Windjammer at Night

[knomad]

We have never eaten in the Windjammer at night - only for breakfast and lunch. What is it like at night?

 

On our last cruise on Rhapsody, I thought I saw tablecloths and glassware on the tables late in the day. Does the Windjammer turn more into a dining room, but still have buffet service? Do you have some of the selections that are available in the dining room?

 

I'm curious, as we couldn't confirm early seating for our next cruise, so we may be eating in the Windjammer a lot!

 

Thanks!

[Cruising89143]

Yes it does turn more into a dining room at night or at least on the Navigator it did. They had some of the same selections as the regular dining room plus others. I found it to be a great place for dinner.

[superjerryw]

You won't find lobster or filet mignon in the Windjammer, but in general, there is usually a bigger selection of food at dinner time in the Windjammer than in the dining room. You will usually find many of the items being offered in the dining room and other items as well.

[Merion_Mom]

I love the Windjammer for dinner. You can pick and choose and sample. You can take as long or as short a time as you want. The crew that have been assigned there will get your drinks for you, and respond 1,000% to any kindness you show. You *can* get many of the dishes that are being served in the dining room, and more. Last cruise, a B2B, I encountered our first cruise's assistant waiter up in the WJ for dinner during the second cruise. He fell all over himself doing and getting for us. He couldn't believe that *I* remembered *him*!

 

It makes a nice change of pace.

 

I think that it's nice to know that this is an option if your shore excursion runs late, or you fall asleep, or just want a break from your tablemates (or your own kids! ;))

 

Carol

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

My husband, who is restless and can't tolerate the snail's pace of the dining room, will eat dinner only in the Windjammer or Portofino's. We actually enjoy the Windjammer at night because it is quieter and far less crowded. The service staff has time to be friendly and you can even order wine. In fact, the staff will save the bottle from one night until the next for you.

 

I frankly don't recall ever having seen tablecloths on the tables at night. The Windjammer certainly isn't like the dining room. You do still go through the buffet line, but there are far fewer people than daytime, so it is much more relaxed.

 

The selection is excellent, but not all the buffet lines are open. I never felt there wasn't enough selection, though. Some folks might miss the "fancier" food of the dining room, but I don't cruise for steaks and lobster anyway.

 

Another factor in eating at the Windjammer is that we can dine when we want and not be held to the first or second seating schedule. Also, we prefer not to eat at tables with folks we don't know, so we are really more comfortable in the Windjammer. We can go to the theater show we want also, instead of being locked into the one chosen by the seating assignment.

 

We tended to see pretty much the same passengers in the Windjammer every night, so I guess there are others who feel the way we do about the dining room.

 

Our first cruise (Mariner of the Seas) we did eat in the dining room every night, but my husband was just too frustrated with the process and never wanted to do it again, so we never have. I go see the maitre d' at the start of the cruise and ask him to exclude us from the guest list so no one is waiting for us.

[drjpreston]

The Windjammer is a great option that should not be overlooked. We have often used it as an option when we were disappointed in dinning room for any reason.

 

We have never been disappointed eating there and on several cruises found it our almost private getaway in the evening. I often give a tip on the first night and folks will be all over you the rest of the cruise. They don’t usually receive tips like the regular dinning room staff.

 

Jim

[hstrybuf]

We usually end up in the Windjammer, or other ship's equivalent, at least once every cruise. On the Navigator we went on a night where we came back late from an excursion and had early seating. We were just too tired to dress up for dinner. We notified our waitstaff not to expect us in the dining room.

 

In the Windjammer, we were able to get a window seat. Try getting one at breakfast or lunch! ;) It wasn't crowded and the waiter even carried my tray to the table for me. The staff were eager to serve and very friendly so it made for a very enjoyable meal.

[wannalottadough]

i have two questions about the windjammer for dinner: Do they offer the same desserts in the windjammer as they have in the D.R.? My favorite thing about the dining room is their desserts but sometimes i don't feel like getting dressed up just for dinner. Second question: If you do eat in the windjammer say maybe about half the time, would you tip the waitstaff in the dining room as well as tipping each night you are in the windjammer and how much would you tip in the windjammer?

[wrp96]

On my Rhapsody cruise, we would go up to the Windjammer around 6:30 to get my mom a snack (she has to eat about every 2 hours). We would preview the deserts being offered because invariably most of them were the same ones being offered in the dining room (although not all of them, notably any desert involving ice cream was never seen in the WJ). Some times they were called different names but they always tasted the same.

