New to Freestyle

[stutz]

Could someone explain the specifrics of the dining. I understand the concept....but is there a separate charge per restaurant?

 

Is there a traditional dining room?

Do most people use the alt. dining?

The alt. restaurant seem very small

What to do if you like traditiona dinig with the same new friends??

Thanks for the help

[hotspur]

Could someone explain the specifrics of the dining. I understand the concept....but is there a separate charge per restaurant?

 

Is there a traditional dining room?

Do most people use the alt. dining?

The alt. restaurant seem very small

What to do if you like traditiona dinig with the same new friends??

Thanks for the help

Most NCL ships have two "traditional" dining rooms. There is no additional charge for these and you can choose to dine when you'd like and with whichever "new friends" you'd like.

 

Over the course of a cruise, I'd guess many if not most people will choose to dine one or more times in a specialty dining room. Some of these have an additional charge, and some do not. All will require reservations, except for the 24-hour restaurants (e.g., Blue Lagoon on Norwegian Jewel) on a few of the newer ships.

 

Yes, the specialty restaurants tend to be small, making advanced reservations important. Depending on the ship, one or more of the specialty restaurants may also be open for lunch (e.g., Chin Chin and Teppanyaki on Jewel). Check the freestyle daily for specialty restaurant hours. You should be able to find a place on the ship to review the main dining room menus for each night of your cruise and, based on your preferences, decide which nights you might like to try specialty restaurants.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Take advantage of the choices NCL gives you.

[trish1c]

There is at least 1 "traditional" dining room on most NCL ships. Many have two. There is no charge for these. You show up when you feel like it & are seated for dinner.

 

There are also free alternative restuarants. They are smaller & more intimate than a big traditional dining room. Most are about the size of a medium sized, non chain, restaurant at home. Many require reservations.

 

Then there are the for fee other resturants. You definitely need a reservation for those.

[ce2000]

New to Freestyle, I assume that you have cruised on other lines. NCL Freestyle is different, from the other lines. Do not board ship with any preconcieved ideas regarding dinning experiences, except maybe dress, jeans and T-shirts not allowed in the dining rooms. You will be able to eat in a different restaurant every night if you wish. However this is not as easy as NCL advertised. NCL says you can eat when you want, where you want and with whom you want. I believe this is true, it just didn't work for me, but it was my first freestyle cruise so I didn't understand the requirements for making reservations for the specialty restaurants so far in advance. I like things real simple, I will pay the money, you tell me where and what time dinner will be ready and I will be there at that time. I also enjoy being served by the same wait staff every evening. I believe that there are a lot of who really enjoy the freestyle concept, it is great that this option is available for these people, it may be the wave of the future, but I don't know of any other cruise line that has ordered any ships with this many onboard restaurants. You will have a good time with NCL, just be open to a little different shipboard dining experience.

[Arwenmark]

You can book a table for the week within certain time parameters. or you can ask for a table with the same waiters each time, you can eat by yourselves or be seated with friends or be seated with strangers. Book any nights you think you will want to do the speacialty places as soon as you can but if it is full you can always try for a walk up at the time.

[JudyOh]

Somehow this doesn't seem so freestyle to me. Eat when you want, where you want, with whomever you want as long as you are one of the first people on the ship and make dinner reservations immediately for the duration of the cruise:mad: . Not my idea of freestyle! Will be on the Pearl Feb 2 and will see how freestyle this is. Maybe there should be no reservations taken in the alternative dining rooms, giving everyone a chance to enjoy them, not just the seasoned NCL cruisers who know the menus. My idea of "freestyle" is, on Tuesday at 6:30pm you feel like eating Italian, you just go to the Italian restuarant and wait your turn, not be turned down because we are "full for the evening". The concept sounds good but the initiation of the concept is poor in my humble opinion.

[ute_fan]

My sentiments sort of echo those of Grandmacruiser. I think you probably need to be able to make reservations, otherwise people will start lining up at 2 pm to get into the restaurant that night. However, I don't think you should be allowed to book the entire week when you board the ship. Limiting each cabin to one reservation open at a time, or limiting reservations to 24 or 48 hours or something would open it up to lots more passengers. However, those who like to book the entire week at once are really opposed to any changes.

