Honestly, how do you long-time RC cruisers feel about Dynamic Dining?

[EGG]

I think this is the first step towards charging for all dining rooms. The wrist bands facilitate the reservation and payment process.

 

In order to get the dining time you want you may go to the specialty restaurant a few more times than you usually do. Someone wrote that the ratio was now 50/50. How many people eat in the specialty restaurant 50% of the time.

 

Passengers will get used to the restaurant concept and before we know it they will have a charge for the restaurants that are now free. Probably tell us that they are giving us better quality food or that they are charging money for the tips because people stopped tipping.

 

It will be interesting to see how many people end up eating in specialty restaurants more often, especially those that don't make reservations early.

[LMaxwell]

I think this is the first step towards charging for all dining rooms. The wrist bands facilitate the reservation and payment process.

 

In order to get the dining time you want you may go to the specialty restaurant a few more times than you usually do. Someone wrote that the ratio was now 50/50. How many people eat in the specialty restaurant 50% of the time.

 

Passengers will get used to the restaurant concept and before we know it they will have a charge for the restaurants that are now free. Probably tell us that they are giving us better quality food or that they are charging money for the tips because people stopped tipping.

 

It will be interesting to see how many people end up eating in specialty restaurants more often, especially those that don't make reservations early.

 

You may be right, time will tell. If Royal ever removed dining as part of the cruise fare (or only included snacks / buffets in the fare) I'd switch cruise lines in a heart beat.

[Paulette3028]

I think this is the first step towards charging for all dining rooms.

 

This will be a dramatic change and unless the ENTIRE cruise industry changed, a cruise line could see a significant loss in cruisers....even new cruisers would be less interested when they compared that other cruise lines which included food in the cruise fare.

[brfan]

You are correct.

 

If I understand it correctly:

 

Each restaurant will have its own specific menu which does not change from night to night.

Each restaurant will also offer the usual "always available items" which will be the same for all the restaurants.

 

bosco

 

There's another thread where someone received information from Royal stating there wouldn't be an "always available items" menu. However, we all know how accurate the information from Royal can be. :D

[Driftwoodgal]

Wow... haven't read the entire thread, but I am really concerned with the change. I happen to have food allergies that require me to carry an Epi pen.

 

Really not sure if I am feeling warm and fuzzy about having different restaurants etc and the cooks not knowing about the allergies.

 

Does anyone know how they will handle people that have severe allergies?

[caribill]

There's another thread where someone received information from Royal stating there wouldn't be an "always available items" menu. However, we all know how accurate the information from Royal can be. :D

 

The DD menus on the RCCL web site do not show any "always available" items.

 

However, since the menus are the same every evening, everything is always available.

[ckfred]

One question I have about Dynamic Dining is whether the dining venues (free and for-fee) will be all tables for 2 and 4, or whether they will still have tables of 6 and 8?

 

On one message board, someone posted that for people who like sitting at a table in the MDR and getting to know their tablemates over the course of a cruise, DD would present the opportunity of meeting new people every night.

 

For whatever reason, I get the impression that with Dynanmic Dining, it means the end of the large, banquest-sized tables. When I see ads for NCL and Freestyle Cruising, it appears that the tables in their restaurants are like tables in any restaurant on land, all 2 seats and 4 seats.

 

I like the idea of getting to know other people at our table over the course of a cruise. On one cruise, we ran into our tablemates in port and wound up having lunch with them. They are also on our Christmas card list. This seems less likely, with Dynamic Dining.

 

I also read that RCL is buying thousands of tablets for wait staff and other staff, so that they can input preferences. Thus, in any dining venue, a waiter can pull up a name and see if someone wants a vodka martinin upon being seated, or if with the coffee service, someone prefers Earl Gray tea with lemon. Now, this could be something that works for the highest level of Crown & Anchor. But, considering how busy wait staff are, I can't see them input preferences for every passenger on nights 1 and 2, so that during the cruise, waiters can see what every passenger prefers.

 

Here is one issue I just came to mind. On most cruises, the photographers go around to each table in the MDR on formal nights. If formal night is eliminated, except for the one venue that is formal for all dinners, isn't RC going to lose some revenue? It can be a pain to wait in line for portraits in the Centrum.

 

Of course, the photographer always seems to show up either right after a course has been served, or while people are having a very interesting conversation. With DD, I won't miss having my photo taken during dinner one bit.

