Buffet for Dinner?

[SadieN]

The hot buffet line has a few things from the MDR. One chicken, one fish, one beef, vegetables, soup, and a starch. The Lido Chef has control of the menu.

There are some things better,IMHO, on the buffet than in the MDR - carved lamb and carved turkey.

 

There's always that one night when nothing is appetizing on the MDR menu. Some nights we'll get appetizers and dessert in the MDR and entree (usually it's lamb night) in the buffet.

Last Carnival cruise we ate several dinners in the MDR over the 13 days. Our last HAL cruise we never saw the MDR. On our next Princess cruise we've already decided to eat every night in the buffet.

 

 

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Edited July 6, 2016 by SadieN

[Revdoll]

Except that the food on the buffet may be sitting at the steam table for an hour or more.

 

 

The food in the MDR is not cooked to order, we did the Chef's table and we visited the kitchen during dinner and all the food were sitting in big pots waiting to be served. I suppose the buffet food comes from the same place. At least the buffet food is warm to hot. Most of the time I eat at the MDR my food is barely warm when I get it.

 

BTW- I highly recommend the Chef's table

 

 

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[sfaaa]

Nothing wrong with having buffet at dinner. Quick and easy with plenty of variety and empty tables to choose from. Works great if you want to catch the evening show or featured movie on Lido deck.

[DnD_Cruisin]

Agree....I do think the service may be a little more formal than chain restaurants, but you are spot on about the food. I feel the similar way about the "Steakhouses"....been to numerous specialty steakhouses on numerous lines....I love the setting, the quiet, the service. I have heard people compare it to a Smith & Wal or a Ruth Chris....STOP IT!!!! The steak in the Steakhouses is a "good" steak, similar to something you get in an Outback or Longhorns....If its the BEST steak you ever had, you need to treat yourself to a real steakhouse, it blows cruise line steaks away!!!!

 

As for steak quality I agree Texas Roadhouse is probably the closest comparison. But I will say (at least the Carnival steakhouses I have tried) the atmosphere was more similar to a Ruth's Chris or Flemings than an Outback.

[poobears]

When we first cruised we did strictly MDR then we tried the buffet and it wasn't long before we were buffet for everything except formal night (or elegant night as they call it now). Now if I go without DH it's strictly buffet all week long.

 

To me the food is much hotter on the buffet than I get in the dining room. Anyone that thinks they are getting made to order in the MDR has never seen behind the scenes in the kitchen. Everything is sitting for extended periods waiting to go out in the MDR you are not getting fresh food, you are not getting high end dining. It's a mass dining of course it's sitting on a steam tables and hot trays, how do you think they serve so many at once. Doesn't mean the food is bad at all, just not fresh to order which is why it tends to be warm and not steaming hot.

 

I also don't want to sit 1.5-2 hours during a meal. Others enjoy the whole process, I thought it was cute at first but seeing the singing waiters a few times was plenty for me. I prefer to grab my meal and go do something else so buffet or one of the other stands is definitely my choice. That doesn't mean we don't dress for dinner given the opportunity. The girls and I may still do elegant night with nice cocktail dresses and get all prettied up and have some fun but we won't be sitting for hours waiting on our food during that time.

[First and Ten]

As for steak quality I agree Texas Roadhouse is probably the closest comparison. But I will say (at least the Carnival steakhouses I have tried) the atmosphere was more similar to a Ruth's Chris or Flemings than an Outback.

