Cruise Talk: NCL and Freestyle Cruising

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Topic: NCL and Freestyle Cruising

trailhiker
First Class Passenger
Member # 1674

posted 11-11-2000 09:19 AM

We returned Tuesday from a 15 night repo cruise on NCL Majesty. After 11 cruises we can qualify as experienced cruisers and I can honestly say that FreeStyle stinks.
We are not picky or fussy and I think we are easy to please, but this was the worst cruise we've ever been on. The cabin was not kept up and the service in the dining room was cold and very anonymous. We didn't see the smiling faces we had become accustomed to on previous cruises. The waiters and asst. waiters as well as the room stewards are now being paid out of a general pool once a month. A sizable service charge is taken out by the parent company Star Cruises. Anyone can go to the purser's desk and ask for the mandatory tips, $10. per day per person, to be taken off their credit card bill. We didn't, but many do because of poor service. If a person chooses to do this and pay the cabin steward personally, the steward is required to turn it in or face dismissal.
The wait staff is working 12-18 hour days. We saw the waiter from our evening meal pushing the dirty dish trolley around the pool the next morning.
Many will argue that the freedom to choose when to dine outweighs the inconvenience of poor service. We felt that by dining with different people each meal for 15 days we never got beyond the smalltalk stage. However, we did hear an awful lot of complaining! No one was happy! On other cruises we have had a chance to meet a lot of great people. Several of them we have met up with again. I think the cruise lines use computers to group together people from similar age groups or regions. Whatever they do we have had a lot of good luck.
Anyway, for what it is worth, the two of us will not be cruising with NCL again. Too many changes that are negative. I could write a book. Any questions please contact me. Maybe I can save you the $4000. we just threw away.

Posts: 46 | From: North Conway, NH 03860 USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-11-2000 01:06 PM

Welcome aboard Trailhiker! Sorry that you had a bad experience with NCL.

All the major cruise lines seem to be going down the 'freestyle' route. It will be interesting to hear what other passengers think of these changes? If everyone finds the new style equally bad, the 'experiment' will not last very long!

Experienced cruisers are certainly not impressed with the idea of 'freestyle', but I wonder if 'new' cruisers will like it more?

[This message has been edited by Malcolm (edited 11-11-2000).]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Chalk Dust
First Class Passenger
Member # 1272

posted 11-11-2000 01:07 PM

Trailhiker, thanks for the information. It really helps to hear what experienced cruisers think about things. If the price were low enough, I might still cruise this way knowing that it is not the same kind of cruise that I have been on up to now. On the other hand, it does not sound like it has many real advantages. I like eating at the same time and the same table each evening and getting to know my tablemates and finding my iced tea waiting for me when I sit down and tipping my server for the excellent service I have received for whole week.

Posts: 47 | From: Flower Mound, Texas, U.S.A. | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

Paddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 357

posted 11-11-2000 01:34 PM

I am really sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I really wouldn't be fussed on Freestyle, because I am one of the few people who like sitting with and getting to know the same people throughout the cruise. I am not even sure I would like a ship with too many alternative dining venues - things are too impersonal. When I go on any vacation I like to try and meet new friends, and one of the benefits of cruises in my eyes is that you really can't help geting to know new people.

Paddy.

Posts: 763 | From: Belfast, Ireland | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Bobby G
First Class Passenger
Member # 49

posted 11-11-2000 09:59 PM

[ 10-24-2002: Message edited by: Bobby G ]

Posts: 36 | From: SC | Registered: Feb 99 | IP: Logged

fondaenergy
First Class Passenger
Member # 1641

posted 11-12-2000 08:41 AM

Does anybody know if Norwegian Wind is Free Style? We are booked on December 23rd.

This will be our 14th cruise. What is being said here has a great deal of merit. We have found that service suffers during open seating. You don't have a personal relationship with the service staff. They want you to make no demands and eat fast so that they can clear the table. This is true of all the cruise lines we have been on.

However, Free Style does enable you to skip having to dress on formal night and eat when you want.

It will be interesting to learn whether the plusses out weigh the minuses.

