Announcement guesses anyone???

[Kenlorz]

Looks like we will FINALLY have the dining information we have been looking forward to for so long. I doubt this will be a full ship reveal, though. I think we will still have more entertainment & shopping reveals to come. In fact, I wonder if some reveals will wait until the very end and be a surprise (wasn't the original flowrider on the Freedom kept under wraps until the sea trials or later?). So with the at least some of our wait about to come to an end...now it's time for guessing...

 

Any guesses on what's about to come?

Any guesses on what may come down the pike in the future?

 

I, personally, am wagering a guess at their being a Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville on board. I recall that last year the hostess at Rita's Cantina on the Allure was making broad scale announcements to her guests for over 3 consecutive sailings that Rita's would be replaced by a Margaritaville... the hostess on the Seafood Shack on the Oasis did the same. Then SILENCE. Not one more word about it. It was chalked up to a wild rumor. But it seems weird to me that these announcements were made publicly to all the guests dining in those establishments on 2 mega ships over the course of a few weeks if there was no merit to the announcements what-so-ever. My guess is that a contract was signed, but the staff made the huge mistake of making an announcement way before the allotted time and was later shut up. It would co-incide nicely with the Oasis' dry dock for upgrades.

 

I am also venturing a guess at the dining rooms not only being rotational, but having a similar feature to the virtual balconies. Perhaps skyline views of the city that matches the decor & flavor? A poster on another thread mentioned that since Disney already does rotational dining, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal to say "And now... our big reveal... dining just like Disney". They already took disney's virtual portholes & expanded it to something much grander... why couldn't they take the interactive virtual dining that Disney has and bring that to a much grander scale as well.

 

My third guess isn't really much of a guess. Back months ago, there was mention of a Rainbow Room reminiscent of the NY Rainbow Room of time gone by. So, I think another specialty dining venue will mirror something similar.

 

So, how about it? Anyone else have any guesses?

[DEIx15x8]

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville could be popular but they added it to Falmouth which is owned by RCCL. No way they can get any business in port if it's on the ship pulling in.

[viper17d]

I am also venturing a guess at the dining rooms not only being rotational, but having a similar feature to the virtual balconies. Perhaps skyline views of the city that matches the decor & flavor? A poster on another thread mentioned that since Disney already does rotational dining, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal to say "And now... our big reveal... dining just like Disney". They already took disney's virtual portholes & expanded it to something much grander... why couldn't they take the interactive virtual dining that Disney has and bring that to a much grander scale as well.

 

First, thank you for giving credence to the fact that RCCL won't be closely mimicing Disney.

 

Second, I think you are straight on with the guess of virtual dining. Rationale:

 

1) Dining space is currently on decks 3/4, no real windows down there consistent with past MDRs - how do you make it not feel like a cave? Virtual Screens

 

2) This allows RCCL the MOST flexibility: imagine that space is cut up into ~6 smaller dining rooms, each with virtual screens and neutral decor. This allows each room to be dynamic with food/setting determined by what food RCCL has on board AND what people want throughout the cruise. Since each of the rooms could fit any "locale" or type of food, the rooms can be flexible. If more cruisers are in the mood for Asian, American, French, South American, Spanish, Middle Eastern (etc...) food, you can allocate and "transform" more dining rooms into that style.

 

People are happy since they can have the food they want, RCCL is happy because it doesn't have an over-crowding issue. This way, you can keep My-Time Dining, you can keep specialty restaurants.

 

This could be way off... but it does make a certain amount of sense. Your thoughts?

[Irene7]

I hope they reveal everything that is left. I think we have waited long enough and some are even starting to lose interest.

 

If there is rotational dining, I think that would be great. I love the rotational dining on Disney with your servers following you to each dining room.

 

IMO every cruise line takes pages from other lines so I am ok with RCCL doing it. Princess was the first with the large outside screen and now other lines have it. RCCL first with rock climbing and now others have it. Disney with the fireworks which NCL now has and virtual windows which RCCL is using. Carnival was first with the ropes course and now NCL has it. It's all good!

