Dining in The Restaurant at lunch

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, kjbacon said:

Remember that cigarette back a million years that was a silly little millimeter longer 101 🤣

You're older than me 😁

[kjbacon]

3 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

You're older than me 😁

Nah, I betcha you’re much older than me 🤣

[brittany12]

Forget the hyperbole. Forget counting  the exact number of stars. 5, 6, 7....100. Everyone gets the underlying point—luxury means luxury. We all certainly know it from the prices we pay and the services we read are being promised.  And from what the "luxury" competition provides.  6 days on the Sojourn TA that was just reported without any MDR open for lunch is an absolute disgrace. Why does everyone on board take it so calmly?    

[rkacruiser]

13 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Anyone else old enough to remember when five stars were the best of the best.

 

Long closed, but, my city had a 5 Star restaurant, the King Cole, that truly was 5 Stars!  It was a restaurant that my dining party patronized very rarely--maybe celebrating the Holiday season or a birthday.  Ambiance, decor (lovely art), Silver Service, a Sommelier with an extensive wine list, Maitre d', Bus Boy, a Waiter (or was there an assistant as well?), leather seating and dim lights, tableside preparations and flambes:  there is nothing on the High Seas that comes close to that standard of dining.  That, at least for my dining companion and me, was luxury!  

[rkacruiser]

13 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Anyone else old enough to remember when five stars were the best of the best.

 

Long closed, but, my city had a 5 Star restaurant, the King Cole, that truly was 5 Stars!  It was a restaurant that my dining party patronized very rarely--maybe celebrating the Holiday season or a birthday.  Ambiance, decor (lovely art), Silver Service, a Sommelier with an extensive wine list, Maitre d', Bus Boy, a Waiter (or was there an assistant as well?), leather seating and dim lights, tableside preparations and flambes:  there is nothing on the High Seas that comes close to that standard of dining.  That, at least for my dining companion and me, was luxury!  

[cruiseej]

5 hours ago, brittany12 said:

6 days on the Sojourn TA that was just reported without any MDR open for lunch is an absolute disgrace. Why does everyone on board take it so calmly?    

 

(a) We don't know why. Is is because it's new policy? Is it because they are short-staffed due to hiring problems and/or Covid or flu sidelining some staff?

 

(b) So what's the alternative to "taking it calmly"? Rant about it more than has been done in the 10 pages of this thread? What would that accomplish?

[lincslady]

And it is hardly everyone on board, when it is usually just maybe four to six couples eating in there  when it is open - but those few are certainly letting their voices be heard  here.

[twochromic]

Update from Sojourn:

Still no MDR for lunch, and according to the supervisory staff, no plans to open during this T/A.

They are using the old "Covid" excuse. Claiming that galley is still significantly understaffed as crew cannot "get back to the ship". Galley staff cannot run Colonnade, Square, Deck, and Roomservice at once and still run MDR lunch. Who knows what the reality is.

Having done a prior T/A on Seabourn, though food quality and service is still very good, they are a long way from being the cruise line they were prior to the shutdowns. 

No reason to be discussing star ratings yet.

[brittany12]

A transatlantic cruise from Europe in middle of November. I've done several. Seas are frequently rough. Hurricanes are possible and windy, rainy days to be expected, even though sometimes it is like a lake. Cold outside temperatures in the middle of the Atlantic until ship gets closer to Florida waters are the norm. Outside dining on Colonnade or patio probably out of question for most of those days. No one except maybe a few brave Brits are hanging around at pool or pool deck. People staying inside. The point is that therefore for TA November cruises the MDR dining experience for breakfast and lunch becomes even more vital to people's enjoyment of the entire cruise experience. Maybe it's a small minority of us who prefer this, but it is the hallmark of a luxury cruise line to provide this more civilized, and now safer  because of covid,  luncheon dining option, even with  truncated hours. The rule recent  SB sailors had been insisting upon that they thought SB followed a policy, as criticized as it is, was that the MDR is open for breakfast daily but only open for lunch on sea days. Hello, because now it's reported that even this limited sea-day policy does not apply on the Sojourn TA cruise and people have had to crowd into Colonnade for lunch each day for the normal buffet meals service and lines. We now have just heard the ship is saying it is covid related, but "twochromic"  suggests no one really knows the truth. To me, it sounds like poor planning or bad deployment of available resources. What can  be done, besides bitterly complaining to on board  management? All of those board and all of us who object to this breakdown of the SB past practice and promise, even in this unacceptable sea-day only form,  have pens and keyboards, so we should write to SB management and let our voices be heard. Insist on an explanation and correction. Don't just complain here to sympathetic and unsympathetic voices.