Posts: 177 | From: Jacksonville, FL | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Winner
First Class Passenger
Member # 1188

posted 11-12-2000 02:22 PM

You'll need to add the following lines that "do" some version of NCL's freestyle, or are planning on doing so:

Carnival
Princess
Radisson 7 Seas
Seabourn (except for Sun)
Silverseas
Windstar

Posts: 113 | From: Santa Rosa CA USA | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

Winner
First Class Passenger
Member # 1188

posted 11-12-2000 04:10 PM

---and Renaissance is lso open seating.

Posts: 113 | From: Santa Rosa CA USA | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

CTrail
First Class Passenger
Member # 64

posted 11-12-2000 04:36 PM

Winner, where did you see that Carnival was open seating. I know that they have some alternative dining arrangements on the Destiny class ships but I hadn't heard of anything like this at allon their other classes of ships. I have heard nothing about Carnival going to the open seating style of freestyle dining that NCL is trying, and I think failing miserably at.

I would still like to know my dinner companions, my dining room staff and the ability to be able to exchange more than just simple pleasantries with a group of people that are experiencing the same joy of cruising as we have for the most part.
In my opinion, knowing what these people are planning for the next day and being able to follow up with them is also a very important part of the overall cruise experience.

Cruisingisalifestyle.

Peter

Posts: 332 | From: Kitchener, ON Canada | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

jean elmore
First Class Passenger
Member # 1192

posted 11-12-2000 07:27 PM

hi everyone, I`m finally back from the UK and Tenerife, had a wonderful trip, now to get ready for my xmas cruise. On this topic, I think what Carnival are going to is 4 seatings for dinner, 2 in each of the dining rooms, 6pm and 8pm in one DR and 6.45pm and 8.45pm in the other, I read this on Cruise News, jean.

Posts: 68 | From: obetz oh. usa | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

CTrail
First Class Passenger
Member # 64

posted 11-12-2000 10:15 PM

This is typical, 2 seatings per dining room but you still have a specific time and table ie early or late seating at a specific table and you cannot change unless you get the ok from the maitre'd.

Wishweweregoingforchristmas!!!

Peter

Posts: 332 | From: Kitchener, ON Canada | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

Mercy
First Class Passenger
Member # 322

posted 11-13-2000 09:08 AM

NO, NO, No,!!!! Say it isn't so! I was really hoping that this Freestyle thing would GO AWAY! It is such a shame. We loved our cruise on the SKY before the F.S. change. I don't want to have to spend EVERY meal meeting new people and having to go through the whole "who are you and what do you do" thing. I like getting to know people, and then we can all compare notes on our experiences. "Where did you go today? What excursions did you take? etc. I like having the same waiter and assistant waiter. I like the room steward trying hard to earn his tip at the end of a cruise. I so hope that the cruise lines listen to all the complaints and give up the whole Freestyle idea.

Posts: 697 | From: Stanwood, Wa. USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

trailhiker
First Class Passenger
Member # 1674

posted 11-13-2000 10:23 AM

If enough people complain and don't take this maybe the lines will do something. The way I look at it, we won't book on anymore cruises that are set up this way. There are an awful lot of huge new ships coming out, lots of cabins to fill. No one wins with this Freestyle business. Don't put up with it. The only ones that seemed content on our 15 nighter were the diehard gamblers who hardly ever moved away from the casino, and first timers who had never experienced good service.

Posts: 46 | From: North Conway, NH 03860 USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 11-13-2000 12:32 PM

Freestyle dining - does this mean that you are no longer assigned a table number?

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 11-13-2000 12:40 PM

Hi Mercy - I'm with you all the way.

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

trailhiker
First Class Passenger
Member # 1674

posted 11-13-2000 12:56 PM

Yes, that's what it means. We never sat at the same table twice during 15 nights. On two occasions we decided to ask for a table for two so we could relax and forgo the smalltalk which was becoming boring. We did get a table both times but waited about 30 minutes.
I recall one nice couple who told us they had traveled with NCL 24 times, and this would definitely be the last time.
The mandatory tipping was especially unpopular with the folks from Canada and England. They were very vocal about it. I hated tipping the Maitre'd so much because we only saw him the times we asked for the table for 2. They don't come to the table anymore to do the nice flaming desserts. They told us they do it in the galley. However the night they had Baked Alaska they ran out. They told us to wait and in about 15 minutes brought a big block of strawberry icecream covered and piped with wipped cream. I would have liked to see that "merengue" browned under the broiler.

