When will all the ships go to Dynamic?

[cruiserking]

With all these dynamic dining threads the last few weeks, I've come to realize that many many CC'ers value their dining experience as a determining factor as to whether they will ever sail RCL again. I can only assume that dining is the #1 factor of cruising for them. Is this true? For those of you who have posted that the change to Dynamic Dining will be the end to your cruising RCL, I would love to read why dining is your #1 criteria? If that's the case, shouldn't you be sailing Oceana (supposed to be the foodie ships, best food on any cruiseline) or any other cruiseline more known for it's excellent dining?

 

I ask the above because I cruise primarily for the destinations, the amenities of the ships, price/value vs. land vacations, site seeing, relaxation, meeting new people or having that time with my significant other, but primarily to get away from my work reality and the absolute rat's race of life/work while feeling the ocean breeze and watching the seas go by. MDR vs. Dynamic is so very low on the list of what's important for cruising for me personally.

 

Dining is not the number 1 factor, but, Meeting People is. Like many others aboard many cruise lines we have cherished the great friendships forged at the Dining Room aboard ships.

 

Sure, you meet people at lunch or breakfast, by the pool on an excursion but, It's not the same. There's something special about the people you meet at dinner, these friendships, they evolve. You bond, you become close, you meet up at trivia, at port and around the ship and look forward to seeing them in the evening and discussing your adventures of the day.

 

We cruise because we love ships, we love the ports and we really love meeting people at dinner. Sadly, Dynamic Dining will usher out a much loved highlight of our cruises, sitting around a great big table for 12 and laughing with a bunch of new friends as we steam across the seas, those were the days.

 

Jonathan

Edited September 13, 2014 by cruiserking

[fishtaco]

Dining is not the number 1 factor, but, Meeting People is. Like many others aboard many cruise lines we have cherished the great friendships forged at the Dining Room aboard ships.

 

Sure, you meet people at lunch or breakfast, by the pool on an excursion but, It's not the same. There's something special about the people you meet at dinner, these friendships, they evolve. You bond, you become close, you meet up at trivia, at port and around the ship and look forward to seeing them in the evening and discussing your adventures of the day.

 

We cruise because we love ships, we love the ports and we really love meeting people at dinner. Sadly, Dynamic Dining will usher out a much loved highlight of our cruises, sitting around a great big table for 12 and laughing with a bunch of new friends as we steam across the seas, those were the days.

 

Jonathan

 

"Here Here":)

[fishtaco]

I too would just like to see the tips not called tips but just rolled into the cost of the cruise and be called a service charge.

 

The prepaid MTD tips are a holdover from the days prior to gratuities being added directly to your Seapass account. Envelopes were left and you tipped in cash at the end of the week. With MTD and having different waiters every night the fear was that all waiters would not be tipped equally or at all, so prepaid was introduced.

 

Once daily grats were added to the Seapass daily there really was no reason to continue with the prepaid grats but it has stayed.

 

They wont be giving up the pre paid grats model for anything because there are just too many who remove removable grats!

 

Now if only U.S cruisers would accept grats as a service charge then they could be added to the fare as is now done in Australia without a single complaint;) The fares here hardly changed and was not really noticeable especially during a promo or sale period.

[Cindy]

 

Now if only U.S cruisers would accept grats as a service charge then they could be added to the fare as is now done in Australia without a single complaint;)

 

I've thought for a long time they need to call gratuities/tips what they really are...a hotel services fee. It really isn't a voluntary charge, but continuing to call the fee "tips" makes people think it is.

[Folk Singer]

"Here Here":)

 

 

 

Agree. well said.

[RocketMan275]

Thats not my conspiracy theory though:)

 

RCI are introducing DD so every cruiser in the future will have to pre pay gratuities.

 

 

This is a good thing in my opinion because everyone onboard will pay the same gratuity.

 

But sometimes people need to wake up a bit DD is just "The Emporors New Cloths" and very cleaver marketing for the continued success of the ever growing cruise market future;)

 

Royal is adding Dynamic Dining to obtain a competitive advantage over other cruise lines by giving their passengers what they prefer. Obviously, Royal has done extensive market research and testing and has concluded that their targeted demographic is not the traditional (early/late seating, same table, same table mates, same waitstaff, and one or two formal nights per week).

 

I understand what your saying about pre-paying gratuities. But the math doesn't add up. Consider the cost of implementing DD in a ship. Re-configuring the dining venues, training the staff, etc. Now compare that cost to the gains of getting the gratuities paid 75 days earlier. You're looking at paybacks on the order of 100 years. Seriously doubt Royal would incur the costs for such a minor gain.

