Thoughts while “Muse-ing” - Modifications for Muse 2?

[Stevanb]

It is a new concept they will have to work out the Kinks. When the mass market first started anytime dining everyone complained and said it will never work due to large capacity of ship . Now it mostly what everyone wants .

[wripro]

Mass market ships are going from a two seating system to alternative restaurants. There was never the option luxury lines offer of choosing to dine when you want with who you want at any time. So alternative restaurants offered something better. On the Muse they are offering something worse, a regimented reservation system which eliminates spontaneity.

[hypercafe]

NCL has had freestyle dinning for a very long time. The Muse offer's just speciality restaurants which usually work on just reservation's. Might not be the preferred ship for all.

 

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[Stevanb]

Mass markets MDR have had anytime dining for years . We have been on mass, Silver Seas twice and Crystal in Feb. It seems like the Muse is going like Crystal is . You have to make a reservation for the MDR in advance or if you do not you have to wait and see . In the alternative dining room we got to dine one time each and if you wanted a second time you had to pay. In certain categories. On Silver Sea we just went down and walked in small ship can do that . That was great but to many formal nights . It was like when we where on Cunard Vista- fjord, many moons ago . Times change people change wait till Silver Seas goes

Elegant casual there will be a great disturbance in the Force.

[wripro]

What do you think? Three years? Four? Before SS goes more casual? It's already a far cry from when I started sailing with them in 1994. In those days there was no "optional" on formal nights. Now I don't even pack a tuxedo any more.

[Bon.Vivant]

Mass markets MDR have had anytime dining for years . We have been on mass, Silver Seas twice and Crystal in Feb. It seems like the Muse is going like Crystal is . You have to make a reservation for the MDR in advance or if you do not you have to wait and see . In the alternative dining room we got to dine one time each and if you wanted a second time you had to pay. In certain categories. On Silver Sea we just went down and walked in small ship can do that . That was great but to many formal nights . It was like when we where on Cunard Vista- fjord, many moons ago . Times change people change wait till Silver Seas goes

Elegant casual there will be a great disturbance in the Force.

 

I've been on Crystal Symphony several times recently. You certainly do NOT need a reservation for the MDR. It's traditional set-seating with early and late sittings -- which I think works far better than what the Muse is doing -- at the least, you can be sure that you will (and when you will) be well fed and from a nice menu that has a number of options to chose from and which varies each night. Everyone has the option to go once to each of the two specialty restaurants, one Asian and the other Italian. They're fine once, but I haven't seen people rushing to return frequently to the specialties. They are nice, but it's the same menu and the same theme (Asian or Italian) every night. Unless they have very restricted tastes, most people would not be satisfied if they were limited to a few "specialty" restaurants for their entire cruise. This, to me is another problem with the "specialty restaurant" idea -- the lack of variety. On the Muse, if you don't want a for-charge restaurant, and you don't want to eat outside, that leaves only four restaurant options - each with a set theme ( Asian, Steak & Seafood, etc.) and likely a menu that doesn't change often. For many of us, this would get rather boring, especially on a long cruise.

 

Someone suggested that Silversea just needs to work out the "kinks", but I can't imagine they would have many options because the whole arrangement is so flawed on many levels. The dining system on the other ships seems to have been working fine -- "If it ain't broke........" :(

[Stevanb]

Why did we have to go on line and book the MDR . I quess you did not have to BUT you had to wait as the line for no reservation was long at certain

[les37b]

Why did we have to go on line and book the MDR . I quess you did not have to BUT you had to wait as the line for no reservation was long at certain

 

 

 

You queued up for the main dining room on Silver Muse?

 

There are 8 restaurants and none are MDR.

 

Which did you queue for?

[Master Echo]

Reports are that the main dining room on the Seven Seas Explorer is noisy, you have to queue, and there are seats nearby if the wait is going to be lengthy. This is Regent’s latest fleet addition, which is claimed to be the most luxurious ship in the world.

 

Friends who sailed Regent last year on the Mariner, in the most expensive suite on board, were unable to dine in any of its speciality restaurants because they had not made reservations prior to embarkation.

 

SS is therefore seemingly not alone in not being able to cater properly for passengers’ expectations and this also proves my point that MDRs when full are noisy, and when empty are soulless.

