NCL freestyle dining vs. traditional dining?

[laxlove6]

I'm a fan of freestyle dining. I avoid random people at all costs. Maybe I'm antisocial. I don't get people's obsessions with a set dining time. And sitting with random people? People choosing cruises because it has traditional dining? Do you sit with the same people at a restaurant on land? The only reasons cruise ships originally had dining like this was so that they could serve all the guests in the main dining rooms. Now with all the other options for dining, traditional seating seems very archaic.

 

Why do you want to get to know the waiters? Let's be realistic, you will probably never see them again and the oh so important "they remember my name" disappears as soon as the cruise is over.

 

I'm willing to bet that more people on traditional cruise lines have more trouble with the set dining time and table then people who actually enjoy it. Its a nightmare, sitting with random people with nothing in common. If they actually paired people with similar interests then that might be more interesting.

 

If freestyle cruising is the reason you don't try NCL, then I feel sorry for you.

[che5904]

:D I asked the same sort of question when I first started posting on CC and read so many posts that stated "freestyle dining confuses me", "what is freestyle dining all about, will I like it"

 

My thoughts were exactly like yours, do these people not go to dinner at home? Why does this always seem like a strange concept to them?

 

From some of the answer I got:

 

It appears people go into 'cruise mode' and are so used to being told when, where and how to eat that they don't recall the real world anymore.

 

People don't wish to make choices on vacation or have to think, so they don't like choosing when to eat so they can get to a show.

 

People go on vacation to "meet new friends", being forced to sit with strangers they don't know.

 

People order the same thing and have a routine every evening, so if they have the same waiter/ess every evening that waiter knows they like an ice tea waiting for them.

 

I can't say that I think traditional cruiselines have more trouble with set dining, but I'm sure it would take some getting used to for new cruisers to those lines. But obviously they have a call for something as well as that or they all wouldn't have implemented their own type of non-set dining.

 

I love freestyle, which is why I love NCL, but to each their own.

[itsadoozy]

Totally agree with you both. We first had freestyle dining on Norwegian Wind Hawaii trip and were converted immediately, esp. if/when we had a table for 2. Loved NCL that trip. Hated freestyle dining on Volendam, the rudest wait staff putting us with all sorts of family and large groups until we apparently became the 'passegers from hell' and got a table to ourselves so they could avoid us as much as poss.My ideal is F.D. and table for 2!

[disfan13]

Personally I enjoy traditional dining, many times they do try and match guests with similar demographics so it usually works out. I love NCL but personally we do not enjoy the main dining rooms much. You can also choose to dine at a Large table with others on NCL. Many folks, even newer cruisers enjoy traditional cruising and meeting new people. Anytime dining is getting more popular as wll with other lines, so it's apparently an interest to many. To each their own.

[che5904]

Personally I enjoy traditional dining, many times they do try and match guests with similar demographics so it usually works out. I love NCL but personally we do not enjoy the main dining rooms much. You can also choose to dine at a Large table with others on NCL. Many folks, even newer cruisers enjoy traditional cruising and meeting new people. Anytime dining is getting more popular as wll with other lines, so it's apparently an interest to many. To each their own.

 

I totally understand why some people enjoy it. What I can never understand is why NCL freestyle dining is so confusing, hated or even appears to be so difficult a concept to understand.

 

As I stated above it mirrors real life. Seriously do people not go out to dinner at home? Are there really a lot of restaurants in people's home towns that set them with strangers?

[Raleigh Traveler]

Totally agree with you both. We first had freestyle dining on Norwegian Wind Hawaii trip and were converted immediately, esp. if/when we had a table for 2. Loved NCL that trip. Hated freestyle dining on Volendam, the rudest wait staff putting us with all sorts of family and large groups until we apparently became the 'passegers from hell' and got a table to ourselves so they could avoid us as much as poss.My ideal is F.D. and table for 2!

 

Our first freestyle (and 1st crusie) experience was also on the Wind in Hawaii in 05. We didn't know any different but now after three NCL cruises would have a very hard time with set dining. On the Wind in 05 they seemed to try to sit us with others, if we agreed and it was fine once in a while. Our other two crusies, Majesty and Spirit we were never asked to join others but always without question given a table for two.

If we came across a wait staff that we really liked, we would just ask where they were working next and if it worked maybe that would decide which mdr we went to. All in all the wait staff were all exceptional.

One thing you probably would never be able to do with set dining is something we have never had a problem doing on NCL. That is eating our main course before a show and returning for desert and coffee later.

