Someone is actually looking forward to Dynamic Dining

[boscobeans]

Don't know if a few different menus per week would satisfy some of the cost-saving objectives that may be driving the institution of DD.

 

True. Their motives may be and probably are, with the varied styles of the specialty restaurants, to increase revenue and that makes good business sense.

 

I do think however that if a venue like Jamie Oliver's offered 3 or 4 different menus during a cruise it might be more tempting to try and definitely would add a little more to the term "DYNAMIC."

 

Instead of one style of pasta entrée how about having a rotating menu with four different styles offered.

 

The following are all Jamie Oliver dishes and would be extremely easy for a kitchen to alternate between.

 

Pasta peperonata

Blushing spaghetti vongole

Southend-stylee pappardelle

Orecchiette with raw tomato sauce

 

 

All are PASTA's the only differences are the type of pasta, type of sauce along with the addition of minor ingredients.

 

All of the above are very good interpretations of Italian dishes and as far as the cost factor there would be none.

 

The above deals only with the PASTA entrees, but with the same minor changes the other dishes (beef/veal/pork/chicken/seafood/vegetable) could also be just as easily be changed around with little difficulty in any galley. I think this would offer an extremely more varied and more tempting, to me at least, reason to choose his venue.

 

Only my thoughts.

 

bosco

[boscobeans]

SORRY DOUBLE POST

bosco

Edited September 29, 2014 by boscobeans

[NewYork8048]

The only thing about DD is that I don't want to have to make reservations nightly - I am hoping there will be an option where I can just indicate I would like to eat dinner every night at 7:00 pm and they can just assign us to the various DD restaurants and give me the itinerary once I get on board the ship. But I do like the idea of several different restaurants that are part of the cruise package. We may eat at a specialty restaurant once, but we don't plan it out - if there are seats available fine, if not we go to the MDR or in this case DD.

[ttnc4me]

Sounds like they are slowly moving to the NCL model.

YES!!

Now if they would only get NCL pricing then we'd get to cruise on RCI more often.

The only thing about DD is that I don't want to have to make reservations nightly - I am hoping there will be an option where I can just indicate I would like to eat dinner every night at 7:00 pm and they can just assign us to the various DD restaurants and give me the itinerary once I get on board the ship. But I do like the idea of several different restaurants that are part of the cruise package. We may eat at a specialty restaurant once, but we don't plan it out - if there are seats available fine, if not we go to the MDR or in this case DD.

That is the only thing lacking. I LOVE NCL for the ability to just show up & eat. MTD is ok for that, but at least with DD there will be more options. I think it's certainly a good thing!

[SherriZ366]

ChipLondon, I'm glad you started this thread. It's good to see different perspectives on an issue. You acknowledge that DD is in part a cost cutting strategy for Royal Caribbean, yet you're going to have a positive outlook on the DD experience. I respect you for that.

 

Your comments are not an attack. The "attacks" come from other threads, and continue in the replies below to this thread:

Post #3: "...Life is all about changes and you never know if it's going to work until you try"

Post #4: "Most people don't like change but IMHO you can't dislike something you haven't tried."

Post #5: "People should not knock something until they have tried it at least once and even then I am prepared to give something a second chance."

Post #17: "Mama always said don't knock something till you try it."

Post #36: "DD will work great just like MTD and the SR's have. Thousands will sale (sic) weekly on full ships NOT going hungry"

Post # 41: "Went on the NCL getaway this past summer to try something new... Their food model is fantastic. Eat when you want, where you want, and how you want. How could that possibly be bad? Cause you don't have the same waiter every night? Really, will that really ruin your vacation?"

 

While some people may not have meant their post (or comment) to be an "attack", it's these type of comments that are truly unnecessary. If someone already does MTD and/or eats outside of the MDR (Specialty Restaurants, Windjammer, etc.), then DD may be a win for you and the only "change" you experience are different menus. For those like me who dine most or every night in the MDR at a traditional seating, DD is a MAJOR change being forced upon us. We know what we like, and don't need to experience this "change" to know we are going to dislike it. Just because a "change" may work for you doesn't mean it works for everyone.

Thanks for summarizing some of the "attacks" on points that were made by fans of Traditional Dining. Some of these posters can be read as if they don't want anyone to disagree with them. We will try DD if it is implemented on FR but we really love the Traditional Dining -- same table, same waiter, fixed seating (we have re-created Traditional in MTD) We may have to choose one restaurant, make sure they have the "Always Available" menu and ask for the same table and waitstaff -- this would satisfy DH and the other couple we sail with. I agree with the points you have made. Edited September 30, 2014 by SherriZ366

[ChipLondon]

Thank you :)

 

ChipLondon, I'm glad you started this thread. It's good to see different perspectives on an issue. You acknowledge that DD is in part a cost cutting strategy for Royal Caribbean, yet you're going to have a positive outlook on the DD experience. I respect you for that.

 

.....................

[sueernieb]

Have I been in a hole?????? What is Dynamic Dining?

[Clarea]

Have I been in a hole?????? What is Dynamic Dining?

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/quantumoftheseas/dining/restaurants/

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I am actually looking forward to it on the Oasis. I just hope we can work it out with our group. There are 10 of us. I know we won't all be together every night, but it would be nice to be able to work it out to sit together a few nights.

