Free style dinning a bad experience

[bfoot34]

The lines to get into the dinning room for diner can be long. We got seated at table for 8. They would not start serving us until the table of 8 was filled. Took about half-hour before we were waited on. Best bet is to go to the specialty restaurants for good service.

 

When we went into the dinning room for breakfast, I requested a table by a window that I knew was open. The young lady told me it wasn't ready, which it was. I insisted it was ready. After a few more minutes of waiting, they reluctantly gave us the table by the window.

 

We found free style dinning was unacceptable compared to HAL and RCL assigned seating. Serice was much better on both lines compared to NCL

[basketballmom]

They do wait until the entire table is full before they will start taking the dinner orders. You should have just asked for a table for however many were in your group.

 

The lines will be very busy if going during prime dinner hours too. Anytime between 5:45 and 7:30 are busy.

[smeyer418]

sorry I know its the Dream

[Zeno]

Our longest wait on the Sun at 7:00 PM for a table for 2 was 2 minutes. This was the only time we actually had to wait. We were always asked if we wanted to share but there was no problem when we said we would rather be by ourselves.

[KamloopsCruisers]

One reason I've only sailed NCCL once. I was travelling with my terminally ill sister. Waits at the dining room were often over 1 hour. Found this totally unacceptable. Happy to be back at RCCL when I know when I will be eating without the hassle of having to make daily reservations, etc.

[bfoot34]

There was only the two of us. All the tables for two and four were filled. We had to go to the table for 8. Again, they would not start serving us until the table was full. The service on the Dream was no dream at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bruins12]

bfoot34.... I was just on the Dream for 2 weeks during Thanksgiving....The Dream definetly isn't set up for Freestyle...did you eat during peak hours of 6:30pm to 8:30pm???When we were on the ship, we always ate when the restaurants first open at 5:30 or 6pm...we never had to wait for a table...in fact the Matrie'D gave us the same table every night...same wait people ...We had a great experience...

 

But I can see what you are speaking of the lines during peak dining were long...with numbers being taken...

 

We avoided this by going early...also we always ate at The Trattolia or the Le Bistro...we avoided the main dining rooms...

 

I am sorry you had such a poor experience...with dining on the Dream its a game of strategy...

[karfest]

You may have had a bad experience with freestyle on the Dream, but that does not mean it is poor on all NCL ships.

 

We are returning to NCL for our next cruise because of our fantastic experience on the Sun.

 

I really don't think you should make a big sweeping judgement on all of NCL based on your bad experience on one ship.

[Tomct]

You may have had a bad experience with freestyle on the Dream, but that does not mean it is poor on all NCL ships.

 

We are returning to NCL for our next cruise because of our fantastic experience on the Sun.

 

I really don't think you should make a big sweeping judgement on all of NCL based on your bad experience on one ship.

 

Agree totally!!

 

We just returned from the Dawn 10 day to the Caribbean, and accordingly had 30 meals, and our longest wait was the same as yours, two minutes. It was our 4th NCL cruise, all on mega ships, but will be on the Majesty in June, our first on a smaller ship.

 

Our experience with missing parties at our table has been that they ask if they should wait, or to begin taking orders. Now these situations have only been for people in our group, not extras they are waiting for to fill a table.

 

We can not say enough about the quality of service we have had on all four cruises, from the waitstaff, barstaff, and cabin stewards. It's been a total pleasure, and until we run out of interesting and diverse cruises from Boston to Philly, I don't envision us straying from Norwegian.

[Vehorn]

We were on the Majesty recently and it was our first experience with freestyle dining. We loved it. Ate early and never had to wait more than a minute for a table for two. Glad we didnt make the mistake of saying we would share a table (and having to wait.)

[happytogoing]

Freestyle on the Spirit was great, and we did not wait ever for a table. Once seated, our service was very good and very quick. No complaints for me, and I would cruise NCL again in a heartbeat. I loved the flexibility of time for dining and deciding who to eat with.

 

But, it is not traditional dining, anyone set on a set seating with the same waiters should just cruise a line that offers that.

 

For my husband and me, Freestyle was a hit!

[bfoot34]

bfoot34.... I was just on the Dream for 2 weeks during Thanksgiving....The Dream definetly isn't set up for Freestyle...did you eat during peak hours of 6:30pm to 8:30pm???When we were on the ship, we always ate when the restaurants first open at 5:30 or 6pm...we never had to wait for a table...in fact the Matrie'D gave us the same table every night...same wait people ...We had a great experience...

 

But I can see what you are speaking of the lines during peak dining were long...with numbers being taken...

 

We avoided this by going early...also we always ate at The Trattolia or the Le Bistro...we avoided the main dining rooms...

 

I am sorry you had such a poor experience...with dining on the Dream its a game of strategy...

We usually tried to eat around 6 p.m. I don't know what the problem was on the Dream when we were on the ship. At the end of the cruise I filled out the forms they gave us and I told them what we felt. Never got a response from them or a call on what they could do to improve. I don't think they care.

[bfoot34]

You may have had a bad experience with freestyle on the Dream, but that does not mean it is poor on all NCL ships.

 

We are returning to NCL for our next cruise because of our fantastic experience on the Sun.

 

I really don't think you should make a big sweeping judgement on all of NCL based on your bad experience on one ship.

We are taking the Pride of Aloha on December 26, 2004. I hope you are right. However, if you read the reviews on the POA, sounds like it is worse than the Dream. I will post my experience on the POA after January 5th. Hope I can be positive about it. I truly do.

[Smooth Sailing]

I can hardly wait for your negative posts.

[CastorFache]

I can hardly wait for your negative posts.