[Kenlorz]

I hope they reveal everything that is left. I think we have waited long enough and some are even starting to lose interest.

 

If there is rotational dining, I think that would be great. I love the rotational dining on Disney with your servers following you to each dining room.

 

IMO every cruise line takes pages from other lines so I am ok with RCCL doing it. Princess was the first with the large outside screen and now other lines have it. RCCL first with rock climbing and now others have it. Disney with the fireworks which NCL now has and virtual windows which RCCL is using. Carnival was first with the ropes course and now NCL has it. It's all good!

 

Taking from other lines... things I would love to see the Quantum add... Fireworks, a Ropes Course & and maybe bowling. I would also very much like for them to keep some element of Central Park. I realize the ship's not designed for a true Central Park neighborhood like the Oasis class, but what a LOVELY area. I'm hoping for some live trees & foliage & maybe a water feature somewhere on the ship.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Kenlorz

[Kenlorz]

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville could be popular but they added it to Falmouth which is owned by RCCL. No way they can get any business in port if it's on the ship pulling in.

 

Unless they did sort of a "Lite" version. Limited offerings of the bigger venue. That might actually drum up business for some to get off the ship & try out the pool & larger offerings.

[Irene7]

Taking from other lines... things I would love to see the Quantum add... Fireworks, a Ropes Course & and maybe bowling

 

Sounds good to me!

[roe2ship]

My guess is that they will have something similar as NCL.....freestyle concept, do away with traditional dining. I don't care about schedule times however I do care if dress continues to go downhill.:rolleyes:

[gms5002]

Don't really care what's on the ship, I just want the May 2015 itineraries!

[rjrpar]

My guess is that they will have something similar as NCL.....freestyle concept, do away with traditional dining. I don't care about schedule times however I do care if dress continues to go downhill.:rolleyes:

 

Who cares what other people wear, does it really affect you?

[London-Calling]

Virtual dining is an excellent guess.

 

However with virtual balconies, virtual scenery (Two70) would virtual dining just be overkill?

 

Maybe the dining room/s will have been picture windows which are just not shown on the deck plans yet?

 

The great ocean liners had some beautiful dining rooms without windows. The lower-deck location is much more stable.

[London-Calling]

Who cares what other people wear, does it really affect you?

 

It can affect the atmosphere!

[Maraprince]

You can have windows on deck 3...other ships in their fleet have.

 

The menu on the Explorer was confusing as to what could and could not be ordered. We had to explain it to our tablemates who were on the ship for the first time.

 

Updated menus with more healthier options would be a step in the right direction. The Promande Cafe has such a limited menu that if you sail over 8 or 9 or 10 days, it starts to get a little old. Starts out good at first, but then it is the same stuff over and over. Lots of Asian food on the buffet and it could also be expanded to include other types of food since the bulk of the passengers are no longer from the US.

 

Many directions for the food could go. Maybe a revamp of room service menu and elimination of surchage after midnight.

 

More variety in the type of speciality restaurants would be a welcome addition. Perhaps some of the changes along what has been done with Celebrity which they also own.

 

MARAPRINCE

[roe2ship]

Who cares what other people wear, does it really affect you?

IMO, it can affect the atmosphere. When a dress code becomes "wear whatever you want" some people lose all common sense. They think wearing a ball cap for dinner at a restaurant/dining room is no big deal. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised with my one experience with NCL. There wasn't much difference in dress between them and other lines on casual nights. So thankfully it's only a very small percentage that take that policy to the extreme.

[smoosh21]

I hope it isn't Margaritaville. There are already enough of them at certain ports. Why would I want to have something on a ship that I can just get on land.

I have no issue with a Celebrity chef linked restaurant, but I would rather have something that is only on the ship, Like Carnival has with Guy Fieri. Celebrity cruises is already teaming up with Top Chef, so maybe Royal could do something where Tom Colicchio or Padma Lakshmi has a themed restaurant on board.