Oh no!!

[funcruzer1]

Royal Caribbean's much-criticized flexible-dining concept Dynamic Dining is here to stay, according to the President & CEO of the line.

 

Michael Bayley told reporters at a press conference onboard the line's newest ship, Anthem of the Seas, that Dynamic Dining is “the future” for cruising and was proving popular among first-time cruisers.

[Cigar King]

It was different, but, I didn't mind it. I did miss having the same waiters and getting to know them. To me they're just different, not necessarily bad.

[Big_G]

...but they've also made changes to the original concept.

[Catcat222]

The online booking part is a pain. I spent more that 20 hours over a few weeks on it. But while on board, I like it. I like to be able to eat at different restaurants and different times each day. I am the younger ones with small kids. I don't like eating at the same table on the same seat every night on a cruise. I find that boring. Close link with a waiter doesn't appeal to me in any way. We sailed in March, and they have already solved many of the initial problems that Quantum had.

 

If executed properly and has enough capacity ( which RCI failed), dynamic dining is a good concept. It certainly appeals to the younger crowd.

[Sherri914]

I remember seeing somewhere on CC recently about the revamped DD concepts. If I'm remembering correctly, one was called Dynamic Dining Classic, and the other was Dynamic Dining XXX (can't remember the name). Seemed to be explained that the Classic option would allow your waiters to transfer with you somehow? I have no clue how that would work. Does anyone else remember seeing this?

[Clarea]

I remember seeing somewhere on CC recently about the revamped DD concepts. If I'm remembering correctly, one was called Dynamic Dining Classic, and the other was Dynamic Dining XXX (can't remember the name). Seemed to be explained that the Classic option would allow your waiters to transfer with you somehow? I have no clue how that would work. Does anyone else remember seeing this?

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6174

 

The original DD option was to be called Dynamic Dining Choice.

Edited April 21, 2015 by clarea

[TBone2K]

Seemed to be explained that the Classic option would allow your waiters to transfer with you somehow? I have no clue how that would work.

 

Everyone at the table, as well as the wait staff stay together and move to a different restaurant each night. It gives you a different choice of menus, but lets you stay with the same group of people.

[Clarea]

Everyone at the table, as well as the wait staff stay together and move to a different restaurant each night. It gives you a different choice of menus, but lets you stay with the same group of people.

And hopefully the ability to be seated each evening with no waiting, at times that are convenient for the shows.

[snorkelman]

The online booking part is a pain. I spent more that 20 hours over a few weeks on it.

 

^^ That is awful!

[Sherri914]

Everyone at the table, as well as the wait staff stay together and move to a different restaurant each night. It gives you a different choice of menus, but lets you stay with the same group of people.

 

So for the "Classic" option, does that mean that you rotate thru the different restaurants (on Oasis-class that would be the three dining rooms) a couple of times over the course of a typical 7-day cruise? That makes sense I guess.

 

Thanks! :)

[Clarea]

So for the "Classic" option, does that mean that you rotate thru the different restaurants (on Oasis-class that would be the three dining rooms) a couple of times over the course of a typical 7-day cruise? That makes sense I guess.

 

Thanks! :)

Yes, you would rotate through all the restaurants. There's not been a rotation schedule published.

[John Reid]

Interesting and carefully crafted wording. "Dynamic Dining is “the future” for cruising and was proving popular among first-time cruisers."

 

Quoted as popular for the group that has no point of comparison and avoids the opinions of experienced cruisers. It seems to reenforce the belief among many that Royal Caribbean's concern is with the next generation market.

 

For me the advantage of cruising is a vacation free from complications. Having to make multiple dining and entertainment bookings in advance and monitoring that the effort stays in effect is an unwanted complication.

[merlindog22]

If we have to make reservations for everything then I will not be sailing with Royal Caribbean. Also with all this rotating you have to remember which restaurant you have to go to next. I can see people forgetting and going to the wrong place. Then there won't be enough spaces for everyone that should be there.

Stupid idea, howqever I hear that they are bring back the FORMAL NIGHTS. they are bowing to demand.

[nnzz]

In absolute agreement! We are sailing on the Anthem but have signed up

for the Classic Dining option just to avoid that exact complication. I would be most interested in hearing from anyone that has done the Classic dining option

about their opinion and whether it is working well or not.

