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NCL will roll out a new feature to its Freestyle Dining program: flat-panel TVs around the ships that tell passengers how long the wait for dinner is at the vessel's restaurants. The restaurant names on-screen will be color-coded according to the number of diners and, if the eatery is full, how long the wait will be. Staff at each of the restaurants will be able to make reservations for guests at other restaurants. The system, which has been tested on the Norwegian Spirit, will officially debut on the Pride of America by the time the ship reaches Miami, and will roll out on the Norwegian Jewel and then the rest of the fleet, Veitch said.

Travel Weekly

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Now, with freestyle, people end up waiting at certain times. Most people consider waiting to be a bad thing. Does NCL attempt to solve the waiting problem? No, they turn it into a multi-media event.

What's next? Charging folks to watch (via in cabin flat-panel TV of course) passengers get treated at the clinic ?

Hooray for progress...

How good the old traditions are, fixed tables, fixed waiters and no need to wait or to rush.

I'm happy that in Germany we have some vessels offering single seatings :-)

Freestyle for me ? No thanks !

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Originally posted by Patrick:
Shouldn't there be space for everybody with this freestyle concept ?? I thought, with all those restaurants, people would find a place in one of them at least - If now you have to wait to get some space this will again turn out in a "first come, first served" version...

Patrick

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The problem occurs when almost half of the passengers want to eat early--the dining rooms open at 5:30pm, and by 6:15 they are filled with diners. That means if you show up around 6:30pm-7pm, there is a wait for "first seating" diners to finish and leave. Long lines through the elevator lobbies and up or down the stairs are the norm every evening.

Free-style dining implies that there is seating for everyone; there is, but not at the same time! NCL ships are not single-seating vessels. This happens frequently on the Princess ships, as well--you either get in early, or get in late. It's difficult to be seated at an "in-between" time.

Yes, there are plenty of dining venues on board, but several of them charge extra for meals, and a majority of passengers opt to dine in the regular dining rooms, which of course contributes to the congestion.

Rich

[ 06-07-2005: Message edited by: Linerrich ]

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
What's next? Charging folks to watch (via in cabin flat-panel TV of course) passengers get treated at the clinic ?

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NCL are introducing in-cabin betting. You can bet in advance on which dining room will have the shortest waiting time.

The winner will get a guaranteed reservation at their chosen dining room.

[ 06-07-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by mec1:
I would really like to try freestyle...

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Me too! The only people that do not seem to like freestyle are people that have never trird it.

If you want to turn up each night at 8.30pm sharp, sit with the same companions, and wear your Tux you can!

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Me too! The only people that do not seem to like freestyle are people that have never trird it.

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Wrong Malcolm! I've tried it several times and it's not all it's cracked up to be. Waits to get your name on the list, then more waits once your name has been added. I did not find it very "free", that is for certain.

The process on Princess works much better, and Princess is a far better organized cruise line. Waits were minimal and the way everything was handled with taking reservations was light years ahead of NCL.

I might also add I have experienced open sitting dinner concepts on smaller ships, such as Silversea and there is no comparison.

The fact that NCL has to install flat screen panels around the ship to indicate waiting times should tell you something ..... there are going to be waits (especially at the "free" restaurants", and long waits at certain times. Tables for two will take longer and you might be directed to another dining room. Frankly these are things I don't need to worry about while on vacation. The concept sounds great but the execution and reality once onboard is something totally different.

Ernie

We eat early between 6 & 6.30. have had tables for 2, for 4, joined others, and booked tables in the speciality restaurants, where if you are seated before 6.30 it's half price [or was, not sure if it's still the same].

On any vacation one has to decide where to eat in the evening. what's the difference with NCL... one can traipse round numerous land eateries trying to find somewhere that can sit you within an hour, been there done that and ended up at a Wendy's as Dave had to eat. Many places do not take bookings and on land it's not always possible to know at what time you will be ready to eat.

I have had no problems with NCL.. nor with dining times on any ship. MrP way prefers Freestyle over Trad dining, I don't care which it is. I have had better food on NCL than Cunard and vice versa. In fact I have come to the conclusion that any ship offers far superior food and service to comparable standard land eateries, yet people moan about them non-stop. Why?

