Embarkation lunch

[Saskmountain]

Greetings! On our last cruise with RCL we had lunch in Chops on embarkation day. It was great, and avoided the inevitable crowds in the buffet. What’s the equivalent with Carnival (we’ll be on the Sunrise) - what’s usually open for embarkation day lunch?

[pusywillow]

Guys Burgers.   Was never on the Sunrise so I don't know if they have the barbecue place.

[mredandchis]

Well you can always go to the dining room on carnival ships and avoid the crowd. I am not sure if the specialty resturants will be open but they might be.

 

[Bookbug53]

Cucina dei Capitano will be open. Above the buffet (and the crowds), it is a table service pasta restaurant. Select your pasta, sauce, and add toppings (mushrooms, shrimp, sausage, onions, etc.).

[Davey Wavey]

Depending on which ship, the usually overlooked non-buffet place is the pasta place (some ships called the Cucina del Capitano and others the pasta bar/kitchen) at the rear of the ship on the deck above the buffet. On some ships Jijis Asian Kitchen is another place aft of the buffet. And the BBQ place and/or snack place on the 5th level is open. None of these places has a surcharge for lunch.

[1025cruise]

2 hours ago, mredandchis said:

Well you can always go to the dining room on carnival ships and avoid the crowd. I am not sure if the specialty resturants will be open but they might be.

 

The MDR on Carnival ships is not open for embarkation lunch.

[Joebucks]

Embarkation lunch can be hit or miss on the crowds. My last one wasn't bad at all. Usually, just about everything is open. I will usually spend the extra 5 minutes or so to wait in line for whatever sounds the best. It's really not the end of the world.

[maryred]

8 hours ago, Saskmountain said:

Greetings! On our last cruise with RCL we had lunch in Chops on embarkation day. It was great, and avoided the inevitable crowds in the buffet. What’s the equivalent with Carnival (we’ll be on the Sunrise) - what’s usually open for embarkation day lunch?

Sadly unless you purchase the KEY program or have this as a loyalty benefit, Chops will no longer be a embarkation day option.

As for Carnival, beyond the Lido deck offerings, which can include (ship dependent) Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Pizza Pirate or Pizzeria del Capitano, Mongolian Wok or Chopsticks, The Carnival Deli, Salad Bar and Tandoor, there is little choice for embarkation day lunch and this depends on the ship and homeport regulations. On ships that have Seafood Shack, (Serenity area) Fresh Creations, Cucina del Capitano, Pasta Bella, The Captain's Pasta Bar, and/or JiJi Asian Kitchen these should be open for lunch on embarkation day. On a homeport by home port basis (due to local open flame regulations) you might find these venues, if offered, open for lunch during embarkation Ol' Fashioned BBQ, Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que, and Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse.

[jgaudette3]

The crowds will vary depending on when you board the ship. We always board at the earliest time we can. Guy's Burgers is a favorite and does get busy, so we always plan ahead. Going on the Sunrise you will have options and  Cucina del Capitano on the Magic had no waiting and Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que had a line but moved fast. 

[grandmarnnurse]

14 hours ago, mredandchis said:

Well you can always go to the dining room on carnival ships and avoid the crowd. I am not sure if the specialty resturants will be open but they might be.

 

I didn’t realize that Carnival offered lunch in the MDR. I did not see that it was open for lunch on my Breeze cruise in March. 

[coevan]

Just now, grandmarnnurse said:

I didn’t realize that Carnival offered lunch in the MDR. I did not see that it was open for lunch on my Breeze cruise in March. 

 

 

Because the MDR is not open on embarkation day.

[Allura_317]

The most equivalent to Chops would either be lunch in Cucina del Capitano or Jiji's Asian Kitchen.  Cucina del Capitano is the specialty Italian restaurant that is a $15 up-charge for dinner.  During lunch, it turns into Captain's Pasta Bar.  This is a create your own pasta restaurant where you choose your pasta, protein(s), vegetables(s), etc.  You can also get caesar salad and lasagna.  Jiji's is the Asian specialty restaurant that is a $15 up-charge for dinner.  It is a create your own stir-fry restaurant during lunch known as Mongolian Wok.  These two options are included in your cruise.  For an up-charge, you can go to Bonsai Sushi, which is an a la carte sushi restaurant.  The steakhouse is not open for embarkation lunch.  

[Host Carolyn]

Bottom line: You will have to find another option at lunchtime -- several have been suggested above. 

 

The Main Dining Room(s) are not open for LUNCH on embarkation day.

[Saint Greg]

Whatever is above the buffet. The blue cards don’t make it up that high before they stop to eat so it’s usually nice and quiet the first couple days.

 

Looks like on sunrise that’s Cucina Del Capitano on deck 10 aft. So it’ll be a sit down restaurant where you order bread, salad, then a bowl of pasta with your choice of pasta, meat, veggies...or lasagna.

 

[gtouch]

53 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Whatever is above the buffet. The blue cards don’t make it up that high before they stop to eat so it’s usually nice and quiet the first couple days.

 

Looks like on sunrise that’s Cucina Del Capitano on deck 10 aft. So it’ll be a sit down restaurant where you order bread, salad, then a bowl of pasta with your choice of pasta, meat, veggies...or lasagna.

 

Someone seems full of themselves. Another my card color makes me better than you.

