Dinner at Cafe Caribe?

[e71465]

On my roll call page today, someone mentioned eating dinner in the CC. Please tell me what it's like? Do you still order at the counter? Are there table cloths, cloth napkins, wait staff, do you need reservations? What kind of items are generally offered? Please share your experience with me...

 

Thank you :)

[melody hounddog]

The Cafe Carib is just part of the buffet.

[Clutterlady]

On my roll call page today, someone mentioned eating dinner in the CC. Please tell me what it's like? Do you still order at the counter? Are there table cloths, cloth napkins, wait staff, do you need reservations? What kind of items are generally offered? Please share your experience with me...

 

Thank you :)

 

The CC is a buffet, no reservations needed. They do have cloth napkins and the staff are ready to take your drink orders. We enjoy eating there at times instead of going to the dining room. Some nights they have theme nights and always a carving station. Try it out and decided for yourself, think you will be pleasantly surprised:)

[Mom33]

The Caribe Cafe is a buffet but it is a traditional set up, not like HC.

You select your food but have waiters to serve you drinks. We have found the food selections to be better then the dining room at times.:D

[cbreit]

I'm a pretty fussy person but can always find something I like in the buffet - I prefer it over the dining room!

[PrincessMelody]

CC used to have menus you could order from, and everything was served to you...but I don't think they do it that way now.

[klenklen]

We've stopped going to the MDR and enjoy the CC. When set for dinner there are tablecloths and the servers get your drinks. Usually there is a theme and plenty to choose from. Sometimes they close the CC for dinner and have a similar setup in the HC. Never gone hungry and always found something to enjoy.

[flying fingers]

I ate at the CC a couple of times on my last cruise and was pleasantly surprised. The food choices were excellent and included "fancier" choices then one will find in the buffet for lunch, i.e. individually plated appetizers. They also have a cheese board with many excellent choices where you choose what you want it is plated for you. There is usually an active pasta station with fresh cooked food as well as a carving station. They tables are set nicely with cloth napkins, etc. and bar service as well as regular drinks are available from servers. I found it a relaxing way to eat a good meal without getting dressed to the nines and waiting in line at the dining room. :D

[NauticalNelle]

We love the CC for dinner. They usually have many of the same items that are on the MDR menu. We also enjoy the theme nights, especially German. You can almost always get a seat by the window. Tables are nicely set with placemats. Wait staff in black vests and white shirts. Lighting is dimmer than during the day. Give it a try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. :)

[Pam in CA]

On the Crown last February, there were a couple of formal nights when the buffet wasn't open but the Cafe Caribe was. Very limited selections as it's a very small buffet area, only pre-made salads and appetizers, etc. I enjoy eating in the buffet at dinner but this was awful. It was so limited that we wound up going back to our cabins and ordering room service.

[Treven]

I too recommend "dining" in the CC. I don't recall ever having a bad meal there, and I eat there more than the dining room.

[Happy2cruise]

Another recommendation for eating at the Caribe Cafe. There is a good selection and the theme nights are great. My favorite is the Italian theme night and my husband's is the german night with all the different sausages.

[Pam in CA]

There's a big difference between the Horizon Court and the Cafe Caribe. If you get food from the Horizon Court, you can always sit in the Cafe Caribe area. The Cafe Caribe buffet layout itself is very small and limited... maybe 1/3 of the size of the Horizon Court buffet. There isn't room for more than a couple of appetizer or entree options. Rather than the stations in the Horizon Court, the Cafe Caribe is one line and because it's small and cramped, it's hard to go in and get just what you want. Almost nothing is self-serve. :(

 

The German and other theme nights have been, in my experience, in the Horizon Court buffet area, not in Cafe Caribe. That's been true on several cruises on the Crown.

[Coral]

On the Crown last February, there were a couple of formal nights when the buffet wasn't open but the Cafe Caribe was. Very limited selections as it's a very small buffet area, only pre-made salads and appetizers, etc. I enjoy eating in the buffet at dinner but this was awful. It was so limited that we wound up going back to our cabins and ordering room service.

 

This was my experience on the Crown Princess. It was disappointing.