Poll: Traditional dining vs anytime dining

[katiel53]

We sailed NCL and although I liked the idea of Freestyle dining, I didn't like the dining room. The waitress we had both times told us over and over that there were other venues to have dinner. Obviously, she didn't want to work and if passengers didn't show up in the main dining room, she was off the hook.

 

We had the one breakfast and one dinner in the main dining room. We also had one dinner in the other main dining room. The rest of our dinners were all at specialty restaurants that were either a fee restaurant or the none fee Italian restaurant and the non fee Mexican restaurant. We made reservations for those places, so it really wasn't anytime dining.

 

I like the scheduled dining, but one thing I loved about HAL was that they had early seating done at 2 times and late 2 times also. For example, I think the first early seating was 5:45 and the second early was 6:15. The late seating was 8:00 and 8:30 I think. I think that was on HAL, but could have been on Carnival or Princess. It was a few years ago.

 

I wish RCCL could do early seating at 6:30 and 7:00. I'd like to be able to have dinner at 7 as that's about the time we eat at home. I don't expect that they will change to this, but if I had my wish, that's what I would wish for. I like having the same waiter etc. and getting to know the people at the table.

[libertybelle41]

I prefer traditional dining mainly because I love gettting to know our waitstaff. I can honestly say we have never had a bad waitstaff, they always treated us wonderfully, and we learned so much about their home and family.....and they even seemed to enjoy my ftr-in-law's jokes;)

[songster2]

I am among those who prefer traditional dining. I also prefer early seating, mainly because of medical issues. I would not want to have to wait in line to be seated. I like having the same wait staff and table mates, and getting to know them.

 

Please, RCI, do not change it!!!

[LAKaye]

Why is everyone here so against having choices? Couldn't they offer both traditional and fixed so everyone is happy? I don't understand the overly-emotional responses to the thought of flexibility for more people.

 

Because we know it is "the beginning of the end"! Cruising in general has lost the elegance and the je ne sais quoi of yesteryear. RCI already has downgraded the actual food quality. Anytime dining absolutely means a drop in service quality.

 

Look at it people! Anytime dining has lower service quality! *slap forehead*

 

Leslie

[isujim]

Anytime this issue has been raised in the past, Richard Fain and Adam Goldstein have been quick to state that they have no intention of changing the dining system on RCI ships. They, and I, believe that it is a hallmark of RCI and if others want "anytime" or "freestyle" dining, there are cruiselines out there that offer it. I might be less opposed to offering an anytime dining alternative, if Princess had been able to demonstrate that it can work. However, their inability or refusal to accommodate those of its passengers who request traditional dining, has cured me of that belief.:rolleyes:

 

Well said and I agree...............option is one thing..........I can understand that especially on the new larger mega ships........but I certainly hope it isn't a thing heading our way.........and i don't think it will as a widespread option. JMO)

[Retired LEO]

If it aint broke, don't fix it.

[isujim]

If it aint broke, don't fix it.

 

You know I can't see the practical logic of this............

 

For those that have sailed the larger ships........(and I haven't) is there a service problem or lack of help or a percieved service problem that makes serving that many people hard to do under the traditional format??

[SherriZ366]

A new thread was started today concerning RCCL testing anytime dining.

 

Which do you prefer?

 

1. Traditional fixed seating dining

 

2. Any time open seating dining

Hypo -- is this just a thread started by posters or based on a move that RCCL might make?

[Mines]

You might think that they could offer both and satisfy everyone, but experience with Princess has shown that, at least the way they handle it, it doesn't work. If it did, there would be no long waitlists for traditional dining, because they would adjust the dining room assignments to reflect the preferences of each week's guests, and no long waits in anytime if you choose to eat anytime other than very early or very late, or if they took reservations for anytime dining between 6:30 and 8:00 pm.

You ask for flexibility for more people, while I think that it is Princess that is inflexible.:)

 

This is because Princess work on a 50-50 basis, with two identical dining rooms. As can be seen from this poll, if there is a 70-30 bias towards traditional, a 50-50 set up is bound to leave 20% of the guests unhappy.

 

Why not try a small area for anytime with the same menu as the traditional and leave people the option to book it like they can the speciality? I do not like having traditional every night (we often use the speciality restaurants or WJ) but I would not like "anytime" every night either.

[SherriZ366]

Anytime this issue has been raised in the past, Richard Fain and Adam Goldstein have been quick to state that they have no intention of changing the dining system on RCI ships. They, and I, believe that it is a hallmark of RCI and if others want "anytime" or "freestyle" dining, there are cruiselines out there that offer it. I might be less opposed to offering an anytime dining alternative, if Princess had been able to demonstrate that it can work. However, their inability or refusal to accommodate those of its passengers who request traditional dining, has cured me of that belief.:rolleyes:

This has been RCCL management's position everytime this issue has been brought up especially in D+ and TA forums on inaugural cruises etc.

 

This board often gets NCL or Princess fans who start threads in favor of freestyle/anytime dining and the RCCL cruiser resonse is heavily tilted toward traditional.

[Hypo]

Where is the option for "I am willing to give anytime dining a try since I have only sailed on RCCL and really have no idea if anytime dining is a good idea" ?? :)

 

I didn't offer this choice since I have tried both, and know from my experience that it is a poor choice.

 

Hypo

[Hypo]

Hypo -- is this just a thread started by posters or based on a move that RCCL might make?

 

Read this thread and the OP stated the source for the info. Another poster called RCCL reservations and was told the same thing this morning.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=591426

 

Hypo

[Cindy]

This is because Princess work on a 50-50 basis, with two identical dining rooms. As can be seen from this poll, if there is a 70-30 bias towards traditional, a 50-50 set up is bound to leave 20% of the guests unhappy.

