Dinner at Horizon Court

We've almost always eaten dinner in one of the MDRs, but I think we're going to pack light and skip the formal clothes and therefore skip the MDR on formal nights on our 7-night coastal cruise in October.

So my question is: What's it like to eat dinner in the HC?

No. 1: Do they usually have some of the same offerings as the MDR has that night? My biggest worry is that a formal night will come and they'll be serving my favorite soup or entrée or whatever and I'll have to do without because I didn't want to pack a blazer and tie.

No. 2: Is there legitimate wait staff service? Can you order wine or a specialty coffee?

No. 3: Is it a less hectic pace than other meals? Can you relax and take your time, or do you feel like you need to finish up and turn your table over?

Thanks in advance.

Jim

We have not eaten in HC often but a few years back, we were on the Ruby, wanted a table for 2 in the MDR, did not get one that we liked, so skipped the MDR the entire 7 day cruise.

Some days we got a tray from the HC late lunch took to our mini suite cabin, enjoyed on our balcony with our own wine. From what I recall, in the evening they did have similar items on the menu as the MDR, I can tell you it was less hectic than the MDR and depending on time of day you always have a view. No real wait staff other than those serving drinks. We had dinner in Sabatini's one night and were invited to most cruised passenger lunch on another day in Sabatini's... so we did not miss the MDR at all... enjoy cruise.

We still dressed for formal nights... went out and enjoyed the evening, did not need dinner in the MDR to do so, we could go to an early or late show whatever we wanted.

No. 1: Do they usually have some of the same offerings as the MDR has that night? My biggest worry is that a formal night will come and they'll be serving my favorite soup or entrée or whatever and I'll have to do without because I didn't want to pack a blazer and tie.

No. 2: Is there legitimate wait staff service? Can you order wine or a specialty coffee?

No. 3: Is it a less hectic pace than other meals? Can you relax and take your time, or do you feel like you need to finish up and turn your table over?

1. Select a table and sit down. A waiter will come over to ask if you want any wine, beer, water, whatever. You then go to the buffet line and select and plate your meal. Select as many entrees and sides that you want or can fit on the plate. On formal nights you will find many of the same entrees, there is usually a carving station with one or two selections, but I have not seen the lobster tails. The problem I find with the buffet for dinner is that you have to keep going back to the buffet for the different courses, salads, main course, soups, desserts. The other issue is that sometimes the trayed items aren't really hot, just warm.

2. Yes, but not as many as in the DR's.

3. You can relax and take as much time as you want to eat. No time limits. There are plenty of tables for dinner so you don't have to turn them over. We have found that dinner in the buffet is normally quicker than in the DR's. We usually eat there when we want to participate or see some activity that we can't do if dining in the DR.

Some passengers book the Crown Grill or Sabatini's on formal nights. Dress in these restaurants is always smart casual, although you will find some in formal dress. If your ship has Alfredo's that is another possibility. There is no charge for Alfredo's and it is sit down waiter service.

We're very satisfied with dinner in the MDR. More choices. Less drama. Much more relaxed. And, we never have to pack for formal nights. You can even wear shorts there. In our opinion the MDR is vastly overrated. We usually do a couple of dinners in Sabatini's and the rest in the Horizon Court.

BTW, taking your selections back to your room works very well especially if you have a balcony. Pick up a bottle of wine. Enjoy the view. Very romantic.

1. Select a table and sit down. A waiter will come over to ask if you want any wine, beer, water, whatever. You then go to the buffet line and select and plate your meal. Select as many entrees and sides that you want or can fit on the plate. On formal nights you will find many of the same entrees, there is usually a carving station with one or two selections, but I have not seen the lobster tails. The problem I find with the buffet for dinner is that you have to keep going back to the buffet for the different courses, salads, main course, soups, desserts. The other issue is that sometimes the trayed items aren't really hot, just warm.

 

2. Yes, but not as many as in the DR's.

 

3. You can relax and take as much time as you want to eat. No time limits. There are plenty of tables for dinner so you don't have to turn them over. We have found that dinner in the buffet is normally quicker than in the DR's. We usually eat there when we want to participate or see some activity that we can't do if dining in the DR.

 

Some passengers book the Crown Grill or Sabatini's on formal nights. Dress in these restaurants is always smart casual, although you will find some in formal dress. If your ship has Alfredo's that is another possibility. There is no charge for Alfredo's and it is sit down waiter service.

Thanks for the info. We rarely go to the specialty restaurants (maybe an occasional anniversary), but might try Alfredo's. We're on the Grand this time, and I guess they have kind of an Alfredo's Lite, just pizza and drinks.

I'm looking forward to our cruise late next year on the Regal. Having a full-service Alfredo's will really change the options.

Jim

We're very satisfied with dinner in the MDR. More choices. Less drama. Much more relaxed. And, we never have to pack for formal nights. You can even wear shorts there. In our opinion the MDR is vastly overrated. We usually do a couple of dinners in Sabatini's and the rest in the Horizon Court.

