Rotational Dining coming to Quantum

[twindaddy]

As a long time Disney Cruiser, I have loved rotational dining. Best of both worlds: same staff, different locations and menus.

 

If you want to make sure you are in the formal restaurant (Triton's) on formal night, you just email Disney and request that rotation. Some people do not want to be in the Caribbean restaurant on formal night, I for one do not care.

 

What is wrong with MTD / rotational dining mix?

 

Just my two cents. It would seem to be the best of both worlds.

[Coralc]

What's BATB (castle) ?

 

EDIT: Thanks Carol (dirtgirl) for the interesting information. We haven't tried DD or rotational dining so I have no opinion on either. I suppose if we did try it, we would still like to be able to choose our preferred and (possibly varying) dining times. :)

 

All I can think of is Babes in Toyland...but I don't think that was Disney...and it doesn't work with the acronym. :p

Edited February 1, 2015 by Coralc

[RocketMan275]

As a long time Disney Cruiser, I have loved rotational dining. Best of both worlds: same staff, different locations and menus.

 

If you want to make sure you are in the formal restaurant (Triton's) on formal night, you just email Disney and request that rotation. Some people do not want to be in the Caribbean restaurant on formal night, I for one do not care.

 

What is wrong with MTD / rotational dining mix?

 

Just my two cents. It would seem to be the best of both worlds.

 

I don't want to be in any restaurant on formal nights. Can I get a rotation without formal nights?

[lexsea]

My thoughts exactly. I was hoping for something like this. Would love having the same staff in the different venues. Makes the cruise so much better.

 

We sailed on Disney and enjoyed rotational dining. Having the same wait staff but in different venues each night made our dining experiences more exciting and interesting. I would look forward to RD on RCL!

[Wildcatfish]

What's BATB (castle) ?

 

Beauty and the Beast dining room aka "Lumiere's"

Edited February 1, 2015 by Wildcatfish

[dsvd79]

I liked DD. It was easy to plan your dinners around shows, and other activities.

[A&L_Ont]

Hopefully AFTER March 2016.:)

 

Here's for hoping.

[Coralc]

beauty and the beast dining room aka "lumiere's"

 

ty. :d

[dirtgirl]

It is very obvious from reading the comments that no matter what happens, there will be unhappy people! :p ;) I fully imagine that they will keep some aspect of MTD. They would be foolish not to. What they are trying to do is please those that like traditional dining - they were forgotten in Dynamic Dining. Let's see what they roll out. Details aren't out yet. Once the details are out, then we will see how many are still unhappy. :)

[SMLT]

It's only dinner

[awhcruiser]

You can stay in your cabin and order room service.

I don't want to be in any restaurant on formal nights. Can I get a rotation without formal nights?

[Dave85]

So I guess Devinly Decadence won't be free anymore? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was substantially smaller than the four original included restaurants. Not sure how that could work in a rotation.

 

 

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Edited February 1, 2015 by Dave85

[hurtinalbertan]

Hi

We had the unfortunate experience of trialing dynamic dining on the Quantums non Inaugural…. long lines, slow to no service, cold food and no alternative menus. We really missed the waiters who got to know your name, the Maitre D and Head Waiters that could intervene when things were troubled and the Assistant waiter that made sure your water glass is full and bread refilled and drinks replenished.

 

On Quantum staff were rushed, over worked and to many "suits" walking around with I pads and not seeing the difficulties diners were having.

 

I think we have to give new concepts time to roll and hope that Royal continues listen to feedback from guests.

 

Hoping for the best

Sandi

[LMaxwell]

I suspect menu offerings will diminish in quantity and be condensed to the most popular offerings of each venue. Not sure RD is the right way to go, but at least they are trying to course correct fast from DD. Too fast?

[kruzerci]

They absolutely screwed the pooch with this aspect of the Quantum class. Bad publicity and reviews with the implementation of dynamic dining and now sour feelings towards rotational dining.

 

They should have left well enough alone and stuck with what works while adding additional for fee and complementary dining options. Now they're stuck with all these separate dining areas and seemingly no good solution.

[BekkaW]

I suggested rotational weeks ago, and they should have 2 options -one with Grande (for those who want a formal night) and one without

[janrey1234]

Rotational dining is not all that bad, it alleviates the having to reserve and I am sure if you don't particularly like one venue you can ask to be seated in a different venue. They want to please. I would bet that even if one in your party found nothing on the menu that pleased they would prepare something even bringing up something from one of the other venues. Branch out, enjoy. At least this plan reduces the stress of having to book daily reservations. Choose a time, rotate.

[jndsilver31]

I hope RCI does drop DD for the Oasis and the Allure. I would be more leaning toward RD then DD. But it I had my choice I would keep the MDR the way it is now on both of those ships.

 

Just my humble opinion.

[Ourusualbeach]

So I guess Devinly Decadence won't be free anymore? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was substantially smaller than the four original included restaurants. Not sure how that could work in a rotation.

 

 

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At 110 it is definitely smaller.

