How do you interpret "Freestyle"

[whatawonderfulworld]

Recently returned from NCL Jewel 15 day TA and had no problems with the freestyle. This was only our 4th cruise and had never been on NCL. We liked the concept of not dressing up formal and no set dining times. As far as the dress code goes, usually when we go out to dinner I wear khakis or casual pants and my husband wears Dockers and a collared shirt andthis seemed to be the norm in the main dining room and the Specialty restaurants. We did however wear jeans to Tangos. I agree with being informed before you take your cruise. I read many threads on the freestyle concept and no problem with reservations and what to expect. Yes, we did make a few once reservations once we boarded the ship but twice we were able to get reservations at 6:30 for two of the specialty restaurants the evening before and once called at 6:40 and got same night reservations for Tangos at 7:30. A little research goes a long way and helps prevent disappointment because your cruise didn't deliver what you expected. We enjoyed it so much we are crusing on the Pearl next Sept from LA to Miami via the Panama Canal.

 

I agree 100% with mscallieco. Do your homework before you get on the cruise. I booked directly through NCL for our first cruise. I checked out everything I could get my hands on and came fully prepared when we boarded. I felt this was my responsibility as I did not have a TA. If you did have a TA, and you get on the ship unpreapared...don't blame NCL. Even though I feel the TA should give you the lowdown, we are all still responsibile for ourselves. Do your homework - read everything - talk to your PCC at NCL.

 

Now, mscallieco, if you're so inclined, please do come and join our roll call for the cruise next September. It's up and running already!

 

Ciao,

 

W A W W

[Brad1185]

Freestyle to me means long waits, lacking service and you eat when they want you to not when you want to.

[dyslexic pirate]

It's nice to kow I'm not delusional and that "Freestyle" doesn't mean it's a "free-for-all" once you get on board.

 

Our last evening out (we basically save up all our date nights and go "out" while we're cruising) on the Pride of America was basically ruined by a couple in the dining room who could not stop loudly whining about their cruise.

 

They b*tched and pitched a fit about NCL, their TA, tender tickets etc. Apparently their big problem was that on the last night they tried to walk up and get seated right away at a specialty restaurant and were turned away as it was booked up for the night. They went on and on and ragged loudly to the young fella who brought them water, the waiter, each other and made eye contact with us and tried to draw us into their pity party.

 

DH suggested I tell them about Cruise Critic so they could educate themselves about "freestyle." I told him no way they were having to much fun making a scene and I didn't want their negative karma on CC. Besides, this couple already had it in their heads that they'd gotten a raw deal and a bad cruise. I did kinda wonder if they'd overspent on their onboard account and were taking one last run at getting something free from NCL to compensate them for their "inconvenience."

[Zeno]

I have had 3 NCL cruises and to me NCL means

1. Always eating when I want to and with whom I want to.

2. Much more choice of where to eat.

3. Never having to dress formally when I don't want to.

4. Never having to herd into a public room with screaming children and bored adults to await disembarkation. I love waiting in my cabin to disembark.

5. Experiencing the excellent service of the friendly, professional crew

[7SeasLover]

I completely agree with the OP. I choose to dress for dinner as does my husband. If I want to be super casual (sweats or shorts), then we help ourselves to the buffet.

 

Dress doesn't bother me except on formal nights. I really think non-formal dressed folks should respect that it is formal night and keep away from the main dining rooms. I don't particularly enjoy being dressed to the nines at a table for two only to have a guy in Bermuda shorts and a gal in a tank top seated right next to me... looking as if they just got off the boat.

 

Oooh... was that a pun?

 

Nevertheless, I don't let what others say, do, or wear bother me. I'll think about them fleetingly and continue with my wonderful vacation.

 

Good post, OP. I think some people have a misconception over the word "Freestyle."

[Zeno]

Dress doesn't bother me except on formal nights. I really think non-formal dressed folks should respect that it is formal night and keep away from the main dining rooms. I don't particularly enjoy being dressed to the nines at a table for two only to have a guy in Bermuda shorts and a gal in a tank top seated right next to me... looking as if they just got off the boat.

 

Oooh... was that a pun?

 

Nevertheless, I don't let what others say, do, or wear bother me. I'll think about them fleetingly and continue with my wonderful vacation.

