@@elizabethchen4788 Actually, you just alluded to one of the few things that has changed for the worse in recent cruising. When I first started cruising about 25 years ago, everyone used to dress up really really nicely for those dinners. I remember how much I loved seeing the women dressed in sequins, with the cruise ship lights shining off of their outfits, because it really made everything special. Nowadays, there has been a casualization of the entire cruise process.
@@calcham1you’re so right. We just got home from a RCCL cruise a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised on the first night when our head waiter told us not to worry about dressing up because the cruise line was pulling away from that. He said it was left up to the individual now - and every meal was exactly that. Some women were in capris and some were in cocktails dresses or formal gowns. It was definitely a change.
Very informative. I think you should mention that sit down dinners are quieter, more relaxed and give people an opportunity to socialize. The sit down dinner is an event in itself.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
The pandemic created a lot of problems when the ships started cruises back up. Now the meals and service have come back to wear they use to be. Of course, cruisers have also changed, politeness and civility are now way down, rudeness and entitlement is way up. It's no different anywhere else; cruises, all inclusive resorts, theme parks....self important a-holes abound.
Breakfast - quality and freshness 100% at MDR. Lunch - no brainer - Windjammer. Dinner - many variables. If you want quick - Windjammer, variety - Windjammer, casual - Windjammer, Pampered and service - MDR, Lobster night - MDR, using your nice outfits and feel elegant - MDR
RC is saving Nothing $$, people ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
We always enjoyed the main dining because of the time we had together to talk and converse. It was a time when we all came together and were able to share the experiences of the day. Food has always been fantastic. Also I tend not to overeat in the dining room.
70% of the main dinning room menu is available at the Buffet. Never skip the stir fry station and remember to ask for garlic. My advice if you're torn between buffet or main dinning, check the buffet which opens before main dinning and compare to the menu. Also notify your server you're doing the buffet before your dinning time.
On our Alaska cruise we only ate in the dining room 2 nights out of 7. All other meals were buffet, pizza bar or room service. We did so much during the day that at night nobody wanted to sit through a long multi-course meal in the dining room. And I don't feel like we missed out on anything!
Listening to this, I hope to the highest power that RC doesn't do away with the MDR. I am a picky eater, but I am not a fan of the WJ. In fact, I skip breakfast and only eat a light lunch there. But we LOVE ❤ dressing up & taking our time with a full service dinner. It's the total highlight of our day!
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
When My Father and I sailed on the Symphony of the Seas in 2020 just before the pandemic, we ate all of our meals at the Windjammer. Quick, easy, less formal, and the variety was superior. We also met a nice man who served our beverages each night and we took care of him very well ($$$) when the Cruise was over. As a footnote, another reason to eat at the Windjammer instead of the MDR (especially if you’re a party of one or two) is if You want to avoid the social aspect of eating with strangers. This is particularly true for those who are not social by choice or who simply want to eat alone. I am one of these individuals when I travel solo.
idk how to explain it, but he has a great voice for a director of cruise entertainment. can totally hear him coming through the intercom system in the mornings
Those are very good reasons to dine at the Windjammer! On my last cruise, we ate at the Main Dining room every night. It seemed like it took so much time out of the evening and I wasn't as motivated to enjoy evening activities afterwards. Something interesting that happened there every night too - there was a nearby table with 10 guests Every night, 1 person showed up at the dining time of 5:30. Each of the other guests gradually trickled in and it took almost an hour for everybody in their party to arrive. This was definitely inconsiderate of those guests because they didn't "start" their meal service until at least 6:30, and they used up 10 seats that could be used for other guests that were waiting . It's good that Royal Caribbean accommodates guests, but there should be a rule that all guests in the party must arrive within 15 minutes of the dining time or they could be asked to leave and allow others to be seated.
On two occasions I've had hours long dinners that were a blast, in both situations we had met new people while in the dining room and we all started talking. In one of them, after eating course after course, chatting and laughing and having a great time between three tables, we looked up and the "garage wing" (that's what we called a side wing of the main dining room) was empty and we had been there 2.5 to 3 hours. The crew was watching us and surprisingly wasn't upset and they commented that they were actually happy to see it happen as people sometimes rush so much. It was a blast. From time to time I enjoy a nice long dinner, I hate rushing and can spend forever in there with the right people. Thank you for the memories and the video!
I like to be totally casual and on my own schedule. I can try many different items in the buffet that I normally wouldn't have. Always can have a view outside.
It is also about personal preference, I personally am not into the fine dining / semi formal restaurant setting but prefer a more casual environment where I can feel comfortable. I also love pastries and desserts so I would end up eating a small main meal and large selection of desserts
Please don't fool yourself into thinking the MDR requires special white tie etiquette. There is nobody important on the entire ship, people have salaries (around 50-65K). That's not an invitation to boorishness but as long as you wear business casual and don't make a scene, you're fine.
When I went on a cruise with my dads side of the family in 2019 we all went our own ways each day but we met up for dinner in the MDR… after that my cousin and I would usually go almost immediately (depending on how much we ate in MDR) to the windjammer to see what specialty cuisine was being served that night it was a best of both worlds situation
Windjammer is for lunch but not dinner. I'm on vacation and want to relax and enjoy my meal, that includes being served and taking my time eating. The mdr gives me that authentic feel of going out to something closer to nice restaurant and buffet more like fast food restaurant.
Exactly, RC is saving Nothing $$, peple ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
U make many valid points. But I find it easier to control portions by limiting my choices. Hence, we do room service for breakfast , dinner in main Drms..( anytime dining ) and make advance reservations weeks ahead online. Buffet or pizzeria at lunch .. And toss in occasional speciality night. To each his own😊
We always go to the Main dining room when there is something on the menu we will like. (Remember, the menu is posted out in front of the dining room entrance in advance) We can “always” go to the buffet afterwards if we did not get what we thought we would. Then remember if there is something on that menu you really enjoy, it will probably appear in the Windjammer the next day! 😊
The main (pardon the pun) reason I go to the main dining room is that I love escargot and some of the other appetizers. I've never seen anything on the menu that I didn't like. Also, I work hard through the year and it's nice to be able to sit down and have someone wait on me even if it's for 1/2 hour or 90 minutes. But, to each their own. Happy sailings.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
As soon as we got onboard, I looked at the restaurant schedules and plotted which night we'd go to each restaurant so as not to miss one! I made reservations for us at each place and that's where we had dinner. The restaurants were beautiful and the service was 5 star. We went to a restaurant that had furniture on the ceiling and dishes served in small pots in open printer trays and desserts bigger than your head. The Italian restaurant had a center table of antipasti items that included a huge wheel of cheese, freshly carved prosciutto, etc. Everything was done up. We went to poolside and ocean-side grilled seafood places for lunch and the buffet restaurant for breakfast. For us, the best of all worlds was the BEST of all worlds. I STILL think about the food!
A balanced variety seems to be our preference. Over the duration of the cruise we will try most eating and dining options - adjusted to what's planned for the day and how where are feeling at the time.
I love Windjammer dining but wife did not like it as much as she liked the staff serving us. So we did not go frequently for dinner, but did for breakfast and lunch. However, these are my tips for Windjammer dining. First, find a seat by first grabbing the wrapped eating utensils and/or one of the free drinks offered and then find a seat for you and/or your party. Place your eating utensils and drinks on a table and then leave one person sitting while the others go get their food. Second, do not stop at the first food station that you see when you enter the Windjammer; circle the whole room and look at all of the food available to help decide what you want to eat, i.e., how you will make your meal. There are usually many options for making a meal and sometimes you will find what you want to complete your meal at a station that is away from the first things you select. Third, no need to pile your plate high with food as you can always go back for more if you want. One things I loved about the Radiance Class Royal ships is the terrace on the back of the ship where you can go to eat after you select your meal.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
If you’re in a Grand Suite and above on Oasis class, you can eat B, L, D, and happy hour in the Coastal Kitchen It’s seldom crowded, the fare is varied and very good, and the service is topnotch.
