ships with most or best outdoor dining areas?

[gerry48]

hi,

 

wife went on our first cruise in february which was on carnival splendor.

 

we loved the cruise but would like to find one with more outdoor restaurants or eating areas next time. I guess wind is an issue so there may not be too many.

 

was a bit cool on the february cruise anyway but we may try a caribbean cruise in september this time. that should be plenty warm enough.

[gerry48]

hi, our first cruise was in february on splendor and weather was pretty cool most of time on the ship. even needed jackets a lot of the time.

 

has anyone else resorted to months like september just to guarantee warm weather?

[cb at sea]

Radiance class ships (RCI) have an outdoor Windjammer (buffet) seating area at the rear of the ship, so wind isn't much of a factor....we enjoyed that. Also, the Seaview cafe has outdoor seating....

[paul929207]

When looking at out side dining areas, you might also want to consider the size of the ship. A 2000 passenger ship with 200 outdoor seats might be better than a 4000 passenger one with 250 seats.

[cruiserking]

hi,

 

wife went on our first cruise in february which was on carnival splendor.

 

we loved the cruise but would like to find one with more outdoor restaurants or eating areas next time. I guess wind is an issue so there may not be too many.

 

was a bit cool on the february cruise anyway but we may try a caribbean cruise in september this time. that should be plenty warm enough.

 

The Holland America Line ships have outdoor seating underneath a retractable Magrodome roof. Many people bring lunch from the lido out here particularly on a warm day when the roof is open.

 

There is also a seating are on the aft sections of HAL ships near the Lido. The Queen Mary 2 has an outdoor cafe on deck 14 outside which serves light lunch fare hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches during the day. This is a self serve type set up.

 

You will typically not find ships with outdoor restaurant, just seating areas adjacent to the Lido or sandwich/hot dog counter.

 

Jonathan

[mtwingcpa]

The Norwegian Pearl (and perhaps other NCL ships of the "Jewel" class) has as outdoor buffet and bar on the aft deck (behind the main buffet). Part is covered, part is not. It is, without a doubt, my favorite food service venue on any cruise ship! :-)

[gerry48]

good points everyone and just having outdoor seating areas and bringing food from inside is just fine.

 

just a thing with wife and I being from manitoba we only get a few months of the year when it is nice enough to be outdoors and we like to take advantage of every opportunity.

[matj2000]

One reason that ships don't really have outdoor dining is probably the wind. Most deck areas it blows hard and sometimes violently. On my last cruise the it was blowing all sorts of peoples stuff that were laying on the chairs(shoes, shirts, bags, ect).

[Essiesmom]

Carnival has outdoor seating for the Lido on all ships, and Dream has the Lanai promenade area and the have started doind a noon barbecue there. EM

[bar_20]

On Celebrity's Infinity they had plenty of room and it was right next to the indoor buffet if it got too cold. I also thought they had the best selection of items available. In addition to the usual burgers & hot dogs they also had steak sandwiches and a mexican cart among others.

[bbwex]

Oceania's ships have an outside seating area aft behind their buffet. At dinner, the buffet serves many of the things served in the MDR, just in tapas sizes. It is pretty shielded from the wind, though with their port-intensive schedules you are more often in port for meals than out! Also they have a nice outdoor grille with burgers, grilled chicken, and generally grilled mahi-mahi sandwiches.

[jocap]

The Norwegian Pearl (and perhaps other NCL ships of the "Jewel" class) has as outdoor buffet and bar on the aft deck (behind the main buffet). Part is covered, part is not. It is, without a doubt, my favorite food service venue on any cruise ship! :-)

Yes, NCL Jade is the same, and I agree with your sentiments.

Jo.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

The very best ship I have ever sailed for outdoor dining choices is Royal Caribbean's Oasis (and soon, Allure) of the Seas. For example, in their elegant Central Park area both Giovanni's Table and Chops, have sidewalk cafe-style outside seating if you want it. The Boardwalk area has outside seating too. Both Giovanni's Table and Chops give you the option to dine in air conditioned comfort inside if you prefer.

 

When we sailed Oasis last December, it was just too hot to eat outside during the day,at least from my point of view. I was surprised how many people elected to eat outside anyway.

[Senior Citizen]

I have to agree that Oceania has a pretty great set-up for outside dining. You get your food just inside the sliding glass doors, then go outside to tables that are waited on by staff. They bring your drinks and refills. Great service. Some of the area is covered and some is not. Wind usually is not a problem and because they use cloth napkins, there wouldn't be a problem with wind picking them up and blowing them out to sea.

[sleepless]

The Radiance Class ships have outdoor seating associated with their Windjammer Buffet. My DH and I ate breakfast and lunch there each day of our cruise on Jewel of the Seas. It was wonderful. Part of the seating area was covered, and part of it was totally open. Loved it.