[caribill]

I also read that RCL is buying thousands of tablets for wait staff and other staff, so that they can input preferences. Thus, in any dining venue, a waiter can pull up a name and see if someone wants a vodka martinin upon being seated, or if with the coffee service, someone prefers Earl Gray tea with lemon. Now, this could be something that works for the highest level of Crown & Anchor. But, considering how busy wait staff are, I can't see them input preferences for every passenger on nights 1 and 2, so that during the cruise, waiters can see what every passenger prefers.

 

 

Of course the waitstaff will not even know your name when you are seated, so they would have to enter it (correctly) into the tablet in order to retrive information about you.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

This will be a dramatic change and unless the ENTIRE cruise industry changed, a cruise line could see a significant loss in cruisers....even new cruisers would be less interested when they compared that other cruise lines which included food in the cruise fare.

 

And since Royal has been showing an interest in getting young and new cruisers, I can't see them charging for all restaurants. As you stated, if I was a first time cruiser, I would probably lean towards the line with everything included.

[LMaxwell]

And since Royal has been showing an interest in getting young and new cruisers, I can't see them charging for all restaurants. As you stated, if I was a first time cruiser, I would probably lean towards the line with everything included.

 

Makes sense but consider this, Royal would prefer people forget the past. That is why you have posts about land based chain restaurant offerings and how people would pay to get them on Royal, as opposed to bringing back things like midnight buffet.

 

When people have not experienced what was once included they are happier to pay up charges for lower quality items. I feel pretty sure Royal would be thrilled if Quantum and Anthem only attracted new cruisers. When you hear old timers complain about these new ways of doing things someone at Royal is sitting there going "it is working"

 

 

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[MJonTravel]

I'll let you know how I feel after Quantum in December. :D Seriously, at the moment, I'm mostly indifferent. My wife does not care for it, wants the same time every night, etc. I just made reservations at all the various restaurants for the same time. Issue solved. :)

 

I haven't booked dinner for the last few nights of our cruise just yet.... I want to try everything out, and I'm thinking we may find one or two restaurants that we like most and gravitate there towards the end of the 12 day cruise, though we might not get our most preferred time. We also tend to visit the up charge restaurants at least once or twice during a cruise too, and Chops on night 1 is a tradition we'll maintain, Dynamic Dining or not.

[caribbean sailor]

I'm curious. How do the loyal RC cruisers, Diamond and above, feel about the possible change over to fleet-wide Dynamic Dining?

 

Do you welcome the change, or is it a little upsetting to you, too?

 

We want no part of it,also i don't want to make reservations for diner every night.If it does go fleet wide we will do land vacations. :mad:

[hellsop]

To be honest, I'm not sure how well this will work for me. I mostly sail with a group of friends, and dinner together is a HUGE part of the cruise for us. There's a core group of about 30 that go every year, and with assorted friends and newbies tacked on to see how they like it, the group size varies between 50 and 120 people. So we take up a substantial chunk of the main dining room for late seating. Sure we occasionally lose a couple to Chops or Jade (or just plain post-excursion exhaustion) for an evening, but it's pretty steady that the vast majority make it to dinner every night. For us, "mixing it up" means swapping tables within the group (and that happens a lot, sometimes to the confusion of the waitstaff, but mostly they cope well), not changing restaurants.

 

Obviously, no place but the MDR is going to be able to handle this. The further challenge I see is going to be hammering home with travel agents and their dealings with the line is that yes, that's really how we want it: Everybody at a contiguous set of tables, after the early shows are done, and finishing in time to still sign up for karaoke.

 

(Edit to add: The logistical challenge for big groups is that many people wanting to sit near each other at the same time. It's simple with traditional early/late seating and assigned tables because there aren't stragglers and pockets of people encroaching upon or being surrounded by the group. Essentially, to accommodate even 50 (us, on the small size) at 8:30 you need four big tables next to each other potentially blocked from new seatings from about 7 onward. And that's a big hole in a dining room if you can't fill those tables before 6:30...)

Edited August 31, 2014 by hellsop

[SherriZ366]

I think this is the first step towards charging for all dining rooms. The wrist bands facilitate the reservation and payment process.

 

In order to get the dining time you want you may go to the specialty restaurant a few more times than you usually do. Someone wrote that the ratio was now 50/50. How many people eat in the specialty restaurant 50% of the time.