There have been other opportunities to sit with strangers, the Murder Mystery meal, the Taste of India on the Spirit or if really desperate to meet strangers, invite yourself to someone else's table at the buffet.

[che5904]

invite yourself to someone else's table at the buffet.

 

:D Oh gosh, lets not even go there again, that thread got way out of hand ;)

[sjbdtz]

Seriously do people not go out to dinner at home? Are there really a lot of restaurants in people's home towns that set them with strangers?

 

That's a good question, and one hard to fathom as I look out my window at the downtown of a large city.

 

However if I lived in CornFieldTown, Iowa....it may be that the local greasy spoon is my only restaurant choice.

 

That, and people like to talk about themselves.... imagine a place where you get to tell all of your favorite stories to a new batch of people, every night. That would probably be a popular restaurant. :)

[che5904]

That's a good question, and one hard to fathom as I look out my window at the downtown of a large city.

 

However if I lived in CornFieldTown, Iowa....it may be that the local greasy spoon is my only restaurant choice.

 

That, and people like to talk about themselves.... imagine a place where you get to tell all of your favorite stories to a new batch of people, every night. That would probably be a popular restaurant. :)

 

Nope can't run with that one because I live in a "cornfieldtown" like place. Yup have a local greasy spoon but still are not interested in finding new people to tell my favorite stories too :D.

[jakenashleysmom]

Well.....first of all when I cruise on a ship with traditional dining I don't sit with "random people", except for at breakfast maybe lunch. Most cruiselines have tables for 2, 4, 6, or larger tables for people who prefer to sit with "random people". In the past I have been seated with "rp" and met some of the nicest, most interesting people. Mostly everyone is happy and interested in being social if they have chosen to be seated with others, they are on vacation. Are there some crabby self-centered people that you take the risk of being seated with, yes it happens. Personally I enjoy the whole scene of traditional dining, everyone comes into the dining room and greets each other and the waitstaff. You get to know the people at the surrounding tables and find out how their day was.

 

I am interested and looking forward to trying freestyle, as you can see in my signature we are sailing on the Star in a couple of months. I am glad to hear that people enjoy freestyle, I will be with family and it seems it will suit our needs this time around. I will always enjoy traditional dining, and hope to add freestyle dining to my list of likes!

[my_crib_too]

I am interested and looking forward to trying freestyle, as you can see in my signature we are sailing on the Star in a couple of months. I am glad to hear that people enjoy freestyle, I will be with family and it seems it will suit our needs this time around. I will always enjoy traditional dining, and hope to add freestyle dining to my list of likes!

 

Welcome to NCL, the STAR is a great boat!!!

[che5904]

Well.....first of all when I cruise on a ship with traditional dining I don't sit with "random people", except for at breakfast maybe lunch. Most cruiselines have tables for 2, 4, 6, or larger tables for people who prefer to sit with "random people". In the past I have been seated with "rp" and met some of the nicest, most interesting people. Mostly everyone is happy and interested in being social if they have chosen to be seated with others, they are on vacation. Are there some crabby self-centered people that you take the risk of being seated with, yes it happens. Personally I enjoy the whole scene of traditional dining, everyone comes into the dining room and greets each other and the waitstaff. You get to know the people at the surrounding tables and find out how their day was.

 

I am interested and looking forward to trying freestyle, as you can see in my signature we are sailing on the Star in a couple of months. I am glad to hear that people enjoy freestyle, I will be with family and it seems it will suit our needs this time around. I will always enjoy traditional dining, and hope to add freestyle dining to my list of likes!

 

OK I totally get where you are coming from with the reasons you like traditional. But I think what confuses me is your wording "look forward to trying freestyle". Do you never go out to dinner at home? Freestyle is not a new concept it is exactly the same as land. You show up when the restaurant is open and you are hungry, tell the host how many is in your party, sit and eat. If it is a better class of restaurant, the same as land you phone ahead to make reservations, show up, again give your name to the host, sit and eat. Why would you have to "try" something that most do at least a couple of times a month at home.

 

I could more understand the need to "try" traditional since it is not the norm in every day life.

[wrestlemom]

We have only cruised with NCL so we only know FREESTYLE and we love it. We are not the kind of people that want to be told when to eat and who you will be eating with. I argue with my boss about this all the time. She said they did not like the Freestyle but they are older and set in their ways. We would not enjoy "traditional dining" at all.

[che5904]

Personally I enjoy traditional dining, many times they do try and match guests with similar demographics so it usually works out.

 

Curiosity, how do they match guests with similar demographics. How much personal information do you have to give the other cruiselines that I don't have to give NCL. The only personal information I give NCL when I book, is my name, address, phone number, age and passport number.

