Dynamic Dining Clarification

[Onessa]

I think this is the crux of why some people like the idea of DD and others don't. I'm not a picky eater and I find the MDR menus very boring - meat and veg, fish and veg, pasta dish, salad etc every night - even though the choices change every night I wouldn't usually eat such boring stuff every night at home so definitely want something a bit more exciting when I'm away. On our recent week on Oasis there were some nights when we just didn't feel excited by anything on the menu - in fact one of our sons (23) said just how boring the choices were.

 

I would happily eat from the Asian menu and the Mediterranean menu several nights a week (in fact I could quite happy try most things on both those menus), the American menu isn't the sort of food I would usually choose but worth a try for one night. I also enjoy dressing up and partaking in the formal night menu and think it will be nice to go along to the 'formal' restaurant with other people who are dressed up too.

 

This is why I find the concept exciting but can see that for picky eaters it may present a challenge.

I don't know what about the same menu night after night after night in one venue (but having several venues), is any more exciting than a different menu every night in one venue. But if it is exciting to you, so be it.

 

I am in NO way a picky eater. But I know picky eaters, and I see this as something that is better for picky eaters. They will find what they like and stick with it.

 

This way if I am traveling with a picky eater, I'm going to get stuck at one venue night after night because that is where they have the dishes they will eat. MDR concept, if they wanted the grilled chicken every night, they could order the grilled chicken every night and I would still have multiple options. If a pax DH is a "meat and potatoes" type and the pax DD prefers the pasta offerings at the Med venue - the poor wife/mom pax will end up in the middle. And what if, nothing on the Med menu really interests you -- you have to pick "something" because your traveling companion is really interested in something there -- normally I can default select the curry on the MDR menu if all else fails.

 

I do like to get to know my tablemates and my wait staff. If I wanted to go to a different resturant every night -- eat with my DH -- have a different waiter/bus boy every night -- I would stay home and drive to a different local resturant every night. Most of the local resturants have the same menue every night. My husband's mustache will probably need to be trimmed just about any time and he'll be wanting to talk about football and the people with whom he works. The wait staff will be pretty much indifferent. With DyDi - it will be a different table, different waiter, same old DH, same menu that that venue offered six months ago on my last cruise. Seems like it will get boring pretty quickly.

 

I applaud RCCI for trying something different, but I can't say that as the new program is described that DyDi really is appealing in any way.

 

We were in the midst of selecting a cruise when this was announced -- between the concerns it raised as to its appeal to us and the fact that it will still be pretty "new" - we voted with our feet and booked on a different line. We'll see how this shakes out, and re-evaluate before booking our next cruise; but it is likely we will not be sailing RCCI again for a bit. Too bad, but there have been enough changes that they've instituted that have convinced us that we will be taking our loyalties elsewhere.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Onessa

[SherriZ366]

I think one piece of information that will be beneficial will be whether ships with DD will have the "Always Available" menu. That way if one travels with picky eaters who may not like a menu in a particular restaurant, there is something for the other person to eat. DH is a very picky eater!! We travel with another couple -- he usually orders from the Always Available and she has a special vegetable diet.

[Bobal]

I don't know what about the same menu night after night after night in one venue (but having several venues), is any more exciting than a different menu every night in one venue. But if it is exciting to you, so be it.

 

Thank you :)

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Even though the menu is the same in each DD restaurant I can see far far more interesting and exciting choices than the same old menus which appear on every cruise. If I eat a couple of times in each of the DD restaurants - and all have a number of choices which appeal to me - I will still have much more to choose from than the standard 7 day menu currently offered......Oh, it's day 1 so it's Mojo, so the only entree I like is (insert dish) so I guess I'll be having that :rolleyes:

 

I like the idea of visiting a different restaurant every night - it's what I do on a land-based holiday, I eat out a lot at home and have my favourite restaurants with dishes which I often revisit. I don't go to a restaurant to make small talk with strangers so have always preferred a table for just my family and opted for MTD when it was introduced and as long as I get good service it isn't important to me that I get the same waiter every time.