 

 

Formal night is OPTIONAL on NCL. If I choose to wear resort casual wear, I still dine in the dining room. I don't like buffets. And frankly I don't care if some people are so concerned about what other people wear that my wearing my sundress and my husband wearing his docker style pants would actually interfere with their "enjoyment" of the meal. If it affects your enjoyment and you actually think people who don't choose to dress like you should go to the buffet then you are "bothered". If you are that sensitive, there are plenty of cruiselines where you have to wear formal-wear on formal nights.

[hotspur]

I really think non-formal dressed folks should respect that it is formal night and keep away from the main dining rooms. I don't particularly enjoy being dressed to the nines at a table for two only to have a guy in Bermuda shorts and a gal in a tank top seated right next to me... looking as if they just got off the boat.

Nonsense.

 

If you want everyone dressed formally in the dining room, choose a cruise line that does not have OPTIONAL formal nights. Resort casual dress is acceptable EVERY night on NCL ships, so please stop trying to impose your preferences on everyone else. We are not second-class citizens and will dine where we please, thank you very much.

 

And, frankly, you and your husband being "dressed to the nines" :rolleyes: don't look any better to me than someone wearing slacks and a shirt or skirt and blouse. I'm not impressed in the slightest.

[shoreguy]

Nonsense.

 

If you want everyone dressed formally in the dining room, choose a cruise line that does not have OPTIONAL formal nights. Resort casual dress is acceptable EVERY night on NCL ships, so please stop trying to impose your preferences on everyone else. We are not second-class citizens and will dine where we please, thank you very much.

 

And, frankly, you and your husband being "dressed to the nines" :rolleyes: don't look any better to me than someone wearing slacks and a shirt or skirt and blouse. I'm not impressed in the slightest.

 

Let me try again - last post went to the white screen bucket.

 

Early on NCL tried to please everyone. The first two times I was on the Sun they designated ONE (not all:mad: ) main dining room as formal. This in theory allows those that enjoy eating with others dressed up for night to do so and allowed the rest to to use the other main dining room and all the other venues.

 

As usual we the passengers did not read the Freestyle Daily. Formal folks going to the causal dining room. Resort casual folks showing up at the formal dining room demanding to be seated not understanding they had the run of the ship and not being sent to the buffet like other lines.

 

Managing the % formal/casual mix from cruise to cruise became a challenge.

 

Had it worked I believe it would have provided a true formal option experience for all.

[Retired not Expired]

Let me try again - last post went to the white screen bucket.

 

Early on NCL tried to please everyone. The first two times I was on the Sun they designated ONE (not all:mad: ) main dining room as formal. This in theory allows those that enjoy eating with others dressed up for night to do so and allowed the rest to to use the other main dining room and all the other venues.

 

As usual we the passengers did not read the Freestyle Daily. Formal folks going to the causal dining room. Resort casual folks showing up at the formal dining room demanding to be seated not understanding they had the run of the ship and not being sent to the buffet like other lines.

 

Managing the % formal/casual mix from cruise to cruise became a challenge.

 

Had it worked I believe it would have provided a true formal option experience for all.

 

Thank you for posting this. I have posted the same thing happened on the Sky and later as the PoAl and had several people on here say that I was mistaken. There were no signs at the dining rooms but it was in the Dailies. Like with your experience, no one read it. The one thing I did see on those two times were they were more strict on being at least resort casual in the formal dining room.

[dancintomusic]

I was on the POH 11/6 - 11/13 cruise, and we ate every dinner in different specialty restaurants. Every single night, there were people in the restaurant who were wearing shorts, tennis shoes and tee shirts, along with people who were dressed in 'smart' clothing. I never saw any attempt at any time by any staff member to not allow very casual clothing to be worn, not even in Le Bistro or Cagney's.

[hotspur]

The "designated" formal dining room only complicates the issue of people having to wait for seating in the main dining room. Take the Jewel. One dining room (Tsars) seats perhaps three times as many as the other (Azura). If you designate Azura as "formal," and half the ship decides to dress formally, it would be impossible to be seated there. If you designate Tsars as "formal," and only 15% decide to be formal, it would be empty and Azura would be swamped. It's just not practical to designate a "formal" dining room unless passengers are required to specify in advance their formal night dress preference. And that wouldn't be "freestyle."