 

 

Actually on Princess' largest ships (Grand class and above) the dining set up is 2:1 in favor of anytime dining room space. From my observations it's a LOT more than 20% who are unhappy about their (default) anytime dining assignment. On full sailings, which we are usually on because of my work schedule, it's not uncommon for the traditional dining waitlist to be several hundred for each seating.

That's my biggest complaint with the system Princess uses...it's not in the least responsive to what the passengers request. If they demonstrated some flexibility depending on the requests for a particular cruise, I might not be spending so much time on my soapbox!:eek:

[negc]

Actually on Princess' largest ships (Grand class and above) the dining set up is 2:1 in favor of anytime dining room space. From my observations it's a LOT more than 20% who are unhappy about their (default) anytime dining assignment. On full sailings, which we are usually on because of my work schedule, it's not uncommon for the traditional dining waitlist to be several hundred for each seating.

 

That's my biggest complaint with the system Princess uses...it's not in the least responsive to what the passengers request. If they demonstrated some flexibility depending on the requests for a particular cruise, I might not be spending so much time on my soapbox!:eek:

 

I totally agree with you and only hope that in this trial, RCI can demonstrate that it has learned from Princess' mistakes and will not repeat them. Otherwise, I am looking to buy stock in a company that makes those beepers.:D

[ChampionCruiser]

I think that RCCL would be making a HUGEmistake if they were to switch to open seating dining, even if it was offered in only 1 dining room.

 

It's not that I have a problem with open dining, but why do all of the mainstream lines have to offer it? NCL has clearly been succesful with their switch to freestyle dining, but the same can be said of RCCL and their traditional dining. If you really want to try open dining, why not cruise on Princess or NCL, and leave the loyal followers of RCCL and its traditional dining alone!

[The Big Booper]

GIVE ME TRADITIONAL OR GIVE ME land trips only. :)

[Straughn]

We have never been on a cruise where open seating/free-style type dining was offered, but two couples with whom we are close friends have been-one couple on Princess and one on NCL. Both have had traditional dining experiences on other cruise lines. Both absolutely HATED the open seating experience and have vowed never, ever to do it again. Not only were there lines, but it was particularly bad on port days when the ship sailed at 5 -6 PM. Everyone came back from port and ended up showing up for dinner at the same time. With the open seating, passengers who normally would have eaten at 5 - 6 PM waited until the ship sailed. Our friends who sailed on Princess said the lines from 7-8:30 PM on port days were unbelievable. The waits were an hour or more. Plus all the speciality restaurants (with a fee) were booked by the traditional diners who wanted to eat later than their scheduled time. Our friends called it a total disaster-it really ruined their cruise for them.

 

Add us to the list of "no we haven't tried open dining and we aren't going to" folks. We will switch cruise lines if RCI switches to either open or a combination of open and traditional dining.

[Stoodo]

I didn't offer this choice since I have tried both, and know from my experience that it is a poor choice.

 

Hypo

 

Then I am surprised the Poll Options weren't:

 

A. Traditional Dining

B. Traditional Dining

 

:D

[copnlpn2]

I certainly hope RCCL doesn't do away with traditional dining, nor with formal nights! One of my favorite cruise memories is getting to see my brother looking like a million dollars in his tuxedo!

 

Cindy

[FLACRUISER99]

I love open Dining. I you do some reasearch you will see that the preminium lines such as Silversea, Seabourn or Cunard Grill class all have open seating. Its just the mass market lines that have seatings.

[Onessa]

Why not traditional for casual and semiformal nights and then a more open seating for formal night?

 

I know a lot of us who eschew the dining room on formal nights because we don't do formal on our cruises -- I would love to have part of the dining room reserved for those of us who choose not to participate in the formal dress. I prefer table service by waitstaff, I prefer the linens, I prefer the menu choices of the dining room to the buffet; but don't feel any need to pack for or play at "dress up".

 

If there was a formal section and a regular section on formal nights, those of you who enjoy this could easily do it while those of us who do not and/or those who merely tolerate it - do not need to participate? I am forever grateful that participation in bingo games is not a ship's rule - I am hoping at some point that participation in formal nights also becomes an optional activity!

[RevSmith]

The more choices the better...I like the idea of being able to pick my favorite waiter, table mates and time of dinning...rather than have RCI do it for me....

[negc]

I love open Dining. I you do some reasearch you will see that the preminium lines such as Silversea, Seabourn or Cunard Grill class all have open seating. Its just the mass market lines that have seatings.

 

I'm not sure I get your point. RCI is a mass market line and does not purport to be a premium line, so why should they change their dining options to mirror what is offered on the premium lines you mention? HAL and Celebrity are certainly closer to premium lines, and both offer traditional dining. Style of dining is just one factor that people have to consider when deciding on their next cruise. If the vast majority of RCI cruisers prefer traditional dining, why is it incumbent on the line or anyone to change? Perhaps we should advocate that NCl or Princess add Royal Promenades to their ships, Flowriders® or concierge lounges. Eventually we could succeed in making all the various cruiseline so homogenized that you won't even know which line you are on.:rolleyes:

[Sandytoes]

I love open Dining. I you do some reasearch you will see that the preminium lines such as Silversea, Seabourn or Cunard Grill class all have open seating. Its just the mass market lines that have seatings.

 

I'm with you....

 

Having a choice on where, when, and with who you want to dine with.

[mafig]

Holland America has just announced that they're going to traditional/open dining. They have been trialing it on selected ships and they say it has been successful.

 

It's listed as a sticky on the HAL board.