 

BTW, taking your selections back to your room works very well especially if you have a balcony. Pick up a bottle of wine. Enjoy the view. Very romantic.

Thanks. I'm assuming you meant: "We're very satisfied with dinner in the HC," right?

Jim

We had dinner one night on a formal night. We had slight colds and did not feel like getting dressed up and we would rather eat and get into bed for a good rest.

Anyway, we got there and it was transformed. Of course it was dark out and they had turned down the lights for more atmosphere. It felt much less like a buffet. We had no trouble finding a table. Waiters brought drinks and we had a relaxed dinner.

That said, the food was good-but not great. Essentially what we find in the Horizon court during the day. Despite the atmosphere, it felt like we were eating in a high class cafeteria.

I know many people prefer and like this typeof dining. We, on the other hand, have never had dinner there again.

We've done a quick dinner in the buffet - when we were tired, just didn't feel like getting changed for the MDR, not quite feeling great, in a hurry, fooded out, lots of reasons. Oh and when we had a hot card game going and just took a food break quickly.

You won't find all the selections that the MDR has, but a number of them will be there.

Alfredo's is also a great option. Personally I am also good with some slice of pizza from Lido deck when I am not in the mood for the main dining room or a specialty restaurant.

Thanks. I'm assuming you meant: "We're very satisfied with dinner in the HC," right?

 

Jim

That's correct. Was watching TV while replying. Sorry.

We have had dinner in the horizon court a couple of times. Maybe we did not want to get dressed up or perhaps we were just having too much fun watching the sun set and just decided to go there instead.

My experience is like others have already stated. They dress up the area a little better and try to make it more elegant. It was definitely not as nice as the MDR but a little better than the afternoon lunch.

We ordered wine and had a great time…

Food items are indeed “similar” to what is being served in the MDR… and you can pick and choose as you wish. (I know you can do that in the MDR too, but it’s easier when you can look and choose for yourself)

One of my most memorable times dining in the HC was on formal night. They were serving surf and turf with lobster tails. We did not want to get dressed up so went to HC. Low and behold they were serving the lobster claws in the HC… all you can eat…. And the waiter would come around and crack them for you! That was a few years ago and not sure if they would still do that?

Would I go there every night… not likely, but occasionally sure… it’s not all that bad….

My 2 cents.

I generally will eat most of my dinners in the HC. It's much more relaxing, I don't have a problem with the items that are there, entrees or side dishes. As been posted already, your drinks will be served to you, and you don't feel obligated to finish up so someone else can grab your table. I've always taken my iPad with me and would read through dinner, taking my time to enjoy my meal.

I especially like the buffet on formal nights:D

HC is great for dinner. No wait on most nights. Window seats to watch sunset. Casual non rush atmosphere. Has international theme nights. No need to pay extra charge. And despite what buffet haters would claim, food is quite decent, always in abundance and acceptable on most occasions.

HC is great for dinner. No wait on most nights. Window seats to watch sunset. Casual non rush atmosphere. Has international theme nights. No need to pay extra charge. And despite what buffet haters would claim, food is quite decent, always in abundance and acceptable on most occasions.

Although we rarely eat dinner there I agree. :)

We had a really memorable dinner in HC on Sea Princess a few years ago. Were on Caribbean cruise and had been ashore all day. Too tired to dress up and HC had a Scandinavia theme. It was very quiet, one of the officers came by and asked if we were having a good time. We said yes, the added that our first grandchild had been born that morning so it was a bit of a special occasion. The officer congratulated us then left. Two mins later a bottle of bubbly was brought to us, with compliments, turns out the officer was the lady in charge of all the dining areas. We had a really good night then!

Now, I'm not saying they will do that for everyone and we did say we were enjoying the Scandinavian food AND the officer was Norwegian, but princess did us proud in HC!

We rarely go to the MDR anymore and enjoy the HC for dinner. As others have posted, it has a nicer atmosphere than during the day, the service is good, and many of the same MDR items are available. I don't like waiting in line at the MDR for a table, and it is usually so noisy in the MDR I feel like we're eating in a cafeteria anyway. The HC is just easier, quicker, and suits us just fine. You should try it for yourself! I think the MDR is just overrated and I would never plan my cruise around it like so many people here on CC seem to do:)

On some ships there are outside table aft of Horizon Court. On nights that we feel like eating at HC we like these. I have never found any of the items on the Dining Room menu in HC, but others seem to have. In the past the HC dinner selection has been Ok especially, when they used Café Caribe, but lately it seems to be mostly in the HC buffet and on the CB in Feb. I wasn't very satisfied with their food offerings. It seemed to be left-over lunch items.

You've probably had your question answered enough already, but because I just disembarked from a 14-day Med cruise on the Emerald, I'll chime in with my/our experience.

1. No, the food in the buffet was not the same as in the MDRs. Overall, we didn't care too much for the Horizon Court's food, although there were some very nice exceptions. We may have had one (or two?) dinners there and maybe four lunches and more or less made a rule to always eat in the MDRs when we possibly could (and did about 11 of the 14 days).

