Question about evening meals in the Windjammer

[JBoshears]

Does the Windjammer serve the same meals as the dining room? We are thinking about skipping the dining room this cruise and stay more casual (I will still tip the waiters). Is the Windjammer just going to be standard buffet type food?

 

We are on the Navigator.

 

Thanks!

[VacationNut]

On Voyager, they set out the tables in the Island Grill area (back of WindJammers) with cloths and had waiters --- BUT you still collected your own food from the buffet. We ate in Windjammers a couple of evenings - I like the variety.

[aftmdne]

We sailed last year on Grandeur and were told that the same food is served in Windjamer and in the restaurant.

 

When we came to the Windjamer we discovered that they do not serve fillet mignon :D and if we really wanted it we had to go to the Dining room. Our other option was to order Room Service

[MM27]

I sailed on the Navigator in March and ate every meal in the Windjammer every day. They have a nice selection, a pasta station where they make your own pasta the way you like, and you also have Jade up front. For dinner especially it was very quiet and fairly empty.

[Sunshine101]

We also have eaten in the WJ a few times for dinner, and they do serve some of the same selection in the dining room. It is a nice change to go for a casual and very quiet meal. :)

[BobBeaSea]

On Voyager, they set out the tables in the Island Grill area (back of WindJammers) with cloths and had waiters --- BUT you still collected your own food from the buffet. We ate in Windjammers a couple of evenings - I like the variety.

 

We have not had dinner in the Windjammer although this post and aother threads on the same subject have mentioned it is really quite nice, with ambience and soft, quiet surroundings. We will for sure try it on our next cruise. The dining room is great but a change now and again would be ideal. We've done Portofinos and it was nice. The only thing holding us back from the Windjammer was "cafeteria"...seems it is much nicer than that.

[Ocean Boy]

On our last cruise aboard Serenade we had almost every dinner in the Windjammer. Some items will be offered in both the dining room and the Windajmmer. Some items will only be offered in the dining room and some only in the Windjammer.

 

I much prefer eating dinner in the windjammer. It is quiet with a very nice atmosphere. There is no one rushing around and you can eat at your leasure without worrying about being there at a certain time or having to be out by a certain time. I found that it made the cruise quite relaxing. We sat in the same area each evening and had the same waiter. He was very attentive to us. And though you do go up to get your own food I rather prefer doing that.

[DBSailor]

Fresh off the 7/8 sailing of the Grandeur of the Seas. The windjammer is very similiar to the menu that is presented daily in the dining room. One or two main entree options might be the difference. On our 9 day cruise we skipped the dining room once but why would you want to skip the dining room when your're treated like Royalty there?.

[jmcdon7230]

....... why would you want to skip the dining room when your're treated like Royalty there?.

 

Ocean Boy answered this question with: "I much prefer eating dinner in the windjammer. It is quiet with a very nice atmosphere. There is no one rushing around and you can eat at your leasure without worrying about being there at a certain time or having to be out by a certain time. I found that it made the cruise quite relaxing..."

 

Sounds like Ocean Boy and the other Windjammer devotees are good candidates for NCL's Freestyle.

[MM27]

I always eat in the Windjammer because I like to eat what I want, when I want. I don't want to feel like I have to stop an activity at a certain time to go make my dinner time. I'm also not one that likes to dress up for dinner and eating in the Windjammer I don't have to. I have been on NCL, but I prefer Royal Caribbean. The dining thing is a personal decision based on what you want. I guess that's why they offer other dining options than just the dining room. I must add that the staff in the Windjammer has always been excellent. When the room isn't that full, they make sure you are well taken care of.

[Ocean Boy]

Sounds like Ocean Boy and the other Windjammer devotees are good candidates for NCL's Freestyle.

Maybe I would like freestyle and maybe not. Either way I wouldn't choose to try NCL just because of that. I can already eat in a style that I enjoy on RCI and I love their ships. So I don't see much reason to switch.

 

Besides, I have a feeling that even with freestyle there would be plenty of rushing around and commotion trying to get people fed. Therefore, I think I'd still prefer the Windjammer to a freestyle type of dining room.

[whale-watcher]

We are planning our first RCI cruise this fall, and with only one sea day on a 7 day cruise, I'm sure we will opt for windjammer's at least one or two nights, if not more. I agree with ocean boy that it is nice to have a quiet and relaxing evening. We haven't tried NCL, but my understanding is that there could be a considerable wait for a table in some of the restaurants at peak dining times, unless you have an advance reservation, and that the buffet selections are much more limited than on RCI or Princess -- we opted to try RCI instead.

[NancyB84]

On our last cruise, we ate most of our evening meals in the Windjammer. The main selections like lobster, filet mingnon... were not available there... but for the most part, the rest of the menu matched the diningroom... with the added pasta stations etc. They will get your drinks, they paid alot of attention to our kids, it was quiet, you could easily get a table by the window... nice view...!!!!!