Spent almost $20,000 for two Grand Suites on Liberty of the Seas last week. No Coastal Kitchen so nothing really special to eat. There was a crowded Suite Lounge free liquor. Tried for $39.95 the lobster and filet mingnon in the MDR cooked in Chops Restaurant just OK. Anyone with my time dining almost rioting with over a hundred people trying to get into the MDR every night. Make a dining reservation -waiters wee great.
I know that this won’t apply to everyone but our last cruise (2 months ago) we were really disappointed with the MDR - it had been our go to on previous cruises. Not a fan of the buffet, so we ate at Coastal Kitchen. It was fantastic - the food was fresh and delicious. If it’s an option for you, I highly recommend it.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
Wow, diamond C&A here! Somehow after all these years, you just convinced me out of MDR. Specifically because of saving time and because of the kids. Thanks Matt!
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Great video! I agree, the buffet is a good choice throughout the cruise. Many times I noticed the food served in the dining room are sometimes similar to what's served in the buffet. Of course, lobster night is only available in the dining room, but they may serve lobster soup or sauteed lobster pieces in the buffet the next day.
It’s the same food, except for lobster and shrimp in the main dining room. The buffet is a crowded mess full of pigs. The dining room is for normal eating without the crowds and mess.
The buffet was so much better than the main dining room! We had so many problems with our dishes! The waiters are amazing. Even when they brought the chefs out, the Wind Jammer Chef got the loudest and most cheers!
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
I've sailed on 37 cruises, with #s 38 and 39 already set. I typically choose the Main Dining Room because the presentation/plating (much to my surprise) really makes a difference. Though the selection is indeed smaller, you still have AYCE. Also, they typically save the elite meals (lobster, filet mignon, etc.) for the MDR. Your points are certainly valid, and you can't go wrong either way. I guess I'll have to try both, and get back to you...
I agree that the dining room would still have food even more elite than the buffets, such as the lobster and fillet mignon. And I think that even the same foods served in the dining room as the buffets would taste a little better because they wouldn't have spent time sitting under heat lamps and instead would be brought straight from cooking to your table. I've noticed that cruise ships have sure gotten bigger, the one shown in this video is so gigantic that it looks like you'll be getting so much excersise just from moving from one part of the ship to the next each part of the day. I've not been on any cruises for over 20 years but in the 90s, I went on Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas, did you ever go on that one?
Reasons why you shouldn’t eat in the Windjammer: 1) On the oasis in July, a woman changed her baby’s diaper on the dining table 2) Children were being nasty and unsupervised in the buffet food They have to fix those problems for me to even step foot in there. They should have the staff serve the food like during Covid times.
I’ll add that too many people actually don’t wash their hands when they enter. These are probably the same ones who didn’t wash when they just left the restroom. I do bring disposable gloves when I go to the windjammer so I don’t get so many germ on my hands from utensils.
We try to do the main dining rooms or specialty restaurants for dinner. We like to be served so if we are awake early enough we eat breakfast in the main dining room also. We often skip lunch on board because we are on an excursion but if we are on board we would go to the main dining room if it is open. We dislike the buffet because the food may have been sitting out for a while , it is difficult to find a seat, people over fill their plates and waste food, people sneeze and cough or touch food and put it back. It can be gross.
I agree with all your points. The most compelling one from my own experience is that the fancy dining room menu options are very often available on the buffet!! So you are not missing a thing! And as a vegan, I do find I have many, many more options on the buffet ... I guess that makes me the ultimate picky eater! Ha!
And disgusting habits like plates piled up like it was a final meal. Tge buffet allows unlimited return but you wouldnt think so. Tip..fresh plate each time!!
I love the salads which I get from many parts of the buffet - lettice, tomato, and other salad items from the salad area and then add ham, garlic toast and other items from other areas. :)
All same reasons we prefer the cruise buffet over the mdr. Last 3 cruises we probably ate on the dining room maybe 4 times. Dining room brunch a couple of times but usually the buffet. So easy, so quick. Little interference with timing for stage shows and I can be as casual as I please. I don’t need to be waited on even though I’m legally blind and another bonus speaking of seeing, the lighting is usually better too.
This was the same logic that I used on my first solo cruise. I'm a bit impatient so I like the time saving aspect, more time for entertainment and less worry about missing booked activities and excursions. There was the odd time nothing looked good to me in the buffet but there were two reliable food shacks, a grab and go automat and an Italian sit down place on the main deck. I always found something.
Matt, thank you for a very interesting topic. I would eat almost all my dinners at the Windjammer, however others in the family feel differently. The Windjammer offers a large selection including an International section which has a variety of different options. On most ships the Windjammer offers a Mongolian Grille a couple of times during a cruise. The Mongolian Grille offers made to order steaks, chicken breast, pasta and some seafood. I have found generally good service in the Windjammer in a casual setting with plenty of room and usually quiet. One thing is for sure pace yourself when eating as the ship has more food offerings than you can possible eat! Bill
There's such a huge variety of great food to choose from but I've seen a downside to that, I'd start getting confused because I don't know what to choose because so much of it looks really good, but I obviously don't have room in me to choose something of each, so I'm confused which ones to pick and which to leave. It's the issue with having too many good options. And this is also less of an issue in the dining room, not just due to fewer choices, but also because each option is more tempting when you plainly see it sitting there
A good reason to go to the buffet. I do enjoy dressing up & going to the main dining room for dinner because I don't wear my nice clothes often when I'm at home.
Exactly, RC is saving Nothing $$, peple ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Great point about being able to feed kids quickly and minimize temper tantrums. We’re cruising with young kids and may do more buffets because of your advice.
Question for your next Q&A session: Do you taek photos of your food/plate on your cruises. We usually always do and love going back to the photos occasionally to savor the past experience.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
Take-away from W/J is easy! I like to wear shorts, so don't feel embarrassed in W/J Like the selection, and sometimes there will be 3 or 4 of your favourite foods in W/J. You can eat them all! We have found that the Freedom Class W/Js are the BEST! (No experience with Quantum class though) Bigger, more relaxed, and way, way better food. On one cruise the food was so good in the WJ that we didn't step foot into the MDR!
We usually always eat at the buffet, other free options, or the specialty restaurants. I do not like eating in the dining room. It's either too cold, crowded, or I don't like the food selection.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
I go with the third option when available - I loved the Solarium Bistro on Odyssey - somewhere in between the two - not as insane or hectic of cafeteria feeling as the buffet - the ambiance factor was there - the staff was much friendlier than the main dining room - it was lovely. Especially since we prefer later dining times. Granted we only did the main dining room once, and then we did either specialty dining or the old faithful Solarium Bistro. I think it is different depending on the ship but we loved it on Odyssey. 🤷🏻♀️
RC is saving Nothing $$, people ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
I’m definitely not looking forward to the new menus in the main dining room. My wife and I used to love getting dressed up and experiencing the dining room and enjoying really good food. Now I have a feeling I’ll be going to the Windjammer for dinner with these new menus. Specially after hearing they serve most of the same choices.
