First night dinner

[Clinching]

Hi. I am pre-booking the speciality restaurants and read a post stating best not to book for the first night, best to use buffet. Could anyone tell me why. I thought it would be nice to have a "special" meal on our first night at sea.

[paul929207]

Hi. I am pre-booking the speciality restaurants and read a post stating best not to book for the first night, best to use buffet. Could anyone tell me why. I thought it would be nice to have a "special" meal on our first night at sea.

Never heard that.

[Cruising Golfer]

I don't see any reason not to book first night, some lines give freebies then.:)

What better way to start a holiday than with a nice dinner with your special someone.

Enjoy your cruise and have a cocktail for me!!! C.G.

[Langley Cruisers]

Hi. I am pre-booking the speciality restaurants and read a post stating best not to book for the first night, best to use buffet.

 

Also have never heard that. I wouldn't think the buffet is the best place for the first night dinner. The Main Dining Room is also an option on your first night. A specialty restaurant sounds wonderful, and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Just a note that depending on your sail away time, if you want to enjoy that experience too, I wouldn't book anything for dinner before an hour after sail away, but that's just me. :)

[jocap]

We've often booked a speciality restaurant for our first night, especially if we're on a ship with a famous name restaurant, such as Marco Pierre White, where it's essential to book early. We like to get in before the crowds! :D:p

[dorisis]

I would not care to eat in the buffet on the 1st night. Book where you prefer.

[Ehpride]

I always eat in the MDR the first night. I don't want to eat in the buffet for dinner on any night!

[Scrapnana]

I normally only eat in the buffet for dinner if I am tired from a day in port. Never heard that was the best place to eat the first night. Go ahead and book the specialty restaurant.

[Steviewonder1]

Have never done the Buffet for any dinner night. It is MDR or Specialty Restaurant or in the Suite out on the Deck.

[mathladyca]

Count me in as another person who avoids buffets like the plague! MDR for me, then if I don't like assigned table companions, I can ask for a change or start going to specialty dining rooms.

[cb at sea]

I would not do the buffet for dinner....and seldom do it for anything but lunch! The dining room is open for breakfast every day and lunch on some days....dinner every night!

[cruiserking]

There's nothing wrong with booking a specialty restaurant for the first night. The only reason I can see to delay it would be to have something to look forward to mid-way through. Also, you might be a bit tired from a long day of cruise boarding excitement.

 

Jonathan

[nremtb90]

Just make sure you take what you want to wear to dinner in your carry on luggage or wear it on the ship. Sometimes luggage does not arrive before dinner. Enjoy

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[John Bull]

Just make sure you take what you want to wear to dinner in your carry on luggage or wear it on the ship. Sometimes luggage does not arrive before dinner. Enjoy

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Added to this downside, is that many cruisers have travelled a long way to the port that day & will be feeling tired, dirty, frazzled & unsociable. And they may be late to board, then they have to freshen-up & change, and may want to unpack soonest to let creases drop out - not the right circumstances for an up-market experience, especially for a prescribed time, & possibly not even for anytime in the MDR.

It's the reason that the MDR dress-code for the first evening is (always?) casual.

 

We wouldn't book a speciality restaurant for the first night, and have very occasionally dined in the buffet that night.

 

But each to their own :)

 

JB :)

[teels18]

I would not care to eat in the buffet on the 1st night. Book where you prefer.

Sorry...but first time cruiser question coming...!

Why the quote above about not eating in the buffet on the first night of a cruise?

 

Thanks for answers!!

:confused:

[spookwife]

Hi. I am pre-booking the speciality restaurants and read a post stating best not to book for the first night, best to use buffet. Could anyone tell me why. I thought it would be nice to have a "special" meal on our first night at sea.

 

since I never use the buffet if I can help it, I cannot imagine ANYONE advocating that option.

 

in point of fact many specialties have special pricing( 30% off, BYGOF) on the first night

 

on our next cruise in september, I have already booked a specialty for dinner on embarkation.. it is out 15th anniversary that day.

[teels18]

How do you pre-book a speciality restaurant ...for example for your first night's dinner?

