Cancelling Anthem due to No More Dynamic Dining

[robbykapnj]

Hi All,

 

I cannot believe royal caribbean has decided to get rid of dynamic dining all of a sudden. With final payment approaching, we signed up for a well-advertised product. Royal Caribbean sold us on dynamic dining. This ship was built for this concept, and we were really looking forward to trying it out.

 

Many cruisecritic members have expressed disappointment. In addition, many cruisecritic members do not seem to understand the rush to end dynamic and why this or any further changes can't wait until next year when the traditional concept for this ship can be advertised to those booking.

 

I hope Royal Caribbean reconsiders this decision so we can experience the expansive and array of menus in different and changing venues. We are reluctantly going to cancel due to the change in product and wanting a different dining experience while cruising.

 

-Robby

Edited September 12, 2016 by robbykapnj

[setsail]

Breaking news:rolleyes:

[lauren0309]

Does this mean the classic dining whwre each night they send you to a different dining room?

[Clarea]

Does this mean the classic dining whwre each night they send you to a different dining room?

No, I believe it will be similar to Freedom class now, where traditional diners will be fixed at one table the entire cruise and MTD diners will have tables that may or may not change nightly. However all will have the same menu that changes every night.

Edited September 12, 2016 by clarea

[Jenjer]

We loved it on Quantum and where looking forward to it on Anthem. Not sure if we will cancel we have some time but its not a check in the win column.

[cjdixon4]

Seems that rotational dining concept works well on Disney and a few other lines, but didn't translate into a true success for RCI. I heard more complaints about it than positive comments. Sorry that you'll have to cancel your sailing because of the changes.

[Biker19]

Does this mean the classic dining where each night they send you to a different dining room?

 

Yes, that's the one that is being cancelled and changed.

[Croozin Soozin]

Hi All,

 

I cannot believe royal caribbean has decided to get rid of dynamic dining all of a sudden. With final payment approaching, we signed up for a well-advertised product. Royal Caribbean sold us on dynamic dining. This ship was built for this concept, and we were really looking forward to trying it out.

 

Many cruisecritic members have expressed disappointment. In addition, many cruisecritic members do not seem to understand the rush to end dynamic and why this or any further changes can't wait until next year when the traditional concept for this ship can be advertised to those booking.

 

I hope Royal Caribbean reconsiders this decision so we can experience the expansive and array of menus in different and changing venues. We are reluctantly going to cancel due to the change in product and wanting a different dining experience while cruising.

 

-Robby

 

I thought you were cancelling because you didn't like the entertainment! Now it's the dining? Sounds like you were just looking for an excuse to cancel your cruise!

[Biker19]

 

PW+1

[vrock]

We really enjoyed the dd it was nice to have the option to avoid the formal dining room. We could still eat in the main dining room and not have to eat in wj or speciality dining. I agree it was a pita making all of the reservations but they worked well for us once in place. We had a great cruise on anthem.

[spookwife]

Seems that rotational dining concept works well on Disney and a few other lines, but didn't translate into a true success for RCI. I heard more complaints about it than positive comments. Sorry that you'll have to cancel your sailing because of the changes.

 

funny you should say that. I HATED it on Disney, mostly because the restaurant we were forced into on a particular day was NOT the flavor profile I wanted that evening for dinner.

[lady_cruiser]

I never realized that people cruised just for the dining experience. We cruise for the ports, to meet new friends and just to get away. At the age of 67 I am still learning new things.

[PortSideCruzan]

 

HI Robby :)

 

I'm sorry you're thinking about canceling your sailing. My wife & I are on the 12-day February 7th Valentine's voyage aboard the Anthem (25th wedding anniversary) and sadly for February 14th, the port of St Lucia has been cancelled and replaced with Fort de France Martinique. Not happy at all with that particular port & that was strike one, (however) we decided the port change did not warrant an entire voyage cancellation, and we investigated, researched, put our heads together, and figured out how to make lemonade out of the lemons for that particular, very special day that means so much to us. I won't, and will not go with the flow for that day, but I'm simply doing everything possible to make that day, 'ours', with a lot of advance planning & out of the box thinking in effort to make the day our own, just as we would & have done for the past 3 & a half decades of cruising.

