In Defense of the Windjammer

[Broons77]

Is there anyone else out there like me that's ambivalent about the MDR experience?

 

I get that at its core, it's really just like going out to any restaurant, sitting at a nicely set table and being served.  I also get that they've usually got pretty decent selections on the menu that more often than not are at least somewhat tasty (ymmv.)   And yes, I know you can get just about anything you want within reason.

 

But first thing that turns me off is that I usually don't go to the same restaurant every night for a week.  And if I did, it would be smaller and quieter.  And there's a bunch of other things about it that I personally could do without.

 

As I begin to really figure out what makes for a perfect cruise for me, it's becoming apparent that aside from a nice night out at a specialty restaurant, off times at the WJ really is what I prefer. For dinner especially, I can grab something quick and be out of there, or I can take my time at a table by the window and hang and chat with DW.  True, it's not a beautiful room like most MDRs are, but if you're flexible about when you go, it's usually much more peaceful and leisurely than what I've found in the MDR.  And you can usually get what they're serving in the MDR or just about anything you want.  And the dessert selection is much better as well.  And what's more important than that?

 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get DW to see things as I do, so I go under protest.  Which means 2 pre-dinner dirty martinis as opposed to the single if doing the WJ or specialty restaurant.

[ONECRUISER]

My 32yr old Daughter only eats in Main Dining, she's not a WJ fan and been that way for 20yrs. 

[Another_Critic]

I really have no experience with dinner at WJ; across 25 RCI cruises, I think I've had dinner their once.  Actually, IIRC, there was no WJ on my earlier RCI cruises. 

[neverbeenhere]

The windjammer dinner is fine. Sometimes we go just to have dinner with crew that we know. Sometimes the dinner in the Windjammer is a lot better than the MDR selections. Also, we go when the drinks(oops, I mean conversation) in the suite lounge have drug on for way too long.

[OCSC Mike]

I’m not an MDR fan & wife is so picky she used to order the same boring standby items (caesar salad & chicken breast) so often we mostly stopped going when not with extended family. We’re finishing up a 4-night Indy cruise right now & tonight was our only dinner there. Think we also only ate there once during our 7-nights on Indy in July.

 

We’ve had some excellent WJ dinners in the past & some less so. The cook to order station is usually a big factor as picky wife can create her dish & it’s certainly going to come out hot & freshly made.

 

To each his own. Even if you’re in the minority there will always be other cruisers who have similar opinions.

[ARandomTraveler]

31 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

My 32yr old Daughter only eats in Main Dining, she's not a WJ fan and been that way for 20yrs. 

I like the buffet, not because of any specific food quality related reasons, but because I like the flexibility of being able to eat when I'm hungry, not when I've reserved a time. I like not having to change my clothes and do my hair and makeup to be presentable for a nicer dining option. I like to take a little bit of everything that looks good, and get up and get seconds of the stuff I like, without waiting for someone to ask me if I want something more and then waiting for them to bring it back to me. I like to be able to eat without constantly being questioned by the waiter about why I don't eat very much, and needing to give constant reassurance that I like the food, but that I just don't eat a lot. I like to come and go as I please, and not go through the formality of a 2 hour dinner, especially on vacation. 
 

But alas, my daughter also likes the dining room, so that's where I go 😂.

I sometimes have first-dinner at the windjammer, and then endure the dining room dinner later. This next cruise I bought the dining package, mostly because I knew my daughter would love it, but also because it's our first time on an Oasis class ship, and I'm looking forward to knowing I can try any restaurant option that sounds good, and the price of the dining package seemed negligible compared to the cost of the rest of the vacation.
 

But I'm not looking forward to having to plan ahead for all my meals. I also know that I don't have a big enough stomach to eat the amount of food that's generally served for one meal, but again...it'll make the vacation more fun for my daughter, and that makes me happy.

[CruiseBride926]

I have 2 young kids so we usually end up

at the Windjammer for most dinners. It’s just a lot easier to 1) be able to manage your own time and 2) know that even on their pickiest nights they’ll be able to find something. 

[Missusdubbya]

I like both. WJ has great made to order stir fries, and can be much quieter at night than the MDR.

 

Although we always take our own wine glasses as sometimes the WJ has only plastic glasses! 
 

[Tlbecker1]

Just got off the Navigator last week and they had the BEST Windjammer we have eaten dinner at in the last year.  The Anthem, Ovation, Quantum, Symphony, Odyssey, Grandeur and Brilliance were ok, but the Navigator was great.

 

[rudeney]

I have come to realize the the MDR serves "banquet food".  It's not bad, but it's not cooked to order.  You get served from large pre-cooked batches.  Some foods taste just fine like that, others do not.  We have taken some "behind the scenes" tours and the galley operations are truly amazing.  But "amazing" doesn't always equate to "delicious".  The Windjammer food is prepared the same way, but being able to choose your own items makes it different.  On our last 7-night cruise, we had Izumi one night, Giovanni's one night, Windjammer one night, and Chops four nights.   Honestly, we could have eaten at Chops all 7 nights and would have been perfectly fine.  

