Dynamic Dining - Your thoughts!

[WDWFANCBIIIME]

Hey guys I didn't see a thread posted about this so I thought I would start one

What are your thoughts on the new Dynamic Dining on the Quantum class ships?

I personally think it looks really really cool! Especially Wonderland and American Icon Grill and the Michael's Genuine Pub!!!

The restaurants look excellent and I love the idea of being able to pick a different restaurant every night!

What are your thoughts???

 

[UmmGooD]

What is dynamic dining? I haven't heard of it could you explain or point towards a link that describes it and the details?

 

[WDWFANCBIIIME]

What is dynamic dining? I haven't heard of it could you explain or point towards a link that describes it and the details?

Absolutely I will do both

Basically RCCL is stretching the concept of Dining on a cruise ship, instead of having 1 main dining room there are 4 complimentary (+1 all suite) dining rooms each have a different theme from

American Icon Grill featuring things from all across America to Silk a Asian inspired restaurant to The Grand Restaurant which is a formal restaurant every night with menu items like lobster ext...

They will also have a verity of up charge restaurants like Wonderland as well as your traditional Chops, and Izumi


http://www.royalcaribbean.com/quantumoftheseas/dining/restaurants/

 

[UmmGooD]

Absolutely I will do both

Basically RCCL is stretching the concept of Dining on a cruise ship, instead of having 1 main dining room there are 4 complimentary (+1 all suite) dining rooms each have a different theme from

American Icon Grill featuring things from all across America to Silk a Asian inspired restaurant to The Grand Restaurant which is a formal restaurant every night with menu items like lobster ext...

They will also have a verity of up charge restaurants like Wonderland as well as your traditional Chops, and Izumi


http://www.royalcaribbean.com/quantumoftheseas/dining/restaurants/

Wow that is pretty impressive. I would be interested to see how difficult it would be to get reservations on board. I haven't cruised on RCCL yet. Based on my DCL experience here are some things I came up with from my gut reaction to the video.

The positives
1. I really would like the different environments. I think this brings RCCL up to the same level or beyond DCL because of the rotating dining concept.
2. I like the idea of trying all these different chef's and their take on food.
3. I really like the farm fresh comment. I live in Austin and we have awesome food here and the reason is a lot is cooked with super fresh food. I found that lacking on my cruises.

The negatives I can come up with off the cuff are:
1. You don't get to know your MDR serving team anymore. To me that was a huge part of why we loved cruising on DCL. My kids still talk about our dining servers we had on our original and second cruise.
2. I am a very adventurous eater and my wife is not. I could see her vetoing entire restaurants based on her not finding something she would want to eat. With the MDR at least I know I could try different things with rotating menus but with this concept I might be stuck in 2 restaurants and probably couldn't try the others. I would hope they had some basic food as an option for all of these restaurants like a simple steak or something along those lines for her.
3. Can you really eat here for free? I wonder what your options for if you do not want to spend money on an up charge restaurant. What is the quality of food in the free dining places?

 

[WDWFANCBIIIME]

I could not agree with what you said more!

I have not sailed RCCL either however this really makes me want to give it a try asap (if its done correctly which I think it will be because of how radical it is)!

Your points about serving team and Can you really eat here for free? Are both huge questions, I personally do not mind paying an up charge however my dad really really dislikes it even for Palo on DCL...

I think it may be like WDW where you have to make Dining Reservations as soon as you can, Another note is that I have had some fantastic waiters and waitresses in WDW and around the world and only know them for 1 night like Palo for example on DCL.... However you just won't make the same connection probably like you do when they rotate or there is a main dining room...

 

[ronandannette]

I could not agree with what you said more!

I have not sailed RCCL either however this really makes me want to give it a try asap (if its done correctly which I think it will be because of how radical it is)!

Your points about serving team and Can you really eat here for free? Are both huge questions, I personally do not mind paying an up charge however my dad really really dislikes it even for Palo on DCL...

I think it may be like WDW where you have to make Dining Reservations as soon as you can, Another note is that I have had some fantastic waiters and waitresses in WDW and around the world and only know them for 1 night like Palo for example on DCL.... However you just won't make the same connection probably like you do when they rotate or there is a main dining room...

This is not an innovation RCCL has dreamed up - it is a straight up imitation of NCL's Freestyle Dining. Many dining venues to choose from; some included in the base fare and some with upcharges.

 

[WDWFANCBIIIME]

This is not an innovation RCCL has dreamed up - it is a straight up imitation of NCL's Freestyle Dining. Many dining venues to choose from; some included in the base fare and some with upcharges.

I think it is similar to NCL yes however I think it is different too if I'm not mistaken NCL still has a main dining room... personally I thought is was similar to DCL with out the rotating staff...

RCCL seems to be a better line in every aspect then NCL though so I think they will take the idea change it up and execute it better...

Not saying NCL is bad it just doesn't seem to be as solid as RCCL...

 

[ronandannette]

I think it is similar to NCL yes however I think it is different too if I'm not mistaken NCL still has a main dining room... personally I thought is was similar to DCL with out the rotating staff...

