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Buffet in place of MDR

jillmom2

By jillmom2,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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jillmom2

jillmom2

Posted
Posted

I have never gone to the buffet for dinner on Carnival, just the MDR. This time since it is just my husband and I and we have anytime dining we may choose to go there, so my question is ..is it the same old buffet? Do they make it a little different for dinner? do they offer appetizers or entrees similar to what are featured in the MDR?

 

I cant remember if it was Disney or Princess that I was on where the buffet became a casual sit down restaurant at night where you had a server take your order and you helped yourself to appetizers, soups and salads from the buffet. So you still had a similar experience to the MDR..but you didn't have to dress up.( we went in place of one of the formal nights.)

 

I'm guessing based on what I have read that Carnival is same old buffet...but thought I would ask. Thanks in advance

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SadieN

SadieN

Posted
Posted

The hot buffet will be a variation of the MDR dinner. Soup, meat, fish, carved, vegetarian and potatoes/rice/pasta. The desserts will be other things, some unique to the buffet. It all depends on what the Head Lido Chef wants to make.

The salad bar will be similar to what was at lunch.

Pizza is always available and the Deli is open til 11p.

 

No waiter service except for those needing assistance..

 

On Cruise Elegant night during our last cruise we ordered the fajita wraps and chocolate cake from room service and brought it up to the lido.

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theriac

theriac

Posted
Posted

Can you order food from the MDR to go? I just want to get it and go to one of the nice little nooks of a ship that a lot of people never find and eat lobster looking upon the water drinking a beer and enjoying the silence which is hard to do on a ship.

 

But to answer the OP's question, a lot of the food at the buffet is the same as the MDR but certain menu items(i.e; Lobster, and the fancier MDR entrees) aren't on the buffet. Not that it doesn't happen ever, but I personally have never seen it on the 10 cruises I've been on. I personally love the buffet for dinner. I always get anytime and go to the MDR once or twice on a 7 night. I just enjoy staying relaxed the entire time and not having to worry about dressing up or being looked down upon for the lack there of.

 

Regardless of where you dine just make sure to enjoy your trip!

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Surfwench

Surfwench

Posted
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We had unwisely chosen early seating one cruise when the port times were 5:00 pm. By the time we got back, tired from a day of sight seeing we didn't feel like 'dressing up' and showing up promptly at 6. So we opted for the buffet a number of nights. It was actually very enjoyable. Very few people there, lots of choices for food, and a guaranteed window seat. It is a viable option. Atmosphere was very nice.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

Posted
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I always eat MDR. Decided to try an experiment last October on Leg 1 of my B2B when I was solo.

 

Due to personal taste, there are nights that the menu doesn't appeal to me, then there are other nights where I could order 2/3 of the items.

 

So I decided that on those "good" nights, I'd just stop in at the buffet early in the evening (since I had late dining), and get just a few bites of my usual favorites so I could then order something different at dinner.

 

Well, those few items may have been labeled as the same as on the MDR menu, but the quality was nowhere as good.

 

Of course, YMMV. This may have just been this particular sailing and/or this particular ship, but it convinced me to just stick to MDR. If I get hungry between my mid-afternoon hot dog and fries and late seating, I'll visit the taste bar or find the sushi that's been moved to the buffet.

 

But no more experiments with dinner in the buffet, thanks.

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RuthlessBoss

RuthlessBoss

Posted
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I have never gone to the buffet for dinner on Carnival, just the MDR. This time since it is just my husband and I and we have anytime dining we may choose to go there, so my question is ..is it the same old buffet? Do they make it a little different for dinner? do they offer appetizers or entrees similar to what are featured in the MDR?

 

I cant remember if it was Disney or Princess that I was on where the buffet became a casual sit down restaurant at night where you had a server take your order and you helped yourself to appetizers, soups and salads from the buffet. So you still had a similar experience to the MDR..but you didn't have to dress up.( we went in place of one of the formal nights.)

 

I'm guessing based on what I have read that Carnival is same old buffet...but thought I would ask. Thanks in advance

Sounds to me that you'd be happier in the DR:)

The food is fine at the buffet, but you get waited on at no time.

What does "same old buffet" mean?

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askimdog

askimdog

Posted
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We now eat all our meals in the buffet. We love it.

 

Always a window seat available

Never crowded, so you don't have to sit 6 inches from someone

Many of the same foods as the MDR

Personal salad made by you the way you want them.

Carving station will cut the bird, ham or prime rib the way you like it and as thick as requested.

