Dinner in Lido on NA

[maxxboy]

We're thinking about having dinner in the Lido a couple nights instead of the MDR during our upcoming cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

1 - Does the Lido offer the same items from the menu as the MDR each night? For instance, steak/lobster on the second formal night?

 

2- Is it still buffet style?

 

3 - Any other differences during dinner than breakfast/lunch?

 

Thanks

[sail7seas]

They often have many of the MDR dinner choices in Lido. They put nice tablecloths on the tables and it is buffet.

 

I've read here they often have lobster on last formal night but not always. You could check in advance. You can order lobster for room service if you wish on that formal night.

[maxxboy]

Understood. Some items from the MDR menu MAY be available. And yes, I'm aware you can order room service from the MDR menu (during dinner times only), but that's not what we're planning.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I am going to be honest here. Personally, I think the Lido is a zoo....busier than Times Square on New Years Eve. And this is not just HAL, but all cruise lines I have been on so far. I try to avoid it if I can. Breakfast, I get room service - makes for a more pleasant start to the day, quiet and relaxing. Lunch - most times I have to brave the Lido, and hopefully at 11:30 when they open and it is least busy. Dinner? I can't imagine it there.....much prefer the MDR or the specialty restaurants (where people are better behaved), even room service if you have to. I (we) don't really like big busy crowds anywhere, especially when you are eating. It also seems that the rudeness and selfish behavior in some people seems to blossom in the Lido environment. This is JMHO however. Others may love it.

[maxxboy]

I am going to be honest here. Personally, I think the Lido is a zoo....busier than Times Square on New Years Eve. And this is not just HAL, but all cruise lines I have been on so far. I try to avoid it if I can. Breakfast, I get room service - makes for a more pleasant start to the day, quiet and relaxing. Lunch - most times I have to brave the Lido, and hopefully at 11:30 when they open and it is least busy. Dinner? I can't imagine it there.....much prefer the MDR or the specialty restaurants (where people are better behaved), even room service if you have to. I (we) don't really like big busy crowds anywhere, especially when you are eating. It also seems that the rudeness and selfish behavior in some people seems to blossom in the Lido environment. This is JMHO however. Others may love it.

 

Not looking for opinions, just what is served at dinner. That said, on one RCI cruise we had dinner one night in the Windjammer and it was nothing like that.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Not looking for opinions, just what is served at dinner. That said, on one RCI cruise we had dinner one night in the Windjammer and it was nothing like that.

 

Sorry you didn't appreciate my post. Nevermind, just skip over it and read what others have posted. Hope you enjoy dinner in the Lido.

[regnig]

We have eaten dinner in the Lido several time on the Westerday & the Noordam and many times they have several items that are on the dinning room menu. There will be a menu posted by the elevators mid-afternoon that you can take a look at. Must admit I've never seen the lobster but I've never looked for it either. While it is a "buffet" the servers will make up your plate with the individual items you select. I've also discovered if they are serving steak or lamb chops they will happily cook them to order for you. Once seated someone will come by your table to take your drink order or you can just get it yourself. The only other thing you will "serve" yourself (after Code Orange is lifted) is the salad.

[Wastegirl]

We dine frequently in the Lido in the evening because my DH thinks the MDR is a Zoo and he hates waiters hovering over him. On the Oosterdam we found that unless there was a big day in Port with people late getting back on board, the Lido was half empty when we got there at 7.00 pm.

 

It is still buffet but not like lunch, we found that some of the courses served in the MDR were certainly being served in the Lido. One thing I like about it is quite often they are freshly cooking some items so they are piping hot on your plate. We ddidn't get tablecloths in the evening but another reason we dine there, especially on our New Zealand trip where the sun did not go down until 8.30 pm, you could sit right by the big windows and enjoy the passing coastline.

 

As for Lobster, we had it in the Lido on our South Pacific cruise (I made a piggy of myself) but I did not notice it on our New Zealand cruise.

[maxxboy]

Thanks sail7seas, Larsen and Wastegirl. Just what I needed to know. Krazy Kruizers posted the current NA MDR menus and we're considering skipping the first formal night so we (or should I say "I") can have the surf n' turf the second formal night.

