Meal Questions

[bouhunter]

Here is a stupid newbie question (or two). For breakfast and lunch do they also serve in the main dining room, or is it just the Windjammer? If there's a choice, what are the benefits of one over the other?

 

Our first cruise is in February and we can't wait:)

[jwlane]

For breakfast and lunch do they also serve in the main dining room, or is it just the Windjammer?

Both or either! Remember, breakfast comes after room service.

[wrp96]

I like eating in breakfast and lunch in the dining room - but I am not big on buffets. I usually only go to the Windjammer when I am in a hurry to get off the ship for an excursion. That said, the Windjammer is convenient and can have a lot of variety but you may have to wait in long lines depending on when you go. The dining room will probably (but not necessarily) take longer than the Windjammer, but it is a more leisurely meal. The DR at lunch doesn't have as much variety as the WJ but I've always found more than enough to make me happy. I like the DR for Breakfast because they serve Eggs Benedict and French Toast (the only breakfast items I like).

[KelJ]

Breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer are buffet. Breakfast and lunch in the dining room will be served to you. For breakfast and lunch in the dining room, you will not be seated at your usual table and may be seated with others.

[Max Circus]

Biggest benefits of Windjammer are convenience of eating times and variety of choices. Also generally will find this "faster" - better for port days where you want to "eat and run".

 

Dining room is better for a more relaxed meal - better for sea days.

[beth4652]

Room Service is the way to go for breakfast, IMHO.

[kittykauf]

I second that, try room service especially if you want quiet time with no people for a change. If you have a balcony it's the best to eat out there in the sun and the seas. Perfect way to start your day!

[bouhunter]

Room service for breakfast on the balcony sounds great. Not having cruised before and being used to high priced motel room service menus, I keep forgetting its an affordable option:)

[glgolfer]

Two things about lunch in the DR. Since it's open seating, you get to talk to different people every day. Sometimes that's not so good, but sometimes it's great. On one of our cruises (after we had already decided to take a NCV trip to Norway) we sat two different times at lunch with a family from there. We got some very useful info.

Also, creme brulee is one of the desserts for lunch every day. How much better can it get?

[momofslg]

Let me start by saying that we go on a cruise to be pampered.fFor our first 3 cruises my hubbie and I always ate in the dining room for every meal. This upcoming cruise we have an AFT balcony (1st balcony ever:p ) and are probably going to have room service bring our breakfast (most days) and an evening snack to enjoy while the sun sets.

[QuitMyDayJob]

Creme brulee in the dining room for lunch EVERY DAY?!! Anyone know if this is standard on all ships? How about NOS? :D :D :D

[wrp96]

Also, creme brulee is one of the desserts for lunch every day. How much better can it get?

 

Ooh. I forgot about the creme brulee. My favorite on my last cruise was the coconut creme brulee.

[SAS21]

We Just Got Back From Navigator Western And One Of The Best Things About The Cruise Was Room Service For Breakfast. Ordered The Night Before By 3 A.m. Specify Time You Want It Delivered. It Was Always On Time, They Call You When They Are Ready To Deliver. Don't Forget To Tip A Couple Dollars. We Even Used It As A Wake Up Call One Morning. On Early Port Days It Was Really Great.

[glgolfer]

The new menu has been used on the last three RCI ships we've been on and the creme brulee has been on the menu every day. With any luck, that will never change.

[mymk4u]

I did room service for breakfast because I'm used to eating first thing in the morning. I also don't do well on the water without something in my tummy. In addition I liked the fact that it was more "portion controled" than a buffet. They always called before they brought it and I gave the server a couple dollars each time. Hubby had a pot of strong coffee delivered every morning in the room but his breakfast was in Windjammer. Coffee on the balcony was a must for him in the morning. Our last day we had breakfast in the dining room and it was open seating.

 

Lunch while on board was mostly in the Windjammer but 1 or 2 times we did the dining room. We had enjoyable table mates everytime.

[ORANGEinINDY]

Ooh. I forgot about the creme brulee. My favorite on my last cruise was the coconut creme brulee.

Eggs Benedict atBreakfast,...

Fried Calamari and an appetizer and Chocolate Creme Brulee for desert at lunch...

..all with new friends each day

Steak sandwich at lunch was a dissapointment.