[grandmarnnurse]

8 hours ago, gtouch said:

Someone seems full of themselves. Another my card color makes me better than you.

I really don’t think the poster meant it that way. He probably meant that the Blue Cards—-being first time Carnival cruisers—most are generally unaware that the option is available to them, or where it is, so they stop at the buffet. I am a Gold card cruiser, but as this was my first time sailing a ship with the Italian restaurant, we did not find it until day 2. I had read about it, but was unaware it was up some steps. Not that I know always what all posters are trying to infer, but I’d bet that was it. Not that they were full of themselves. 

[grandmarnnurse]

9 hours ago, Host Carolyn said:

Bottom line: You will have to find another option at lunchtime -- several have been suggested above. 

 

The Main Dining Room(s) are not open for LUNCH on embarkation day.

Exactly what I thought, as I have not seen it opened on embarkation day, or ANY day at lunch. 

[PhillyFan33579]

9 hours ago, gtouch said:

Someone seems full of themselves. Another my card color makes me better than you.

 

Interesting that you attack someone who passed along helpful information, but didn’t say anything about the poster who passed incorrect information saying the MDR was an option. I think his comment about blue cards was simply saying people on a Carnival ship for the first time likely don’t know all the lunch options available on embarkation day. 

[TerReuv]

10 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

Whatever is above the buffet. The blue cards don’t make it up that high before they stop to eat so it’s usually nice and quiet the first couple days.

 

Looks like on sunrise that’s Cucina Del Capitano on deck 10 aft. So it’ll be a sit down restaurant where you order bread, salad, then a bowl of pasta with your choice of pasta, meat, veggies...or lasagna.

 

Totally agree!  When we sailed Magic we went up there.  It was deserted.  Not only is it great food, you can order however much you want.  I got a caesar salad, pasta with mushrooms and chicken and bread.  My DH got lasagna, spaghetti and bread.  They serve you too so there is no waiting in line.  Best place to be on embark day when the lido is packed with folks and their luggage.

 

We will be on the Breeze next year and plan to do the same thing.

[Squadleader]

Haha, Grandmarnurse, please tell me you haven't forgotten our Sea Day Brunch date in the Main Dining Room?!!! Don't make me eat my steak and eggs alone!

 

All kidding aside, I think you're right, other than the Sea Day Brunch, I don't think the Main Dining Room serves lunch. I think some of the cruise lines do, but I don't think Carnival is one of them.

[BellaSweet]

9 hours ago, gtouch said:

Someone seems full of themselves. Another my card color makes me better than you.

Oh calm down..  They were just mentioning that the newer cruisers don't really know that there are other places to eat. I know on my first cruise, I thought the buffet was the only option when you board the ship. 

[Saint Greg]

42 minutes ago, BellaSweet said:

Oh calm down..  They were just mentioning that the newer cruisers don't really know that there are other places to eat. I know on my first cruise, I thought the buffet was the only option when you board the ship. 

 

Exactly. I own a blue card and a couple of red cards myself. It was a few cruises before I figured out what the MDR was. I thought those people were invited to some fancy dinner and I wasn’t.

 

It was even longer before I figured out sea day brunch.  I always book forward rooms on higher decks and the brunch has always been in the aft dinning room...no reason for me to go back there on a sea day morning. I think I learned about it on a John Heald video.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, Squadleader said:

other than the Sea Day Brunch, I don't think the Main Dining Room serves lunch. I think some of the cruise lines do, but I don't think Carnival is one of them.

 

That's not quite true.  On sea days on Carnival's longer cruises, the brunches alternate with breakfast and lunch in the MDR.

[dlphn501]

On 5/14/2019 at 8:16 AM, Joebucks said:

Embarkation lunch can be hit or miss on the crowds. My last one wasn't bad at all. Usually, just about everything is open. I will usually spend the extra 5 minutes or so to wait in line for whatever sounds the best. It's really not the end of the world.

I waited about 10-15 minutes at Mongolian Wok on embarkation day and I didn't mind waiting because I figured that would be the shortest line of the cruise.  We had FTTF, so we were in that line at about 11:30.

[Squadleader]

These are all great ideas, knowledge is power when it comes to cruising. 

 

Personally, I think the boards are a lot more fun when people aren't criticized for how they express themselves. There's nothing I enjoy more than a funny word picture or a clever way of expressing an idea. 

 

Saying blue cards hit a wall at the buffet is funny and actually true (good humor has to have a grain of truth). Just like everyone else here, my first few cruises revolved around the buffet because it's the easiest and most obvious target of opportunity when it comes to eating. 

 

So I encourage everyone to not to let other people govern how they express themselves. The fun of all this is seeing other points of view, we may not have even considered. These boards are an incredible wealth of information for making your cruise experience better by understanding how the complex picture of all amenities of a ship work together, and also understanding the behavior of the other passengers. Hopefully, we're all dodging left when they're dodging right! If I can't figure out how to dodge crowds, I just wouldn't even go.

 

I've gotten a lot older and hopefully a little wiser, and now I prefer the slower pace of the main dining room and any other food venue that's doing an especially great job like Guy's Burgers, Blue Igauana, Cucina del Capitano, and Mongolian Wok.

Edited May 17, 2019 by Squadleader