[halos]

I'm a fan of freestyle dining. I avoid random people at all costs. Maybe I'm antisocial. I don't get people's obsessions with a set dining time. And sitting with random people? People choosing cruises because it has traditional dining? Do you sit with the same people at a restaurant on land? The only reasons cruise ships originally had dining like this was so that they could serve all the guests in the main dining rooms. Now with all the other options for dining, traditional seating seems very archaic.

 

Why do you want to get to know the waiters? Let's be realistic, you will probably never see them again and the oh so important "they remember my name" disappears as soon as the cruise is over.

 

I'm willing to bet that more people on traditional cruise lines have more trouble with the set dining time and table then people who actually enjoy it. Its a nightmare, sitting with random people with nothing in common. If they actually paired people with similar interests then that might be more interesting.

 

If freestyle cruising is the reason you don't try NCL, then I feel sorry for you.

 

First let's make it clear that I am a huge Freestyle Fan (now I am anyway)

 

Let me explain why someone would like Traditional dining...and also why you shouldn't 'feel sorry' for anyone (how snarky is that anyway???????:rolleyes:)

 

Getting to know your waiters...That's not really what happens. The waiters get to know you is what it actually means. After the first night, they know your name, what roll you are likely to choose from the bread basket, if you like iced tea or need the sommelier to come to the table. They figure out what your tastes are and make recommendations based on YOUR likes and not what they liked on the menu that evening.

 

 

Some people are very social....some people actually enjoy sitting with strangers. Strangers are friends you just haven't met yet.

Not everyone is antisocial.

Everyone is different...I'm surprised you don't 'get' this...

 

As for your guess that most people have issues with assigned dining times, that is FAR from accurate. I would think an adult would know better than to make a statement like that when they have never tried something. If someone claims to hate Freestyle before trying it, that is equally as bad.

 

 

having said all that, my first experience with Freestyle after Traditional Dining was a little weird for me...I soon grew to love it. That doesn't mean EVERYONE should also embrace it.

 

personally I don't want everyone to love NCL/Freestyle......If everyone did, the ships would be far more crowded and the prices would be astronomical to cruise NCL.

 

I like that it's different strokes for different folks.

[pappagene]

I may be one of the few weird people out there, but I enjoy both kinds of dinner settings. First 3 cruises were, of course, set dinning. We then went to a freestyle dinning on a ship not made to handle this style. We were confused as to when to make reservations, when not to, etc. We just about threw up our hands and really didn't like it. We gave it another try on the Spirit, totaly different experience. They were designed to handle anytime dinning. We really enjoyed it. On the Freedom, it is set dinning and since we were acustomed to it, adjusted very well. We ended up being only one of two tables our waiter had at our seating. We got way to spoiled with all of the attention and being able to have a conversation with the wait staff and learning some things about them. NCL has been good to us and I will probably continue to sail with them as long as possible. (RAH, RAH, cheerleader stuff)

 

So, IMHO, both have their advantages and disadvantages. I really do like them both.

 

Gene

[NJ04SS]

I agree with above. I enjoy both settings, sitting with people as well as just me and my girl. However, personally I do PREFER freestyle of traditional. Yet, its not for the reason of sitting alone, its the reason of eating whenever I want. Not waiting for a certain time and having to go to the buffet.

[laxlove6]

I get it if you are by yourself and you want to meet people but wouldn't it be better to meet people wherever you have common interests like, bingo or the disco or casino or art auctions or wine tastings then invite people to join you for dinner?

 

Its just bizarre that people say they won't go on NCL just because of freestyle cruising. The EPIC is one of the top ships in the world right now and people are really missing out not by taking a chance to go on it.

[mickeysgal]

What I disliked about traditional dining was the set in stone time. Whether it be the early or late seating, it always created a hassle. Either we were busy doing something else on the ship, tired and weren't quite ready for dinner, not hungry enough yet, you name it, we didn't have a choice. We had to hurry up and show up. Yes, I know that the buffet was our option in these cases, but we really do prefer the MDR - just on our own schedule, not the ship's. We like the flexibility that freestyle gives us.

[nbsjcruiser]

I'm a fan of freestyle dining. I avoid random people at all costs. Maybe I'm antisocial. I don't get people's obsessions with a set dining time. And sitting with random people? People choosing cruises because it has traditional dining? Do you sit with the same people at a restaurant on land? The only reasons cruise ships originally had dining like this was so that they could serve all the guests in the main dining rooms. Now with all the other options for dining, traditional seating seems very archaic.