 

What's not to like about eating at a different place every night without having to drive there and waking up in a new place the next day?

 

Happy travels on your new chosen cruise line :)

Edited September 5, 2014 by Bobal

[brfan]

hoopster---all 4000people walking up to the grande to be seated will never happen. the grande is formal wear only. you can't get people to get dressed formal when they should (conventional formal nights) so sure as h*** they will not do it on a ship where they have the " no formal night" option. this should be fun watching guests get turned away at the grande because they are not wearing a jacket and tie. :):)

 

I'm thinking the same thing and wonder how long it will be before the dress code is changed. I can just see it a couple who didn't bring any formal clothing finding there isn't any room at any of the other 3 dining rooms for when they want to eat and then walking past a half empty Grande that they can't get into because they don't have the proper clothing.

 

I just find it hard to believe that there will be enough people who wish to dress formally that will be able to fill all the slots in Grande for an entire cruise. I assume the first and last nights may not have the formal dress code.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I assume the first and last nights may not have the formal dress code.

 

That I would like! My DH has already said he is no bringing formal wear in May, but I would like to try the Grande. It may be the only way I can do so.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Sunny AZ Girl

[KKMurphy2]

I think one piece of information that will be beneficial will be whether ships with DD will have the "Always Available" menu. That way if one travels with picky eaters who may not like a menu in a particular restaurant, there is something for the other person to eat. DH is a very picky eater!! We travel with another couple -- he usually orders from the Always Available a5nd she has a special vegetable diet.[/quote

 

I contacted RCCL regarding this issue, and they did not give a yes or no. I am waiting for the initial reviews for this info.

[mchin]

Will the main dining room no longer exist on ships that adopt the Dynamic Dining concept? My daughter loves the MDR. Not sure how well she'll do with the different dining venues. Any word from RCCL as to how they will address the younger passengers in these venues? I would assume they will have some standard child's menu.

[SherriZ366]

I think one piece of information that will be beneficial will be whether ships with DD will have the "Always Available" menu. That way if one travels with picky eaters who may not like a menu in a particular restaurant, there is something for the other person to eat. DH is a very picky eater!! We travel with another couple -- he usually orders from the Always Available a5nd she has a special vegetable diet.[/quote

 

I contacted RCCL regarding this issue, and they did not give a yes or no. I am waiting for the initial reviews for this info.

I will post anything that I find out about the Always Available menu also.

[phish tales]

I'm thinking the same thing and wonder how long it will be before the dress code is changed. I can just see it a couple who didn't bring any formal clothing finding there isn't any room at any of the other 3 dining rooms for when they want to eat and then walking past a half empty Grande that they can't get into because they don't have the proper clothing.

 

I just find it hard to believe that there will be enough people who wish to dress formally that will be able to fill all the slots in Grande for an entire cruise. I assume the first and last nights may not have the formal dress code.[/quote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the rules for this dining state "formal wear is required for reservations".

IMHO if you want to dine there---bring formal clothes.

if you don't want to bring formal clothes (and this is your preference) make resv. else where.

my wife and I made reav. at the Grande and I am packing my tux...

Edited September 6, 2014 by phish tales

[fishtaco]

hoopster---all 4000people walking up to the grande to be seated will never happen. the grande is formal wear only. you can't get people to get dressed formal when they should (conventional formal nights) so sure as h*** they will not do it on a ship where they have the " no formal night" option. this should be fun watching guests get turned away at the grande because they are not wearing a jacket and tie. :):)

 

Where does it say The Grande is formal wear only:confused:

 

A jacket and collared shirt is not Formal wear and given the amount of people who already dress for any dinner I doubt they will be turning away anyone unless in jeans and t shirt.

 

The problem for those like myself who do not want to pre book ahead of the cruise is we may be forced to eat each night in the least popular venues or buffet:eek:

 

Pre booking should be limited to one sitting at each venue before a repeat booking can be made and I am sure this is how it will eventually pan out.

