Dining Question (relative newbie)

[tallgirl97]

Our extended family has booked a cruise on Serenade of the Seas in 2020. Because it's a multi-generational trip and we've got little ones, we chose the early dinner seating (5:30 p.m. REALLY early.)

 

I assume there will be a port day or two when not everyone is back on the ship by 5:30 because we're going to Alaska and have some pretty long port days.

 

What are our dining options on those days - can we eat in the main dining room doing MTD or is Windjammer or room service your only option? If you know you won't be eating in the MDR on a particular night, do you give a heads up to someone?

 

Thanks!

[Clarea]

You cannot use MTD if you are assigned to traditional.  If you can't make your assigned time, then consider Windjammer, Park Cafe, specialty restaurant, or room service. 

 

If you know you are not going to make dinner the next night, it's nice to tell your wait staff.

[asalligo]

Just returned from Serenade last week. If you miss your dining time, it will be the Windjammer, the Park Cafe, the snacks in the coffee shop, and room service. I was so impressed with the windjammer though that I ate there often in the evenings instead of the MDR and one night I returned to my room to a note asking me to call the MDR. I thought I was going to be admonished for not cancelling my reservation which I had forgotten to do that night, but they just asked if there was anything they had done poorly that would bring me back to the MDR. I said no, but the truth is that their menu was boring. I would check the menu at the MDR and then walk through the Windjammer before going to the MDR and each evening they had something awesome on the buffet which would make me want to eat there. 

 

I also tried all the specialty restaurants and found them not to be something I would pay for again. Izumi's was completely empty the night I ate there though, so you could probably walk right in without an appointment. 

[precious89904600]

Now that brings up another question if you don't like what is being served at MDR can you request something else that maybe they can get from Windjammer and still be able to dine at MDR

[Clarea]

7 minutes ago, precious89904600 said:

Now that brings up another question if you don't like what is being served at MDR can you request something else that maybe they can get from Windjammer and still be able to dine at MDR

 

I would not ask them to go fetch things from Windjammer.  The dining staff barely has a moment to breathe anymore.  Look at the chidren's menu, you can order off that.  Also ask about any Indian entrees they might be serving that evening.

[SRF]

I find that a lot of times, some of the same dishes on the MDR menu are offered in the WJ.

 

 

[gerif]

33 minutes ago, precious89904600 said:

Now that brings up another question if you don't like what is being served at MDR can you request something else that maybe they can get from Windjammer and still be able to dine at MDR

You know in advance what is being served that night in the MDR. If you don’t like the selection, by all means plan to dine that evening in the WJ. The waitstaff in the MDR is barely able to keep up with the tables they need to serve as it is. I’m sure you wouldn’t be happy having your meal held up while your waiter had to run to the WJ to accommodate someone else. 

[LeeW]

8 hours ago, precious89904600 said:

Now that brings up another question if you don't like what is being served at MDR can you request something else that maybe they can get from Windjammer and still be able to dine at MDR

 

As others have said, the general answer is no.  But the kitchen can do a lot with what they have.  They always have fries, baked potato, mashed potato and often have steak fries.  They almost always have plain lettuce.  They can leave sauces off.  And the kids menu has a few options.  Plus other folks have reported curries being available.  There are a couple of menus we don't like but if it is really bad we order the upcharge steak.  Or eat dessert and head up to the buffet.

[cb at sea]

The menu is the same for both traditional and MtD.....You cannot switch between the 2 choices.  It would probably be best for the entire group to choose MTD....if you want to eat together, you can, and if you don't....then you can eat separately....

[brillohead]

21 hours ago, tallgirl97 said:

Our extended family has booked a cruise on Serenade of the Seas in 2020. Because it's a multi-generational trip and we've got little ones, we chose the early dinner seating (5:30 p.m. REALLY early.)

 

I assume there will be a port day or two when not everyone is back on the ship by 5:30 because we're going to Alaska and have some pretty long port days.

 

What are our dining options on those days - can we eat in the main dining room doing MTD or is Windjammer or room service your only option? If you know you won't be eating in the MDR on a particular night, do you give a heads up to someone?

 

Thanks!

It doesn't hurt to ASK at MTD if they can accommodate you once in a while.

A few cruises back, I was cruising with my teenaged son and he typically ditched me for dinner (he would meet up with new cruise-friends for teen activities starting at 8pm, so late sitting wasn't conducive to his lifestyle).  We had been assigned a table for two, so I was eating alone every night with my Kindle.

I met a couple guys in the nightclub the first night, and we started hanging out every night in the club.  When they found out a few nights in that I was eating all alone, they invited me to join them for dinner.  They had MTD, and we went and talked to the folks at the podium and they were very accommodating.  We all had a great cruise, and have cruised together once more since then, have another planned together in March, and yet another in November.  

Cruising is always more fun with awesome friends!

[SRF]

Yes, you may be able to change on board.

 

But changing back and forth day to day is likely not possible.  And anyway makes a lot more work for the MDR staff.

 

As for special requests, if you are all eating together in the MDR and some do not like any choices, go at lunch time or right after and talk to the staff.  Don't wait until you are seated then try to arrange a special dish.

 

The daily menus are posted early enough for you to do this.

 

[neeka27]

How do you book "traditional"? I'm on an upcoming Harmony of the Seas & only see booking MTD or specialty restaurants as a choice. Where do you see traditional? *confused*

[brillohead]

17 minutes ago, neeka27 said:

How do you book "traditional"? I'm on an upcoming Harmony of the Seas & only see booking MTD or specialty restaurants as a choice. Where do you see traditional? *confused*

If traditional MDR is full for both early and late sittings, it won't show as an option.

[asalligo]

On 1/15/2019 at 9:41 AM, gerif said:

You know in advance what is being served that night in the MDR. If you don’t like the selection, by all means plan to dine that evening in the WJ. The waitstaff in the MDR is barely able to keep up with the tables they need to serve as it is. I’m sure you wouldn’t be happy having your meal held up while your waiter had to run to the WJ to accommodate someone else. 

This is what I do every day on a cruise, check both and decide where I like better. The WJ won me over most nights.