Freestyle Dining Or Not?

[Chubbas Nanny]

Hi all

Having experienced freestyle dining on the NCL Jade last year which I must admit, I was looking forward to....I am now looking forward to going back to RCCL with more structured dining arrangements.

I found that unless you rushed onboard and pre-booked restaurants, you were in long dining room queues with no guarantee of getting a table if you EVER got to the front of the queue confusedsmi

We ended up in the buffet dining every night except one where Wakie had pre-booked a table happysm

What do you prefer freestyle or arranged? munchessm

[wakelover]

I have to say I agree...it was a bit of a bun fight. I was told by the reservations girl that all tables were booked up for the first night... and we'd only been onboard a short while so no idea how that happened.surprisesmi That's why I reserved a table for all of us for the next night (and even then there werent many left.... I thought it would be easier for folks to cancel than book later that day.

Even when you've booked you have to queue up... I must say it wasnt my cup of tea.

I am sure that some people never ate in the dining room simply because they couldnt get a reservation.... which is poor I think.

I also think that knowing when you are dining goes a long way to helping you organise your day....

So for me.... NO to Freestyle dining. munchessm

[Chubbas Nanny]

The funny thing is, I always sort of resented the fixed times and fixed table scenario but...... I think its just so much easier after having tried freestyle I am looking forward to the same table with the usual waiters etc happysm

[yorkshirephil]

We prefer fixed, we have always been lucky with table companions. For us the dining experience is one of our favourite parts of cruising.

[danthebiscuitman]

Fixed for me as well, and i prefer first sitting. It's great when you get to know your waiters. We had a really good laugh with ours. Once you get to know them and if you treat them well they look after you more, they often came back with more meat, veg etc or left the cheese plate on our table instead of cutting bits off.

One night we tried to wind them up by saying we wanted ice cream and jelly instead of what was on the menu. He kept saying no! But to our surprise came back with what we had ordered from the menu and some jelly and ice cream for a laugh! That really did make us all chuckle.

[sparkieplug24]

I have to say I agree...it was a bit of a bun fight. I was told by the reservations girl that all tables were booked up for the first night... and we'd only been onboard a short while so no idea how that happened.surprisesmi That's why I reserved a table for all of us for the next night (and even then there werent many left.... I thought it would be easier for folks to cancel than book later that day.

Even when you've booked you have to queue up... I must say it wasnt my cup of tea.

I am sure that some people never ate in the dining room simply because they couldnt get a reservation.... which is poor I think.

I also think that knowing when you are dining goes a long way to helping you organise your day....

So for me.... NO to Freestyle dining. munchessm

Excuse me I would just like to rant How the HELL is that possible what sort of idiot was running the restaurants their should be enough tables for everyone sticksms. I would have complained happysm

[sparkieplug24]

The funny thing is, I always sort of resented the fixed times and fixed table scenario but...... I think its just so much easier after having tried freestyle I am looking forward to the same table with the usual waiters etc happysm

Chubbas I think you where just on the wrong ship. Never on the whole 14 day cruise on Oceana did we have a problem any evening just showed up and got a table. The only people we heard having trouble where a couple one evening and that was becasue they where insisting on a table for two every night and this evening they didnt have any for two hours but they managed to get one every other day they tried only waiting 20 mins maximum. The other people were a large group there must have been about 15 of them in the group and they all wanted to sit together and so it was struggle for them as largest table was for 8. However even they managed to get two tables together most evenings and only a short wait bar one evening when I think everyone of freedom dining descended on the restraunt at 6.45.

I like freedom dining but I have to say that I think it all depends on what ship your on I am on we are on freedom on Grand Princess but I think most evening except formal we may be using the buffet as we will have my niece with us which is not a problem for me.

[Chubbas Nanny]

Donna

If Wakie hadnt of booked a table when she did, we would not have had any chance of a dining room table and would have had to settle for the buffet surprisesmi I was very disappointed,freestyle onboard the Jade wasnt what I expected at all huffs