In Defense of the Windjammer

[rudeney]

13 hours ago, Broons77 said:

 

We noticed the same thing on our recent trip on Voyager about the restaurants being only partially full.  It appeared to be a staffing issue to me rather than demand.  When we boarded the ship around 11, we checked in at muster and went immediately to make reservations and Chops was already pretty booked.  According to the crew, they were going to be picking up additional staff once they made it down to PR next week.

 

Interesting.  We had originally planned for Chops at lunch on embarkation, Giovanni's for dinner, then alternating between the two except for one night at Izumi and one in the MDR or Windjammer.  When we found that Chops was not open for embarkation lunch, we had to change the pattern.  Then later on, we decided we wanted more Chops and less Giovanni's and we had no problems doing that.  I will mention that we were in a GS so we pre-booked all the dining reservations and had the concierge make our changes.  I don't think that mattered, though, because all he did was call the maitre de at Chops and have him make the changes, and while the concierge can sometimes do a little magic, but they can't create seats where there are none.  We tried to get the Chef's Table (I didn't book in advance) but could not.  

[Jasukkie]

10 hours ago, CruiseMomTX said:

For all the Windjammer lovers what are your favorite things to eat there?  I remember being on a cruise out of Galveston a few years ago, don't remember which ship but Chops was right at the entrance to WJ.  We already had reservations at Chops but were early so walked through WJ to see what there was and it was very seafood heavy, boiled crawfish and all kids of things hubby would have loved it we didn't already have reservations at Chops.  We try to remember this and sometimes walk through to see if WJ has something better than the MDR.

It varies so much and some ships are better than others. Of my recent experiences, gold stars for the Navigator WJ crew. Had a surprisingly good steak there, and they really had nice seafood. Manager in there was top notch, wish I had his name. My least favorite WJ is Oasis. Favorite floorplan is Radiance class.

 

Sometimes I just want a baked potato and veggies. The Indian food is always good. There's a spicy Indonesian noodle dish I always get if I see it. The worst thing is the lasagna, just mushy glop. The make to order pasta is good though. Sometimes we will do soup, bread, cheese, fruit, and a bottle of wine. I have nothing against MDR food, I just prefer a more relaxed setting. I'm not in a rush to get in and out, I just get tired of what feels a bit over-solicitous to me in the MDR. I don't like being asked repeatedly how everything is, sometimes before I've even had a bite.

 

 

[DirtyDawg]

15 hours ago, George C said:

I despise the WJ haven’t been there in years , most other cruise lines have a better buffet. 

Even on Celebrity,  where the buffet is a lot better than the WJ, we only will go to it if we absolutely have to. Breakfast in the MDR, lunches in port or if there is a sea day, we would go for something quick at the buffet, and dinner in the MDR or one of the specialty restaurants. For me the term 'good buffet' is an oxymoron. But that's just my unbiased opinion. 😉

[rudeney]

3 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

For me the term 'good buffet' is an oxymoron. But that's just my unbiased opinion. 😉

 

I think it depends on what you choose to eat.  If I'm looking for a steak or properly prepared eggs, then it's not good.  Roasted meats that are carved to order tend to be very good - no different than what I'd expect in a decent table-service restaurant.  Fruits and most vegetables are good, too, but I have to qualify that in saying that those of us from The South are used to mushy, over-cooked vegetables..  Seafood is a mixed bag - cooked fish is not very good at all, but crustaceans are usually decent unless overcooked, but that can happed at a table service restaurant, too.  Pasta, as long as it's served with noodles separate from the meats sauces, is often good.  Of course non of it is as good as a "good restaurant", but I don't find the MDR food to be any better, and often times it's not as good because it can be lukewarm by the time it makes its way to the table.  At least they keep the buffet foods at good temperatures.  

[DirtyDawg]

22 minutes ago, rudeney said:

 

I think it depends on what you choose to eat.  If I'm looking for a steak or properly prepared eggs, then it's not good.  Roasted meats that are carved to order tend to be very good - no different than what I'd expect in a decent table-service restaurant.  Fruits and most vegetables are good, too, but I have to qualify that in saying that those of us from The South are used to mushy, over-cooked vegetables..  Seafood is a mixed bag - cooked fish is not very good at all, but crustaceans are usually decent unless overcooked, but that can happed at a table service restaurant, too.  Pasta, as long as it's served with noodles separate from the meats sauces, is often good.  Of course non of it is as good as a "good restaurant", but I don't find the MDR food to be any better, and often times it's not as good because it can be lukewarm by the time it makes its way to the table.  At least they keep the buffet foods at good temperatures.  

