Should cruise lines offer a dining option that does not include the MDR?

[1025cruise]

As a follow up to my other thread, is it perhaps time for the cruise lines to offer a dining option that says "we do not plan to use the MDR"? This way people that don't want to use the MDR won't get assigned seats they won't use, and people that do should be able to get their preference.

[sail7seas]

You, me, all of us have the choice of having dinner in Lido every night of your cruise,

 

How mqany dhoicesw so we need?

 

the is also,   Pinnacle, Canaletto and Tamarind on some ships

 

 

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sai.noordam@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2019 by sail7seas

[mom says]

That option already exists on most ships. It's called anytime dining or select dining, or any other name to differentiate it from fixed seating. If you choose not to dine in the MDR any night, you aren't affecting anyone else. And you are free to eat in the buffet or a specialty restaurant.   No need to reinvent the wheel.

 

Perhaps the answer to your complaint on the other thread is to increase availability in the anytime seating sections, so that only those who REALLY want fixed seating every night ( an increasingly small minority), would be assigned to that area.

Edited June 30, 2019 by mom says

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

As a follow up to my other thread, is it perhaps time for the cruise lines to offer a dining option that says "we do not plan to use the MDR"? This way people that don't want to use the MDR won't get assigned seats they won't use, and people that do should be able to get their preference.

In most cases you have to specifically request assigned dining — if you do not, you will be on your own to eat wherever you want (except, of course in the MDR at assigned dining times). 

[crystalspin]

As far as requesting assigned dining -- check your room-card when you get it. DH and I requested AnyTime (I think this was on Rhapsody OTS in December but may have been Zuiderdam in April -- it blurs together!) as we always do when it's just the two of us for the reasons 'mom says' above. About half way through the cruise we noticed our cards had a fixed seating on them! We hadn't been using traditional, nor had any staff member directed us to. So sometime when we were near the Services desk we had them correct the books, for the purpose of portioning out our HSC.

 

I'd guess enough more people want Anytime that they tried to dump us into fixed. I plan to print the invoice that shows dining assignment and take it in my folder in case they do it again and try to enforce it!

Edited June 30, 2019 by crystalspin

[akcruz]

I have said this should be an option before.  Yes you can pick my time, any time, etc if you choose not to eat in the dining room at all but with that becoming the preferred option on many (no not all for those naysayers but I do believe most) cruises why book that up and force people who would prefer anytime, my time into traditional?  We gave up on traditional (fixed dining times) when we had a similar experience as you did. Doubt it will happen though, they wouldn't know what to do with the tips.  Maybe some day hopefully.

[George C]

We rarely eat in mdr, last few cruises we did suites on celebrity and rccl that had suite restaurants, we also do specialty restaurants.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I think what the OP meant was when you pick your dining choice from the usual options:

- Anytime/Mytime/Select   (or whatever the cruise line calls it)

- Early traditional

- Late traditional

that there should be another option

"I do not wish to dine in the MDR during this cruise"

 

It's not a bad idea, especially if those people have been allocated to traditional dining because Anytime/Mytime/Select is fully booked.

[MicCanberra]

6 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

As a follow up to my other thread, is it perhaps time for the cruise lines to offer a dining option that says "we do not plan to use the MDR"? This way people that don't want to use the MDR won't get assigned seats they won't use, and people that do should be able to get their preference.

Cruise lines already offer this by giving people the choice of picking Anytime Dining (Select, Mytime, Freestyle, etc). This already caters for those not wanting to do the traditional dining (early or late seatings). I think many people would prefer to keep the options open and not rule out the MDR completely.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

. I think many people would prefer to keep the options open and not rule out the MDR completely.

I've been on a few cruises where traditional dining tablemates never showed up for the entire cruise. I think there are a certain percentage who don't like the formality of MDR dining and prefer the buffet. Allowing those people to choose a "no MDR" option would mean traditional table allocations would then be made up of people who actually do want to dine there. Or if the "no MDR" people defaulted to Anytime dinibg in lieu of a better choice then allowing them to opt out of the MDR would free up more Anytime slots.