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Originally posted by PamM:
It all depends on if you wish to dine at the same time as everyone else. On 3 NCL cruises I have had to wait twice... once for 5 minutes and once for 2 minutes. Hardly a big deal when numerous times in the US we have been told an hour or more for a table, and have to have a pager.

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You don't ever have to wait to eat in the UK? Just in the US huh? Maybe restaurants in the UK aren't worth waiting for? Just kidding ... but I don't understand the relevance of having to wait to eat dinner at a popular restaurant in a US city has to do with NCL?

Anyway, I tend to eat later, around 8 to 8:30. Onboard my last NCL cruise this meant waiting 10-15 minutes to even get my name on the list, then waiting another 20-45 minutes to actually get a table. This was EVERY night of the cruise. Of course you have to wait in the general area with everyone else since they don't give you a pager. If you want a table for two (which I often do), then expect to wait longer. Granted this was on a ship not specifically designed for "Freestyle", but that shouldn't be my problem since NCL advertised the "Freestyle" concept for this ship.

On NORWEGIAN STAR, a ship designed for "Freestyle", my partner Christopffre and I finally gave up on waiting for the "free" restaurants and ended up eating in the most expensive restaurant on the ship. It was ok, but nothing all that memorable. I certainly wasn't embracing "Freestyle" cruising at the time, and it felt a lot more like "Fee-style" cruising. Mind you this was a "shakedown" cruise for NORWEGIAN STAR but how many excuses can I keep making for NCL?

"Personal Choice" cruising on Princess is another ballgame all-together. Talk about a company that has really put some thought into the "anytime dining" process. While you don't always get a table right away, the entire process from taking your name to getting a table is handled with true professionalism. This was NOT my experience on NCL.

I'm glad others have had better experiences on NCL. I will probably give them one more shot with a Caribbean cruise on NORWEGIAN JEWEL. This ship should offer the very best of everything NCL has to offer and stands for. This will make cruise number #11 on NCL, and hopefully a better experience than the last few cruises have been on the line.

Ernie

ps - let's face it, if there were no waits for dinner and some passenger frustration involved, there would be no need for these "flat screen" panels. I can assure you they will recommend the "fee" based restaurants 90% of the time with no waits!

[ 06-07-2005: Message edited by: eroller ]

It has got nothing to do with UK dining.. I purely referred to a US land restaurant as an example as the majority of the pax aboard are used to dining in the US, and would know of nothing else. Had I used the UK as an example then someone would have shouted about the UK having no relevance. It doesn't, and no I do not wait for a table in the UK, I book one... even in the US some of the better places don't take bookings. If I go somewhere in the UK where there isn't a booking system, I have never waited more than 10 minutes.. of course this will no doubt vary from area to area and I expect one may well have to wait in the cities.

The point is, why do people complain at having to wait 30 mins for a table when that can well be the norm anywhere else.

You got a rum deal, we never had to put our name on a list. If it happened every night then you could have pre booked. You could have had the same table every night at the same time with the same waiter.

When having a table for 2, it was no more of a problem, for us. N Dream is not as good as those designed for Freestyle, the Sports Bar is awful, but for evening dining it gave us no problem.

If I were you with the bad experiences I wouldn't bother trying another NCL cruise as I would have a bad taste to start with and the cruise would not be as enjoyable. Why bother going. We have had great NCL cruises and would sail them anytime. For the price one does not expect 5* service... for other more expensive cruises one does.

Dining and service at sea is still far far better value than on land, and so can those tiny bathrooms be

Flat screen panels with car park 'full' etc and ride waiting times are common place.. just think of Disney... . Universal et all .. so a board with dining times is nothing, as I guess most will say Nil except between peak hours.

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Originally posted by PamM:

If I go somewhere in the UK where there isn't a booking system, I have never waited more than 10 minutes.. of course this will no doubt vary from area to area and I expect one may well have to wait in the cities.

The point is, why do people complain at having to wait 30 mins for a table when that can well be the norm anywhere else.