[Mr Luxury]

23 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Nah, I betcha you’re much older than me 🤣

Mum said you came out first.

[Mr Luxury]

23 hours ago, brittany12 said:

Forget the hyperbole. Forget counting  the exact number of stars. 5, 6, 7....100. Everyone gets the underlying point—luxury means luxury. We all certainly know it from the prices we pay and the services we read are being promised.  And from what the "luxury" competition provides.  6 days on the Sojourn TA that was just reported without any MDR open for lunch is an absolute disgrace. Why does everyone on board take it so calmly?    

I don't eat lunch on a ship

[PaulaJK]

Although there have been some exceptions, my experience is that

Seabourn closed their MDR for lunch several years ago. Recent

reports from Regent and SS do not reflect shortages blamed on covid.

Makes me wonder about SB’s explanations.

[Mr Luxury]

48 minutes ago, PaulaJK said:

Although there have been some exceptions, my experience is that

Seabourn closed their MDR for lunch several years ago. Recent

reports from Regent and SS do not reflect shortages blamed on covid.

Makes me wonder about SB’s explanations.

They closed the MDR because there were only a handful of guests at best.

I remember having breakfast five years ago and there only being twelve for breakfast.

Dreadful waste really but I personally like a quiet breakfast with nobody to annoy me.😁

[SLSD]

3 hours ago, PaulaJK said:

Although there have been some exceptions, my experience is that

Seabourn closed their MDR for lunch several years ago. Recent

reports from Regent and SS do not reflect shortages blamed on covid.

Makes me wonder about SB’s explanations.

Pre-pandemic we dined for breakfast and lunch every day we were at sea in the MDR on a crossing from Japan to Alaska.  

 

I am beginning to believe that most Seabourn guests actually  prefer buffets and don't  mind dining with a crowd. Perhaps it seems more festive to them than the serene dining room.  It's a shame for the rest of us, but SB may be trying to please the majority and doesn't worry about the few. 

 

Is Covid a valid excuse?  Who knows.  I just read that Carnival's Majestic Princess is docked in Sydney with 800 Covid positive passengers onboard (out of 4,000 total passengers).  

Edited November 12, 2022 by SLSD

[LMB01]

5 hours ago, SLSD said:

Pre-pandemic we dined for breakfast and lunch every day we were at sea in the MDR on a crossing from Japan to Alaska.  

 

I am beginning to believe that most Seabourn guests actually  prefer buffets and don't  mind dining with a crowd. Perhaps it seems more festive to them than the serene dining room.  It's a shame for the rest of us, but SB may be trying to please the majority and doesn't worry about the few. 

 

Is Covid a valid excuse?  Who knows.  I just read that Carnival's Majestic Princess is docked in Sydney with 800 Covid positive passengers onboard (out of 4,000 total passengers).  

I have to comment on the “serene dining room”.  We avoid the dining room at dinner and would never consider going there for breakfast or lunch - far too slow of service and not anything on the menu we would eat.

[LMB01]

Also will comment how hysterical I find this thread after all the other ones talking about how everyone is “equal”.  That is unless you don’t like to dine in the MDR, wear jeans or have higher expectations of service.

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, LMB01 said:

Also will comment how hysterical I find this thread after all the other ones talking about how everyone is “equal”.  That is unless you don’t like to dine in the MDR, wear jeans or have higher expectations of service.

  We all are entitled to our different perspectives.  I'm just observing that the Colonnade appears to be more popular for breakfast/lunch with most.  No judgment being made--just an observation.  

 

But, as I recall, you are the poster who said that your record for dining in the TK Grill is 35 minutes.  Amazing.  Not what we would choose to do, but then again, we may be in a minority.  

Edited November 13, 2022 by SLSD

[cruiseej]

36 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I'm just observing that the Colonnade appears to be more popular for breakfast/lunch with most.  No judgment being made--just an observation.  

 

I think it's more popular because some people want a light lunch, some people don't want to change for lunch, and most people want a faster lunch. That doesn't mean it's better or even preferable, just more expedient/practical for many people on many days. 

 

On 11/11/2022 at 7:23 AM, twochromic said:

They are using the old "Covid" excuse. Claiming that galley is still significantly understaffed as crew cannot "get back to the ship". Galley staff cannot run Colonnade, Square, Deck, and Roomservice at once and still run MDR lunch. Who knows what the reality is.

