Free Style Dining Not For Me

[Mistizoom]

"UBP". UDP is the old dining plan that came before the SDP. ;)

 

It is unfortunate that NCL marks the Freestyle cards with "UDP" for the dining plan still even though I am quite certain anyone on a cruise now is on the SDP. At least the UBP is the same.

[shukapaw]

Like the OP, we prefer a set dining time with regular tablemates. However, we have not let this dissuade us from sailing NCL. (we sail based on itinerary, ship and price). The other mainstream lines have made accommodations and now allow you to choose anytime dining if that is your preference. It would be nice if NCL would return the favor and allow those who prefer the "old school" seating arrangements to have them as an option.

 

If you are fortunate enough to find a server who you believe is exceptional, you may request him/her on subsequent nights. We did this.

 

~Brian

[xriva]

Like the OP, we prefer a set dining time with regular tablemates. However, we have not let this dissuade us from sailing NCL. (we sail based on itinerary, ship and price). The other mainstream lines have made accommodations and now allow you to choose anytime dining if that is your preference. It would be nice if NCL would return the favor and allow those who prefer the "old school" seating arrangements to have them as an option.

 

 

 

If you are fortunate enough to find a server who you believe is exceptional, you may request him/her on subsequent nights. We did this.

 

 

 

~Brian

 

 

 

They do. Make reservations for the same time in the same restaurant every night. Problem solved.

 

The “old school” system was based on having to feed the entire ship (or close) in only one dining room in two seatings. It was not designed to help you “meet people.” It was designed to get everyone in and out in a fixed amount of time, and being able to predict how many covers the kitchen had to produce.

 

Freestyle dining has more than one option. There are multiple restaurants. There are no seatings, because there are enough options to no longer require people to eat early or late, and that’s it.

 

If you really want to be forced into the same tablemates at the same time, don’t do Freestyle. Just beware the other lines are coming around to more than one dining option (or the buffet) and dining when you like.

 

 

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[shukapaw]

They do.

 

Wrong!..... and I'm not gonna enter into a pi$$in' contest with somebody who didn't read my post carefully and is quick to defend a perceived slight concerning NCL.

 

~Brian

[xriva]

Wrong!..... and I'm not gonna enter into a pi$$in' contest with somebody who didn't read my post carefully and is quick to defend a perceived slight concerning NCL.

 

 

 

~Brian

 

 

 

It’s not a pissing contest. I did read your post. You said it would be nice for Norwegian to do “old school” as an option since the other lines are copying Freestyle.

 

My observation is simply that it is very difficult to take a dining methodology that is “anyone, anywhere, anytime” and carve out of it “some people, same time, every time, same people.”

 

It’s much easier to fake Freestyle by putting some two tops in an unused part of the dining room and assigning them waiters, which is what Carnival did on our one cruise before we came back to Norwegian.

 

Not having traditional dining is a major selling point of Norwegian, so I doubt there would be many people choosing it.

 

 

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[newmexicoNita]

Just to give you an example of how freestyle dining could work to your benefit, when my husband & I sailed to Bermuda, we befriended a couple at the cruise critic meet & greet, and had several dinners with them throughout the week. Had we been assigned a time and tablemates, we would have been unable to do that. As it was, we were able to walk up to any dining room and request a table for four instead of two. One afternoon I made a few friends at a margarita tasting, and we decided to have dinner together in Le Bistro. One of the people already had a reservation for two, and we were able to increase it to six and join them, without leaving assigned tablemates hanging around to see whether or not we were coming to dinner. You'd be surprised how beneficial to your onboard social life the flexibility can be!

We have done similar: before the days of organized m&Gs I started pushing for an informal one via CC. I corresponded with several people and one gal particularly seemed very friendly. We met at the M&G, became friends though we did not eat together and now, 16 years later we are still in contact almost daily. We have done this with others as well. Eating together isn't the only way to make friends. In fact I am not sure we have ever built up a friendship with anyone at our table when assigned dining was the norm. We have in many other ways. Yes usually via the M&G or trivia.

 

BTW just read other posts by OP: all his posts were done in a 24 hour period with the exception of one: he hasn't been back to comment. I am not really sure he has any intentions of cruising NCL, but at least if he does, he now has an idea what the line is like.

Edited March 26, 2018 by newmexicoNita

[pittsburghcruise23]

let's just say, don't knock it until you try it. If the program was not successful why would most of the others lines decided to offer it? You are right about the eating with the same people every night, but think about it this way: what happens when you have table mates you have nothing in common with? Believe me, and I have cruised over 40 times this happens more often than you may think? There is nothing worse than spending 7 or more days with table mates you do not have anything in common with.

 

The other issue you mentioned is long waits. For the most part those days are long gone. When NCL first introduced free style, yes, there were often long waits. Now days, generally you are seated with in 10 minutes to the time you walk up and get your name on the list. Often you are seated immediately. There are times when the wait can be a little longer if you happen to hit at the busiest time.

 

Getting to know people and planning activities is fun, but there are so many ways to do this. You can get to know people by attending the M&G for starters or playing trivia with the same people a couple of days in a row. We have met people we enjoy at breakfast of lunch eating in the main dining room a few times.

 

I would add if this is a deal breaker that is your choice and no one can change this, but you might be missing something by not trying freestyle. Do you cruise as a solo? If so, why not find a friend to cruise with or attend the first get together for singles. I think it is normally on the very first night. That is another way to make new friends and a much better one than depending on table mates.

 

No don't cruise solo so I always have my group of friends just like to meet others but seems like their are more options than the dining room.

[bkrickles1]

My family has mostly cruised with the set dining times and we've usually enjoyed it, especially when we've cruised with large groups. We chose the Escape for our upcoming cruise in July to really go in the opposite direction. Not only did we choose a freestyle cruise line, we're not even making any reservations. It'll be my wife and I, my daughter and our 2 nieces and my cousin. We are going to do everything spur of the moment. If I want to chow down on some "snacks" at 5 pm and skip dinner, then that's what will happen. If we want to go to a restaurant at 7:30, we'll do that. I've never done the buffet for dinner so maybe we'll do that too. I want to try not to revolve my day around the set eating times and let everyone in our group choose what to do. On our last cruise on the Anthem, I think we spent almost 18 hours sitting for dinner over the course of 7 nights. That's almost a day of my vacation spent sitting and eating just one of the meals per day. Crazy when you think of it. Anyway, this cruise will be an experiment for us and I'm sure we'll love it just like we've loved all of our cruises.

[BostonGal35]

My family has mostly cruised with the set dining times and we've usually enjoyed it, especially when we've cruised with large groups. We chose the Escape for our upcoming cruise in July to really go in the opposite direction. Not only did we choose a freestyle cruise line, we're not even making any reservations. It'll be my wife and I, my daughter and our 2 nieces and my cousin. We are going to do everything spur of the moment. If I want to chow down on some "snacks" at 5 pm and skip dinner, then that's what will happen. If we want to go to a restaurant at 7:30, we'll do that. I've never done the buffet for dinner so maybe we'll do that too. I want to try not to revolve my day around the set eating times and let everyone in our group choose what to do. On our last cruise on the Anthem, I think we spent almost 18 hours sitting for dinner over the course of 7 nights. That's almost a day of my vacation spent sitting and eating just one of the meals per day. Crazy when you think of it. Anyway, this cruise will be an experiment for us and I'm sure we'll love it just like we've loved all of our cruises.

 

on a large NCL ship, i wouldnt recommend trying to walk in for dinner at 730 with no reservation, especially if you are into specialties.