Dynamic Dining Disaster Longer Cruises

[Maraprince]

Since everyone knows about the WJ, I'm not sure people are looking at it closely. They have changed quite a bit. They will have a new 24 hour station in the WJ that will have chicken, philly cheese steaks and (my favorite) breakfast served all day. There will be a bakery, and fresh paninis. There will be an outdoor terrace too. And the favorite made to order stuff and international foods. I think its great that they have expanded this option. For those with kids they can take the kids to the WJ for an early dinner, drop them off at AO, and then have a nice adult dinner, with reservations, just like they would have at home with a sitter. No one is thinking about having a WJ dinner in their calculations. Sure, you have to serve yourself the food, but you dont have to pick up your plates or clean the table, or do the dishes, etc. Based on the seating capacity (850) they are more than able to accommodate people, without reservations. on all of our previous cruises the WJ was a favorite place for us some evenings. We book last moment and always got stuck with the late seating, even MTD would be booked. We would stop at the WJ when it opened for a bite (cheese, soup, sample the MDR stuff) before a walk around deck and dinner, or go to the show before our main dinner. If we again get stuck with only late reservations being open, we will gladly do the same thing. we were never starving by dinner, and it was often quieter than the MDR, plus we actually got to sit together as a couple. sure, we were not served by others, but the quiet alone time was far more romantic and enjoyable for us than the noisy, programmed, late, always formal because you are eating with strangers dinner in the MDR. considering how empty the MDR is most nights (MTD not withstanding), i think this is a wise move. It was a huge space in the ship that was unused so much.

 

I am a picky eater, and looking at the menus, there is something i am excited about at every restaurant, often multiple items. What this means to me is I can go the the same restaurant more than once, and have different things. I wont feel pressured to try them all at once because i will never see them again, causing me overeat and feel awful some nights, and other nights just poke at an appetizer because there is nothing on the menu that i will eat, and then i am hungry. as a picky eater I LOVE being able to eat with my DH alone at a 2-top. I am not embarrassed if i do not like something, or if i skip the entree because i dont like them. The table mates are not awkwardly trying to eat faster because im sitting there poking at a roll. i am not defending my eating preferences. instead i can choose to eat from a menu that i will like with the person i choose, at a time that is nice. I had no intention of looking at cruising again in the next few years, but with the dynamic dining announcement i am definitely interested in booking sooner (now to find vacation time...)

 

 

This may be an interesting solution to not having a reservation. But is it really a good option when you are paying a much higher cabin rate to eat at the buffet? The menus do not change in each of the themed food restaurants along with the always available. So, if you want new choices, the buffet is the option you will end up with? Lots of people have dietary restrictions and cannot eat the more elaborately prepared dishes.

 

Having to make reservations for dinner and reservations for the shows, it may well end up with more passengers eating at the WJ than the newly created smaller restaurants which have limited seating capacity.

 

With the WJ being opened 24 hours a day, does the added room service charge after midnight go away?

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[Kenlorz]

 

With the WJ being opened 24 hours a day, does the added room service charge after midnight go away?

 

 

MARAPRINCE

 

My guess.... the after midnight fee stays in place. Why? Because I think it was put in place to deter people from ordering food late at night on a whim and then promptly falling asleep before it gets there. I've heard tales that a large portion of the late night orders went to waste before the fees were put into place. If this scenario is true, then I don't see them waving the fee. The good news now, however, is that we can traipse over to the WJ and get ourselves a bite for free no matter what time of night it is :)

Edited April 8, 2014 by Kenlorz

[Kenlorz]

i didn't even do the math but it totally makes sense. i'm also concerned that what if we have a rez in one restaurant that we already ate in, but it turns out we don't like it. then we're on board and everything has already been booked so now what? we're forced to eat off the same bad menu? this whole switch has disaster written all over it.

 

I definitely see your point, but I do think the same can be said no matter what the venue... with or without the Dynamic Dining being in place. There's always the chance you don't like the food being offered where you plan to eat, even in the MDR (or perhaps, more likely in the MDR ;)). With so many options onboard, there is always something that can be found in place of a venue that was found to be a "DUD". The cafe in TWO70, Michael's Pub, the newly expanded WJ, the fabulous hot dogs at the food truck, the bar food at the pub in the Music hall, room service... something will surely catch your eye.

[Cigar King]

i'm also concerned that what if we have a rez in one restaurant that we already ate in, but it turns out we don't like it. then we're on board and everything has already been booked so now what? we're forced to eat off the same bad menu? this whole switch has disaster written all over it.

 

One bad meal hardly qualifies as a "disaster". There are options that don't require a "rez" and you could always grab something there.

[CaptData]

They said you can cancel your rez at any time. If you don't like it that night cancel your rez for the next day then and there. No problem. Then book another at one you may like.

[dorito6778]

One bad meal hardly qualifies as a "disaster". There are options that don't require a "rez" and you could always grab something there.

 

i didnt mean one bad meal was a disaster. i just meant, if you eat in one restaurant, dont like the food, want to switch, but cant .... and multiply that by 4000 passengers. thats the (logistical) disaster.

 

and personally, i'm not paying all this money to eat dinner from a hot dog truck, you know? my family and i really appreciate the traditional dining arrangement. we like that the waiters and sommeliers know to have a coke for MH, a milk for DD, a martini for my dad, and 2 wine glasses for me and my mom on the table before we arrive for dinner. when we booked quantum last June, i dont think dynamic dining had been announced yet.

