Royal Caribbean reverts to traditional seating in main dining rooms

Dining room on the Independence of the Seas; photo credit Dave Jones

Royal Caribbean International has decided to end its main dining room format called Dynamic Dining, which was launched with Quantum of the Seas two years ago.

Starting with the Nov. 27 sailing of Anthem of the Seas, the main dining room will operate under the My Time Dining system. Ovation of the Seas will make the change on Nov. 23.

Dynamic Dining was conceived as a way of breaking up the main dining room into smaller venues. The Quantum-class ships were built with a quartet of 480-seat rooms that had different menus and themes. Diners could make reservations, and rotate among them.

When more tradition-bound guests complained, an option was added for a fixed early or late seating called Dynamic Dining Classic.

After Nov. 27, the same menu will be available in all four restaurants: Chic, American Icon, Grande and Silk. As on other ships that have My Time Dining, guests can choose their own dining times and table mates. Alternatively, they can choose the traditional early or late seating at a fixed table.

Royal Caribbean said guests booked on Anthem and Ovation who have already selected the Dynamic Dining Classic option for their upcoming cruise will be assigned to either early or late seating to match their original choice of time. Guests who have selected the Dynamic Dining Choice option will be assigned to the My Time Dining flexible option.

Royal Caribbean said guests on the flexible option will dine in the American Icon and Silk dining rooms while guests on early and late seating's will eat at either Chic or Grande.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said it decided to end Dynamic Dining after sifting through guest feedback. “Our guests have told us that they prefer the ease of a cruise vacation where they have flexibility without having to plan extensively,” the statement said.

Royal Caribbean to alter new dining format

Royal Caribbean International will make its first major change to the Dynamic Dining concept introduced on Quantum of the Seas.

When Quantum’s sister ship, Anthem of the Seas, debuts in April, guests will have the option of choosing Dynamic Dining Classic, which will have many of the attributes of eating in the main dining room on other Royal Caribbean ships.

The classic option allows diners to choose an early seating and sit at the same table every night. Guests will also be served by the same waiter and assistant waiter throughout the cruise. They will rotate through the four complimentary restaurants on Anthem and will find their table in the same location in each restaurant nightly, said Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley.

Bayley disclosed the new wrinkle in Dynamic Dining at a travel agent event aboard Freedom of the Seas on Saturday.

He said Royal Caribbean has had “some struggles” implementing Dynamic Dining since it debuted on Quantum in November. Older guests in particular have not taken to the new format, he said.

Dynamic Dining scraps the large main dining room, and traditional early and late seatings, for smaller 430-seat restaurants with different themes and cuisines.

Guest ratings have slowly improved for Dynamic Dining to the point where they are equal to or better than the fleet average, Bayley said.

“We really want to make this concept work,” Bayley told the agents, “and we’re very close to making it successful."