Will the Dream have flexible dinning?

[dgack1]

Does anyone know if the Dream will have flexible dinning? We are looking to book in 2010 and love the flexible dining option. Sorry, If this has been answered the search engine is acting up again.

[OZjones12]

I really hope they dont they do that??? NCL can keep that horrible idea! LOL (:

[mom2girls]

I think it may be a possibility. It seems as though they're adding it to most of their ships. I am happy that we have a choice of open seating as well as traditional. Personally, I like the traditional seating best.

[big al]

They should have both IMO...The idea of sitting with total strangers at a table for a whole week with people we do not know and have nothing in common with does not always appeal to me..we have had nice tablemates AND nightmares who did nothing but argue,complain and whine....we dine ALOT in the fee service venues because food,service and atmosphere are a whole lot nicer than the main dining rooms....BTW,we LOVED the NCL freestyle concept-nothing ticks me off more than having to be told when to eat,where to eat,WITH whom to eat,where to sit,etc....I wear a tie & long sleeves all day in the Florida sun-last thing I want to do is worry about formal nights,more ties,sport coats...Tommy Bahama aloha shirts,dockers & dock shoes is more my vacation style and after 23 cruises,FOR US,the dress up nights get old.....but I do hope they have both options....BTW,in a recent survey,70% of cruisers favored open/anytime seating over traditional 6/8:30 PM seating.....just some FYI....

 

Big Al

[Collcoll]

We are sailing on the Pride in July and I'm hoping they go to open seating. My sister and her family are looking for 6pm seating and my husband and I think that's a tad to early so we wanted the 8:15 seating. If it were open we'd be able to compromise. Not one exteme or the other. The other issue is that we are going to have two teen age kids with us. I'm not certain about who we will have for dinner companions at our table. I don't want things to feel akward for the kids every dinner. Adults tend to adapt more easily. So I vote for choice.

[CruiseSpecialist03]

As of now, it is only implemented on the Liberty, Legend, and Sensation.

Following will come after:

Paradise 3/20

Miracle 3/29

Elation & Conquest 4/26

Pride 4/27

Spirit 6/03

 

The Dream will most likely not come out with it unless, it becomes more of a popular choice amongst Carnival Cruisers.

[big_duck]

TBTW,in a recent survey,70% of cruisers favored open/anytime seating over traditional 6/8:30 PM seatingl

 

What survey? Conducted where? By whom? Using what methodology?

 

CC Polls don't count, nor polls on JH's blog.

[Kurbanfan]

As of now, it is only implemented on the Liberty, Legend, and Sensation.

Following will come after:

Paradise 3/20

Miracle 3/29

Elation & Conquest 4/26

Pride 4/27

Spirit 6/03

 

The Dream will most likely not come out with it unless, it becomes more of a popular choice amongst Carnival Cruisers.

 

Started with 2 ships........soon it will be 9 ships.....sounds popular to me.........

I believe it will go fleetwide by the end of this year......

[kates024]

I am on the Pride in Septemeber, right now we have 6:15 dining, if I want to change it to open seating should I just call Carnival?

[Kurbanfan]

What survey? Conducted where? By whom? Using what methodology?

 

CC Polls don't count, nor polls on JH's blog.

 

I wonder if it was the phone surveys they did last year........we recieved 2......

[UtahCruisers]

As of now, it is only implemented on the Liberty, Legend, and Sensation.

Following will come after:

Paradise 3/20

Miracle 3/29

Elation & Conquest 4/26

Pride 4/27

Spirit 6/03

 

The Dream will most likely not come out with it unless, it becomes more of a popular choice amongst Carnival Cruisers.

 

We will be on the Pride on the 18th, a week before they implement this which is fine by me. My question is when they do go to open dining will it be both open AND traditional dining? How do they handle this? Do you have to specify when you book if you want open or traditional? Sorry for all the questions but inquirying minds want to know :D

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I am on the Pride in Septemeber, right now we have 6:15 dining, if I want to change it to open seating should I just call Carnival?

 

I thought all ships with only traditional only had 6pm and 8:15pm?

 

BTW I love open seating if anybody is keeping score.:)

 

Bill

[happy cruzin]

I do not have anything to add except that when we booked the Dream on Sunday they never mentioned any dining options except the traditional times. I know it could change between now and January...but right now we have an 8:15 request.

