Rotational Dining coming to Quantum

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Right now formal nights vary usually based on itinerary. I wouldn't want the formal venue on a port day where I may be first getting back on to the ship late afternoon/early evening. But I also wouldn't want to forgo table service dinner and ordering off a menu (and not paying additional for specialty).

 

IMO, you are going to see a massive relaxation of current Grande dress code which is already pretty relaxed from cruise formal. Basically pants = you're in.

 

I would think that the dress code in Grande would just become like the dress code in the current MDR on formal nights: majority will dress up (not necessarily in suits/tuxes, but a step up from casual), but you wont be turned away if you're not.

Edited February 1, 2015 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[RocketMan275]

As heard on the Freedom of the Seas today on a sailing with Vicki Freed, Dynamic Dining will be gone in a couple of months to be replaced with Rotational Dining like on Disney. There were cheers in the audience. You keep your same table and wait staff, and rotate complimentary restaurants. It will roll out with Anthem.

 

I'm not sure they've really changed anything except the name. It's possible that RCI has combined Traditional Dining, My Time Dining, Rotational Dining, and Dynamic Dining into one dining package.

 

Just speculating but what we may see could be a lot like this:

 

Rotational Dining for those who like TD. When you book your cruise you pick early or late seating and RCI will assign a rotational sequence that includes two trips to Grande. You don't have to make reservations and your wait staff and table mates do the same rotation. You have the same dining time. You might call this Rotating Traditional Dining (RTD).

 

Rotational Dining for every one else would be just like My Time Dining except you have a number of restaurants to choose from. You pick the restaurant and time and show up just like Dynamic Dining. You could also make reservations like you can now for MTD and for DD.

 

The number of seats for each style would be set and you may not get your preferred choice but that's no different than today.

 

This would have a lot of advantages. Those that love TD would still get a very good approximation. Those that don't like formal nights could avoid the Grande. Those that would prefer something other than Traditional Dining would have other options besides specialty restaurants and the buffet.

 

The biggest advantage is that this would regulate the flow of passengers into the dining rooms solving the major logistical challenge with DD. Most people like to eat sometime after early seating and sometime before late seating. This produced a major crush of people wanting to eat between 630 and 730. This problem was probably compounded by passenger preferences between dining venues.

 

Traditional Dining avoided this problem by requiring a large number of passengers (maybe two thirds) to choose between fixed dining times (early or late) and having a fixed dining venue. This Rotating Traditional Dining incorporates these regulating features of Traditional Dining.

Edited February 1, 2015 by RocketMan275

[danv3]

RCI went way too fast in rolling out DD. It needed a good year of testing and adjustment on a single ship (for example, the third Oasis ship or one of Quantum or Anthem) before being rolled out anywhere else. They got way ahead of themselves and the solution they're proposing to fix their original mistake presents its own challenges.

[Elizanessie]

Hi Liz...I think the menus would work great with RD as well. They may even add another menu items to some some RD menus for added appeal.

 

The one thing that I wonder might cause problems with RD on OA & AL is ...don't they just have the one galley for the MDR, whereas on QN they have a galley for each restaurant ?

[ahecht]

The one thing that I wonder might cause problems with RD on OA & AL is ...don't they just have the one galley for the MDR, whereas on QN they have a galley for each restaurant ?

 

I seem to recall that the larger ships already had separate galleys for each floor of the dining room.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I'm not sure they've really changed anything except the name. It's possible that RCI has combined Traditional Dining, My Time Dining, Rotational Dining, and Dynamic Dining into one dining package.

 

Just speculating but what we may see could be a lot like this:

 

Rotational Dining for those who like TD. When you book your cruise you pick early or late seating and RCI will assign a rotational sequence that includes two trips to Grande. You don't have to make reservations and your wait staff and table mates do the same rotation. You have the same dining time. You might call this Rotating Traditional Dining (RTD).

 

Rotational Dining for every one else would be just like My Time Dining except you have a number of restaurants to choose from. You pick the restaurant and time and show up just like Dynamic Dining. You could also make reservations like you can now for MTD and for DD.

 

The number of seats for each style would be set and you may not get your preferred choice but that's no different than today.

 

This would have a lot of advantages. Those that love TD would still get a very good approximation. Those that don't like formal nights could avoid the Grande. Those that would prefer something other than Traditional Dining would have other options besides specialty restaurants and the buffet.