 

Fully agree with that ....GREAT Atmosphere and service on most if not all the specialty cruiseline steakhouses....just speaking strictly about the steak themselves. It is not close to a fine steakhouse....Perhaps the ambiance and service make things taste better. Now I know I will get flamed that First and Ten "hates" the steaks....lol....I didn't say that. I said it was GOOD....Longhorns is a GOOD steak....Outback is a GOOD steak. I think its a deal for the $35 pp, especially for a special occasion. My point to this is if you have dined at Peter Lugars or a Ruth Chris, The Palm, etc, Cruise ship steakhouses are not on that level as far as quality of steak

Edited July 6, 2016 by First and Ten

[Micahs Grandad]

All due respect, you don't think the meals coming out to the MDR are not sitting on some steam tray for the same amount of time? you have what, 800-1000 people per sitting....it isn't coming right from oven to plate

 

I know that my dinner is not right off the stove but do think it comes to me faster than the items we take off the buffet.

[Micahs Grandad]

The food in the MDR is not cooked to order, we did the Chef's table and we visited the kitchen during dinner and all the food were sitting in big pots waiting to be served. I suppose the buffet food comes from the same place. At least the buffet food is warm to hot. Most of the time I eat at the MDR my food is barely warm when I get it.

 

BTW- I highly recommend the Chef's table

 

 

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We have had better success than you in the DR than. I also agree that the chef's table was a memorable experience.

[StolidCruiser]

I know that my dinner is not right off the stove but do think it comes to me faster than the items we take off the buffet.

 

How much faster can it hit your plate than you dishing it on yourself at the buffet?

 

SMH

[First and Ten]

I know that my dinner is not right off the stove but do think it comes to me faster than the items we take off the buffet.

 

That works....different people, different likes....its all good, whatever makes people happy....its interesting reading some of these posts. Breakfast and Lunch seem less formal and its ok to "wing it". Whereas Dinner seems to have much higher expectations for some, especially while on vacation. Its intriquing reading the different viewpoints

Edited July 6, 2016 by First and Ten

[Yvonne]

The first cruise we had dinner at the buffet was our 4-night Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas. We had signed up for their My Time/Anytime Dining (can't remember for sure what they called it) and the first night they said they wouldn't have any tables available until after the show. We didn't want to wait 2 hours to get a table so we went to the buffet. And we liked it. We ate at the buffet for dinner each night of that cruise.

 

We have done the buffet for dinner a few times on Carnival too. We enjoy the dining room (always do Anytime Dining) most nights, but the buffet has its good points too. We enjoy being able to dress casually and choose our own table. Being able to choose your own food, and as others have said so many of the main dining room menu items are also served on the buffet. And being able to skip over some of the sides if you don't want them, or take another serving of a favorite item, etc. It's generally pretty quiet in the buffet for dinner, and it doesn't take an hour and a half to eat.

 

Plus we don't have to sit through the dancing waiters and people flinging their dirty napkins in the air. :)

[winddawn]

I have always enjoyed the Buffet, especially for dinner....More variety and found the food very good. This past cruise, I ate in the buffet for dinner 2 out of the 5 nights and the cruise previous, I ate 6 of the 7 nights at the buffet for dinner. Just curious how others feel about the buffet for dinner?

I usually eat at the buffet every night except for lobster night in the MDR. I can get unlimited soup at the buffet. Carnival's homemade soups are one of my favorite Carnival foods. Pair that with the salad bar, and I'm usually happy for supper. I do enjoy going to the MDR for sea day brunch though.

[Micahs Grandad]

How much faster can it hit your plate than you dishing it on yourself at the buffet?

 

SMH

 

Very true but how long is it sitting out in the buffet?

[crzndeb]

I have been cruising since 1980, in the beginning with friends, and later with my 2 daughters. We always did the MDR. But now that I have gotten older and I travel solo, I tend to grab something on the Lido. I don't like the wait or the noise in the MDR. And I don't want to eat with strangers. It's just my personal preference.

 

Now that being said, if I have friends on the same sailings (which usually happens), we all do ATD and have a meeting place every night. We can either go or not to the MDR. I try to make it a couple of nights, though I still prefer to eat elsewhere.

 

Dinner is usually my lightest meal, so just grabbing something light usually works for me. And by eating at the buffet, I feel like I'm not wasting food. I eat pretty healthy at home, and it's just me, so I still try to keep the same habits when I cruise.

