Flexible Dining: Does it Belong on Carnival?

[Cruzman]

Since the ship has 2 dining rooms why can't one be traditional and the other anytime. Would this not solve the problem? I prefer traditional becauce I likje having the same waitor staff and the same people at the table. But if others like the anytime it could be offered by dividing the 2 dining rooms. But you would have toi decide this when you sign up for the cruise. And I don't see where you need more food choices when you have so many to choose from now. We didn't get to try everything our last cruise.

 

Spirit Class have only one dining room!

[Cruzman]

WHY is this subject even an issue???????????

Only one mainstream line [the LEAST IMPORTANT AND MOST DESPERATE ONE, NCL] offers ANYTIME DINING only, NO traditional.

ALL THE REST are talking about/or do offer THE CHOICE of flextime OR traditional. No cruiseline, RCL, HAL, PCL, or CCL is remotely talking about doing away with traditional dining. They all are offering the choice of flex dining in addition to traditional, if you want it. I like traditional but have sailed with the either/or choice. While I'm sitting at my assigned table, why should I care that somewhere else there are people waiting in line to eat in a restaurant just like any one on land at home. They want to make believe they're eating at a nice Denny's or Applebee's back home, let 'em. I don't care.

 

Could this change in the future? Of course it could, everything changes. And the pendulum swings too.

 

Dan

 

Again, the problem is that the flex diner's force out traditional diners. Try booking a cruise on HAL or Princess less than 9 months out. If you do, and request traditional dining, chances are you will be waitlisted; and ultimately forced to accept "anytime dining".

[CastawayCruiser]

Have any of you sailed NCL? Princess or any other line that offers any time dining? How did it work for you?

 

I have done three traditional dining cruises. Carnival was one and although I really enjoyed Carnival I did not care for traditional dining. We have now done 6 NCL cruises and we have yet to wait more than 10 minutes for a table and I think that only happened twice. We eat at different times so maybe we have just been lucky. I am glad to see that Carnival is adding Anytime Dining because I would like to sail with them again.

[batoutofhell]

Again, the problem is that the flex diner's force out traditional diners. Try booking a cruise on HAL or Princess less than 9 months out. If you do, and request traditional dining, chances are you will be waitlisted; and ultimately forced to accept "anytime dining".

This is what I would be afraid of with Carnival implementing anytime dining. I like traditional dining and would not like being bumped to the anytime dining list.

[deb2543]

I prefer the traditional dining. I tried the "flexible" dining on NCL and was just not impressed. :(

I so agree!! The staff on NCL always gave me the impression that they could care less if you were happy or not. On the last night of our cruise they didn't even put my napkin in my lap! How rude!!:D

[DaisyGirl55]

I prefer traditional dining as well. I enjoy getting to know my servers, and it is nice that by the second night - they already know what I like to drink and which bread I like best! Sometimes we have had not-so-great tablemates, but never bad enough to move to another table. It just gave us great stories to tell when we got home.

 

More often than not, we have had some fantastic tablemates...often socializing outside of the dining room, and sitting at the table long after we were done eating.

 

We have never gone to any of the supper clubs, but it is a personal preference as we don't feel the need to purchase a meal when the food in the dining room is so good.

 

The only advantage a choice in dining times would be if I am sailing a port intensive cruise. As we tend to request early seating, it is sometimes hard to stop what we are doing to get back to the ship to get ready for dinner. But even that is not enough for me to try flexible dining. I still want "my" table to eat at during my cruise.

[pascalburns]

i have done both.enjoyed both.

if they can do both,o.k.,if not o.k.

anytime dinning you can request a table for two or eight.your chorice.

have fun.

 

 

ncl pearl 2/08:)

 

grand princess 11/07

 

carnival holiday 9/06

 

grand princess 2/06:cool:

[mek]

Yes, yes, yes! It should be offered on Carnival.