 

The biggest advantage is that this would regulate the flow of passengers into the dining rooms solving the major logistical challenge with DD. Most people like to eat sometime after early seating and sometime before late seating. This produced a major crush of people wanting to eat between 630 and 730. This problem was probably compounded by passenger preferences between dining venues.

 

Traditional Dining avoided this problem by requiring a large number of passengers (maybe two thirds) to choose between fixed dining times (early or late) and having a fixed dining venue. This Rotating Traditional Dining incorporates these regulating features of Traditional Dining.

 

I think this is the perfect solution. Everyone (almost:p) will be happy!

 

And IMO, if Royal could come up with an expanded "Simple Tastes" menu, that was the same throughout the 4 complimentary venues and has no relation to the type of food served in each particular venue, it would please the passengers that don't like the food of a certain restaurant.

[Elizanessie]

I seem to recall that the larger ships already had separate galleys for each floor of the dining room.

 

Thanks. For some unknown reason my head seemed to think each separate galley was for different things...as in Pastry & Breads in one galley and Entrees in another...darn it I have no idea why I thought that...must have dreamt it LOL

[Charles4515]

The one thing that I wonder might cause problems with RD on OA & AL is ...don't they just have the one galley for the MDR, whereas on QN they have a galley for each restaurant ?

 

I doubt they have a seperate galley for each of the four main restaurants on Quantum.

[Elizanessie]

I think this is the perfect solution. Everyone (almost:p) will be happy!

 

And IMO, if Royal could come up with an expanded "Simple Tastes" menu, that was the same throughout the 4 complimentary venues and has no relation to the type of food served in each particular venue, it would please the passengers that don't like the food of a certain restaurant.

 

The newest Simple Taste menu is the same for all 4 complimentary restaurants on Quantum ( I haven't heard what it is in Devinly Decadence though)

[Elizanessie]

I doubt they have a seperate galley for each of the four main restaurants on Quantum.

 

Maybe it is one galley for two restaurants on Quantum, hopefully someone who did the tour will know for sure.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

The newest Simple Taste menu is the same for all 4 complimentary restaurants on Quantum ( I haven't heard what it is in Devinly Decadence though)

 

I wasn't sure of that, so that's good to know. I haven't really seen one of the simple taste menus, but I assume they're pretty limited? If they are, and Royal expanded them, I think it would help to contribute to the success of the rotational dining.

[Elizanessie]

Hopefully this will link to Simple Taste Menu will work -

 

SimpleTaste_Menu_update-ICON.pdf

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Hopefully this will link to Simple Taste Menu will work -

 

[ATTACH]338795[/ATTACH]

 

Yes, it worked. Thanks.

[karmacats]

And IMO, if Royal could come up with an expanded "Simple Tastes" menu, that was the same throughout the 4 complimentary venues and has no relation to the type of food served in each particular venue, it would please the passengers that don't like the food of a certain restaurant.

 

That's the way the simple tastes menu is now. It's the same in all 4 complimentary restaurants, and is basic chicken, fish, beef and pasta. Though i wouldn't call it "expanded." :)

 

I doubt they have a seperate galley for each of the four main restaurants on Quantum.

 

They do. There is one large prep galley for things like chopping vegetables, but then each restaurant has its own kitchen. Took the backstage tour last month. :)

 

A question - when rotational dining was discussed before, it was mentioned that the 4 complementary restaurants held different numbers of people, which would be an issue because each seating would be limited to the number of people in the lowest-capacity restaurant. does anyone know if this is true? if so, a pp's idea - that part of the restaurant goes rotational, and the remainder is left open for MTD/DD - would solve that problem. Just curious.

 

fwiw, i went into our cruise expecting to hate DD, as i'd previously done ncl freestyle and did not enjoy it, but ended up really liking the flexibility and the different venues. i'd actually be kind of sad if our upcoming anthem cruise didn't have a DD option available.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Oops!

Edited February 1, 2015 by suzyluvs2cruise

[Elizanessie]

Yes, it worked. Thanks.

 

Phew glad it worked.

 

At first on Quantum they had a different Simple Taste Menu for each of the complimentary restaurants (well that is when the staff could find the menus :rolleyes:) but recently they changed it to just the one menu.

