Dynamic Dining Clarification

[Bobal]

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.

 

Well said.

[cant_w8_2_cruise]

I have to chuckle at the folks who don't want to plan their dining ahead of time. Apparently, they've never eaten at Disney World, where you have to get dining reservations 6 months ahead of time, or you don't get them at all! :D

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I have to chuckle at the folks who don't want to plan their dining ahead of time. Apparently, they've never eaten at Disney World, where you have to get dining reservations 6 months ahead of time, or you don't get them at all! :D

 

Yes, I am a planner, too. I actually like it. I am seeing a future as a professional cruise planner (not a TA, just pre-booking other people's restaurants, shows and excursions) if my chosen profession doesn't keep working out for me!:D

[sjb317]

I have to chuckle at the folks who don't want to plan their dining ahead of time. Apparently, they've never eaten at Disney World, where you have to get dining reservations 6 months ahead of time, or you don't get them at all! :D

 

 

Actually, I have and I HATE it!:D

 

Sherri:)

[Gayle V]

I have to chuckle at the folks who don't want to plan their dining ahead of time. Apparently, they've never eaten at Disney World, where you have to get dining reservations 6 months ahead of time, or you don't get them at all! :D

 

Sounds awful. So, are you proposing that rather negative feature of WDW as something to aspire to? Why would we want cruises to follow a pattern that even you seem to think of as a problem.

[jayblue]

I just read the menus from the five new venues that are set to replace the MDR and believe that, if they stick to the format described, they will be awesome! There is even a formal dining restaurant that makes me want to make sure I bring formal clothes just so I can try some of their entrees.

 

I have no plans on going on either of the new ships, but am excited that they eventually plan to spread Dynamic Dining fleet wide. I will also admit that this type of change isn't for everyone, but for those of us looking for something new and exciting on their cruise.

 

I am looking into a 2016 cruise on one of the colossal ships (Allure or Oasis), but believe I will wait until they are settled into this change. I cannot wait!

[jayblue]

I have to chuckle at the folks who don't want to plan their dining ahead of time. Apparently, they've never eaten at Disney World, where you have to get dining reservations 6 months ahead of time, or you don't get them at all! :D

 

Totally forgot that we had to do this, but yes! this is what it's like. And I immensely enjoyed my dining plan with Disney, as did the rest of my family.

[jayblue]

Sounds awful. So, are you proposing that rather negative feature of WDW as something to aspire to? Why would we want cruises to follow a pattern that even you seem to think of as a problem.

 

I reserved all of my Disney restaurants, including the character dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, either a week before leaving or while we were in our car (cell phones did not work in my hotel room).

 

I think that she is comparing the success of the Disney Dining Plan to what RCCL is doing now.

[Gayle V]

So having some people not be able to get into the restaurants at all, is a success?

 

I would not have considered it so.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Gayle V

[bcarney]

Thank you :)

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?

 

What's not to like? Having to make reservations some 6 months in advance!

 

Next thing they'll be wanting us to place our food orders before boarding.

 

 

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[Sunny AZ Girl]

The concept hasn't even had it's first sailing and we're now making reservations 6 months in advance and placing our orders before we board the ship? Come on. All of this hysteria is just not warranted. Not yet. I will be as upset as the rest if this concept does not work and it is a logistical nightmare, but I am betting that RCI is not going into this blindly and has some concept of what they are doing. The concept may not be to everyone's liking, but somehow I am pretty sure it will be smooth running in a very short time. I used to have no interest in the Oasis concept. But we finally tried it out on the Allure and now I can't wait to board the Oasis in May - DD and all.

 

My hope is that RCI will leave the smaller class ships (Radiance & Vision) to have the more traditional dining concepts so people can have a choice in cruise styles. Bu if not, there is always Celebrity and others for those who really don't like this new cruising style. Maybe that is their plan all along. The new generation of cruisers are a small portion of the Cruise Critic members, but a large segment of RCI's business. The new ships are designed with a lot of emphasis on young families, and the more relaxed style is what they like. On the other hand, Celebrity tends to attract an older and more traditional crowd. I love the traditional style of cruising - and the new! Variety is the spice of life.:)

Edited September 7, 2014 by Sunny AZ Girl

[fishtaco]

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.