But food is only one aspect of why, in my unbiased opinion, the term 'good buffet' is an oxymoron. The other is the 'dinning experience'. For me, the MDR, for all it's faults, is a better dinning experience overall. At least in the MDR, I won't experience some glutton bumping into my chair, which took me 20 minutes of searching to find, and spilling the overloaded contents of this plate all over me. At least the professionals deliver the overloaded plates to the gluttons in the MDR and don't tend to spill the contents.  

 

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[rudeney]

3 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

But food is only one aspect of why, in my unbiased opinion, the term 'good buffet' is an oxymoron. The other is the 'dinning experience'. For me, the MDR, for all it's faults, is a better dinning experience overall. At least in the MDR, I won't experience some glutton bumping into my chair, which took me 20 minutes of searching to find, and spilling the overloaded contents of this plate all over me. At least the professionals deliver the overloaded plates to the gluttons in the MDR and don't tend to spill the contents.  

 

 

 

That is definitely true!  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 10/27/2022 at 10:05 PM, Broons77 said:

And you can usually get what they're serving in the MDR or just about anything you want. 

not at all (on RCI ships).

Edited October 30, 2022 by Itchy&Scratchy

[George C]

3 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

Even on Celebrity,  where the buffet is a lot better than the WJ, we only will go to it if we absolutely have to. Breakfast in the MDR, lunches in port or if there is a sea day, we would go for something quick at the buffet, and dinner in the MDR or one of the specialty restaurants. For me the term 'good buffet' is an oxymoron. But that's just my unbiased opinion. 😉

We are lucky enough to sail in suites , have never sailed on celebrity in anything but suites so we don’t visit buffet often , wife likes a occasionally slice of pizza , love Luminae.

[DirtyDawg]

4 minutes ago, George C said:

We are lucky enough to sail in suites , have never sailed on celebrity in anything but suites so we don’t visit buffet often , wife likes a occasionally slice of pizza , love Luminae.

The only people I know who were 'lucky enough' to sail in suites were the ones who inherited their wealth and hadn't blown it .... yet. The rest of then earned their suite sailing by hard work and smarts! 😉

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[Broons77]

10 hours ago, rudeney said:

 

Interesting.  We had originally planned for Chops at lunch on embarkation, Giovanni's for dinner, then alternating between the two except for one night at Izumi and one in the MDR or Windjammer.  When we found that Chops was not open for embarkation lunch, we had to change the pattern.  Then later on, we decided we wanted more Chops and less Giovanni's and we had no problems doing that.  I will mention that we were in a GS so we pre-booked all the dining reservations and had the concierge make our changes.  I don't think that mattered, though, because all he did was call the maitre de at Chops and have him make the changes, and while the concierge can sometimes do a little magic, but they can't create seats where there are none.  We tried to get the Chef's Table (I didn't book in advance) but could not.  

 

We did the same.  Had a Chops lunch for embark that was changed to Gio's as a comp and rescheduled Chops lunch for day 5.  We also had the 3 night package and did one at each, Chops, Gio's and Izumi.  The dinner reservations for Chops were thin on night 2, which was our preferred night there.  We were not in a suite, so I'm sure that played a part in what we had available.

[nancy2vues]

DH and I exclusively have dinner in the Main Dining Room, but usually wind up in the WJ for beverages and a quick look around, before they close for the evening.  We "also" have found that there are sometimes interesting meal options that would have been good options for us if we hadn't already eaten, and some great dessert options.  I have been particularly happy to see expanded sugar free options on some ships--great lemon cookies, maybe a bundt cake, etc. that are never on the MDR menus or in other locations on the ships.  

[NoShoes2]

On 10/27/2022 at 9:05 PM, Broons77 said:

 

As I begin to really figure out what makes for a perfect cruise for me, it's becoming apparent that aside from a nice night out at a specialty restaurant, off times at the WJ really is what I prefer. For dinner especially, I can grab something quick and be out of there, or I can take my time at a table by the window and hang and chat with DW.  True, it's not a beautiful room like most MDRs are, but if you're flexible about when you go, it's usually much more peaceful and leisurely than what I've found in the MDR.  And you can usually get what they're serving in the MDR or just about anything you want.  And the dessert selection is much better as well.  And what's more important than that?

 

We have always done the MDR or a specialty restaurant for dinner, never even considered the Windjammer. You make it sound like a very appealing option, especially after a long day on the beach when you really don't feel up to getting dressed up for the MDR. Thanks

 

Edited October 31, 2022 by NoShoes2

[Mum2Mercury]

On 10/28/2022 at 9:14 AM, cwtravel said:

My wife and I have over 45 cruises completed (we are 61) and except when travelling with friends and/or family very rarely eat in the MDR. Why? It generally takes too long. For us the specialty dining or WJ type set up works best. 

