Meals on Seabourn

[skincruisers]

I'm reading that Seaboard are closing the MDR for breakfast and lunch. Is this a every day thing or do they just do it on port days

[Emperor Norton]

I'm reading that Seaboard are closing the MDR for breakfast and lunch. Is this a every day thing or do they just do it on port days

 

That seems to have been a somewhat random experiment. As of Jan/Feb on the Odyssey the MDR was open B/L/D every day. Hopefully this was due to customer feedback (though it may have been due to the ship sailing at capacity).

 

The bigger issue is that it seems to vary from cruise to cruise so theres no way of knowing whether you can enjoy a relaxing breakfast/lunch or get stuck in the cattle call of the Colonnade.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Emperor Norton

[Mr Gee]

As far as I know all of the main cruise lines offer breakfast in the MDR so I'm surprised to read that Seabourn (as one of the luxury lines) may not. This is disappointing.

 

Can anyone who has been on Seabourn recently let us know what the current policy is?

Edited March 8, 2016 by Mr Gee

[ab21au]

We sailed Sept on the Quest when there was much discussion here about the MDR being closed for breakfast on some ships and on the Quest it was open on all days, both port and sea days. Unless there has been a policy change, it seems to be random.

Edited March 8, 2016 by ab21au

[stamfordian]

Can anyone who has been on Seabourn recently let us know what the current policy is?

 

Mr Gee: Emperor Norton has just returned from a Jan/Feb cruise on Odyssey.

 

His post is right above yours.

[Nigella]

As far as I know all of the main cruise lines offer breakfast in the MDR so I'm surprised to read that Seabourn (as one of the luxury lines) may not. This is disappointing.

 

Can anyone who has been on Seabourn recently let us know what the current policy is?

 

Pretty much what Emperor Norton said.

 

My most recent experience is in the last 6 months :

 

7 day Mediterranean cruise on Sojourn - MDR closed at breakfast and lunch

 

20 day Panama Canal cruise on Odyssey - MDR open every day for breakfast and lunch

[Catlover54]

Odyssey in September 2015, 2 1-week BTB cruises, port-intensive:

 

MDR closed for breakfast and lunch all days, including the sea day

 

Colonnade was busy at B and L, as were stewardesses doing room service, and there were SB Square morning snacks for food options. At lunch the pool area dining was also popular.

[PaulaJK]

I am sorry to read that these closures continue. For ourselves, this seems non

Luxury...so we have declined to sail SB in 2015 & 2016. We love other aspects of the line.

[RustyRollock]

With noticeably trimmed staffing levels across the industry I don't suppose it's always feasible to have the Colonade, Patio Grill, MDR open 3 times per day. On the rare occasions we've had brekky or lunch in the almost deserted, soulless MDR it was a rather lonely experience with very slow service from waiters who could probably be put to better use elsewhere. Dinner is a different story of course.

[wripro]

Seems like it's mainly on seven day cruises.

[Emperor Norton]

With noticeably trimmed staffing levels across the industry I don't suppose it's always feasible to have the Colonade, Patio Grill, MDR open 3 times per day. On the rare occasions we've had brekky or lunch in the almost deserted, soulless MDR it was a rather lonely experience with very slow service from waiters who could probably be put to better use elsewhere. Dinner is a different story of course.

 

The slow service for breakfast and lunch in the MDR made me wonder if they weren't just using the Colonnades galley and then bringing the food down as opposed to staffing and using the MDR kictchen. Either way for breakfast and lunch the Colonnades to much like a college cafeteria for my likes.

[PaulaJK]

Wripro

 

Our were 10-12 day cruises. I realize that we all may not feel the same, but we absolutely find this non 'luxury'. The staff is always on the move in The Colonnade as are the pax as they go back & forth to the buffets. We don't go buffets at home and when we're looking for leisure at sea, have no interest in them ...on any line. As far as I know. all of the other 'luxury' lines have seated service as do many of the main stream lines. Paula

[Kauaijim]

we were on the same trip as mr norton. we had breakfast there almost every day, service for coffee and juice was fast and for the main, timing was just fine. it was open every day for the 17 days as well. This subject seems to be re hashed a lot on these boards and I find it hard to believe someone would cancel a trip because of uncertainty on a dining room w/o asking SB

[PaulaJK]

I did ask SB. The response was that they could not commit/know/tell in advance.

[secoma4]

Closing MDR on non-sea days makes sense. Our experience has been that on those days many people pass through MDR to disembark, whilst numbers are also down due to the excursions and varying start times.

[rols]

I fear our constantly saying "we must go to the MDR for breakfast one day", and never actually doing it, like many other people it seems, has made opening it for the few who do use it, uneconomical.

