Just completed our first "free-style" on the Dawn last month and it's quite a different experience. While we enjoy the traditional cruise method very much, we found we like both styles for different reasons. I guess it depends on what type of vacation experience you are looking for. Free style was nice in that you could eat when, where and with whom you wanted and not have to dress up (My other half hates to wear a jacket & tie)....it may sound trivial, but I found having to plan ahead for dinner and make reservations a nusiance. (If you didn't reserve early all the better dining times were gone and unless you were a suite passenger you could not reserve more than a day ahead) There were several dining options that did not require a reservation, but for the better quality food you needed to go to the reservations only and extra fee restaurants. If I were taveling with a group I might go free-style again, but otherwise I'd choose traditional, as we found we were eating at the same time as we would be for late seating traditional dining anyway. I did miss the friendships made at the traditional dinner seatings and having the same servers that know your preferences.......In my opinion, if you are looking for a casual unstructured experience then free style might be the right choice for you, but I feel you sacrifice quality in many areas for that freedom.
