Buffet for Dinner?

[First and Ten]

I have always enjoyed the Buffet, especially for dinner....More variety and found the food very good. This past cruise, I ate in the buffet for dinner 2 out of the 5 nights and the cruise previous, I ate 6 of the 7 nights at the buffet for dinner. Just curious how others feel about the buffet for dinner?

Edited July 6, 2016 by First and Ten

[Schoifmom]

I personally prefer the dining room. It's easier to manage my food restrictions and portion sizes. Also, I like being waited on :)

 

I think that it is personal preference for everyone, though.

[crusinpsychRN]

The night MDR serves lamb shank the Lido has leg of lamb. I prefer the MDR though.

[richfret]

I agree with you but on the other hand, I enjoy the company of my fellow cruisers at a table for 6 or 8. It makes for a fun cruise. You also stand in no lines and are served. That counts too. And then there is the chocolate melting cake. ................. After second thought, it's the main dining room for me!

[coevan]

We don't go on vacation to stand in line and eat mediocre buffet food. We also do not eat at Golden Corral or any buffets at home. We like to sit down and be served. We have never had dinner in the buffet with 12 + cruises

Edited July 6, 2016 by coevan

[Revdoll]

I've found most of the main food on the dinner buffet is the same main dishes served in the MDR. If I don't want to spend two hours in the MDR I can spend 40 Min at the Buffet and get the same main dishes. We will usually eat at the dinner buffet once or twice a cruise. We normally eat at the buffet when we want a quite evening and we want to be away from the crowds. The buffet line is very short and there is an over abundance of tables available. Never had to wait for food or a table.

 

 

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Edited July 6, 2016 by Revdoll

[jewals]

We rarely eat in the MDR, we prefer the buffet, deli and sometimes just have pizza. Our last 7 night cruise we ate in the MDR twice (both formal nights), while my kids went 2 other nights because they wanted to try certain stuff on the menu those nights. They are 22 and 14. My 22 year old enjoyed ordering a glass of wine with her dinner, lol.

We've always found the buffet has a nice variety and we love the salad bar.

[erinmarie424]

We usually stick with the MDR but on my last cruise we ate in the buffet twice. I liked it much better than I thought I would - it was nice to have the extra time. My friend missed the WMC!!

[kylesplash]

For me it's all about the experience I normally wouldn't get at home. I have 3 young children, and the wife an I rarely get out to a restaurant, let alone a fancy restaurant. So when we are on the cruise ship, we only eat the buffet if nothing else is available. I love the MDR and have not been disappointed.

I have never eaten dinner at the buffet on the ship, and do not plan on it in the future.

[Florings]

We enjoy the MDR most nights, where we have early 6pm dining. We have eaten dinner at the buffet when we have a late port day or a late nap and don't have the energy to get ready for an early dining time.

 

I enjoy both types of dining and glad to have the options!

[First and Ten]

I agree with you but on the other hand, I enjoy the company of my fellow cruisers at a table for 6 or 8. It makes for a fun cruise. You also stand in no lines and are served. That counts too. And then there is the chocolate melting cake. ................. After second thought, it's the main dining room for me!

 

The time we ate at the buffet 6 out of 7 nights, it was another line and the Buffet was amazing....seafood stations, multiple carving stations, it was massive....this past cruise, we ate at the buffet more for convenience (we had late seating) and wanted to eat earlier. To your point, the other 3 nights we had fun with our tablemates in the MDR, and the chocolate melting cake is awesome....it just takes a lonnnnnnng time. Dinner was 2-2.5 hrs. The service is good, it may have taken awhile, but our servers were busting their butts. The food overall is wedding type food. While the choices are different, same quality as the buffet

Edited July 6, 2016 by First and Ten

[shof515]

i also prefer dinner in the buffet, it much faster, same food and you can go back for more food

[cruzeluver]

We do main dining room or specialty dining only for dinner. Much prefer to be waited on and the ambiance of the dining room over the food trough. We never eat at buffets at home. Will do the buffet for breakfast if we must be off the ship early for an excursion, but otherwise, no way.

[monkeyluis]

We usually go 1st & last night to Mdr. I just don't care for dressing up, and I like to be on my own time (as in it takes forever to get through a meal) as we go to many activities and shows.

[Micahs Grandad]

We prefer a nice sit down meal in the DR especially if we like our table mates.

 

Only time we will eat at buffet is if we are late getting back from excursion or if the entertainment is such that we want to see it twice.

[BlazinSunsets]

We don't go on vacation to stand in line and eat mediocre buffet food. We also do not eat at Golden Corral or any buffets at home. We like to sit down and be served. We have never had dinner in the buffet with 12 + cruises

 

A lot of times the same exact food is in the buffet as is in the MDR. So I hate to break it to you but you are in fact eating that "mediocre" buffet food sometimes. There are some items that are only in the MDR though, so if that's what you like than by all means do it but thinking the MDR food is sooo much better than the buffet food is kind of ridiculous.

