MDR On Dawn

[RumpunchGirl]

My only cruise with Norwegian was on POA back in 2009. I was not impressed with Anytime dining or the food in the MDR. DH and I did try the specialty restaurants and loved them. I'm curious about the experiences my fellow CCers have had with eating in the MDR on The Dawn. How fast are you seated once you arrived? How were the menu choices? How was the quality of the food? How long did it take to get through dinner? I will most likely visit Cagney's, Le Bistro and La Cucina. But, I'm wondering if I need to purchase the UDP and steer away from the MDR. All opinions are welcome. Thanks!

[cruiser1955a]

I've dined in both main dining rooms more than a dozen times over 3 Dawn cruises. We've always been seated immediately, with the exception of waiting 10 minutes once during a busy time (maybe 7:00pm). Always with a group of 4.

 

We've enjoyed every meal. Never had a complaint about any of the food, although I liked their old French Onion Soup, more than what they were serving last summer. I've had steaks that were as good as Cagney's.

 

We've always been in & out within an hour, to an hour and 10 minutes.

 

Note: Judging quality of food is a very subjective thing. We are fairly easy to please, but can tell bad food, from good food.

[cliffd64]

I too have never had to wait at any of the Main Dining Rooms on Dawn.

 

As for food quality, the MDR food has been upgraded fleet wide and seems to be quite good these days. Menus have changed and there is a lot more variety than previous years. Even the lunch menu in the MDRs was much better.

 

You will still enjoy the specialty restaurants more, but that is why they have a cover charge :) I was impressed to see how much they had improved the food over the past year or so. My opinion is you don't NEED to purchase the UDP, you could be perfectly content splitting your time between the MDR's and the specialty restaurants on your trip.

[vantec]

I've dined in both main dining rooms more than a dozen times over 3 Dawn cruises. We've always been seated immediately, with the exception of waiting 10 minutes once during a busy time (maybe 7:00pm). Always with a group of 4.

 

We've enjoyed every meal. Never had a complaint about any of the food, although I liked their old French Onion Soup, more than what they were serving last summer. I've had steaks that were as good as Cagney's.

 

We've always been in & out within an hour, to an hour and 10 minutes.

 

Note: Judging quality of food is a very subjective thing. We are fairly easy to please, but can tell bad food, from good food.

 

We had the exact opposite experience in January - while we would get seated immediately in the MDR, it would be at least 20 minutes before we saw a server - the service was horrible! We did not complain, but the first time the man at the table next to us actually got up and talked to a supervisor very strongly - we benefited greatly from his complaint. The second time the service was just as poor, so we never went back. I felt like both times we had to beg to order a glass of wine, and when I ordered wine that was featured on the menu it was not available, so I was brought a more expensive wine without even asking if it was o.k. with me. We did not go to any of the for fee restaurants, so can't speak to them. The Blue Lagoon seemed to usually have good service and pretty good food. The buffet was not impressive. We probably would not go on the Dawn again and the main reason for us was the bad food and service.

[RumpunchGirl]

Thanks for all your replies. DH and I usually enjoy the MDRs on other cruise lines. We have always chosen early seating and like having the same wait staff each night. Our experience on POA was long wait times to be seated and long wait times for our food to be brought out. But, I'm and hopeful that things will be a better when we cruise on Dawn next January. :)

[sparkinator]

Sailed the Dawn this past January and the food was excellent. My 11 year old daughter ate the sirloin strip every night and it was a really good steak. They food quality was a great improvement over last year. We actually had reservations to Cagneys, and cancelled them, because the MDR was so good. Our service was as good as the food. They got us in and out as quickly as any cruise ship we've ever been on.

[luddite]

They have improved the menus from several years ago. The food is fine.

Wait times are affected by many factors. Going at peak times ...... will slow things.

[JPV072900]

We did not enjoy the MDRs. We went for the first four nights. After realizing it wouldn't improve, we ate at the garden cafe on night 5, le bistro on night 6, and the Brazilian restaurant on the last night. We were so unsatisfied with the first four nights that we asked for a refund on a portion of the DSC which we used to pay for dinner at the two a specialty restaurants. Those restaurants were Worth every penny. The food and service were great

[edawn]

We were on the Dawn over Thanksgiving week 2014 and experienced waits both in being seated and once seated in placing our order. I thought maybe it was just because the boat was so full but maybe not. We did end up at the late show several times because of the wait.

[searoses]

I'm sure you won't starve but I would get the udp if I had a choice....the food was so so and the service was so unlike any other line we had been on we did not enjoy it....I know things have changed over the last few years but I have been on 2 other lines where the service did not seem overwhelming to those trying to give it....rushed and prefunctory...we ate in the buffet and our meals in le bistro and moderno were just terrific.....whatever you choose you will like the dawn....lovely crew for the most part...

[Elainemh]

My daughter and I were on the Dawn for 2 weeks in November. We always

had a wait time of 30 minutes or more to be seated. We usually went to eat

between 7:30 and 8:00. They would give you a pager and a coupon for a

glass of champagne. Once inside the service was very slow. The food was OK.

[LaDave]

We were on the Dawn on the Feb. 8 cruise and ate in the MDR for 6 nights. We waited only 2 nights when we arrived at 7:00 but then were given a pager and coupon for free glasses of champagne and then the wait was only about 10 minutes. We found the food good to very good and the service to be very good. We got to know the Maitre D (Magnolia) and our favorite waitress (Nashley) who took very good care of us. One night we jokingly compained that we didn't have to wait causing us to miss our champagne - when a few minutes later Magnolia shows up with 4 glasses of champagne for us. Expect the meals to take at least an hour but that's why we're on a cruise to sit back and enjoy!

[RumpunchGirl]

Thanks for all the input. I am so excited for this cruise!