[Jasukkie]

Shhh, don't let the secret out! I have done entire cruises eating dinner only in WJ, more than once. I especially love the ones with outside seating, and booths. Just a great place to chill and be away from the masses. If you show up repeatedly, you will find the staff very friendly and helpful. If you don't mind waiting, the staff will be happy to make you special requests, just ask. 

[Ashland]

Many years of cruising with RCI and a few years ago we became only WJ diners. Have absolutely enjoyed this year so far on Navigator, Explorer, Jewel, Serenade and by far the best was Harmony.

Luckily my DH feels the same and so did our extended family on the two cruises we took them on this year.

[BirdTravels]

What I find totally inappropriate are the loud speaker announcements  in the WJ “if you are done stuffing your face, get out so others can stuff their face”. 

[dmfleischmann]

We much prefer eating dinner at Windjammer. I do not like having to change out of my casual clothes and I don't really think the food is any better.  I love the variety and being able to eat whenever we want. Honestly, we never even plan on eating in the MDR when we go.  We LOVE the Windjammer and it's one of the things we look forward to the most!

[xray0111]

We prefer WJ over MDR based on the tablemates we seem to get.  Mostly we get the ones we have nothing in common with which leaves no room for conversation and usually lead to politics or social issues.  Also, having my wifes undivided attention and vice versa means a lot after 40 years of my working night and her working days.  Yes there can be distractions in the WJ but they are brief.  In the MDR we have to select foods with ingredients that are greek to us, except for the real basic staples.  We have very simple tastes and eat homecooked  as much as possible at home.  For us buffet is a simple, quick, adequate and pleasant.   

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

What I find totally inappropriate are the loud speaker announcements  in the WJ “if you are done stuffing your face, get out so others can stuff their face”. 

No such announcements occur during dinner in the WJ.... in my experience of course.

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

Many years of cruising with RCI and a few years ago we became only WJ diners. Have absolutely enjoyed this year so far on Navigator, Explorer, Jewel, Serenade and by far the best was Harmony.

Luckily my DH feels the same and so did our extended family on the two cruises we took them on this year.

This is exactly as it is for us also. Have not been in the MDR in years. The only problem is more and more people seem to be choosing the WJ option for dinner too. It isn't as quiet as it used to be.

[Broons77]

I feel better knowing I'm not alone in this! Convenience is key for me, and the food is essentially the same as the MDR so I prefer the more easygoing option. After all, we're on vacation and should be doing the relaxing things!

[FamilyCruiserUK]

Its the windjammer for us:

Eat with our daughter and she has plenty to choose from.

Can eat at a time we want. 

Sit where we want. 

Enjoy the interaction around the food stations.

Eat a much or a little as you want. Always do small portions and multiple trips.

Some ships can even eat outside.

 

Love windjammer not interested in MDR. Also found the MDR food contains little choice for us ( dont like fish) and average food.  

 

 

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

No such announcements occur during dinner in the WJ.... in my experience of course.

Agree, never heard anything myself

[Plum Happy]

The WJ is as special as the MDR.  I sailed on the Enchantment for 5 days one year and we had the same main course menu that was served in the MDR, people found out (after eating in the MDR, of course) and the next thing you know, they started showing up in the WJ and it started getting crowded.  

 

Adventure of the Seas has done Mexican and Seafood nights and the lines are out the door.  It really depends on Ship and the Chef that makes the WJ special to me.

[smokeybandit]

You like the WJ.  Many like the MDR. Many like specialty restaurants. There's a reason there are multiple dining options.

[jean87510]

10 hours ago, Broons77 said:

Is there anyone else out there like me that's ambivalent about the MDR experience?

 

I get that at its core, it's really just like going out to any restaurant, sitting at a nicely set table and being served.  I also get that they've usually got pretty decent selections on the menu that more often than not are at least somewhat tasty (ymmv.)   And yes, I know you can get just about anything you want within reason.

 

But first thing that turns me off is that I usually don't go to the same restaurant every night for a week.  And if I did, it would be smaller and quieter.  And there's a bunch of other things about it that I personally could do without.

 

As I begin to really figure out what makes for a perfect cruise for me, it's becoming apparent that aside from a nice night out at a specialty restaurant, off times at the WJ really is what I prefer. For dinner especially, I can grab something quick and be out of there, or I can take my time at a table by the window and hang and chat with DW.  True, it's not a beautiful room like most MDRs are, but if you're flexible about when you go, it's usually much more peaceful and leisurely than what I've found in the MDR.  And you can usually get what they're serving in the MDR or just about anything you want.  And the dessert selection is much better as well.  And what's more important than that?

 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get DW to see things as I do, so I go under protest.  Which means 2 pre-dinner dirty martinis as opposed to the single if doing the WJ or specialty restaurant.

We either go to specialty dining or wj for dinner.  Can't stand MDR.  We also do off times in WJ.  

[jakeil7]

This is the advantage of cruising.  There are options for everyone. And that is coming from a person who stays away from the buffet these days. 

[cruiseguy1016]

We don't pay for the specialty restaurants so we have fewer choices. I don't want to dine in the WIndjammer every night but I don't want to dine in the MDR every night either. My wife likes the MDR and would prefer to dine there every night. I like to eat at the WIndjammer once a twice. We now look at weekly menu for the WIndjammer and pick a night or two to eat there.