RCCL seems to be a better line in every aspect then NCL though so I think they will take the idea change it up and execute it better...

Not saying NCL is bad it just doesn't seem to be as solid as RCCL...

Two actually, each with a different theme, but they are really no different than any of the other "restaurants" except for the size and there is NO traditional set dining times or formal nights. You may dine in any venue on any night either as a walk-up (subject to availability) or by making reservations in advance. Most NCL ships have 5 or 6 options (including the buffet) that are included in the cruise fare and 4 or 5 specialty restaurants that require a fee. The RCCL plan sounds EXACTLY like this.

 

[savage1]

I just thought I would add to this. I went in today to make reservations for the 3-day cruise in November and I'm not too enthused with this. The first reservation time that shows is at 6:45pm. I don't know about anyone else, but we don't eat that late. This is actually leaving us little choice on where to eat since most of the complimentary places are only open for dinner. I was looking forward to a couple of the places just to try it out, but unless they plan to be open earlier it won't happen on this trip.
At least the American Icon is open for lunch - we will be eating there.

 

[dvcdisney]

I was going to reserve my opinion until we went on the cruise. I do think it's a great idea and I welcome it. However, after trying to book our dining reservations (today it the official day you can book dining online for Quantum of the Seas), it was very frustrating.

I will admit that I did book a few before today because it was available online, some reservations didn't show up on My Calendar and I was hoping that today, when it was official, all my reservations would appear. But no, it still an issue. Some are showing and when I try to make reservations on those that are not showing, it says that I have reservations already. When I click the button to make the new ones and cancel the old ones, it just tells me that I cannot add it to the cart.... I've tried it several times...still doesn't work.

Then I realized that it's not Disney, I shouldn't expect it to "magically" appear...I have to wait until all the chaos is done and perhaps call in about a week or so and hope that my reservations are still there and that I can see it on my reservations.

This is our first experience with RCI and I'm not happy. I'm afraid it's going to be worse when we sail. There is still quite a few months left so I'm hoping this will be all sorted out. Or I'll just cancel.

 

[powelweb]

I just thought I would add to this. I went in today to make reservations for the 3-day cruise in November and I'm not too enthused with this. The first reservation time that shows is at 6:45pm. I don't know about anyone else, but we don't eat that late. This is actually leaving us little choice on where to eat since most of the complimentary places are only open for dinner. I was looking forward to a couple of the places just to try it out, but unless they plan to be open earlier it won't happen on this trip.
At least the American Icon is open for lunch - we will be eating there.

They do have earlier times- most of our reservations are for 6:15 for our party of 3, so it is possible that your particular restaurants had filled up for the early times that they were opening during the pre-test phase.

You may want to keep checking back to see if you can change it to earlier times, or check when you get onboard.

 

[mikethedigiartist]

This is not an innovation RCCL has dreamed up - it is a straight up imitation of NCL's Freestyle Dining. Many dining venues to choose from; some included in the base fare and some with upcharges.

I personally have not tried NCL's Freestyle, however I have been tempted to to try selling with them because of the different approach. I think it's good for RCCL to have more flexible option in the fleet, something that is a bit more progressive and casual. It's not like they're going to change the entire fleet over to dynamic dining, but I'm sure it will be on all new ships from now on as long as quantum class is successful.

This is our first experience with RCI and I'm not happy. I'm afraid it's going to be worse when we sail. There is still quite a few months left so I'm hoping this will be all sorted out. Or I'll just cancel.

I'm sure it is to be expected that this particular experience will be somewhat rocky at start. Even though they have been doing flexible dining as an option for some time, this is a whole new approach to cruising in general for RCCL. Should everyone from the first sale date expect it to run perfectly? I doubt that is a realistic expectation (I can completely understand wanting Dynamic Dining to run perfectly since you're paying top dollar to be sure)

 

[fluffysue]

I'm not very thrilled about the Dynamic Dining thing, really. I've only been on a couple of cruises, but I like the main dining room concept where you get the same waiters every night. Complicating things on Quantum is the fact I'm going with a huge group, and I feel like it is going to be impossible to work out the dining arrangements....had I known about all this before I might have pushed for a different cruise, but it's decided now (and I really want to go on that North Star thing, anyway...).

 

[mikethedigiartist]

I've only been on a couple of cruises, but I like the main dining room concept where you get the same waiters every night. Complicating things on Quantum is the fact I'm going with a huge group, and I feel like it is going to be impossible to work out the dining arrangements

fluffysue, I agree completely. There is something nice about the consistency of schedule and having the same dining room staff take care of you. I would miss those both in dynamic dining.

Possibly the worst part is the question that might arise every night, "Where do you want to eat tonight?"

 

[dvcdisney]

I'm sure it is to be expected that this particular experience will be somewhat rocky at start. Even though they have been doing flexible dining as an option for some time, this is a whole new approach to cruising in general for RCCL. Should everyone from the first sale date expect it to run perfectly? I doubt that is a realistic expectation (I can completely understand wanting Dynamic Dining to run perfectly since you're paying top dollar to be sure)

Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect it to be perfect. But I did expect the introduction of the system to book Dynamic Dining to be a bit more refined. They have made a big deal of this - "WOW" and I assumed that they would get most of the glitches out before opening it to the cruisers. I expect a few, but not what people seem to be experiencing.