2. We found the waitstaff in the HC very attentive and eager to help. My companion ordered from her specialty coffee card there and I'm sure one can also obtain wines and drinks. They make a good deal of money off alcohol so actually I wouldn't be surprised if you could order an Old Fashioned from any worker in any hallway (being a bit facitious, but you get the idea). They won't miss the chance to serve or sell you anything that separates you from your money.

3. If you go to the HC on off-peak hours you can enjoy as long and leisurely a meal as you desire. However, during peak hours there are people and families looking for tables and a place to sit, almost constantly. Accordingly, you'll feel it's best to enjoy your meal withOUT rushing, BUT not to linger needlessly over a last cup of coffee or an extended conversation to the inconvenience of others who are hungry (instead, just go out with it on a lounge chair or deck chair). You then hope of course others show you a similar courtesy when you are trying to find a place to sit down and eat.

ENJOY!

We have eaten the majority of our dinners at the Horizon court for the reasons you mentioned, packing less etc. We love it.

There is a better atmosphere, darker, even candles. The staff is very attentive. We have gotten more attention eating there than eating at the MDR.

The food is good and usually has some of the same offerings in the MDR.

I like it much better. It doesn't take 2+ hours to eat. Just eat and on your way to the show or something else.

It's not for everyone, but it is great for us. Happy sailings!

We rarely go to the MDR anymore and enjoy the HC for dinner. As others have posted, it has a nicer atmosphere than during the day, the service is good, and many of the same MDR items are available. I don't like waiting in line at the MDR for a table, and it is usually so noisy in the MDR I feel like we're eating in a cafeteria anyway. The HC is just easier, quicker, and suits us just fine. You should try it for yourself! I think the MDR is just overrated and I would never plan my cruise around it like so many people here on CC seem to do:)

I agree with you on several points. We dine in both locations depending on our mood and how much time and energy we want to put into it. If we are traveling with friends, we will most likely go to the MDR if that is their preference. If we are traveling alone, we really prefer to just keep casual and know that our meal will be fair to good and we will have control over our own time. I also agree about the noise in the MDR. I find I miss half the conversations when we are sharing tables with others. The food is mass produced regardless of where you are dining.

Here's an example of how the tables are set up in the Horizon Court Buffet for dinner. My wife and I usually eat about half our dinners there, the rest in the MDR.

Last cruise on the Crown Princess in 2014, we ate all our dinner at horizon court for 14 days, great way to relax and not have to dress up. We missed the MDR some, but it was great to do what we wanted to and not have to dress. Drinks where brought to our table, table clothes and napkins at the tables.

We have eaten most of our dinners in the HC. Its a casual atmosphere with nice views of the ocean. Not a high school cafeteria by a long shot!

Food is not up to MDR standards but is still very good and the ability to return as often as you like to sample different cuisines makes up for it in my book.

I've noticed more and more posters choosing Horizon Court over the MDR. We were on Regal last March and we could not tell you where the MDR is located. We did a couple of specialty restaurants and went to the HC the rest of the time. We do not think we missed out on anything. Our meals were quieter. We dined when we pleased. The entire setting was just so much more relaxed.

Hello, all:

As the OP, I thought I'd come back and answer my question, in case anyone else was watching this and wondering the same thing.

From our experience alone (Grand Princess, Cal coastal, Oct. 10-17) here's what we thought:

We found none of the MDR menu items in the Horizon Court. This includes the first formal night and the next night, when we went there because we grew tired of waiting in the ATD line. A fellow cruiser said the buffet did have some MDR dishes the first night.

The place was not really dressed up as some others experienced. Certainly no tablecloths or candles. There were wine glasses on the tables, but that was the only thing I saw that differentiated dinner from lunch. (Jasperdo's picture in post #20 is a good example of what we saw.)

There were a fair number of servers/helpers making the rounds, but their success rate was marginal. Twice in two nights, my wife asked for something and didn't get it. First time it was milk. Can't remember the second. I never had to order wine. That was because you could buy a small bottle (about two glasses) for $5 near the entrance to the buffet line. To my mind, this was the best thing about dinner at the HC, the most reasonably priced wine on the ship.

The only big problem was the food temperature. I guess you never expect piping hot at a buffet, but virtually everything we had on the second visit was lukewarm at best. Lukewarm pork and mashed potatoes and gravy just isn't very good. Our first visit, formal night, was hotter food; maybe they had more people and refreshed the offerings more.

Overall we weren't that keen on going back again unless we just want to eat quick and no-fuss some night. To us, the MDR dinner is something we look forward to every night. On our upcoming Panama Canal cruise, I think I'll toss in the blazer and tie so we can pass muster at the MDR on formal nights.

Jim

We have just come back from a week on the New England cruise on the Regal. This year we decided to use other eating venues and only went into the MDR once. We didn't take any formal gear. We ate in a couple of the speciality restaurants and also used Alfredo's as well as the buffet. We really liked the change of pace this time.