 

Formal is Formal dress, Formal for men is Black tie which is dinner suit or tux, same everywhere in the world:)

 

I am not trying to put a crack in anything:confused:

 

Formal or Elegant nights on most cruiselines do not require "Formal" dress and the DD Grande does not require Formal dress as suggested by a poster I quoted who said it does.

 

I wear a Tux on Formal or Elegant nights but I wont bother when DD is introduced as a collar and tie is all that is required and I wear that in MDR almost every night anyway!

 

I wont be getting dressed up in "Formal" wear if there are no dedicated Formal nights but will continue to dress appropriately.

 

I agree with you though dress standard on Elegant/Formal nights should have been a bit more enforced but its too late for that now when the Grande only requires Collar & tie and not Dinner suit.

[connes1]

Question...Are gratuities paid in advanced like my time dining? When you pay gratuities in advance is that considered profit on the books for royal until the money is given to the staff? If you need to cancel your trip after final payment and have cruise care are your gratuities refunded?

[jayblue]

So having some people not be able to get into the restaurants at all, is a success?

 

I would not have considered it so.

 

No, offering multiple options is. If you can't get into the restaurant of choice, you won't starve (a word that is NEVER heard on a cruise ship). You simply have to choose one of the other venues onboard. These restaurants are in addition to the others that are already offered, such as the Windjammer, Chops Grille, and Johnny Rockets. It's the same thing that happens when I don't like what's on the menu in the MDR. It also opens doors for well-known chefs, like Jamie Oliver, to showcase their menus.

 

If the mega ships hadn't brought me back to the cruising world, Dynamic Dining would have! After my last cruise, my attitude was more "been there, done that." This is where the success is: in turning a familiar old product into something new and exciting that will attract, not just one specific group, but many.

[Ourusualbeach]

Question...Are gratuities paid in advanced like my time dining? When you pay gratuities in advance is that considered profit on the books for royal until the money is given to the staff? If you need to cancel your trip after final payment and have cruise care are your gratuities refunded?

 

Any money paid for anything upfront is listed as a liability until the service is actually provided.

 

If you cancel your cruise at anytime the prepaid gratuities are refunded in full.

[Gayle V]

No, offering multiple options is. If you can't get into the restaurant of choice, you won't starve (a word that is NEVER heard on a cruise ship). You simply have to choose one of the other venues onboard. These restaurants are in addition to the others that are already offered, such as the Windjammer, Chops Grille, and Johnny Rockets. It's the same thing that happens when I don't like what's on the menu in the MDR. It also opens doors for well-known chefs, like Jamie Oliver, to showcase their menus.

 

If the mega ships hadn't brought me back to the cruising world, Dynamic Dining would have! After my last cruise, my attitude was more "been there, done that." This is where the success is: in turning a familiar old product into something new and exciting that will attract, not just one specific group, but many.

 

I still don't see how lots of options that I can't necessarily get into at a decent time, constitutes a success in any way. Especially compared to always having a table and time and waiters that I could count on, providing several meal options in a different theme each night. Simply "not starving" is an exceptionally low bar to set, if that's the criteria for success also.

[cant_w8_2_cruise]

Sounds awful. So, are you proposing that rather negative feature of WDW as something to aspire to? Why would we want cruises to follow a pattern that even you seem to think of as a problem.

 

I was simply stating that I plan my meals for Disney World 6 months ahead of the vacation and I don't see it as a problem at all. I enjoy looking at the restaurants ahead of time and getting excited about our trip. In fact, I've already looked at all of menus for the new restaurants for DD and I'm excited about that too. :D

 

So having some people not be able to get into the restaurants at all, is a success?

 

I would not have considered it so.

 

Seriously? There is plenty of food available at Disney World, and on a cruise ship. But, obviously, some restaurants are more popular and harder to get in to. I know that if I want to have the very best experience, I plan ahead. Obviously, that's not for everyone, but it works for me. :)

[jayblue]

I was simply stating that I plan my meals for Disney World 6 months ahead of the vacation and I don't see it as a problem at all. I enjoy looking at the restaurants ahead of time and getting excited about our trip. In fact, I've already looked at all of menus for the new restaurants for DD and I'm excited about that too. :D

 

Seriously? There is plenty of food available at Disney World, and on a cruise ship. But, obviously, some restaurants are more popular and harder to get in to. I know that if I want to have the very best experience, I plan ahead. Obviously, that's not for everyone, but it works for me. :)

 

On point, cant_w8_cruise!