 

As far as the OP's questions, not everyone uses the alternative dining rooms. Our of our 4 NCL cruises, we've eaten in on ONCE. We've been satisifed enough with the main dining rooms that we haven't had any desire to spend more money on eating, or any desire to deal with the reservations hassle.

 

As previous posters mentioned, if you're used to traditional dining, there are a couple of things you can do to make freestyle seem more traditional. We have friends who make a standing reservation for the week, with the same waiter and table. I think they're still allowing that, but the hours are pretty limited -- normally right as the restaurant opens, or later as it's mostly cleared out. Second, you can request a waiter if you get one you like. They'll try to accomodate your request. You may not get seated at the same table, and your waiter may not have open tables, but they try if possible.

 

As far as making new friends and eating with them -- join the roll-call for your cruise. You won't have built-in new friends, since there aren't assigned tablemates, but if you join the roll-call, you can often find others who will be interested in joining you for dinner. Also, you can request shared dining at meals, and you may be lucky enough to get placed with interesting tablemates, and then you can make your own arrangements to meet them again for meals.

[Toyz711]

we had a family of 7 on our last cruise. ate at one "fee" speciality once..the last night, made reservations for day before. had a big family dinner on lobster night in the main dining room, a semi-family dinner a couple of nights later at the other dining room..met at the buffet (by accident) one night, ate as a couple at a "non-fee" speciality once (walked up, waited 15 mins). the youngest couple had a date night at the soho one night. one day i was not in the mood for lots of food, at a lunch at the 24 hr cafe, salad at the buffet..then a late night snack at the 24 hour cafe, (great wings).

that's freestyle..no plans, no reservations for the week..just going with the flow.

[KeystoneCruiser]

A quick synopsis of Freestyle:

 

1.) There are optional formal nights. Formal nights are OPTIONAL in ALL restaurants and dining venues on board all NCL ships. They no longer designate one dining room as formal only. Resort casual is perfectly acceptable in all dining rooms on ALL nights. Resort casual means no shorts, jeans, t-shirts, etc. after 5:00 p.m.. Polo shirt, dockers/kahkis, sneakers are perfectly acceptable in all dining rooms at all times. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts are allowed in the buffet and Blue Lagoon (diner on some ships) at all times.

Only about 40% of the passengers will dress up on the first optional formal night. (even less on the second) The 40% will range from tuxes down to shirt/tie. The other 60% will be in resort casual. On Hawaii cruises, the formal number drops to about 30% formal, 40% resort casual and the other 30% in Hawaiian attire, which is also acceptable. (no shorts)

 

2.) There are two or three main restaurants per ship and these serve the traditional cruise fare. These restauarants do not take reservations and do not have a charge. They are open between 5:30 and 9:30 and you just walk up and ask for a table like an onshore restaurant. During the peak hours of 6:30-8:00, there might be a short wait for a table.

 

3.) There are 3-6 specialty restaurants on board each ship and these range from a Steakhouse to Asian to Italian to European. These restaurants all require reservations. (which can be made for the whole week the first day) Some of these require a cover charge of between $12.50 and $20 per person. They are open the same hours as the main restaurants.

 

4.) You have no set dining times and no set table mates. You also do not have the same waiter each night. You can request a waiter again, but it could result in a longer wait. (and the waiters do rotate through some of the venues. We had a waiter we liked on the Dawn and one night, he wasn't available because he was a "relief waiter.")

 

5.) Freestyle disembarkation means that you can wait in your cabin until called. No being herded into public areas like cattle. You can also take advantage of Express Disembarkation, where you can carry your own luggage off and be in the first group off the ship.

 

I love Freestyle and that is why I love to cruise NCL.

[hotspur]

Somehow this doesn't seem so freestyle to me. Eat when you want, where you want, with whomever you want as long as you are one of the first people on the ship and make dinner reservations immediately for the duration of the cruise:mad: . Not my idea of freestyle! Will be on the Pearl Feb 2 and will see how freestyle this is. Maybe there should be no reservations taken in the alternative dining rooms, giving everyone a chance to enjoy them, not just the seasoned NCL cruisers who know the menus. My idea of "freestyle" is, on Tuesday at 6:30pm you feel like eating Italian, you just go to the Italian restuarant and wait your turn, not be turned down because we are "full for the evening". The concept sounds good but the initiation of the concept is poor in my humble opinion.