 

Chris

The MDR can be a lengthy meal ... we've started asking for our dessert "to go".  We enjoy taking it to the Promenade Deck or the Pool Deck.  They pack it up, including silverware/napkin.  

 

We ate dinner in the Windjammer twice on our recent cruise, and we agreed that we were a little "underwhelmed".  Oh, the food and service were good -- but the atmosphere didn't seem "vacation special".  It felt like Lunch 2.0. 

We did enjoy the idea of themed evenings, but one evening we went to the Windjammer specifically because it was Chinese-food night and they advertised Chinese dumplings (a small thing -- literally -- but one of my husband's favorites), and they didn't have them.  The Chinese food was just okay.  

On 10/28/2022 at 7:17 PM, Birdnutty said:

of course those wonderful rolls must be consumed. 

I'm always surprised at how much people like the bread on cruises.  I mean, it's good, but it's no better than what you can get at Harris Teeter's deli -- and I can certainly bake better myself!  

On 10/28/2022 at 9:04 PM, mek said:

Seriously, if the desserts are so good in the evening, why can't they figure out how to have something  decent at lunch besides bread pudding?

Royal Caribbean's desserts have improved -- they used to be mostly overly-whipped items that were more air than taste.  We like the oatmeal cookies and most of the cakes (stay away from the coconut).  Oh, and the Key Lime Pie.  Some of the combinations seem odd, but were actually tasty -- for example, chocolate with pears.  We like that the quantities are small.  

 

I don't particularly like Bread Pudding, but I know why it's a frequent choice -- same reason they serve so much Indian food:  it's easy to make it from the previous meal's unused food.  A thrifty cook will note that the MDR's last-night dinners often show up (or show up re-made) in the next day's Windjammer offerings. 

On 10/29/2022 at 6:25 AM, DirtyDawg said:

When we first started cruising, we ate the WJ and the MDR about evenly and I got the impression on my very first cruise, eating in both places, that the only reason why lots of people cruised at all was to stuff their faces for a week straight. We went through feeding three teenage boys so I thought I knew what big eaters were. But, man, lots of cruisers can be REALLY BIG EATERS!!!

You're generalizing, of course, but your observation is not unfounded.  

On 10/29/2022 at 10:07 AM, PolicromaSol said:

I have this long-held feeling that when you're reading about experiences on the internet, things are rarely as good or bad as people make them out to be. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either looking for attention or trying to sell something.

Agree -- people exaggerate in both directions.  I tend to discredit reviews that say "It's the best!" or "Awful, just awful".  Give me some details, and I'll think your opinion is well thought-out.  

On 10/29/2022 at 11:09 AM, slyster said:

I love the Windjammer.  It represents the "all you can eat buffet on cruise ships"! I love the variety of food.  However, unless you get there in the middle of a service, I really hate the stress of trying to find a table.  I avoid it unless I can be there at an earlier time for breakfast or when windjammer opens for lunch. That's my biggest hang up, finding a seat.

I don't understand why people have trouble finding tables.  Okay, the Windjammer is always crowded on Embarkation Day -- people, especially those who are carrying too many bags, do hang around waiting for the rooms to open.  I haven't always been able to find a nice table by the window, but I have literally never been unable to find a table.  We like to head to the very back of the Windjammer.  

On 10/29/2022 at 12:48 PM, Airbear232 said:

I agree with a lot of what you say.  For the most part, not much of any difference between food in MDR and Windjammer.  Years ago, there was an obvious difference.  Years ago too, people dressed up for the MDR, now people dress pretty much the same way in both.  We still go to MDR and specialty for the experience of dining.  DW likes the experience. 

Eh, on our recent cruise I'd say 80% of the people in the MDR were dressed up to casual standards -- men in long pants and polos or shirts, ladies in casual dresses.  The Windjammer (I'm talking about dinner only) was more "come as you are".  

On 10/29/2022 at 1:56 PM, Ret MP said:

I ordered 4 Lobster tails on one cruise and they brought me 4 separate full course plates of food.

I think this varies:  

- On our recent cruise, my husband asked for two lobster tails -- the waiter delivered them on one plate with one set of sides.  Sensible. 

- I ordered the fish dish + one lobster tail.  Specified that I didn't want the lobster-plate's sides.  They brought me two full plates, saying it was necessary because the fish was served in a large shallow bowl with a plentiful sauce.  They said they didn't want the lobster to mix with the fish's sauce.  

- On a recent cruise, when we had our four kids, we told the waiter the kids all love lobster -- he brought us each a plate, and he brought an extra plate with additional tails.  