 

Simply "not starving" is an exceptionally low bar to set, if that's the criteria for success also.

 

The point is: Not one passenger onboard is going to leave the ship without having some sort of satisfying restaurant experience. If you are stuck on the MDR, maybe the newer ships aren't for you. I'm with the younger generation of cruisers, who don't want to sacrifice a restaurant style meal in favor of more time on the island (I missed dinner in the MDR while in Cozumel in favor of watching the sun set from the island, which was a first for me.).

 

RCL is trying to attract more families to its ships. How do you put a family with children on an MDR schedule? It isn't fair to ask parents to rush their children to a 5:30 or 6:00 seating. And even less fair to ask them to keep their kids up for an 8:30 seating. I have to say that this is where Disney World rocked! We chose a time when both adults and children would be ready, and simply went. If our time slot wasn't available, we either selected another night, or went with another time or restaurant. With 18 restaurants (each)onboard Quantum and Anthem, there are plenty to choose from.

[hellsop]

Though for that we're at the mercy of the smarts of RCI's IT elves....

 

Oh dear....

[hellsop]

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.

 

As a matter of record, fishtaco was quoting from the RC documents from a Quantum cruise in December.

[TM38Rob]

On point, cant_w8_cruise!

 

 

 

The point is: Not one passenger onboard is going to leave the ship without having some sort of satisfying restaurant experience. If you are stuck on the MDR, maybe the newer ships aren't for you. I'm with the younger generation of cruisers, who don't want to sacrifice a restaurant style meal in favor of more time on the island (I missed dinner in the MDR while in Cozumel in favor of watching the sun set from the island, which was a first for me.).

 

RCL is trying to attract more families to its ships. How do you put a family with children on an MDR schedule? It isn't fair to ask parents to rush their children to a 5:30 or 6:00 seating. And even less fair to ask them to keep their kids up for an 8:30 seating. I have to say that this is where Disney World rocked! We chose a time when both adults and children would be ready, and simply went. If our time slot wasn't available, we either selected another night, or went with another time or restaurant. With 18 restaurants (each)onboard Quantum and Anthem, there are plenty to choose from.

Hi Jennifer,

 

From your signature, I see your last cruise was on Enchantment back in 1997. While I'm not too familiar with that ship, I am familiar with the Majesty of the Seas as you sailed her in 1993 & 1994. I'm also familiar with the Liberty of the Seas that you are sailing in February (2015).

 

I know in the mid-1990s you only had a choice of a first or second seating, which was for all 3 meals at the same table in the same dining room. Today, breakfast and lunch in the MDR are seated as you arrive, and most people eat in the Windjammer or do room service for breakfast. Only Traditional options for dinner, however, they added a My Time Dining (MTD) option where you make reservations for different times each night at a different table and possibly different waitstaff. MTD was introduced a few years back that has been expanded fleet wide over the past couple of years.

 

The Liberty of the Seas will not have Dynamic Dining when you sail. While the Majesty has two separate dining rooms, Liberty has one grand 3-story dining room (although they refer to each deck level as a different dining room) with a staircase between floors in a nice open space like in the movie Titanic. One level of the dining room will be for My Time Dining reservations. The other two are for traditional dining with a first and second seating with the same table assignments and waitstaff for the duration of the cruise. All 3 dining rooms will have the same menu that changes each night based on a theme (Pomodoro, Jasmine, etc.). There are no longer separate courses for soup, salad, & appetizers as they are all group together as starters. Feel free to order a salad and soup and shrimp cocktail if you like. You may also order two entrees or get seconds on the same one if you like.

 

From your post, "Not one passenger onboard is going to leave the ship without having some sort of satisfying restaurant experience." is not true. There is no guarantee everyone will be satisfied.

What people are upset about is no longer having the choice of traditional dining and being forced into My Time Dining. On top of that, My Time Dining becomes Dynamic Dining where you don't even get the choice of having a different menu each night in one dining room, you have to go to 4 different dining rooms with the same menu each night for a total of 4 different menus (instead of 7 for a 7 night cruise). You would then have to pay extra the other nights to get a different menu in a restaurant with waitstaff. These complimentary restaurants will be separate one story ones like the dining rooms on Majesty and not a grand open one like Liberty. (There's a 5th one for suite guests only).