Condiments can be had readily, not waiting and waiting for a server to have time to get it

No dancing waiters

No 2 hour meals

No language barriers with servers

Did I mention no long waits between courses

No dress code ( I no longer bring any long pants on cruises)

Can bring the food out on the deck if weather and view are perfect

 

We eat out at home about once a month, and if I ever had to wait for a food course or waiter to get me a condiment as long as it takes a Carnival waiter to do so, I would likely walk out and not choose that establishment again.

 

Our last MDR meals had a waiter who only could say "Wad you wan". never smiled or talked and always looked stressed and rushed. Felt VERY uncomfortable around him, as if we were bothering him. On two meals we asked for tabasco/steak sauce or sour cream and none of these ever appeared. That was the nail in the coffin for our MDR days.

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keywest1

keywest1

Posted
Posted

We like to eat all our meals in the buffet. I hate wasting all that time in MDR. We are not picky eaters, so we can always find plenty of choices. The outside tables are a favorite in the evenings. I like to sample small portions of things I've never tried before, and the dessert area is a chunky girl's dream :)

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legion3

legion3

Posted
Posted
Sounds to me that you'd be happier in the DR:)

The food is fine at the buffet, but you get waited on at no time.

What does "same old buffet" mean?

 

Same old buffet...marginal food taste and quality, where thousands of hands touch the utenslis, where kids roam around sneezing and coughing, and where standard size americans over heap their plates and either eat it all or throw most of it away. Actually leave it on the table for someone else to throw it away.

 

Thats pretty much the same old buffer.

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Georgiagolfer

Georgiagolfer

Posted
Posted
Same old buffet...marginal food taste and quality, where thousands of hands touch the utenslis, where kids roam around sneezing and coughing, and where standard size americans over heap their plates and either eat it all or throw most of it away. Actually leave it on the table for someone else to throw it away.

 

Thats pretty much the same old buffer.

 

Well, aren't you the friendly cruiser we all want to sail with.:rolleyes:

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legion3

legion3

Posted
Posted
We now eat all our meals in the buffet. We love it.

 

Always a window seat available

Never crowded, so you don't have to sit 6 inches from someone

Many of the same foods as the MDR

Personal salad made by you the way you want them.

Carving station will cut the bird, ham or prime rib the way you like it and as thick as requested.

Condiments can be had readily, not waiting and waiting for a server to have time to get it

No dancing waiters

No 2 hour meals

No language barriers with servers

Did I mention no long waits between courses

No dress code ( I no longer bring any long pants on cruises)

 

NO PANTS AT ALL! YO DO BELONG IN THE BUFFET!!!

 

We eat out at home about once a month, and if I ever had to wait for a food course or waiter to get me a condiment as long as it takes a Carnival waiter to do so, I would likely walk out and not choose that establishment again.

 

Our last MDR meals had a waiter who only could say "Wad you wan". never smiled or talked and always looked stressed and rushed. Felt VERY uncomfortable around him, as if we were bothering him. On two meals we asked for tabasco/steak sauce or sour cream and none of these ever appeared. That was the nail in the coffin for our MDR days.

 

 

You bring no pants at all? Well I think not having pants on is gauche, even in a buffet.

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legion3

legion3

Posted
Posted
We now eat all our meals in the buffet. We love it.

 

Always a window seat available

Never crowded, so you don't have to sit 6 inches from someone

Many of the same foods as the MDR

Personal salad made by you the way you want them.

Carving station will cut the bird, ham or prime rib the way you like it and as thick as requested.

Condiments can be had readily, not waiting and waiting for a server to have time to get it

No dancing waiters

No 2 hour meals

No language barriers with servers

Did I mention no long waits between courses

No dress code ( I no longer bring any long pants on cruises)

 

NO PANTS AT ALL! YO DO BELONG IN THE BUFFET!!! Oh i see long pants...thats ok

 

We eat out at home about once a month, and if I ever had to wait for a food course or waiter to get me a condiment as long as it takes a Carnival waiter to do so, I would likely walk out and not choose that establishment again.

 

Our last MDR meals had a waiter who only could say "Wad you wan". never smiled or talked and always looked stressed and rushed. Felt VERY uncomfortable around him, as if we were bothering him. On two meals we asked for tabasco/steak sauce or sour cream and none of these ever appeared. That was the nail in the coffin for our MDR days.

 

 

You bring no pants at all? Well I think not having pants on is gauche, even in a buffet.

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