Buffet for Dinner?

[Micahs Grandad]

For us dinner each night is an event, something we very much look forward to and not just something to be gotten through so we can get to the next activity. We enjoy the 1.5-2 hours spent there, chatting with our table mates, whether they are new people we are just meeting or part of a group we are travelling with. We always do late dining so we can linger over coffee.

 

We feel the same but like early seating so we can enjoy the entertainment after nice leisurely dinner.

[Sundsgn]

This an old thread, but curious with all the American Table changes if people still prefer the MDR. I've never in 14 cruises done buffet for dinner but always wanted to try, especially now that our kids travel with us...but.... I am concerned I would have FOMO! LOL

 

I know they post the dining room menus in advance, wish they did the Lido too.

[Love2Cruz2015]

I prefer MDR, but some nights if I don't feel like dressing up, I'll do the Lido buffet....

[SeaScout]

This an old thread, but curious with all the American Table changes if people still prefer the MDR. I've never in 14 cruises done buffet for dinner but always wanted to try, especially now that our kids travel with us...but.... I am concerned I would have FOMO! LOL

 

I know they post the dining room menus in advance, wish they did the Lido too.

 

We always find some other alternative than the MDR for dinner. We quite often end up at the buffet for dinner. We're platinum with lots of cruises under our belt. MDR? Been there, done that. We just prefer the more relaxed notion that we can eat what we want, when we want. I don't believe we even went to the MDR our last 3 cruises.

 

That's why I like cruising. You've got options.

[DebJ14]

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

 

I'm with you! I do not do buffets. I eat breakfast in the MDR every day and will skip lunch rather than eat at the Lido. Dinner is in the Steakhouse or MDR every night. I have never had dinner at the buffet in over 60 cruises (36 CCL cruises).

[lady_cruiser]

We very seldom eat at the Buffet at night even knowing that most nights, except formal, the selections are the same. But our upcoming cruise in January will probably find us eating every night at the Buffet. I booked this cruise the last minute and both early dining and anytime dining were already filled with a wait list. Our only option is late dining which is just too late for us. I figured it's just a five day cruise so it won't ruined my cruise to eat at either the Buffet, Guys Burgers or grab a sandwich from the deli and pair it with a salad from the Buffet.

[riclop]

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?

 

Much prefer the buffet because you can try what you want and as much as you want and it's much faster.

[GradUT]

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?

 

Being waited on at dinner is one of the reasons I go on a cruise. The buffet is never an option at dinner for me.

[SadieN]

Just off the Inspiration. DH doesn't care whether we eat in the MDR or not. One night the Pumpkin soup was on the buffet. Two big bowls with croutons and a slice of lamb made me a happy camper. Pumpkin soup hasn't been on the buffet for quite some time.

[norwane]

Any suggestions on a group of 4, 1 of whom like to eat in the MDR and 1 who only wants to eat in the buffet?! I think we agreed to compromise, but she only wants the MDR 1 or 2 times, and I would prefer it to be the other way around! :eek:

 

Any ideas as to how to keep everyone happy? We have the ATD, by the way.

[momof3cruisers]

Just off the Inspiration. DH doesn't care whether we eat in the MDR or not. One night the Pumpkin soup was on the buffet. Two big bowls with croutons and a slice of lamb made me a happy camper. Pumpkin soup hasn't been on the buffet for quite some time.

 

I was wondering about the soups. I have a bit of a cold fruit soup obsession. Are they usually on the buffet or just hot soups?

 

Our last cruise was an 8 day and we did every night but one in the MDR. Dd really loves the experience and it's getting to the end if her vacations with the family. It got old though. It just takes so long. We did have a great waitstaff we requested for ATD but still. The one night we skipped, we wanted to catch the family comedy show.

[momof3cruisers]

Any suggestions on a group of 4, 1 of whom like to eat in the MDR and 1 who only wants to eat in the buffet?! I think we agreed to compromise, but she only wants the MDR 1 or 2 times, and I would prefer it to be the other way around! :eek:

 

Any ideas as to how to keep everyone happy? We have the ATD, by the way.

 

Split up. Meet up after dinner for a drink, desert, show etc.

