What is a Freestyle Cruise?
First introduced by Norwegian Cruise Lines, the term freestyle cruise refers to a cruise that offers a variety of dining options for travelers. Traditionally, those taking a cruise were given a specific time to report to the dining room for meals. Guests were usually placed at large tables with other guests on these cruises. Also, there was usually a dress code for dinner, and one or more of the dinners during the course of the trip were formal, requiring guests to wear the proper attire to the dining room.
Freestyle cruises allow guests more flexibility in dining options. Usually, there is more than one dining room or restaurant on board the ship, and the dress code is less formal. The restaurants and dining rooms will have certain hours between which meals will be served, and guests can have meals at times that are convenient to them.
The flexibility of freestyle cruises extends to allowing guests a choice in dining companions, as well. For those who are interested in socializing and meeting fellow travelers, guests can choose to sit at a large table with a number of other travelers. For those interested in a more intimate evening, tables for two or more can be found.
Benefits of Freestyle Cruising
Prior to the popularity of freestyle cruises, there was not much variety when it came to dining on cruises. Guests ate at a specific time, were assigned people to dine with, and ate whatever was being offered in the dining room each evening. Guests were also often required to dress formally for dinner several evenings during their trip.
One of the benefits of freestyle cruises is that guests can eat when they’re hungry, not when the cruise staff dictates. Some of the restaurants or dining rooms on board a ship may require reservations, but dining can take place at times convenient to the guests. Without the time constraints of dining at a specified time, travelers are also able to enjoy more flexibility with their activities. They can plan meals around their activities for the day, rather than rushing through activities in an effort to make it to dinner on time.
Different seating options are another benefit of freestyle cruises. On a traditional cruise, travelers were assigned seats in the dining room, which they kept for the duration of their trip. They were usually seated with other cruise goers. While this appeals to some, couples looking for a few intimate moments, or those that were not happy with their assigned seats, were left dissatisfied with their cruise experience. Freestyle cruises allow travelers to choose their dining companions. Honeymooners can find a secluded table for two, while those looking to connect with other travelers can choose to be seated with other cruise goers. The best news is that travelers can change their seats each night, so they can choose an intimate dinner one night and a boisterous group of dining companions the next.
Many people find the less formal dress code of freestyle cruises to be a benefit, as well. First, packing light is much simpler when travelers don’t need to worry about carrying five to seven evening’s worth of formalwear on board. There are also many cruise goers who simply don’t enjoy dressing up. To them, a relaxed dress code gets them into a more relaxed frame of mind – just the reason many choose to go on a cruise in the first place.
Although many cruise lines have been known for their fine dining for years, freestyle cruises make it even more likely you’ll have a fabulous meal on board ship. The reason for this is that freestyle cruise ships often have several restaurants, dining rooms, and cafes for travelers to choose from. This means guests can enjoy a meal at a steakhouse one night, dinner at a sushi bar the next, and a five-course French feast the next, all without leaving the ship. The variety of offerings means there is something for every palate.
Cruise Lines Offering Freestyle Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line (www.ncl.com) is still leading the pack when it comes to freestyle cruises. They offer freestyle cruises to a variety of destinations including the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, South America, and Alaska. Norwegian continues to set the standard for offering guests flexibility and variety on their cruise vacation.
Most other major cruise lines are now offering cruises similar to Norwegian Cruise Line’s freestyle cruises. Princess Cruises (www.princess.com) is one of them. Princess Cruises offers personal choice dining. This allows travelers to choose to go the traditional route of having an assigned time and table for dinner each night, or they can choose to call each day for a reservation to dine at the time which they find most convenient.
Holland America (www.HollandAmerica.com) also offers a freestyle cruise option. They refer to it as “As You Wish” dining. This is just like Princess Cruises’ option. Guests can choose traditional seating, or they can choose to call for a reservation.
Finding Travel Deals for Freestyle Cruises
Choosing a freestyle cruise doesn’t mean that you have to spend more than you normally would for a cruise. There are a number of ways to find cheap freestyle cruises to fit your budget. The first is to check out the specials and promotions each cruise line is offering. Check out the cruise lines’ websites to find their current specials. Travelers can also use travel search engines like Hotwire.com, Expedia.com, and Orbitz.com. Cruise lines often offer special prices on these sites for freestyle cruises to a variety of destinations.
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