Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Breakfast in MDR vs Windjammer?

SmashatSea
 Share

Recommended Posts

Bailey & Sophie

Bailey & Sophie

Posted
Posted
We will be sailing on the Explorer of the Seas at the end of August to Juneau, Skagway, & Victoria. I've heard the Winjammer is particularly crowded for breakfast (& lunch) on Alaskan cruises for some reason? I've always dined in Windjammer for non-dinner meals on RCCL and have dealt fine with the crowds and food selection there but I'm wondering what the difference or benefit is to eating in the MDR for breakfast or lunch? More so breakfast than anything else.

 

It's just me and my husband traveling together and we don't tend to take a long time for breakfast or lunch.

 

We ate our dinners in the Windjammer in Alaska. Nothing like eating dinner with the whales with a mountain backdrop. We'd usually got a table outside near the railing. Sometimes in the MDR they close the shades and you can't see anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

Posted
Posted
We ate our dinners in the Windjammer in Alaska. Nothing like eating dinner with the whales with a mountain backdrop. We'd usually got a table outside near the railing. Sometimes in the MDR they close the shades and you can't see anything.

 

Just to clarify for the OP, your sailing must have been on Radiance, not Explorer, since Explorer doesn't have outside seating in the WJ.:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nessie07

Nessie07

Posted
Posted

I was recently on the Explorer and my husband and I did probably 1/2 dining room and 1/2 windjammer for breakfast that week. We liked the dining room the best. Food was good and the buffet set up in there was nice. It's quieter and more relaxing but does make for a longer breakfast which was fine with us. We wish that we had had lunch in the dining room more than the 2 times we did. Really nice lunch there.

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DRW2

DRW2

Posted
Posted

I must forward this by saying I've only been on one cruise which was the Oasis. But, I actually prefer the MDR for breakfast and lunch. Since it was my first cruise, I wanted to try several venues during the week and MDR was my favorite for breakfast and lunch. JR was ok but I only ordered French toast. I only ate one breakfast in the Windjammer and made sure I was there upon opening (being a nurse, I struggle with buffet type venues :p)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Clarea

Clarea

Posted
Posted
Is breakfast at Johnny Rockets on Quantum class new? Was not available on our two Anthem sailings.

Pardon me, I'm a little confused today. No free JR breakfast on Quantum class.:o

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jana

Jana

Posted
Posted
We always eat all meals in the Windjammer and I did notice more people in the Windjammer at all meals on my Explorer sailing last month than what we usually see. Never had a problem finding a table though.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

When they added all those cabins during the 2015 refurb the inside venues weren't expanded to accommodate the increase in guests. I found most venues quite crowded. I'm sailing Explorer again next month and am now aware of that issue and can plan accordingly.

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
travelplus

travelplus

Posted
Posted

My Father and I love having all of our meals in the MDR. Now sometimes I'll go to the Windjammer for a coffee and pastry or yoghurt before my morning walk on the track and then meet for breakfast. Yes the Windjammer is crowded and we only eat there when its required such as during port day lunches and embarkation day. Its easier to be served in the MDR and OMG the Tuti Fruti Salad Bar on sea days is the reason why I love many sea days on Trans Atlantic Cruises.

 

The MDR has really good breakfast lunch and dinner items and I can get my daily fix of Muesli there as well. The corned beef hash is not that bad either. I feel that the coffee in the MDR is fresher than in the Windjammer.

 

Over all the MDR wins. But I am willing to try the Windjammer this next cruise to compare it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dreadpirate3

dreadpirate3

Posted
Posted

Other than our one early port day, we will eat MDR for breakfast daily. Cafe Promenade will have sandwiches and wraps for the early port day.

 

During our last cruise, I would get up early for sunrises and often, the WJ was the only thing open. I would occasionally get fruit or a pastry from there, but the crowds arrived soon after. We never had a meal in the WJ last cruise and I hope to continue that on our next two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
harryfat1

harryfat1

Posted
Posted

It also depends on what time you eat breakfast. Don't know what hours MDR will open for your cruise but for our cruise on the Freedom, MDR or breakfast was typically 8 to 10 AM or so, but Windjammer typically have longer hours like 7 to 11:30 for breakfast. So if you are an early riser or prefer to party into the night, the extra hours might beneficial to you.

 

It’s just like commuting to work in the morning in a majo rcity – either go early or late to arrive the crowd. If you choose to dine at a more popular time,you will see crowd.

 

Maybe for the Alaska cruise, since it’s cold outside in the morning, people don’t eat breakfast in their ocean view balconies like they would in the Caribbean so they crowd the WJ and MDR more?

 

This pic shows a pretty empty WJ after opening before we arrived at Grand Cayman. Time stamp has it at 7 AM. Nobody’s there.

31335013674_641db9d439_h.jpg

Next day weslept in and went at 9:45 and much harder to find a table.

31431947403_697be09d22_h.jpg

This was taken while waiting in line for breakfast at MDR. Time stamp has it at 9:20. We waited about 15minutes for a table. In theory, it woul dbe a minute or two less if we were willing to share a table with others. I wasn’t. I’m typically pretty anti-social and even more so in morning before my coffee so not willing to share table with anyone. They just ask you to stand aside and wait for a smaller table to open up.

32168540830_17d278f45e_h.jpg

 

32168500290_22697c8bb9_h.jpg

 

32395143532_4eaf649431_h.jpg

 

 

As there was a discussion on Johnny Rockets on the Oasis class, here’s the free (no extra charge) potato breakfast from JR

enhance

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NatsFanOnBoard

NatsFanOnBoard

Posted
Posted

We found breakfast in the MDR on Adventure last week to be spotty at best. Wait staff came and went without us knowing who was really taking care of us, service was slow, food preparation didn't seem to exhibit much care, and meals weren't hot. I was hoping the first time was a fluke, but when we tried it a second time, I was wishing I had gone to the Windjammer like we did on all the other days. To each their own...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Davidlmc

Davidlmc

Posted
Posted

We were on this same cruise on Explorer in June and we had breakfast in both the Windjammer and MDR. Benefit of eating in MDR mostly is getting a table as soon as you go in as not very crowded as in the Windjamer. I believe the same food as Windjammer but a limited menu to chose from and it is a little quieter and less crowded in MDR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
landerslp

landerslp

Posted
Posted

I love breakfast food (although at home I eat primarily cereal). The Windjammer has too many choices for me and it is too easy to go for seconds. So for us, trying not to gain too much weight, we go for the MDR when we don't need to get off early for excursions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

Posted
Posted
Where is coffee (and hopefully Danish) available before the Windjammer opens? I love to get up and watch the sun come up, but I need coffee to be able to enjoy anything.

 

Thanks.

 

Margy

 

From your posts it looks like you are asking about Oasis. On Oasis, you can go to Cafe Promenade on the Royal Promenade and get complimentary coffee and pastries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...