[GeriatricNurse]

I am going to be honest here. Personally, I think the Lido is a zoo....busier than Times Square on New Years Eve. And this is not just HAL, but all cruise lines I have been on so far. I try to avoid it if I can. Breakfast, I get room service - makes for a more pleasant start to the day, quiet and relaxing. Lunch - most times I have to brave the Lido, and hopefully at 11:30 when they open and it is least busy. Dinner? I can't imagine it there.....much prefer the MDR or the specialty restaurants (where people are better behaved), even room service if you have to. I (we) don't really like big busy crowds anywhere, especially when you are eating. It also seems that the rudeness and selfish behavior in some people seems to blossom in the Lido environment. This is JMHO however. Others may love it.

 

I disagree that the Lido is a zoo! :) I eat all meals in the Lido, (efficient service, no waiting, food served hot), enjoy them very much, never order room service, & avoid the MDR like the plague! ;)

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I disagree that the Lido is a zoo! :) I eat all meals in the Lido, (efficient service, no waiting, food served hot), enjoy them very much, never order room service, & avoid the MDR like the plague! ;)

 

It is all about personal choice and opinion....you have yours and I have mine. It's all good.

[innlady1]

Because of our recent, very port intensive Med cruise, we ate dinner in the Lido several times. It was fine...actually, we enjoyed it very much.

I'm somewhat "done" with fixed dining in the MDR and think I will switch to open seating on all future cruises. I really don't like being committed to a 5:45 dining time...and 8 PM is way too late for us.

[cruisin'girl]

Because of our recent, very port intensive Med cruise, we ate dinner in the Lido several times. It was fine...actually, we enjoyed it very much.

I'm somewhat "done" with fixed dining in the MDR and think I will switch to open seating on all future cruises. I really don't like being committed to a 5:45 dining time...and 8 PM is way too late for us.

And 5:45 is waaaaay too early.

[CruiserBruce]

The last three cruises (Noordam, N. Amsterdam, Eurodam)we have been on, I have made a point of checking out the Lido after we have eaten in the MDR, particularly on formal nights. We have never seen lobster, nor the nicer cuts of beef. Usually if a lesser cut of beef is offered in the dining room, it is also offered in the Lido. Same with fish...better types in the MDR, lesser in the Lido.

[innlady1]

And 5:45 is waaaaay too early.

 

 

Exactly! And' date=' that's why I'm going to do Open Seating from now on! [/size']

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Because of our recent, very port intensive Med cruise, we ate dinner in the Lido several times. It was fine...actually, we enjoyed it very much.

 

I'm somewhat "done" with fixed dining in the MDR and think I will switch to open seating on all future cruises. I really don't like being committed to a 5:45 dining time...and 8 PM is way too late for us.

 

We wondered about this when the cruise was done. Do we opt for a fixed two-top early dining next time or just put up with open seating and be bothered making reservations 2 days in advance. It is a debate between us. I understand about not wanting to be "committed" to a fixed time....you never know when something will come up to put a crimp in your plans. The problem arises when you find waiters that you really like and want to stay with them, with a flexible time schedule. It's tough to do, but I managed to pull it off (got lucky), and we had the same waiters in the MDR every nite with a two-top but at different times. Luckily it was not too late for us, like 8PM or later......but usually 6-7:15.

[WebExec]

Sorry to the OP that the thread was kind of highjacked :)

 

We just got back a couple weeks ago from our first cruise, Eurodam. We did MDR 5 of the 7 nights including both formal nights and ate twice in Lido. Personally I sort of preferred the Lido since we could go at 'your own pace'.

 

We had early dinning at a table for 8. I felt the service was just plain slow. 20-25 minutes between courses which arrive somewhat random. My wife finishes her salad before mine even arrives type of thing. Food not as hot as I would prefer. Obviously the choices were superior in MDR. Just wasn't 'seamless' at all. It was odd trying to keep up conversation for 2+ hours while waiting for food. Servers seemed to be working hard though. I think we got drink service once in 5 nights and water refills after an hour.