 

Returning to Seven Seas’ Explorer, many of the balcony doors have been modified to include additional seals, because they were not airtight, causing whistles. Bear in mind the ship is less than nine months old, and was also built by Fincanteri, as was the Muse.

Kindest regards

Master Echo

[Stevanb]

You queued up for the main dining room on Silver Muse?

 

There are 8 restaurants and none are MDR.

 

Which did you queue for?

 

 

It was on Crystal On line you choose date and time for MDR you can walk in but the wait can be long Unlike when we where on the Wind and the Whisper Just walked in no wait

[les37b]

It was on Crystal On line you choose date and time for MDR you can walk in but the wait can be long Unlike when we where on the Wind and the Whisper

 

Gotcha. That's for replying. I'd thought it a bit odd!!

 

Yes I don't think we had more than 1 min to wait for any restaurant on the Wind either.

[Stevanb]

Reports are that the main dining room on the Seven Seas Explorer is noisy, you have to queue, and there are seats nearby if the wait is going to be lengthy. This is Regent’s latest fleet addition, which is claimed to be the most luxurious ship in the world.

 

Friends who sailed Regent last year on the Mariner, in the most expensive suite on board, were unable to dine in any of its speciality restaurants because they had not made reservations prior to embarkation.

 

SS is therefore seemingly not alone in not being able to cater properly for passengers’ expectations and this also proves my point that MDRs when full are noisy, and when empty are soulless.

 

Returning to Seven Seas’ Explorer, many of the balcony doors have been modified to include additional seals, because they were not airtight, causing whistles. Bear in mind the ship is less than nine months old, and was also built by Fincanteri, as was the Muse.

Kindest regards

Master Echo

 

 

It seem like new builds are going to the reservation system before you board . It seems like anything over 500 passengers or so is going that way .

[Bon.Vivant]

It was on Crystal On line you choose date and time for MDR you can walk in but the wait can be long Unlike when we where on the Wind and the Whisper Just walked in no wait

 

I don't understand this?? I was on Crystal Symphony three weeks ago. I was at late sitting for 8:30 every night and sat at the same table. I never had to make a reservation beforehand for dinner, and I never saw people lined up waiting to get in the main dining room. Are you talking about Crystal, and their MDR? Or another cruise line?

[frantic36]

I don't understand this?? I was on Crystal Symphony three weeks ago. I was at late sitting for 8:30 every night and sat at the same table. I never had to make a reservation beforehand for dinner, and I never saw people lined up waiting to get in the main dining room. Are you talking about Crystal, and their MDR? Or another cruise line?

 

 

I think what Stevanb is referring to is Dining By Reservation (DBR) in the MDR where you do have to reserve a time for each night on board. This is how we did DBR on Crystal.

 

What I think you use is Crystal's Set Dining. Which to me is really reserving the same table, at the same time, for the same set number of table settings. You just don't have to physically type this in for every night.

 

You can obviously eat elsewhere on different nights. But because you have this "reservation" it is usually recommended to inform others at your table or the Maitre D' of a change so they don't wait for you. Well that is how I have understood it too work.

 

Julie

[meow!]

If we are not particularly insistent on where to eat on a particular day, but just wish to try out all restaurants at least once during our 14 days voyage, do we have to pre-book or can we just take our chances and go to any one available on any day?

[wripro]

If we are not particularly insistent on where to eat on a particular day, but just wish to try out all restaurants at least once during our 14 days voyage, do we have to pre-book or can we just take our chances and go to any one available on any day?

As long as you realize you may wind up in the same restaurant 14 times.

[les37b]

If we are not particularly insistent on where to eat on a particular day, but just wish to try out all restaurants at least once during our 14 days voyage, do we have to pre-book or can we just take our chances and go to any one available on any day?

 

 

 

I would suggest that you look at you ports and thoughts on where you might want o each and take into account dress codes and make reservations. You can always amend once on board. This negates any fears you might not get to eat in a place of your choice.

 

Bare in mind the first and last night are informal in all restaurants. So if you want to eat in la dame or Atlantide, book then.

 

 

 

 

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[Stevanb]

If we are not particularly insistent on where to eat on a particular day, but just wish to try out all restaurants at least once during our 14 days voyage, do we have to pre-book or can we just take our chances and go to any one available on any day?

