How The Whiners Ruined Dynamic Dining

[Stitchman]

Yeah !!! Revived thread !

 

 

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[gagirl7143]

[emoji42]

 

 

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[Biker19]

As Quantum wasn't part of the same cancellation announcement as Ovation and Anthem, it's not clear whether it remains there now.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Quantum changed to "Cosmopolitan" when she arrived in China 7/2015.

[davy jones]

Never got to try it. For those that did, do you think it was more the concept or the execution that killed it? I suspect that a lot of folks like the old school way of dining to begin with, so when the execution of DD wasn't there, there was plenty of ammo to go at it. You have to wonder if the crew wasn't really into it either and that had something to do with the failed execution.

 

It was more poor execution than concept. If you didn't make reservations pre cruise, you couldn't get a dining time except at late hours. It only got worse when they added "DD Classic".

 

I liked DD, but I learned from here to make ressies in advance. I observed that people were being turned away from restaurants that had lots of empty tables.

[ALSEAU]

Never got to try it. For those that did, do you think it was more the concept or the execution that killed it? I suspect that a lot of folks like the old school way of dining to begin with, so when the execution of DD wasn't there, there was plenty of ammo to go at it. You have to wonder if the crew wasn't really into it either and that had something to do with the failed execution.

 

In my opinion my biggest problem was in the execution. First I have never thought that DD was anything but a glorified MTD. If you hate making reservations for everything than DD wasn't for you. The fact that you didn't need to make reservations and were willing to wait in line to be seated was aggravated with the longest line being the one with the menu that you wanted to order from.

 

But for me the biggest problem was the worst service I have ever experienced on an RCI ship. It seemed to be they were under staffed. The staffed they had were apparently not trained well. Moral was low and food service was slow. Long wait to have order taken and long wait for food. After order was taken didn't see a waiter until food was served and didn't see them again. I could go on and on about the poor service. Saw many people upset with service and get up and leave. Our last 2 nights on the cruise we gave up and ate in the Windjammer. BTW 2 of the best evening meals we had.

[nelblu]

Actually, a form of DD has existed since Quantum and has continued to exists through to today today....

It's called 4 and 5 night dining packages, and most recently The Ultimate Dining Package.

 

 

 

Read my reviews... note how I split up MDR, specialty venues, Windjammer, etc ... I've had awesome success doing so. I've done my own version of Dynamic Dining since my Quantum Sailing, very easy to do and extremely rewarding!

 

 

Your posting this bs with a straight face.

[nelblu]

It was more poor execution than concept. If you didn't make reservations pre cruise, you couldn't get a dining time except at late hours. It only got worse when they added "DD Classic".

 

I liked DD, but I learned from here to make ressies in advance. I observed that people were being turned away from restaurants that had lots of empty tables.

 

 

That was the primary problem-- reservations--when I spoke to Paxs on both the Quantum & Anthem cruises. Many wound up in the WJ. If you recall, when DD was originally initiated, the biggest complaint on this board was that you could not eat with the same diners & wait staff. RCL then introduced DD classic and people still complained.

[Maraprince]

The same option we had when we first booked Anthem way back . Not knowing at the time that in fact DD was the only complimentary option, other than Windjammer when booking on an exclusive crown & anchor time slot. Lump It! Or loose your deposit and be charged a further cancellation fee. And to rub salt into our wounds they told all us c/a customers there would be no on board credit or any form of incentives. Within weeks they were giving everything away to any Tom, Dick or Harry. Because their normal clientele weren't booking.

 

 

Sometimes a "great Idea" just needs to be left on the drawing board. This was one of them! The actuality didn't match up with the concept. RCL seemed to be watching their competition and trying to come up with something different than NCL's Free Style (which took several years to work) and capture a new segment of the market. While they spend money to redsigned the restaurants on board, the new passengers' revenue did not match their projections on the revenue side since they were losing many of their core passengers who tended to spend once on board.

 

It proved harder to implement than they expected: passengers were not happy, crew wasn't happy. And, the main thing was the revenue wasn't there.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Biker19]

And, the main thing was the revenue wasn't there.

:confused: so the folks pi$$ed off on board about DD spent less on the rest of the cruise?

[Maraprince]

:confused: so the folks pi$$ed off on board about DD spent less on the rest of the cruise?

