What do you think is the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising?

[Host CMLA]

I've been reading dozens of reviews lately for NCL and other lines that have some type of Freestyle concept worked into their style. I've seen many comments, especially about NCL, that just don't ring true or are flat out wrong. What do you think is the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising?

 

I think the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising is that because the tips are added as a convenience to the consumer, the staff doesn't try as hard. I think nothing is farther from the truth. Having the tips added automatically is a convenience and the staff still has to try because their portion of the tip pool is dictated by guest comments and seniority. If they don't perform, they'll lose their job. I also think that someone that enjoys their job will do a good job no matter what. Tips won't affect that.

 

This thread isn't meant to start fights about dress codes, etc. It's a place to try and debunk the myths and help out new cruisers. :)

[Browezilla]

...that you can't dine at the same time with the same waiter each night. Just make the reservation when you board the ship.

[House_Atreides]

Just because we don't dress up every night and formal night is always optional doesn't make us slobs. When I read other boards I get the feeling that people loyal to other lines feel this way about NCL cruisers. Nothing could be further from the truth. We're a class act!!:D

[beachchick]

...that you can dine any time at any restuarant onboard without regard for logistics (and without ever making a reservation). The assumption is that the restaurants must be infinite in size because if 400 pax all want to dine at 7:00 pm at a restaurant that holds 200, then 200 of those pax will be angry that they can't dine exactly where they want at the exact minute they want to do so. Simple logic says that restaurants at sea are not going to be any different from restaurants on land in terms of reservations. If I want to go to a popular restaurant in my home town I make a reservation for the time I want and if that's not available, I choose another time.

 

beachchick

[F5Loar]

Freestyle implies that everything is going to be "free" once you buy your ticket. NOT! As each year passes more and more things are tacking some fee to it. Bowling $5! What next? Dry towels $2? When will it stop? More passengers are finding a cruise is no longer all inclusive if you want to do the fun stuff. NCL is leading the way to nickel and dime their guest as much as possible. From increase in corking fees to increases in pay to eat resturants when will it stop.

[Jana]

Freestyle implies that everything is going to be "free" once you buy your ticket. NOT! As each year passes more and more things are tacking some fee to it. ...when will it stop.

 

When your $900 cruise is $2000.

[discjoker]

That you need to make reservations for the main dining rooms and need to make reservations for the specialty/surcharge restaurants for the entire week the moment you get onboard. Obviously you don't need to make a reservation for the main dining room (I really have never had much of a wait) and I have never had any trouble getting into specialty restaurants the day before or even same day as long as I was a little flexible with times.

[ukchris]

Freestyle implies that everything is going to be "free" once you buy your ticket. NOT! As each year passes more and more things are tacking some fee to it. Bowling $5! What next? Dry towels $2? When will it stop? More passengers are finding a cruise is no longer all inclusive if you want to do the fun stuff. NCL is leading the way to nickel and dime their guest as much as possible. From increase in corking fees to increases in pay to eat resturants when will it stop.

 

How much do you pay to go bowling at home?? $5 sounds reasonable to me. If you want everything free then go to a 5 star line and pay 5 star prices for your cruise, at least with freestyle the choice is your if you pay or not.

[discjoker]

How much do you pay to go bowling at home?? $5 sounds reasonable to me. If you want everything free then go to a 5 star line and pay 5 star prices for your cruise, at least with freestyle the choice is your if you pay or not.

 

Great point, I agree 100%.

[cantwaitt]

The biggest misconception is that there is a misconception that the service is worse.

 

IT IS WORSE. I have been on freestyle more than a half dozen times, and I can very confidently say that:

 

1) You will frequently wait 30 minutes for a table while half the dining room is empty.

 

2) You can wait 30 minutes for your dessert and coffee for no reasonable reason. It is not uncommon for your waiter to inexplicably caporize. In fact, uneven dining service is the most glaring difference between freestyle and traditional.

 

3) Your cabin steward will not bring the few things you requested on the first request. However, the overall cabin service is no different.

 

I sail NCL because the pros of freestyle far outweigh the negatives. I love the flexibility of dining times, and the fact that I am not required to dress up.

 

This said, I think they should work on two issues:

 

1) Improve the dining service

 

2) Try to seat small groups/couples with others in the dining room. They do on the smaller ships, but not on the larger ships.

 

If they did these two things, freestyle would be flawless.

[cantwaitt]

The biggest misconception is that there is a misconception that the service is worse.

