Notes from the revolution in cruise ship dining rooms: You mean I have to eat with them? Probably not
And definately not on the new Norwegian Epic, cruising out of Miami starting in July, the first modern ship without a main dining room
By David G. Molyneaux, editor, TheTravelMavens.com
Norwegian Cruise Line fired the first shot. A decade later, the dining room revolution at sea continues, in a battle between the traditional two seatings each evening and a more modern, flexible style of eating dinner when you want.
Before Norwegian changed the rules, inflexible daily dining schedules had been followed since the beginning of modern ships crossing oceans. You dressed for dinner. You ate when and where you were told. And you sat at a big table, sometimes with delightful new friends, sometimes with folks you would rather not take back home to meet grandma.
When Norwegian (NCL) invented Freestyle Cruising, giving passengers daily choices for dinner was viewed by many experts as more gimmick than trend-setter.
They were wrong. Eating aboard ship has not been the same since.
Today, all large cruise ships offer numerous places and times to dine – some for free, others in alternative restaurants that charge an extra fee. And most ships have adopted a relaxed dress code.
The Manhattan Room, above, is one of more than a dozen restaurants on the new Norwegian Epic.
Satisfying both crowds, traditional and modern
Cruise lines are changing their policies to satisfy their older passengers who tend to be traditionalists wanting assigned tables with familiar waiters each night, and younger passengers, new to cruising, who tend to prefer a more modern approach. The moderns don’t know when they may want to dine on Tuesday night – and with whom. They may prefer a romantic table for two. They may want to eat with new friends. They may decide to wear their shorts, eat pizza and drink beer.
Larger ships now cater to both crowds, though vessels designed around one or two main dining rooms – such as Carnival, Celebrity and most of Royal Caribbean -- may not have the same flexibility as ships with multiple restaurants such as Norwegian and Oceania.
They all have learned the new lingo: Dining is Freestyle (Norwegian), Anytime (Princess), Your Choice (Carnival), My Time and My Family Time (Royal Caribbean), Select (Celebrity), Perfect Choice (Crystal), and As You Wish (Holland America) .
“We still have lots of traditional cruisers who want set times and a table,” said Frank Weber, vice president of food and beverage for Royal Caribbean. “The main dining room is one of the highest rated parts of a cruise.” Weber said the number of flexible diners varies by ship, from as low as 10 percent to as high as 30 percent.
Royal Caribbean’s My Time passengers can walk in, taking their chances on an available table, can make daily reservations for dinner.
New this year, you can make reservations before the cruise, which is highly recommended for the newest and biggest ship, Oasis of the Seas, with 6,000 passengers or more. Above, 150 Central Park on Oasis of the Seas
“Once traditional cruisers try My Time, they usually are converted,” said Weber. “They like the flexibility.” Waiters will note what cocktail you like, how you want your appetizer. That information can follow you from table to table, dining room to dining room.
Your Choice is increasing on Carnival ships
Carnival Cruise Line does not accept reservations for passengers who choose Your Choice dining, which averages about 15-20 percent of the ship, said Cyrus Marfatia, vice president of food and beverage. He said Carnival finds that first-come, first-served works best, even at the busiest times. Passengers get a beeper to let them know when a table is available.
Carnival has set aside one-half of a dining room (Carnival ships have two dining rooms) for walkup eaters. Crimson dining room on Carnival Dream, right.
“Numbers are increasing,” said Marfatia, “so we are making more space available.” Thanks to computers, your waiter each night will know your dining history, such as a salt-free diet or the whereabouts of the half-full bottle of wine you saved from dinner the night before.
What about Carnival’s famous singing waiters, whose dances and ballads are timed to courses?
Waiters will sing in the Your Choice dining room at a scheduled time, said Marfatia, which means you may be eating an appetizer or dessert, but you will hear the waiters.
Celebrity, HAL, Princess, Crystal, Oceania, Seven Seas
Celebrity Cruises says that more than 25 percent of passengers are using its Select Dining program, in which passengers make their dining reservation before the cruise begins. Celebrity says the Select program is being used to its maximum that the cruise line can accommodate – reason enough to get your reservation in early. Left, Moonlight Sonata dining room on Celebrity Eclipse.
On Holland America (HAL), passengers may choose the flexible dining program when they book their cruise. Onboard, they may make a daily reservation or take their chances on an open table.
On Princess, passengers may show up for dinner at select dining rooms and be seated as tables are available. The system worked well for me on a two-week repositioning cruise across the Atlantic on Emerald Princess. Except for a busy window from about 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., I seldom waited more than a few minutes.
Crystal Cruises, a traditional luxury line, is tip-toeing into open seating. Beginning in January 2011, passengers will have the choice of making a dinner reservation for a time different from the main and late seatings. Crystal already is taking dinner reservations for 2011.
Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas offer open seating on all ships, including Oceania’s Marina that will debut next January (2011) with a main dining room and six alternative restaurants. A few dining choices require a reservation, but none charge an extra fee for dinner.
21 eating choices on Norwegian Epic
Norwegian, meanwhile, is taking the dining revolution up a notch with the introduction of its newest ship, Norwegian Epic, the first major cruise ship without a main dining room.
Passengers will have 21 choices for eating, including Taste, right, and the Manhattan Room, a supper club with dance floor, both included in the cruise fee. Many restaurants charge a fee up to $25 per person. Norwegian Epic begins sailing out of Miami July 10 (2010).
That’s quite a transition for one decade, though it seems to me that doing away with a main dining room goes against the Norwegian motto of offering passengers a Freestyle choice. One choice you won’t have on the Epic is the traditional one.
David Molyneaux writes monthly about cruising. He is editor of TheTravelMavens.com
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