Dynamic dining nightmare

[Maraprince]

Let's get one thing straight...RCCL caused the problems themselves. Why? They released a product without testing it on a limited basis to make sure it worked properly. Any IT staff worth a penny knows you do not switch over totally to a new system without adding in some redundancy to assure that the new system is truly operational.

 

RCCL was in such a rush to change to DD that they also forgot to do a proper advertising blitz informing everyone of:

 

. what DD was

. how DD would work

. what the passengers needed to do on their end

 

Many passengers were in the dark about DD would mean. There was little or no information about Q in the media. If you have such a drastic change and are "breaking new ground" with a "state of the art" high tech ship, where was the information on it? Some passengers booked the Q more than a year ago and were never told that it would be so drastically different from any other ship in the RCCL fleet.

 

With the Anthem, you see TV commercials and get to actually see some of the "bells and whistles" that make it different, but again nowhere in the TV ads is the DD concept and reserving of shows mentioned.

 

I especially like that "first time cruisers" love the DD concept. Why? They have never sailed before and are not aware that DD is not the norm.

 

MARAPRINCE

[bouhunter]

Book the entertainment you want to see and book the dining around it. Guys this is not a hard thing to do, who doesn't look at their cruise booking every day or every other day as the cruise approaches? If you really like set dining Harmony or other oasis class or freedom class ships will still be available and welcoming. The quantum class was noted as a different experience and for some different means good and for others different means bad.

 

Well gee, that sounds so simple........:rolleyes: Or rather pathetic.....:rolleyes: Or even more so, NOT FUN!!!!! Glad we are not booking nor ever will on Oasis or Allure..................... More power to the people who want to put up with this stuff on those big ships!

Edited April 22, 2015 by bouhunter

[Deenie33]

you are right. There are way too many vacation options to choose from without all this planning. The idea is to destress not add to it.

 

where is the "like" button?

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Is it true that the dynamic dining menus don't change? If that's true, you're actually given less dining options than a rotating MDR, especially on a longer cruise.

 

Let's say all these reservation problems are fixed, and complaints about service/food are from frustrated people looking at the glass as half empty. So on a 10 day cruise, I have what, 6 or 8 different entree's to choose from with a MDR? Let's say, 6 x 10 days = 60 + 4 repeated = 64 different dishes.

 

Now I'm going to have no interest in American comfort food, so I'm down to 3 dynamic dining options. If they repeat, that's 8 x 3 = 32 different dishes.

 

Better yet, why not introduce "DOUBLE dynamic Dining", split all these restaurants into 2, and offer 3 repeating options at each! Yay! :)

[Doc2725]

Which is exactly what Dynamic Dining "Classic" will give you

 

Right, because that is going to work out, probably just as well as Dynamic Dining did.

[Clarea]

Is it true that the dynamic dining menus don't change...?

I believe they are now changing the menus once, midway through the cruise.

[bouhunter]

Is it true that the dynamic dining menus don't change? If that's true, you're actually given less dining options than a rotating MDR, especially on a longer cruise.

 

Let's say all these reservation problems are fixed, and complaints about service/food are from frustrated people looking at the glass as half empty. So on a 10 day cruise, I have what, 6 or 8 different entree's to choose from with a MDR? Let's say, 6 x 10 days = 60 + 4 repeated = 64 different dishes.

 

Now I'm going to have no interest in American comfort food, so I'm down to 3 dynamic dining options. If they repeat, that's 8 x 3 = 32 different dishes.

 

Better yet, why not introduce "DOUBLE dynamic Dining", split all these restaurants into 2, and offer 3 repeating options at each! Yay! :)

 

My head is spinning.......:rolleyes: That must be the point?

[SaintL]

I don't know about anyone else but I have wasted hours trying to book dining to match up with booked entertainment - and this only on a three night cruise on Anthem. In the midst of all this chaos they have introduced Classic dining (but no-one told us so we cannot change to that) and changed a couple of the dining options from select to a la carte - again with no notice.

 

This is my first RCI cruise - it's not encouraging me to return!

 

Dont you do this in your every day life? why is it so hard to do a reservation at 6 if you have a show at 9. and if there is no times available for when you need it you do it another day or you dont do it at all. its priorities.

 

I really wish RCCL wouldn't have buckled to these comments and introduced a classic dining, i wouldnt manage two dining programs from a corporate point of view, most people will get used to it as this is how dining on land is, anyone really against it can go to another line but im sure that percentage would have been few.

