With each ship entering service, cruise lines introduce new features in an attempt to meet the changing needs of cruisers. However, nothing exceeds dining in terms of radical change and innovation.
A decade ago you had to take a pricey luxury vessel carrying fewer than 700 passengers to find single, open seating while today it’s an option available on nearly every vessel. And, you’ll still find plenty of cruisers – roughly half, the cruise lines report – opting for the traditional style of cruise ship dining.
As one cruiser told me “I love traditional. I love having the waiter remember I like having two glasses of ice tea, the fact that I love chilled soups. You don’t get that when you have to wait an hour to dine in a ship’s restaurant after you’re rushed back to shower and reach the restaurant before it gets packed.”
And, many cruisers have noted that the service is better in an assigned seating restaurant. Typically, the pace is more consistent and waiters form a bond with people they’re going to be serving over a period of time.
However, open seating is so popular because many cruisers prefer to dine when and with whom they please. And the enormous size of modern cruise ships ensures that there’s enough space for cruise lines to please everyone. Today, you note which dining plan you prefer and register it on the cruise line’s web site, along with shore excursions and spa appointments.
If you’re a first time cruiser and don’t know which dining option to pick, I recommend the assigned plan for those traveling with children and groups with six or more people. Otherwise, you may have to wait longer until a large enough table opens up. And, families typically opt for the assigned 6:30 dining so that children can get to bed earlier.
Among the new dining features we’ve seen this year and next:
** In 2009, Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean and Holland America moved to flexible dining by offering the choice of assigned or open seating.
** Royal Caribbean’s gigantic Oasis of the Seas will enter service this fall with 24 dining options. Nine restaurants will have either a surcharge of up to $35 per person or a la carte menu options including Johnny Rockets and the Ice Cream Parlor. The cruise line also introduced an expedited 40-minute dining experience for chilled aged 3-10 for passengers choosing the assigned 6:30 plan. A youth counselor will escort kids from the main dining room entrance back to the Adventure Ocean facility so they can resume playing with their friends.
** On Aug. 31, 2009, Celebrity Cruises announced that a flexible dining program will be available on all ships starting in January/February 2010. Cruisers may book their preference — single, open or traditional assigned seating — prior to departure on Celebrity’s website.
** Oceania Cruises’ new Marina, scheduled to enter service in 2010, will boast six restaurants aboard the premium-class ship, none with a surcharge, including one designed by renowned chef Jacques Pepin. Even more revolutionary, Marina will offer passengers the chance to learn new cooking skills in an onboard school boasting 12 individual stations, each with its own oven.
** Carnival Dream, which enters service this fall, will host several new restaurants, including one that serves only pasta. In addition, in the “Taste of the Nations” Lido restaurant you’ll find fixed stations with Asian and Indian cuisine. The expanded room service menu will offer gourmet delicacies like Roast Beef on a French Baguette and grilled fresh mozzarella and Portobello mushrooms on focaccia.
** Norwegian Cruise Line, which offers “Freestyle Cruising” aboard all ships, will add to its roster of restaurants on Norwegian Epic, which enters service in 2010. The “Manhattan Room” will be a two-story art deco supper club with a dance floor and live evening music. The cruise industry’s first Churrascaria will feature skewered meats presented by tableside passadors.
Do you prefer open or assigned seating?
