Why Does Everyone Want To Rush

[mew1]

I keep reading how everyone is upset when it takes two hours to eat, I am on vacation, enjoying TALKING at the table, getting waited on and served one course at a time, I expect and even look forward to the fact that it takes time. Am I the only one who feels that way.

mew1

[smeyer418]

I keep reading how everyone is upset when it takes two hours to eat, I am on vacation, enjoying TALKING at the table, getting waited on and served one course at a time, I expect and even look forward to the fact that it takes time. Am I the only one who feels that way.

mew1

 

and don't forget all the pushing and shoving to get to be the first one off the ship when it comes back....I want every minute to last please don't push me---I push back...

[tomk3212]

I keep reading how everyone is upset when it takes two hours to eat, I am on vacation, enjoying TALKING at the table, getting waited on and served one course at a time, I expect and even look forward to the fact that it takes time. Am I the only one who feels that way.

mew1

Mew1

 

I'd have to agree. When we're on vacay we also do not like to rush through dinner. However I also think it's a matter of personal preference; some folks just like to eat at a faster pace even when they're on vacation. I can also see the "need for speed" if you're dining with young children. Kids under 10 are usually not used to long dinners. TG our kids are older now...;)

 

We've done traditional dining on Celebrity and much prefer NCL's Freestyle. However, again, it's a matter of personal choice.

 

Tom & Eileen

[Globaliser]

Am I the only one who feels that way.

Rest assured - you aren't! I'm also astonished by the number of people who want to bolt their food and run.

[cliffd64]

These are the same people who lineup at 7:00 AM (even though the ship hasn't been cleared yet) with every piece of their luggage blocking hallways on the last day for "Express Disembarkation" as well. I've never understood it.

 

A good multi course meal should allow for at least 75 - 90 minutes. You do need a bit of time between courses. 2 hours might be a little long, but there is no rule that you can't leave and come back for dessert later if you want. Dinner should be a relaxing time, not a rush.

[lukes]

As was said earlier it is a matter of personal preference. I too enjoy taking our time, not rushing the dinner in 20 minutes, as we do at home. I like to enjoy the different courses. However I find 2 hours too slow for my taste. If it takes that long I find it is too long between courses. I perfer 1 &1/2 hours. I think that is a good length of time. Of course there is so many things to do onboard I think that is why some people rush their meals. Of course great conversation makes the time go by and sometimes it can be 3 hours later and it seems like 15 minutes has gone by.

[sunshine 229]

It's a tough call because I too like to have a leisurely dinner, when on vacation especially, but it can be taken to the extreme, a 20 minute lull between courses seems a bit too much to me and, especially if you would like to do something else in the evening I can understand people being a little antsy about having the meal completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Dare I say here on an NCL board that one of the things I enjoy about traditional dinning is having a time frame in which you can be pretty sure dinner will be completed. In my expereince the time alloted for each seating allows enough time for a pleasant dinner but still allows you to have a good idea about when you will finish and to make planes for the rest of your evening.

 

To me the perfect situation is being on late seating of a traditional cruise. You get the dinner served within a given time frame yet if you want to linger a little over coffee and brandy you don't have the feeling that you need to move to make room for the next seating.

 

The other thing I found with my freestyle experience is that if you get a wait team that is not the best it is easier to have certain things forgotten. On one night in particular we found we had to ask a couple of times for water and for coffee and for one of four desserts that just didn't arrive. I think the more structured traditional experience, with everyone getting the same courses at approximately the same time, makes it easier for the wait staff to remember things than when they are serving many tables all at different stages. Obviously good staff should be able to handle it but an inexperienced waiter ( remember thev POA launch) will be more likely to mess up under the freestyle system , I'd guess.

 

Having said that, some of my travel companions like freestyle so there is a good chance that I'll be doing it again in the future and I intend to enjoy it. I'll try not to be too invested in my after dinner activities so I won't be stressing if the dinner takes longer than normal.