Even though the cruise is still many months away, when you tell people that you have to make dining reservations each night or else they may end up eating at the buffet, then I see the panic. I hate buffets and would likely not eat if that was my option. And when you have to book entertainment to coincide with your dining reservations and you don't provide the entertainment schedule, then that's really asking for problems. I cannot believe that these things were not planned out before introducing the whole idea of booking dining.

When I first heard of it, I did like the idea of booking my reservations each night. I do that for our Disney vacations so I have no problem booking it on a cruise. The problem with this is that some people hate prebooking dining or any reservations. They want to "wing it" which is great for those who want it. Personally, I couldn't do that, I would have to book everything before I leave or I'll be anxious the whole time. But then again, I'm a massive planner. I need to plan everything. I mean EVERYTHING.

Back to Dynamic Dining, I would love the whole idea and hope that they get all the glitches out by the time I sail. I can't believe the issues that many people are having. My issue is that I can't see all my reservations and in order to change any of them, I would have to cancel and re book. Which I have no problem with that, although the system allows for modifying, so I should be able to do that. But if I cannot see my reservation, I cannot click the button to modify it or even cancel it. I didn't spend hours or even days like some people seemed to have done, but I am just as exhausted going through the system. It's a little faster now, but I still can't see some of my reservations so I can't modify the ones I want to change.

But I do love the idea of eating at all restaurants - so I am looking forward to Dynamic Dining. I just don't want to end up standing at the host being told that I don't have a reservation because the system is still glitchy.

 

[mikethedigiartist]

But I do love the idea of eating at all restaurants - so I am looking forward to Dynamic Dining. I just don't want to end up standing at the host being told that I don't have a reservation because the system is still glitchy.

I completely sympathize with that, and you should actually expected to be nearly perfect.

Have you thought about just trying to make all your reservations over the phone? I know it kind of goes counter to my inclination, but I'm pretty sure that Royal Caribbean staff are able to access more reliable system.

Alternatively you could write down the plan A and Plan B for each day and just show up at the port, guest services should be able to help you as soon as you get on board and I'm sure you'll get one of the two times at the very least. I know that last suggestion is complete heresy for the über-planner, you have my apologies.

 

[fluffysue]

fluffysue, I agree completely. There is something nice about the consistency of schedule and having the same dining room staff take care of you. I would miss those both in dynamic dining.

Possibly the worst part is the question that might arise every night, "Where do you want to eat tonight?"

I think the worst part is, that I apparently need to decide NOW where and when I want to eat in January.

 

[mikethedigiartist]

I think the worst part is, that I apparently need to decide NOW where and when I want to eat in January.

That's actually good point, with the increase in options adds to the complexity of planning and the challenge of choosing where to eat in advance. Having traditional dining is simpler in a lot of ways even though it is more regimented.

I'm curious to see how easy it is to change reservations while on board, what if you decide to revisit a restaurant multiple times that you were planning on because of a great experience? I can see that happening for a lot of folks.

 

[dvcdisney]

I completely sympathize with that, and you should actually expected to be nearly perfect.

Have you thought about just trying to make all your reservations over the phone? I know it kind of goes counter to my inclination, but I'm pretty sure that Royal Caribbean staff are able to access more reliable system.

Alternatively you could write down the plan A and Plan B for each day and just show up at the port, guest services should be able to help you as soon as you get on board and I'm sure you'll get one of the two times at the very least. I know that last suggestion is complete heresy for the über-planner, you have my apologies.

Thanks for the suggestions. I did finally call in and they were able to see all my reservations and I was able to change a few that I wanted but I couldn't online. It didn't take too long, but I prefer to do everything online. Anyway, I hope they get the issues resolved. I also think that they should have some type of confirmation system when booking online so if there is an issue with the website, then you can verify that they did receive your reservations.

As for your last suggestion, no apologies needed. I'm sure it would work out fine if I wait to reserve on the ship, but it would drive me insane. Sometimes I really envy those who can go with the flow, but we've been in many situations where I (and my family) was glad that I've pre planned or reserved something. But I will ensure I have a plan B in case the system is still glitchy when we sail.

 

[fluffysue]

That's actually good point, with the increase in options adds to the complexity of planning and the challenge of choosing where to eat in advance. Having traditional dining is simpler in a lot of ways even though it is more regimented.

I'm curious to see how easy it is to change reservations while on board, what if you decide to revisit a restaurant multiple times that you were planning on because of a great experience? I can see that happening for a lot of folks.

That's what I'm wondering. I know on my last cruise, also, I ended up changing dinner time several times due to either spending more time in port than anticipated, or wanting to participate in some activity that conflicted with dinner. With MTD on a smaller ship, it was not an issue at all, they accommodated all our changes and even let us stay with the same waiters despite all the changes...not sure that will work at all on Quantum. I imagine, too, that some restaurants will be more popular and harder to switch to than others, and we really don't even know yet which ones they will be!