Just got back Friday from 14 days on Radiance. Majority of the time I ate MDR including breakfast. There were several times in the WJ that people had to wait for open seating. then you feel rushed to make room for someone else. Even on Harmony a couple times WJ was too crowded.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Why not both? We did, get the best of both! You don't have to eat much at both but you get to sample things that are not available in both. If you are in a hurry, go to Windjammer and then later go to MDR later or earlier. On Alaska trip on May 26th 2023, many of the MDR food was not available in the WindJammer.
I was on Explorer of the Seas recently and had the portobello and couscous dinner in the dining room. It was so small, I was still hungry at the end of the dinner. I went to Windjammer right after for a second dinner.
I actually went on the Symphony back in 2017. We went buffet for breakfast and lunch. Dinner was in the main dinning room. The dinning room had more elegant choices. We had escargot, prime rib, sea bass, etc. And it was unlimited. We just had to ask our waiter for another. He was more than happy to bring us another escargot when we asked. Some of us had multiple deserts as well.
Your points are all valid but seem geared mostly for families with young children. The days that are busy off or on the ship still need a break from the go-go-go schedule. Dinner in past cruises with large groups, MDR dinner may have been the only time to see everyone. With just a small family it gives us time to talk about the day, plan for the evening and the next day and just relax for once. I schedule My Time Dining 6 months in advance and get the 6-7p times. We get seated right away and still have time to get to shows. If on shore activity runs late the WJ is the fall back. May have done that 2x in 9 cruises
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Buffet for breakfast and lunch but definitely main dining room for evening meal. Just think its a better experience and makes it more special feels like date night as the wife and I don't get time to eat out much usually as schedules often clash
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Going on a cruise in November for the first time on RC and my parents always had good luck with the line but I'm really worried about the dining based on what a lot of people have said with the cutbacks and change in menu. I hope they have it figured out by then.
If that will be your first RC cruise, you won't notice any cutbacks or differences. The negative comments are, likely, from long-time RC cruisers who remember their earlier cruises. For example, there are no longer chocolates on the pillows in the evening, and you don't get a cafeteria tray in the buffet, but those used to be standards a long time ago. I encourage you to put your worries aside and plan to have a wonderful cruise.
Remember, with RCL, even if it isn't on the menu in MDR, ask for it anyway. Chances are good they will prepare it for you, especially if you have the same waiter every night. The worst they will say is 'sorry, no can do'. My son always got a NY Strip as a side with every meal. Nobody ever said a negative word. And, if you don't like your first table, go to the maitre d' and tip him $5 and ask for anywhere you prefer. That $5 will get you great treatment all cruise.
Also for those who adjust tips based on service provided less fancy eateries where you serve yourself obviously is less personal service intensive than main dining room and/or specialty restaurants.
the themed nights caring over to the windjammer is one of the things I really dislike if You do not like what is being served in the main dining room that night and go to the WJ You are stuck with many of the same things there
Whenever we ate at the buffet for lunch or dinner, we enjoyed it. It's true they served some of the same appetizers, entrees and desserts as the MDR for dinner.
My wife and I did go to the wind jammer for breakfast and lunch but dinner was at the dinning room. We enjoyed the Dining room experience and the server was awesome. He helped us out allot due to her coconut allergy. She was able to make changes to the menu to avoid coconut and if they didnt know if it was in it then changes were made as well.
Just came off the Harmony, and many people dress in gym wear in the dining room. It's been getting pretty sad how some people dress in the dining room..
I think it is a good option, but I usually go to the dining service for the experience, they have food that's not on the buffet (Quail, Duck, Prime Ribs, culinary prep). We also usually chose the later meals, so we don't have to rush after returning to the ship. If I'm hungry I can eat a light meal at the buffet then go to the dining room.
I am leaving on a cruise on Friday. The menus in MDR for all 8 days, Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were posted last Friday. I do gluten free and there are plenty of choices for me.
I found the breakfast buffet to be very good. Just HAVE to go early. It’s a zoo after 8 am. Lunch quality is similar to going to a cheap buffet like Golden Corral IMO. Just nothing special AT ALL. Never tried it for dinner. I really enjoyed the MDR for dinner. Quality met expiations. Just my two cents. We all like what we like.
Love the buffet for breakfast and lunch but I do recommend on a sea day to try the dining room for lunch at least 1 times a in your cruise vacations if your lazy and don’t want to dress for dinner Buffet is the way to go but for us we normally don’t dress for dinner at home so on vacation we enjoy dressing up a little and getting the first class treat in the dining room and trying something different
For the first few nights, we had dinner at Windjammer and they were ok. Then we learned that we could have dinner at the dining room and we loved it! Such a massive upgrade! I loved the fancy meals and desserts!
@@AznJsn82091 I remember our first cruise. We ate at the buffet because we missed our dining time watching us sail out, and the wait staff said how much they missed us when we were in the MDR the second night. They said we could have come late. I'm sure we missed a lot that first one. Overpacked, too 🙂
I’ve never seen real ice cream at the buffet on RCL. In the main dining room, if you don’t like the desert choices, then you can ask for ice cream even if it is not on the menu.
We returned to Royal Caribbean for the first time in some years. The selection and quality in the main dining room had plummeted. One assumes in the hope people would decide to fork out for speciality restaurants. Didn't work for us, we ended up in Windjammer. We've also ended up booking different lines for our next cruises.
That is the reason we won’t cruise with carnival the food in the dining room was abysmal. We enjoyed our last RCL and we booked one for February. I hope it is still good.
Thanks for the video. The Windjammer scenes shown here present a delightfully uncrowded experience that one might see on a port day at lunch. Ships are now sailing at capacity Sea days will result in long lines at the Windjammer during the most popular meal times as tables fill up and max occupancy is reached. My solution is dine before and after the "crush" times at the 'jammer.
Buffet is great for breakfast since I eat the same thing as I do when I’m at home after hitting the gym. It’s usually early enough where it’s easy to find a table. I agree the buffet is good after a long day in port. Only thing I dislike about the buffet is, unless it’s an odd hour, I’m usually the one holding the table while my family gets their meals. By the time I get mine, they’re done or getting up for dessert already. I do enjoy a cup of tea and a light snack in the buffet in the middle of the afternoon when it’s quiet there. The views are outstanding and very relaxing. I prefer the dining room or specialty restaurants for dinner so we can have nice quiet conversations without overeating. Sometimes when my husband is still hungry after the dining room experience, we might head to the buffet so he can get whatever he needs. It’s nice to have the buffet when we have an early excursion and don’t want to spend too much time in the dining room. On sea days, I prefer the dining room. It’s nice being waited on.
I didn't realize it on ship, but I didn't have a dinner at the windjammer, or breakfast in the MDR. I guess I have to book another cruise to do more cruise stuff I didn't do the first time.
After my last two cruises we discover the MDR is only if you want a restaurant experience, food tends to be exactly the same, no the case when I used to cruise before 2017
MDR is first choice. With all the talk about changes, I really can't see much of a difference from past cruises. Also, as someone else mentioned, I like the service and being waited on. Also, we're not that crazy about the hassle of finding a good seat in WJ, sometimes settling for less than optimal seating. It seems like those people who hog the best loungers must be the ones who hog the best tables, too. Give me the MDR anytime!
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
We only ate at the WJ on embarkation day when it was essentially the only option. All our other meals were MDR. I'm puzzled why so many people like the WJ since to me you're leaving money on the table. But it does relieve crowding in the MDR and for that I am happy.
Our last cruise a few weeks ago was great but it was really hard to find a table to eat in the Windjammer. More people seem to be cruising and there just wasn’t enough seating to eat.
