So on Tuesday...

we called Royal Caribbean about a really great ($799 pp for balcony)
e-mail offer for an 8-day cruise out of FLL on Independence OTS. By the
time we called that offer was gone and the price was something like
$1500 and we passed. Yesterday while walking from the car into a local
Meijers, my wife's cell phone rang. RC was calling and asked if we might
be interested in the same cruise for $899 pp with $100 on board credit.
Roughly 30 seconds later, we were booking it.
So, cool.

PS; Since it is just the two of us, we are thinking about taking
advantage of Eating When We Want To (or whatever RCCL calls it). Any
tips, etc. that we need about making it easy on us.
K

--
An old friend once said "You don't live on the edge,
you're taking up way too much space."
Scott Kirby "Lucky Enough"

Kurt Ullman wrote:
PS; Since it is just the two of us, we are thinking about taking
advantage of Eating When We Want To (or whatever RCCL calls it). Any
tips, etc. that we need about making it easy on us.
K

Kurt, I have enjoyed Anytime/Freesyle/MyTime dining on a couple of
ships. It is nice to have dinner when it suits you. If you enjoy
seeing the shows in the showroom lounge, then plan your dinner time
accordingly. The dining room tends to fill at certain times, and 7:00pm
seems to be a popular time for My Time dining. You will have the choice
of dining at a table for two, joining another couple or joining a larger
table.


Have a wonderful cruise on the Independence! Please come back and tell
us all about it.


Becca

"Becca" wrote in message
...
Kurt Ullman wrote:
PS; Since it is just the two of us, we are thinking about taking
advantage of Eating When We Want To (or whatever RCCL calls it). Any
tips, etc. that we need about making it easy on us.
K

Kurt, I have enjoyed Anytime/Freesyle/MyTime dining on a couple of ships.
It is nice to have dinner when it suits you. If you enjoy seeing the
shows in the showroom lounge, then plan your dinner time accordingly. The
dining room tends to fill at certain times, and 7:00pm seems to be a
popular time for My Time dining. You will have the choice of dining at a
table for two, joining another couple or joining a larger table.

Have a wonderful cruise on the Independence! Please come back and tell us
all about it.


Becca

I really can't get an overall read on "anytime dining", whether or not those
posting here see it as an important benefit. I have had and enjoyed an
established dinner time for so long that it has become an anchor for my day,
around which I plan my activities. I don't ever recall missing an activity
or a meal in 50 years of cruising, but on the other hand, on several cruises
our tablemates became friends and we set up a cocktail time before dinner to
compare notes on the day. "Anytime" just seems like a "gee whiz" new trick.
Logistically, there seems to be lots of room for mistakes to be made, but
maybe the procedures are bulletproof.

If a lot of you find it beneficial, then it's a good idea. I'm not sold on
it and reluctant risk a known pleasure on an unknown. How about a roll
call, who liked it, who didn't like it, who didn't care? Thanks for your
input.

Harry Cooper

"Seehorse Video" wrote in message
...

"Becca" wrote in message
...
Kurt Ullman wrote:
PS; Since it is just the two of us, we are thinking about
taking advantage of Eating When We Want To (or whatever RCCL
calls it). Any tips, etc. that we need about making it easy on
us.
K

Kurt, I have enjoyed Anytime/Freesyle/MyTime dining on a couple
of ships. It is nice to have dinner when it suits you. If you
enjoy seeing the shows in the showroom lounge, then plan your
dinner time accordingly. The dining room tends to fill at
certain times, and 7:00pm seems to be a popular time for My
Time dining. You will have the choice of dining at a table for
two, joining another couple or joining a larger table.

Have a wonderful cruise on the Independence! Please come back
and tell us all about it.


Becca

I really can't get an overall read on "anytime dining", whether
or not those posting here see it as an important benefit. I
have had and enjoyed an established dinner time for so long that
it has become an anchor for my day, around which I plan my
activities. I don't ever recall missing an activity or a meal
in 50 years of cruising, but on the other hand, on several
cruises our tablemates became friends and we set up a cocktail
time before dinner to compare notes on the day. "Anytime" just
seems like a "gee whiz" new trick. Logistically, there seems to
be lots of room for mistakes to be made, but maybe the
procedures are bulletproof.