[Warm Breezes]

My family has no problem sitting through a longer dinner. In fact, I think my children rather enjoy it. :D They are 10 and 13. On the other hand we have friends with children the same age who do not enjoy it. Why?? Because both they and their children have very little patience and always need to be on the go. They are the ones who have the kids that can't sit still that long and after 45 minutes are up and walking around the table asking if they can leave yet or sending dirty looks to the waiters because they haven't gotten all their food yet so they can leave.:o I always feel rushed when we eat with them. Everyone has their own unique personalities and there are some that just can't sit still that long and others that could sit there all night. What would the world be like if we were all the same.:eek:

[BillyBuff]

It's a matter of preference.

 

I prefer the slower paced than the rushing.

 

I didn't want to opt for the express disembarkation but my travel companions were the ones that will be driving me home. :(

[BillyBuff]

[ Delete ]

[lel5344]

If we're in a rush (and that doesn't happen very often when we're on a cruise) , NCL's freestyle dining gives us the option to choose a venue where we can get through our meal quicker. So it becomes a matter of choice.

 

If we happen to miss a show...ah, well...such is life. Our philosophy of cruising (or any vacation) has always been: it's impossible to see and do everything, so we thoroughly enjoy everything we see and do with no regrets about what we didn't see or do. But we try to create some priorities through planning so that we get to see the most important things on our list.

 

We learned that on our first trip to Disney World when our kids were 4 and 6. We determined the most important rides/attractions and made sure we got to them early in the day.

 

This approach works for us, but it doesn't work at all for others. Each to his/her own.

[Toyz711]

i don't think that a lot of people realize that they are slowing down their own dinner. until everyone in your party is done and puts the plate to the side, the next course will not come. too many, with large parties, say how long the dinner was...DUH!! next time watch your party, someone is playing with their food and not rushing through the meal. FIL was a very slow eater, we would tell him to take his time..don't rush for us. a long, nice dinner is a great way to "do" a vacation.

even for just the 2 of us, a great dinner at a good steakhouse on land, take us 1 1/2 hours. it's calling "pacing" and a good server will be watching for the forks to go down.

[cliffd64]

If we're in a rush (and that doesn't happen very often when we're on a cruise) , NCL's freestyle dining gives us the option to choose a venue where we can get through our meal quicker. So it becomes a matter of choice.

 

If we happen to miss a show...ah, well...such is life. Our philosophy of cruising (or any vacation) has always been: it's impossible to see and do everything, so we thoroughly enjoy everything we see and do with no regrets about what we didn't see or do. But we try to create some priorities through planning so that we get to see the most important things on our list.

 

We learned that on our first trip to Disney World when our kids were 4 and 6. We determined the most important rides/attractions and made sure we got to them early in the day.

 

This approach works for us, but it doesn't work at all for others. Each to his/her own.

 

There IS another approach that is always available to those who need it... If seeing the show (which is always 50 minutes or less) is a must-do, go to the first show and THEN go to dinner. If you are too hungry earlier, perhaps a quick stop at the buffet for something light can hold you over until your full dinner. The beauty of freestyle is you aren't fixed at particular dinner time. You can always eat after the show or before, or during if that is what you want to do :)

[Toyz711]

or do the old dinner first, dessert and coffee after!!!

[cpdad]

I too prefer to take my time with dinner. Maybe we should encourage others to rush...this will free-up tables sooner for the rest of us.

 

On my very first cruise next month, I plan on doing what others here have suggested: spread the meal out over the entire evening by eating in a "progressive" style. First courses early, perhaps followed by entertainment, followed by main course and/or dessert. These courses can be selected from among all the available restaurants. By having dessert later in the evening, I expect I will be able to walk into any restaruant and be seated immediately - all the "rushers" will have departed. :D

[want2cruiseagain]

We really enjoyed our leisurely meals. Much better than the buffet which we usually only did for breakfast because we had an excursion. It did take us a day or two to kind of settle in to a slower pace, however. I think you can say that about any vacation, really.