[yakdaddy42]

carinval does have free style dinning its called the buffet line. We would have less of a problem in the main dinning room if the watiers were not made to act like monkeys singing and danceing. what a croc please come to dinner dressed the proper way while we have a circus act happen for dinner each night.

[DGP1111]

Certainly things can change dramatically between now and then (especially since this is CCL we're talking about), but when I booked my November 2010 Carnival Dream sailing earlier this afternoon, the cruise vacation specialist mentioned there were only two dining times planned, and asked which one I wanted.

[Flip2cruise]

Yes, she will.

 

It also appears that Dream will have a 3 night Pre-Inaugural cruise, since the Open Seating start date is 9/18/09. Guess there will be a press release on that soon.

 

http://www.bookccl.com/irman/bookccl/sections/shipboard/DiningOnboard_master.html

[TheVegasMan]

Absolutely not. Flexible dining maybe, but no flexible dinning.

[ladysail2]

Absolutely not. Flexible dining maybe, but no flexible dinning.

 

Correct...no dinning allowed, only dining!! :p:D

 

>^..^<

[oceanview585]

I love all these varied answers and preferences. We just booked the DREAM this week for the 10/15 sailing. As previous poster linked to the info, we were told they indeed will have an optional "anytime" dining. We thought we would never like it as we love having the same server. But after a couple of challenging groups of table mates and our frequent desire to go to the specialty restaurants we decided to go "anytime" when we were on Princess and loved it. This way we didn't leave our tablemates in the lurch with a half empty table if we wanted to eat at the buffet or just eat in our rooms and we didn't have to rush back and shower after an excursion to make it to dinner on time. We do miss having the same waiter but overall we meet more people and it is a more relaxing experience. They still will have the traditional 2 sittings in the other dining room so everyone now can be happy.:)

[happy cruzin]

I could see that "anytime" would work well for the ships that have 2 dining rooms. Seems a no brainer to make one traditional and one "anytime"....more choice makes more people happy.

 

I think the true test will be finding a way to deal with the traffic and disruption caused people coming and going for "anytime" in the same dining room that is trying to serve in the traditional fashion on the ships with single dining rooms.

 

I'm sure as it rolls out they will find a way to iron out the details. But I could definately see neither side being happy when they have to share the same space. But...that is just my opinion ;).

[Esmerelda]

My entire family would love open dining. This would definitely be a big hit with us.

[Flip2cruise]

I could see that "anytime" would work well for the ships that have 2 dining rooms. Seems a no brainer to make one traditional and one "anytime"....more choice makes more people happy.

 

I think the true test will be finding a way to deal with the traffic and disruption caused people coming and going for "anytime" in the same dining room that is trying to serve in the traditional fashion on the ships with single dining rooms.

 

I'm sure as it rolls out they will find a way to iron out the details. But I could definately see neither side being happy when they have to share the same space. But...that is just my opinion ;).

 

It actually started with Legend, which has one dining room. I believe one level is Open the other is Traditional.

 

On Liberty, which has two dining rooms they used the upper level on Golden Olympian as Open and the rest of the dining was used for Traditional.

[CarnivalFan2]

Yes, she will.

 

It also appears that Dream will have a 3 night Pre-Inaugural cruise, since the Open Seating start date is 9/18/09. Guess there will be a press release on that soon.

 

http://www.bookccl.com/irman/bookccl/sections/shipboard/DiningOnboard_master.html

This 3 night pre-inaugural must be the positioning of the brand spanking new ship from the shipyard (near Venice) to Civatavechia. And yes, the Dream will have open dining option and it looks like Carnival is going with it fleetwide.

[G'ma]

Absolutely not. Flexible dining maybe, but no flexible dinning.

 

I agree......that could be painful.....:eek:

 

Din \Din\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dinned; p. pr. & vb. n. Dinning.] [AS. dynian. See Din, n.] 1. To strike with confused or clanging sound; to stun with loud and continued noise; to harass with clamor; as, to din the ears with cries. 2. To utter with a din; to repeat noisily; to ding. This hath been often dinned in my ears. --Swift. To din into, to fix in the mind of another by frequent and noisy repetitions. --Sir W. Scott.

[ok4uni2cruz]

I booked the Dream a couple of weeks ago for April 2010. They put me down for the 6pm dining time but told me set dining times will probably be gone by time I cruise. So it looks like anytime dining it is!