If a lot of you find it beneficial, then it's a good idea. I'm
not sold on it and reluctant risk a known pleasure on an
unknown. How about a roll call, who liked it, who didn't like
it, who didn't care? Thanks for your input.

Harry Cooper


As I posted a few moments ago, Harry, I'm a big fan of it. Like
you, we generally get together for Happy Hour somewhere before
eating. Sometimes we might feel like 4-6 drinks, and other times
we might choose to do 15-20 before eating. grin The Anytime
dining option permits us to NOT look at our watches when relaxing
before dinner, though we do occasionally visit and decide what we
want to do after dinner; we work backward from that to when we go
to dinner.

I want to also mention that Anytime dining is not a punishment
visited on cruise passengers, but an option. On the Sapphire, as
I recall, they had at least one other dining venue with the
traditional seatings. The Anytime option does give the cruise
line a better utilization of wait staff, since the possibility of
a group not showing up for a seating and a waiter not working is
greatly reduced.

From our first experience with this kind of dining option (with
Bill and Erm on a Baltic cruise), we became real fans of it.

--
Nonny

Live a good and honorable life.
Then when you get older and
think back, you'll enjoy it
a second time.

"Seehorse Video" wrote:

I really can't get an overall read on "anytime dining", whether or not those
posting here see it as an important benefit. I have had and enjoyed an
established dinner time for so long that it has become an anchor for my day,
around which I plan my activities. I don't ever recall missing an activity
or a meal in 50 years of cruising, but on the other hand, on several cruises
our tablemates became friends and we set up a cocktail time before dinner to
compare notes on the day. "Anytime" just seems like a "gee whiz" new trick.
Logistically, there seems to be lots of room for mistakes to be made, but
maybe the procedures are bulletproof.

If a lot of you find it beneficial, then it's a good idea. I'm not sold on
it and reluctant risk a known pleasure on an unknown. How about a roll
call, who liked it, who didn't like it, who didn't care? Thanks for your
input.

I didn't do a set dining time until our third cruise, which was a back to back. I was a little
leery of the set dining time because I really liked the way NCL had done it on our first two
cruises, but the first part of the back to back, we really enjoyed our tablemates. The second
cruise, one couple at a table for six did not ever come to eat with us after the first two nights. I
actually asked the maitre d to see if they had fallen overboard or something. The other couple was
very nice, but I was annoyed at the empty seats. If we had known that they weren't coming we could
have sat opposite each other . The next cruise we had a set dining time on our next cruise on RCI
at a big table (10 people) and had a wonderful time. Since then we've had anytime dining. Although
it is more of a crap shoot for table mates, at least if you get a bad apple, you don't have to put
up with them but once. We find that we don't have to wait for a table if we go between 5:45 and
6:15 or later than 8 pm. Besides after awhile, you get to know the other people who go to dinner
about that time.

We have booked a Celebrity cruise in January, and I'm very unhappy with the idea that not only is it
set dining times, but we can't get first seating. We absolutely do not want to eat late, and I do
not like eating in the buffet.

On Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:53:40 -0400, Rosalie B.
wrote:

We have booked a Celebrity cruise in January, and I'm very unhappy with the idea that not only is it
set dining times, but we can't get first seating. We absolutely do not want to eat late, and I do
not like eating in the buffet.

The last time I was on a Celebrity ship, they had a sit-down service
section (with tablecloths) in the buffet. I didn't use it, so I don't
know exactly how it worked, but they had printed menus, so I assume
that you would order from the buffet items and a waiter would fetch it
for you.

They also now have "Select Dining", which supposedly lets you eat in
the main dining room any time it's open. It's been mentioned on RTC,
but I didn't see postings from anyone who has tried it. They started
this service after my last Celebrity cruise. Perhaps it's time to try
them again.

I've enjoyed both fixed seating and anytime dining. On one NCL
cruise, we asked the head waiter to seat us with someone who wanted to
share a table. The people we sat with (a mother and son from New
York) were a lot of fun.