[RocketMan275]

What are they going to do, completely reconstruct the MDR areas? This new concept must be lucrative!

 

Yes, that's what happened to the Oasis last year and will happen to the Allure next month. Harmony will have those changes from get go. The rest of the fleet - not so sure it'll work on those other ships.

 

Reconstruction would not be the word I would use to describe the changes on Oasis which were a difference in decor and a new sign on the door. The overall layout did not change. If RCI had reconstructed the MDR, then it would have been very difficult to smoothly postpone DD.

 

That said, RCI does expect DD to be lucrative. They expect that DD will bring a new and younger demographic to cruising. This new demographic will become more significant as the older demographic ages.

[Toddy709]

I have my first RC cruise coming up in October. I normally do a lot of research when trying something new, but this year has been crazy and I've had no time to spend on the boards or RC website.

 

I'm reading this thread and thinking WHAT???? We have to PRE-BOOK our entertainment??? Seriously? Much less trying to figure out what all this dining stuff is about. It really DOES sound more like work to me...

 

I think I've picked a bad time to try something new:confused::confused:

[Stateroom_Sailor]

I believe they are now changing the menus once, midway through the cruise.

 

Ok, that at least balances it out.

[bouhunter]

Dont you do this in your every day life? why is it so hard to do a reservation at 6 if you have a show at 9. and if there is no times available for when you need it you do it another day or you dont do it at all. its priorities.

 

I really wish RCCL wouldn't have buckled to these comments and introduced a classic dining, i wouldnt manage two dining programs from a corporate point of view, most people will get used to it as this is how dining on land is, anyone really against it can go to another line but im sure that percentage would have been few.

 

Huh??????? Also still not sure what you meant about the "corporate point of view"......... A very rambling odd post overall. Whatever, give it your best shot I guess.......

[Debde]

I don't get this. If you don't want traditional-just wing it while on board. I have no idea months out from my cruise when I want to eat on Tuesday night of vacation. If you are the type that does not care about structure and repetition, just go for broke and play it day by day.

I'm not being sarcastic-is this truly impossible??:confused:

[svillager]

For everyone shrugging off - how easy it is is to book dining to match entertainment - you obviously haven't cruised Quantum/Anthem.

 

Once booked - it is recommended that you book your dining experiences - months or over a year, depending on when you booked your cruise - before your sailing.

 

If you do not - the dining times will fill up, and you will not get what you desire - and will need to resolve it once onboard.

 

Sounds simple - except that the entertainment calendar is not announced until after final booking - so suddenly you need to change your dining times - and nothing is available.

 

The system (good old IT) will not allow you to reserve the shows if it conflicts with dining - so you end up canceling the dining and then wait until you are onboard to make dining reservations, if available.

 

It's their system design.

 

Now if entertainment and dining were bookable at the same time - there would be nothing to complain about.

[Hoopster95]

Entertainment/show times on Q were exactly like traditional ships. I planned my dining exactly like traditional ships, eating "early seating" and later show.... I never missed a show and got to see several shows twice (ie. Starwater 3 times).

 

If you like eating late then go ahead and book late dinner... you WILL get an early show just like traditional ships, You don't have to book anything at all. You can walk up to any venue and ask to be seated, each venue saves many tables for walk-ups. If all 4000 people go to the same venue as a walk-up then obviously you won't get in, correct?? Well then just go across the hall to the other venue and have a great dinner there!

 

On my most recent Legend cruise, the MTD Maitre-D and Hotel Manager said to avoid coming to the traditional MTD dining between 6-7:30 as was totally pre-booked, and I'd only get in without a very long wait if someone cancels. My only choice was to book 5:30, 8, or pay for Chops or Izumi. I have seen massive line-ups and angry cruisers who were booked and reserved in MTD waiting and complaining about lines on many other traditional dining ships. This is not an issue only on Quantum Class. There have been many others in reviews mention the line-ups in MTD on traditional ships.

 

Bottom line:

• If you hate change, or you can't handle change, if you are set and comfortable in your ways, if you demand the same waiter/same chair/same people, if you wish to not have choices and everything pre-planned so you can destress on your vacation, then 100% absolutely do not book Quantum class.
  
• If you like making choices, if you like having control, if you like different things rather than same thing all the time, if you like excitement, if you are good at decision making if plan A doesn't work out (so you go to plan B or C without being upset), if you are active, if you like meeting a ton of people every day instead of 4 people per day at your MDR table, then you absolutely must do Quantum Class... phenomenal!
  

