HUGE disagreement here! You are essentially asking a premier cruise line to change their business model ... one which has placed them in the forefront of the entire cruise industry. It would be like asking Seabourne to change from a 6-star to a 4-star cruise line.
DCL is the ONLY cruise line to master rotational dining. It is one of many reasons people LOVE DCL. To abandon the idea would be like asking DCL to serve bland food, offer mediocre customer service, or take away the characters.
(Other lines have this) - Yes, and many people do not sail those lines because of it. Many try Freestyle, and hate it. Since there is no organization, there are often lines of people waiting for a table, which means delays in seating, and waiting for your meal. Many of these cruise lines have reduced the space in MDR's, in favor of more space at surcharge restaurants. This also means, your dining party must decide if everyone wants to spend $15 (surcharge) for Mexican fare ... or if everyone wants to spend $20 (surcharge) for a hamburger at Johnny Rockets. As it is now (at home) my family must agree on what they want to eat, before knowing which restaurant they want to visit. If my wife wants seafood, and I want chicken ... we cannot (realistically) go to a Mexican restaurant, nor can we go to a steakhouse. How does THAT work when you go to a specialty restaurant? All of that aside, where's the thrill of going out every night ... trying to re-explain yourself to a new server every night. As it is now, it's very nice to know your beverage is waiting for you at your table (when you arrive). It's nice to knowing your server was able to pre-order (1 day in advance) your special salad (not on the menu). It's a dream to get a special request dessert or appetizer ... again ... which is either not on the menu that night, or not on the menu at all. Try getting any of that done with Freestyle. Freestyle is an oxymoron.
(restaurants are open at specific times, usually an hour apart for 3 or 4 hours each evening and you can go and eat when ever you want and in any restaurant you want) - DCL restaurants are indeed open at specific times. To suggest wait staff operate for 9 hours, in addition to the time necessary to prepare the restaurants and shut down the restaurants would be a waste of time. In it's current form, that would require the hiring of MORE wait staff, or a reduction in staff to spread out the dining times. That, on its own, is deplorable (have you looked into the ratio of cast members to guests?). Currently, guests are frantic when they book an excursion which returns to the ship at 5:45 ... because they have 6:15 dining time. Using your example (4 hour seating), Dinner would start at 1PM, and end at 10PM. Using the 3 hour seating, Dinner would start at 3PM, and end at 10PM. These times would not only create issues with excursions, and entertainment (pre/post dinner) but it would also create issues with LUNCH! Based upon either of these times ... you'd wake up ... go to breakfast ... have to skip lunch, only to go to dinner.
In essence, Freestyle dining is nothing more than what is offered at local restaurants at home. Fortunately, for those restaurants, they can stagger the number of servers throughout the shifts. With cruise lines ... you cannot expect a cruise line server to work for 2 hours one day ... then 12 hours straight (in the restaurant, alone).
(you can eat when you're hungry) - You can do that now on most any cruise line. If you do not want the MDR, choose the buffet, or an alternate restaurant (minimum of 3 restaurant choices). If I made a reservation for 6:45 at a local steakhouse at home ... I cannot show up at 7:30, and expect to be seated. Expecting to walk into any restaurant on a whim is no different. Many people seem to THINK Freestyle is a good option ... they keep repeating ... "everything on YOUR schedule." To this day, I have never heard of any cruise line starting bingo early, because you want to play bingo earlier. I have never heard of any cruise line delaying the start of a show or movie, because someone wants to show up 30 minutes late. This does not happen at home (unless you have Netflix), and it does not happen at sea.
(24 hour buffet) If you can eat whenever and wherever you want, why would you need a buffet ... much less ... a 24 hour buffet? That aside, everything has a cost. Who do you think pays for the additional wait staff? Who pays for the warmed over and wasted food? Would you want cast members to be taken away from other areas, solely to tend to the buffet? As it is now, much of the late night entertainment (cabarets, etc) do not stay open til 2AM ... yet, you expect buffets to remain open 24/7? Does this mean you want additional buffets installed, or would you want service cut down at the existing buffets? I mean, there is a turnover period with all food. Would you want to wait in a line for breakfast at 7AM, while someone waits in the same line for prime rib? Not only do you have more lines, and less offerings, you have older food, and less variety.
By the way, have you SEEN the 24 hour buffets in Atlantic City or Las Vegas?
Currently, DCL is in the process of doing away with buffets on the Magic and Wonder, because they are not effective. To do a 180 on buffets would take away from other public space / rooms ... would water down service and offerings, would incur an influx of $ for renovations.
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As it is now, people sail on cruises because they want to get away from the normal "every day" at home. People want good food ... excellent service ... excellent entertainment ... and everything comes at a cost. I cruise DCL (exclusively since 2006) because I like their business model. To ask them to change their business model ... to lower their standards would be a huge mistake. Try asking WDW or DL to lower their standards ... it's not going to happen!
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(coffee) Like many others, I am fine with the coffee served onboard. Like many others, I do not feel Starbucks is coffee ... that stuff is putrid! Just as there are those who like Coke vs. Pepsi ... there as those who like RC, and those who have no preference. Personally, I do not like Coke ... so I make sacrifices while on DCL.
Everyone is on the honor system for this.
none, leaving them home woo hoo!!
I keep checking ebay, but no luck. Hopefully someone will list one one day.