 

IT IS WORSE. I have been on freestyle more than a half dozen times, and I can very confidently say that:

 

1) You will frequently wait 30 minutes for a table while half the dining room is empty.

 

2) You can wait 30 minutes for your dessert and coffee for no reasonable reason. It is not uncommon for your waiter to inexplicably caporize. In fact, uneven dining service is the most glaring difference between freestyle and traditional.

 

3) Your cabin steward will not bring the few things you requested on the first request. However, the overall cabin service is no different.

 

I sail NCL because the pros of freestyle far outweigh the negatives. I love the flexibility of dining times, and the fact that I am not required to dress up.

 

This said, I think they should work on two issues:

 

1) Improve the dining service

 

2) Try to seat small groups/couples with others in the dining room. They do on the smaller ships, but not on the larger ships.

 

If they did these two things, freestyle would be flawless.

[joedel]

I am an Store executive for Target, having the right person in the right place makes a world of differrence. There are people that do this job for the money, but most like what they do ! Everyone thinks that the staff are robots, they are people that have great days and not so great days, multiply that by being away from the people they love months on end. I think overall they do a great job! I have had nothing but wonderful experiences. I understand that we are on vacation, and want that perfect experience. Just my observation

[samtig]

In my opinion, one of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to wait a long time to be seated in the dining rooms & it takes a long time to be served. I know this does happen but I think it is the minority. The longest wait we have had for a table is once for 10 minutes. We have never had any delays in being served in the dining room. A lot depends on which ship you are on - was it designed for free-style cruising or not and also are you going to the dining room at peak times. If arriving at the dining room at peak times, it only holds so many customers. We have also found the steward service to equal or exceed RCI and Carnival.

[jmcdon7230]

In my opinion, one of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to wait a long time to be seated in the dining rooms & it takes a long time to be served. I know this does happen but I think it is the minority. The longest wait we have had for a table is once for 10 minutes. We have never had any delays in being served in the dining room. A lot depends on which ship you are on - was it designed for free-style cruising or not......

 

I agree...we've never had to wait more than a few minutes (if at all) for a table for two. We will be on the Sun next week with MIL who is wheelchair bound. I will be curious to see if the wait period is different.

 

Also I think once the older, smaller ships (Dream, Wind and Majesty) are retired in the next few years, the complaints about Freestyle will greatly diminish.

[samtig]

I think you're right, most complaints probably do come from the smaller ships not designed for free-style. We've been on the Dream & that's where our 10 minute wait was! The Sun's our favorite ship and we're going again 2/11 and can't wait. Enjoy your cruise!

[Arwenmark]

I agree...we've never had to wait more than a few minutes (if at all) for a table for two. We will be on the Sun next week with MIL who is wheelchair bound. I will be curious to see if the wait period is different.

 

Also I think once the older, smaller ships (Dream, Wind and Majesty) are retired in the next few years, the complaints about Freestyle will greatly diminish.

 

 

I am in a wheelchair and I never had to wait more than ten minutes. We usually book a specific table and time, but when we haven't we have not had much wait. the biggest problem is navagating the dining room past other guests, especially on the trip out of the dining room.

[cantwaitt]

My complaints are based on the Dawn and the Spirit and are based on more than a half dozen sailings, or more than 40 dinners, a good sampling.

 

On the Dawn, I found 30 minute waits once or twice a sailing.

 

On the Spirit, this occurs 4 or 5 times each sailing, usually between 7 and 8:30 p.m.

 

Then, when you parade through Windows to your table, you are struck by the large number of empty tables.

 

I have frequently waited inordinate amounts of time for courses, especially dessert.

 

As Bill Murray used to say: "I'm sorry, but that is just the way I feel" (and experienced).

 

This said, I still prefer freestyle. I just wish they would improve their service in the non-pay restaurants. but, I think the lesser service is by design. It's a free-market decision they have made. They are betting the benefits of cutting costs and steering more people to pay restaurants will far outweigh the ill will among the passengers who don't want to pay additional fees to eat meals on a cruise ship.

[Jana]

I think the lesser service is by design. It's a free-market decision they have made. They are betting the benefits of cutting costs and steering more people to pay restaurants will far outweigh the ill will among the passengers who don't want to pay additional fees to eat meals on a cruise ship.

 

Now there's a common misconception.