 

I don't consider the MDR any fancier than any of the chain restaraunts I go to back home so I really don't go there much. I don't like having to sit down and eat for an hour or sometimes an hour and half. I can eat in the buffet and be done in 20 minutes then go back to reading, wandering, or whatever else I feel like doing.

[Zeta3]

I prefer the buffet because I generally like a taste of the different entrees, a big salad and fruit, none of the side items. The only thing I miss from the MDR is the Indian vegetarian option

[First and Ten]

A lot of times the same exact food is in the buffet as is in the MDR. So I hate to break it to you but you are in fact eating that "mediocre" buffet food sometimes. There are some items that are only in the MDR though, so if that's what you like than by all means do it but thinking the MDR food is sooo much better than the buffet food is kind of ridiculous.

 

I don't consider the MDR any fancier than any of the chain restaraunts I go to back home so I really don't go there much. I don't like having to sit down and eat for an hour or sometimes an hour and half. I can eat in the buffet and be done in 20 minutes then go back to reading, wandering, or whatever else I feel like doing.

 

Agree....I do think the service may be a little more formal than chain restaurants, but you are spot on about the food. I feel the similar way about the "Steakhouses"....been to numerous specialty steakhouses on numerous lines....I love the setting, the quiet, the service. I have heard people compare it to a Smith & Wal or a Ruth Chris....STOP IT!!!! The steak in the Steakhouses is a "good" steak, similar to something you get in an Outback or Longhorns....If its the BEST steak you ever had, you need to treat yourself to a real steakhouse, it blows cruise line steaks away!!!!

Edited July 6, 2016 by First and Ten

[cocoaloco]

and the deli etc. I have always enjoyed the MDR, especially the chocolate melting cake but I find that I eat in a more healthy way at the buffet. Making the salad just as I wish and . having lotsa good choices of other great items !

 

Usually I meet up with a pod of other similar minded folks and we have the same social time as in the dining room.:)

[evandbob]

I don't believe I've ever had a dinner in the Lido buffet.

 

I've had maybe 3 burgers and 1 slice of pepperoni pizza on 28 Carnival cruises.

 

I love the Sea Day brunch and enjoy dinner in the MDR. Even better are my meals in the Steakhouse.

 

If and when a cruise line installs a Mickey D, Burger K, or Wendy's as the main dinner option, I will totally stop cruising that line.

[jerseyjjs]

Other then the occasional specialty restaurant, I always eat dinner at the buffet. As stated before, nearly 90% of that night's MDR menu is being served at the buffet. I haven't eaten in a Carnival dining room in over 10 Carnival cruises. Never took a liking to the dancing waiters, always felt like most were doing it because they HAD to. Kind of reminded me of the poor muzzled dancing bears at the circus.

[Micahs Grandad]

A lot of times the same exact food is in the buffet as is in the MDR. So I hate to break it to you but you are in fact eating that "mediocre" buffet food sometimes. There are some items that are only in the MDR though, so if that's what you like than by all means do it but thinking the MDR food is sooo much better than the buffet food is kind of ridiculous.

 

I don't consider the MDR any fancier than any of the chain restaraunts I go to back home so I really don't go there much. I don't like having to sit down and eat for an hour or sometimes an hour and half. I can eat in the buffet and be done in 20 minutes then go back to reading, wandering, or whatever else I feel like doing.

 

Except that the food on the buffet may be sitting at the steam table for an hour or more.

[Micahs Grandad]

Other then the occasional specialty restaurant, I always eat dinner at the buffet. As stated before, nearly 90% of that night's MDR menu is being served at the buffet. I haven't eaten in a Carnival dining room in over 10 Carnival cruises. Never took a liking to the dancing waiters, always felt like most were doing it because they HAD to. Kind of reminded me of the poor muzzled dancing bears at the circus.

 

Some of the dancing waiters like it some dont but I dont like stopping service for 10 minutes and making us watch it. Would rather keep talking to our table mates.

[First and Ten]

Except that the food on the buffet may be sitting at the steam table for an hour or more.

 

All due respect, you don't think the meals coming out to the MDR are not sitting on some steam tray for the same amount of time? you have what, 800-1000 people per sitting....it isn't coming right from oven to plate

Edited July 6, 2016 by First and Ten

[kylesplash]

Never took a liking to the dancing waiters, always felt like most were doing it because they HAD to. Kind of reminded me of the poor muzzled dancing bears at the circus.

 

Most chain restaurants make their wait staff perform for birthdays and other special events.

 

I might have to swing by the buffet in October during early dining to see the difference between the buffet and MDR.