Freestyle dining vs. traditional -- pros and cons

[momofmeg]

We had personal choice dining on the Caribbean Princess and truly enjoyed it. On the first night we just showed up and were promptly seated and a table by ourselves (our choice). We liked our servers so much that we called and got a standing dinner reservation for the remainder of the cruise with them.

 

that is a good tip-hubby and I will consider doing that. We do plan to eat in the pay extra steakhouse and also the casual caribbbean one for dinner -so that would be 2 nights taken care of-but if we like our waiters-we may plan to get them again as you said. Thanks.

[melissasneu]

I enjoy both for different reasons. When we travel with the kids I definately prefer freestyle cruising. We have more flexibility and when we sit down for dinner together as a family I prefer it just be us unless we are travelling with another family. When it's just my husband and I, I prefer traditional. We have never had tablemates whose company we did not enjoy (knock on wood). Traditional allows you to get to know the waitstaff better and in return it's been my experience that the service is so much better when you become friendly with your waitstaff. I especially like the fact that your dinner conversation gets beyond the introduction phase. We had personal choice in Hawaii and it was a great cruise but I had the same conversation at dinner 10 nights in a row. I sort of felt like I was in that movie Groundhog Day.

 

Melissa

[gizmo]

We had personal choice dining on the Caribbean Princess and truly enjoyed it. On the first night we just showed up and were promptly seated and a table by ourselves (our choice). We liked our servers so much that we called and got a standing dinner reservation for the remainder of the cruise with them.

 

I keep getting mixed statements on this. Did you call once or did you have to call every day? I have read posts where Princess refused to except a standing reservation for the week and the pax had to call every day. I have also read that they have allowed this.

 

:confused:

[petguy]

DW and I (she also has perfume allergy) prefer the freestyle dining. Only drawback I have seen is that we like to browse the daily activities before we decide when to eat. It can be difficult to get reservations at a specialty rest. last minute unless you want very early or very late...

 

Neither of us want to "dress up" on vacation, so the resort casual works well for us also. On a 4 night cruise many years ago on RCCL we went to the Windjammer to have a quiet dinner alone since our dining room tablemate was apparently the same one as lv2crooz2 (bathed in perfume).

 

We enjoyed freestyle so much that we are bringing DW's sister and mother in Nov. They just could not go traditional, I don't think either one would like a real "formal night". They just aren't the type to dress in an evening gown for dinner, vacation or not!

[love2vacation]

I am so grateful that you opened up this thread. I am looking at ITNs and loooking at Princess and NCL to try differnt dining options. Six is too early for us as well, and when we have done the 8:30 we aren't done with dinner till after 10:00 and it seems so late. We would like to try a line that offers us more dining time options.

 

Question-:confused:

I actually love formal night, so I would want to dress up at least once. It sounds a if I could do that on Princess. Is here a formal night, or resaurant where you would wear a cocktail dress on NCL newer ships. (Jewel?)

[petguy]

NCL offers an optional formal night. Usually the first full day at sea. You may dress up if you wish, and many do. I would say on our Jewel cruise last Dec. about 40% did. Others, like myself, dressed in nicer resort casual wear. Jeans and shorts were not allowed in the main dining rooms for dinner at all.

[Andy99]

We like traditional dinner. But we also love the Formal Nights. Its one of the few times a Year we get dressed up, get our picture taken, then have a great dinner and after dinner we go dancing. I almost always get a tux and my wife dresses in a formal dress. And we have a great time. We have enjoyed all the formal nights on all the cruises we have taken and getting dressed up is part of it.

Andy

 

PS we are 32 years old. Just so you know its not only the older generation that like traditional dining.