[beerman2]

Split up. Meet up after dinner for a drink, desert, show etc.

 

Exactly that way everybody is happy!

[Cr2zCr8zy]

Agree with the above poster. Set aside a time to meet up because it's everyone's vacation and no one should be held hostage to another's preferences!

 

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[meatloafsfan]

I was wondering about the soups. I have a bit of a cold fruit soup obsession. Are they usually on the buffet or just hot soups?

 

Our last cruise was an 8 day and we did every night but one in the MDR. Dd really loves the experience and it's getting to the end if her vacations with the family. It got old though. It just takes so long. We did have a great waitstaff we requested for ATD but still. The one night we skipped, we wanted to catch the family comedy show.

 

I've not seen the cold soups on the buffet for dinner - only hot soups.

 

When we're on a longer cruise, we generally hit the buffet for dinner once or twice. Mainly if there's a dive in movie we want to see.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

The single thing that has changed the most in cruising over the last 30 years is that food and dining options are now available and passengers can make their own choices based on their own habits.

 

Do any of you remember cruising when you had 3 set dining times (no flexibility) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that a buffet was offered only as a "midnight" option once per cruise. If you wanted to eat between meals the only alternative was room service which you ate in your room whose only option was interior or porthole view or a few appetizers if you ordered a drink at a bar.

 

Don't think many of us would like to travel back to those times....but the food was 5 star (if limited in choice).

[BoDidly]

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?

 

We only eat in the MDR one night , Lobster night other than that the MDR food is more of a miss instead of a hit with us. Lobster is usually served luke warm with the butter no longer melted. Sure I can send it back but who wants to sit in the MDR while others have already eaten their deserts and heading off for the evenings entertainment . I can find something on Lido even if it's just a salad and a cut of meat.

[serene56]

This an old thread, but curious with all the American Table changes if people still prefer the MDR. I've never in 14 cruises done buffet for dinner but always wanted to try, especially now that our kids travel with us...but.... I am concerned I would have FOMO! LOL

 

I know they post the dining room menus in advance, wish they did the Lido too.

 

food on the buffet is the same food served in the dining room minus a few items

[Zeta3]

Any suggestions on a group of 4, 1 of whom like to eat in the MDR and 1 who only wants to eat in the buffet?! I think we agreed to compromise, but she only wants the MDR 1 or 2 times, and I would prefer it to be the other way around! :eek:

 

 

 

Any ideas as to how to keep everyone happy? We have the ATD, by the way.

 

 

Eat together 2 nights in MDR and 2 nights in lido and split up for the rest. You have ATD do pretty easy to play things by ear.

 

 

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[bike1964]

We do both. Light buffet dinner right when it opens, then MDR around 9:00:D.

Edited December 29, 2016 by bike1964

[BoDidly]

We do both. Light buffet dinner right when it opens, then MDR around 9:00:D.

 

I like your previous answer better :D

[Sundsgn]

We do both. Light buffet dinner right when it opens, then MDR around 9:00:D.

 

 

Ha! I thought about that. With the kids with us, 8 and 10, we do YTD, and hit the dining room as soon as it opens, the 5:45 PM get her done time. But I think it is still just too long for them some nights, even at that age. Other nights they want to do the Camp Ocean dinner.

 

I like to do the dining room to dress up too. I don't get fancy often as a SAHM, so this is my chance for hubby to see me in the cute dresses! I think this time around I want to shake it up, and really just cut loose and relax.

[path145]

We find that we are less happy with the quality of food or the service in the Dining Room since American Table. I'm not sure if that's the reason but it's the only change I can think of.

 

On our 15 day Hawaiian cruise we ate in the MDR three times, the Steakhouse three times, and the rest at the Lido buffet.

 

We leave next week for an 8 day cruise and I expect we'll eat a large portion of our meals at the buffet.

[mpdog42]

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.

 

Unless its Hooters, then I will start cruising that Line:D

 

Michael

[devinc]

We decided to skip the MDR for dinner last week on our shortened four night cruise since we planned on going to the steakhouse one night. Big mistake and we will not do that again. Perhaps it was just our sailing as very few people were there. The buffet quality and selections were just not very good. This was the only time I felt like the crew was beaten down.