 

Passengers will get used to the restaurant concept and before we know it they will have a charge for the restaurants that are now free. Probably tell us that they are giving us better quality food or that they are charging money for the tips because people stopped tipping.

 

It will be interesting to see how many people end up eating in specialty restaurants more often, especially those that don't make reservations early.

This render cruising at a cost disadvantage withe All Inclusive resorts.

[Paulette3028]

And since Royal has been showing an interest in getting young and new cruisers, I can't see them charging for all restaurants. As you stated, if I was a first time cruiser, I would probably lean towards the line with everything included.

 

When we first started cruising in 2004, everything was still 'all included'; my friends who we were cruising with, who were seasoned cruisers already, kept telling us -- you will have no lack of places to eat, any time of day or night....and on Navigator that cruise we did. From the MDR to WJ to snacks on the Promenade to frozen treats at the pool and wherever else.

 

As things have changed, we really haven't changed much....yes, specialty restaurants have sprouted up, but until our last cruise we had not gone to one. The only reason we went to Izumi, is that Japanese food is not on a typical MDR menu and we enjoy it.

 

If the statistician's say use of Specialty Restaurants is 50/50 (something I read here), I don't believe that.....because many people I know surely don't.

 

I believe ALL cruisers (new and seasoned) will compare the price and what they are paying for, and then decide.....some land 'all inclusives' could win out, if cruise lines are not careful.

[SherriZ366]

When we first started cruising in 2004, everything was still 'all included'; my friends who we were cruising with, who were seasoned cruisers already, kept telling us -- you will have no lack of places to eat, any time of day or night....and on Navigator that cruise we did. From the MDR to WJ to snacks on the Promenade to frozen treats at the pool and wherever else.

 

As things have changed, we really haven't changed much....yes, specialty restaurants have sprouted up, but until our last cruise we had not gone to one. The only reason we went to Izumi, is that Japanese food is not on a typical MDR menu and we enjoy it.

 

If the statistician's say use of Specialty Restaurants is 50/50 (something I read here), I don't believe that.....because many people I know surely don't.

 

I believe ALL cruisers (new and seasoned) will compare the price and what they are paying for, and then decide.....some land 'all inclusives' could win out, if cruise lines are not careful.

Agree with your late paragraph.

[CruisinTwo]

I really like the idea. It sounds like it will give more flexibility and choices while maintaining the options of the formal and traditional dining for those who don't want to change things.

[Clarea]

I really like the idea. It sounds like it will give more flexibility and choices while maintaining the options of the formal and traditional dining for those who don't want to change things.

There is no traditional dining option with Dynamic Dining.

[SherriZ366]

There is no traditional dining option with Dynamic Dining.

And that's what I don't like about DD.

[rtazz17]

Change is good.Let it happen and experience it first hand and then pass judgement.I really think this will be better.Time will tell.Same ole same ole gets stale after a while.Jmo

[SherriZ366]

Posters -- please don't forget the thread title includes "honestly" so all views should be tolerated here.

[rtazz17]

Princess has something similar on several of their ships. Four themed dining rooms. I liked it when we tried it. No waiting, If one was full we went to one of the other three.

 

There ya go!

It just takes actually trying it before forming an opinion.Alot of people just have a hard time with change and want to make every excuse as to why its not going to be successful.

 

Personally I will love this.I was sick of the same dining room,blah blah blah.Now my family and I can go to a diff restaurant each night.I cant wait.I just wish it was going to be in effect for our nov cruise.

[SA Traveler]

I think we will like it. Kinda tired of the main dining room menus.

 

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[TM38Rob]

Change is good.Let it happen and experience it first hand and then pass judgement.I really think this will be better.Time will tell.Same ole same ole gets stale after a while.Jmo

Depends on the change.

 

The change in muster drill without wearing life jackets to the drill is a good change, as the life jackets collected alot of peoples sweat.

 

Getting change back for a $20 when you paid with a $50 is bad change.

 

Not all change is good.

Edited September 1, 2014 by TM38Rob

[ckrobyn]

I have heard that Freedom is likely getting DD following an extensive drydock in early 2015. We are sailing on Feb 15th which will be one of the first sailings. Are they actually re-creating the MDR space on all 3 decks into restaurants? I'm sorry if this has been asked before....

 

Not sure how I feel about DD......I like the MDR.....:rolleyes: