Freedom/Club Dining

[Manoverboard]

Have only tried Freedom once, it was on Celebrity.

There was certainly no hassle and bustle etc, in fact it was just like Club except you had a different group / chums / table to two on each and every night depending on one's mood and evening arrangements.

[Stephen]

Not so Moby. We are currently enjoying the same table for four and waiters each evening as are the tables next to us. Great idea as you get to know everyone including the waiters who are excellent.

[Manoverboard]

My point was that one has the choice of ' either ' as opposed to having to be with the same folk every night. Being with the same folk is normally just fine but less so perhaps on a longer cruise.

[Stephen]

We are on select/freedom dining.

[Manoverboard]

We are on select/freedom dining.

We were too

[towny44]

On our recent cruise on RCI's Navigator there were 4 of us on My Time Dining, RCI's name for freedom dining, so it made sense to choose a table for 4, and initially we went were we were placed, but after finding a waiter and assistant we liked we decided to choose their section thereafter. It worked very well especially as they quickly got used to our drinks selection, from our Diamond level free drinks perk, and their service was superb, not rushed and never left waiting. However once back to just 2 of us I think we will revert to choosing a 6 or 8 table and hope to have a good mix of table companions.
I doubt we would ever choose to go back to fixed time dining first is too soon and second too late, we seem to have settled on a fluid time anywhere between 6:30 and 8:00, depending on where we want to go for our evening entertainment.

[CaroleF]

On our forthcoming Aurora long cruise we have still chosen Club Dining, 2nd sitting, table of 8. There are no sectors on this cruise so there won't be a change of passengers as there is on a World Cruise. John's not sure that we shouldn't have tried Freedom Dining but I like meeting the same people each evening and getting to know them. Even so I expect we'll use The Glasshouse and maybe Sindhu, although we don't like spicy food and tried it on Azura but didn't enjoy it, but that was several years ago and I think the menu has changed, and then there is The Beach House and obviously the Buffet which I will try once to please John but I can't say I like the idea. I expect sometimes we'll eat in the cabin from Room Service, especially as there is now a new menu with more choices, yes I know you have to pay for them. It will be interesting to see what we do eventually.

[Gill W]

I much prefer freedom dining these days, and nearly always book it if on P&O

We are on Fred in March, and it will be club style dining. It's a 14 night cruise, and hopefully our table mates will be ok, but I wouldn't really like to be on a longer cruise with fixed dining. But having said that, we did a 35 night cruise on club dining on Oceana. We opted for club, table for 2 and booked on the opening day for Caribbeans, so thought we'd get our choice. But tables for 2 were in such short supply, we were not lucky. We ended up sharing with another couple on a table for 4 - and fortunately for us, we got on fine. But if we hadn't would have been a real struggle for 35 nights. After that, we went back to freedom dining, to be on the safe side.

The downside is the queues that can form before the doors open. This is because the people tend to want a table for two, and will queue to be assured of their choice. It various from cruise to cruise, but sometimes the queuing can start before 5.30pm. Although we want a table for two and eat early, I wont queue that early. So, we'd arrive at about 6.30 and get a pager - the first free tables start to available from 6.45 onwards.

On the two segments of the world cruise on Aurora earlier this year, people weren't queuing so early - we normally arrived at 6pm, and joined a very short queue, and got our tables for two straight away

[Manoverboard]

Depending on Tier / Cabin grade one can ' reserve ' Freedom tables ( for any number ) on Celebrity ... not so on P&O sadly.

ps ... Lots of tables for 2 on Fred's Braemar, albeit not in the Thistle restaurant.

[oldbluefox]

ps ... Lots of tables for 2 on Fred's Braemar, albeit not in the Thistle restaurant.

A bit cold out on deck in this weather Mob

[Gill W]

Depending on Tier / Cabin grade one can ' reserve ' Freedom tables ( for any number ) on Celebrity ... not so on P&O sadly.

ps ... Lots of tables for 2 on Fred's Braemar, albeit not in the Thistle restaurant.

We requested a table for 2. I think we are in Ballindoch (or something like that, so we might be lucky.

I'd like the facility to reserve tables, but only if it could be done on screen, as it'd be a bit of a pain to go to the restaurant, or keep phoning if the line was engaged

[Manoverboard]

ps ... Lots of tables for 2 on Fred's Braemar, albeit not in the Thistle restaurant.

A bit cold out on deck in this weather Mob

They have TWO restaurants you silly boy

[CaroleF]

Braemar has a Select Dining Restaurant which is outside the Palm Cafe buffet restaurant. However, it is outside so for a lot of the time it's not usable. It was advertised on our recent British Isles Cruise but for the most part the weather was awful so it was never open as far as I know.





.

[Manoverboard]

Correct .... I checked and it did not open at all on that cruise but there again most of Braemar's cruises are not in and around the inclement Scottish Isles.

[oldbluefox]

Thanks Carole. I think maybe Mob's trying to pull the wool over my eyes.