 

NCL pioneered the concept of "small ship feel in a big ship" with its courtyard and garden villas and even going back to the late 1980s when it started the Bistro. Freestyle means choices, it's an innovation that a lot of other lines are trying to emulate, some more successfully than others.

 

The ONLY reason that there is a charge at all in the specialty restaurants is capacity control. The cruiseline doesn't cover their costs in these alternative dining rooms, let alone make a profit.

 

You tell me where you can go to a restaurant on land and for $20 have an intimate environment, impeccable service, an appetizer of crab cakes or jumbo shrimp, a Caesar salad, a 12-ounce filet mignon or a 24-ounce porterhouse with made-from-scratch Bearnaise sauce, steamed asparagus, creamed spinach, baked potato with all the fixin's, butter-sauteed mushrooms, creme brulee or chocolate mousse for dessert and a lovely cappuccino to end the evening? You can't.

 

But you can always dine in the main dining rooms and enjoy good food, including a New York steak every night of the week if you want.

 

Freestyle is about choice. You can choose to use an alternative dining experience to enhance your time onboard or you can continue to dine in the large traditional dining rooms at no additional charge. To imply -or worse, to state outright- that NCL offers these choices simply to wring a few dollars out of its passengers is just silly.

 

Jana

[dwrist]

I've been reading dozens of reviews lately for NCL and other lines that have some type of Freestyle concept worked into their style. I've seen many comments, especially about NCL, that just don't ring true or are flat out wrong. What do you think is the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising?

 

I think the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising is that because the tips are added as a convenience to the consumer, the staff doesn't try as hard. I think nothing is farther from the truth. Having the tips added automatically is a convenience and the staff still has to try because their portion of the tip pool is dictated by guest comments and seniority. If they don't perform, they'll lose their job. I also think that someone that enjoys their job will do a good job no matter what. Tips won't affect that.

 

This thread isn't meant to start fights about dress codes, etc. It's a place to try and debunk the myths and help out new cruisers. :)

 

If you notice, this week it is the freestyle way of dining. Next week it will be freestlye dress, week after, freestyle drinks, freestyle tipping, and etc.

IMHO it is more a misconception about cruising in general. People want today's prices with yesterday's ammenities.

NCL Freestyle cruises are more about freedom of choice. We have decided not to try other cruise lines, NCL makes our vacations fun with choices we make, not NCL making them for us. If something goes wrong, missed ports, glass in a salad(which can and does happen in homes) whatever the current theme is on this board, it was and always will be our choice. We are easily pleased, do not expect the elegance that was the cruising style of the mid 1900's and will always treat the staff as we want to be treated. Our last cruise, we had some problems with a staff member. We choose to confront that person ourselves, with that person appreciating the one on one confrontation. Did it stop the tipping for that person, no way. When we got home there was an email from that person thanking us for the constructive criticism.

Just my little 2 cents worth.:)

[megessey]

Ok, I don't know if this qualifies, but I have rarely heard people talk about the fact that if there is a wait in the main dining room, they give you a pager and will buzz you when its ready. But I have read at least once that this method does exist.

 

So maybe a misconception can be that if there is a wait, you have to stand and stare at the wall while you wait? Why not go have a drink at the bar, or grab a snack at the buffet? Unless the pager system IS the misconception? :confused:

 

Also, when we sailed RCCL, we ALWAYS waited lengthy amounts of time for our desserts/coffee. Don't know what that's about-- most desserts are chilled and ready to go. But the dining experience was really slowwwww....... and half the time we gave up on dessert, and just left early.

 

So maybe a misconception is that you have to suffer and sit for the entire meal? Its not like you have to wait for the check! Why not ask the waiter to box your dessert and take it with you? Hey why not get up, go on with the night and rder dessert in one of the late night dining spots, or get it from room service?

[vacation luvver]

<<You tell me where you can go to a restaurant on land and for $20 have an intimate environment, impeccable service, an appetizer of crab cakes or jumbo shrimp, a Caesar salad, a 12-ounce filet mignon or a 24-ounce porterhouse with made-from-scratch Bearnaise sauce, steamed asparagus, creamed spinach, baked potato with all the fixin's, butter-sauteed mushrooms, creme brulee or chocolate mousse for dessert and a lovely cappuccino to end the evening? You can't.>>

 

But you can't get all that on a cruiseship for $20 either. It's $20 plus whatever you prepaid for that meal in the cost of your cruise. Saying that the above meal costs $20 means that if you ate in the main dining room, that meal would be free. But it wouldn't be free. You just paid for it ahead of time, that's all.