Posts: 46 | From: North Conway, NH 03860 USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

bubbles
First Class Passenger
Member # 1415

posted 11-13-2000 02:13 PM

I am sorry to hear about the rapid spread of this practice. One of the joys of cruising is returning to tablemates in the evening whom you become more familiar with over the cruise and with whom you can swap the day's events. I have posted before about people taking the opportunity to try out alternative dining with the result that some dining tables are half empty in the evening and this is a shame too. I think it is Princess who intend offering traditional dining for those who wish to take it and another dining room which will be fully flexible for those who wish to dine in a restaurant as if they were on land (although if you were on land would you return to the same restaurant every night?)

Posts: 133 | From: England | Registered: Jul 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-13-2000 06:37 PM

...of course the problem with the 'Traditional' method of dining is that if your tablemates turn out to be a complete bore, it is difficult to escape from them! You can end up dredding the evening meal.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Paddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 357

posted 11-14-2000 02:23 PM

Bubbles and Mercy have really hit the nail on the head as far as I am concerned. I do think that it is a great idea to have a room for traditional cruisers who like the same things right through, and one for those who like to try different things, offering the same food as the "mainstream" restaurant. I just think its sad for the service staff who work extremely hard and end up being given buttons as they have to share their tips with those who put in minimal effort.

But above all, what I don't understand is why do the cruise lines do this sort of thing when most people don't like it (do lines have people who check websites like this for free feedback?)? Real-life business is a real mystery to me.

Paddy.

Posts: 763 | From: Belfast, Ireland | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Mary
First Class Passenger
Member # 316

posted 11-15-2000 08:13 AM

We cruised Renaissance last year and thought it was a wonderful experience but we missed getting to know our waiters. We discussed this and really can't account for it but waiters should be flattered that so many who have experienced free-style cruising miss the personal interaction with them. (Even our 13 yr. old mentioned it.) We are cruising Celebrity this Spring and are looking forward to knowing our wait staff.

Posts: 35 | Registered: Jan 99 | IP: Logged

Captain Phil
Just Boarded
Member # 1679

posted 11-29-2000 06:26 PM

The freestyle cruising can be good for some people, but without a doubt, the quality of service was poor. WHat gets me the most is that they tell you that tips are automatic...no more chasing down your wiater and so on.
Excuse me, but give me a break. I have never had to hunt someone down to give a tip, heck, more often than not you have to beat them off with a stick!!!
These people know that they are going to get tips automaticly, so they just do not care. Yah, you can go stand in line for an hour to tell them not to take tips, but most people will not do it.
I think this policy stinks.
I cruise 3 to 4 times a year and I will not be back on NCL.

Posts: 2 | From: Pueblo Colorado | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

trailhiker
First Class Passenger
Member # 1674

posted 11-30-2000 02:02 PM

I'm picking up information here and there on the internet that RCI is doing the pre-pay tip thing now too. I hope this doesn't mean the service will start to slip. It sure went fast on NCL Majesty! I hope my favorite line never gets that bad. We are on the Vision of the Seas, March 12th. One thing for certain, if after a few days we feel any negative changes in the service I personally will stand in line at the purser's desk and squawk. Didn't do it last time and we feel we were "taken." It still irks me about the maitre'd. What did he do for the $30. I have to stop beating this dead horse!

Posts: 46 | From: North Conway, NH 03860 USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 11-30-2000 04:30 PM

Trailhiker; We are on the Vision January 19 I will let you know if they are doing that. I hope not as I like to give and set my own tips. Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

seabourn
Just Boarded
Member # 1697

posted 12-01-2000 07:40 AM

Freestyle is hurting everyone in the cruise industry, I have no idea why the cruiselines think it's such a great idea. The hairdressers are hurting, so are the photographers. People expect a level of oppulance when they cruise hence the romanticism of the cruise vacation experience. Why turn it into a hotel that floats it should remain a cruise with all the social engagements we have come to expect.

Posts: 8 | From: Melb, Vic, Australia | Registered: Dec 2000 | IP: Logged

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