NEW YORK -- Dining emerged as a hot-button cruise issue in recent
weeks as two major suppliers, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess
Cruises, introduced radical new dining systems.
But while the new programs were designed to expand options for
cruise passengers, at least one top cruise executive said the
initiatives actually remove or reduce them.
For years, cruise-ship dining rooms have offered two daily
seatings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with passengers assigned
to specific tables at one or the other seating.
But NCL and Princess have challenged the status quo, contending
that shipboard dining must change to reflect the wider options
favored by resort vacationers.
Princess' program, Personal Choice Dining, is designed to offer
more dining flexibility. Under the system, announced Sept. 13,
passengers can opt for unassigned, restaurant-style seating in two
of the ship's three main dining rooms. One dining room will
maintain the traditional two seatings.
"Cruising needs to have a broader appeal," said Dean Brown,
Princess' executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer
service. "Personal Choice breaks down the regimentation of cruise
dining. We already have multiple dining areas on our ships and lots
of separate, intimate areas in our dining rooms."
Princess' program comes on the heels of Freestyle Cruising,
introduced aboard NCL's Norwegian Sky this summer. Freestyle
Cruising eschews the two-seating system in favor of open seating
and extended hours in various dining venues.
Freestyle Cruising offers "a product to appeal to a segment of
the market that has needs not fully met by the traditional
product," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and chief executive
officer. "We think there's a segment that would appreciate the
resort-style, less-structured, free-and-easy Freestyle
Cruising."
Not everyone agrees with Veitch.
"I have travel agents asking us why we don't go to one of these
programs, but on Carnival, everyone has the option to enjoy seated
dinner or informal, buffet-style breakfast, lunch and dinner in one
of our alternative restaurants," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival
Cruise Lines president.
Dickinson said NCL and Princess are actually limiting the cruise
dining experience.
"NCL does not offer the option of seated service. It's denied
its passengers the traditional cruise dining option, and Princess
is denying it to two-thirds of its guests. Both of these programs
offer fewer options, not more."
Under Princess' program, to be introduced aboard the
2,600-passenger Grand Princess in January, passengers will be able
to enjoy supper at any time from 5:30 p.m. to midnight in either of
two main dining rooms. Passengers can make dinner reservations or
dine at their leisure without reservations.
Those who prefer traditional first- and second-dinner seatings
can enjoy that system in one of the three dining rooms.
Although Princess' program was introduced just weeks after NCL
introduced Freestyle Cruising, "it's completely different," said
Brown, because traditional two-seating dining is still offered.
"Experienced cruisers place a huge value on the traditional
dining experience and the things that go with it, like your waiter
knowing your preferences."
On Dickinson's comments, Brown said, "I think he's being a
little critical. No one's criticizing the traditional dining model.
We've just taken it a step ahead. We like the option of
flexibility."
But Dickinson said the NCL and Princess programs obscure a very
successful element of modern cruising.
"Two-seating dining is one of the things that allows cruising to
produce very high satisfaction levels," he said.
Dickinson said NCL and Princess are "denigrating a very positive
feature of cruising. I'm afraid they're sending a message to
potential first-timers that cruising's very successful dining
system is bad."
But Veitch said Freestyle Cruising brings something new to
cruising. "Consumers will benefit from more product choice; not
just more ships and more places to go, but more importantly, our
Freestyle Cruising, [which] will give consumers something different
to try out in cruising," said Veitch.