 

I've never even considered removing gratuities and I really could care less whether they are added at final payment (pre-paid) or on a daily basis (traditional). Consequently, I only have a vague idea about removing gratuities. So correct me if I'm mistaken. Cannot pre-paid gratuities be removed once upon ship? Isn't the process for removing them the same as if the gratuities are posted on a traditional or daily basis?

 

The only difference I can see is that if you are removing the traditional gratuities, they would be deducted from your total due at the end of the cruise. If you ask to remove the pre-paid gratuities, would not the pre-paid gratuities be posted to the credit card account you used to pre-pay?

 

Seriously, I do not know and am only asking.

 

FWIW, when I booked the Allure cruise for March 2016, I was given the choice of traditional or my time dining. Chose my time.

[waterbug123]

I would imagine it's not stated so much for CC'ers benefit but in the hopes that Royal is watching...

 

Royal may be watching Cruise Critic, but they pay much more attention to actual reservations! People can talk all they want on a message board, but the opinions that count are those expressed in terms of dollars spent/reservations booked. For every person who claims that fleet-wide DD will make them leave Royal forever, I bet there are two more people eager to jump onboard.

[roe2ship]

Oct. 18th, 2017, 11:57pm est

Too Funny!:D:D

[boscobeans]

Royal is adding Dynamic Dining to obtain a competitive advantage over other cruise lines by giving their passengers what they prefer. Obviously, Royal has done extensive market research and testing and has concluded that their targeted demographic is not the traditional (early/late seating, same table, same table mates, same waitstaff, and one or two formal nights per week).

.

 

I wonder how they did their extensive market research. I for one have been on 16 cruises since 2001 and have never seen a survey asking if I prefer traditional vs some other type of dining. Who did they ask? Decisions based on research?

 

Yeah a few surveys about how to provide better service and "how are we doing?" type stuff but never anything about taking off on what compared to the traditional MDR idea is a wild tangent into DD land with dining rooms like Wonderland or Grand.

 

Has anyone out there in CC land ever gotten a survey dealing with traditional vs another form of dining aside from my time vs two seatings, which simple booking requests give data for analysis.

 

Just extremely curious as to how this MAJOR change in cruising was decided.

 

bosco

[mcatmcat]

Exactly.

 

It seems like so many make threats to take their ball and go home. If people are so dead set on cancelling cruises over a dining concept that hasnt been rolled out just leave. Trust and believe RCI does not care and neither does most people you are announcing it to online.

 

 

In addition to that, not the entire ship is filled with cruise critic users. Meaning that they make their move based on what is better to them and popular but not for what is popular among cruise critic.

 

Some of my friends ( less than gold to platinum) and family always come to me because they want advice about a cruise and even though they have some experience they are not even aware of cruise critics.

 

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Bozo]

I think that we should all wait to when it is actually introduced on the Quantum in Nov. and see what people have to say about it after a few cruises. Quantum will have 18 dining venues I doubt that they could put that many on some of their older ships, some will be included in the basic cruise fare and others will charge extra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

quatum

[Gayle V]

With all these dynamic dining threads the last few weeks, I've come to realize that many many CC'ers value their dining experience as a determining factor as to whether they will ever sail RCL again. I can only assume that dining is the #1 factor of cruising for them. Is this true? For those of you who have posted that the change to Dynamic Dining will be the end to your cruising RCL, I would love to read why dining is your #1 criteria? If that's the case, shouldn't you be sailing Oceana (supposed to be the foodie ships, best food on any cruiseline) or any other cruiseline more known for it's excellent dining?

 

I ask the above because I cruise primarily for the destinations, the amenities of the ships, price/value vs. land vacations, site seeing, relaxation, meeting new people or having that time with my significant other, but primarily to get away from my work reality and the absolute rat's race of life/work while feeling the ocean breeze and watching the seas go by. MDR vs. Dynamic is so very low on the list of what's important for cruising for me personally.

 

All those things you mention as important to you are important to others also. You already know that. What you are forgetting is that while you will enjoy DD, the people who already know that they don't even like MTD, and don't want to make all those reservations so far in advance, (plus all the other negatives of DD that have been mentioned repeatedly), for the most part, these people can still get all those things you mentioned, on other cruise lines, where we can still get the kind of dining experience that suits us better.

 

To us relaxation is better acheived when I don't have to organize, pre schedule and worry about every step of the vacation.

 

To us, getting to know new people is more easily done, sharing a table for the week, in the main dining room

 

The destinations, excursions, site seeing, and getting away from our jobs are, of course, not exclusive to Royal. So why not do those things on a ship that also provides the dining experience we've come to prefer.