[Clarea]

Where does it say The Grande is formal wear only:confused:....

From Royal's website:

 

With a beautiful, plush dining environment of crystal chandeliers, Venetian mirrors and over-scaled chairs printed with classic recipes, every night is formal night at The Grande—the most elegant and sophisticated of the main dining venues on Quantum of the SeasSM and Anthem of the SeasSM

[NCteacherlovescruising]

This is very disappointing news. I am a picky eater, but my husband and son eat just about anything. I looked at all the menus and found very little I would eat. Even things that would normally appeal to me have sides or sauces I won't eat. Surely they will offer plain grilled chicken in most or all the dining rooms, but I didn't see it on their menus.

[plazamom]

I think it will be good as a fairly picky eater. There were certain menus that appealed to me in the MDR and some that did not. I would try to plan specialty restaurants on the days that had the menus that didn't appeal to me. But if they changed the order of the menus or I had misinformation- I could end up missing a menu I liked and stuck in the MDR with a menu I didn't like. But if the menu is the same each night in each restaurant- I just have to make sure to hit each restaurant that appeals to me- and not have to worry which night is which. I will miss having one set of waitstaff that gets to know you- but overall I think it could be a good thing.

[Gayle V]

Having a truly formal dining room, where the dress code is actually enforced, is probably the only part of this Dynamic Dining that appeals to me. I know I would make reservations there for at least two of the nights. That's IF we book a ship that does the DD. Unfortunately that formal dining room is not enough to make up for all the negative aspects of it, so we'll likely book elsewhere until we hear how it works. Perhaps the reality will not go as is being touted. Hopefully, when the complaints come rolling in, Royal will change the system back to a more cruise-like one. There is a reason cruising became popular. IMHO Royal is moving farther and farther from it all the time.

[OSUZorba]

Having a truly formal dining room, where the dress code is actually enforced, is probably the only part of this Dynamic Dining that appeals to me. I know I would make reservations there for at least two of the nights. That's IF we book a ship that does the DD. Unfortunately that formal dining room is not enough to make up for all the negative aspects of it, so we'll likely book elsewhere until we hear how it works. Perhaps the reality will not go as is being touted. Hopefully, when the complaints come rolling in, Royal will change the system back to a more cruise-like one. There is a reason cruising became popular. IMHO Royal is moving farther and farther from it all the time.

 

I really like formal nights on cruises, but I am not sure I'd like it if only a small fraction of the ship was dressed up. IT is really fun having basically everyone all dolled up and fancy, but not sure it would be fun to be in a tux around a bunch of people in swimsuits. Although I am weird about being over dressed.

[Hoopster95]

I'm thinking the same thing ... walking past a half empty Grande that they can't get into because they don't have the proper clothing. I just find it hard to believe that there will be enough people who wish to dress formally that will be able to fill all the slots in Grande for an entire cruise. I assume the first and last nights may not have the formal dress code.

 

the rules for this dining state "formal wear is required for reservations". IMHO if you want to dine there---bring formal clothes. if you don't want to bring formal clothes (and this is your preference) make resv. else where. my wife and I made reav. at the Grande and I am packing my tux

 

Cut & pasted directly from my "The Grande" Cruise Planner on-line for my Dec 1 cruise on Quantum:

 

WHAT TO WEAR

Cocktail dresses, gowns or dressy pantsuits are appropriate for women.

A jacket is required for men, along with pants (with no holes, rips or tears) and a sports shirt (must have sleeves) or sweater.

Swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurants or specialty restaurants at any time.

 

Regarding half empty.,.. this is fully assuming something that has not happened with no facts. A true fact is that this venue was the first to be totally booked on my specific cruise as many in my roll call have booked this multiple times as they want to have more formal nights then on current cruises. There were a couple of nights that it wasn't even available to book and all other venues had times and spaces available.