 

We would also take the time to look at most of the entrees as they were usually the same as those in the dining room.

 

They did not have tableclothes on the Rhapsody at dinner time though.

[phabric]

Do they have trays to carry your food to the table in the Windjammer.

[awfw]

I have a question about using the Windjammer for dinner. We have recently been cruising Princess with the "anytime dining" and enjoyed it very much.

We will be returning to RCCL next Dec for the Panama Canal cruise and we are happy to hear that the Windjammer is available for dinner. I anticipate that we will be dining for at least 2 nights in Portifino and Chops and also a few nights in Windjammer. We would also like to dine a few nights in the Dining Room. How do you handle notifying your waiters and tablemates that you will not be there, when you may decide at the spur of the moment not to show up? I surely don't want to cause any problems with the dining room staff or tablemates. Any suggestions?

 

awfw

[Merion_Mom]

On my Rhapsody cruise, we would go up to the Windjammer around 6:30 to get my mom a snack (she has to eat about every 2 hours). We would preview the deserts being offered because invariably most of them were the same ones being offered in the dining room (although not all of them, notably any desert involving ice cream was never seen in the WJ). Some times they were called different names but they always tasted the same.

 

We would also take the time to look at most of the entrees as they were usually the same as those in the dining room.

 

They did not have tableclothes on the Rhapsody at dinner time though.

Ah, but if you ask one of the nice assistant waiters up there, they will get you a lovely dish of ice cream!

 

(no tablecloths on Enchantment or Sovereign, either)

[rangerdog]

Do they serve Escargot in the WJ for dinner? We've been on 10 cruises and have never tried the WJ for dinner, and we also did not realize that they serve the same thing as the dining room. We may have to try this one night. Do we leave a tip for the waiters, since someone said they don't receive tips like the DR staff does. Thanks.

[Merion_Mom]

Do they serve Escargot in the WJ for dinner? We've been on 10 cruises and have never tried the WJ for dinner, and we also did not realize that they serve the same thing as the dining room. We may have to try this one night. Do we leave a tip for the waiters, since someone said they don't receive tips like the DR staff does. Thanks.

I can't answer about the escargot, but the answer to your tipping question is that it is NOT required, but we always do. As I said above, I encountered our own assistant waiter up there, and I really WANTED to tip him something. We also NEVER reduce the tip we give to our regular dining room staff just because we didn't eat every night there.

[Seaside2358]

Do they have trays to carry your food to the table in the Windjammer.

 

Yes they have trays. I also agree it is a nice option to have for dinner.

[Ms.Fixit]

On our last cruise on the AOS, due to a late excursion and just plain not hungry yet for our first dinner seating, we decided to eat at the Windjammer for dinner....Wow was I impressed! The tables were all decked out like an elegant dining room, waiters were in back/white, there was an appetizer bar, which I was totally impressed with including antipasto, sushi, all types of cheeses and a dessert bar that included all the favorites and yes the same as the dining room! The carrot cake was to die for! The service was fantastic....what were we missing all this time!

 

For traveller's that need a lower salt/fat intake, the choices are I think better in the Windjammer, as you can pick and choose and you see how your food is prepared, as to not knowing just what you are getting in the dining room. We found on our last cruise that the food in the dining room was a bit salty in most dishes. You definitely have more of a choice of how you want your food in the Windjammer. Having special diet restrictions is sometimes difficult when cruising, but our next cruise we will definitely take advantage of the Windjammer and what they have to offer for dining!

[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.

 

When we cruise next I'm sure we will be using the windjammer again instead of the dining room.

[icanflossu]

We travel with another family, 10 of us together, when our little guys were 2 we ate in windjammer a few nights.

 

I have to say this spurred our decision, on the second night in the dining room the woman sitting at the table behind us turned to tell me that she couldn't stand listening to me talk to my children in that "sing song" voice. I was so astonished, I am from chicago and the LAST thing I have is a "sing-song" voice....yuz guyz knowhatimean...sheesh. Anyway, my husband turned to tell her that he was sorry she was old and cranky and couldn't appreciate children who were unbelieveable well behaved and a mother who treated her children with kindness and respect. Funny thing was the captain stopped at our table at the end of dinner that night to complement us on how well behaved our children were, that he had never seen that many children behave that well. Stupid lady.

 

ANYWAY.....

