Lido Buffet vs MDR

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Reds4life said:

How about lobster, shrimp, crab legs? Any of those on Lido or in MDR?

Times are changing.  If you want decent,  lobster, large shrimp and crab legs you should be looking at luxury or premium cruise lines.  On mass market lines like HAL you are more likely to get 50 kinds of chicken, tiny shrimp, etc.  Bottom line is that the cruise lines are as much a victim of high food prices as everyone else.  They either need to increase prices (in a major way) or cut-back (hopefully in a subtle way) on food, entertainment, etc.  

 

The best crab legs we have had on cruises was on Seabourn when we cruised that line in Alaska.  But even Seabourn only had snow crab legs and King Crab Legs were a rare commodity.  I did get amazing King Crab Legs (two would have filled most folks) when DW and I want out in Anchorage, but finding this kind of food on any ship is rare.

 

Hank

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Reds4life said:

How about lobster, shrimp, crab legs? Any of those on Lido or in MDR?

If in the MDR they are usually also in the lido

[CruiserBruce]

16 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

If in the MDR they are usually also in the lido

Crab legs and lobster, when offered on HAL ships (not currently, from my experience) are a mixed bag on the topic of being offered in the Lido. About 50-50 on available in Lido or not.

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, Reds4life said:

How about lobster, shrimp, crab legs? Any of those on Lido or in MDR?

A review of my 2022 Alaskan cruise menus shows jumbo shrimp cocktail available in the MDR at no charge on Gala nights and for an extra charge on other nights.  Shrimp was also included in pasta dishes.  No lobster.

[Mary229]

4 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Crab legs and lobster, when offered on HAL ships (not currently, from my experience) are a mixed bag on the topic of being offered in the Lido. About 50-50 on available in Lido or not.

I have had lobster on my longer cruises this year.  Crab legs are not available but that seems to be a true supply chain issue.  We have seen lobster and shrimp in the Lido on the same nights.  DH stops in the lido for his cigarette and always reports back. 

[honeyb2]

My DH and I did a B2B last December, an Alaskan cruise this summer and have a B2B coming up this November/December. Last year, we also wanted to go casual and pack light. Great idea and we did it again for our Alaska cruise. Never went to the dining room and had great food in the buffet. After all the cruises we have taken, we have been to the dining room many times.

 

We did not miss the experience of the dining room at all, the food in the buffet on HAL is the best we have experienced. Lots of choices and always fresh including steak and prime rib.

 

To each his own.....

[Reds4life]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Times are changing.  If you want decent,  lobster, large shrimp and crab legs you should be looking at luxury or premium cruise lines.  On mass market lines like HAL you are more likely to get 50 kinds of chicken, tiny shrimp, etc.  Bottom line is that the cruise lines are as much a victim of high food prices as everyone else.  They either need to increase prices (in a major way) or cut-back (hopefully in a subtle way) on food, entertainment, etc.  

 

The best crab legs we have had on cruises was on Seabourn when we cruised that line in Alaska.  But even Seabourn only had snow crab legs and King Crab Legs were a rare commodity.  I did get amazing King Crab Legs (two would have filled most folks) when DW and I want out in Anchorage, but finding this kind of food on any ship is rare.

 

Hank

When I booked HAL they told me they were "premium" 🙂 But, I did have lobster on Royal Caribbean and shrimp on most nights in the MDR but never on the buffet. I wouldn't consider them premium at all. But, I am sure we will enjoy and be grateful for whatever we are offered. Thanks to everyone for the information. It does sound like HAL has a better buffet than most. 

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, Reds4life said:

When I booked HAL they told me they were "premium" 🙂 But, I did have lobster on Royal Caribbean and shrimp on most nights in the MDR but never on the buffet. I wouldn't consider them premium at all. But, I am sure we will enjoy and be grateful for whatever we are offered. Thanks to everyone for the information. It does sound like HAL has a better buffet than most. 

