Freestyle Cruising?

[mr_cruiser8]

Don't forget too that part of the cruising experience are the landtours and the visits at the ports of call. Sometimes these can be all day or late in returning, with freestyle you don't have to worry about rushing or missing your fixed dinner seatings ...

[KateQ22003]

We are thinking NCL as it does Boston (and goes somewhere warm!). Have you ever just taken Concord down the day of the cruise? Thanks, Jan

 

Hi Jan,

 

We did take the Concord down the day of the cruise the first year we did the Boston-Bermuda cruise on the Spirit. It was very easy, and South Station is only about 1.5 miles from the port. I think it was about a $10 taxi ride. the hardest part was schlepping all the luggage! This past summer we did the same cruise but drove to Boston instead of taking the bus. That was very easy too, and we parked all week in Boston for about $120. Where are you in Maine?

[Jan_In_Maine]

Hi Jan,

 

We did take the Concord down the day of the cruise the first year we did the Boston-Bermuda cruise on the Spirit. It was very easy, and South Station is only about 1.5 miles from the port. I think it was about a $10 taxi ride. the hardest part was schlepping all the luggage! This past summer we did the same cruise but drove to Boston instead of taking the bus. That was very easy too, and we parked all week in Boston for about $120. Where are you in Maine?

 

I'm in Bangor, over by the tree street area. Jan

[GreySkies]

Since the MDR is open upon embarkation we are in the "never in the buffet" class also.

 

I believe NCL is the only mainstream line to have the MDR open at embarkation and on port days for lunch.

 

Charlie

 

Sorry Charlie, (I just had to say that :-)

 

I was just on a Princess cruise and was able to have lunch in the MDR on embarkation. I don't know about port days since I was always in port.

[98Charlie]

Sorry Charlie, (I just had to say that :-)

 

I was just on a Princess cruise and was able to have lunch in the MDR on embarkation. I don't know about port days since I was always in port.

 

Thanks for the update. When we have cruised Princess it was buffet only on embarkation.

 

Charlie

[beachchick]

It sounds to me like you will not be happy with the freestyle concept. Personally I don't like it either, but since I live in Maine it's the only cruise line available to me out of Boston that goes somewhere warm. The problem with freestyle is that some people construe it to mean that they can wear anything they want, anywhere they want. I don't think that's what NCL had in mind when they created the concept, but they lack the desire to enforce what they created. Not only will you see a lot of people who have made no effort to dress for dinner, but many will show up in the dining room in their Sunday best tee shirts and shorts. Some will disagree with me, but it ruins the dining experience for those of us who still strive for the classic cruising experience.

 

I too enjoy having the same table/table mates and waiters nightly; I have some friends to this day that I met at the dinner table years ago. I miss formal nights as well, when the dining room looks so elegant and magical. But, there are many reasons to choose a cruise, and you have to decide which details are deal breakers to you. For me, the ease of cruising without having to fly to port is more important than dining options. So, I wait for the day when other cruise lines decide to offer cruises out of Boston. One can only wish!

 

I agree that NCL should enforce the very basic and reasonable dress requests of Freestyle. How hard is it really for a man to put on long pants and a collared shirt and for a woman to put on slacks/capris/skirt with a nice top or a pretty sundress. We like that formal nights are optional, but think passengers should respect their fellow cruisers by at least dressing decently in "resort casual." There are even venues such as the buffet and Blue Lagoon where t-shirts and shorts are perfectly fine in the evening.

 

We actually don't like assigned dining and are thrilled that most cruise lines now offer a variation of "anytime dining" for the MDR. We've never enjoyed having the cruise line choose our tablemates for us or tell us "Come eat dinner at this time, whether you're hungry or not, or you don't get to dine in the MDR tonight." I realize that there have long been other options, but having MDR anytime dining is a welcome change for us. We can even have tablemates that we (and they) choose while socializing at other times and other places onboard or ashore. I understand that some people want the assigned dining experience, but we just don't care for it. If it's the only option, then of course that's what we do.

 

While I would not disagree with your feelings (of course, they are yours), we simply don't let how others dress ruin our dining experience. If someone wore clothes that were dirty and smelly or if they didn't practice basic hygiene, then that would be a different story. Otherwise, I think it's disrespectful and wrong to not at least make an effort to look decent. I just refuse to let it have a negative effect on my dining.

 

But the bottom line is that you've made the choice to cruise on a line that doesn't "strive for the classic cruise experience." You wrote that not having to fly is more important than full formal nights, assigned dining, and having waiters that know you. So I urge you to please not let those passengers ruin things for you because that only takes away from your enjoyment and doesn't affect their self-absorbed selves at all.

 

beachchick

[KateQ22003]

I'm in Bangor, over by the tree street area. Jan

 

 

Well, I'm in Brewer so I guess we are almost neighbors!

[KateQ22003]

I agree that NCL should enforce the very basic and reasonable dress requests of Freestyle. How hard is it really for a man to put on long pants and a collared shirt and for a woman to put on slacks/capris/skirt with a nice top or a pretty sundress. We like that formal nights are optional, but think passengers should respect their fellow cruisers by at least dressing decently in "resort casual." There are even venues such as the buffet and Blue Lagoon where t-shirts and shorts are perfectly fine in the evening.

 

We actually don't like assigned dining and are thrilled that most cruise lines now offer a variation of "anytime dining" for the MDR. We've never enjoyed having the cruise line choose our tablemates for us or tell us "Come eat dinner at this time, whether you're hungry or not, or you don't get to dine in the MDR tonight." I realize that there have long been other options, but having MDR anytime dining is a welcome change for us. We can even have tablemates that we (and they) choose while socializing at other times and other places onboard or ashore. I understand that some people want the assigned dining experience, but we just don't care for it. If it's the only option, then of course that's what we do.

 

While I would not disagree with your feelings (of course, they are yours), we simply don't let how others dress ruin our dining experience. If someone wore clothes that were dirty and smelly or if they didn't practice basic hygiene, then that would be a different story. Otherwise, I think it's disrespectful and wrong to not at least make an effort to look decent. I just refuse to let it have a negative effect on my dining.

 

But the bottom line is that you've made the choice to cruise on a line that doesn't "strive for the classic cruise experience." You wrote that not having to fly is more important than full formal nights, assigned dining, and having waiters that know you. So I urge you to please not let those passengers ruin things for you because that only takes away from your enjoyment and doesn't affect their self-absorbed selves at all.

 

beachchick

 

Very well said! We do try not to be bothered by those who choose to ignore what I consider to be a very liberal dress code, but I have to admit that it does take away from the experience for us. And you are right; cruising on NCL is a decision that we have made based on other factors that are important to us.