ANTHEM - What's going on with DD/Classic Dining?

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

A crew member posted a load of photos from onboard Anthem to Reddit, in it there was a photo of a contractor who had been hired to help transform their rehearsal space (he was in the orchestra) into more crew cabins

 

So it seems that it isn't just complaints that are making Royal backtrack on DD. Staffing issues, and maybe money issues.

 

The Executive Chef from Corporate (I apologize for not getting his name) boarded on April 18 and is here until April 30th. He is on board to oversee new dining menus in all dining venues. Implementation date has not been specified.

 

So could that mean that DD will be sticking around or a while?

[Baron Barracuda]

Almost all reviews that I've read lately have been excellent regarding the ship and the food. No one knows what they're going to do so I wouldn't even begin to guess at this point.

 

Yes, there were bad reviews regarding service when Quantum first started sailing from NJ but this type of dining was all new to the staff too and they had a hard time adjusting, plus they weren't use to taking orders on an iPad. By the time we sailed Quantum last April, things were running very smooth and we were in and out of the dining room faster than we ever were in traditional dining and the food was 100% better than traditional dining.

 

As of today there are only 465 Anthem reviews on cc, and while they might be of some interest to Royal I believe that how dd is being rated on post-cruise surveys carries much more weight. Have to believe that unsatisfactory survey scores is what is driving proposed changes. Would love to see this data, but Royal isn't likely to share it with us.

[cruisenfever]

Do you know yet if the new menus will still be unique to each venue, or the same in each venue?

Unfortunately I don't have an answer to that. If DD stays, then the current menus, unique to each venue, will be the ones that will be updated.

 

Plus, with the new Suite Program, the menus for Coastal Kitchen and Solarium Bistro are also being updated.

Edited April 21, 2016 by cruisenfever

[Clarea]

Unfortunately I don't have an answer to that. If DD stays, then the current menus, unique to each venue, will be the ones that will be updated.

 

Plus, with the new Suite Program, the menus for Coastal Kitchen and Solarium Bistro are also being updated.

Thanks Patti.

[MisterBill99]

I agree, choose classic OR choose one of the other ships! Don't choose Anthem when you prefer a huge main dining room or don't want to rotate dining venues and then moan about it. As the reviews are starting to get more positive this must mean that Anthem is starting to find its market i.e. The people booking her are fully aware of the different dining arrangements rather than regular RCI cruisers who just wanted to try the newbie in the family.

I've probably said this before here, but I don't think your suggestion to pick another ship is a fair one. Yes, for people who are flying in it's not an unreasonable thing to say. But when you're the only Royal Caribbean ship in a huge market (and even next year when Rhapsody is here, the only large ship), telling people to pick another ship is not a reasonable suggestion. It's not like in Florida where you can just wait a day and sail on something else.

 

I did not mind the DD concept when we were on in January and I did enjoy going to different restaurants each night. What I disliked was the food quality (which I thought was generally mediocre) and menus and was optimistic that they'd be able to fix that by the time we're back on in August.

[ocav]

I've probably said this before here, but I don't think your suggestion to pick another ship is a fair one. Yes, for people who are flying in it's not an unreasonable thing to say. But when you're the only Royal Caribbean ship in a huge market (and even next year when Rhapsody is here, the only large ship), telling people to pick another ship is not a reasonable suggestion. It's not like in Florida where you can just wait a day and sail on something else.

 

I did not mind the DD concept when we were on in January and I did enjoy going to different restaurants each night. What I disliked was the food quality (which I thought was generally mediocre) and menus and was optimistic that they'd be able to fix that by the time we're back on in August.

 

 

 

What's the reason for having to sail Royal? People who aren't happy with the product that's offered by Royal have the freedom to choose other lines, doing that would influence their decision more

[Ahoy maties]

New to Dynamic Dining concept and I have to say I am totally confused.

 

We have booked Anthem to Bermuda in September and wanted, I believe, Dynamic Choice. We could only book Dynamic Classic.

 

Will we be able to switch to Dynamic Choice before the cruise date, or even once onboard, or are we stuck?

 

Now, assuming we can not change, how is the dining rotation determined i.e. what order are we given and can we opt out of one?

 

When do we find out about the rotation, so that we could book a specialty restaurant if one of the four was less desirable?