 

With 4 restaurants each capable of seating 430 guests that is 1720 guests. Early and late seating is 3440 guests. Quantum sails with 4180 at double and 4900 at max.

 

There is no way that they can be having the rotational dining available for every seat in the dining rooms.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier post maybe they will make a certain number of tables available for rotational dining. This will appeal to those that want the same waiters every night yet leave the flexibility in booking for those that don't mind having different waiters and doing a little bit more planning.

[John&LaLa]

At 110 it is definitely smaller.

 

With 4 restaurants each capable of seating 430 guests that is 1720 guests. Early and late seating is 3440 guests. Quantum sails with 4180 at double and 4900 at max.

 

There is no way that they can be having the rotational dining available for every seat in the dining rooms.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier post maybe they will make a certain number of tables available for rotational dining. This will appeal to those that want the same waiters every night yet leave the flexibility in booking for those that don't mind having different waiters and doing a little bit more planning.

 

How do you determine who gets the coveted RD slots

[The Big Booper]

Here is how RD works in Disney ships. Caveat, we have only been on the smaller Disney ships where there are 3 dining rooms, buffet and one alternate expensive restaurant.

 

The entire table plus waiter and asst. waiter rotates thru one of each dining room every night, same table number in each room. The rooms are (Magic in this example)

 

Lumiere's Castle

 

Caribbean room

 

Animator's Palette where the dining room starts out in black, white and gray at the beginning (including waiter's vests.) and transitions to vibrant full color by the end of the meal. Pure Disney entertainment.

 

There is only the one alternative small expensive ($75) room so most people stick with the rotation, the dining experience is a fun part of the cruise.

 

With a new big RCI ship there will be many reasonable alternatives so the plan will have to be implemented differently then the way Disney does it. IMHO the menus to some extent will have to be normalized with a wider range of choices for each of the big rooms. Plus part of each main room will have to be MTD for those who want to create their own schedule.

 

It can be done, the company is innovative. Otherwise, with DD, even my current TA, a veteran cruiser on many lines, came back from the Quantum cruise today and said that their nerves were frazzled from the scheduling required:eek:. And they have done 7 NCL freestyle cruises.

[Single Cruiser]

I don't want to be in any restaurant on formal nights. Can I get a rotation without formal nights?

 

I agree. But this will probably mean they'll drop the formal nights on these ships except in the Grande.

 

Personally I saw nothing wrong with DD other than their IT system wasn't ready and the launch hysteria caused by a select few on how you must pre-book everything in advance.

 

Have done multiple cruises on large (similar passenger numbers) on NCL with 2 or 3 main dining rooms and half a dozen speciality restaurants and never had a problem. Booked a cpl in advance, a cpl onboard but the rest just walked up when we felt like eating.

 

Of course the other thing to make flexible dining work is you really need flexible / dynamic entertainment else people reserve for directly after a theatre show or before the late show, again NCL realised this by have the show on more than twice during a week.

 

Royal simply haven't thought it through from each group of cruisers perspective.

 

For some planning a nights events and dinner is all part of the fun. For others a nightmare.

[JezzaC]

We booked the Anthem due to Dynamic Dining. We don't want to have same dining times every night and want to decide ourself where we we dine at each evening. Some of the complimentary restaurants we didn't book at all - since we didn't like the menu or the dress code.

 

If concept will now change in Anthem - I hope they are giving possibility for full refund - since Dynamic Dining was the one of biggest elements for the ship and now the product will be changed to something totally different. This would also probably mean fixed seating times and not having possibility to any time dining. Doesn't sound very 2015 - maybe 30 years back.

 

The most important thing for RCCL is now to inform passengers ASAP about this change, so they can rearrange their plans if needed.

Edited February 1, 2015 by JezzaC

[JezzaC]

We booked the Anthem due to Dynamic Dining. We don't want to have same dining times every night and want to decide ourself where we we dine at each evening. Some of the complimentary restaurants we didn't book at all - since we didn't like the menu or the dress code.

 

If concept will now change in Anthem - I hope they are giving possibility for full refund - since Dynamic Dining was the one of biggest elements for the ship and now the product will be changed to something totally different. This would also probably mean fixed seating times and not having possibility to any time dining. Doesn't sound very 2015 - maybe 30 years back.

 

The most important thing for RCCL is now to inform passengers ASAP about this change, so they can rearrange their plans if needed.

[jopat]

We booked the Anthem due to Dynamic Dining. We don't want to have same dining times every night and want to decide ourself where we we dine at each evening. Some of the complimentary restaurants we didn't book at all - since we didn't like the menu or the dress code.

 

If concept will now change in Anthem - I hope they are giving possibility for full refund - since Dynamic Dining was the one of biggest elements for the ship and now the product will be changed to something totally different. This would also probably mean fixed seating times and not having possibility to any time dining. Doesn't sound very 2015 - maybe 30 years back.

 

The most important thing for RCCL is now to inform passengers ASAP about this change, so they can rearrange their plans if needed.

 

We agree with you! Some of the restaurants we didn't like the menus & we like to choose a time, depending on what we are doing each day.

 

 

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