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Another reason to Love freestyle

newlywedcruisers

By newlywedcruisers,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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heelfan94

heelfan94

Posted
Posted

I didn't read the thread all the way through, but fixed seating times are tough. On the Disney ship we had the early seating (6:00), but we requested it because our kids were younger. I had no idea that it was the only way you could make it to the shows on time each night. I don't know how the parents with young children made it through the 8:00 dinner.

 

Bottom line for me, Freestyle is the only way to go. :)

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tomluvsaida

tomluvsaida

Posted
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Anyone who is against free style should read this! I think the ones that prefer traditional are older people that just don't plan on going on shore excursions and just want to sit around being pampered. Just so I don't get a lot of senior citizens mad at me I know there are plenty that prefer free style too and are just as active as 20-30 year olds.

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newlywedcruisers

newlywedcruisers

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Anyone who is against free style should read this! I think the ones that prefer traditional are older people that just don't plan on going on shore excursions and just want to sit around being pampered. Just so I don't get a lot of senior citizens mad at me I know there are plenty that prefer free style too and are just as active as 20-30 year olds.

 

Apparently the last setence didnt' work :rolleyes:

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flyingpirate

flyingpirate

Posted
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Oh, thanks......

 

Just a few days until our "experimental" cruise and I'm already stressing about it bigtime.......:D:eek:

 

I've lost a lot of weight, so I had to buy a new "formal", wouldn't have "had" to with Freestyle.......

 

 

Been practicing my marching and looking at my watch :p

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newlywedcruisers

newlywedcruisers

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Oh, thanks......

 

Just a few days until our "experimental" cruise and I'm already stressing about it bigtime.......:D:eek:

 

I've lost a lot of weight, so I had to buy a new "formal", wouldn't have "had" to with Freestyle.......

 

 

Been practicing my marching and looking at my watch :p

 

Lol, good luck!

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seahorse

seahorse

Posted
Posted
I think Freestyle is being pampered:) .Doing "whatever" is the ultimate in pampering..no schedules;)

 

I was on the Freedom with 2nd seating 8:45. We only went one time:o Hated it.

 

Gee.......now I am talking to myself:o When I said that I want "one time" I meant that we only went to ONE DINNER....the other times we jused bummed it.

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Retired not Expired

Retired not Expired

Posted
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Nieces and nephew bought their parents (my sister) this cruise. I am not really fretting it because it is not one of the Behemoths of the Seas. We will be doing a repo on the Empress of the Seas.

 

PE

 

You won't find someone who loves Freestyle more than me, but PE, you're gonna love that little ship. I was on it in January and it has a wonderful crew and is just a little gem. You feel like you are on a cruise and not a floating resort. Heads up and walk proud. You will enjoy it.

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hotspur

hotspur

Posted
Posted
You won't find someone who loves Freestyle more than me, but PE, you're gonna love that little ship. I was on it in January and it has a wonderful crew and is just a little gem. You feel like you are on a cruise and not a floating resort.

I understand that sentiment.

 

Our last three cruises have been on Dream and then Majesty, twice, and I'm having some trepidations about our upcoming on the great big Jewel on the 21st. Suspect it will be a very different experience, and I hope I'll be comfortable on a "floating resort."

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tumeroll

tumeroll

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What's wrong with being pampered on your vacation? Oh and by the way, there are plenty of "active" people in their 40's and 50's.

 

Let's set the record straight here. Old people are those who are somewhere in their late 90's and even they will tell you that they are not old. I am amazed at how many kids think their lives are over when they reach 40 or 50. I didn't have my mid-life crisies until I was exactly at my mid life age of 62.

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Former Goalie

Former Goalie

Posted
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I've cruised a lot more on RCL than NCL and we are booked on Freedom next year. We have cruised NCL once and will be going on Jewel in the near future.

We really love the RCL offerings as a family. Dining options (i.e. fixed seating) are another matter. We simply don't go to the main DR, we go to Windjammer (buffet) or pay up for the specialty restaurants. With late seating at 9 (late is always our choice) we DEFINITELY will not be using the main DR.

IMHO traditional fixed seating will go the way of the dinosaur, particularly as ships get bigger and bigger. There are people who cruise RCL who say "it won't happen here", but the more you have problems with fixed seating, the more pressure there will be to go to more of a freestyle concept. If you have a lot of people showing up 1 hour late for early seating, that's modified freestyle anyway IMHO! I started a thread on this subject over on the RCL board (to stir the pot), I got many "no way it can happen here" responses.