Sure, grandma. Try walking into a good restaurant in your town on Saturday night and getting a table. Or try doing YOUR idea of freestyle on Celebrity's Galaxy, where you either eat in the main dining room when, where, and with whom you're told and wearing what you're told, or in the alternate dining room followed by being banished to your room because you're unfit to be seen in public. What would you call that: rigidstyle?

 

The point that you seem to ignore is that other lines TELL you whether you're going to eat at 6pm or at 8pm--you may not even get a choice--and that's what you're stuck with for the entire cruise, like it or not. I'm sorry if you can't see--or appreciate--the difference between that inflexible concept and NCL's freestyle. The "initiation (whatever that means) of the [freestyle] concept" is viewed as pretty darn good by most people here who enjoy the "freedom" NCL offers us.

[vacation luvver]

<<Also, you can request shared dining at meals, and you may be lucky enough to get placed with interesting tablemates, and then you can make your own arrangements to meet them again for meals.>>

 

This was not my experience as a solo cruiser on the Novembr 26 sailing of the Norwegian Dawn, even though NCL personnel assured me ahead of time that I wouldn't have a problem being seated with strangers. When I went into a dining room and asked if I could share a table with strangers, the hostess invariably looked at me as if I had three heads and said cautiously that if anyone came in and said that they wanted to share a table with me, they would be seated at my table. However, every single time, when I sat down at a table, the waitstaff immediately took the extra place settings off the table. They did not seem to understand that I was hoping for some strangers to come along and sit with me, no matter how hard I tried to explain the situation to them. And no one was ever seated with me. I learned to bring a book with me to keep myself entertained as I ate. What's funny is that two times, when I went into the dining room with eating companions, we were asked if we wanted to share a table with strangers. I have no idea why that never happened when I was by myself.

 

This was my fourth cruise with NCL and my first since "freestyle cruising" began. I'm cruising again with NCL this summer, but I'll be with a friend, so I won't have to worry about eating by myself every freaking time.

[JudyOh]

Sure, grandma. Try walking into a good restaurant in your town on Saturday night and getting a table. Or try doing YOUR idea of freestyle on Celebrity's Galaxy, where you either eat in the main dining room when, where, and with whom you're told and wearing what you're told, or in the alternate dining room followed by being banished to your room because you're unfit to be seen in public. What would you call that: rigidstyle?

 

I have been on 33 cruises, all cruiselines and have yet to see someone "banished to your room because you're unfit to be seen in public", even in the stricter dress code days. Also, even on other cruiselines, you do have a choice of when and with whom you are dining. Your dress is entirely up to you. I have seen shorts, T's and ballcaps in traditional dining rooms on formal night and these people were not removed.

 

My comment about "NCL's freestyle" is that all though they portray it as do you own thing, when you want to, it appears from these boards it is not all that. If you want to eat in any of the specialty restuarants (pay or free) you do need to plan ahead, like as soon as you hit the ship. I would not call this "freestyle", yes you have more options than on the traditional cruiselines but not as "freestyle" as they make it out to be.

[stutz]

OK I started this thread and appreciate all the "comments'..the bottom line that I garner out of all this is I need to be prepared to get on the ship as soon as possible, find the Restaurant reservation desk and stand on line to make the weeks reservations UGH!.....when I should be on deck having my 1st Pina Colada!!!!

[marcyjane]

We cruised on the Star to Alaska this past May, first time on NCL with the freestyle cruising.

We never used one of the special restaurants I guess due to the fact I was for sure how they worked. Question is the $12.50 to $20.00 cover charge. Is it per person and then that covers your food that you order or is there more charges once your in the special restaurant?

We really thought we would like freestyle, no packing "formal" wear (first time ever) and eat where and when you wanted sounded great, but after being on two other cruise lines and yes we had a time to be there to eat, you went right in and knew where your table was and there was no waiting 30 to 45 minutes to get in the door and then for them to find you a table.