 

we're going to give it the old college try and roll with it. if we dont like it, we dont do it again. there you go.

Edited April 11, 2014 by dorito6778

[Maraprince]

i didnt mean one bad meal was a disaster. i just meant, if you eat in one restaurant, dont like the food, want to switch, but cant .... and multiply that by 4000 passengers. thats the (logistical) disaster.

 

and personally, i'm not paying all this money to eat dinner from a hot dog truck, you know? my family and i really appreciate the traditional dining arrangement. we like that the waiters and sommeliers know to have a coke for MH, a milk for DD, a martini for my dad, and 2 wine glasses for me and my mom on the table before we arrive for dinner. when we booked quantum last June, i dont think dynamic dining had been announced yet.

 

we're going to give it the old college try and roll with it. if we dont like it, we dont do it again. there you go.

 

 

Your point about paying a higher cabin rate and eating at a hot dog truck is well taken! We have always had late seating in the MDR exactly for the reasons you listed.

 

I had the feeling something wasn't quite the norm when all that we kept hearing about was the bumper cars. I really expected that there would be a delay in ship being built and pushing back the original sail dates, but not the food angle. At least NCL introduced Free Style on a much smaller ship and had to get lots of bugs out. Still is not 100%. For RCL to start on a new ship with crew that is still getting used to sailing together and with so many passengers, it should be really interesting. Lots of passengers will think (just as they did with MTD and Free Style) that they can just show up whenever without reserving and be seated. Some may luck others while others may not. Seeing a lot meals in the WJ being served, many more than they may think.

 

MARAPRINCE

[PhilNDebbieAtSea]

I love traditional dining, but I am getting excited about the dynamic dining. I do foresee initial problems with the logistics, but will take it in stride. I am a very picky eater, but there is at least 2 entrees on each menu I am excited to try. :)

[beachnative]

The whole concept of Dynamic Dining seems to fall apart on a longer cruise. We are on a 13 nighter on the Anthem next year. In the past we would have had say 6 different choices each night in the MDR - these choices would change giving a total of 78 choices on the cruise. We now have 8 choices for the 4 dining rooms for the whole cruise- a total of 32 choices, This does not seem very dynamic to me!

 

I have already booked my Dynamic Dining reservations for 3 Quantum cruises and am VERY satisfied with the selections that will be available to me.

 

I totally disagree with the statement that the whole concept of Dynamic Dining seems to fall apart on a longer cruise.

[beachnative]

i didn't even do the math but it totally makes sense. i'm also concerned that what if we have a rez in one restaurant that we already ate in, but it turns out we don't like it. then we're on board and everything has already been booked so now what? we're forced to eat off the same bad menu? this whole switch has disaster written all over it.

 

To avoid your possible "disaster"… don't book the Quantum.

[negc]

i didn't even do the math but it totally makes sense. i'm also concerned that what if we have a rez in one restaurant that we already ate in, but it turns out we don't like it. then we're on board and everything has already been booked so now what? we're forced to eat off the same bad menu? this whole switch has disaster written all over it.

 

You may automatically assume that "everything has already been booked" but do you really think that is likely to be the case and that you will be any worse of than when, under the current system, you don't happen to like the particular menu of the day. With multiple dining options it seems to me that it is more likely that you will be able to book another complimentary restaurant than what exists under the current system where you are limited to the one alternative :)complimentary restaurant, the Windjammer.

[nelblu]

We're on an 11 niter on Feb. 2nd. As soon as the booking opens, we've planned on dining of: 4 at American Icon, 2 at Grande, 1 each at Chic and Silk, 2 at Jamie's Italian and one open. I'm hoping for a Specialty Dining package, as it offered at select ships, to complement/tweak our entire dining experience.

 

Does anyone have any update on packages?

[Thetrail]

You are so right about that. They are obviously trying to force us to go to the for a charge restaurants. Unless you want to wait in line at the Windjammer. This just is not right considering the price of these two ships.

Your wrong and way off base with this post...:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[waterbug123]

In the past we would have had say 6 different choices each night in the MDR - these choices would change giving a total of 78 choices on the cruise. We now have 8 choices for the 4 dining rooms for the whole cruise- a total of 32 choices, This does not seem very dynamic to me!

 

I think your comparison is a little off base. With traditional dining, you don't have all 78 choices available on any given night, you only have 6. So if you go to the MDR and see 2 or 3 things you want to try, you have to pick one and you never get a chance on another night to try the ones you passed up. Meanwhile on Quantum, those same 32 choices are all available every single night and you can see the menus ahead of time. So every night you can decide with of 32 things (rather than just which one of 6 things) you'd like to have and make your reservation accordingly. Fewer choices overall, but far more choices on any given night.

 

 

My point is that if you divide the 32 by 13 you only end up with a choice between just over 2 on each night of the cruise. If you don't eat fish or red meat or chicken for example - you don't end up with any choices at all.

 

2 choices per night? No. You will have 32 choices every night and even if you order something different every night, you still won't get to try to try even half the menu offerings. And NO choices at all if you don't eat fish or red meat?? Think about what you're saying, LOL. I haven't memorized all the menus but from glancing at them I'm pretty sure they all have some poultry and vegetarian options so there will ALWAYS be options for people who don't eat fish or don't eat red meat.