Is FREESTYLE going away with EPIC

[JPNNH]

It

seems the term FREESTLYE is tossed overboard when sailing on the

EPIC...I need to make dinner & show reservations "months" in advance

& even then I will not be guaranteed a seat.....How do I know what time I will be hungry 6 months from now??? What happened to

WHATEVER/WHENEVER???? I hope I didn't make a mistake with my cruise

reservation.

[mpk218]

Uuuuu what ? Nope same old policy ;)

[CruisinMaterial]

FreeStyle is still FreeStyle cruising for most of the restaurants onboard. The exception is the Cirque Dreams and Dinner. This has to be planned in advance due to the high volume of interest. Otherwise, you're still free to whatever. :)

[ColinIllinois]

It

seems the term FREESTLYE is tossed overboard when sailing on the

EPIC...I need to make dinner & show reservations "months" in advance

& even then I will not be guaranteed a seat.....How do I know what time I will be hungry 6 months from now??? What happened to

WHATEVER/WHENEVER???? I hope I didn't make a mistake with my cruise

reservation.

 

 

Calm down and switch to decaf.

[iceman2a]

I only made reservations in advance for Cirque, BMG, Cagney's. Probably didn't need to make them for BMG & Cagney's ahead of time! Was able to book Legends the day before and La Cucina the day off and didn't need any for Second City or Jeff Hobson! FREESTYLE is alive and well on the EPIC!

[SeaShark]

It

seems the term FREESTLYE is tossed overboard when sailing on the

EPIC...I need to make dinner & show reservations "months" in advance

& even then I will not be guaranteed a seat.....How do I know what time I will be hungry 6 months from now??? What happened to

WHATEVER/WHENEVER???? I hope I didn't make a mistake with my cruise

reservation.

 

I guess it really depends on how you want to assign meaning to the term "freestyle"...

 

You don't "need" to make reservations...however if YOU want to, YOU can. It is YOUR choice.

 

Freestyle never meant "whatever/whenever"...there is no possible way to do that. Even on a Jewel class ship only about 1/2 of the passengers can fit in the theatre at one time, so there is no way EVERYBODY can go to a particular show if they want to.

 

Freestyle just means that YOU get to make the choices and NOT the cruise line. YOU can choose to eat everyday at the same time in the same restaurant, just like assigned dining...if YOU want to. Or YOU can choose to eat in different places at different times everyday!

[Flying Solo]

A lot of people seem to be creating their own definition of "Freestyle". Don't let that confuse you. It refers to a break from the traditional cruise style of having just 2 choices for your main dinner, early or late. It's also a break from a more structured entertainment schedule.

You'll find 2 main dining rooms on the Epic, but you can eat in them at whatever time you like. You're not schedule to eat at the same time and with the same people every night like on a traditional cruise. These main dining rooms are included in the price of the cruise. There is no reason you can't eat in just these venues for the entire cruise and have a terrific vacation. If you see another optional restaraunt that you definitely would like to try then you might want to schedule it ahead of time. Or if there is a certain show that you would definitely like to see, then you might want to schedule that ahead of time. Otherwise you can see if any of the optional restaurants or entertainment are available once you get on the ship.

Either way, relax and have a good time. It's vacation.

[Cruiser33713]

I'm asking the same question jpnnh. I made dinner reservations for me and my friends. Then had to go into my booking to book shows and their booking to book the same shows. By that time the shows I booked were full so I had to change everything again. You have to time everything to make sure you have enough time to eat and then to stand in line for a seat for the show. What a pain. And having to stand in line for half or a full hour before the shows just to get a seat after you've made reservations is not fun. I also hope booking a cruise on the Epic was not a mistake. And then there's the chance that all of your reservations will disapear from the Epic's computer by the time I board.

[SeaShark]

I'm asking the same question jpnnh. I made dinner reservations for me and my friends. Then had to go into my booking to book shows and their booking to book the same shows. By that time the shows I booked were full so I had to change everything again. You have to time everything to make sure you have enough time to eat and then to stand in line for a seat for the show. What a pain. And having to stand in line for half or a full hour before the shows just to get a seat after you've made reservations is not fun. I also hope booking a cruise on the Epic was not a mistake. And then there's the chance that all of your reservations will disapear from the Epic's computer by the time I board.