 

In regards to the Dynamic Dining. We had Dynamic Choice. And of course we also were looking forward to 4 different complimentary restaurants as well. Strike two? Not entirely certain, yet dynamic dining was something I wanted to experience. But I have to be honest, Dynamic Dining or the ship itself, is not why why we booked the Anthem. We booked the voyage for the ports & we booked the voyage for the 25th Valentine's wedding anniversary. It just happened to be an extra bonus that the ship is very new & also had the dynamic dining concept.

 

Personally I feel the Anthem Of The Seas has many, many more bonuses to the ship other than being new & having the dynamic dining concept. The ship has far too much to offer.

 

 

I fully understand where you are coming from & respect your decision entirely. I also understand that the Anthems complimentary dining situation was designed for dynamic dining.

 

 

But I am very optimistic that from the day they discontinue dynamic dining (November 27th, 2016) until the day we board (February 7th, 2017) that two very essential things will occur; that being, 1, the kinks will be sorted out with the transformation of the 4 restaurants in regards to the Grande & Chic for traditional dining & the Silk & Icon for my time dining. And 2, between now & our voyage in February, there will certainly be large numbers of crew changes. And also, hundreds of crew (end of contract) changes simply during the Christmas & New Years holiday alone.

 

Best wishes in whatever decision you make. Evaluate your entire voyage & all of the details in regards to your particular sailing so you can make the best informed decision that best fits you. These decisions are extremely personal & individual.

 

Have a terrific day!

 

 

 

:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hac82]

I never realized that people cruised just for the dining experience. We cruise for the ports, to meet new friends and just to get away. At the age of 67 I am still learning new things.

I have been holding my comments back until I saw yours. I agree completely. When I first heard of DD we were skeptical but sailed on the Quantum and enjoyed DD but the couple we were with did not enjoy it as much. What I did miss was the interactions we would get by sitting at the same table with the same people every night. That is how we have managed to meet so many wonderful people on our cruises.

 

We also sailed on Anthem with a different couple and all four of us enjoyed DD and we are planning to be back on her in '17. We are disappointed that we will not get DD again but we are not cancelling. We will go with the flow, and hopefully meet new friends at our table at that time.

 

For us, the cruise in total is what we enjoy along with meeting people and sharing good times. DD, MTD, MDR, whatever it is, is fine with us.

 

As was stated by others, each person has their own expectations and feelings on what makes their cruise special. No one person is wrong or right. It is their opinion. Whenever there is a change, there will always be some that like it and some that will not. For us, it will always be lemonade as a previous poster stated.

 

Edited September 12, 2016 by hac82

[watson50]

I read the Dynamic Dining was being cancelled, so I called Royal and yes it is,BUT,you can always book classic1(6:00) or classic2(8:30). you will have the same table everynight and the same wait staff,and you will rotate to the four different restaurant every night.if you don't like the food choices in that restaurant,they will let you choose from what is on the other three restaurant menus.we always book traditional late seating table for two (8:30),classic2.we did it last time on the Anthem and it worked out great.Don't throw in the towel just yet.Give RCL a call @ 1 866 562 7625. Good Luck cool cruisers.:)

[watson50]

yes ,you still rotate

[hac82]

You might want to take a look at this link. "Royal Caribbean abandons Dynamic Dining on Anthem of the Seas"

 

in that article it says

"Traditional Dining will occur in The Grand and Chic restaurants and choose between early (6:00pm) and late seating (8:30pm). Traditional dining includes a fixed dining time, fixed venue, fixed table assignment and same table companions each evening.

Flexible Dining will occur in the Silk and American Icon Grill restaurants. Guests in Flexible Dining choose a preferred dining time and are seated on a first come, first served basis and include a variable dining time with fixed venue and flexible table assignments."

.

.

.