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I guess you are lucky not ever having to wait more than 10 minutes in the UK for a table. I can only speak for London and Manchester, but my experience has been different. I have most certainly waited more than 10 minutes for a table in both cities ... with and without reservations. You know what, I didn't mind one bit just as don't in the US. The reason ... it's usually a fine dining establishment with excellent atmosphere and service. Not a giant dining "hall" that serves mediocre banquet food the masses. I certainly wouldn't wait 45 minutes to eat at my local banquet hall, so why should I on NCL?

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If it happened every night then you could have pre booked. You could have had the same table every night at the same time with the same waiter.

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Well, I guess this would have defeated the whole idea of "freestyle dining". I thought the premise was to eat when you wanted, with whom you wanted, and where you wanted? If I reserved the same table and time every night, then why book Freestyle to begin with? Unfortunately, my Freestyle experience came with many restrictions. I couldn't eat when I wanted (without a 40 minute wait), or where I wanted (often I was directed to the "other" restaurant), or with whom I wanted (often it was "suggested" that I forgo the table for 2 in order to expedite a table).

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If I were you with the bad experiences I wouldn't bother trying another NCL cruise as I would have a bad taste to start with and the cruise would not be as enjoyable. Why bother going.

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Well, thankfully I'm not so old and set in my ways that I can't overlook flaws and give second (and third) chances. God knows I would have never sailed on QM2 had I not given Cunard another chance following a sub-standard QE2 experience. I also like trying the latest ships that a cruise line has to offer. Call it a hobby of mine. It keeps me up to speed on how the cruise lines are evolving and competing with each other. I can take a 7-day Caribbean cruise on JEWEL fairly inexpensively. Even if I don't like the dining arrangements I can enjoy a beautiful new ship sailing in warm Caribbean waters. I've never met a cruise I didn't like .... I just like some more than others. Worse case scenario, I spend a little extra and eat at Cagney's or Le Bistro every night. Actually that wouldn't be such a bad idea.

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Flat screen panels with car park 'full' etc and ride waiting times are common place.. just think of Disney... . Universal et all .. so a board with dining times is nothing, as I guess most will say Nil except between peak hours.

Pam

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Theme parks I can understand. A so-called luxury cruise I'm not so sure about. In any case, I will try JEWEL first hand so my future observations can be based on the very latest and best NCL has to offer.

Ernie

[ 06-07-2005: Message edited by: eroller ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Me too! The only people that do not seem to like freestyle are people that have never trird it.

If you want to turn up each night at 8.30pm sharp, sit with the same companions, and wear your Tux you can!

If you don't, you have the flexibility.

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Originally posted by Beezo:
I don't understand why so many people are bashing this idea...i honestly would not be suprised at all if other lines follow this system in the coming years.

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I absolutely think other lines will follow, not that I think this is a good thing. I mentioned this on another thread regarding Carnival's Pinnacle Project. As cruise ships become larger and larger, more innovative solutions must be forthcoming in regards to passenger flow and crowd control. I wouldn't be surprised if Pinnacle Project is the first Carnival ship to introduce a "freestyle" concept of dining. I think it's a matter of necessity more than anything. There are restrictions on just how large a lounge/public space can be, and a 5000 passenger ship won't be able to have a dining room that can accommodate 2500 passengers (half the ship) at one sitting. There will have to be multiple choices for both dining and entertainment in order to prevent 2500 passengers from trying to get to the same place at the same time.

I generally dine around 10:00--10:30pm on land.
Aboard Gemini, for example, the dining venues close at 9:00pm.
If I show up about 8:45pm I mostly have the whole dining room or buffet restaurant to myself. Usually can have my favorite table in Ocean Palace at the large aft windows overlooking the wake.
Alternatively, I can choose Mariner's Buffet and opt to sit out on deck and enjoy my meal with some other like minded pax.
Works for me!

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Malcolm wrote:
I thought for a moment that the title of this thread meant that NCL passengers were eating off flat-pannel TV's instead of plates!

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I was waiting for that!

This whole concept of having flat-panel TVs displaying (announcing) availability of tables is ridiculous. Could that be construed as patronizing? That's my opinion anyway.

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