1/2 hour but I'm OK with going to get a drink & coming back.

 

Can you request the same table? If so, do you get the same wait staff? Can you request the same wait staff?

Requesting the same table doesn't get you the same waiter. You may have to wait longer if you want a specific table. You can request the same wait staff which we did often if we liked the person. The staff is assigned to a particular DR

 

How long does the dining experience take?

It's as short or as long as you make it. They'll rush you through if you want but they will also let you linger.

 

Do you just dine with your group or do they seat you with other diners?

It's up to you. You can sit with your party or you can request a table to share if you like. You can also join others if you want. We did that a few times when we'd see friends or they'd see us & we hadn't really started the meal yet.

 

Does the menu change throughout the week?

They did on all the cruises I have done so far but I thought I read some where that they stopped. They didn't change the menu at the buffet. The action stations were the same every day but there were so many of them that you didn't have to eat the same thing twice