I like both, and we use both. The food quality is in MDR is fantastic, whereas in the Windjammer it's considerably lower. i have have two entrees in the MDR on Fish and Chips night, no problem. I've also had two desserts there as well. I prefer breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer, but generally we eat dinner in the MDR. We always use My Time Dining, and we always make reservations to avoid a long line. They even sit us with the same waiters at our own table every night, which we request.
We got back from Voyager of the Seas August 4, it was our fourth RC cruise. We love doing the dining room for dinner but what we didn’t like was that they gave us a bigger table then our party of 4 and they constantly kept trying to seat another family with us. Not to be a jerk but I wanted that time alone with my family. I stood up and told our main waiter we were not comfortable with this and he had to talk to his manager and they removed the other family. Made me look like a total B but you know what we wanted a private experience and had pre booked the dining room ahead of our trip. Geez it was annoying to have to speak up. They could have just sat us at a four top table to begin with.
You had every right to speak up. You paid for the cruise and you have the right to demand how you would like to eat dinner. I had a negative experience with the cruise ship that claimed you could pick what time you wanted to eat and found close to an hour wait. I went into a rant and told the manager I would never take a cruise on this ship ever again and would tell my friends not to either. They found us a table pretty quickly. Never be afraid to speak up, you paid for a cruise and you were right.
I agree. We were on Radiance 11/4 -7 days 2023 ...MDR food was bland not good, only thing I enjoyed was fish/fried chicken, now windjammer we went lunch, and it was the very best tasting dishes I ever had, big difference, missed some shows eating MDR we were in grand suite just too stressful eating at MDR I think next cruise 11/23 8 days on FOS we're going to be eating at windjammer lunch and dinner more, breakfast unsure where I will go maybe grab coffee at promenade cafe then stroll down to either MDR on non port days or windjammer depends how I feel.
I just came back from Princess cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. I enjoyed main Dining room several times, especially on formal night just to get away from the t-shirt and flip flop crowd.. However, i preferred buffet most nights because I am a picky Keto diet eater.
On the explorer of seas earlier this year the wife and I mostly ate breakfast lunch and dinner in the Windjammer. We did the first and last night in the sit down dining for dinner
On a recent 11-day cruise on Anthem I ate dinner at the Windjammer a couple of nights. This even having the unlimited dining package. It made for a nice change. Breakfast was Windjammer every day. For lunch I tried Johnny Rocket once and Cafe 270 several times.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Really enjoy eating at the buffet for breakfast 🥞 and lunch 🥗 because of the free style but for dinner 🍽 I love the fact that I am being waited on hand to hand
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
My last RC cruise I used the main dining room and other eating places much more than the buffet because when I first went to the buffet all the food I got was barely warm. At least in the MDR or other places the food is warm if not hot. The quality was good but it wasn't even warm let alone hot.
Please never skip formal dinners for buffets. For a lot of people, including myself, formal dinners are once in your life experiences, eating food, rarely eaten before, including appetizers and soups like Lobster Bisques. Buffets are all you can eat foods that you eat, much of the time. If dinner is with the captain, then make it happen!
We are currently on Day 4 of a 7-night Ovation cruise, and we’ve found the Windjammers food to be kinda mediocre but have quite liked the food at the MDR so far (French and Asian night)
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
On our recent cruise with two young children we decided to eat in Windjammer rather then Coastal Kitchen. We did find the buffet much more relaxing and the food was lovely ❤. So much so that on our next cruise a transatlantic my husband already said that no way he is going to the main dinning room, too much fuss as far as he is concerned. He just wants to eat and get out no wait around . We have been on about 40 cruises with RC and used to go to the dinning room but the wait time, was always too much for my impatient husband.
great video and very insightful.. we have our first ever family cruise coming up in February of 2024 aboard the Symphony of the Seas.. we have a booked meal at Izumo Hibachi grill on our 2nd day ( 1st full day at sea) but after that we will likely be spending a majority of our dining time at the Windjammer, Sorento's or El Loco as we just don't want spend too much time dining but rather take the time to explore the ship and enjoy the endless entertainment options. We have our 3 kids as well so spending 1 1/2 - 2 hours dining, well they may just get restless.
We tried the Windjammer on Liberty last month once as the MDR menu was not all that great. The WJ had the same food as the MDR with little different options. I think they are testing the water to see if poor food choices in MDR = more specialty restaurant reservations. We have been on three cruises this year since the menu change and the food has been subpar compared to last year. We cruise again this fall on the Harmony and hope it is better.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
good points. MDR on royal is such and hit and miss experience now add in the times over lapping with other activities. It's usually best to stick to premium dining options and buffet. Royal has never been know for stellar MDR experiences and my experiences fully support this so thats why I usually if anything will maybe try the MDR once during a cruise.
We love the buffet for breakfast, lunch, and snacks (desserts), but we do prefer the Dining Room for more formal dinners.
I do too 🎉🎉🎉
Absolutely. The dining room on a cruise is like, the one time I get to get gussied up anymore so I'ma take full advantage 😅
Same here
@@elizabethchen4788 Actually, you just alluded to one of the few things that has changed for the worse in recent cruising. When I first started cruising about 25 years ago, everyone used to dress up really really nicely for those dinners. I remember how much I loved seeing the women dressed in sequins, with the cruise ship lights shining off of their outfits, because it really made everything special. Nowadays, there has been a casualization of the entire cruise process.
@@calcham1you’re so right. We just got home from a RCCL cruise a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised on the first night when our head waiter told us not to worry about dressing up because the cruise line was pulling away from that. He said it was left up to the individual now - and every meal was exactly that. Some women were in capris and some were in cocktails dresses or formal gowns. It was definitely a change.
Very informative. I think you should mention that sit down dinners are quieter, more relaxed and give people an opportunity to socialize. The sit down dinner is an event in itself.
Buffet is filthy. Read my comments above.
@@josephyeo6966 Duly noted. I was, however, extolling the benefits of the sit down dinner.
We love the dining room and the service. My favorite part of cruising. Feeling pampered is my vibe 💙🩵💙. So glad there are options for all tastes.
It's nice to have options. Dinner is definitely in the dining room for me. I look forward to dressing up.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
The pandemic created a lot of problems when the ships started cruises back up. Now the meals and service have come back to wear they use to be. Of course, cruisers have also changed, politeness and civility are now way down, rudeness and entitlement is way up. It's no different anywhere else; cruises, all inclusive resorts, theme parks....self important a-holes abound.
Me to❤
Breakfast - quality and freshness 100% at MDR. Lunch - no brainer - Windjammer. Dinner - many variables. If you want quick - Windjammer, variety - Windjammer, casual - Windjammer, Pampered and service - MDR, Lobster night - MDR, using your nice outfits and feel elegant - MDR
I've always found mdr to have more quality for dinner than windjammer
RC is saving Nothing $$, people ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
We always enjoyed the main dining because of the time we had together to talk and converse. It was a time when we all came together and were able to share the experiences of the day. Food has always been fantastic. Also I tend not to overeat in the dining room.
70% of the main dinning room menu is available at the Buffet. Never skip the stir fry station and remember to ask for garlic. My advice if you're torn between buffet or main dinning, check the buffet which opens before main dinning and compare to the menu. Also notify your server you're doing the buffet before your dinning time.
On our Alaska cruise we only ate in the dining room 2 nights out of 7. All other meals were buffet, pizza bar or room service. We did so much during the day that at night nobody wanted to sit through a long multi-course meal in the dining room. And I don't feel like we missed out on anything!