 

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

[NewSalt]

What's the reason for having to sail Royal? People who aren't happy with the product that's offered by Royal have the freedom to choose other lines, doing that would influence their decision more

 

I don't know about the PP, but for us, Royal is the only option for cruises longer than seven days unless we board an airplane, which adds about $2,000 to an already expensive cruise and adds the hassle of limited luggage, ground transportation, hotel stays, etc.

[ocav]

I don't know about the PP, but for us, Royal is the only option for cruises longer than seven days unless we board an airplane, which adds about $2,000 to an already expensive cruise and adds the hassle of limited luggage, ground transportation, hotel stays, etc.

 

 

 

Don't like 3 other cruise lines sail from New York? How is Anthem your only choice?

[beachbuddy]

Unfortunately I don't have an answer to that. If DD stays, then the current menus, unique to each venue, will be the ones that will be updated.

 

Plus, with the new Suite Program, the menus for Coastal Kitchen and Solarium Bistro are also being updated.

 

 

 

Patti, have the menus changed from Quantum? Just curious because we thought the menus were great except for Silk.

[Overtyme]

New to Dynamic Dining concept and I have to say I am totally confused.

 

 

 

We have booked Anthem to Bermuda in September and wanted, I believe, Dynamic Choice. We could only book Dynamic Classic.

 

 

 

Will we be able to switch to Dynamic Choice before the cruise date, or even once onboard, or are we stuck?

 

 

 

Now, assuming we can not change, how is the dining rotation determined i.e. what order are we given and can we opt out of one?

 

 

 

When do we find out about the rotation, so that we could book a specialty restaurant if one of the four was less desirable?

 

 

 

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

 

WOW! You're the second person I've heard say that Dynamic Choice wasn't available.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Merion_Mom]

Not necessarily.

 

If this thread and Patti's information generated enough emails expressing approval of Dynamic Dining……then it was worth the 38 pages.

 

So often people who are negative are the most vocal. Patti has brought the possibility of DD being redone to the attention of those who like it and that is a good thing because it gave them reason to speak up.

 

^^^ This.

[Merion_Mom]

Just an FYI, but currently, there are no short runs to Canada on Rhapsody when she arrives in Cape Liberty. She is only doing a 12 night Cape Liberty to Quebec on 9/08/2017 and Quebec to Cape Liberty on 9/20/2017. She is then doing a repo cruise to Tampa on 10/23/2017.

 

Ship will be in dry dock from October 1 to the 22.

 

OOOHHHHH. THAT is the reason that the two October Canada cruises disappeared!

 

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity, Patti!

[Merion_Mom]

The Executive Chef from Corporate (I apologize for not getting his name) boarded on April 18 and is here until April 30th. He is on board to oversee new dining menus in all dining venues. Implementation date has not been specified.

 

Gary

[Leslie K]

New to Dynamic Dining concept and I have to say I am totally confused.

 

 

 

We have booked Anthem to Bermuda in September and wanted, I believe, Dynamic Choice. We could only book Dynamic Classic.

 

 

 

Will we be able to switch to Dynamic Choice before the cruise date, or even once onboard, or are we stuck?

 

 

 

Now, assuming we can not change, how is the dining rotation determined i.e. what order are we given and can we opt out of one?

 

 

 

When do we find out about the rotation, so that we could book a specialty restaurant if one of the four was less desirable?

 

 

 

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

 

We couldn't get dynamic choice for our February trip and were given dynamic Classic. We only ate one night in our assigned rotation and time. The other nights we either ate at specialty restaurants (arranged on board) or stopped at our assigned restaurant and asked to switch to a different time due to conflict with a show. We were easily accommodated and had no problem getting our table at the new time when we arrived.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Leslie K

[Leslie K]

New to Dynamic Dining concept and I have to say I am totally confused.

 

 

 

We have booked Anthem to Bermuda in September and wanted, I believe, Dynamic Choice. We could only book Dynamic Classic.

 

 

 

Will we be able to switch to Dynamic Choice before the cruise date, or even once onboard, or are we stuck?

 

 

 

Now, assuming we can not change, how is the dining rotation determined i.e. what order are we given and can we opt out of one?

 

 

 

When do we find out about the rotation, so that we could book a specialty restaurant if one of the four was less desirable?

 

 

 

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

 

We were informed of our assigned rotation the first day when we got to our cabin

[floatel_lvr]

In /r/cruise

 

It was a few days ago now but it's a quiet sub so probably isn't that buried down

 

Thanks for posting this.