 

One night we actually ordered room service from the dining room and took our food straight up to to windjammer. The staff was excellent, brought us a bottle of wine and it was so relaxed. The next night we ordered from room service and had it delivered to the dining room. Imagine our surprise when our dining room waiter and assistant waiter came to deliver it. They told us to come back to the dining room. Then, near dessert, the nasty lady's son came up to apologize. He said he wished they'd brought their children on the ship :)

 

We ate in the dining room for the remainder of the cruise, but know we will eat in windjammer this time, especially if they don't change our dining time to the early, due to my sons diabetes and all lol

[eagleatr]

We have sailed on RCCL for 12 cruises and have only ate in the formal dinning room 2 times. The windjammer is very nice and in all our past cruises find that the workers get to know us and know what we like. Our last cruise on the Explorer last month they had a table reserved for us by the back window every night no mater what time we would get there. I love being able to go to dinner when you want to and not have a set time. Were on vacation and we like to go at our pace not a set time. For some this is weird but for us it is the best way to dine. Be well everyone.

[whale-watcher]

We loved Windjammer on the Enchantment! I don't eat much meat, and we had our fill of seafood for lunch (we were walking lobster rolls by the end of our canada-new england cruise!), and windjammer had many fantastic asian and middle eastern options, as well as a great pasta station. And yes, there was always grilled chicken plus some big hunk of meat available for my carnivorous teenage son.

Our cruise was very port-intensive, so it was really nice to be able to have a low-keyed, casual dinner, and eat on OUR schedule.

We tipped the waitstaff there generously, and also tipped Nikki the pasta lady, who was just wonderful!

[Casey2]

I have many food allergies and am therefore limited to what I can eat. The dinning room staff on our Princess and Carnival cruises were very accomodating about preparing food a little differently or making substituitons. While the dining room staff on our last cruise on the Radiance was very nice they were not at all accomodating and I ended up eating chicken or steak every night. If it wasn't for our wonderful tablemates I would have eaten all my dinners in Windjammer. Our next cruise will be on the Explorer and if substitutions can't be made for me then we will be eating most of our dinners in Winjammer where the selection is larger.

[bluefish]

Just got back from the Serenade and we ate in the windjammer one night. It was a nice change of pace and would probably go there again for dinner. They do not have trays at any meal which we found to be a problem. They have a big oval plate but that's it. It was a problem when trying to get food, drinks,silverware,etc for us and our kids. My wife would take the tray from under the silverware stack when it was getting depleted and the staff would glare at her. (but not give you a tray if you asked for one. They said too many people spilled their trays.)

There were no tablecloths at night on the Serenade and no one came by to see if we needed anything. (We did eat outside aft).

It was nice being on our own schedule.

[wrp96]

I have many food allergies and am therefore limited to what I can eat. The dinning room staff on our Princess and Carnival cruises were very accomodating about preparing food a little differently or making substituitons. While the dining room staff on our last cruise on the Radiance was very nice they were not at all accomodating and I ended up eating chicken or steak every night. If it wasn't for our wonderful tablemates I would have eaten all my dinners in Windjammer. Our next cruise will be on the Explorer and if substitutions can't be made for me then we will be eating most of our dinners in Winjammer where the selection is larger.

 

If you have food allergies, you should notify the special services department ahead of time. That way they can notify the ship ahead of time and they can be prepared for you. When you get to the ship, go talk to the Maitre'd to make sure he is aware of your food allergies. If you wait until each meal, and then try to make changes it is harder because most of the food is prepared ahead of time.

 

FOOD ALLERGIES

Most food allergies can be accommodated. Please e-mail a notice to foodallergies@rccl.com and provide the name of passenger(s) with the allergies, their individual guest reservation numbers, vessel name, and voyage date. Please also supply specific information about the types of allergies and any special requirements. You may send a fax request to (305) 539-6018 attn: Special Meals Request - Culinary Operations. Please be advised that faxed requests will not receive a response unless an e-mail address is provided.

[wrp96]

Yes they have trays. I also agree it is a nice option to have for dinner.

 

There were no trays available on the Rhapsody, at least at dinner. I'm not sure about other meals as we only ate in the WJ for lunch or breakfast on the first day.

[natish3000]

Maybe I'm missing something or it is different on Majesty but what are you considering waitstaff in the Windjammer?

We had bussers that clean the tables and those that fill the food but that's it.

There were literally 20-30 people working the Windjammer.

How would you know who to tip?

I would have tipped the bussers that clean the tables but they didnt come around until after we were gone and, since you seat yourself, leaving money on the table wouldn't work as the next table occupants would probably take the money.