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KAYEF

KAYEF

Posted
Posted

We were SO distressed the first time we didn't have assigned seating (booked a late cruise) and ended up LOVING everything about freestyle.

If you think about it, you could take fewer clothes because you don't dine with the same people every night;) ..............

It's my belief that folks not liking/wanting freestyle just haven't tried it and wouldn't................it's a change, but, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's NOT just the "old folks."

We've discussed this with people of many ages on our cruises; they just can't figure out how it works and IF they'd like it.

This summer (HAL, our preferred line) it was back to assigned seating.......just one "lady" at a table of ten made it miserable for all.

I was taking my grown daughter on her first cruise and didn't want her to think that always happens. (We have some best friends from a table of six on a 24 day cruise.............still get together with them.)

We ate in the Lido often (tablecloths and candles at night) and all was well...............a table change wasn't available. It reminded me why we've been enjoying freestyle.:)

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Koala_D

Koala_D

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My husband & I are in our 60's... and we LOVE Freestyle. We dress up a little one night, but the other nights we wear comfortable "nice" clothes. We eat at all the restaurants, and sometimes the buffet. On one trip we discovered the Sports Bar had the waffles, and the main dining room didn't. On the Alaska cruise we filled a plate at the buffet, and ate outside on the NCL Spirit.... very nice. Sometimes we share a table, and sometimes we sit at a table for two (your choice--- always)! There is always food.... even at 3pm or midnight... I like that.

 

My daughter & I just finished a Transatlantic cruise on the NCL Dream (an older ship). She announced we would not eat at buffets during the trip, but that changed when she saw some of the food at the buffet. We usually ate late dinners in the formal dining area; early dinners in the main restaurant; and breakfast at the Sports Bar buffet or in the cozy Italian restaurant (usually only 10-15 people dining there..... we never figured out why! It was lovely and offered quite a selection for breakfast.)

 

On my first cruise we had fixed seating, and we had the early one. It was a nightmare! We would get back from a tour without time to even shower (yuk!), and we HAD to go because other family members took this tour and we dined together. It was hard to enjoy our meal after rushing to get there.

 

With Freestyle you always have the option of asking to sit in the area of your favorite server if you wish. We often do this if we find one we really like more than the others.

 

On our last cruise we heard people of all ages praising Freestyle cruising.... even the "really old" ones.

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snorklinbarb

snorklinbarb

Posted
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Newlywed,

 

Thanks for the link. Funny, the other day I was reading an absolutely hilarious dresscode thread over on the Celebrity board called, "I Now Understand Why There is Confusion Over the Dresscode." I considered posting a link but wasn't sure about it. Now that you've done it, I will too.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=424967

 

Total confusion over how many nights are formal, informal, casual and now smart casual is apparently throwing even more confusion as to the appropriate dress under each category. What regimentation!

 

And for those who think NCL is the only line that has problems coping with athletic wear, jeans and shorts, it's apparently become a real problem for the Celebrity dress police even on formal night. So that blows apart the argument that it's freestyle that attracts certain "types" as one poster here has tried to argue till he's blue in the face.

 

The whole thing made me breathe a sigh of relief to be booked on NCL for our future cruise. Not to mention eating at different times every night and not worrying about coming to a set-time assigned-seating venue, let alone at 9 pm!:eek:

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Retired not Expired

Retired not Expired

Posted
Posted

 

And for those who think NCL is the only line that has problems coping with athletic wear' date=' jeans and shorts, it's apparently become a real problem for the Celebrity dress police even on formal night. So that blows apart the argument that it's freestyle that attracts certain "types" as one poster here has tried to argue till he's blue in the face.

 

!:eek:[/quote']

 

RCCL has been having the same problems even on formal nights. But jeans have been allowed by them for some time now.

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hotspur

hotspur

Posted
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What a hilarious thread! But, then, so many of the "dress code" threads on the Celebrity board are.

 

Best line: The proclamation that on "smart casual" night your clothes should "match."

 

One wonders why it can be OK to wear slacks and a shirt to the dining room three or four nights a week but on the other nights you have to be in a tux, a suit, or wearing a jacket. Why should one night be different from another? The whole dress code thing is a charade, a masquerade, a costume party. Absurd.

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