[Elizanessie]

 

 

They do. There is one large prep galley for things like chopping vegetables, but then each restaurant has its own kitchen. Took the backstage tour last month. :)

 

Thank you...phew so glad I didn't just dream it :o

[Hoopster95]

Rotational Dining:

 

• If you don't like the menu in the specific restaurant you're in, what do you do?
  
• If your wait staff is unsatisfactory, but you have them the entire cruise, then what?
  
• If you don't mix well with your table mates which you are stuck with, then what?
  
• If you have a 7pm sailaway from a beautiful port and incredible sunset, but you have early seating at 6pm, how do you change that?
  
• If you meet new friends on board (personally I have new friends every cruise), how do you have dinner with them or make changes?
  
• If you're having fun in the CL with your fellow cruisers, and you wish to stay there an extra hour, can you show up an hour late with Rotational?
  
• If you're late coming back from an excursion due to unforseen circumstances, or you're just enjoying the later time in a port and coming back to the ship later, will the rotational table, waiters, fellow cruisers, wait for you?
  
• Many Royal itineraries have several ports which are later in the afternoon... ie San Juan 4pm-10pm. Does this mean the one time you are "booked" via rotational to a specific restaurant you will never be able to go back to?
  
• What if a menu on one of the restaurants is so awesome that you want to go back several times to try other things (like cruisers who do Chops 2 or 3 times per cruise, or the Quantum cruiser who booked the Grande all 8 evenings)?
  

 

Dynamic Dining addressed all of the above. All of the above happened to me and I was able to make changes on my 12/1 cruise. It's flexible, you design your vacation the way you want it. You have control, You make decisions. If you are "stressed" at making decisions, and you feel a vacation is about just going and not having to "worry about reservations", absolutely DD is not for you.

 

To me Rotational is just another fancy word for MDR. Rotational = MDR: forced menu item, forced seating arrangements, zero flexibility (unless you bail and go to Windjammer or Specialty), zero decision making. You still get a different menu every night in MDR without "rotating" so no change here either. Negatives I see with rotational: different table/venue each night (those that hate decision making will not be happy trying to find their new table every night), different kitchen (what if the chefs from one venue to another are awful), different seating arrangement (maybe the next table you're stuck in a high traffic area rather than a coveted window seat which you conveniently emailed Royal pre-cruise to save for you the entire cruise in MDR)

 

It's interesting that the more recent cruisers (ie. read Radio's thread currently going) are loving DD. Other long time experienced cruisers have come on to say DD was an awesome change, and many now on this thread as well. The many complaints came from the first 5-6 weeks, excluding the 21/1 cruise. The majority of those complaints seem to be gone.

 

My guess is that if this change tales place it's because of $$$. Perhaps adding extra wait staff, incl. Devinely Decandence as a free venue, and maybe even Royal's cost structure for purchasing food for the various venues etc didn't work out as planned and is costing them more than they thought. So now they have to bring back MDR to save money... but can't on Q and Anthem due to the smaller restaurants. So what do they do? Bring in rotational so that all venues get used equally. Just my 2 cents.

 

For the record, love DD and I hope they keep it exactly the way it is. But will also love Rotational as I love the MDR settings also.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Hoopster95

[little britain]

I agree with your statement.

I thought DD was one of the best things I liked about Quantum. We never had a problem being seated at our dining times, or changing restaurants if needed and thought the food was good even if service was a little slow on occasion, but that was due to the fact there were no assistant waiters on our Inaugural and 12/1 cruises.

The main dining room menus were boring and left you many nights trying to decide what you wanted because nothing was really all the appealing.:rolleyes:

I agree with you 100%.

 

I remember the outcry when MTD was introduced: people acted like it was the end of the civilised world. Now, MTD is the most popular dining option.

 

DD is nothing but an extension of MTD.

With MTD you go to one restaurant when you are hungry and eat.

With DD you go to one of 5 (or 6 if you are in a suite) restaurants when you are hungry and eat.

 

People are getting hung up over the 'supposed' need to book. If you do not book for MTD (and we never did) then you do not need to book for DD.

 

Unlike many people who have not been on Quantum but have already decided that they do not like DD with out having tried it; I have actually been on Quantum and I loved the flexibility and variety of venues instead of one boring same-old same-old dining room with even older menus. I could get on board and tell you exactly what I was having for dinner on Night 1 in those days. Hardly the excitement and variety of going on a holiday is it?

 

I for one, have zero interest in sailing on a ship that does not offer the flexibility of dining where and when I want to; not when and where I am told to. It is my holiday!