 

As for price, if that were the top decision maker we'd be always choose Carnival (which BTW, does provide a very similar experience to Royal. only the shows making the difference, IMHO)

 

True, Oasis and Allure are stand outs in ship amenities, but having done one, and about to the other, I can say, those amenities won't make up for such a drastic change from the traditional cruise dining experience. All this scheduling is a big negative, and is exactly the opposite of what hooked us on cruising to begin with. If we really want the Oasis class ship amenities, I will give them some thought, but honestly only the shows make those ships stand out to me. Considering, I've never even bothered to climb a rock wall, zip a line, ice skate on a ship, etc, even after cruising with many of those things a few times.

 

So wouldn't it be foolish to book RCI when we can get what we know we want, booking elsewhere. Especially as has been pointed out, this DD has not been rolled out yet.

 

Most repeat cruisers tend to do as we do, and always have a cruise on the books. We are getting near to our Oasis cruise, so it really is time to choose the next one. That's a lot of money and other considerations, riding on whatever we choose. So while all this remains rather uncertain (about which ships and when) and, until we can be certain of having the experience we want, Royal cruises won't even make the short list.

 

So it's not a matter of "taking our ball and going", it's obviously a matter of intelligent, prudent decision making.

[RocketMan275]

I wonder how they did their extensive market research. I for one have been on 16 cruises since 2001 and have never seen a survey asking if I prefer traditional vs some other type of dining. Who did they ask? Decisions based on research?

 

Yeah a few surveys about how to provide better service and "how are we doing?" type stuff but never anything about taking off on what compared to the traditional MDR idea is a wild tangent into DD land with dining rooms like Wonderland or Grand.

 

Has anyone out there in CC land ever gotten a survey dealing with traditional vs another form of dining aside from my time vs two seatings, which simple booking requests give data for analysis.

 

Just extremely curious as to how this MAJOR change in cruising was decided.

 

bosco

 

You're correct, it is a major change. Corporations do not make changes, major or minor, without extensive analysis. Royal is spending millions of dollars per ship to implement DD. They did their research.

 

This research might include passenger surveys but there are other ways of obtaining the data. It might include on-board spending patterns, or the demand for traditional dining versus my time dining or focus groups.

[Gayle V]

Funny how some think telling us they don't like DD or will cancel, or won't sail Q will have some kind of effect on other cruisers. Guess what, it only means something to you and has no bearing on what others will/won't do.

 

If what others say, makes no impression on you, why are you reading their comments?

 

Perhaps you meant to say, why are we telling you this? It's because you are not the only person reading this. It only seems that way as you read your computer screen.

 

The question was asked, and the topic was put up for discussion. That is the purpose of the boards. To voice our opinions. And perhaps, the cruise lines really do read this stuff. They have responded to things said here, often enough to support the idea. Actually they have said so, in so many words, at times on board. If they hear what is said, they may consider it.

[Gayle V]

This is one of the big unanswered questions right now. If they are holding some seats for walk-ins' date=' I am more apt to try DD in the future.[/quote']

 

They currently hold some excursion reservations for booking once on board, so it seems likely they will at least do that. But to hold for walk ins, doesn't seem likely.

[Gayle V]

Dining is not the number 1 factor, but, Meeting People is. Like many others aboard many cruise lines we have cherished the great friendships forged at the Dining Room aboard ships.

 

Sure, you meet people at lunch or breakfast, by the pool on an excursion but, It's not the same. There's something special about the people you meet at dinner, these friendships, they evolve. You bond, you become close, you meet up at trivia, at port and around the ship and look forward to seeing them in the evening and discussing your adventures of the day.

 

We cruise because we love ships, we love the ports and we really love meeting people at dinner. Sadly, Dynamic Dining will usher out a much loved highlight of our cruises, sitting around a great big table for 12 and laughing with a bunch of new friends as we steam across the seas, those were the days.

 

Jonathan

 

We need a LIKE feature. Great post.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Gayle V

[Gayle V]

. Obviously, Royal has done extensive market research and testing and has concluded that their targeted demographic is not the traditional (early/late seating, same table, same table mates, same waitstaff, and one or two formal nights per week).

.

 

Tell me , which ship did this exhaustive testing of DD? I'd really like to know.

[Gayle V]

I too would just like to see the tips not called tips but just rolled into the cost of the cruise and be called a service charge.

 

The prepaid MTD tips are a holdover from the days prior to gratuities being added directly to your Seapass account. Envelopes were left and you tipped in cash at the end of the week. With MTD and having different waiters every night the fear was that all waiters would not be tipped equally or at all, so prepaid was introduced.