[winddawn]

The hot buffet line has a few things from the MDR. One chicken, one fish, one beef, vegetables, soup, and a starch. The Lido Chef has control of the menu.

There are some things better,IMHO, on the buffet than in the MDR - carved lamb and carved turkey.

 

There's always that one night when nothing is appetizing on the MDR menu. Some nights we'll get appetizers and dessert in the MDR and entree (usually it's lamb night) in the buffet.

Last Carnival cruise we ate several dinners in the MDR over the 13 days. Our last HAL cruise we never saw the MDR. On our next Princess cruise we've already decided to eat every night in the buffet.

 

 

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I totally agree, Sadie. There is always that one night (or two!) when nothing on the menu in the MDR looks good. I also ate strictly at the buffet the last time I cruised HAL, with the exception of lobster night and I ordered my lobster dinner to be delivered to my cabin and ate supper on my balcony. That's one thing I love about HAL. I can call and have a MDR menu delivered to my cabin, look it over, then pick up the phone and order supper to enjoy quietly in my cabin.

[Micahs Grandad]

That works....different people, different likes....its all good, whatever makes people happy....its interesting reading some of these posts. Breakfast and Lunch seem less formal and its ok to "wing it". Whereas Dinner seems to have much higher expectations for some, especially while on vacation. Its intriquing reading the different viewpoints

 

On port and sea days we prefer the buffet for lunch as it has a nice variety.

 

Breakfast we do like the brunch on sea days but find food comes out fresher than up on lido.

 

People like what they like and that is fine:)

[Schoifmom]

It is interesting to hear all of the perspectives. As I stated in post #2, it's all personal preference. We like to eat in the dining room for dinner because of my dietary restrictions and DH's mobility issues. Getting waited on is a definite plus in that regard.

[mwood0612]

For me it really depends on how packed the ship is!!! The cruise we were on last week was completely sold out. There were also a lot of new cruisers on board! The first night the MDR was great, quick and no problems! 2nd night was the formal night and it was a NIGHTMARE!!!! The service was so ridiculously slow and the food was NOT what it normally is on formal night! It was :eek:!!!!! We left before we even had dessert!!!The last night we had a nice leisurely dinner at the buffet and it was great!!! We ate on our time table and the food was really good!!! We have only ran into the MDR issues on one other cruise so I can't complain but the buffet is definitely always an option for us!!!

[First and Ten]

It is interesting to hear all of the perspectives. As I stated in post #2, it's all personal preference. We like to eat in the dining room for dinner because of my dietary restrictions and DH's mobility issues. Getting waited on is a definite plus in that regard.

 

I get that....when on vacation, people want to be pampered and/or served. I am willing to bet most of us don't get that in our everyday lives, so we should enjoy little pleasures when given the oportunity

Edited July 6, 2016 by First and Ten

[balcony bound]

We rarely dine in the main dining room anymore, preferring to either visit the steakhouse or buffet depending on what our plans are for the evening. If we feel like a nice dinner service and aren't in a rush - its off to the steakhouse (or JiJi's if available). If there is a show we want to see, early comedy, or we're just tired we'll choose the buffet. For us, doing it this way makes our cruise so much more relaxing and we don't overeat!

 

I think it is awesome to have choices and go with whatever works at the moment.

[drosphot]

Steakhouse on the first night and sometimes again later on in the week. We check the MDR menu daily but usually go to the Lido on the past few cruises.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

MDR @ night. Lido otherwise.

[VASOXFANN]

We prefer the MDR, but sometimes we nap too long and end up eating at the buffet. Both do the trick :D

[Micahs Grandad]

I get that....when on vacation, people want to be pampered and/or served. I am willing to bet most of us don't get that in our everyday lives, so we should enjoy little pleasures when given the oportunity

 

like

[pusywillow]

We always have dinner in the MDR. I like to be waited on.