[DaKahuna]

At lunch time on our last cruise on Quantum we would take a walk through Windjammer to see what offerings they had prior to going to Coastal Kitchen.  We knew if we wanted something from the buffet they would bring it to us in CK but we did not want to be an imposition so if we saw something we wanted in the Windjammer we would eat there, if not, we would go to CK and have our lunch. 

 

I am a big fan of spicy food and just wish the Indian food they served was made with more spice, like you find in an Indian restaurant.  I keep a sharp lookout for any meat based vindaloo dish, lamb being my favorite, and hope that it is made correctly.   I understand not everyone likes spicy food but do wish cruise ships would make spicy dishes available for those of us who do enjoy a flavorful dish. 

 

[moposh]

One cruise I rarely ate in the MDR.  Last cruise I ate in MDR most nights and one lunch.  I liked the MDR because it was nice to sit down and be served.  

[moposh]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I don't understand why people have trouble finding tables.  Okay, the Windjammer is always crowded on Embarkation Day -- people, especially those who are carrying too many bags, do hang around waiting for the rooms to open.  I haven't always been able to find a nice table by the window, but I have literally never been unable to find a table.  We like to head to the very back of the Windjammer.  

You're lucky.  Breakfast seemed to be a tricky time finding a table.  We did always find a table, but it wasn't always easy.  

[moposh]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

The MDR can be a lengthy meal ... we've started asking for our dessert "to go". 

My first cruises, MDR was lengthy.  MyTime is better.  We order all our courses at one time.  Plus, I think they want turnover, unlike in the regular dining room.  

[Mum2Mercury]

One more thing:  Someone commented that the MDR is lacking in choices.  Are you aware that the online app menus include more options than the paper menus?  Vegan options are available, as are children's options -- because sometimes you're in the mood for chicken noodle soup.  Turtle "Cheesecake", for example, is an option on the vegan menu, as is a Portabella Mushroom entree.

[reallyitsmema]

2 hours ago, moposh said:

My first cruises, MDR was lengthy.  MyTime is better.  We order all our courses at one time.  Plus, I think they want turnover, unlike in the regular dining room.  

 

You order all your courses at the same time, including dessert, with traditional dining too.

[moposh]

14 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

You order all your courses at the same time, including dessert, with traditional dining too.

It's been a while since I did traditional dining.  I thought when we did it, we didn't order dessert with the other courses.  They would also try to serve everyone at the table at the same time (even if you were not together).  We wanted to get to the early shows so we told our waiter to speed ours up.  It was better when we did this.  We weren't rushing through the meal, but we didn't need to linger.

[reallyitsmema]

9 minutes ago, moposh said:

It's been a while since I did traditional dining.  I thought when we did it, we didn't order dessert with the other courses.  They would also try to serve everyone at the table at the same time (even if you were not together).  We wanted to get to the early shows so we told our waiter to speed ours up.  It was better when we did this.  We weren't rushing through the meal, but we didn't need to linger.

 

It is normal for them to serve the whole table at once, otherwise, it makes it difficult for the waitstaff and it is also awkward if some people are eating and others aren't.  We request a table for just our party these days as we have had enough weird experience with larger tables.  As far as ordering everything at once, it has been that way for years.  I think it started back when then reduced the amount of options on the menus.

[Ashland]

On 10/30/2022 at 7:15 AM, George C said:

We are lucky enough to sail in suites , have never sailed on celebrity in anything but suites so we don’t visit buffet often , wife likes a occasionally slice of pizza , love Luminae.

Too bad the buffet on Celebrity ships are great. We stay in suites and only eat at the buffet.

[taglovestocruise]

4 hours ago, moposh said:

My first cruises, MDR was lengthy.  MyTime is better.  We order all our courses at one time.  Plus, I think they want turnover, unlike in the regular dining room.  

We always have late traditional and a large table. Love the long dinners, we are usually one of the last tables to leave. Tables for two are for Specialty.  

[Broons77]

10 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I'm always surprised at how much people like the bread on cruises.  I mean, it's good, but it's no better than what you can get at Harris Teeter's deli -- and I can certainly bake better myself! 

 

There was a thread a few weeks ago about fave items at the WJ and the subject of baked goods was brought up.  I'm pretty sure DW would pay the cruise fare just to get her mitts on the stollen bread they serve in the WJ at breakfast.  I don't get it either.  I've had it.  It's good and all but nothing I'm going out of my way for.  Yet DW, and seemingly dozens of others feel that it's the bread of life.  Must just taste better because you know you're eating it on a cruise.

[pittnh]

I like the WJ for Breakfast, Lunch.  I really enjoy the MDR for dinner, I know it is banquet food but still really good.  In fact, I was somewhat disappointed that we chose to go to Chops one day instead of MDR as I didn't think the food/experience was that much better for the price.