Weird question about dinner in the MDR

[MisterOJ2]

So, in a month, I will be on the Freedom of the Seas. Today, I've been looking at the menus with my wife for dinner in the MDR, and have realized that a lot of the appetizers sound really good - but very few (like only two total from all seven nights) of the main dishes seem like something we would enjoy.

 

We are signed up for My Time Dining and are wondering if it's possible to just go to the MDR, order a few appetizers and a couple desserts and that be it. If we have no interest in the main dishes, can we just skip that course?

[Cabansail]

Short answer - Yes

 

Long answer - Yeeeessssss.

[matj2000]

You can pretty much order whatever, how much or how little you like.

 

But why are you looking at menu's now?

 

Much more fun to see what they have when you sit down for dinner each night...

[MommaBear55]

I often do a few appetizers, a salad and dessert. Those are my favorite parts of the meal!

 

I have also really enjoyed the strip steak off the every day menu when so cannot find something on the nightly menu.

[moopetguy]

That's not weird at all. I always order multiple appetizers. Often, multiple entrées. Sometimes, multiple desserts. Depends on what appeals to me on the night's menu (sometimes, the answer is "not much").

 

I've even been known to go to the WJ after the main seating in the MDR for "second dinner" if I wasn't satisfied with the first one (there are a few MDR menus on which I don't find an entrée that I really enjoy). :D

 

matj2000, looking at MDR menus in advance can help people who like to plan ahead, to book specialty dining in lieu of going to the MDR for that evening.

[lglancy]

I myself have been known to order a couple of shrimp cocktails or scallops gratin to call my entrée! My only suggestion is, you're not out anything by ordering an entrée just to try. If you end up not liking, it, don't eat it. We've found some delicious meals just by ordering something different. Our favorite cruise was when a tablemate always ordered "one for the middle (of the table)," as in an entrée that no one had ordered that could be tried and shared by everyone. Be sure to try the scallops gratin appetizer, beef tenderloin (best meal on any ship, ever) and artichoke crepes on night 2. While I agree that some of the main courses may not seem the most exciting, everything I've had has been excellent. There's always the strip steak and grilled chicken on the everyday menu. They are delicious, as well. And I don't blame you a bit for planning ahead. I know that three weeks from tonight I'll be leaving Cozumel aboard the Vision, and having seafood salad, poblano and corn soup, lobster and shrimp, and crème brulee for dinner. That's not a bit obsessive... Have a great trip, and enjoy!

[impatientlywaiting]

On our last cruise, our waiter brought us the chef's recommendation for the table to try even if no one at the table ordered it! And if we couldn't decide which dessert we wanted and finally decided on one, he usually brought both without us knowing it! It was awesome ... but meant we left the dining room stuffed! :D

[clochette]

You can do whatever you want, one of my daughter when she was younger went to a phase of loving caesar salad and chicken tenders, she would have that every night. They would bring her a big salad and the chicken, now she often does multiple appetizers.

[Rala]

Just another vote for ordering multiple appetizers and no main course. They will not bring them all at once unless you want it that way, and often they will ask which one(s) you want first, second,etc.. Enjoy!!!:)

[serene56]

Just looking at a menu-- and sometimes it doesn't sound so good so you bypass that item

 

First cruise - family of 18 people - two tables. Appetizers came and I got shrimp- was the only one to get the shrimp because of the name on the menu is what threw everyone off and that is why they did not order that dish

 

Cruising is about trying new things that youhave never tried If you don't like it get something else

[ARCruisinNana]

You can also order off the children's menu:)

Edited March 10, 2016 by ARCruisinNana

[spookwife]

So, in a month, I will be on the Freedom of the Seas. Today, I've been looking at the menus with my wife for dinner in the MDR, and have realized that a lot of the appetizers sound really good - but very few (like only two total from all seven nights) of the main dishes seem like something we would enjoy.

 

We are signed up for My Time Dining and are wondering if it's possible to just go to the MDR, order a few appetizers and a couple desserts and that be it. If we have no interest in the main dishes, can we just skip that course?

 

oh hell yes. in fact we often do just that.

[moopetguy]

You can also order off the children's menu:)

 

+1 to the kids' menu suggestion. They have a great chocolate brownie dessert! The first time I ordered it in the MDR, the waiter laughed, but then he realized I was serious when I ordered the brownie multiple nights in a row. :) I got the other adults at the table (even those not in my party) to follow suit once they saw how good it was.

 

The chicken tenders/fingers are also quite good, and I believe the chicken noodle soup is freshly made. Does not taste like it's from a bag or can -- (relatively) low-sodium broth (compared to how salty chicken noodle soup normally is), generous amount of chicken pieces and veggies, spaghetti noodles.