[MicCanberra]

I think that making the default MDR setting as Anytime would solve a few of these issues. We have met many first time cruisers that didn't know the MDR was free and available for Breakfast, Lunch (sea days) and Dinner every day.

Another problem is with the new cruisers who know about the MDR may not know there were choices. For those that book direct, there may be no one to tell them. TAs may not be so good at explanations for the various types either.

[hallasm]

When Royal Caribbean introduced the Quantum Class in 2014 they also introduced Dynamic Dining - a great concept with four ‘different style’ main restaurants with very different menu offerings. Unfortunately the ‘traditional MDR cruisers’ ruined the concept - today just four restaurants with the same ‘MRD’ menu card.

I’m always using My Time/ Select dining option and then combine with speciality restaurants and Windjammer (buffet dinner).

Working well for me, however missing Dynamic Dining when sailing the Quantum Class.

[spookwife]

they already do.   My time dining or whatever  each line calls it.   

[K32682]

I would not take an option that excluded the MDR because I prefer having the choice to use it, dining in a specialty restaurant, eating ashore if in port, choosing the buffet, etc. Why would I voluntarily give up any part of what is offered on the cruise?    

 

Would not a better option be for the cruise companies to finally give up on the anachronistic and rapidly dying cruise tradition that demands complete strangers dine together?  Why could they not operate like land-based restaurants where you could make reservations for the time and table size of your choice? 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by K32682

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I think that making the default MDR setting as Anytime would solve a few of these issues. We have met many first time cruisers that didn't know the MDR was free and available for Breakfast, Lunch (sea days) and Dinner every day.

Another problem is with the new cruisers who know about the MDR may not know there were choices. For those that book direct, there may be no one to tell them. TAs may not be so good at explanations for the various types either.

No, setting the default to Anytime wouldn't solve the issue. Most cruise lines set a limit on the number of Anytime diners. Once that allocation is reached later bookers are forced to choose early or late traditional. So offering an option that says someone isn't interested in MDR dining at all frees up space for those who like MDR dining. 

 

People who don't know about MDR dining aren't necessarily relevant to this discussion.

[OzKiwiJJ]

27 minutes ago, K32682 said:

I would not take an option that excluded the MDR because I prefer having the choice to use it, dining in a specialty restaurant, eating ashore if in port, choosing the buffet, etc. Why would I voluntarily give up any part of what is offered on the cruise?    

 

Would not a better option be for the cruise companies to finally give up on the anachronistic and rapidly dying cruise tradition that demands complete strangers dine together?  Why could they not operate like land-based restaurants where you could make reservations for the time and table size of your choice? 

 

 

Then you don't have to choose the option to avoid the MDR all together. The point is that it should be another CHOICE.

 

But why should those of us who enjoy traditional dining be forced into Anytime dining which usually ends up with most people all wanting tables for two.

[MicCanberra]

29 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

No, setting the default to Anytime wouldn't solve the issue. Most cruise lines set a limit on the number of Anytime diners. Once that allocation is reached later bookers are forced to choose early or late traditional. So offering an option that says someone isn't interested in MDR dining at all frees up space for those who like MDR dining. 

 

People who don't know about MDR dining aren't necessarily relevant to this discussion.

Perhaps, but if the particular sailing knows that 10% of the pax want early seating, and 10 % want late, then the appropriate amount dining area can be allocated for that, and the rest would be anytime.

[MicCanberra]

13 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Then you don't have to choose the option to avoid the MDR all together. The point is that it should be another CHOICE.

 

But why should those of us who enjoy traditional dining be forced into Anytime dining which usually ends up with most people all wanting tables for two.

Those of you that enjoy traditional dining can still select it as an option.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The majority of the cruise lines have Open Seating.  OP -- you should select that.

 

Then you can go to the Open Seating dining area when you are ready to eat.  And you can request any size table.  Selecting a table of 6 would be easy for the maitre'd to fill.

[OzKiwiJJ]

13 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Those of you that enjoy traditional dining can still select it as an option.