Listening to this, I hope to the highest power that RC doesn't do away with the MDR. I am a picky eater, but I am not a fan of the WJ. In fact, I skip breakfast and only eat a light lunch there. But we LOVE ❤ dressing up & taking our time with a full service dinner. It's the total highlight of our day!
No one would go on RC if they got rid of the MDR.
That’s unimaginable they would get rid of the mdr
I would definitely never sail RCL if they did away with the MDR, I find the windjammer food lower quality than other cruise lines personally
Who wants to eat at the zoo every night? 😂
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
When My Father and I sailed on the Symphony of the Seas in 2020 just before the pandemic, we ate all of our meals at the Windjammer. Quick, easy, less formal, and the variety was superior. We also met a nice man who served our beverages each night and we took care of him very well ($$$) when the Cruise was over. As a footnote, another reason to eat at the Windjammer instead of the MDR (especially if you’re a party of one or two) is if You want to avoid the social aspect of eating with strangers. This is particularly true for those who are not social by choice or who simply want to eat alone. I am one of these individuals when I travel solo.
Our group of four has always had our own table.
idk how to explain it, but he has a great voice for a director of cruise entertainment. can totally hear him coming through the intercom system in the mornings
I won’t do the formal sit down meal, because I’m not a formal kinda guy, I prefer being casual and smart casual
Those are very good reasons to dine at the Windjammer! On my last cruise, we ate at the Main Dining room every night. It seemed like it took so much time out of the evening and I wasn't as motivated to enjoy evening activities afterwards.
Something interesting that happened there every night too - there was a nearby table with 10 guests Every night, 1 person showed up at the dining time of 5:30. Each of the other guests gradually trickled in and it took almost an hour for everybody in their party to arrive. This was definitely inconsiderate of those guests because they didn't "start" their meal service until at least 6:30, and they used up 10 seats that could be used for other guests that were waiting . It's good that Royal Caribbean accommodates guests, but there should be a rule that all guests in the party must arrive within 15 minutes of the dining time or they could be asked to leave and allow others to be seated.
On two occasions I've had hours long dinners that were a blast, in both situations we had met new people while in the dining room and we all started talking. In one of them, after eating course after course, chatting and laughing and having a great time between three tables, we looked up and the "garage wing" (that's what we called a side wing of the main dining room) was empty and we had been there 2.5 to 3 hours. The crew was watching us and surprisingly wasn't upset and they commented that they were actually happy to see it happen as people sometimes rush so much. It was a blast. From time to time I enjoy a nice long dinner, I hate rushing and can spend forever in there with the right people. Thank you for the memories and the video!
I like to be totally casual and on my own schedule. I can try many different items in the buffet that I normally wouldn't have. Always can have a view outside.
It is also about personal preference, I personally am not into the fine dining / semi formal restaurant setting but prefer a more casual environment where I can feel comfortable. I also love pastries and desserts so I would end up eating a small main meal and large selection of desserts
Please don't fool yourself into thinking the MDR requires special white tie etiquette. There is nobody important on the entire ship, people have salaries (around 50-65K). That's not an invitation to boorishness but as long as you wear business casual and don't make a scene, you're fine.
When I went on a cruise with my dads side of the family in 2019 we all went our own ways each day but we met up for dinner in the MDR… after that my cousin and I would usually go almost immediately (depending on how much we ate in MDR) to the windjammer to see what specialty cuisine was being served that night it was a best of both worlds situation
I only get tired when I have to come back from vacation! But the good news is that I'm already planning the next one!!
Windjammer is for lunch but not dinner. I'm on vacation and want to relax and enjoy my meal, that includes being served and taking my time eating. The mdr gives me that authentic feel of going out to something closer to nice restaurant and buffet more like fast food restaurant.
Exactly, RC is saving Nothing $$, peple ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
U make many valid points. But I find it easier to control portions by limiting my choices. Hence, we do room service for breakfast , dinner in main Drms..( anytime dining ) and make advance reservations weeks ahead online. Buffet or pizzeria at lunch .. And toss in occasional speciality night.
To each his own😊
We always go to the Main dining room when there is something on the menu we will like. (Remember, the menu is posted out in front of the dining room entrance in advance)
We can “always” go to the buffet afterwards if we did not get what we thought we would.
Then remember if there is something on that menu you really enjoy, it will probably appear in the Windjammer the next day! 😊
The main (pardon the pun) reason I go to the main dining room is that I love escargot and some of the other appetizers. I've never seen anything on the menu that I didn't like. Also, I work hard through the year and it's nice to be able to sit down and have someone wait on me even if it's for 1/2 hour or 90 minutes. But, to each their own. Happy sailings.
I feel the same way ❤
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
I figure I can get my main meal in MDR and then dessert in the buffet due to the different options.
As soon as we got onboard, I looked at the restaurant schedules and plotted which night we'd go to each restaurant so as not to miss one! I made reservations for us at each place and that's where we had dinner. The restaurants were beautiful and the service was 5 star. We went to a restaurant that had furniture on the ceiling and dishes served in small pots in open printer trays and desserts bigger than your head. The Italian restaurant had a center table of antipasti items that included a huge wheel of cheese, freshly carved prosciutto, etc. Everything was done up. We went to poolside and ocean-side grilled seafood places for lunch and the buffet restaurant for breakfast. For us, the best of all worlds was the BEST of all worlds. I STILL think about the food!
A balanced variety seems to be our preference. Over the duration of the cruise we will try most eating and dining options - adjusted to what's planned for the day and how where are feeling at the time.
I love Windjammer dining but wife did not like it as much as she liked the staff serving us. So we did not go frequently for dinner, but did for breakfast and lunch. However, these are my tips for Windjammer dining. First, find a seat by first grabbing the wrapped eating utensils and/or one of the free drinks offered and then find a seat for you and/or your party. Place your eating utensils and drinks on a table and then leave one person sitting while the others go get their food. Second, do not stop at the first food station that you see when you enter the Windjammer; circle the whole room and look at all of the food available to help decide what you want to eat, i.e., how you will make your meal. There are usually many options for making a meal and sometimes you will find what you want to complete your meal at a station that is away from the first things you select. Third, no need to pile your plate high with food as you can always go back for more if you want.
One things I loved about the Radiance Class Royal ships is the terrace on the back of the ship where you can go to eat after you select your meal.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
I agree about dining at the Windjammer on the Radiance and the Brilliance, if the weather is accommodating!!
@@edwardhawrylak2777ok ya JACKASS FOOD SNOB!!!
If you’re in a Grand Suite and above on Oasis class, you can eat B, L, D, and happy hour in the Coastal Kitchen
It’s seldom crowded, the fare is varied and very good, and the service is topnotch.
Spent almost $20,000 for two Grand Suites on Liberty of the Seas last week. No Coastal Kitchen so nothing really special to eat. There was a crowded Suite Lounge free liquor. Tried for $39.95 the lobster and filet mingnon in the MDR cooked in Chops Restaurant just OK. Anyone with my time dining almost rioting with over a hundred people trying to get into the MDR every night. Make a dining reservation -waiters wee great.
I know that this won’t apply to everyone but our last cruise (2 months ago) we were really disappointed with the MDR - it had been our go to on previous cruises. Not a fan of the buffet, so we ate at Coastal Kitchen. It was fantastic - the food was fresh and delicious. If it’s an option for you, I highly recommend it.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
This sounds like a great way to save the cruise line some money. Thanks for the helpful suggestions!
Wow, diamond C&A here! Somehow after all these years, you just convinced me out of MDR. Specifically because of saving time and because of the kids. Thanks Matt!
