I would have to estimate on a typical 12 day cruise, we'll be in the dining room 5 or 6 nights, alternate restaurants 2 nights, buffet 1 night, burger, pizza, room service etc. on our deck 3 to 4 nights.
This would depend on cruising with friends though... if we're with friends I'd estimate the deck dining would be reduced but we'd probably have at least one night of the Ultimate Balcony Dining.
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When I was on the Magic,and came down the stairs from the Cucina del Capitano restaurant, there were some diners in the lido area. I was a bit surprised, honestly...It was a sparse crowd, though.
Maybe it's just "my" mindest, but, that's where I eat my breakfast & lunch, and, dinner there, is just not going to cut it for us. Lack of atmosphere, contact with other cruisers,and poor dining ambiance is just not what we are looking for.
That being said..whatever floats your boat,and makes you happy is what cruises are about...we did, and others do their thing.
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Several years ago after a few cruises that stuck us with tablemates that ranged from boring to boorish, we swore off any line that didn't have some form of "show up when you want, get whatever kind of table you want" option in the main dining room. This was limiting for some period until most of the lines caught up with the idea that not everyone likes to be randomly placed at a table with others. Plus, we've always liked the idea of eating when the mood--and the day's activities--suited us. Oceania is very good about this, of course (it's their SOP in the main room), and we took several cruises with them. Now, I guess pretty much all the lines have this option in some form or other, which is very good.
As I've always said, we're not antisocial, and we've never failed to make friends aboard ship. With the "personal choice" availability in the main dining room, it's now easy to make a date with new friends to have dinner together on one or several nights.
We also like to try at least some of the speciality restaurants. Many of them are quite good.
We eat in the buffet at lunch more often than we should. The main dining room is usually a better choice for those of us who try not to overeat.
Mornings we get room service on port days and on sea days we usually do the buffet or the breakfast at one of the lounges for Elite pax on the lines where we qualify.
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Last edited by AR; October 24th, 2011 at 05:03 PM.
I would say that we dine mostly in the MDR with a visit to the speciality venues as available (last cruise one was fully booked at times we wanted for the whole 28 nights..no I didn't believe it either!) some more than once if it was good, some never again too. Buffet a couple of times especially P&O's curry nights, sometimes you need to book a table for them! We like to have a slap -up breakfast a couple of times in the MDR but it often closes too early, we have had lunch in the MDR just once, English type roast beef + trimmings on Arcadia coming out of Gibraltar. We enjoy the formal type of dining, by formal I mean the service, hopefully with good company that we look forward to meeting every evening to exchange experiences of our days. Next cruise.. fixed seating lates, same the one after, then back on Azura where we are trying the freedom style.
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We endeavor to have all our meals in the MDR ,if possible. At times when a ship is in port the MDR may be closed for lunch and we either eat in the buffet or off ship.
I have no desire to visit the specialty restaurants.
To go to eat in a special restaurant I don't have to go on a cruise. We have plenty of those on land.
tm
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I have no desire to visit the specialty restaurants.
To go to eat in a special restaurant I don't have to go on a cruise. We have plenty of those on land.
tm
I'm sure there's some logic in there somewhere; I just haven't figured it out yet!
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Breakfast on shore days would usually be buffet. On sea days we like a nice leisurely breakfast in the dining room with things that are not on the buffet.
Lunch is the same. If we are on a tour, or just feeling lazy, we will go to the buffet or the on deck grill. Other days we will try the dining room. Here a lot depends on reading the menu to see what we like.
Dinner will always be in the Main Dining Room, except that on HAL we will do Pinnacle Grill one night and on Princess we wouldn't miss our one night at Sabatini's. We have come to enjoy Anytime Dining, and normally just take pot luck by saying any table, any size. If we do run into a boor or a nut or a bore for a tablemate, it is outnumbered by the times we get charming and interesting people.
We usually cruise with family or friends, and love the MDR for catching up with all the activities of the day. Occasionally we will book the specialty restaurants, but not on every cruise. When with a group, it tends to be the only time that we are all in the same place, at the same time.