 

RCL wanted to attract new comers, first timers, who they felt would spend money on drinks, tours, shopping, casino, bingo, photos, etc. rather than the core passengers who have an established rate of spending. Many high level passengers brag about booking inside cabins and only taking advantage of the included "freebies".

 

MARAPRINCE

[LMaxwell]

Many high level passengers brag about booking inside cabins and only taking advantage of the included "freebies".

 

MARAPRINCE

 

I think that's a website repeated myth more than fact, unless you have some data. I don't see too many knowledgeable, seasoned cruisers bragging about it here (small sampling), but rather they seem to work their way up the chain to larger and more expensive rooms.

[Hoopster95]

Your posting this bs with a straight face.

 

Why are you calling me out?

[gkbiiii]

Lets be honest; Dynamic Dining was a piece of Doggy Doo-Doo!

[gkbiiii]

I think that's a website repeated myth more than fact, unless you have some data. I don't see too many knowledgeable, seasoned cruisers bragging about it here (small sampling), but rather they seem to work their way up the chain to larger and more expensive rooms.

 

Your right, this is a myth based on my personal experience (my bookings as well); as most of the high tiered people seem to consistently travel in a JR Suite and above. If they buy less aboard, its because very little new is ever offered!

Remember the key booking benefits/discounts are for "balcony & above staterooms".

[nelblu]

Why are you calling me out?

 

 

Because you're comparing eating at specialty restaurants ($$$) versus complementary restaurants under the DD concept.

[LMaxwell]

Why are you calling me out?

I was wondering that too???

[Bocker3]

What I find truly rich about this whole thread -- it was begun simply to whine about whiners....... :rolleyes:

 

Of course -- a "whiner" is really just someone who has a different opinion than your own.

[Hoopster95]

Because you're comparing eating at specialty restaurants ($$$) versus complementary restaurants under the DD concept.

 

Totally wrong. My comparison was not specialty vs. complementary.

Take away the $$ entirely. My comparison is strictly based on what the entire problem with DD actually was... failed execution of choice. This you and I agree on totally. Execution, not the idea, was absolutely the whole problem .

 

DD was all about choice, eat when you want, where you want, with who you want, make changes mid-cruise, add fellow cruisers to your table, etc etc ... I can go on. Those thousand DD threads two years ago were all about cruisers who hated not having their same waiter, same table, at the exact same time every single night, same menus (pimiento, saffron, etc), same seat, same view of the dining room, same same same.... creatures of habit.

 

Instead I wanted to offer something that has been an option forever to those who wanted choice. From Quantum onward I've mixed in Specialty and MDR/MTD consistently. My execution of my own version of DD has been flawless. And yours can be flawless too.

[Ocean Dancer]

Flawless at a cost??

 

The major problem with DD was having to make reservations 6+ months in advance. I don't know what time I want to eat tomorrow, let alone months out.

We found that as long as you had reservations for ANY TIME

you were put in the reservations line and NEVER stood in line at all. Never mind the time. You were seated immediately if an hour early or late.

 

People with no reservations did not have the magic password and were booted to the Windjammer.

 

Also The Grande and Chic shared a kitchen along with Silk and American Icon. We found out the menus were interchangeable, thanks to our CC friend Gayleth.

 

The options you had were enormous and one could have lobster every night without dressing up. or that soup that wasn't on your menu.

 

Most complained without being educated on this new fangled type of eating at sea. It wasn't understood by those set in their ways.

 

Those of us who "got it" are screwed.

[Biker19]

Those of us who "got it" are screwed.

.....until mismash dining is rolled out.

[Baron Barracuda]

I first blame the brain trust designers who undersized the mdr's and kitchens and shrank number of crew berths allocated to kitchen and wait staff.

[Biker19]

I first blame the brain trust designers who undersized the mdr's and kitchens and shrank number of crew berths allocated to kitchen and wait staff.

who are now deciding the fate of Icon class ships.

[Ocean Dancer]

But, it wasn't just the crew, it was also the uneducated passengers of the concept. Many variables entered into the cancelation.

[The Grumpus]

... religion, politics and now, dynamic dining.

 

 

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[Tatka]

We LOVED DD. Worked perfectly for us. Too bad it's gone. :(