[novicetraveller]

I am actually looking forward to it on the Oasis. I just hope we can work it out with our group. There are 10 of us. I know we won't all be together every night, but it would be nice to be able to work it out to sit together a few nights.

 

 

I am also looking forward to trying it at least once. Just means no more taking a suit with me on the cruise.

 

I assume the gratuity for the restaurant staff will be pooled? Also, if a waiter (assistant) was exceptional, and you only saw them once or twice, how do you show your appreciation?

[Clarea]

I am also looking forward to trying it at least once. Just means no more taking a suit with me on the cruise.

 

I assume the gratuity for the restaurant staff will be pooled? Also, if a waiter (assistant) was exceptional, and you only saw them once or twice, how do you show your appreciation?

Cash is always welcome.

[novicetraveller]

Cash is always welcome.

 

 

What? Giving cash on a cruise? *gasp*

 

What I mean is, if toward the end of the cruise, you want to give a wow or an extra tip, do you hunt them down like a dog until you find them?

[Clarea]

What? Giving cash on a cruise? *gasp*

 

What I mean is, if toward the end of the cruise, you want to give a wow or an extra tip, do you hunt them down like a dog until you find them?

I'd give them the cash at the end of the meal. I figure it could be difficult to find them later.

[cruzeluvr]

I'm keeping an open mind and reserving judgement until I experience DD on our Quantum 12/1/14 cruise. If we don't like it, then we will look to other options and/or cruise lines when choosing future cruises. It's really not that big a deal.

[sueernieb]

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/quantumoftheseas/dining/restaurants/

 

Thanks, Bob.

 

Sue

[steveru621]

This is a personal observation. (I am reluctantly giving DD a try)

 

We have always given a very generous tip at the end of our cruise to our traditional dining waiter and assistant waiter. Flame me if you like, but unless there is some exceptional service provided by the waitstaff on a single night, the only tip they will get is from our automatic gratuity.

 

I can't remember a post, do people leave an additional gratuity each night on MTD?? Since I probably will not have that waiter again, what will be the extra gratuity protocol? Or will we begin to see posts where the waiters are very unhappy because their tips have dropped 50%?

 

:confused:

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I can't remember a post, do people leave an additional gratuity each night on MTD?? Since I probably will not have that waiter again, what will be the extra gratuity protocol? Or will we begin to see posts where the waiters are very unhappy because their tips have dropped 50%?

 

:confused:

We do not leave a gratuity above the automatic one except for exceptional service. We did on the second part of our Jewel B2B where we had truly exceptional waiters. It was MTD and we ended up having the same waiters throughout, at our request. On the first part we had TD and the waiters were doing their job, nothing exceptional. We did not add to the automatic gratuity. I doubt if most people on the ship will leave extra, in any event. That is something we on CC are a bit more sensitive to. There are exceptions, I am sure, but my guess is that the automatic gratuity is the norm. I am sure the automatic gratuity will continue to be the norm with DD.

 

Another thing you can do is to make sure to get the names of exceptional servers and other staff and mention them on surveys and recognize them with WOW cards. While not being cash, it provides them with job security and also is a basis for many of their raises and promotions, so they really do appreciate them. We try to recognize staff who went above and beyond for us both ways.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Sunny AZ Girl

[steveru621]

We do not leave a gratuity above the automatic one except for exceptional service. We did on the second part of our Jewel B2B where we had truly exceptional waiters. It was MTD and we ended up having the same waiters throughout, at our request. On the first part we had TD and the waiters were doing their job, nothing exceptional. We did not add to the automatic gratuity. I doubt if most people on the ship will leave extra, in any event. That is something we on CC are a bit more sensitive to. There are exceptions, I am sure, but my guess is that the automatic gratuity is the norm. I am sure the automatic gratuity will continue to be the norm with DD.

 

Another thing you can do is to make sure to get the names of exceptional servers and other staff and mention them on surveys and recognize them with WOW cards. While not being cash, it provides them with job security and also is a basis for many of their raises and promotions, so they really do appreciate them. We try to recognize staff who went above and beyond for us both ways.

 

 

Thank you for your insight.

[cublet]

Hello,

 

Everything I have seen has discussed the 'Dinner' in Dynamic Dining, but what about 'Breakfast' and 'Lunch'? Will there be specialty breakfasts or will it be Windjammer only?

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Hello,

 

Everything I have seen has discussed the 'Dinner' in Dynamic Dining, but what about 'Breakfast' and 'Lunch'? Will there be specialty breakfasts or will it be Windjammer only?

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

 

From what I can see there will still be many choices for breakfast & lunch. I have been researching Oasis, not Quantum, but on Oasis there will be complimentary breakfast and lunch in the American Icon, Park Cafe, Solarium Bistro. Johnny Rockets (breakfast only), Wipeout Cafe, room service, in addition to the Windjammer. There may be more, but those come to mind right away. Also lots of snacks, Cupcake Cupboard, Boardwalk Dog House, Promenade Cafe & more. We won't starve.:)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Hello,

 

Everything I have seen has discussed the 'Dinner' in Dynamic Dining, but what about 'Breakfast' and 'Lunch'? Will there be specialty breakfasts or will it be Windjammer only?

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

 

The American Icon grill will serve as the sit down dining room for breakfast. There will also be other cafés, etc., around the ship.

Edited October 5, 2014 by OfTheSeasCruiser