 

The current solution is just fine. If someone insists on being in a dining room where everyone is dressed formally, he or she can simply choose one of the other mass-market cruise lines that require it. This is a situation where you can't please all the people all the time. With freestyle, NCL comes closer to doing so than anyone else.

[shoreguy]

The "designated" formal dining room only complicates the issue of people having to wait for seating in the main dining room. Take the Jewel. One dining room (Tsars) seats perhaps three times as many as the other (Azura). If you designate Azura as "formal," and half the ship decides to dress formally, it would be impossible to be seated there. If you designate Tsars as "formal," and only 15% decide to be formal, it would be empty and Azura would be swamped. It's just not practical to designate a "formal" dining room unless passengers are required to specify in advance their formal night dress preference. And that wouldn't be "freestyle."

 

The current solution is just fine. If someone insists on being in a dining room where everyone is dressed formally, he or she can simply choose one of the other mass-market cruise lines that require it. This is a situation where you can't please all the people all the time. With freestyle, NCL comes closer to doing so than anyone else.

 

The current solution is fine for you and me but not everybody. It is not like do it my way or the highway. There is much more to NCL then the fact you don't have to dress up.

 

In fact for years having a formal dinning room worked. The larger dinning room for formal the smaller for casual but the percent of those that dressed up started to decline. Early on in freestyle far more dressed for dinner then today.

 

Still my favorite thing on formal night is people watching. The best dressed group remains the crew;)

[7SeasLover]

My my aren't some folks touchy! You are entitled to your opinions and I mine. If I am bothered by what you wear, thats my business.

 

I said it bothered me, that's all. I never said anything mean or nasty.

 

You are entitled to your opinions, but please don't disparage others including me!

 

We are expressing opinions as to what we think freestyle means. I respect your opinions even if they don't agree with mine. I would never be rude to anyone on this list for expressing an opinion.

 

Feel free to dine on formal nites in your sun dress and dockers. I will dine in my formal attire. If it doesn't meet your standards - too bad. It meets mine.

 

Sheesh, how touchy you two can be! I shall not return to this thread, as interesting as I found it to be.

[hotspur]

In fact for years having a formal dinning room worked. The larger dinning room for formal the smaller for casual but the percent of those that dressed up started to decline. Early on in freestyle far more dressed for dinner then today.

I think that's exactly what I said. The idea of a "formal" dining room won't work because you can't predict the mix of attire.

 

And, I never said "it's my way or the highway" or that all freestyle means is not having to dress up. You have a knack for putting words into others' mouths. I said "if someone insists on being in a dining room where everyone is dressed formally, he or she can simply choose one of the other mass-market cruise lines that require it." And if they still choose NCL, for whatever other reasons, they should stop coming to the NCL board to complain about how others dress--when in fact those others are dressed perfectly appropriately by the cruise line's standards.

[hotspur]

I said it bothered me, that's all. I never said anything mean or nasty.

Sorry, telling others to "keep away from the main dining rooms"--when they are dressed appropriately in resort casual attire--because it "bothers" you is in my book being both "mean" and "nasty" as well as "rude."

[Zeno]

Sorry, telling others to "keep away from the main dining rooms"--when they are dressed appropriately in resort casual attire--because it "bothers" you is in my book being both "mean" and "nasty" as well as "rude."

 

I agree!

[monicajay]

Freestyle Rocks!!!!

 

:D

[shoreguy]

I think that's exactly what I said. The idea of a "formal" dining room won't work because you can't predict the mix of attire.

 

And, I never said "it's my way or the highway" or that all freestyle means is not having to dress up. You have a knack for putting words into others' mouths. I said "if someone insists on being in a dining room where everyone is dressed formally, he or she can simply choose one of the other mass-market cruise lines that require it." And if they still choose NCL, for whatever other reasons, they should stop coming to the NCL board to complain about how others dress--when in fact those others are dressed perfectly appropriately by the cruise line's standards.

 

I put no words in your mouth you said it again. If you "like" everyone dressed formal in a dining room. Get off NCL and on another line. My way or the highway. I was just ponting out people enjoy different things. What works for you and I does not work for everyone.

[FundyGirl]

I love Freestyle!!!! And I love to dress up once in a while. It works for me!!!