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What type of cruises are out there where we can pick our meal times and sit by ourselves? What are the destinations?

2007-05-29 02:12:50 · 14 answers · asked by spangledtiger 1 in Travel Cruise Travel

14 answers

This question is way tooo vague and broad but I'll do my best. As far as dining alone, you can always op not to eat in the dining room. It isn't mandatory. But most tables on the ship are 6-8 person table so if you dine in the dining room you will most likely be with other couples.

As far as picking your meal time, you can always eat at one of the 20 places to eat or 5 restaurants (roughly--depending on ship) on board or have your meal by room service. The dining halls have 2 times--an early and a late which is somewhat roughly 6 and 8, 630 and 830. You can pick from that. NCL is the line that has freestyle dining that allows you to eat whenever, but I've made my views on the Norweigan experience quite clear numerous times.

As far as destinations, nearly everywhere you can imagine. Over 200 destinations. Alaska, Hawaii, Mediterranean, Caribbean islands, Central America--just to name a few. I'd limit where on the globe you want to go first and your budget. Each line appeals to a different market. Holland is an older crowd; Carnival and Royal Caribbean as mass marketers which means lower prices. Princess and Celebrity are more expensive but probably a much better cruise experience--however as I said, much more expensive.

There are also hundreds of smaller cruiselines--many in the UK as well. Those ships are less than 500 people and allow a much more intimate experience. However a smaller ship means not as much to do on board the ship--no indoor rock climbing wall or surfing, if you will and not 15 restaurants to chose from.

Basically, there are hundreds of cruiselines, a huge range of sizes of ships, an even larger range of prices that go to hundreds of destinations.

2007-05-29 03:11:11 · answer #1 · answered by phantom_of_valkyrie 7 · 1 1

Wow, you've gotten a ton of BAD info - I'm sorry for that!

Most cruise lines have options for dining. Nothing says that you have to use the main dining room for your meals. You can dine at a two person table at numerous other restaurants on the boat.

Norwegian has freestyle dining, which means you can pick your tables and your times each night in the dining room. Some people prefer this, but since other lines offer so many restaurants like this, it's kind of an undereducated preference.

Destinations are global - this is too broad to really address.

You may want to call a travel agent and talk with them about what you want. They dont charge any extra and will be able to help you narrow down what you want. : )

2007-05-29 09:02:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Most cruise ships offer specific seating arrangements if you ask for them in advance. I have found that with Carnival you should, immediately upon embarking the ship, go straight to the dining room and ask for the maitre' d and tell him/her that you would like to have a table for two. We've always been able to request a table for 2 or a table for 4 when we take our son and one of his friends. Carnival will do their best to accomodate you plus on most of the Carnival ships, there is a restaurant on the ship where for a small additional fee, you can go and really have a 5 star dining experience. This is a really nice way to spend an anniversary or special occasion even though it does cost extra. It is definitely worth the extra $25 or so, the food is better and the service is top notch. We always go to the restaurant on board at least once per cruise and I would highly recommend it.
As for the destinations, go to a travel agency and pick up a cruise book for every cruiseline. They're free and the agencies can help you decide on what you want and help you decide when to go and the best prices etc. Book early and if you can afford it, go on a larger ship that has a lot of balcony staterooms. The balconies are so wonderful and you'll certainly never want to go back to even an outside cabin with a window. Absolutely do not get an inside cabin unless you just cannot afford an outside. Your travel agent can help you there. Good luck!!!

2007-05-29 06:08:21 · answer #3 · answered by Stella Meredith 4 · 2 0

Yes you can dine alone with your boyfriend on almost any cruise. First when you book your cruise tell your travel agent to request a table for two. Many cruise lines have tables for two. I have had them on Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. However, there are not a large number of these tables and they get taken up quickly. If you are already booked you can still request a table for two as soon as you get on the ship. We do this all of the time. Just go immediately to the main dining hall and the Matre D will be there and you can put in your request. On one occasion we had to take the second seating (8:00 PM) to get the table for two but we got it. The last cruise that we just completed in May we asked for a table for two and ended up at a table for four but the others never showed up. So we had our table for two.

The other option for dining alone is to get the free room service in your cabin. That can be nice if you have a balcony or a suite.

The third option is to go to the specialty restaurants on ship, (some ships have more than others) and reserve for dinner and a table for two. These specialty restaurants have a fee of $10 to $20 per person per night, but if you want to sit alone that's an option.

2007-05-30 10:27:00 · answer #4 · answered by TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only 7 · 1 0

Royal Carribean is really nice, but be careful, because many of the cruises sail from specific destination cities. This could greatly increase your cost. For example, I live on the east coast and most of the cruises depart from Florida. There are a few from NYC, but not many.

On the cruise you can choose to dine by yourself, but it probably in not included in your package. You should check that out before you choose a cruiseline. We dined in a restaurant on a cruise at a private table and spent close to $200 for 2 meals and a bottle of wine that was about $50.

2007-05-29 02:32:15 · answer #5 · answered by Tara C 5 · 0 0

The Norwegian Cruise Line will be your best bet. The cruiseline has no set tablemates for the passengers.

Why would you not want to sit with other people and enjoy their company and conversation? That is part of the fun of travel.

I hope you are both over 21 years old or you will not be able to travel on a cruise.

2007-05-30 10:41:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

You should be able to accomplisg this on any cruise line. Simply tell your travel agent or call the cruise line directly.

However, I would like to mention that you might be missing out on some great people! On our honeymoon cruise in 2002, my husband and I were seated with 4 other honeymooning couples. We had a great time at dinner each night and have even remained great friends with one of the couples - we have since gone on two more cruises with them!

2007-05-29 13:33:10 · answer #7 · answered by blondhair/blueeyedgirl 3 · 1 0

There are many cruises out there that go to many places. If a ship offers a buffet you can eat anytime and sit where you want. Norwegian and Princess offers excellent choices of destinations and choices on when and where you eat. First you need to figure what type of cruise and how long you want to go on. Your choices with prices and everything else you need to know are on their web sites.
Enjoy.

2007-05-29 12:22:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Most cruise lines have assigned dining, however NCL has something called freestyle which means you can eat in the main dining room whenever you want and you can get a 2 person table. Princess also has something similar.

2007-05-29 06:32:47 · answer #9 · answered by Sportsterjohn 5 · 2 0

Find a copy off berliz complete guide to cruise and cruiseships and use it to find a ship that has tables for two. Or use the newest ships more intimate reasturants that has dinner for two. Or pay for a suite with in suite dining options. Johan

2007-05-29 22:57:10 · answer #10 · answered by Johan from Sweden 6 · 0 0

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