The terms mass market, premium, luxury, etc. are certainly debatable.  When we first cruised on HAL back in the 80s, we thought of the line as one of the two best (perhaps premium) of the mass market category (the other was Celebrity).  But over the years we think that HAL has continuously slipped (at least in our estimation) for several reasons.   Now we view HAL as a low to middle tier mass market line.  The "Premium" label seems to be something that has gotten some support by quite a few here on CC.  These are lines that do some things better than the mass market lines and generally charge higher prices.  Many would put Azamara, Viking and Oceania into the "Premium" category.  

 

As to luxury lines, I do not think there is a lot of debate   We would certainly include Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, Scenic, Sea Dream, Hapag-Lloyd, Ritz-Carlton, Crystal (when it returns) and perhaps Ponent.  The new Explora Journeys (owned by MSC) is also planning on being a luxury line, but we will need to wait and see :).  

 

We have also pointed out that the "ship within a ship" concept makes categorizing quite difficult.  While few would call Cunard a luxury line, many would say that those in the so-called "Grill" suites do get a luxury experience.  MSC's Yacht Club and NCL's Haven Suites could also, arguably, be called luxury experiences and some would add the "Retreat" suites of Celebrity to this list.   During a recent cruise on the MSC Seashore (Yacht Club) one of our fellow cruisers suggested that the term "hybrid luxury" might better fit the ship within a ship concept.  He had a good point.

 

This post would actually be a good subject, unto itself

 

Hank

[Florida_gal_50]

6 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I have had lobster on my longer cruises this year.  Crab legs are not available but that seems to be a true supply chain issue.  We have seen lobster and shrimp in the Lido on the same nights.  DH stops in the lido for his cigarette and always reports back. 

You were very lucky.  I’ve followed threads of the person on the voyage of the Vikings which was a 24 cruise and he also did a 35 day cruise.  Both with hefty price tags.  No lobster on either.

[AFNavigator]

On 10/26/2022 at 1:56 PM, silversneakers said:

We usually try to go to the Lido at a later time so we won't have to experience the lines.

The other thing that's nice with HAL's Lido buffet is that they plate your food--very little self serve.   That makes me more interested in going there late rather than right when they open.  I hate going to other cruise lines' self serve buffets that have been open for a long time because so many people have handled the serving spoons/tongs/etc. The passengers also may have touched food items and put them back (seen it many time elsewhere).  HAL's staff-served buffet makes me feel much safer from a food safety standpoint.

[LMaxwell]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:07 PM, Mary229 said:

First you don’t have to dress for dinner.  Generally the only two rules regarding the MDR are no shorts

 

No, I can assure you they do nothing about it. 

[LMaxwell]

Dinner buffet is very good.  There will be different theme nights posted.  Seafood Ceviche night was excellent. I find they offer about 75% of the MDR menu + many other items.  Dinner closes at 8pm though. 

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

No, I can assure you they do nothing about it. 

I have only once seen shorts in the dining room in the evening and it was truly a single occurrence and it was on a short cruise.  I have seen people turned away at the door.  Another reason I prefer cruises that are 30 days or more. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Mary229

[LMaxwell]

On 10/26/2022 at 9:27 PM, Reds4life said:

I am a bit disappointed that the MDR has the shorts rule but will pack one or two pair of khakis I suppose just to appease. Can you wear shorts on non formal nights? 

 

I wore shorts on half the nights I dined in the MDR and so did many other women and men. It's a lot of noise on forums, nothing in real life.  I wore a pair of khakis and golf shirt on gala night (there is NOTHING Gala happening anywhere onboard that I could find, and menu not so special either)

[LMaxwell]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

I have only once seen shorts in the dining room in the evening and it was truly a single occurrence and it was on a short cruise.  I have seen people turned away at the door.  Another reason I prefer cruises that are 30 days or more. 

 

I have seen people turned away but not in the past 8-10 years on a variety of lines.  It's really fine with me. Much more women than men in shorts on recent cruise. Everyone looks fine. I didn't see anything I wouldn't see at a local restaurant. No vulgar t-shirt phrases or gym clothes. To be honest, maybe it's difficult to tell because you can't see someones legs when they are sitting at a table, or see them at all if they dine at a different section, level, or time. 