*Chuckle*

 

Good to see there are people here who are not going to let a few bad apples spoil the lot...

 

Thanks Smooth Sailing for staying positive...:)

[Dolphins]

We also found the Dawn to be ideally suited for freestyle dining with the choice of ten restaurants. Not all NCL ships are ideally configured for freestyle dining.

[bpear1600]

The lines to get into the dinning room for diner can be long. We got seated at table for 8. They would not start serving us until the table of 8 was filled. Took about half-hour before we were waited on. Best bet is to go to the specialty restaurants for good service.

 

When we went into the dinning room for breakfast, I requested a table by a window that I knew was open. The young lady told me it wasn't ready, which it was. I insisted it was ready. After a few more minutes of waiting, they reluctantly gave us the table by the window.

 

We found free style dinning was unacceptable compared to HAL and RCL assigned seating. Serice was much better on both lines compared to NCL

 

I've gotta agree with "DA FOOT" on most of this one. On our Majesty cruise folks started lining up for the evening meal around 5 PM at the Seven Seas and earlier at the other one. We got a table for two twice but they go fast. It took a good three hours to eat at the larger tables and it was mostly the fault of the servers who were conspicuous by their absence most of the time. They liked to congregate in the corner somewhere discussing the watches and jewelry they just purchased while ashore.

 

We're not people who expect to be entertained by our wait staff, although it is a nice touch. We do, however, expect them to be professional and do their jobs so others waiting in the halls can eat too.

 

Freestyle dining is much better in theory than it is in practice IMHO.

[CTCruisers]

I am a big fan of freestyle.

 

I like the idea of sitting with my family at any time of the evening without having to wait for other strangers to show up and sit down before ordering.

 

You just have to remember that you are on a ship with a lot of other people who want to do the same thing. It is naive to think you don't have to wait to be brought to a table or be served.

 

I am on vacation and I just go with the flow.

[Tomct]

We are taking the Pride of Aloha on December 26, 2004. I hope you are right. However, if you read the reviews on the POA, sounds like it is worse than the Dream. I will post my experience on the POA after January 5th. Hope I can be positive about it. I truly do.

 

I think it is unreasonable to expect feedback from your comment cards submitted at the end of the cruise. Consider how many ships there are, and how many passengers submit these cards. They would need a large staff to make such a response to critiques. Also, they just might take some complaints with a "grain of salt", depending on the attitude and writing style of the passenger. A totally negative response may not get the reaction you might want.

 

From various discussions with NCL crewmembers, I know their ship managers use the information from the cards, and they take them seriously. Individual employees rely on postive feedback for help with promotions and raises. Each department is rated after each cruise, and rewarded accordingly. The highest rated employee in each department is also rewarded following each cruise, this according to one recent discussion.

[bpear1600]

I am a big fan of freestyle.

 

I like the idea of sitting with my family at any time of the evening without having to wait for other strangers to show up and sit down before ordering.

 

You just have to remember that you are on a ship with a lot of other people who want to do the same thing. It is naive to think you don't have to wait to be brought to a table or be served.

 

I am on vacation and I just go with the flow.

 

You apparently see fellow pax as "strangers" and enjoy eating with your family; we see fellow pax as potential friends and enjoy meeting new people.

 

Freestyle dining is a great concept for those that like it but the biggest flaw I see is having everybody check in and be seated. This was a tedious process on our Majesty cruise with a trainee doing the checking in. It did have a positive, however, as those dressed improperly were turned away. Under traditional dining this is nearly impossible when a mass of humanity floods the room in the matter of a couple of minutes.

 

I guess we are traditionalists who don't see the benefit of Freestyle dining. BTW, we're natives of CT formerly from Glastonbury and South Windsor.

[dosi]

*Chuckle*

 

Good to see there are people here who are not going to let a few bad apples spoil the lot...

 

Thanks Smooth Sailing for staying positive...:)

 

 

Strange, I didn't find Smooth Sailing's post positive at all...actually I thought it was rather sarcastic and uncalled for. What part of that comment was postive? :rolleyes:

[Juanita56]

I just returned from the 5 night W.Caribbean on the Spirit. My niece and I loved the freestyle dining. I like to eat early so we always went to dinner before 6:00 p.m. Never waited. Sometimes I went to lunch or b/f alone b/c my niece may not have been ready to eat at that time, which was fine also. I was seated with other people. Didn't mind that either. To the contrary, I rather enjoyed that I was able to meet different people from across the U.S.

[cliffd64]

We also found the Dawn to be ideally suited for freestyle dining with the choice of ten restaurants. Not all NCL ships are ideally configured for freestyle dining.

 

Bingo!

 

The Dream/Wind/Sea/Majesty/Crown are not true representatives of this concept at all...

[fin]

Good to see there are people here who are not going to let a few bad apples spoil the lot...

 

 

----------------

Frankly I am getting increasingly irritated by comments like this. Name calling is uncalled for just because someone's opinion differs from yours. I still detect the distinct drumbeat of cheerleadering throughout these pages, and such is not going to elicit useful and worthwhile information for those seeking to learn.

 

And I may have mentioned it before, but it still occurs to me that this whole attitude of 'we are on a cruise therefore everything is wonderful' is, in large measure, responsible for the frequently commented upon degradation of service on said cruises.

 

Ask not and ye shall receive not......

[Geobugs]

Good to see there are people here who are not going to let a few bad apples spoil the lot...

--------

Frankly I am getting increasingly irritated by comments like this. Name calling is uncalled for just because someone's opinion differs from yours.

 

I don't get irritated by comments like this. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, you can be reasonably sure it is a duck.

 

Bad apples, all of you that complain!