[moonbmn53]

I went on my first flexible dining cruise last December and was not sure whether I would like it. I'm still not sure. It was nice to be able to change my dining time to fit my schedule each day. We shared a table with different guests each day and that was no problem. You just didn't get to know them well during that one (or should I say two) hour time period. Service did seem to be slower for some reason and some days we had a long wait between courses. What I really missed was having the same wait staff who get to know you and your preferences. So see, still not sure. I guess I need to go on another flexible dining cruise to determine my preference. Life is so tough.:D:D:D

[jpg1747]

I prefer traditional dining, late seating. I'd rather have the option of anytime dining than be stuck with early seating. However, if there's going to be anytime dining, it should be just that - no reservations allowed. Just show up and wait to be seated.

[scottyo72]

We cruised Norwegian Spirit and liked Freestyle cruising so much, we won't consider a cruise that doesn't have some sort of open seating in a main dining room.

 

Carnival has always had anytime dining. Its called the Lido deck buffet.

 

I like having the same wait staff and same table and table mates every night.

 

Thats just me.

 

I like having options and flexibility. We both work in jobs that involve dealing with lots of peole and customer service issues' date=' and while we might enjoy meeting new people on vacation, I like to have the option of a nice relaxing dinner for two. Sometimes our group of 4 ate all together, sometimes just two of us, and sometimes with people we met onboard. I don't mind not getting to know the wait staff as long as the service is Ok. I like efficient courteous, unobtrusive, professional service from the wait staff, not conversation, and certainly not entertainment. That's just me. I know some people really seem to enjoy the singing and dancing.

 

While the buffets are fine, I wouldn't compare them to dinner in the main dining room. And with open seating you can eat in the main dining room without rushing on those long shore days with later departures.

 

 

If they want to offer anytime dining fine, but I also want them to offer traditional which I will continue to choose.

 

NCL has been doing anytime dining for years and according to some people, they still can't get it right. There seems to be problems with having to wait long periods of time to get seated. Of course the common response from the cheerleaders is that they shouldn't show up during peak times. Um...anytime dining means you can show up and eat at anytime. Right? :confused:

 

I don't doubt people when they say they had long waits, but we never did. Even at peak times, the monitors showed no waiting in at least one of the two main restaurants. We were also able to get reservations in the specialty restaurants when we wanted, even when we called in just a few hours ahead. Maybe it was just good luck, but that's how it worked for us.

 

Of course I have only read of these complaints on NCL having not actually sailed that line. But I would think that a line that prides itself in the leader of "freestyle" could get it right.

 

I think they did get it right on Norwegian Spirit, the oldest and smallest ship purpose built for the Freestyle concept.

 

And in regard to a previous poster who said: If it isn't broke, don't fix it, I think traditional is broken. I just don't eat on a rigid schedule with people I don't know and didn't choose to eat with, and it wouldn't be conducive to my enjoying my vacation.

 

I hope all the traditionalists enjoy the fixed seating and tablemates, and I don't see any harm in offering both, but I'm hoping Carnival expands open seating. I woud love to have more options out of New Orleans :p

[wcurry66]

It's apples and oranges, imo.

 

traditional - get taken care of better by your staff.. They get to know you and your preferences, know your name when they see you on board. And you have a short term relationship with your table mates/get the opportunity to make small talk at the end of the day.

 

flexible - less of the afternoon involves thoughts of planning around the dinner hour, dinner tends to be a more intimate (just the two of you... even if you happen to sit with strangers, the conversation often is wo paralllel ones). Dinner seems to go quicker, because the meal is less of an event.

 

My preference depends on the day, quite honestly. With a slight bend towards traditional

[Kurbanfan]

I voted for Traditional Dinning. I love getting dressed up for dinner. I am just sorry that changed Formal night, they should have left it alone.

 

Flexible dining has the same dress code as traditional.

 

Whats the difference between Flex dining and Lido Decks buffet???

 

 

 

Fred

 

The difference is that flexible dining allows you to eat in the dining room at your own time.

Lido deck buffet.........you eat buffet food at your own time.........

[earlethepearl]

I know things change over time, that's just life. But I am old school when it comes to cruising and like the assigned tables at dinner. But it looks like Carnival is going to eventually add flexible dining as an option so it will happen. As long as I still have the option of assigned seating I will be fine.

[crusinmama22]

I am a traditional cruiser, who likes to dress up,etc.

We took our first cruise in February 1979!

 

We have just booked out first free style cruise with NCL, both my adult kids have sailed before with NCL and love freestyle. I will let you know -- the jury is still out -- but we love to travel with our kids -- and now they are cruisers as well.