[floatel_lvr]

I've probably said this before here, but I don't think your suggestion to pick another ship is a fair one. Yes, for people who are flying in it's not an unreasonable thing to say. But when you're the only Royal Caribbean ship in a huge market (and even next year when Rhapsody is here, the only large ship), telling people to pick another ship is not a reasonable suggestion. It's not like in Florida where you can just wait a day and sail on something else.

 

I did not mind the DD concept when we were on in January and I did enjoy going to different restaurants each night. What I disliked was the food quality (which I thought was generally mediocre) and menus and was optimistic that they'd be able to fix that by the time we're back on in August.

 

But it really is reasonable. You could always drive to Baltimore. It is only 3 hours away. Or as others have pointed out you could always pick another cruise line.

Edited April 22, 2016 by floatel_lvr

[CarpeCerevisi]

But it really is reasonable. You could always drive to Baltimore. It is only 3 hours away. Or as others have pointed out you could always pick another cruise line.

 

 

It's also just 2 1/2 hours by train and can be cheaper than parking at Cape Liberty if you book Amtrak early enough.

[MisterBill99]

But it really is reasonable. You could always drive to Baltimore. It is only 3 hours away. Or as others have pointed out you could always pick another cruise line.

You ignored the part where I said "large ship". Personally, the cruise I took on Grandeur was the worst of any RCCL cruise I've done. There is no way I'd go on it again. I'd sooner do NCL (and I hate NCL).

 

It's also just 2 1/2 hours by train and can be cheaper than parking at Cape Liberty if you book Amtrak early enough.

I had the "pleasure" of taking Amtrak back to NJ from the Baltimore airport after US Air cancelled my return flight during the aforementioned cruise and gave me a train ticket instead (I had foolishly taken free air on that cruise, rather than getting money off the cruise fare and driving down). While the train ride was certainly more comfortable than flying, dragging my luggage to and thru a train is not something I'd looki forward to doing again, certainly not unless I was packing very light.

Edited April 22, 2016 by MisterBill99

[cot427]

You ignored the part where I said "large ship". Personally, the cruise I took on Grandeur was the worst of any RCCL cruise I've done. There is no way I'd go on it again. I'd sooner do NCL (and I hate NCL).

 

 

There's always Carnival for people who don't enjoy Anthem or NCL...

[yj2cute]

The point of the matter is is, it doesn't matter if it's RCL's only ship in NJ, most of the world has to fly to their cruise. Those of us in places that have a driveable homeport are just lucky. But if the closest ship isn't to your liking, then don't book it. It's not the cruise line's responsibility nor ability to appeal to the likes of every individual.

 

The bottom line is, if you don't like the Anthem's features or what it has to offer, DON'T BOOK IT.

[acrane]

The point of the matter is is, it doesn't matter if it's RCL's only ship in NJ, most of the world has to fly to their cruise. Those of us in places that have a driveable homeport are just lucky. But if the closest ship isn't to your liking, then don't book it. It's not the cruise line's responsibility nor ability to appeal to the likes of every individual.

 

The bottom line is, if you don't like the Anthem's features or what it has to offer, DON'T BOOK IT.

 

 

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[beachbuddy]

http://replygif.net/i/716.gif

 

You know what? We are very lucky to have a ship right here in NJ! Actually, if there was anything smaller than say Radiance Class here in NJ, I'd most likely be flying elsewhere to cruise and not complain that Royal sent us a small ship. There are people that prefer smaller ships but out of NJ, I'd rather be on a big one. I have sailed Enchantment but sailed it out of Florida and it was fine. Actually, I loved Enchantment. Actually, we do fly elsewhere to cruise but it's nice to be able to jump on Anthem now and then.

[yj2cute]

You know what? We are very lucky to have a ship right here in NJ! Actually, if there was anything smaller than say Radiance Class here in NJ, I'd most likely be flying elsewhere to cruise and not complain that Royal sent us a small ship. There are people that prefer smaller ships but out of NJ, I'd rather be on a big one. I have sailed Enchantment but sailed it out of Florida and it was fine. Actually, I loved Enchantment. Actually, we do fly elsewhere to cruise but it's nice to be able to jump on Anthem now and then.

 

My feelings as well. I have sailed out of NJ quite a few times and love it every time. Love being able to drive 20 minutes to the ship. But if what I'd like to do on a future cruise doesn't fit well with what's in the area, I just hop on a plane. No complaining. I just go to the ship that fits my plans best.