[waterbug123]

Rather than ordering multiples of something, you can also request an entree-sized portion of an appetizer and have it as an entree. I do that occasionally when nothing on the entree menu really appeals to me, but one of the appetizers does.

[The Fun Researcher]

My son's (7 yrs old at the time) dinner on our last family cruise consisted of escargot appetizers, shrimp cocktail, and rolls every night.

 

I think we figured out that he ate 72 individual escargot in the course of our six night cruise :)

 

Dan

[Paul65]

Absolutely. It's not even all that weird. Now, one caution is that sometimes the servers will wait for all appetizers to be finished, before serving the entree course. I doubt they will do that, if you are ordering multiple appetizers and no entree. If it does happen, though, be sure to let your waiter know you don't want to hold up entrees for the rest of the table.

 

I've never had a problem finding an entree that appeals to me, but I do agree that sometimes there are multiple "starters" that sound even better than the entrees. I could see myself doing something like you suggest. :cool:

[iluvit!]

Can we order appetizer size servings of a main course?

[margeecruiser]

We love the idea of ordering "one for the table to share". We have often done this, especially ordering a big plate of veggies to share. We have also ordered the pasta to share. We have also asked our waiter to bring the cheese plate the next night first to share while we look over the menu. If it is a hit, it usually appears every night by magic It has always been a hit, even if our table ages were hesitant or shy. That only lasted one dinner, then we were friends and shared freely.

 

Margee

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited March 11, 2016 by margeecruiser

[OSUZorba]

So, in a month, I will be on the Freedom of the Seas. Today, I've been looking at the menus with my wife for dinner in the MDR, and have realized that a lot of the appetizers sound really good - but very few (like only two total from all seven nights) of the main dishes seem like something we would enjoy.

 

We are signed up for My Time Dining and are wondering if it's possible to just go to the MDR, order a few appetizers and a couple desserts and that be it. If we have no interest in the main dishes, can we just skip that course?

 

You can order however you want, especially in MTD, since there is no wait for the kitchen to be ready to serve desert.

 

But, I am very picky eater, and just reading the menus before my first few cruises I thought I would starve, but almost every night I find two entrees that sound good at the time. Also remember there is an everyday menu (can't remember the name of it) that has safe basics that are there every day. Like steak, chicken breast, salmon, couple of salads, etc. For whatever reason, it isn't included with the menus online, but is on the ship.

[FloatMe]

You can pretty much order whatever, how much or how little you like.

 

But why are you looking at menu's now?

 

Much more fun to see what they have when you sit down for dinner each night...

 

I realize everyone is different, but I'm with you! The magic of our first cruise was looking at the menus for the first time each evening and getting back to our cabin at night and reading the cruise compass on the balcony.

 

We never look at the menus ahead of time and I wouldn't dare look at a cruise compass before a cruise:D

[CntPAcruiser]

Can we order appetizer size servings of a main course?

 

Not usually, that I am aware of. The entrée portions are fixed, so you can get more, but not less. For instance, on lobster night, people will often order multiples of the little slipper lobster tails, and many times I've seen the waiter removing just the tail from a full plate (i.e., with the sides) to bring to the table, and the sides just go to waste.

 

There are a couple of entrees my husband and I like to share, like the duck, so we'll each order our main entrée, then get the one to share. We've also done the "order one for the table," and passed it around, which is a nice way of sampling without being wasteful.

[DM_KidAtHeart]

So, in a month, I will be on the Freedom of the Seas. Today, I've been looking at the menus with my wife for dinner in the MDR, and have realized that a lot of the appetizers sound really good - but very few (like only two total from all seven nights) of the main dishes seem like something we would enjoy.

 

 

 

We are signed up for My Time Dining and are wondering if it's possible to just go to the MDR, order a few appetizers and a couple desserts and that be it. If we have no interest in the main dishes, can we just skip that course?

 

 

I've made a meal of a number appetizers any number of times. So yes, it's possible. Just tell your waiter or waitress that you'd like to do that.

[DM_KidAtHeart]

Can we order appetizer size servings of a main course?

 

 

Not exactly. You can ask for multiple of an app, and then if you're doing it instead of an entree they will often combine on to one plate. Not always, but sometimes.

[blueinspades]

On Anthem's Icon restaurant, I ordered the main course choice of Chicken Kiev as an appetizer, easy, and ate only the Chicken as it came as a full meal on the plate. The next night I ordered two Chicken Kievs on the same plate and only 1 set of sides. Got it exactly the way I asked.

 

Be creative, it is your vacation, have it your way. Order all the appetizers or desserts if you want them.

[mixplix]

I would order multiple apps and entrees every night. once, for dessert, I asked for a plate of the scallops I had for the appetizer, because they were so good. This is where a good waiter comes into play. Although we did MTD, we had the same table and same waiter every night. So when i ordered something on day four or five, he immediately said "no, you need much more food than that"

 

and he was right!