 

If we find it open on our summer cruise, I promise we'll make use of it and see if we can help keep the numbers up. I suspect it's actually a rather nicer place to have breakfast than the colonnade scrum too.

[Able Seaman H]

As has been said this seems to have been something tried on port intensive Med cruises largely in response to incredibly small numbers using the service.

 

If less than 5 people make use of the dining room for a meal you relly would have to question it being open.

 

Where I do struggle is with opening times for the Colonnade. They can be extremely varied. One day it closes at 10.30am the next day 9.30am. On New Year's Day it closed 9.30am.

 

The excuse used is early excursions. Whilst I appreciate some trips genuinely need to leave early the vast majority don't. On that particular day most were back at the ship by 12.30pm having left at the crack of dawn. We didn't leave until around 6.30pm from memory.

 

In over 2 months on board we have never done an excursion for that reason. I have missed a few breakfasts though !

 

Henry :)

[Roxburgh]

'Luxury' is in the eye of the beholder. If the weather is nice then we love to sit outside for meals. So, often, the MDR is our last choice. We may use the MDR for lunch two or three times on a cruise and maybe just once - or not at all - for breakfast. For us, the outside dining area at the Colonnade is fantastic.

[lincslady]

Us too, Roxburgh. I like to choose my own fruit etc., how much and of what, although usually order a hot course to be served at breakfast. But I can understand why some people do not like using buffets, and certainly if the weather is poor the indoor area does get very crowded and less pleasant. I have to say that my recollection of opening hours at breakfast is it is nearly always 10 or 10.30 closing. MDR breakfast is very short hours, I think normally just 8 to 9.

[Techno123]

I also prefer sitting outside for breakfast and lunch rather than the formality of the MDR which I found a bit clinical. I have very fond memories of our October med holiday and eating outdoors and hope at lunch time it won't be too hot come July. I think lincslady it's because we rarely see the sun in the UK :-)

Edited March 10, 2016 by Techno123

[wripro]

Wripro

 

Our were 10-12 day cruises. I realize that we all may not feel the same, but we absolutely find this non 'luxury'. The staff is always on the move in The Colonnade as are the pax as they go back & forth to the buffets. We don't go buffets at home and when we're looking for leisure at sea, have no interest in them ...on any line. As far as I know. all of the other 'luxury' lines have seated service as do many of the main stream lines. Paula

 

Paula,

 

I agree completely. Part of luxury is choice and the choice should be ours, not theirs.

[lincslady]

We have rarely had breakfast in the MDR for several reasons:- having often been in a suite on deck 4, on walking through the MDR there have usually been in the region of 6 occupied tables, in what therefore seems a rather gloomy though peaceful atmosphere: opening hours of 8 to 9 are insufficient, and maybe we have been unlucky, but the few dishes we have had have been much less good than in the Colonnade - stodgy pancakes, not well done Eggs Benedict, etc.

 

Those who like to eat in the MDR for breakfast and lunch should perhaps try to muster support from others on board, perhaps, to make the staff feel it more worthwhile to open it! If we sit outside at the Colonnade, we can actually order everything from a waiter and have no need to queue at the buffet.

 

Having said all that, I do still feel that you are entitled to expect the MDR to be open for all meals, but I am afraid you are in something of a minority. Just keep plugging.

[wripro]

Smokers are in the minority too but they get to smoke on their verandahs. Wild children are in the minority too but when on board they get to disrupt other peoples' vacations. So those who want to have breakfast and lunch in the MDR, though in the minority, should be able to do so.

[vistaman]

i like special buffets sometimes but not on a daily base - and not compulsory because there is not a restaurant open ...

last year it was on the Sojourn 7 days the same as on the Odyssey ( 10days )in 2010 : daily closure

despite the precruise information clearly said : open 3 times a day

everybody on board maitre d'h , chef was aware that i complained but the hotel manager ran away every time he did notice me:rolleyes:

 

in Belgium there is an arbitration board for tourism ( tour operators and travel agencies ) for serious matters

i had 2 reasons : giving false and wrong info and not providing services as described in brochures

despite the procedure is not expensive i did not start but simply decided not to go back anymore and i did revoke an open booking

i never did receive a reply after i gave the reasons why ...

[Capri73]

Smokers are in the minority too but they get to smoke on their verandahs. Wild children are in the minority too but when on board they get to disrupt other peoples' vacations. So those who want to have breakfast and lunch in the MDR, though in the minority, should be able to do so.

 

You are 100% right. We have had misbehaved children, smokers, etc. Nothing has been done about any. Talked to our agent from Canada,MD ,HOM ,etc, seems like SB is loosing it grip on what people want. We have never gone to breakfast, always have room service but not the point. We love SB but lately are starting to think outside the box. We have many perks so giving her up with be with sad thoughts.