 

Regarding 1st and final night dress code... it's already been known the first night The Grande is supposed to have a relaxed dress code. I haven't heard about the final night but that makes a ton of sense.

 

Another side note, we have over 200 on our roll call. We asked everyone to state whether they were D, D+ or Pinnacle... I dare say we will have a ship full of C&A Diamond and above members... go read the roll call Dec 1 yourself as proof, many of them sailing b2b or b2b2b... we have not all cancelled our cruises because of DD.

[dirtgirl]

This whole dining concept does not appeal to me at all. Picking what restaurant and what time weeks/months in advance has no appeal whatsoever - one of the reasons that I'm not a fan of Norwegian. If this is the future of Royal, I'm sticking more and more to Celebrity. As for formal night - I love it. Let the ones that like formal night HAVE their formal night!!! It is being destroyed all over. If you don't want to bring formal wear, there are other dining options. Sheesh..... :p

[connes1]

This whole dining concept does not appeal to me at all. Picking what restaurant and what time weeks/months in advance has no appeal whatsoever - one of the reasons that I'm not a fan of Norwegian. If this is the future of Royal, I'm sticking more and more to Celebrity. As for formal night - I love it. Let the ones that like formal night HAVE their formal night!!! It is being destroyed all over. If you don't want to bring formal wear, there are other dining options. Sheesh..... :p

Could not agree with you more.

[fishtaco]

From Royal's website:

 

With a beautiful, plush dining environment of crystal chandeliers, Venetian mirrors and over-scaled chairs printed with classic recipes, every night is formal night at The Grande—the most elegant and sophisticated of the main dining venues on Quantum of the SeasSM and Anthem of the SeasSM

 

Take a look at the dress requirement and you will see that its far from formal wear required which was my point!

 

WHAT TO WEAR

Cocktail dresses, gowns or dressy pantsuits are appropriate for women.

A jacket is required for men, along with pants (with no holes, rips or tears) and a sports shirt (must have sleeves) or sweater.

Swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurants or specialty restaurants at any time.

Edited September 6, 2014 by fishtaco

[fishtaco]

I really like formal nights on cruises, but I am not sure I'd like it if only a small fraction of the ship was dressed up. IT is really fun having basically everyone all dolled up and fancy, but not sure it would be fun to be in a tux around a bunch of people in swimsuits. Although I am weird about being over dressed.

 

I agree with you. My Tux will be put in mothballs and I will cruise without it.

[RUDIMAY1]

When the Grande is lacking for business they will relax the dress code a little. I know a lot of people enjoy dressing up in formal clothes but there will not be enough cruisers every night to justify staying fancy. Love the old culture of cruising but it is being faded out unless you want to go on the luxury cruise lines. The old ways are declining and major line cruising is about fun and relaxing. Cruise lines know this just some of the old-fashioned cruisers are just starting to understand it. Eat what you want when you want it and squezze it into your personlized schedule.

 

Now I hope they stop the singing waiters who on international night don't even carry the flags of their nations. And Phillipines servers singing Italian songs. It is so lame. First cruise it was fun but enough. Plus with MTD everyone is eating at different times and it cuts into the varied time diners service.

[Gayle V]

Take a look at the dress requirement and you will see that its far from formal wear required which was my point!

 

WHAT TO WEAR

Cocktail dresses, gowns or dressy pantsuits are appropriate for women.

A jacket is required for men, along with pants (with no holes, rips or tears) and a sports shirt (must have sleeves) or sweater.

Swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurants or specialty restaurants at any time.

 

Hello fishtaco, Your criteria for formal seems to be higher than average, and seems to misdirect the conversation. If Royal really stands behind THEIR DEFINITION of formal, it will make the formal lovers happy enough.

 

I get the feel from your posts, that you want to create a crack in the rule, by labeling the Grand as "not formal" in the minds of folks on these boards. The hope being that the crack will eventually widen into a chasm big enough to accommodate cut-off jeans.

