Recommendation for efficient dining on Indy

[irun5k]

Hello, looking for recommendations on two options for our upcoming Indy cruise.  Our kids, 4 and 11, are pretty solid performers in nice restaurants but they have their limits.   Dinner needs to not be a 2-3 hr event.

We're usually early eaters so I'm looking at traditional early seating or MTD.  Sort of leaning toward early seating, since we'd have the same wait staff that will learn the right tricks, e.g. keep the food coming and probably impress our kids with their memory of preferences, etc.  OTOH as cruisers w/o kids, some of the longest dinners I've ever had have been traditional dining.  With MTD, I've often gotten the feeling that there is some incentive to get people in and out quickly (never rushed, just no uncomfortably long spells between courses.)   Still I would think that this "speedy" version of dinner could be replicated during traditional dining, but that is just a guess.

 

Thanks in advance.

[taglovestocruise]

4 minutes ago, irun5k said:

Hello, looking for recommendations on two options for our upcoming Indy cruise.  Our kids, 4 and 11, are pretty solid performers in nice restaurants but they have their limits.   Dinner needs to not be a 2-3 hr event.

We're usually early eaters so I'm looking at traditional early seating or MTD.  Sort of leaning toward early seating, since we'd have the same wait staff that will learn the right tricks, e.g. keep the food coming and probably impress our kids with their memory of preferences, etc.  OTOH as cruisers w/o kids, some of the longest dinners I've ever had have been traditional dining.  With MTD, I've often gotten the feeling that there is some incentive to get people in and out quickly (never rushed, just no uncomfortably long spells between courses.)   Still I would think that this "speedy" version of dinner could be replicated during traditional dining, but that is just a guess.

 

Thanks in advance.

Hard to get out quick with traditional, especially if your at a table with others.  MTD you can hurry things along and get out in a hour or so.  We always get late seating and enjoy the full 2 hour dinner with tablemates, except for our last cruise on Symphony where we had MTD. Felt rushed and absolutely hated it, only did MTD because we had 9 specialty dinning reservations and thought it would be rude to the others at the table if we missed 9 dinners.  If you could get a table for 4 in traditional things could move faster. I think early traditional would draw a older crowd who would not like to be rushed.

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, irun5k said:

Hello, looking for recommendations on two options for our upcoming Indy cruise.  Our kids, 4 and 11, are pretty solid performers in nice restaurants but they have their limits.   Dinner needs to not be a 2-3 hr event.

We're usually early eaters so I'm looking at traditional early seating or MTD.  Sort of leaning toward early seating, since we'd have the same wait staff that will learn the right tricks, e.g. keep the food coming and probably impress our kids with their memory of preferences, etc.  OTOH as cruisers w/o kids, some of the longest dinners I've ever had have been traditional dining.  With MTD, I've often gotten the feeling that there is some incentive to get people in and out quickly (never rushed, just no uncomfortably long spells between courses.)   Still I would think that this "speedy" version of dinner could be replicated during traditional dining, but that is just a guess.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Try the dining room first, and if that does not work, give Windjammer a try.  You might be pleasantly surprised with the WJ experience.

[Cigar King]

+1 for the Windjammer.  We like it as an option ourselves, and we have no children with us.

[irun5k]

Thanks- appreciate the confirmation that MTD does seem to move quicker.  On our last 7 nighter (Oasis) we did the Windjammer the first several nights but then decided to try the dining room on  the last night.  The kids did great and enjoyed it- they asked if we could do it next time.  I do like the Windjammer, but 21 meals there is a lot 🙂

[ONECRUISER]

Another vote for WindJammer, not as Formal as was 20yrs ago, but the Selection, Taste and presentation last couple years is best ever has been. Otherwise could do Family Dining, in Main Dining, they get kids all fed in 45min. This is great if they are going to Kids Program, they even PU kids at Dining room and take them there for you

[irun5k]

4 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Another vote for WindJammer, not as Formal as was 20yrs ago, but the Selection, Taste and presentation last couple years is best ever has been. Otherwise could do Family Dining, in Main Dining, they get kids all fed in 45min. This is great if they are going to Kids Program, they even PU kids at Dining room and take them there for you

 

You know, I had thought about the Adventure Ocean dining since we tried that several years ago when we just had our son, and it worked really well.  He is about done with the kids club though (can't blame him and won't force him- his age group wasn't good on last year's cruise) and our daughter may or may not want to go either if he doesn't go.