 

Why do you want to get to know the waiters? Let's be realistic, you will probably never see them again and the oh so important "they remember my name" disappears as soon as the cruise is over.

 

I'm willing to bet that more people on traditional cruise lines have more trouble with the set dining time and table then people who actually enjoy it. Its a nightmare, sitting with random people with nothing in common. If they actually paired people with similar interests then that might be more interesting.

 

If freestyle cruising is the reason you don't try NCL, then I feel sorry for you.

 

It is the rare person who actually likes meeting strange people especially over dinner. We're all uncomfortable doing that but I've met some people on cruise lines at dinner who I still call friends and even email occasionally. One time when we were on the NOS we had a table for 8 and only DW and I and another couple (much younger than us) showed up. Awkward was the first thing that came to my head but after the first night we hit it off famously and even did a specialty dining with them one night at their invitation. Another time on the Radiance DW, DS and I were placed at a table with senior citizens and we were in our mid 40's and DS was 16 at the time. When I sat down I thought, here we go, talk about medicines and grandchildren all week, but you know what? We had a great time with them for 8 days. They were fun to be around and we all exchanged email address to remain in contact with each other. Last year we even ran into one of couple on a Carnival cruise we were on which was neat.

 

So don't knock it until you tried it. I'm one who enjoys the same waiters and the same tablemates all week but I'm going to try free-style for the first time on Sunday on the Pearl and I bet I'll enjoy it. So try it a couple times - I bet you'll make new friends and have great memories.

[jakenashleysmom]

OK I totally get where you are coming from with the reasons you like traditional. But I think what confuses me is your wording "look forward to trying freestyle". Do you never go out to dinner at home? Freestyle is not a new concept it is exactly the same as land. You show up when the restaurant is open and you are hungry, tell the host how many is in your party, sit and eat. If it is a better class of restaurant, the same as land you phone ahead to make reservations, show up, again give your name to the host, sit and eat. Why would you have to "try" something that most do at least a couple of times a month at home.

 

I could more understand the need to "try" traditional since it is not the norm in every day life.

 

If I wanted my dining experience to be "the same as land", I would stay on the land first of all. I do not go on a cruise to experience "the norm in everyday life" as you put it, I want it to be special. I am not looking forward to figuring what time the restaurants will be handing out beepers because they are busy either. At home I know which restaurants are busy on what nights, and generally make a reservation unless I am prepared to wait. I am going into this with an open mind, and like I said it may be just the thing with extended family joining us. I hope I am pleasantly surprised by the concept and will not compare apples to oranges....

[nbsjcruiser]

I get it if you are by yourself and you want to meet people but wouldn't it be better to meet people wherever you have common interests like, bingo or the disco or casino or art auctions or wine tastings then invite people to join you for dinner?

 

Its just bizarre that people say they won't go on NCL just because of freestyle cruising. The EPIC is one of the top ships in the world right now and people are really missing out not by taking a chance to go on it.

 

No more bizarre than thinking you need to have something in common to talk to someone. Hell, you have cruising in common, that's a start.

[disfan13]

Curiosity, how do they match guests with similar demographics. How much personal information do you have to give the other cruiselines that I don't have to give NCL. The only personal information I give NCL when I book, is my name, address, phone number, age and passport number.

Your age and who you are booked with is pretty much what I meant about demographics. It really does usually work out.

 

I don't think it's the freestyle cruising that many do not like, I think it's the fact that many feel that the food is not on par with other traditional lines in the main dining room and they feel they are being pushed to the specialty restaurants. I'm pretty easy to please, and again love NCL but thought the food in the main dining rooms was not very tasty at all. The quality is probably on par with other main streem lines. People also read too much into the reviews they see here - 5 people on the same cruise will have 5 completely different views of the cruise! I have not sailed that much, but have tried RCCL, CCL and NCL and am booked again on NCL and looking forward to it. I would book CCL and RCCL again in a heartbeat as well.

[laxlove6]

People complain about the speciality restaurant charges but fail to compare the fare prices to lines that they say have better food. I've been on RCCL, Celebrity,NCL, CCL, and the specialty restaurant on NCL are equal if not better then all the food on the rest of those cruise lines and the fares are generally less. So add in $100 in specialty restauratns on NCL and you great food for a lower total price.

[aunixguru]

My first cruise was on a Carnival and I really didn't like sitting at a table with a bunch at strangers at a specific time.

 

It makes it embarrassing to order the 2nd lobster!

 

Since my first NCL cruise, I have never looked back.

 

I wouldn't have it any other way.