While every cruise line’s dining program is a little different, most cruise lines stick to certain similar traditions, with a few distinct differences. Just about every cruise line is continually trying to improve it dining program.
This is a general guide to dining on the high seas. These are the standards with most cruise lines with a touch on a few of the exceptions.
Fixed Seating or “Traditional” Dining
This type of dining has been offered since the cruise lines began carrying passengers. It means you are assigned to a specific table at a fixed dining time. That table can seat as few as two people, or as many as ten. You could be assigned a table for four that accommodates just your family. Or if you are traveling as a couple, you might be seated with others at a large table with others cruise couples.
The assignment of table sizes and who you will dine with are up to the cruise line, which tries to sit people together who have something in common –such as age. But the line doesn’t really know much about you in advance, so selection of tablemates is generally pretty random.
In fixed dining the only thing you can request in advance is your dining time –early or late seating. Table sizes can be requested, but there is no guarantee you request will be granted. Early seating is usually at 6pm with late seating around 8pm.
The advantage of traditional dining is that you enjoy dinner with the same with staff for every meal. Over the course of the cruise, they learn your likes, dislikes and special preferences.
The disadvantage of traditional dining is that you dine with the same fellow passengers every night. In most cases you will enjoy their company, but that is not always the case.
“Open” Seating Dining
Open seating is also referred to as flex dining. A few cruise lines started this dining option over 5 years ago and it has become very popular that almost all the cruise lines now offer it. Each cruise line calls it something different. Princess has “Personal Choice”, Holland has “As you Wish” and Carnival has “Your Time Dining”. In the past year Royal Caribbean is offering “My Time Dining and Celebrity has “Celebrity Select Dining”. Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do require you to pre-pay the cruise gratuities when reserving the open dining option.
Open seating simply means that you are not locked into a particular dining time. You can dine when and whom you choose, with certain limitations. For example, if you want a table for two, you might have to wait for one to become available. But if you are willing to share a large table with others, you could be seated right away.
The dining room will have posted hours for dinner service, perhaps 5:30pm till 9:30pm, you can walk in at any time during those hours. This kind of flexibility is great, especially for families, since any given day on a cruise ship can be different.
Some lines let you call a reservations number in the morning to make your dinner plans for that evening, so you can request that coveted table for two. Reservations are a good idea if you want to dine just with your own small party. If you are truly flexible, however, and don’t care about the table size or sharing a table with others you can “wing it”. Just walk in to the dining room when you are ready to eat, and you will be seated quite promptly.
You will have the same food items served in the “traditional” dining room. Dress codes for each evening will be identical as well. Some lines use separate dining rooms for the two dining formats, while others might use the upper or lower level of the same dining room.
Norwegian Cruise Line does not offer any form of “traditional” dining. Instead, they have “Freestyle Dining”.
Freestyle means doing what you want, when you want. They toss out all the trappings of traditional cruising, such as the requirement to dine at a specific time and at a specific table. Freestyle extends to all areas of their ships, including entertainment venues.
Since Norwegian ships offer exclusively open seating dining, they probably have more dining venues than any other cruise line. Most Norwegian ships have two “free” restaurants, as well as a free buffet venue and a pool grill. All other dining venues are fee-based, ranging from $5 to $30 or more per person. The whole idea of a “freestyle” vacation is to sample various eateries during the sailing, and the idea of paying an additional fee for most dining turns off some people. But “Freestyle” is all about choice and variety, and those who restrict themselves to the “no added fee” restaurants are not full taking advantage of freestyle cruising.
You can contact me locally in Florida (the world’s cruise capital) Toll Free at 1-877-999-4970 or by email at erdmanj@discountcruises.com to book today.