[herecomesthesun]

For those of you who eat dinner in Windjammer frequently on your cruise, do you let your waiter in the dining room know you will not be going to dinner there for most of your cruise? I know you are supposed to do that if you have reservations at one of the specialty restaurants, and I'm sure they appreciate this, especially if you have tablemates that might be waiting on you to order.

[NancyB84]

For those of you who eat dinner in Windjammer frequently on your cruise, do you let your waiter in the dining room know you will not be going to dinner there for most of your cruise? I know you are supposed to do that if you have reservations at one of the specialty restaurants, and I'm sure they appreciate this, especially if you have tablemates that might be waiting on you to order.

 

We did. We explained to them that because of the kids, we wanted to be a bit more casual... and we told them the nights we would be dining in the diningroom (which was only 3 of the 11 nights). We wanted to make sure they knew it wasn't because we didn't like the service or food ... it was just that we wanted to be casual this cruise. We also tipped our diningroom waiter and asst waiter the full amount... and ended up liking the staff in the Windjammer so much we tipped them too (had the same two people most of the time). I also told the Matre D. Just so that he didn't question the waiter or think the waiter had done anything wrong.

[holomuku]

Does anyone know if you do the wine package can you get a bottle brought to the Windjammer? And/or Chops?

 

tia

[kenandlaura06]

Does the menu change in the windjammer every night?

[NancyB84]

Does the menu change in the windjammer every night?

 

On our cruise... some things changed each night... and then there were the things that were there every night... like the pasta station... a steak selection... salad... etc!!!!!!!! But there was some variety to the menu there...

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

By our last cruise my husband decided he could no longer abide by the restrictions of dining room times and the length of time it takes to eat a meal there. We were assigned the late dining and we just never eat that late. We went to the matre D', but the ship was totally booked and no changes could be made, so we told him we would not be eating in the dining room the entire ten-day cruise and he crossed our names off his master list.

 

We ate in the Windjammer except for one lovely dinner in the Portofino. I must admit I came to really like the Windjammer at night. It is quiet and unhurried. You can easily get a seat by the window. The food changes nightly, although certain favorites stay the same. You can order wine and the waiter will save the bottle for you if you don't drink it all. I can't drink wine because it gives me such heartburn (drat the rotten luck!), so it is very convenient that my husband can save the bottle for another meal.

 

We got to know the Windjammer dinner waiters very well and tipped them generously at the end of the cruise. We had to use cash for this because these waiters are not included in the automatic tipping that RCI has.

 

I did follow the main dining room clothing code for the meals because I feel uncomfortable walking around the ship at night in very casual clothing when most passengers are dressed more formally. I even wore formal attire to the Windjammer on formal nights, but did see some of the other guests looking at me with puzzlement.

 

I don't know if we will ever eat in the main dining room again. The Windjammer just seemed so much more peaceful. We arrive when we want. Also we can time our dinner to the show that we want to see, either the first or the second.

 

One person was surprised that we would choose to miss out on the opportunity to meet people at the main dining room. I have to confess that neither my husband or I cruise with the objective of meeting people. I guess we are introverts. For those who are more extroverted, dining in the Windjammer at night might not be an attractive alternative to the main dining room. In fact, most folks do not eat in the Windjammer at night. That is why it is so quiet and peaceful.

[Cruising89143]

I love the Windjammer for dinner. After years of cruising I no longer like having to be at dinner each night at a certain time. The Windjammer offers plenty of choices and the atmosphere is very nice. Much more quiet than the dining room.

 

I think I would like the Freestyle concept of NCL but they need to get some better ships out in the Caribbean year round before I would even give them a second thought.

[whyrlygig]

We never eat in the dining room because the Windjammer.....

1) it is quiet, relaxing and casual

2) offers more than enough menu choices

3) lets us eat when ever we want and sit where ever we want

4) lets us focus only on each other

I understand why most people enjoy the dining room. In our younger years, I am sure we would have liked dressing up for and making an evening of dinner. These days though, for us, the Winjammer is the only way to go.

[kenandlaura06]

On our cruise... some things changed each night... and then there were the things that were there every night... like the pasta station... a steak selection... salad... etc!!!!!!!! But there was some variety to the menu there...

 

Thanks!

[Ocean Boy]

And the make your own pizza is a really nice feature also. They provide the shell, you make it up any way you want with the provided toppings and sauce, and then they bake it for you on the spot. It is the best pizza that is served anywhere on the ship.

[sueinphilly]

Is that pizza available at lunch AND dinner or only at certain times.

 

When we were on the brand new Serenade in Sep 03, the pizza in the Solarium was awful, I mean inedible awful

[Ocean Boy]

They have the usual shipboard pizza at lunch. The make your own pizza bar was only available at dinner in the Windjammer.