Anytime Dining on RCI??

[want2cruisenow]

I would love to see RCI implement an anytime dining option similar to Princess. I have never sailed RCI and probably now never will because I have become hooked on Princess' Anytime dining. I would LOVE to try one of RCI's megaships, however, I fear that I would find it difficult to go back to traditional dining. I always hated being told when I had to eat and who I had to eat with. I have also never felt a desire to bond with my waitstaff (although you can do that with Princess' Anytime dining by requesting the same staff nightly). I was quite concerned prior to cruising on Princess that I would hate Anytime dining due to long waits, but we never had to wait more than a few minutes and it worked out great. I really enjoyed the flexibility of being able to choose for myself when I eat, and more importantly, with whom I eat.

[karen_g]

Unfortunately, I think you have Princess' allocation of dining rooms between traditional and anytime, backwards. Two of the rooms are for anytime and only one for traditional, even when the numbers of passengers requesting each are the exact opposite. That is why there is always a long waiting list for traditional and my major complaint about Princess' Personal Choice dining program. :(

 

Oops... I think you are right. I got it backwards. So then, my thought would be that RCI could do things even *better* than Princess by offering only 1 room or floor for Anytime dining (for the 1/3 of pax who would like that), and 2 rooms or floors for Traditional dining (for the 2/3 of pax who would prefer that option). Then everyone could be happy.

[wrp96]

Oops... I think you are right. I got it backwards. So then, my thought would be that RCI could do things even *better* than Princess by offering only 1 room or floor for Anytime dining (for the 1/3 of pax who would like that), and 2 rooms or floors for Traditional dining (for the 2/3 of pax who would prefer that option). Then everyone could be happy.

 

But what about the ships that only have 2 dining rooms?

 

Also, on Voyager there is only one dining room, divided among 3 floors. Having people coming in and out at all times on one floor could be distracting to those of us on the other floors. If you doubt this, see the complaints on the HAL board in regards to the fact that they have the different dining rooms start at different times and all the noise abd distraction it has caused.

[Taylor]

We were on the Serenade to Alaska last year and on Norwegian Sun last week.

No comparison!!! Give me RCI.

Anyway about the freestyle dining. The shows were at 7:30 and 9:30 so to make the first show you HAD to be in the Dining room by 6 so needless to say there were not a lot of people at the first show and the 2nd. was very full. whereas if the shows had been at 8 and 10 it may have been better. We were usually eating early and always seated right away but when we came out there would be a line-up (one restaurant opened at 5:30; the other at 6)

As for the ship ; we have been on many cruises and the Serenade is the BEST!!! so hope nothing is changed for our next cruise. :)

[Taylor]

We were on the Serenade to Alaska last year and on Norwegian Sun last week.

No comparison!!! Give me RCI.

Anyway about the freestyle dining. The shows were at 7:30 and 9:30 so to make the first show you HAD to be in the Dining room by 6 so needless to say there were not a lot of people at the first show and the 2nd. was very full. whereas if the shows had been at 8 and 10 it may have been better. We were usually eating early and always seated right away but when we came out there would be a line-up (one restauant opened at 5:30; the other at 6)

As for the ship ; we have been on many cruises and the Serenade is the BEST!!! so hope nothing is changed for our next cruise. :)

[hdawson]

For those that have been so pleased with their NCL and Princess cruises, why are you so concerned with how Royal Caribbean or even Celebrity does it? ? ? ? ? ? They are different products. Go with the cruiseline that fits you and yours best.