Lido restaurant - breakfast question

[TroubleT]

I will be on Volendam in a couple of days.

Question(s) about Lido restaurant in the morning:

 

How early is it open? 

Is it really that crazy busy even when it just opens early in the morning (read lots of negative comments about it)?

 

Based on my experience on so many other ships Buffet restaurant gets busy later (when most of the guests are up), but early in the morning (around 7:00 - 7:30 AM) it has plenty of available seats.

 

Thanks!

 

[CruiserBruce]

It typically will open at 6:30 for continental breakfast and 7am for full breakfast, on sea days.

 

On days in port, it will typically fully open at least one hour before scheduled arrival. Sometimes the 30 minutes of continental breakfast gets rolled in, sometimes there is still that separate 30 minutes.

 

The demographic for who eats when varies by cruise...its not the same every cruise. But generally, yes, it will be a little quieter closer to opening, particularly on sea days...everyone is sleeping in. Port days it can be pretty busy at opening. On the final day...disembarking day, it will be jammed at opening.

[JeffElizabeth]

I get up early every morning, (blasted internal clock) and never find it crowded. Most passengers are sleeping in. And many like my wife prefer room service. 

[ldog]

I have never not found a seat in the Lido at breakfast. 

[TroubleT]

Thank you! That's what I thought too. I wake up probably the first one on the ship! ))) It's just my schedule and I don't want to change it for 7 days. I "open" Buffet restaurant every day on a cruise. And usually, it's just a few people in the restaurant so early in the morning. Yes, by 8-9 AM it gets pretty noisy. Hopefully it's the same situation on HA in the morning. 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Of course it depends on where you're sailing, but our favorite breakfast spot is outside by the SeaView pool. There's a covered area with tables and chairs and generally one crew member who serves coffee and juice. 

[USN59-79]

2 hours ago, ldog said:

I have never not found a seat in the Lido at breakfast. 

And I have never not found a seat in the Lido at breakfast.  We always eat breakfast in the Lido.

Ray

[erdufylla]

25 minutes ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Of course it depends on where you're sailing, but our favorite breakfast spot is outside by the SeaView pool. There's a covered area with tables and chairs and generally one crew member who serves coffee and juice. 

It’s a really nice place to eat. Just be aware that that’s usually the deck where the smoker’s lounge is, too. (I say this as a smoker, and we sometimes got nasty looks from people who wanted to eat out there and didn’t like that there were also smokers present.) In my experience, the smoking section is usually limited to one side of the deck, by the bar, and the bulk of the tables were on the other side, away from the smokers. 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Yep, we eat on the side opposite of the smokers.

[FlaMariner]

we have yet to sail on the Volendam but.....

 

.....we head to breakfast around 7:30am to 8am and never a wait or long line.....Our favorite place to sit is along the lido pool area window tables port side.....Only a few folks around, quiet and there is a coffee/OJ/water refill station close by with a friendly crew member who is usually up to a good chat in the morning before the crowd arrives.

 

(By the time we are done, we usually view the first of the chair hogs in their natural habitat....they arrive to dump their book, suntan lotion and towel bag on their "saved seat" and then leave for the day...LOL...we always laugh about that)

 

Enjoy the Volendam........

 

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

21 hours ago, ldog said:

I have never not found a seat in the Lido at breakfast. 

 

19 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

And I have never not found a seat in the Lido at breakfast.

Am I missing something, or did you both say the exact same thing?

[USN59-79]

1 hour ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

 

Am I missing something, or did you both say the exact same thing?

We did.  I blame it on my second glass of red wine.

Ray

[reposado]

21 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

And I have never not found a seat in the Lido at breakfast.  We always eat breakfast in the Lido.

Ray

I would not object to us no longer agreeing that Lido never not have seats.

Edited June 12, 2023 by reposado

[Horizon chaser 1957]

2 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

We did.  I blame it on my second glass of red wine.

Ray

A wine bottle has broad shoulders. It can accept the blame gracefully.😉