 

Once daily grats were added to the Seapass daily there really was no reason to continue with the prepaid grats but it has stayed.

 

I would really prefer the tips rolled into the price and not called anything. The cost of the cruise should be the cost of the cruise, including whatever the bottom line needs to include. One number, plain and simple.

[Gayle V]

Royal may be watching Cruise Critic, but they pay much more attention to actual reservations! People can talk all they want on a message board, but the opinions that count are those expressed in terms of dollars spent/reservations booked. For every person who claims that fleet-wide DD will make them leave Royal forever, I bet there are two more people eager to jump onboard.

 

Doubtful. Anyone ready to jump on board, is already jumping. DD is not likely to pull in any new non cruisers, to try it. It will on the other hand, scare off many long time traditional cruisers , to say nothing of scaring off lots of potential newbies who may well find this maze of booking dinners for every night, booking excursions, booking spa treatments, booking specialty restaurants, booking shows, and lessons of various types, booking gym classes, adding that into booking your airfare, and booking your pre-cruise hotel, and booking your to-hotel, to ship and ship to airport transfers. This may be the one last thing that scares some off of ever trying cruising altogether.

[Gayle V]

And let me add one more thing to my last post. If people had any idea of the difficulties Royal cruisers have been having with the Royal web site, the concept of adding in even more things that you must struggle to book, it would definitely not be luring folks in to join the fray.

[Ourusualbeach]

Doubtful. Anyone ready to jump on board, is already jumping. DD is not likely to pull in any new non cruisers, to try it. It will on the other hand, scare off many long time traditional cruisers , to say nothing of scaring off lots of potential newbies who may well find this maze of booking dinners for every night, booking excursions, booking spa treatments, booking specialty restaurants, booking shows, and lessons of various types, booking gym classes, adding that into booking your airfare, and booking your pre-cruise hotel, and booking your to-hotel, to ship and ship to airport transfers. This may be the one last thing that scares some off of ever trying cruising altogether.

 

I will respectfully disagree with you on this. I think many vacationers now prefer to be in charge of their own vacation. They want to do what they want to do when they want to do it. They do not want to be told that they must do something at a certain time or a certain place. Look at the numbers of specialty restaurants on board the ship now and how many are eating there as opposed to the MDR. If the specialty restaurants were free I would bet that he MDR would be pretty empty most of the time.

 

If someone told us that we had to sit at a table of strangers for dinner every night we would not cruise. If I had never cruised before and had a choice of a ship with DD or one without I would definitely pick DD.

 

There are just as many pros as there are cons to DD depending on which side you are on.

 

I'm sure it was pretty easy for RCI to tell how many requested tables for their group and theirs alone and that was factored into the decision making process.

 

There is no right or wrong answer. DD will work for some and not for others. I do hope that everyone at least gives it a chance or at least waits until it has actually rolled out on a few ships and actual first hand experience can be taken into account instead of relying on the limited knowledge that we have available.

 

Perhaps RCI will only roll it put to part of the fleet perhaps not. Only time will tell.

[RocketMan275]

Tell me , which ship did this exhaustive testing of DD? I'd really like to know.

 

I'm sorry, my wording confused things. I should have said 'market research and market testing'. If you want to see what Royal thinks is the future of cruising, then look at Quantum. That look will also tell you what types of passengers Royal is attempting to reach.

 

The bottom line is this: Royal does not see traditional dining as the future of cruising.

[boscobeans]

I will respectfully disagree with you on this. I think many vacationers now prefer to be in charge of their own vacation. They want to do what they want to do when they want to do it. They do not want to be told that they must do something at a certain time or a certain place.

 

***No one TELLS me what to do or when to do it on a cruise. The times I choose, whether they be the traditional early or late or the My Time Dining, are decisions I make.

 

***I can also choose to visit a specialty restaurant if I wish when I choose to, provided they can fit me in. With DD I have to make reservations and hope to get a reservation FOR EACH AND EVERY NIGHT, unless I visit the Windjammer or hot dog stand.

 

Look at the numbers of specialty restaurants on board the ship now and how many are eating there as opposed to the MDR. If the specialty restaurants were free I would bet that he MDR would be pretty empty most of the time.

 

***I never see coupon books, twofers, 30% off sales or have to deal with tables set up trying to set me up with a reservation when I go to the MDR.