 

Anyway... my idea was we could still do Adventure Ocean dining but perhaps the whole family could wrap it up in 45 min.  Not sure though, seems really designed around getting the kids out to AO and letting the adults finish... hmm.

[ONECRUISER]

37 minutes ago, irun5k said:

 

You know, I had thought about the Adventure Ocean dining since we tried that several years ago when we just had our son, and it worked really well.  He is about done with the kids club though (can't blame him and won't force him- his age group wasn't good on last year's cruise) and our daughter may or may not want to go either if he doesn't go.

 

Anyway... my idea was we could still do Adventure Ocean dining but perhaps the whole family could wrap it up in 45 min.  Not sure though, seems really designed around getting the kids out to AO and letting the adults finish... hmm.

It's possible if have good Waiter, talk to him/her first nite. Sail Solo myself, one sitting down in Early Main Dining and at most I'm there in there 25-35min but dont eat Dessert. Was single father raising 3 kids myself. Back then 2 out of 3 liked the program.First was my my 2yr old staying with me, but as they got older my 10yr old didn't do program, so they would go to the Main shows and the 11pm Karaoke, which was usually adults only back then. at midnite would PU the other 2 and off to bed we'd go...

Edited January 6, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[The sea calls my name]

We were on the Indy for a 5 Night the week of Thanksgivng. We did several speciality resturants, but we were very surprised and pleased with every meal we had in the Windjammer.  We did MTD twice only. It was fine without any feeling of being rushed.  

[bipper40]

My husband and I just got off Indy on Thursday.   We had early dining at a table for 2 and we were in and out in about 30-45 minutes.  That included dessert.  I'd suggest you request a table just for your family and you shouldn't have a problem getting done before the kids start to get restless.  Also, review the menu before going to the dining room so you'll have some idea of what you'd like to order and that should speed things up a bit.

Edited January 6, 2019 by bipper40

[LuCruise]

We did MTD on 4 night Indy cruise (but first night was at specialty so had 3 nights there). We booked dinner around the same time each night (6pm and 6:30pm times) and were seated at the same table with same waiter.  Even by the last night, when we lined up in the reservation line, they asked us if we've been at the same table and when we said 'yes', they said "then just go to your table".  Obviously no guarantees you'll experience the same, but this was our experience.

 

Also, we found the meals were quicker than our traditional experience on Mariner (although we sat with others on Mariner so they were letting us take our time).  Dinner was a good pace...not rushed but not too slow. The whole thing probably lasted 1hr or so.

[cb1400]

I would suggest doing traditional dining (either early or late depending on your preferences) but making sure that you aren't sharing a table - that's the most important part, I think. With a table to yourselves, you can tell the waiters your preference for being quick, and they will meet it. The benefit of traditional over MTD is that your waiters will get to know you rather than you having to go through the rigmarole of explaining every evening. I don't think there will be the slightest difficulty in getting a meal done in 45-60 minutes providing the waiters know that's how you want to do it. 

[LeeW]

We like to eat when the dining room opens.  So we always get the same MTD table and waiters and get out in about an hour.  That said, the waiters are just getting out of their meeting then and may not have the butter and rolls on the table yet - sometimes it is 15 minutes before they can really start serving you.  On those nights it might take 15 minutes longer to eat.  Lots of folks do the same thing we do with  four, six or eight top tables - same people, same time, same waiters.  MTD works fine for us.  And if you really need to get out faster, just ask and the staff will help you.