 

 

Pre book if you want to visit all restaurants

[les37b]

As long as you realize you may wind up in the same restaurant 14 times.

 

Well if they booked the same restaurant 14 times, then I guess they could. I've booked a different restaurant nearly every night, but that's just me.

 

What's actually quite amusing if you're suggesting they can only book the same restaurant and mocking that untrue notion, yet you seem to want to eat in the same MDR each night.

 

Personally, I like the new arrangement, though I do share concerns for solo cruisers

 

I know it sounds like the muse isn't for you, but do you think you ever would book it if the reviews all come back positive going forward.

Edited May 12, 2017 by les37b

[Stumblefoot]

As long as you realize you may wind up in the same restaurant 14 times.

C'mon... your comment doesn't help at all. Give it a rest. We all know you're not a fan of Silversea or the Muse.

 

 

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[wripro]

Well if they booked the same restaurant 14 times, then I guess they could. I've booked a different restaurant nearly every night, but that's just me.

 

What's actually quite amusing if you're suggesting they can only book the same restaurant and mocking that untrue notion, yet you seem to want to eat in the same MDR each night.

 

Personally, I like the new arrangement, though I do share concerns for solo cruisers

 

I know it sounds like the muse isn't for you, but do you think you ever would book it if the reviews all come back positive going forward.

 

If you read my response you will see first, that my tongue was in my cheek, and second that I am replying to meow's supposition that she NOT prebook anything and just take her chances once on board. You obviously do not care if you have to book where you are going to eat months in advance. Others do, including Meow.

[les37b]

If you read my response you will see first, that my tongue was in my cheek, and second that I am replying to meow's supposition that she NOT prebook anything and just take her chances once on board. You obviously do not care if you have to book where you are going to eat months in advance. Others do, including Meow.

 

Without wanting to go around in circles here, so I will try to be brief. There is nothing to suggest your comment was tongue in cheek and your criticism of the Muse to date suggests it was anything but. Meow didnt say she was unwilling to pre-book. She merely asked if it was better to pre book or not which I think I gave the reasonable response to.

 

On the "I'm happy to book months in advance comment", can I just say, I'd prefer to have my choice of restaurant at a time of my choosing and with whom I want to eat, but I'm just a realist. Unless you expect all 8 restaurants to be able to take every guest on any given night, you have to have a booking system unless each one can seat 600 people each. We all know that cant happen. Silver Muse is giving you more choice than any SS ship to date and like many things, something has to give and compromise. The MDR on the Muse doesnt exist and in simplist terms, if a main dinning room is a must have for you, then fair enough, the Muse isnt for you. Why not just leave it at that? As you've said, you have other SS ships you enjoy and alternative CLs to pick from.

 

I have no idea if this new concept will work out as intended. The initial pizzagate issue was extremely poorly handled and lets hope lessons learned. ME has suggested ways to improve the setup for Muse 2. Needless to say, unless the feedback on this one ship is awful, I think they will continue with this format. Personally I like more choice.

 

I'm at ease with both though. SS deserves criticism for not explaining the way things will work on this ship including dress code and numerous changes to the restaurants themselves.

 

But just to clarify, apart from a couple La Dame (which the equivalent on all SS ships will often be booked out and wait listed) none of the restaurants are fully booked and its less than a month before I sail on the Muse. I've mentioned this a few times now. However, I DO recommend CC Muse cruisers to book in advance. If you want to change on the day, I expect you will be able to. All I'm trying to say, is its early days and I dont feel its reasonable to write the ship off because it doesnt have a MDR. The reviews I've seen do seem to be mostly positive and with booking hindsight which SS has let guest down with, I suspect much of that criticism may have disappeared.

[mjnvoyager]

I'm on the Muse tomorrow. Will report.

Jane

 

 

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[les37b]

I'm on the Muse tomorrow. Will report.

Jane

 

 

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Looking forward to that Jane...

 

Let us know if you've pre booked restaurants and how bookings were generally conducted and if they explain in the welcome its best to book or don't touch on it.

 

Will you be doing a live blog / end review of the Muse? Would be great if you are.

 

 

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[MissSophia]

I'm on the Muse tomorrow. Will report.

Jane

 

 

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Look forward to hearing your views Jane as you'll have first hand experience like those of us who have actually been on her.

Have a wonderful voyage

 

Sophia 😊