 

I didn't let it spoil our time or anything and I just let it go but in future cruises it will certainly make me think twice about going to MDR every night. Please just let me eat dinner and then be on my way to enjoy the ship! lol. Maybe its all cost savings and secretly that's the point, lol, I dunno... :rolleyes:

[roadbeagle]

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Edited November 28, 2013 by roadbeagle
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[maxxboy]

 

Sorry to the OP that the thread was kind of highjacked

 

 

 

 

Nature of the beast, but thanks again to the posters who have been help.

Edited November 28, 2013 by maxxboy

[pris993]

We always do room service for breakfast, a late lunch from the lido which we take back to our cabin because we enjoy peace and quiet. The few times we have eaten dinner in the Lido did enjoy it, not many folks there, enjoyed the view at sunset and probably will do a couple of nights at the Lido on our TA in April on the N. Amsterdam, unless we find service in the MDR is such that we can't resist it.

[JamesEM]

DW and I were on NA this month for 14 days, the 1st week was with family and the 2nd week we were by ourselves so we ate in the Lido the entire week. IMO the food was the same or better than the MDR, several nights I had the cook grill my steak to order, also the food was warmer, no lobster though. The Lido was never crowded, we never had to wait in line and the staff could not do enough for us. Also, there were no tablecloths on the tables, but the Lido was by far less hectic that the MDR.

[YubaSutter]

I am going to be honest here. Personally, I think the Lido is a zoo....busier than Times Square on New Years Eve. And this is not just HAL, but all cruise lines I have been on so far. I try to avoid it if I can. Breakfast, I get room service - makes for a more pleasant start to the day, quiet and relaxing. Lunch - most times I have to brave the Lido, and hopefully at 11:30 when they open and it is least busy. Dinner? I can't imagine it there.....much prefer the MDR or the specialty restaurants (where people are better behaved), even room service if you have to. I (we) don't really like big busy crowds anywhere, especially when you are eating. It also seems that the rudeness and selfish behavior in some people seems to blossom in the Lido environment. This is JMHO however. Others may love it.

 

The lido is nowhere near busier than Times Square on NYE. Obviously, you e never seen Times Square on NYE. The lido may be crowded at times, but even then it takes 5 minutes to get your meal.

[Oceanwench]

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam a few weeks ago, and we chose to dine in the Lido on the second formal night. DH just has a very difficult time with wearing a suit (he has MS and limited mobility).

 

There were no tablecloths, and everything was self-serve. It was fairly empty.

They did not have the surf and turf.

The food was OK -- nothing on the menu that appealed to me to begin with!

 

I don't like the lighting up there at night. Hard to explain, but it was just too dim and I felt like I were eating in a diner late at night!

 

We've only eaten in the Lido one other time for dinner, years ago, and we did have tablecloths then, as well as limited table service. As I recall, a server brought our entrees to the table, but we had to get our salads/soup and desserts.

[WisRiver]

Many of the menu choices served in the MDR are available in the Lido. The major exception in my mind is the French onion soup. The appetizers are usually the same as the MDR. You can order a steak to order. If you ask for it rare, you will get it. In many ways we prefer the Lido. Since I am allergic to shellfish, I do not miss the lobster or crab dishes.

[fourkittys]

We returned from the 14 day Collectors Cruise 10 days ago. We ate dinner in the Lido SEVERAL times. From the dining room menu they offered two soups, two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts plus a multitude of other choices. I feel lke the dr choices in the Lido were not the best ones from each course. A few times the beef tenderloin and lamb were very good tho. The desserts were a major disappointed to what was listed for the DR, including the so called Ice Cream. No fruit soups were ever availaable. We ate here on formal night three times and lobster was never on the buffet.

 

 

 

My other observations were: no table cloths, limited beverage service to non existant for refills, very few staff were working as the Lido was less than haf full every time. One night our dishes kept accumulating on our table after a few course and no one cleared them as they were busy chatting among themselves. When I got up for my entree I commented to them about the poor service and they all scattered and started to do their jobs.

 

There was no question of poor behavior from any of the diners.

 

Menu is posted outside of Lido everyday after breakfast.

 

I hope you have enjoyable cruise!