Rosalie B. wrote:
"Seehorse Video" wrote:
I really can't get an overall read on "anytime dining", whether or not those
posting here see it as an important benefit. I have had and enjoyed an
established dinner time for so long that it has become an anchor for my day,
around which I plan my activities. I don't ever recall missing an activity
or a meal in 50 years of cruising, but on the other hand, on several cruises
our tablemates became friends and we set up a cocktail time before dinner to
compare notes on the day. "Anytime" just seems like a "gee whiz" new trick.
Logistically, there seems to be lots of room for mistakes to be made, but
maybe the procedures are bulletproof.

If a lot of you find it beneficial, then it's a good idea. I'm not sold on
it and reluctant risk a known pleasure on an unknown. How about a roll
call, who liked it, who didn't like it, who didn't care? Thanks for your
input.

I didn't do a set dining time until our third cruise, which was a back to back. I was a little
leery of the set dining time because I really liked the way NCL had done it on our first two
cruises, but the first part of the back to back, we really enjoyed our tablemates. The second
cruise, one couple at a table for six did not ever come to eat with us after the first two nights. I
actually asked the maitre d to see if they had fallen overboard or something. The other couple was
very nice, but I was annoyed at the empty seats. If we had known that they weren't coming we could
have sat opposite each other . The next cruise we had a set dining time on our next cruise on RCI
at a big table (10 people) and had a wonderful time. Since then we've had anytime dining. Although
it is more of a crap shoot for table mates, at least if you get a bad apple, you don't have to put
up with them but once. We find that we don't have to wait for a table if we go between 5:45 and
6:15 or later than 8 pm. Besides after awhile, you get to know the other people who go to dinner
about that time.

We have booked a Celebrity cruise in January, and I'm very unhappy with the idea that not only is it
set dining times, but we can't get first seating. We absolutely do not want to eat late, and I do
not like eating in the buffet.

I've only been on one other cruise, and that was about 15 years ago with
my dad and step-mom. We had a set dining time and did get a table with
some very nice people. It was perfect for that situation.

I'm going on this cruise with my fiance. He has some hearing problems,
so he'd be uncomfortable sitting at a table with other people and trying
to keep up with the conversation. We'd just be a lot happier at a table
for 2.

Marcia

Kurt, that is so exciting, and such a deal, too!

IIRC, y'all enjoy Royal Caribbean as much as we do. Is this your first
Freedom class ship? We sailed the Liberty in Aug. 2008. I was
surprised the ship didn't feel "too big" (except when walking down
those long cabin deck halls). What pulled it together for me was the
promenade, and what a cool space that is--I didn't think the Voyager
class promenade could be improved on, but Royal Caribbean did just
that! My trip scribbles remind me I fell in love with the goat cheese
souffle and thought the art was a lot of fun.

When are you going, and where for 8 nights?

Diana Ball
Austin, TX

In article , Jack Hamilton
wrote:

They also now have "Select Dining", which supposedly lets you eat in
the main dining room any time it's open. It's been mentioned on RTC,
but I didn't see postings from anyone who has tried it. They started
this service after my last Celebrity cruise. Perhaps it's time to try
them again.

They just began rolling it out. The first sailing with Select Dining
was on the Equinox at the end of September. They are rolling it out on
the rest of the fleet during January and February 20010.

--
Charles

Harry Cooper posted;

I really can't get an overall read on
"anytime dining", whether or not those
posting here see it as an important
benefit. I have had and enjoyed an
established dinner time for so long that
it has become an anchor for my day,
around which I plan my activities. I
don't ever recall missing an activity or
a meal in 50 years of cruising, but on
the other hand, on several cruises our
tablemates became friends and we set up
a cocktail time before dinner to compare
notes on the day. "Anytime" just seems
like a "gee whiz" new trick.
Logistically, there seems to be lots of
room for mistakes to be made, but maybe
the procedures are bulletproof.
If a lot of you find it beneficial, then
it's a good idea. I'm not sold on it and
reluctant risk a known pleasure on an
unknown. How about a roll call, who
liked it, who didn't like it, who didn't
care? Thanks for your input.
Harry Cooper
---
I agree with Harry. I prefer traditional dining.

~~DORIS~~
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http://community.webtv.net/DorisIs/AROUNDTHEHORN