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Great video! I agree, the buffet is a good choice throughout the cruise. Many times I noticed the food served in the dining room are sometimes similar to what's served in the buffet. Of course, lobster night is only available in the dining room, but they may serve lobster soup or sauteed lobster pieces in the buffet the next day.
It’s the same food, except for lobster and shrimp in the main dining room. The buffet is a crowded mess full of pigs. The dining room is for normal eating without the crowds and mess.
The buffet was so much better than the main dining room! We had so many problems with our dishes! The waiters are amazing. Even when they brought the chefs out, the Wind Jammer Chef got the loudest and most cheers!
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
I've sailed on 37 cruises, with #s 38 and 39 already set. I typically choose the Main Dining Room because the presentation/plating (much to my surprise) really makes a difference. Though the selection is indeed smaller, you still have AYCE. Also, they typically save the elite meals (lobster, filet mignon, etc.) for the MDR. Your points are certainly valid, and you can't go wrong either way. I guess I'll have to try both, and get back to you...
Wow!
Take me with you!
I agree that the dining room would still have food even more elite than the buffets, such as the lobster and fillet mignon. And I think that even the same foods served in the dining room as the buffets would taste a little better because they wouldn't have spent time sitting under heat lamps and instead would be brought straight from cooking to your table.
I've noticed that cruise ships have sure gotten bigger, the one shown in this video is so gigantic that it looks like you'll be getting so much excersise just from moving from one part of the ship to the next each part of the day.
I've not been on any cruises for over 20 years but in the 90s, I went on Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas, did you ever go on that one?
I was in the Navy and spent less time at sea. LOL
Reasons why you shouldn’t eat in the Windjammer:
1)
On the oasis in July, a woman changed her baby’s diaper on the dining table
2)
Children were being nasty and unsupervised in the buffet food
They have to fix those problems for me to even step foot in there. They should have the staff serve the food like during Covid times.
I’ll add that too many people actually don’t wash their hands when they enter. These are probably the same ones who didn’t wash when they just left the restroom. I do bring disposable gloves when I go to the windjammer so I don’t get so many germ on my hands from utensils.
We try to do the main dining rooms or specialty restaurants for dinner. We like to be served so if we are awake early enough we eat breakfast in the main dining room also.
We often skip lunch on board because we are on an excursion but if we are on board we would go to the main dining room if it is open. We dislike the buffet because the food may have been sitting out for a while , it is difficult to find a seat, people over fill their plates and waste food, people sneeze and cough or touch food and put it back. It can be gross.
I agree with all your points. The most compelling one from my own experience is that the fancy dining room menu options are very often available on the buffet!! So you are not missing a thing! And as a vegan, I do find I have many, many more options on the buffet ... I guess that makes me the ultimate picky eater! Ha!
The reason not to eat at the buffet is poor hygienic behavior of other passengers far outweighs your 12 reasons to eat at the buffet.
And disgusting habits like plates piled up like it was a final meal. Tge buffet allows unlimited return but you wouldnt think so. Tip..fresh plate each time!!
I agree… all buffets have this in common.
Exactly. Limit your risk exposure
I love the salads which I get from many parts of the buffet - lettice, tomato, and other salad items from the salad area and then add ham, garlic toast and other items from other areas. :)
All same reasons we prefer the cruise buffet over the mdr. Last 3 cruises we probably ate on the dining room maybe 4 times. Dining room brunch a couple of times but usually the buffet. So easy, so quick. Little interference with timing for stage shows and I can be as casual as I please. I don’t need to be waited on even though I’m legally blind and another bonus speaking of seeing, the lighting is usually better too.
This was the same logic that I used on my first solo cruise. I'm a bit impatient so I like the time saving aspect, more time for entertainment and less worry about missing booked activities and excursions. There was the odd time nothing looked good to me in the buffet but there were two reliable food shacks, a grab and go automat and an Italian sit down place on the main deck. I always found something.
Part 1 Preparation Day Spectrum Of The Seas
ruclips.net/video/UweQ4Qt-Lzc/видео.html
Matt, thank you for a very interesting topic. I would eat almost all my dinners at the Windjammer, however others in the family feel differently. The Windjammer offers a large selection including an International section which has a variety of different options. On most ships the Windjammer offers a Mongolian Grille a couple of times during a cruise. The Mongolian Grille offers made to order steaks, chicken breast, pasta and some seafood. I have found generally good service in the Windjammer in a casual setting with plenty of room and usually quiet. One thing is for sure pace yourself when eating as the ship has more food offerings than you can possible eat!
Bill
Love WJ for dinner but wife hates it, you can guess where we go.
Real classy eating dinner in a buffet. But it is quieter. Dont you want to be treated better. Thats one of the reasons you go on a cruise. Seriously.
There's such a huge variety of great food to choose from but I've seen a downside to that, I'd start getting confused because I don't know what to choose because so much of it looks really good, but I obviously don't have room in me to choose something of each, so I'm confused which ones to pick and which to leave. It's the issue with having too many good options. And this is also less of an issue in the dining room, not just due to fewer choices, but also because each option is more tempting when you plainly see it sitting there
A good reason to go to the buffet. I do enjoy dressing up & going to the main dining room for dinner because I don't wear my nice clothes often when I'm at home.
Exactly, RC is saving Nothing $$, peple ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Great point about being able to feed kids quickly and minimize temper tantrums. We’re cruising with young kids and may do more buffets because of your advice.
Good point about ocean views !!
Question for your next Q&A session: Do you taek photos of your food/plate on your cruises. We usually always do and love going back to the photos occasionally to savor the past experience.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
@edwardhawrylak2777 How many times are you going to repeat this? We don't need to see it any more!!
Take-away from W/J is easy!
I like to wear shorts, so don't feel embarrassed in W/J
Like the selection, and sometimes there will be 3 or 4 of your favourite foods in W/J. You can eat them all!
We have found that the Freedom Class W/Js are the BEST! (No experience with Quantum class though) Bigger, more relaxed, and way, way better food.
On one cruise the food was so good in the WJ that we didn't step foot into the MDR!
We usually always eat at the buffet, other free options, or the specialty restaurants. I do not like eating in the dining room. It's either too cold, crowded, or I don't like the food selection.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Or eat at both. If the MDR wasn't enough, hit the buffet afterward for a few special bites.
But be sure to save room for midnight pizza.
By the size of most cruise passengers I've observed, they are apparently doing just that.
I go with the third option when available - I loved the Solarium Bistro on Odyssey - somewhere in between the two - not as insane or hectic of cafeteria feeling as the buffet - the ambiance factor was there - the staff was much friendlier than the main dining room - it was lovely. Especially since we prefer later dining times. Granted we only did the main dining room once, and then we did either specialty dining or the old faithful Solarium Bistro. I think it is different depending on the ship but we loved it on Odyssey. 🤷🏻♀️
Shhhhh.. the Solarium Bistro for dinner is the best kept secret.
😅 👍
Reason to book Oasis class ships!
@@dianericciardi5186 We've never had dinner there, but both breakfast and lunch. It's a great place - not as busy and always a place to sit.
I have every dinner in the main dining room . Excellent and part of the experience.
I am a diamond member and have never had dinner at the Windjammer
RC is saving Nothing $$, people ordering 2-3 meals in MDR. The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
I’m definitely not looking forward to the new menus in the main dining room. My wife and I used to love getting dressed up and experiencing the dining room and enjoying really good food. Now I have a feeling I’ll be going to the Windjammer for dinner with these new menus. Specially after hearing they serve most of the same choices.