If the MDR served the same quality food as the specialty restaurants no one would have to or pay extra to visit one. That is a real problem... Upselling for a better quality meal.. Do not like it and would rather pay more for my cruise without having to ante up for a better cut of beef. (sorry rant )

 

If someone told us that we had to sit at a table of strangers for dinner every night we would not cruise. If I had never cruised before and had a choice of a ship with DD or one without I would definitely pick DD.

 

***I have NEVER ONCE been told to sit with strangers and will never sit at any table with strangers, unless it is by MY choice. Days of steerage class dining are long gone. I may do it at an Amish family style restaurant but certainly not on a cruise ship.

 

There are just as many pros as there are cons to DD depending on which side you are on.

 

***Correct, as shown by the rare and I'm sure not truly accurate poll or two I have seen on the subject. Looks like it goes from 50-50 (50pro-50con) to 30-30-30 (30pro-30con-30wait and see)

 

 

I'm sure it was pretty easy for RCI to tell how many requested tables for their group and theirs alone and that was factored into the decision making process.

 

***This type of arrangement or group varies from cruise to cruise and in my opinion has nothing to do with a decision to switch 100% to DD.

 

There is no right or wrong answer. DD will work for some and not for others. I do hope that everyone at least gives it a chance or at least waits until it has actually rolled out on a few ships and actual first hand experience can be taken into account instead of relying on the limited knowledge that we have available.

 

***Very good words. I know you and those who are for DD are operating on what is the same information those on the other side have.

 

***I just don't see how anyone can be so for or against something that has not had its debut.

 

***My choice would be to avoid it, until it has gone on its shake-down cruise and put a few thousand meals behind it.. GOOD FOR ME!

 

***Yours is to go for it.. GOOD FOR YOU!

 

 

Perhaps RCI will only roll it put to part of the fleet perhaps not. Only time will tell.

 

 

Very true. Only time will tell.

 

bosco

[boscobeans]

I will respectfully disagree with you on this. I think many vacationers now prefer to be in charge of their own vacation. They want to do what they want to do when they want to do it. They do not want to be told that they must do something at a certain time or a certain place.

 

***No one TELLS me what to do or when to do it on a cruise. The times I choose, whether they be the traditional early or late or the My Time Dining, are decisions I make.

 

***I can also choose to visit a specialty restaurant if I wish when I choose to, provided they can fit me in. With DD I have to make reservations and hope to get a reservation FOR EACH AND EVERY NIGHT, unless I visit the Windjammer or hot dog stand.

 

Look at the numbers of specialty restaurants on board the ship now and how many are eating there as opposed to the MDR. If the specialty restaurants were free I would bet that he MDR would be pretty empty most of the time.

 

***I never see coupon books, twofers, 30% off sales or have to deal with tables set up trying to set me up with a reservation when I go to the MDR.

If the MDR served the same quality food as the specialty restaurants no one would have to or pay extra to visit one. That is a real problem... Upselling for a better quality meal.. Do not like it and would rather pay more for my cruise without having to ante up for a better cut of beef. (sorry rant )

 

If someone told us that we had to sit at a table of strangers for dinner every night we would not cruise. If I had never cruised before and had a choice of a ship with DD or one without I would definitely pick DD.

 

***I have NEVER ONCE been told to sit with strangers and will never sit at any table with strangers, unless it is by MY choice. Days of steerage class dining are long gone. I may do it at an Amish family style restaurant but certainly not on a cruise ship.

 

There are just as many pros as there are cons to DD depending on which side you are on.

 

***Correct, as shown by the rare and I'm sure not truly accurate poll or two I have seen on the subject. Looks like it goes from 50-50 (50pro-50con) to 30-30-30 (30pro-30con-30wait and see)

 

 

I'm sure it was pretty easy for RCI to tell how many requested tables for their group and theirs alone and that was factored into the decision making process.

 

***This type of arrangement or group varies from cruise to cruise and in my opinion has nothing to do with a decision to switch 100% to DD.

 

There is no right or wrong answer. DD will work for some and not for others. I do hope that everyone at least gives it a chance or at least waits until it has actually rolled out on a few ships and actual first hand experience can be taken into account instead of relying on the limited knowledge that we have available.

 

***Very good words. I know you and those who are for DD are operating on what is the same information those on the other side have.

 

***I just don't see how anyone can be so for or against something that has not had its debut.

 

***My choice would be to avoid it, until it has gone on its shake-down cruise and put a few thousand meals behind it.. GOOD FOR ME!

 

***Yours is to go for it.. GOOD FOR YOU!

 

 

Perhaps RCI will only roll it put to part of the fleet perhaps not. Only time will tell.

 

 

Very true. Only time will tell.

 

bosco

[boscobeans]

SORRY

 

Please delete double post.

 

bosco