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We have come to enjoy Anytime Dining, and normally just take pot luck by saying any table, any size. If we do run into a boor or a nut or a bore for a tablemate, it is outnumbered by the times we get charming and interesting people.
Yes, that's a good point. If you do encounter a stiff on the anytime scheme, it's just for the one meal, not for the whole cruise.
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We have a question and dont know if goes with this or not, but on the alternate dinning, the Steak houses on Carnival...is it like the MDR and buffet and you can order more of everything or is it more in line like eating out in town where you get one salad, one main, and one dessert?
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We have a question and dont know if goes with this or not, but on the alternate dinning, the Steak houses on Carnival...is it like the MDR and buffet and you can order more of everything or is it more in line like eating out in town where you get one salad, one main, and one dessert?
Only in America eh?
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We asked as we were just wondering about the different appetizers more than anything...just wanted to try the wild side of it as well as the others...not like we wanted 10 steaks...don’t like Americans?
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Thanks Trip...we were just mainly wondering about the different appetizers as some of them sound neat and we would like to try, but since it is order one then we will stay in our comfort level…
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I suggest that you ask your waiter when you go to the alternative restaraunt. One year, I assumed one choice per course, only to find out, I could have chosen multiple appetizers. On the other hand, I'm not sure where I would have put them. I was stuffed by the time we finished. But, I so love to try out different appetizers...sometimes more fun than the entree.
Marty
thanks...that was what we wanted to do...some we might never try, but then when offered in this type of venue we would becuase no risk...the snails being one that sounds like it woudl be cool to try, but not as the only one...
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When you are in the main dining room, order two appetizers, one the escargot. If this unique tatst is not to your liking, the other one is at the ready, to take it's place...
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When you are in the main dining room, order two appetizers, one the escargot. If this unique tatst is not to your liking, the other one is at the ready, to take it's place...
I would order two appetizers, one the escargot.
Then if the OTHER is not to my taste, the escargot is ready to take its place.
How can you not like anything that is soaked in butter and garlic?
The only trouble is that my DW tries to dip her bread in MY sauce!
On a steamy September morning when I was kid, my girlfriend's Father had taken up the flagstones, to redo the patio. We saw snails...now, how we knew to do this, I have no idea, but, we poured salt on them and watched them, well..you know
There is NO way, even if you gave me a million bucks, would one get down my throat...Instantly that image would come to mind,and well....blech!
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I voted that I eat all my meals in the dining room, with the understanding that sometimes (port days, mostly) the MDR isn't open for breakfast and lunch. I find being served in the DR so much more relaxing than the buffet venues, and I tend to eat less when ordering off the menu.
I prefer Open Seating dining rooms and alternative restaurants to the traditional MDR.
If I am with a group I like having assigned seating and dining times but when my wife and I cruise or when we cruise with the grandkids we like an "Anytime Dining" approach.
I like the evolution of dining that has taken place. If you like traditional you can have it and if you like to be more flexible and enjoy a different setting, other than the buffet, you can also have that.
Take care,
Mike
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I checked the button for "I like to try alternate restaurants", but the truth is that I do a mix of main dining room and alternate restaurants. It would take something HUGE for me to only eat in the buffet. I see the main dining room as an integral part of my cruise fare, so for me, I need to eat in the MDR to get my money's worth. (if that makes sense)
We like a mix, we have always had set dining but a change is nice, I agree that the MDR is an integral part of the cruise, not because we have paid but we quite like the cosy arrangement of seeing the same people...hopefully anyway, been lucky so far.
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My last cruise, I had one dinner and one breakfast in the MDR...First night dinner, over 2 hours, just seemed to drag on and on, so we tried the Windjammer Marketpace the following night and just ate there every evening. The selections were amazing and the quality was up there as well. Just because, we tried the buffet they now have for breakfast in the MDR, not nearly the selection as the buffet, so from now on, I'll stick with that...I must say the food this last cruise on ALlure was excellent, service was wonderful as well. Even having my tips pre-paid when final payment was due made no different to the level of service we received.
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I would order two appetizers, one the escargot.
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