Just got back Friday from 14 days on Radiance. Majority of the time I ate MDR including breakfast. There were several times in the WJ that people had to wait for open seating. then you feel rushed to make room for someone else. Even on Harmony a couple times WJ was too crowded.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
@@edwardhawrylak2777 Yes, the ribs are gone. You must be the only one who cares!!
@@edwardhawrylak2777 You might be ready to try a Celebrity or Virgin ship.
Do they alllow you get you food at the buffet and take it back to your room?
We never feel rushed - we take the time we want.
Why not both? We did, get the best of both! You don't have to eat much at both but you get to sample things that are not available in both. If you are in a hurry, go to Windjammer and then later go to MDR later or earlier. On Alaska trip on May 26th 2023, many of the MDR food was not available in the WindJammer.
Yes! We have done that. Don't want to miss out on the sushi or Indian food.
And overeating is why the buffet is best avoided. Its a pigs trough for some
@@paulgerrard9227 🤣😂That's what the gym & stairs are for. Got to know your limits, just like drinking on the ship.
I much prefer MDR for dinner and lunches but I like windjammer for breakfast
I was on Explorer of the Seas recently and had the portobello and couscous dinner in the dining room. It was so small, I was still hungry at the end of the dinner. I went to Windjammer right after for a second dinner.
You can order multiple entrees or appetizers as long as its not lobster.
You sure can and you can get it all at the same time if you tell the waiter or they will bring it individually
I actually went on the Symphony back in 2017. We went buffet for breakfast and lunch. Dinner was in the main dinning room. The dinning room had more elegant choices. We had escargot, prime rib, sea bass, etc. And it was unlimited. We just had to ask our waiter for another. He was more than happy to bring us another escargot when we asked. Some of us had multiple deserts as well.
Your points are all valid but seem geared mostly for families with young children. The days that are busy off or on the ship still need a break from the go-go-go schedule. Dinner in past cruises with large groups, MDR dinner may have been the only time to see everyone. With just a small family it gives us time to talk about the day, plan for the evening and the next day and just relax for once. I schedule My Time Dining 6 months in advance and get the 6-7p times. We get seated right away and still have time to get to shows. If on shore activity runs late the WJ is the fall back. May have done that 2x in 9 cruises
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
@@edwardhawrylak2777 I actually like the Jerk chicken!
I've worked buffets. I know what people do when they think no one is watching.
I'll skip and go with only employee served, and no self serve.
🤮 I've seen some people do disgusting things. For example someone placed his palm down on top plate and then took plate below it.
Safer being served.
Ugh…
Buffet for breakfast and lunch but definitely main dining room for evening meal. Just think its a better experience and makes it more special feels like date night as the wife and I don't get time to eat out much usually as schedules often clash
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Going on a cruise in November for the first time on RC and my parents always had good luck with the line but I'm really worried about the dining based on what a lot of people have said with the cutbacks and change in menu. I hope they have it figured out by then.
If that will be your first RC cruise, you won't notice any cutbacks or differences. The negative comments are, likely, from long-time RC cruisers who remember their earlier cruises. For example, there are no longer chocolates on the pillows in the evening, and you don't get a cafeteria tray in the buffet, but those used to be standards a long time ago. I encourage you to put your worries aside and plan to have a wonderful cruise.
Don't worry about that. Plenty of great food.
Remember, with RCL, even if it isn't on the menu in MDR, ask for it anyway. Chances are good they will prepare it for you, especially if you have the same waiter every night. The worst they will say is 'sorry, no can do'. My son always got a NY Strip as a side with every meal. Nobody ever said a negative word. And, if you don't like your first table, go to the maitre d' and tip him $5 and ask for anywhere you prefer. That $5 will get you great treatment all cruise.
Also for those who adjust tips based on service provided less fancy eateries where you serve yourself obviously is less personal service intensive than main dining room and/or specialty restaurants.
the themed nights caring over to the windjammer is one of the things I really dislike if You do not like what is being served in the main dining room that night and go to the WJ You are stuck with many of the same things there
I'm absolutely convinced. I added up the time we lose on our vaca waiting and it's totally worth it!
Whenever we ate at the buffet for lunch or dinner, we enjoyed it. It's true they served some of the same appetizers, entrees and desserts as the MDR for dinner.
If we aren't in a specialty restaurant, we're eating in the Windjammer. Haven't been to the MDR in several cruises.
My wife and I did go to the wind jammer for breakfast and lunch but dinner was at the dinning room. We enjoyed the Dining room experience and the server was awesome. He helped us out allot due to her coconut allergy. She was able to make changes to the menu to avoid coconut and if they didnt know if it was in it then changes were made as well.
Just came off the Harmony, and many people dress in gym wear in the dining room. It's been getting pretty sad how some people dress in the dining room..
I think it is a good option, but I usually go to the dining service for the experience, they have food that's not on the buffet (Quail, Duck, Prime Ribs, culinary prep). We also usually chose the later meals, so we don't have to rush after returning to the ship. If I'm hungry I can eat a light meal at the buffet then go to the dining room.
I am leaving on a cruise on Friday. The menus in MDR for all 8 days, Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were posted last Friday. I do gluten free and there are plenty of choices for me.
I found the breakfast buffet to be very good. Just HAVE to go early. It’s a zoo after 8 am. Lunch quality is similar to going to a cheap buffet like Golden Corral IMO. Just nothing special AT ALL. Never tried it for dinner. I really enjoyed the MDR for dinner. Quality met expiations. Just my two cents. We all like what we like.
Love the buffet for breakfast and lunch but I do recommend on a sea day to try the dining room for lunch at least 1 times a in your cruise vacations if your lazy and don’t want to dress for dinner Buffet is the way to go but for us we normally don’t dress for dinner at home so on vacation we enjoy dressing up a little and getting the first class treat in the dining room and trying something different
Wind Jammer....thats exactly what you do at that buffet "YOU JAM FOOD INSIDE YOU LIKE THE WIND!".....Great buffet!
For the first few nights, we had dinner at Windjammer and they were ok. Then we learned that we could have dinner at the dining room and we loved it! Such a massive upgrade! I loved the fancy meals and desserts!
You learned about the dining room on board? You didn't know about it before you left? That seems strange.
@@jimroscovius it was our first cruise and were still learning the ins and outs of what happens in a cruise
@@AznJsn82091 I remember our first cruise. We ate at the buffet because we missed our dining time watching us sail out, and the wait staff said how much they missed us when we were in the MDR the second night. They said we could have come late. I'm sure we missed a lot that first one. Overpacked, too 🙂
I’ve never seen real ice cream at the buffet on RCL. In the main dining room, if you don’t like the desert choices, then you can ask for ice cream even if it is not on the menu.
We returned to Royal Caribbean for the first time in some years. The selection and quality in the main dining room had plummeted. One assumes in the hope people would decide to fork out for speciality restaurants. Didn't work for us, we ended up in Windjammer. We've also ended up booking different lines for our next cruises.
That is the reason we won’t cruise with carnival the food in the dining room was abysmal. We enjoyed our last RCL and we booked one for February. I hope it is still good.
Thanks for the video. The Windjammer scenes shown here present a delightfully uncrowded experience that one might see on a port day at lunch. Ships are now sailing at capacity Sea days will result in long lines at the Windjammer during the most popular meal times as tables fill up and max occupancy is reached. My solution is dine before and after the "crush" times at the 'jammer.