 

You're suggesting this might be a lie, and I suppose that's possible — but I don't know why they'd lie. If the real reason was that too few people show up for lunch to devote the staff and resources to do so, why wouldn't they just say so? It certainly seems plausible that they are not yet at full staffing levels, and need to juggle their resources.

[adolfo2]

On 11/11/2022 at 7:23 AM, twochromic said:

Galley staff cannot run Colonnade, Square, Deck, and Room service at once and still run MDR lunch. Who knows what the reality is.

I suspect that room service requests would be halved if the MDR was an available option. Several staff members running all over the ship delivering food/beverages could be better deployed.

[2SailingNomads]

On 11/10/2022 at 4:29 AM, twochromic said:

I know you all have hashed this "MDR for lunch" topic possibly to death. However....

Just for information, we are currently on Sojourn, 6 days into the transatlantic. So far, Zero days when MDR has been open for lunch. Sadly. Will see what the next 8 days offers!

 

Colonnade food is actually quite good, but the feeding frenzy at lunch time puts me a bit off.

That is disappointing as we have done quite a few trans Ocean cruises over the last 10 years and the MDR was always open on every sea day for lunch and usually for breakfast, but we usually do not eat breakfast. 

[commodoredave]

14 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

That is disappointing as we have done quite a few trans Ocean cruises over the last 10 years and the MDR was always open on every sea day for lunch and usually for breakfast, but we usually do not eat breakfast. 

No MDR for lunch on a trans-Atlantic would be a deal-breaker for me. In fact, we are leaning towards SS for a trans-Atlantic next year. However, we are leaning towards an Amazon cruise with Seabourn next year because MDR lunch means a lot less to us during a warm-weather cruise.

[lincslady]

The majority of those on board obviously prefer casual breakfast and lunch, even when the MDR is open, since they do not patronise it.  I am not saying it should not be open, especially on sea days, but those of you who are really concerned must see you are in a small minority, since usually only up to 10 or so tables are occupied.  I certainly like the casual daytime eating but do like to have dinner in a slightly more formal setting, unless on a lovely evening dining by the pool , with a very different menu. for a change.

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, lincslady said:

The majority of those on board obviously prefer casual breakfast and lunch, even when the MDR is open, since they do not patronise it.  I am not saying it should not be open, especially on sea days, but those of you who are really concerned must see you are in a small minority, since usually only up to 10 or so tables are occupied.  I certainly like the casual daytime eating but do like to have dinner in a slightly more formal setting, unless on a lovely evening dining by the pool , with a very different menu. for a change.

This is exactly what I have said---that most on SB obviously prefer the buffet for lunch.  That has been

fairly clear.  Just for the record, we don't really consider lunch in the MDR to be formal.  It's not like dining there in the evening.  Generally, we don't change as we dine there for lunch on a sea day and we are already dressed presentably for dining there.   And, we don't mind if dining is leisurely as we are not going anywhere--it is a sea day after all.  I am in NO WAY criticizing those who prefer a quick lunch.  It's just an ambience thing for us and an aversion to eating from any buffet.  

 

I am very puzzled that this thread has been so contentious.  The issue just doesn't warrant that.  The real point is that some see luxury in cruising differently from others.  It is not a moral failing--on either end of the spectrum.  Let's try not to be snarky here as we have enough of that in politics these days.  

[PaulaJK]

2 minutes ago, SLSD said:

This is exactly what I have said---that most on SB obviously prefer the buffet for lunch.  That has been

fairly clear.  Just for the record, we don't really consider lunch in the MDR to be formal.  It's not like dining there in the evening.  Generally, we don't change as we dine there for lunch on a sea day and we are already dressed presentably for dining there.   And, we don't mind if dining is leisurely as we are not going anywhere--it is a sea day after all.  I am in NO WAY criticizing those who prefer a quick lunch.  It's just an ambience thing for us and an aversion to eating from any buffet.  

 

I am very puzzled that this thread has been so contentious.  The issue just doesn't warrant that.  The real point is that some see luxury in cruising differently from others.  It is not a moral failing--on either end of the spectrum.  Let's try not to be snarky here as we have enough of that in politics these days.  

So nicely stated…in agreement…my spouse and I were working with weekends assigned to chores. Part of our tradition/ definition of a vacation included a relaxing lunch venue. I suspect that not enjoying buffets probably contributes for us.

[Isklaar]

The reason that we choose the Colonnade for breakfast and lunch most days is because at home we rarely have the opportunity to dine outdoors. So we take a table outside as we like to make the most of warm weather and sunshine on holiday.  

 

The closure of the MDR at lunch is not a new or recent thing. I have copies of the Herald from a cruise in 2014, MDR was closed every day.