[sananjan]

We have done both...were a great fan of the assigned dinning becuase we look forward to seeing our table mates at the end of the day and enjoy the conversation as to what everyone did each day. This works if you are assigned a compatible group at your table. Downside--don't always get a good fit for your interests. Upsdie you are always on schedule to attend the other evening activities on the ship without having to arrive late to a show due to dinner running longer that anticipated.

With assigned you can get your table changed but it is no gurantee the new table will be any better.

With anytime you can get a table for 8 and be the only 2 people seated there throughout the entire meal or you can luck out with 3 other great couples joining you. I personally don't enjoy having a family seated at our table half way through our dinner which happened on NCL. I feel if the line offers flexible seating they should pay attention to the patrons already seated when adding others to the table and make the judgements accordingly. Another downside is we find it hard to coordinate show times with flexible seating unless you dine early and then attend the late show which never works for us.

I do enjoy getting to know my servers and having them treat me special each evening at the assigned dinning. :)

[golfadj]

I very much dislike flexible dining. From reading many reviews it makes you wait on line for dinner if you do not want the earliest seating.

 

Service will suffer as your waiter knows you will not tip him/her direct. Already have poor service in the dining room for breakfast and lunch.

 

I like to get to know the people at my table.

 

Finally my wife suffers from many food allergies and it is much helpful to have same waiter for the week so he will have some idea what she can/cannot have.

 

Fleixble dining is why we will not go on Norwegian cruises.

 

Golfadj

[pearose]

Have any of you sailed NCL? Princess or any other line that offers any time dining? How did it work for you?

 

I sailed on NCL when they very first started freestyle cruising. I HATED the freestyle dining. At least at that time, you had no choice where you sat, they put you at the table they wanted, filled each table then moved on to the next one. The service was not good. Different waiter each sitting and the service was very slow. We didn't even wait for dessert because it took forever just to get through dinner. We ate at the buffet the rest of the trip because the dining room was just horrible. Maybe they have improved since then, I don't know. I just know it left a very bad taste in my mouth for free style or flexible dining.

 

That said, I have no problems if Carnival decides to go that direction, as long as they still offer both. I prefer traditional dining, at least at dinner...to me it's just more personal and being able to walk right in and sit at the same table makes me feel rather special.....sorta like a VIP! :D

[blindrid]

Just my 2 cents: I enjoy flex dining. I will not go on any cruise that will not offer some sort of freestyle dining. Carnival is one I would book but resist due to their lack of anytime dining.

 

PS: Freestyle doesn't mean you can't dressup, we do!

[dan40]

Again, the problem is that the flex diner's force out traditional diners. Try booking a cruise on HAL or Princess less than 9 months out. If you do, and request traditional dining, chances are you will be waitlisted; and ultimately forced to accept "anytime dining".

 

Isn't there a message there?

 

If one is a Platinum or Diamond or any ranked reward level, one gets their preference, which is overwhelmingly traditional.

Dan

[dan40]

I love the champions of flexible or anytime dining that say you can make a reservation to have the same waiters at the same time each night. I think there is another name for that.......................

 

Dan

[Kurbanfan]

I love the champions of flexible or anytime dining that say you can make a reservation to have the same waiters at the same time each night. I think there is another name for that.......................

 

Dan

 

I never understood that either.........

[dan40]

This is what I would be afraid of with Carnival implementing anytime dining. I like traditional dining and would not like being bumped to the anytime dining list.

 

Carnival Platinum cruisers, 10th Carnival cruise on, get to choose their dining over other cruisers.

 

Dan

[big_duck]

I love the champions of flexible or anytime dining that say you can make a reservation to have the same waiters at the same time each night. I think there is another name for that.......................

 

Dan

 

Agreed. However the the biggest champion for freestyle around here is always right and everyone else is always wrong, so expect a response.

 

If it wasn't for traditional dining we never would have met the 3 wonderful couples we met last week.

[Kurbanfan]

Carnival Platinum cruisers, 10th Carnival cruise on, get to choose their dining over other cruisers.

 

Dan

 

Would someone like to borrow my Platinum pass......cause I'm choosin flexible:D :p