[curiousjly]

okay, I will show my ignorance, but I don't care. What is creme brulee?:confused:

 

 

As for where to have breakfast or lunch, it depends on the type of meal you want. In the main dining it is more formal, and you are seated with whoever. It can be nice, or a royal pain. It depends on your tastes, do you like a resturant style, where you are served, or are you the type who wants to wander and pick out what you want?

I did the main dinning for lunch only once, and only once for breakfast.

 

I liked the casual atmosphere of the Windjammer, and if you get there right at the time it opens, it can be crowded, but you know there hasn't been a lot of "handling" of the food. But there were plenty of tongs and I didn't see anyone touch the food with their hands, but still, some people are very finicky about what they see as a germ garden. Of course, it is harder than heck to find a place to sit also.

 

The only time I saw anything that made me feel a tad bit cautious, was the bread section, and the desert area, it seemed that people wanted to move the bread around to find the right slice, they used the tongs, but still. With desert, some wanted the bigger slice, or whatever reason they had, and they would move slices around, and I just didn't feel comfortable at that area.

There was always someone at the other sections to make sure that the food was not all over the place, to keep things neat and clean, so I felt pretty secure. But I am country, so we aren't as finicky as many are, and this is not an insult, just an observation that I have noticed as I have studied people (hummmm, research idea???).

 

Hope that helps.

 

Janette

[lauren0309]

When you have room service for breakfast, do you have it order it the night before or do you call for it that morning? We've never had it before but now since we have a balcony room for the first time we would like to enjoy breakfast on the balcony.

[heatherb819]

We just cruised 11/21 - 11/25 on Majesty and found the dining room b-fast to be small portions, but the buffet was excellent and the lines weren't really long at all and our ship was at full capacity. But for lunch, the dining room was our preference, one because of the creme brulee, chocolate, my favorite and the portions were the perfect size. Of course one morning we ate b-fast in the dining room and then went to the Windjammer to top it off with some fresh fruit. Try both it's just a matter of personal opinion.

[KKeeganS]

okay, I will show my ignorance, but I don't care. What is creme brulee?:confused:

 

It is custard with a carmelized sugar coating on the top. Comes in various flavors and, done right, is DIVINE.

 

On our last trip on the AOS, the main dining room was only open for lunch on our one sea day. Is that typical for the St. Lucia itinerary? I seem to remember we ate lunch (okay, FIRST lunch) in the main dining room everyday on the Aruba route.

[ORANGEinINDY]

okay, I will show my ignorance, but I don't care. What is creme brulee?:confused:

Creme Brulee is a pudding or custard like desert, (but better!) When done they use a small propane torch to carmelize the top surface. MMMMM

Ohhh... its sooo good!

[glgolfer]

I believe RCI has started closing the dining room on all port days. Only open on sea days.

That's probably a good thing as it cuts down on the weight gain from having

X (fill in your number) number of creme brulees every day for lunch.

 

There probably weren't enough folks eating there on port days to justify keeping it open. And, with the staff cutbacks, it gives the servers needed extra time off.

[KKeeganS]

I believe RCI has started closing the dining room on all port days. Only open on sea days.

That's probably a good thing as it cuts down on the weight gain from having

X (fill in your number) number of creme brulees every day for lunch.

 

There probably weren't enough folks eating there on port days to justify keeping it open. And, with the staff cutbacks, it gives the servers needed extra time off.

 

Makes sense. Wasn't sure if it was fleet-wide or just on that sailing for some reason. Still managed to gain weight despite the creme brulees. Like I said, we had first lunch at the Windjammer and then ate a ton of those tasty little finger sandwiches they served in Lattitudes on the Promenade. The one drawback, actually, is that creme brulee was usually served as desert with lunch, and I don't think it was offered at all in the main dining room. They need to remedy that little glitch if they are doing away with formal lunches!!

[glgolfer]

I'm not definitely sure, but I think they still have the brulee one night in the dining room. Haven't been on RCI since last December, so that might have changed.

The other problem is the macademia nut cookies in the Promenade Cafe. It seemd that no matter where I was on the Voyager class ships I've been on, the route back to the cabin at night always went by there to get a midnight snack of a couple of the sandwiches and some cookies.

[beth4652]

If it's available on the ship, you should be able to request it at dinner in the main dining room. Find the maitre 'd when you first board or ask your waiter the first night. A couple of bucks might not hurt.