I enjoyed our table servers (on the other cruise lines)and by the second night they knew what you liked and made the evening so much fun and enjoyable, (of course they were working for that tip and the end of the cruise), but on NCL you might not ever get the same server.

We are booked on NCL again for this May to Hawaii and I think maybe we will understand the in's and out's to the freestyle better now and along with the help of all my friends here at cruise critics the help and information always helps make my cruise better each time with all the good tips and advice that I get from reading this board.

You folks are so great at explaining everything in detail, so we all no matter what walks of life can understand.

Thanks,

Marcy

[Snowrose]

OK I started this thread and appreciate all the "comments'..the bottom line that I garner out of all this is I need to be prepared to get on the ship as soon as possible, find the Restaurant reservation desk and stand on line to make the weeks reservations UGH!.....when I should be on deck having my 1st Pina Colada!!!!

 

I'm not leaving on my freestyle cruise until next week, but from what I've read you can make your reservations on the phone from your room when you get on board. :)

 

Teri

[Cruise_More_Often]

stutz:

 

You can call from your room. We've done both. We've never seen a big line at the reservation desk, and you can peruse the menus there to see what looks good. There are also cancellations at the restaurants. Stop by to see if you can get in. And if you're flexible about your dining times, there is often availability later in the evenings. Go have a snack in the afternoon at Blue Lagoon, go to the early show and then eat. As NCL says, "Whatever!"

 

I hope you enjoy the Star and Freestyle as much as we do. We'll be following you onto the Star on 2/10.

[monicajay]

Another postitive side to Freestyle is that you can get away with a bit less in your suitcase. When you dine with the same folks every night, it is hard to wear the same outfit twice but with Freestyle I can wear an outfit once in the dinning room and a few days latter at an alternative restaurant.

 

Obviously, if it is clean enough or has been laundered.

[stutz]

CMO..how do you know what cruise we are on??

[megsterl]

Can anyone tell me how hard it is to coordiate eatting and the show times? I really enjoy going to the evening shows im just wondering how hard it is to time it right. Thanks MEG

[Cruise_More_Often]

CMO..how do you know what cruise we are on??

;) I misread one of your posts where you said something about getting on the ship soon. I looked back, and you were talking about getting on the ship and as soon as possible making reservations for all the restaurants.

 

Anyway, if you are going on the Star, I hope you enjoy it!

[ce2000]

I'm not leaving on my freestyle cruise until next week, but from what I've read you can make your reservations on the phone from your room when you get on board. :)

 

Teri

 

Snowrose, you can make reservations from the phone in you room, but be prepared to hold on the line for some time, as people in other cabins are trying to make reservations also. I believe that you will have to wait either way, after all it is freestyle, you can decide to wait in line at the desk or on the phone in your cabin, the choice is yours.

[EscapeCruises]

My only question about freestyle cruising... Roomservice... Is it free like all the other lines?

When I was brushing up on my NCL freestyle dining choices it said something about a fee I thought... Hopefully I am mistaken... MY husband lives for the 2am milk and cookies and would be greatly disappointed if it wasn't included!

 

Would appreciate your feedback!

[stutz]

The more I read the more this FreeStyle thing it sounds like a bunch of crapola.

What about prepaid tips, traditional tips for waiter and busboy are based on service performed by your service team of the week. Perhaps with extra cash in hand at the end of the week for VERY good service.

With FreeStyle you could have 6,7 or more table servers some great some poor but they still want you to to fork over the standard gratuity anyway on your statement.

 

Having been on over 30 cruises , all cruise lines have at least 1 and usually 2 alt dining options. It works great for $20 extra and none of this pretentious FreeStyle stuff.

[Jabee]

I have read and seen the commercials.

As a PR front it sounds great...eat when you want, how you want and with whom you want...

 

but, it is not hard to see the truth....

 

It is a ploy to get you to pay DOUBLE for your meals...

I have already paid for my meal in the dining room, as well as tips, etc...

but not...I can pay AGAIN by eating in one of the "specialty" dining rooms...

 

I will assure all that I will hold off on final feelings on this until after I sail...and will compare costs of the trip after I am done.

 

and I assure you...

I am looking forward to my cruise on the Sun in March.

[wchvdg]

Can you order from the daily/nightly menu and have it delivered to your suite?