 

I personally, also cannot see this whole argument about "having the same waiter ever night because they know what I want and have my drink ready for me". Trust me, until I have read the menu I do not know what I want, and I certainly don't know what wine I want to order to match my meal.:rolleyes:

 

I cannot believe that RCI will be taking a negative retro step into the past by removing the MTD flexibility and forcing people to eat at a set time. I would HOPE that they will have the option of either RD or DD/MTD. I will have to rethink my upcoming bookings - on ships which are supposedly having DD - if they do only offer RD.

Edited February 1, 2015 by little britain

[Elizanessie]

CC members are only about 1% of guests on RCCL ships so really we do not know or even can guess at the number of complaints there has been about DD.

 

There must have been a heck of a lot for RCCL to even consider changing/getting rid of DD.

 

Just because we can read a few reviews where folks have enjoyed DD does not mean that the other 4000 guests on the same sailing enjoyed it or had no issues with it.

[Aladdin22]

Just been announced on cruise programme in UK that Dynamic Dining has been put 'on hold'

[swoopy2110]

So Anthem is definitely not rolling out with DD ?

[JezzaC]

I'm not sure they've really changed anything except the name. It's possible that RCI has combined Traditional Dining, My Time Dining, Rotational Dining, and Dynamic Dining into one dining package.

 

Just speculating but what we may see could be a lot like this:

 

Rotational Dining for those who like TD. When you book your cruise you pick early or late seating and RCI will assign a rotational sequence that includes two trips to Grande. You don't have to make reservations and your wait staff and table mates do the same rotation. You have the same dining time. You might call this Rotating Traditional Dining (RTD).

 

Rotational Dining for every one else would be just like My Time Dining except you have a number of restaurants to choose from. You pick the restaurant and time and show up just like Dynamic Dining. You could also make reservations like you can now for MTD and for DD.

 

The number of seats for each style would be set and you may not get your preferred choice but that's no different than today.

 

This would have a lot of advantages. Those that love TD would still get a very good approximation. Those that don't like formal nights could avoid the Grande. Those that would prefer something other than Traditional Dining would have other options besides specialty restaurants and the buffet.

 

The biggest advantage is that this would regulate the flow of passengers into the dining rooms solving the major logistical challenge with DD. Most people like to eat sometime after early seating and sometime before late seating. This produced a major crush of people wanting to eat between 630 and 730. This problem was probably compounded by passenger preferences between dining venues.

 

Traditional Dining avoided this problem by requiring a large number of passengers (maybe two thirds) to choose between fixed dining times (early or late) and having a fixed dining venue. This Rotating Traditional Dining incorporates these regulating features of Traditional Dining.

 

Your solution sounds good - it serves people wanting traditional and modern option. However there is still issue with pax - so either 3 seatings or making restaurants crowded with more tables and seats.

[JezzaC]

Just been announced on cruise programme in UK that Dynamic Dining has been put 'on hold'

 

Are they talking about Oasis and Allure, or whole thing? Since Oasis and Allure decision was done way earlier.

[3dog]

There must have been a heck of a lot for RCCL to even consider changing/getting rid of DD.

 

I think a lot of people are getting over-emotional (on both sides) on this thread. On a 2-day cruise, a RCI sales VP said something to folks who came back and reported that DD will be gone on Anthem to be replaced by RD. There are no official quotes or no official press releases, so who knows what was actually said or what the real meaning of what was said is. It could have been "We are considering implementing a RD option on some ships at the time Anthem comes out." It's not that I don't trust the OP to report what the believed they heard, but it wouldn't be the first time someone heard what they wanted to hear only to find out that was not what was said.

 

Just speculating but what we may see could be a lot like this:

 

Rotational Dining for those who like TD. When you book your cruise you pick early or late seating and RCI will assign a rotational sequence that includes two trips to Grande. You don't have to make reservations and your wait staff and table mates do the same rotation. You have the same dining time. You might call this Rotating Traditional Dining (RTD).

 

Much like I suggested at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=45455254#post45455254

 

As it has been pointed out, RD cannot replace DD, as not only the math doesn't work, but despite the numbers on CC that like traditional and dislike flexible, the general cruising population seems to prefer flexible over traditional. So moving back to a fixed-time only option is going in the wrong direction for a company that is known for evolving their product (even if that evolution occasionally hiccups).