[swoopy2110]

If we have to make reservations for everything then I will not be sailing with Royal Caribbean. Also with all this rotating you have to remember which restaurant you have to go to next. I can see people forgetting and going to the wrong place. Then there won't be enough spaces for everyone that should be there.

Stupid idea, howqever I hear that they are bring back the FORMAL NIGHTS. they are bowing to demand.

 

Disney have operated that system for years and years with great success

[ValerieJo]

We are fans of MTD and have signed up for Dynamic Dining Choice on Harmony of the Seas.

 

In the past we've always just done dinner on a walk up basis without reservations as we typically will eat a couple of nights at a specialty restaurant and a night or 2 in the Windjammer. We will only be dining in the MDR for 3 possibly 4 nights of a 7 day cruise. I'm hoping it works this way for Dynamic Dining Choice. Of course on a ship this size and as many restaurant choices, it's very possible we wont even go to the MTD.

 

My take is that DD Choice is similar to MTD. Is that how anyone else understands it?

 

Of course our HOTS cruise is almost 2 years away, so anything could happen in that amount of time. :D

[Midwestgal]

Personally I'm dreading having to spend the time booking my dining venues when the time comes.:rolleyes:

[evelyn51]

Everyone at the table, as well as the wait staff stay together and move to a different restaurant each night. It gives you a different choice of menus, but lets you stay with the same group of people.

 

If it runs as smoothly as Disney's does I look forward to it. Now if they could do something about the drinks.. ;)

[SugarRush]

If you can't cope with booking some restaurants on a ship then never go to Disney World, now that is pre booking gone mad!

[cruzeluvr]

With their push to attract new cruisers, and their apparent disregard for the feelings of quite a few of the long time cruisers, and what kept them coming back, it will be interesting to see just what the future holds for Royal Caribbean & Mr. Bayley. I, for one, have felt that the Royal Caribbean "experience" has seriously deteriorated over the past several years and it hardly resembles what we fell in love with when we started cruising about 20 years ago. While some of the new features are truly "WOW" items, it's not what we are looking for on a cruise. Unfortunately, the overall service and dining has gone downhill; and having to make reservations for shows and dining is a pain in the a** (especially with their web site). We have been fairly loyal to Royal, but our upcoming cruise next month on Liberty may well be the litmus test to determine if we continue to look to Royal first, if we continue cruising every year, or if we look at other options instead.

[BekkaW]

If we have to make reservations for everything then I will not be sailing with Royal Caribbean. Also with all this rotating you have to remember which restaurant you have to go to next. I can see people forgetting and going to the wrong place. Then there won't be enough spaces for everyone that should be there.

Stupid idea, howqever I hear that they are bring back the FORMAL NIGHTS. they are bowing to demand.

 

They absolutely are not bringing back ship wide formal nights on ships with Dynamic Dining. Recent reports in the press on this issue have been somewhat misleading.

 

With the rotational 'Dynamic Dining Classic' your group will have set nights in Grande, the formal restaurant. Not everyone on the ship will be formal the same night. Not everyone on the ship will enrol in classic so may not choose formal at all.

 

Whilst you think it's stupid it has (as another poster mentioned) been successful on Disney cruise line for many years and was introduced in response to customer desire to have the same table mates, waitstaff and dining time daily.

[Midwestgal]

When booking the restaurant on-line can you view the menu also ? This might be very helpful in weeding out certian ones.

[BND]

Personally I'm dreading having to spend the time booking my dining venues when the time comes.:rolleyes:

 

Honestly, it took me about 15 minutes total to do ours. We're traveling with friends who are linked to us so I was doing it for 4 people. We have since switched to "classic" but it really wasn't a problem. I was going to tweak it based on showtimes once that info was out, but now I don't have to.

Edited April 21, 2015 by BND

[BekkaW]

When booking the restaurant on-line can you view the menu also ? This might be very helpful in weeding out certian ones.

 

Yes, menus available at the Royal Caribbean website http://www.royalcaribbean.com/anthemoftheseas/dining/restaurants/

[Clarea]

When booking the restaurant on-line can you view the menu also ? This might be very helpful in weeding out certian ones.

See some sample menus here:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experiencetypes/category.do?pagename=onboard_cat_dining_options&tab=1

Edited April 21, 2015 by clarea