How freestyle is FAS dining?

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, ExArkie said:

What is the average length of time for each dinner that the restaurant manager uses to book reservations? If they are assuming all diners will want to take less than an hour and book tables accordingly, one table taking an hour and ten minutes throws everything off and, as you suggest, someone misses getting a table. If they are assuming an average of two hours and a number of people take an hour or less, then a few people taking three hours would not negate their assumption of an average time interval. In the former situation, someone could miss out. In the latter, most likely not. 

 

By the same logic, if I thought I might not enjoy the evening show but went anyway just to see, does that mean I am denying someone who wanted to see it the opportunity to do so?

The NCL system will block 2 hours on your schedule when making dining reservations. So, a 5:30 pm dinner reservations blocks 5:30pm-7:30pm. The earliest entertainment the system would allow you to book is 7:31 pm (which is problematic).

 

So it is a lot more complex than this simple example. On bigger ships, there is outside seating that may/may not be usable on any specific night. Some nights it is closed due to weather (raining/snowing on the tables). Some nights, they will open the seating, but no one wants to be out there because it is too hot, too cold, too windy, too sunny, too shady, too not-outside-tonight. If it is a nice day and the outside seating is full, there will be more availability for walk-ins. If the outside seating is closed, then walk-ins will be less welcome or turned away. So,,, when someone claims that they just walked in, there are other considerations.

 

Any popular restaurant will be oversold (i.e., more bookings that can be seated) because the suites concierge has the "power" to oversell restaurants. The concierge can only oversell to a certain level. But,,, there are certain officers who can just make booking regardless on how oversold the restaurant is and their bookings will take priority over all others for VIP guest. So, if everyone shows up and takes longer, again, walk-ins may be told to walk. 

Edited September 14, 2023 by BirdTravels

[ExArkie]

10 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

So it is a lot more complex than this simple example.

Pretty much everything I encounter is a lot more complex than anticipated.

 

Thanks for the details. 

[carohs]

The MDR is where you wanna be for freestyle dining times. I get it, you're on vacation and you don't want to live your life by a clock. On the other hand, some things are going to be scheduled anyway, like show and port times. For Specialty Dining, it's better to have pre-booked a reservation. If you want to make a 7 pm show, you give yourself  enough time before or plan to eat after. If I know I won't have access to unlimited snacks and foods while on an excursion, for example, I can more or less time when I'll be hungry and give myself a time buffer for getting back to the ship and ready for dinner and make that reservation time accordingly. Depending on timing, I may have some pre-dinner cocktails or go straight to the restaurant and order with my server.