[ZoneHPH]

my take on the whole dinner experience is simply this: my wife and i rarely dine this way during a typical work week...unless it's our bday or anniversary. we don't even do Vday dinner because EVERYONE is out that night.

 

so when we are on a cruise...it's the perfect time to just enjoy each course; chat with your waitstaff and maitre'd. it's all about the socializing for us.

[LuvBNatC]

I've never understood all the rushing around on any cruise at any time, dinner or otherwise. It's supposed to be a vacation. :D

 

I'm sure I've had some slow service in cruise ship dining rooms, but that's not something that typically upsets me because I like being served at a leisurely pace. What would pi$$ me off would be to have a waiter standing behind me to whip my plate away as soon as I put my fork down and replace it immediately with the next course so he can get me out of there in 20 minutes.

 

I also don't understand the tearing hurry at debarkation unless you're on an early flight. When I sailed on Majesty last year, it seemed about 99% of the passengers lived within driving distance, and debarkation looked like the mass exodus from Atlanta in "Gone With the Wind." What's the big rush if you live 15 minutes away? You can't enjoy your last morning on board by sitting back and letting someone else put your luggage ashore? :confused:

 

It was the same with many in-state passengers this year on Empress of the Seas out of Norfolk, but everyone wasn't clamoring to drag all their own stuff off. Perhaps RCI just doesn't allow it. I never thought to ask.

[want2cruiseagain]

my take on the whole dinner experience is simply this: my wife and i rarely dine this way during a typical work week...unless it's our bday or anniversary. we don't even do Vday dinner because EVERYONE is out that night.

 

so when we are on a cruise...it's the perfect time to just enjoy each course; chat with your waitstaff and maitre'd. it's all about the socializing for us.

 

 

We would chat with the folks at the tables next to us between servings. We met some really nice people that way.

[calmac]

On the Pearl's Transatlantic last year we even managed to extend breakfast well beyond an hour - we were enjoying the company of the people we met and shared breakfast with - and were frequently the last ones to leave the dining room. Of course, there were no ports to hurry to :D

[mew1]

Well I don't feel alone anymore, I have done both traditional and freestyle, and you can get relaxed dinning, you just have to pick your times. Maybe those in a rush, need to consider the buffet for all meals. When on vacation, I love sharing a slow romantic dinner with DH, and having time to really talk. Even when dinning with others, I am NEVER watching my watch. I do love to talk. I have enjoyed reading your comments, thanks

Greetings from the NOT RUSHED club

mew1

[want2cruiseagain]

On the Pearl's Transatlantic last year we even managed to extend breakfast well beyond an hour - we were enjoying the company of the people we met and shared breakfast with - and were frequently the last ones to leave the dining room. Of course, there were no ports to hurry to :D

 

 

I think that is why we would like to do a transatlantic. We want to have several days at sea to just relax and not rush off on an excursion.

[RachieLnnn]

I'm glad we're not the only people who like to take their time. I was wondering this too.

 

FI and I have to rush when we meet for lunch so that we can make it back to work on time. We don't like it at all! When we go out to eat on a weekend or for a special occasion, we ALWAYS take our time. We often order a bottle of wine and have a 2 hour dinner along with it. It's not just about eating food, it's the social aspect of sharing food. :)

 

I also have 2-3 hour dinners at a local mexican place with some girlfriends once a month. We catch up on gossip over margaritas! :D

[RachieLnnn]

I think that is why we would like to do a transatlantic. We want to have several days at sea to just relax and not rush off on an excursion.

 

 

I want to do a transatlantic as well! The more I cruise, the more I love sea days. :) Sooo relaxing!

[want2cruiseagain]

I want to do a transatlantic as well! The more I cruise, the more I love sea days. :) Sooo relaxing!

 

 

Me thinks we know what our next cruise will be then.