 

I think the biggest misconception about "freestyle" is that it's good for everyone, including solo cruisers. IMHO it is not so good for solo cruisers. I realize that solo cruisers are very small minority on a cruiseship, but it's wrong for NCL employees to assure solo cruisers that everything will be fine and dandy for them on the cruiseship when it won't.

[Don Haynes]

If I came across the situation when there are long lines entering a restaurant at 7 PM, I would choose to dine later or earlier the rest of the week. Its doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out many people beat me to the tables and filled up the restaurant. Just like at home, I would dine an hour later or an hour earlier. Why do you wish to show up during the rush? There aren't any 7-8 PM dining times with traditional dining either. Its either early or late table seatings.

 

Unfortunately there is limited space in the speciality restaurants. The only way you will see a full speciality restaurant all night is if they implemented the dreaded unfreestyle early and late seating arrangements. Since they do book these restaurants a few at a time, every 15 minutes or so, you recieve better service. Of course, it takes about two hours for the restaurant to fill. They can't accept walk ins because the empty table you see will be filled in 30 minutes. The catch is, you can't eat your dinner in 30 minutes, thus the party that did book would be very upset when there isn't a table for them when they arrive. SIMPLE MATH FOLKS, WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THIS!

[mbisson]

If I came across the situation when there are long lines entering a restaurant at 7 PM, I would choose to dine later or earlier the rest of the week. Its doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out many people beat me to the tables and filled up the restaurant. Just like at home, I would dine an hour later or an hour earlier. Why do you wish to show up during the rush? There aren't any 7-8 PM dining times with traditional dining either. Its either early or late table seatings.

 

ROTFLMAO-I agree with your entire post Don, but the above really makes me laugh. And often those same people come to the boards and say "I had to wait every night" --- DUH! Sort of like "Dr it hurts when I do that" WELL DON'T DO THAT!

 

BUT--to me a major misconception is that even the main dining rooms require reservations. In the not too distant past I've even seen reviews that included "we had to eat the entire time in the buffet because we didn't know to make reservations when we boarded". When I read those, I just have to shake my head :eek:

 

-Monte

[judyf]

People want today's prices with yesterday's ammenities.

 

I so agree with this statement.

 

With talking to others about NCl I think the biggest misconception is that it's all like a buffet, not a sit down meal. I told many poeple no, it's not like that at all you just get to decide when to get and it's just like the other lines you get all the same stuff just when you want t do it.

[Jana]

<<You tell me where you can go to a restaurant on land and for $20 have an intimate environment, impeccable service, an appetizer of crab cakes or jumbo shrimp, a Caesar salad, a 12-ounce filet mignon or a 24-ounce porterhouse with made-from-scratch Bearnaise sauce, steamed asparagus, creamed spinach, baked potato with all the fixin's, butter-sauteed mushrooms, creme brulee or chocolate mousse for dessert and a lovely cappuccino to end the evening? You can't.>>

 

But you can't get all that on a cruiseship for $20 either. It's $20 plus whatever you prepaid for that meal in the cost of your cruise. Saying that the above meal costs $20 means that if you ate in the main dining room, that meal would be free. But it wouldn't be free. You just paid for it ahead of time, that's all.

 

Well, of course you're right, but that's really splitting hairs. So let's say you paid for Appleby's and ended up at Ruth's Chris. For an additional $20 you'd consider it one heck of a deal.

 

...the biggest misconception about "freestyle" is that it's good for everyone, including solo cruisers. IMHO it is not so good for solo cruisers. I realize that solo cruisers are very small minority on a cruiseship, but it's wrong for NCL employees to assure solo cruisers that everything will be fine and dandy for them on the cruiseship when it won't.

 

I cruise solo 99% of the time and prefer NCL for that very reason. I don't feel terribly out of place because I am not "coupled" or "companioned." I can choose to do what I like when I like and no one looks at me as though I am lacking something.

 

I also request to dine at a table with others when I go into the main dining room and I have made some lovely friends that way. I do agree that it is more difficult in the specialty restaurants not to be solo, but I manage there too. When I feel like it, or when I don't feel like visiting with new people, I take a book up to the buffet and I'm perfectly happy.

 

If you need to be seated at the same table every night, Freestyle might not be right for you. There are 21 other CLIA-member cruiselines that can accommodate you though, so you do have choices.

 

Jana