[CraftyEC]

Sorry...but first time cruiser question coming...!

Why the quote above about not eating in the buffet on the first night of a cruise?

 

Thanks for answers!!

:confused:

 

The buffet on most ships can be a bit of a scramble at the best of times, but never more so than on the first day when people are exploring it and finding their way - "I have my entree and a salad but now I need to go back into the scrum to get a bread roll, and where was it I saw the butter?" You may have already endured that for lunch on boarding, but by evening you will be ready for a more civilised experience, hopefully.

 

I would agree with ensuring that you don't miss out on that special first sail-away, and that you're wearing something fairly smart but casual.

 

I think either MDR or speciality restaurant would be fine - but if it's your first cruise you may find your first MDR meal pretty special.

 

If you have booked fixed-time dining and decide to go to a speciality restaurant it may be worth telling your MDR Maitre D' so that your table is not held up waiting for you to arrive. If you save the treat for later in the cruise you can just mention to your table companions the night before that you won't be there the following night.

[spookwife]

How do you pre-book a speciality restaurant ...for example for your first night's dinner?

 

 

book it online if you are okay with prepaying. Mine is in September and I booked a couple of weeks ago( I am paid in full)

 

otherwise, if you want to use a loyalty coupon or OBC, book when you board. there will be a set up just for that purpose.

[paul929207]

How do you pre-book a speciality restaurant ...for example for your first night's dinner?

Some cruise lines allow you to book the specialty restaurants before the cruise. Princess does not. When you get to your cabin just push the DINE button on the phone if you want to make reservations

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hi. I am pre-booking the speciality restaurants and read a post stating best not to book for the first night, best to use buffet. Could anyone tell me why. I thought it would be nice to have a "special" meal on our first night at sea.

 

I have never heard that.

We usually book one of the specialty restaurants for the first night.

[jocap]

Having said that we often book the speciality for the first night, our other option is usually the buffet, especially on a new ship. We prefer to eat just soup and a main course, then continue exploring the ship. We eat in the buffet more than in the MDR, which takes up so much time, during much of the cruise, and have rarely been disappointed with the food there.

[Erik101]

Hi. I am pre-booking the speciality restaurants and read a post stating best not to book for the first night, best to use buffet. Could anyone tell me why. I thought it would be nice to have a "special" meal on our first night at sea.

 

I would never follow someone's suggestion if they are not able to give you a simple rationale. On my last cruise, we booked a specialty restaurant on the first night and it was awesome! Good times!

[NoobCruise]

I don't know about other cruise lines (only done 2 cruises so far) but on HAL, they don't allow self-serve in the buffet the first 48 hrs. They have crew at each station. You tell them what you would like and they dish up your plate and hand it to you. They do this as a preventive measure for noro virus and other transmittable illnesses. This requires a much larger number of crew to be present in the buffet, which may leave the MDR or specialty restaurants a little short staffed in those first 48 hrs. I don't know if that's the reason, but it is an explanation I've read on these boards.

[John Bull]

I don't know about other cruise lines (only done 2 cruises so far) but on HAL, they don't allow self-serve in the buffet the first 48 hrs. They have crew at each station. You tell them what you would like and they dish up your plate and hand it to you. They do this as a preventive measure for noro virus and other transmittable illnesses. This requires a much larger number of crew to be present in the buffet, which may leave the MDR or specialty restaurants a little short staffed in those first 48 hrs. I don't know if that's the reason, but it is an explanation I've read on these boards.

 

Yes, I've come across similar situations on other ships. On some it's standard practice, on others it's when noro has been detected or was present at the end of the previous cruise.

I've never noticed it cause slow service elsewhere, but I have found slow service on the first night of a cruise with a new crew. And on anytime dining, as too many folk choose a popular dining time.:rolleyes:

 

But that shouldn't impact too much on whether to dine at a speciality restaurant on the first night.

That decision certainly needs to be based on whether the cruiser is expecting to arrive at port late in the day after a long journey.

 

And, as another poster commented, if you're on fixed dining on a shared table it's common courtesy to get word to that table that you'll not be dining with them that evening.

 

JB :)