"New, upgraded dinner menus will be introduced each evening in all four main dining restaurants. "

 

All four dining rooms will have the same menu that is being used that day with a different menu each day just like in the MDR of their other ships

[robbykapnj]

Based on the article I read and the sample menus Royal Caribbean posted, early and late seating will be stuck in one of the two small dining venues. The menus looked identical to those we've had on our past cruises, without the new and more innovative options currently offered across the four restaurants and changing every 4 days.

 

If we still rotate and have the current menus, we definitely would keep our reservation and look forward to the new experience.

[Ourusualbeach]

Hi All,

 

I cannot believe royal caribbean has decided to get rid of dynamic dining all of a sudden. With final payment approaching, we signed up for a well-advertised product. Royal Caribbean sold us on dynamic dining. This ship was built for this concept, and we were really looking forward to trying it out.

 

Many cruisecritic members have expressed disappointment. In addition, many cruisecritic members do not seem to understand the rush to end dynamic and why this or any further changes can't wait until next year when the traditional concept for this ship can be advertised to those booking.

 

I hope Royal Caribbean reconsiders this decision so we can experience the expansive and array of menus in different and changing venues. We are reluctantly going to cancel due to the change in product and wanting a different dining experience while cruising.

 

-Robby

 

In order for them to not affect anyone they would not be able make any changes until April 2018 as all itineraries before that date have been released. That's a little far off to change something if they feel it needs fixing. Just be glad you are before your final payment and you have the option to cancel, some were after final payment and did not have that option.

 

IMO any significant changes should have a lead time of at least 120 days prior to sail date so that everyone has the opportunity to hear about the changes and decide if they want to cancel. (This cancellation without penalty should also be allowed for non North American bookings as well)

[loubetti]

Okay, OP, switch to a line that has DD.

 

For me, you haven't dined on a ship until you have had "open seating" dining with assigned table / waiters for all meals, come when you wish during the open hours, and the menu changes every night.

 

Oh, it's out there, but it'll cost ya'! :D

 

Frankly, I think DD was a flawed concept to begin with- not enough restaurant capacity to make it work.

[robbykapnj]

If there wasn't enough capacity to make Dynamic Dining work, how are they going to make traditional dining work in venues that are smaller and were specifically built for Dynamic Dining where more tables are flipped throughout the evening?

 

Seems like this "solution" may create even more headache and problems if this is implemented before the ship goes into drydock. Again, I don't get the rush. Even if this is going to be implemented before drydock, why can't RCL wait until sometime next year when cruisers have more time to make alternative vacation plans based on the switch and not scramble to cancel (if they are allowed to) last minute.

[time4u2go]

I read the Dynamic Dining was being cancelled, so I called Royal and yes it is,BUT,you can always book classic1(6:00) or classic2(8:30). you will have the same table everynight and the same wait staff,and you will rotate to the four different restaurant every night.if you don't like the food choices in that restaurant,they will let you choose from what is on the other three restaurant menus.we always book traditional late seating table for two (8:30),classic2.we did it last time on the Anthem and it worked out great.Don't throw in the towel just yet.Give RCL a call @ 1 866 562 7625. Good Luck cool cruisers.:)

 

I thought the menus are going to be the same in all 4 restaurants on any given night. :confused:

[hac82]

I thought the menus are going to be the same in all 4 restaurants on any given night. :confused:

They will be. Look back a few posts where I gave a link to an article that explains it. In that they said ""New, upgraded dinner menus will be introduced each evening in all four main dining restaurants. "

[internetwhiz]

Does anyone except Disney have rotational dining? If not, enjoy Disney!

[omarchs]

Agree that there wasn't enough capacity to make this work well, but we enjoyed it regardless on both the Quantum and Anthem. Was considering another trip on the Anthem, but we won't book now.

 

We enjoyed the variety of the different restaurants and dressing up on a random night in the grande if we felt like it. It made the Quantum class a unique experience on Royal rather than the boring 2 formal night routine on all their other ships.

 

It was frustrating if you couldn't change your reservation, but many fellow cruisers we spoke to on the trips also enjoyed it so I don't truly believe it was overwhelming public demand, but rather Royal wanting to bring Anthem in sync with all their other ships.