 

First...Are you serious, or is this an attempt at humor? :confused:

 

Of course you have to "time everything". You wouldn't want your dinner and your show scheduled at the same time would you? This is no different than dinner and a movie at home. You have to schedule your meal so that you are done in time to make the movie...nothing new.

 

BTW...You don't HAVE to stand in line for the show. You can walk up when you want to. However, you are NOT the only person on the ship, and if others choose to stand in line, that is something that they can do because it is their choice. You cannot expect NCL to allow you to choose not to be in line and then have a choice from every seat in the venue. You can't have it both ways.

 

As for the potential computer problems...if your reservations disappear, so will everyone else's. At least you are smart enough to take your confirmation with you to verify your booking, right?

[sottovoce]

A lot of people seem to be creating their own definition of "Freestyle". Don't let that confuse you. It refers to a break from the traditional cruise style of having just 2 choices for your main dinner, early or late. It's also a break from a more structured entertainment schedule.

And also from outdated, pretentious dress codes.

[newmexicoNita]

It

seems the term FREESTLYE is tossed overboard when sailing on the

EPIC...I need to make dinner & show reservations "months" in advance

& even then I will not be guaranteed a seat.....How do I know what time I will be hungry 6 months from now??? What happened to

WHATEVER/WHENEVER???? I hope I didn't make a mistake with my cruise

reservation.

 

I am sure many are going to ask you what you are talking about?

[3seass]

We are on Epic in April there are 6 of us. I know we want to do BMG and Cirque how do I reserve a head of time? We don't want to miss out. Thanks in advance.

[SeaShark]

We are on Epic in April there are 6 of us. I know we want to do BMG and Cirque how do I reserve a head of time? We don't want to miss out. Thanks in advance.

 

You will be able to make reservations through the MyNCL portion of NCL's website beginning 45 days prior to your cruise.

[jnjsmom]

It

seems the term FREESTLYE is tossed overboard when sailing on the

EPIC...I need to make dinner & show reservations "months" in advance

& even then I will not be guaranteed a seat.....How do I know what time I will be hungry 6 months from now??? What happened to

WHATEVER/WHENEVER???? I hope I didn't make a mistake with my cruise

reservation.

 

 

First and foremost, I believe the people wanting to have FUN manage to have fun whether they're on a cruise or stuck in an elevator. So, your cruise will be whatever YOU make of it.

 

That being said, this is my first NCL cruise (previously on RCCL, Disney and Carnival) and I have NEVER had to work so hard to plan for a cruise vacation. The concerns about getting to see the shows we wanted and have nice dinner reservations for my husband's birthday were a little stressful. (Thank goodness for Cruise Critic or I would have never known about the 45 day booking window, I feel bad for other passengers who didn't know and may not get to see the shows.)

 

I'm sure it'll all work out just fine. But, it is a change from the other cruise lines where you don't have to worry about anything but packing!

 

I realize the dining reservations are OPTIONAL, but if the reviews are true, they are really necessary if you want to have a nice dinner because the "included" restaurant reviews haven't been too good. Fortunately, my family is pretty easy to please so I don't expect it'll be a problem for us. But, for those accustomed to fine dining on cruises and vacations, booking the extra-charge restaurants will likely be a necessity.

 

I know the NCL cheerleaders will criticize me for this comment. And, the worry-warts who are already expecting a negative cruise will chime in with harsh comments. But, I stand by my initial theory. If you want to have FUN, you will!! If you want to find things to complain about for seven days, you'll find that too! This is "freestyle" after all ... the choice is yours!

[sottovoce]

I realize the dining reservations are OPTIONAL, but if the reviews are true, they are really necessary if you want to have a nice dinner because the "included" restaurant reviews haven't been too good.

We had five dinners in Epic's Manhattan Room and the food was just fine, so it is absolutely not "necessary" to go to a specialty dining room to have a "nice dinner." And, based on our experience, the specialty dining rooms always had plenty of room, so there is no need to make reservations for them in advance of your cruise. Because the theater is small relative to the number of passengers, you should make reservations if you want to see Cirque Dreams.