 

I love both.... major pros and cons to both. Before any of you who have never tried Dynamic Dining write it off, you should try it yourself before reserving an opinion of fact.

[Hoopster95]

A current thread from someone who just came off of Anthem:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2199738

 

"Dining - we ate at American Icon and Chic, both meals were excellent, and the restaurant ambience was beautiful too. They are introducing traditional dining to the dynamic dining plan, so if you wish to dine at a set time, on a set table with a set waiter, you can, but heres the twist - you will rotate around the four restaurants allocated for dynamic dining - Chic, Grande, American Icon and Silk. I thought this was a genius idea and am sure will prove very popular."

 

 

And Bugsy (Chris) has a very popular live review going as we speak with a ton of food pictures and comments throughout the review.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2194231

Edited April 22, 2015 by Hoopster95

[nelblu]

I sure Anthem is a unbelievable ship , but not interested in any ship where I cannot get same table same time same waiter, like I have been doing for over 30 years. Should try another RCCL ship

 

Classic dining achieves that.

[antsnanny]

Sharon, as a host here you have to deal with lots of details. consider it a day at Cruise critic, sure there is chaos and disaster, but at the end of the day it is all fun and games and everyone moves on.

 

Just book a single restaurant you like, it is just a 3 day cruise. not a lifetime at sea.

 

just sayin...

 

jc:D

 

Its her three days and she has a valid point, I am on a 8 day and made my reservations when the web site first became available to do so. We went to add our shows and all our reservations were gone! I was told on the phone they had dining options for me all after 10PM. There is something wrong with the system!

That all said, I think you were pretty rude to the host!

[antsnanny]

Book the entertainment you want to see and book the dining around it. Guys this is not a hard thing to do, who doesn't look at their cruise booking every day or every other day as the cruise approaches? If you really like set dining Harmony or other oasis class or freedom class ships will still be available and welcoming. The quantum class was noted as a different experience and for some different means good and for others different means bad.

 

 

Rob, sounds like Dynamic Dining is going fleet wide!

[svillager]

I think everyone is turning the thread away from what the OP was complaining about.

 

This isn't a 'which way dining is better' - it's the inability to make reservations due to system designs and crack IT programmers.

 

One thing I learned in the past year since the new system came out is that QA and Best Practices are not a part of any systems implementation done by the IT team.

 

Some people have no problems - then the next day a change goes in, and another cruiser making reservations experience issues.

 

I have experienced it on other facets of my bookings, but that's not what we are discussing.

 

Personally I am a dinosaur when it comes to dining, but enjoyed DD on Quantum, and now am experiencing the same issues as the OP for booking Anthem.

[Ocean Boy]

Dont you do this in your every day life? why is it so hard to do a reservation at 6 if you have a show at 9. and if there is no times available for when you need it you do it another day or you dont do it at all. its priorities.

 

I really wish RCCL wouldn't have buckled to these comments and introduced a classic dining, i wouldnt manage two dining programs from a corporate point of view, most people will get used to it as this is how dining on land is, anyone really against it can go to another line but im sure that percentage would have been few.

 

I suspect that if people wanted things on a cruise to be the same as they are on land then they would probably just book a land vacation. Cruising, for those who might not have noticed, is different... in many ways.

[Midwestgal]

I'm going to attempt to reserve a 7:30 dining time, works good with all the shows.

[Ocean Boy]

I'm going to attempt to reserve a 7:30 dining time, works good with all the shows.

 

It will be interesting to read what happens when 4000 other people on the ship realize the same thing.

[bogofman]

Whats different between DD and the current mytime dining , which we have used since it became available

 

what if you don't book? , cannot you just term up and be seated at an empty table?

 

surly we don't need to book entertainment, on all the ships we have been on the venues are never full, and we always turn up just before the show starts.

 

my main grip is why they do 7.30 and 9 shows (when most are eating) we prefere the 10:30 onwards for the shows as we eat late and don't do shows early

[Midwestgal]

It will be interesting to read what happens when 4000 other people on the ship realize the same thing.

 

All I can do is try. I will be online the second it opens.

I'm looking at all the latest shows most at 10:45 and 10:30 so it gives us a little wiggle room....fingers crossed.

I would hope if you have a dinner resservation at 7:30 they seat you before walk-up's. I'm ok with waiting a short time to be seated.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Midwestgal