Making Freestyle REALLY Freestyle

[punkincc]

Why would someone who wished that NCL would offer traditional dining be inclined to want other lines to stop offering it?

 

No one is suggesting taking away your cherished anytime-only approach - just that NCL offer a REAL do-it-your-way approach (which is what they seem to claim they offer with Freestyle): which should of course offer traditional.

 

You missed my point entirely. My point was that some cruise lines offer Traditional ( for the majority ) and their version of Freestyle which they call My Time or Anytime ( for the minority ). But they only do Traditional well, and Freestyle very poorly, a fact the majority of Traditional diners is blissfully unaware of because they are wrapped up in enjoying their Traditional experience.

 

So NCL does exactly the same as RCCL. They offer Freestyle for the majority, and they do it very well, while also acknowledging the desire for a more Traditional experience by allowing reservations and requests for particular waiters. Now this experience is not quite up to par with Traditional on RCCL, but neither is Freestyle up to snuff on RCCL.

 

In reality, there is no way to create a true Freestyle experience on an RCCL ship, and there is no way to create a truly Traditional experience on a Freestyle ship. If I want an RCCL ship or itinerary, then I am going to have to put up with their version of Freestyle. If you want an NCL ship and itinerary, then you will have to put up with their version of Traditional by making reservations and asking for the same waiter each night. It can't be any worse than what Freestylers go through with My Time dining.

[navybankerteacher]

Wondering if you would like to sit with the same folks each night or just want to sit at a table with others at a certain time?

 

They could have a couple community tables, maybe holding 8 or 10, that are seated at certain times (the traditional 6:00 and 8:30) for those that want to sit with others. I think the only way they could have community tables is to have certain times for seating, because otherwise you would have folks coming at different time and that, IMHO, would be very disruptive to the dinner. Just a thought.

 

Of course there would have to be set times - one of the attractions of traditional dining - having a set time - means you show up and go directly to YOUR table (no waiting, or asking hostess for a table)-- it is assigned to you (and your tablemates) for the duration of the cruise.

 

Actually, I appreciate the introduction of anytime dining on lines which still have traditional -- it means that folks who do not like interacting with strangers will not be at your table, with the result that your chances of having a compatible group are significantly increased.

[xriva]

Of course there would have to be set times - one of the attractions of traditional dining - having a set time - means you show up and go directly to YOUR table (no waiting, or asking hostess for a table)-- it is assigned to you (and your tablemates) for the duration of the cruise.

 

Actually, I appreciate the introduction of anytime dining on lines which still have traditional -- it means that folks who do not like interacting with strangers will not be at your table, with the result that your chances of having a compatible group are significantly increased.

 

So, the real point is that you don't like waiting?

 

This just doesn't work in Freestyle, as the Freestyle model is serving an relatively unpredictable number of people at relatively unpredictable times in a fixed number of places.

 

The traditional model assumes that you will have a fixed number of people at a fixed time at a fixed place or at least a high enough percentage to dedicate staff to that place. It also assumes that if you don't show up, you don't eat (I believe, I have never suffered through the traditional model.)

 

If you want to limit your choices, you are free to do so. If you want to limit your dining times, you are free to do so. Just don't force it on the rest of us who enjoy flexibility on vacation.

[graphicguy]

I've waited when I had set dining times, too. You get there for your seating, and you're among a line that is waiting to be seated at the same time.

 

But, this kind of feels like some are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. NCL used to have set dining times, as the industry did years ago. They made a concious decision to move to Freestyle. It's worked out well for them.

 

RCCL and CCL copied it (with less success). RCCL has tried to do both, with even less success (as evidenced by me personally on the AOS and HOS).

 

Freestyle is exactly that. Free to eat where, when, with whomever, wherever you want. Want to eat at the same restaurant every evening at the same time, with the same people, you can do that. Want to eat at a different place, with different people, at a different time every night? You can do that, too.