[Cruiser33713]

First...Are you serious, or is this an attempt at humor? :confused:

 

Of course you have to "time everything". You wouldn't want your dinner and your show scheduled at the same time would you? This is no different than dinner and a movie at home. You have to schedule your meal so that you are done in time to make the movie...nothing new.

 

BTW...You don't HAVE to stand in line for the show. You can walk up when you want to. However, you are NOT the only person on the ship, and if others choose to stand in line, that is something that they can do because it is their choice. You cannot expect NCL to allow you to choose not to be in line and then have a choice from every seat in the venue. You can't have it both ways.

 

As for the potential computer problems...if your reservations disappear, so will everyone else's. At least you are smart enough to take your confirmation with you to verify your booking, right?

 

This is why I don't post many things here. It's because of people like this.

 

Of course I know that you have to plan for things, just as at home, but I'm not paying a thousand bucks or more per person at home either. If I am not able to see or do what I want then it's not worth the bother. Freestyle is supposed to make things easier the commercials say. This is not easier. This is stressful. If it's not, why was the NCL employee who was helping me book the shows and make dinner reservations for three people all stressed out when it took 36 minutes to do it?

 

As for standing in line... why isn't a reservation a reservation on the Epic? When I reserve a seat at a show on land I get my seat. According to the boards if you make a reservation for a show on the Epic you have to get there early to get a seat. That's not a reservation, it's a cattle call.

[SeaShark]

This is why I don't post many things here. It's because of people like this.

 

Of course I know that you have to plan for things, just as at home, but I'm not paying a thousand bucks or more per person at home either. If I am not able to see or do what I want then it's not worth the bother. Freestyle is supposed to make things easier the commercials say. This is not easier. This is stressful. If it's not, why was the NCL employee who was helping me book the shows and make dinner reservations for three people all stressed out when it took 36 minutes to do it?

 

As for standing in line... why isn't a reservation a reservation on the Epic? When I reserve a seat at a show on land I get my seat. According to the boards if you make a reservation for a show on the Epic you have to get there early to get a seat. That's not a reservation, it's a cattle call.

 

So...it becomes apparent where the stress lies.

 

Perhaps you should seriously reconsider whether this is the right vacation for you. You might be happier on another cruiseline where they will tell you what to wear, where to sit, and when you will be hungry enough to eat. No sense in paying all that money and then having to make your own decisions.

 

I suppose the NCL employee was stressed because of the difficulties encountered from the other end of the phone.

 

And what makes you think a reservation means you can just waltz in at your hearts content? Don't you get that there are other people on the ship and that not everyone can do the same thing at the same time...even with a reservation?

[sottovoce]

This is why I don't post many things here. It's because of people like this.

 

Of course I know that you have to plan for things, just as at home, but I'm not paying a thousand bucks or more per person at home either. If I am not able to see or do what I want then it's not worth the bother. Freestyle is supposed to make things easier the commercials say. This is not easier. This is stressful. If it's not, why was the NCL employee who was helping me book the shows and make dinner reservations for three people all stressed out when it took 36 minutes to do it?

 

As for standing in line... why isn't a reservation a reservation on the Epic? When I reserve a seat at a show on land I get my seat. According to the boards if you make a reservation for a show on the Epic you have to get there early to get a seat. That's not a reservation, it's a cattle call.

If you are this angry going into the cruise, I'd advise staying home. Seriously.

 

You have a chance to see the best entertainment afloat and enjoy the widest choice of dining afloat and you are already complaining because it takes a bit of planning. Many of us have managed to do it with no stress or angst, and the experience was terrific--even, in our case, with a number of maiden cruise glitches.

[casinome]

As for standing in line... why isn't a reservation a reservation on the Epic? When I reserve a seat at a show on land I get my seat. According to the boards if you make a reservation for a show on the Epic you have to get there early to get a seat. That's not a reservation, it's a cattle call.

 

Many of the smaller shows at most land based casino's are general admission with 2 lines for permium and general.

[intrepid_guy]

I find it funny you know... Not too long ago (when it was new) people RAVED about the ability to book Shore Excursions online prior to their cruise. It was never considered "stressful" or an "annoyance", it was a great innovation! Now, why is it so different now that it is dining and shows? People should be happy that they can pick things to do ahead of time.