Exactly but K32682 suggested doing away with traditional dining and instigating bookings like regular restaurants on land. That might work on small ships, and already does work for the specialty restaurants, but can you imagine the dramas that could occur on ships with 5000+ passengers? It's scary! Traditional dining puts much less pressure on those managing the restaurants and, after the first night where people need to be shown to their tables, means that less staff have to be involved with seating people. And you'd still get people who book then don't show up, or people who forget to book and demand to be seated immediately, and so on. 

 

We've only tried Anytime dining / open seating twice so far in 13 cruises. Once on Crystal where most tables were two tops or easily converted to fours or sixes. Once on the Tasmania Majestic Princess cruise which were not good MDR experiences. We're trying it on Sea Princess for the Hawaii/Tahiti cruise so that will hopefully give us more scope to see if it works for us. We've had mixed success with traditional dining - some great tables, some empty tables, some that weren't so good.

[K32682]

10 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Exactly but K32682 suggested doing away with traditional dining and instigating bookings like regular restaurants on land. That might work on small ships, and already does work for the specialty restaurants, but can you imagine the dramas that could occur on ships with 5000+ passengers? It's scary! Traditional dining puts much less pressure on those managing the restaurants and, after the first night where people need to be shown to their tables, means that less staff have to be involved with seating people. And you'd still get people who book then don't show up, or people who forget to book and demand to be seated immediately, and so on. 

 

Large hotels and all-inclusive resorts seem to manage.     

[navybankerteacher]

7 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I think what the OP meant was when you pick your dining choice from the usual options:

- Anytime/Mytime/Select   (or whatever the cruise line calls it)

- Early traditional

- Late traditional

that there should be another option

"I do not wish to dine in the MDR during this cruise"

 

It's not a bad idea, especially if those people have been allocated to traditional dining because Anytime/Mytime/Select is fully booked.

Why would you need to be able to select the option:

“I do not wish to dine in the MDR during this cruise”?

It’s not as though they will come looking for you - it’s easy enough to just eat elsewhere.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Exactly but K32682 suggested doing away with traditional dining and instigating bookings like regular restaurants on land. That might work on small ships, and already does work for the specialty restaurants, but can you imagine the dramas that could occur on ships with 5000+ passengers? It's scary! Traditional dining puts much less pressure on those managing the restaurants and, after the first night where people need to be shown to their tables, means that less staff have to be involved with seating people. And you'd still get people who book then don't show up, or people who forget to book and demand to be seated immediately, and so on. 

 

We've only tried Anytime dining / open seating twice so far in 13 cruises. Once on Crystal where most tables were two tops or easily converted to fours or sixes. Once on the Tasmania Majestic Princess cruise which were not good MDR experiences. We're trying it on Sea Princess for the Hawaii/Tahiti cruise so that will hopefully give us more scope to see if it works for us. We've had mixed success with traditional dining - some great tables, some empty tables, some that weren't so good.

There is no traditional dining in any NCL ship, and it’s been this way for over a decade. Even on the mega ships, our family of 7 has never waited for a table without reservations, but reservations can be made. It works just like restaurants on land, you eat with your party.

[sail7seas]

12 hours ago, crystalspin said:

As far as requesting assigned dining -- check your room-card when you get it. DH and I requested AnyTime (I think this was on Rhapsody OTS in December but may have been Zuiderdam in April -- it blurs together!) as we always do when it's just the two of us for the reasons 'mom says' above. About half way through the cruise we noticed our cards had a fixed seating on them! We hadn't been using traditional, nor had any staff member directed us to. So sometime when we were near the Services desk we had them correct the books, for the purpose of portioning out our HSC.

 

I'd guess enough more people want Anytime that they tried to dump us into fixed. I plan to print the invoice that shows dining assignment and take it in my folder in case they do it again and try to enforce it!

Whew,   yikes 

 

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

Edited June 30, 2019 by sail7seas

[2BACRUISER]

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

There is no traditional dining in any NCL ship, and it’s been this way for over a decade. Even on the mega ships, our family of 7 has never waited for a table without reservations, but reservations can be made. It works just like restaurants on land, you eat with your party.

Same on Marella (Tui) all anytime dining most people worked round show times of 8.30 & 10.30 we always ate between 8 & 9 and always got 2 top in both MDR and Vista 👍

Edited June 30, 2019 by 2BACRUISER