Buffet is great for breakfast since I eat the same thing as I do when I’m at home after hitting the gym. It’s usually early enough where it’s easy to find a table. I agree the buffet is good after a long day in port. Only thing I dislike about the buffet is, unless it’s an odd hour, I’m usually the one holding the table while my family gets their meals. By the time I get mine, they’re done or getting up for dessert already. I do enjoy a cup of tea and a light snack in the buffet in the middle of the afternoon when it’s quiet there. The views are outstanding and very relaxing. I prefer the dining room or specialty restaurants for dinner so we can have nice quiet conversations without overeating. Sometimes when my husband is still hungry after the dining room experience, we might head to the buffet so he can get whatever he needs. It’s nice to have the buffet when we have an early excursion and don’t want to spend too much time in the dining room. On sea days, I prefer the dining room. It’s nice being waited on.
The royal app is great to pick out food ahead of time for all the restaurants menus.
The Windjammer is the best. The variety is also. This is why Royal
I didn't realize it on ship, but I didn't have a dinner at the windjammer, or breakfast in the MDR. I guess I have to book another cruise to do more cruise stuff I didn't do the first time.
After my last two cruises we discover the MDR is only if you want a restaurant experience, food tends to be exactly the same, no the case when I used to cruise before 2017
My experience has been difficulty finding a seat at breakfast in the Windjammer. So frustrating. Makes the MDR worth it.
Depends on time. As a early rises its abundant for seating. 9am+ its busy. Like departure day lunch
MDR is first choice. With all the talk about changes, I really can't see much of a difference from past cruises. Also, as someone else mentioned, I like the service and being waited on. Also, we're not that crazy about the hassle of finding a good seat in WJ, sometimes settling for less than optimal seating. It seems like those people who hog the best loungers must be the ones who hog the best tables, too.
Give me the MDR anytime!
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
@@edwardhawrylak2777 I like the Jerk chicken!
I agree but on a cruise my once a year ( God willing)
Treat I feel pampered, special.
Dinner in the MDR or Specialty restaurant is a must for me I look forward to dressing up its a date night with the hubby
We only ate at the WJ on embarkation day when it was essentially the only option. All our other meals were MDR. I'm puzzled why so many people like the WJ since to me you're leaving money on the table. But it does relieve crowding in the MDR and for that I am happy.
Our last cruise a few weeks ago was great but it was really hard to find a table to eat in the Windjammer. More people seem to be cruising and there just wasn’t enough seating to eat.
I like both, and we use both. The food quality is in MDR is fantastic, whereas in the Windjammer it's considerably lower. i have have two entrees in the MDR on Fish and Chips night, no problem. I've also had two desserts there as well. I prefer breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer, but generally we eat dinner in the MDR. We always use My Time Dining, and we always make reservations to avoid a long line. They even sit us with the same waiters at our own table every night, which we request.
We got back from Voyager of the Seas August 4, it was our fourth RC cruise. We love doing the dining room for dinner but what we didn’t like was that they gave us a bigger table then our party of 4 and they constantly kept trying to seat another family with us. Not to be a jerk but I wanted that time alone with my family. I stood up and told our main waiter we were not comfortable with this and he had to talk to his manager and they removed the other family. Made me look like a total B but you know what we wanted a private experience and had pre booked the dining room ahead of our trip. Geez it was annoying to have to speak up. They could have just sat us at a four top table to begin with.
You had every right to speak up. You paid for the cruise and you have the right to demand how you would like to eat dinner. I had a negative experience with the cruise ship that claimed you could pick what time you wanted to eat and found close to an hour wait. I went into a rant and told the manager I would never take a cruise on this ship ever again and would tell my friends not to either. They found us a table pretty quickly. Never be afraid to speak up, you paid for a cruise and you were right.
I agree. We were on Radiance 11/4 -7 days 2023 ...MDR food was bland not good, only thing I enjoyed was fish/fried chicken, now windjammer we went lunch, and it was the very best tasting dishes I ever had, big difference, missed some shows eating MDR we were in grand suite just too stressful eating at MDR I think next cruise 11/23 8 days on FOS we're going to be eating at windjammer lunch and dinner more, breakfast unsure where I will go maybe grab coffee at promenade cafe then stroll down to either MDR on non
port days or windjammer depends how I feel.
I just came back from Princess cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. I enjoyed main Dining room several times, especially on formal night just to get away from the t-shirt and flip flop crowd.. However, i preferred buffet most nights because I am a picky Keto diet eater.
On the explorer of seas earlier this year the wife and I mostly ate breakfast lunch and dinner in the Windjammer. We did the first and last night in the sit down dining for dinner
On a recent 11-day cruise on Anthem I ate dinner at the Windjammer a couple of nights. This even having the unlimited dining package. It made for a nice change. Breakfast was Windjammer every day. For lunch I tried Johnny Rocket once and Cafe 270 several times.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
Really enjoy eating at the buffet for breakfast 🥞 and lunch 🥗 because of the free style but for dinner 🍽 I love the fact that I am being waited on hand to hand
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire Mr.DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES. Please complain !
My last RC cruise I used the main dining room and other eating places much more than the buffet because when I first went to the buffet all the food I got was barely warm. At least in the MDR or other places the food is warm if not hot. The quality was good but it wasn't even warm let alone hot.
Please never skip formal dinners for buffets. For a lot of people, including myself, formal dinners are once in your life experiences, eating food, rarely eaten before, including appetizers and soups like Lobster Bisques. Buffets are all you can eat foods that you eat, much of the time. If dinner is with the captain, then make it happen!
We are currently on Day 4 of a 7-night Ovation cruise, and we’ve found the Windjammers food to be kinda mediocre but have quite liked the food at the MDR so far (French and Asian night)
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
The breakfasts are good but the desserts on the buffet are mediocre... they're just a different color and taste much the same
@@edwardhawrylak2777 they're trying to be ethnic for a largely American audience
On our recent cruise with two young children we decided to eat in Windjammer rather then Coastal Kitchen. We did find the buffet much more relaxing and the food was lovely ❤. So much so that on our next cruise a transatlantic my husband already said that no way he is going to the main dinning room, too much fuss as far as he is concerned. He just wants to eat and get out no wait around .
We have been on about 40 cruises with RC and used to go to the dinning room but the wait time, was always too much for my impatient husband.
great video and very insightful.. we have our first ever family cruise coming up in February of 2024 aboard the Symphony of the Seas.. we have a booked meal at Izumo Hibachi grill on our 2nd day ( 1st full day at sea) but after that we will likely be spending a majority of our dining time at the Windjammer, Sorento's or El Loco as we just don't want spend too much time dining but rather take the time to explore the ship and enjoy the endless entertainment options. We have our 3 kids as well so spending 1 1/2 - 2 hours dining, well they may just get restless.
We tried the Windjammer on Liberty last month once as the MDR menu was not all that great. The WJ had the same food as the MDR with little different options. I think they are testing the water to see if poor food choices in MDR = more specialty restaurant reservations. We have been on three cruises this year since the menu change and the food has been subpar compared to last year. We cruise again this fall on the Harmony and hope it is better.
The diner menu on RC is now totally unacceptable on RC ships, we are Diamond & very disappointed. I recommend they Fire DeSouza. They even took out the Ribs at Labadee, remember those. Now just cheapo Jerk chicken which NOBODY LIKES.
We were on the Harmony last year and the food was fine. That was before the changes though.
good points. MDR on royal is such and hit and miss experience now add in the times over lapping with other activities. It's usually best to stick to premium dining options and buffet. Royal has never been know for stellar MDR experiences and my experiences fully support this so thats why I usually if anything will maybe try the MDR once during a cruise.
Is gone be my first time in a cruise and I am so excited 😃 going to adventures on the sea from Orlando next year with my son