 

I sailed EPIC in August, loved being able to make reservations for BMG, Cirque and Moderno. And it was quite easy to do, even with two rooms under two different reservations.

 

~Intrepid <-- early bird

[EZeeAsPi]

My understanding is that a reservation guarantees you a seat.

 

 

 

The lineup is because people are concerned about which one they get.

[mypleasure]

My understanding is that a reservation guarantees you a seat.

 

 

 

The lineup is because people are concerned about which one they get.

 

 

Ding Ding. We have a winner!

 

We have booked the Epic for the June 19th Sailing next year. We have sailed NCL a few times now and have shied away from other lines because we like the freedom to make our choices. I will book us for Blue Man and also a couple of the restaurants. No issues doing that for us but we are a couple travelling alone and don't have to coordinate a group of people. We are also very flexible and are happy to go with the flow. If we cannot get a reservation for 7.30 then 8.00 will do or 8.15, or 8.30. If, once onboard, we find things we want to do then we will schedule other stuff around it. For example, we both love football so when on our Baltic cruise on the sun this year we scheduled our meals around the kick off times for the World Cup games. This is what freestyle is all about for me. Our choices, our decisions.

 

If people want a more structured cruise then maybe another line will be a better fit. The Epic is a very different ship even from others in the NCL fleet and I fully understand that with over 4000 pax on board not everyone will be able to get into the small theatre to see Blue Man Group at the same time. I can and will be flexible as to which times and days I have in mind for our booking for this, sure I would rather not have to book but I understand that this will be a popular show and they cannot run the risk of 2000 pax all arriving for the same show. The same with restaurants, if the restaurant we fancy is not available on the night we want to go there it won't be an issue as we will just try elsewhere and go to the original choice another time.

 

NCL is a great cruiseline for those who want freedom to make their own choices and is not for those who want to be told exactly where and when they need to be. It is also not for people who have a meltdown when having to make a choice or decision or cannot get what they want at the precise moment they want it. The other 4000 onboard will be making their choices too.

[mitsugirly]

I just have to say that I felt the same way when I booked this "freestyle" cruise. The last time I had been on a cruise, there was no such thing as "freestyle", so I had nothing to compare it to. However, after seeing all the entertainment and restaurants, I wanted to make sure that I was able to see and do everything, so I frantically had to plan out what days we wanted to eat where around the other days that we wanted to see a show around the days we were at sea and not off the ship and so on. I didn't think it was very "freestyle" either.

 

However, it WAS way different than only having 2 options to go to dinner at and sitting at assigned tables with the same people every night as it was before. AND, after going on this cruise, I learn that it was NOT necessary to book all of those places in advance and they always had openings everywhere other than the CIRQUE show. There were several times that we went to dinner 1/2 hour earlier than our reservations and checked in with them expecting to wait until our time and they took us right in. There was never a wait. My next cruise, I don't think I'll be booking anything ahead of time. It was a lot of planning and unneeded stress. :) Just my opinion.

[coffeebean]

I guess it really depends on how you want to assign meaning to the term "freestyle"...

 

You don't "need" to make reservations...however if YOU want to, YOU can. It is YOUR choice.

 

Freestyle never meant "whatever/whenever"...there is no possible way to do that. Even on a Jewel class ship only about 1/2 of the passengers can fit in the theatre at one time, so there is no way EVERYBODY can go to a particular show if they want to.

 

Freestyle just means that YOU get to make the choices and NOT the cruise line. YOU can choose to eat everyday at the same time in the same restaurant, just like assigned dining...if YOU want to. Or YOU can choose to eat in different places at different times everyday!

Excellent explanation, SeaShark. It's really not a difficult concept to grasp. I don't understand why some folks just don't get it.

[coffeebean]

...And having to stand in line for half or a full hour before the shows just to get a seat after you've made reservations is not fun.

Folks choose to stand on line even on traditional cruises to go in to the theater. They wait at the theater for the doors to open.

 

You can choose not to wait on line for any venue on Epic. Go to the venue after the doors open. It is your choice to do that. You may not get the prime seats but that is your choice not to wait on line for a good seat. I haven't been on Epic yet but I have read that there is no bad seat in the main theater. Can't wait to see this venue. My time on Epic is just over one week.