 

While Royal Caribbean is promoting 18 restaurants on Quantum; many of those may be good for breakfast, lunch, or late night snack, but would not be a satisfying meal for dinner.

 

Anyway, hope you enjoy your Liberty of the Seas cruise, without the Dynamic Dining (yet).

Edited September 8, 2014 by TM38Rob

[jayblue]

Hi Jennifer,

 

From your signature, I see your last cruise was on Enchantment back in 1997. While I'm not too familiar with that ship, I am familiar with the Majesty of the Seas as you sailed her in 1993 & 1994. I'm also familiar with the Liberty of the Seas that you are sailing in February (2015).

 

I know in the mid-1990s you only had a choice of a first or second seating, which was for all 3 meals at the same table in the same dining room. Today, breakfast and lunch in the MDR are seated as you arrive, and most people eat in the Windjammer or do room service for breakfast. Only Traditional options for dinner, however, they added a My Time Dining (MTD) option where you make reservations for different times each night at a different table and possibly different waitstaff. MTD was introduced a few years back that has been expanded fleet wide over the past couple of years.

 

The Liberty of the Seas will not have Dynamic Dining when you sail. While the Majesty has two separate dining rooms, Liberty has one grand 3-story dining room (although they refer to each deck level as a different dining room) with a staircase between floors in a nice open space like in the movie Titanic. One level of the dining room will be for My Time Dining reservations. The other two are for traditional dining with a first and second seating with the same table assignments and waitstaff for the duration of the cruise. All 3 dining rooms will have the same menu that changes each night based on a theme (Pomodoro, Jasmine, etc.). There are no longer separate courses for soup, salad, & appetizers as they are all group together as starters. Feel free to order a salad and soup and shrimp cocktail if you like. You may also order two entrees or get seconds on the same one if you like.

 

From your post, "Not one passenger onboard is going to leave the ship without having some sort of satisfying restaurant experience." is not true. There is no guarantee everyone will be satisfied.

What people are upset about is no longer having the choice of traditional dining and being forced into My Time Dining. On top of that, My Time Dining becomes Dynamic Dining where you don't even get the choice of having a different menu each night in one dining room, you have to go to 4 different dining rooms with the same menu each night for a total of 4 different menus (instead of 7 for a 7 night cruise). You would then have to pay extra the other nights to get a different menu in a restaurant with waitstaff. These complimentary restaurants will be separate one story ones like the dining rooms on Majesty and not a grand open one like Liberty. (There's a 5th one for suite guests only).

 

While Royal Caribbean is promoting 18 restaurants on Quantum; many of those may be good for breakfast, lunch, or late night snack, but would not be a satisfying meal for dinner.

 

Anyway, hope you enjoy your Liberty of the Seas cruise, without the Dynamic Dining (yet).

 

No dynamic dining on Liberty. But, I did choose MTD. As for traditional MDR, out with the old...

 

I checked out the menus in the new complimentary restaurants on Quantum. Awesome! I doubt I would walk away from any of these venues unsatisfied. They have everything (except PB&J)! It's all about keeping an open mind.

 

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[TM38Rob]

 

...I checked out the menus in the new complimentary restaurants on Quantum. ...They have everything (except PB&J)! ...

 

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They have Peanut Butter & Jelly Trifle for Dessert in the American Icon Grill on Quantum. Peanut Butter Mousse, Fresh Berries and Grape Jelly.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/quantumoftheseas/dining/restaurants/american-icon-grill/ ;)

[jayblue]

They have Peanut Butter & Jelly Trifle for Dessert in the American Icon Grill on Quantum. Peanut Butter Mousse, Fresh Berries and Grape Jelly.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/quantumoftheseas/dining/restaurants/american-icon-grill/ ;)

 

LOL!!!

 

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[bcarney]

I have to chuckle at the folks who don't want to plan their dining ahead of time. Apparently, they've never eaten at Disney World, where you have to get dining reservations 6 months ahead of time, or you don't get them at all! :D

 

And that is exactly why I've been to Disney just *once*.

 

 

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