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

I have only once seen shorts in the dining room in the evening and it was truly a single occurrence and it was on a short cruise.  I have seen people turned away at the door.  Another reason I prefer cruises that are 30 days or more. 

Someone was complaining recently that her husband wasn’t allowed in club orange because he had shorts on.  Also I was in Canaletto in March or possibly last November and a guy was turned away because he  had shorts on.  It happens all the time.

[Wakepatrol]

Just my opinion. You’re on vacation, have your chair pulled out water poured etc. The Lido is a cafeteria is a cafeteria is a cafeteria. Best use of the Lido is on embarkation day, you can people watch and scout out those you want to avoid on the cruise.

[Hlitner]

I agree with Wakepatrol!  We do not cruise to go to buffets.  DW and I do not go to buffets at home (unless it is an included breakfast buffet at a hotel) and we certainly do not want to do buffets for dinner on cruise ships (with a few special exceptions).  If the MDR is not a better experience than the buffet, we know it is time to move on to a different cruise line (which we have done).

 

I an still trying to understand that HAL fan who posts that the HAL crew is extraordinary and then, in the next paragraph, says they do not go to the MDR because the service is awful.  Go figure.

 

Hank

 

 

[Wakepatrol]

42 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I agree with Wakepatrol!  We do not cruise to go to buffets.  DW and I do not go to buffets at home (unless it is an included breakfast buffet at a hotel) and we certainly do not want to do buffets for dinner on cruise ships (with a few special exceptions).  If the MDR is not a better experience than the buffet, we know it is time to move on to a different cruise line (which we have done).

 

I an still trying to understand that HAL fan who posts that the HAL crew is extraordinary and then, in the next paragraph, says they do not go to the MDR because the service is awful.  Go figure.

 

Hank

“Dinner Took Too Long In The Dining  Room”

 

Where are these people running  to? There’s nothing to do anyway?😂

Edited November 3, 2022 by Wakepatrol

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, Wakepatrol said:

“Dinner Took To Long In The Dining  Room”

 

Where are these people running  to? There’s nothing to do anyway?😂

We are talking about HAL!  They probably want to go to bed.

[Florida_gal_50]

42 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I agree with Wakepatrol!  We do not cruise to go to buffets.  DW and I do not go to buffets at home (unless it is an included breakfast buffet at a hotel) and we certainly do not want to do buffets for dinner on cruise ships (with a few special exceptions).  If the MDR is not a better experience than the buffet, we know it is time to move on to a different cruise line (which we have done).

 

I an still trying to understand that HAL fan who posts that the HAL crew is extraordinary and then, in the next paragraph, says they do not go to the MDR because the service is awful.  Go figure.

 

Hank

 

 

I’m 100 percent with you but people seem to love the buffet.  I don’t get it.  If I didn’t have to set foot in the lido I’d be great with that.

[Reds4life]

4 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

I wore shorts on half the nights I dined in the MDR and so did many other women and men. It's a lot of noise on forums, nothing in real life.  I wore a pair of khakis and golf shirt on gala night (there is NOTHING Gala happening anywhere onboard that I could find, and menu not so special either)

Thanks a ton! Helps us with packing and I feel like a nice shorts and polo looks very nice

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, Wakepatrol said:

Where are these people running  to? There’s nothing to do anyway?😂

Well if the casino is open that’s the place to run.  Why spend valuable time outside watching the world go by when you can be inhaling smoke 😉.

[JeffElizabeth]

On 10/27/2022 at 10:38 AM, Mary229 said:

I have had lobster on my longer cruises this year.  Crab legs are not available but that seems to be a true supply chain issue.  We have seen lobster and shrimp in the Lido on the same nights.  DH stops in the lido for his cigarette and always reports back. 

Agree. King Crab costs back in Denver are $75 a meal. Told that the Crab from Russia isn't being imported any longer. 

[albingirl]

14 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m 100 percent with you but people seem to love the buffet.  I don’t get it.  If I didn’t have to set foot in the lido I’d be great with that.

I'm usually grossed out by behavior in the lido. The list is long.