 

Well that strategy has worked pretty well in the past for the dressing-up haters on these boards. Because I firmly believe it has been the continual pushing from them, that has mislead so many new cruisers into not packing proper attire, and encouraged them to attend the formal nights, inappropriately dressed. The more people who listen to them and show up under-dressed for formal nights, the more the the formal haters get to point to them and claim this as proof, that polos and khakis really are considered formal wear."

 

I for one, will be hoping that Royal grows some balls for a change, and insists on proper dress for this restaurant.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Gayle V

[Gayle V]

This whole dining concept does not appeal to me at all. Picking what restaurant and what time weeks/months in advance has no appeal whatsoever - one of the reasons that I'm not a fan of Norwegian. If this is the future of Royal, I'm sticking more and more to Celebrity. As for formal night - I love it. Let the ones that like formal night HAVE their formal night!!! It is being destroyed all over. If you don't want to bring formal wear, there are other dining options. Sheesh..... :p

 

I have to agree with you dirtgirl. One of the things about a cruise that was so appealing to us twenty years ago, was the one stop shopping aspect. One phone call to the TA, and you never had to worry about anything. No planning or pre-booking of meals, no worry about the timing of the shows, even excursions were booked on the ship. (You could read all about them in the nice glossy brochure that they sent with your docs.)

 

I don't want to spend this much time and effort, so far in advance, just so I can be sure to see the shows or to eat dinner at a decent time. (And every night's dinner used to bewonderful, not dumbed down like now, just so they can justify charging more for another meal down the hall )

 

We are hitting diamond on this coming cruise. If Royal continues on this coarse, I may never use the benefits of it.......Celebrity's ships did have the best food of all of our cruises.

[molly361]

Hello fishtaco, Your criteria for formal seems to be higher than average, and seems to misdirect the conversation. If Royal really stands behind THEIR DEFINITION of formal, it will make the formal lovers happy enough.

 

I get the feel from your posts, that you want to create a crack in the rule, by labeling the Grand as "not formal" in the minds of folks on these boards. The hope being that the crack will eventually widen into a chasm big enough to accommodate cut-off jeans.

 

Well that strategy has worked pretty well in the past for the dressing-up haters on these boards. Because I firmly believe it has been the continual pushing from them, that has mislead so many new cruisers into not packing proper attire, and encouraged them to attend the formal nights, inappropriately dressed. The more people who listen to them and show up under-dressed for formal nights, the more the the formal haters get to point to them and claim this as proof, that polos and khakis really are considered formal wear."

 

I for one, will be hoping that Royal grows some balls for a change, and insists on proper dress for this restaurant.

 

I don't like to dress up but I agree with you. I hope they enforce the dress code for those like enjoy the experience. There is a post on here somewhere from someone surmising that they might not enforce it on the first and last nights. :rolleyes: All this for a restaurant that has not even opened.

Edited September 6, 2014 by molly361

[sjb317]

I have to agree with you dirtgirl. One of the things about a cruise that was so appealing to us twenty years ago, was the one stop shopping aspect. One phone call to the TA, and you never had to worry about anything. No planning or pre-booking of meals, no worry about the timing of the shows, even excursions were booked on the ship. (You could read all about them in the nice glossy brochure that they sent with your docs.)

 

I don't want to spend this much time and effort, so far in advance, just so I can be sure to see the shows or to eat dinner at a decent time. (And every night's dinner used to bewonderful, not dumbed down like now, just so they can justify charging more for another meal down the hall )

 

We are hitting diamond on this coming cruise. If Royal continues on this coarse, I may never use the benefits of it.......Celebrity's ships did have the best food of all of our cruises.

 

I agree with you, the idea of having to pre book restaurants or take your chances on board does not appeal to me at all and I can't see me doing the necessary advance planning. I'm willing to try DD if I have to:D, but if I don't have a good experience with it, I guess we'll try other cruise lines.

 

Sherri:)