Brilliance ot Seas - any MDR or other place for lunch day of departure? Avoiding the Lido Deck

[PaperSniper4]

deleted

 

Edited June 22 by PaperSniper4

[orville99]

1 minute ago, PaperSniper4 said:

We prefer not eating at the Lido deck cafeteria anytime, and especially on departure day. For paranoid <!> folks like us, is there anywhere else to eat, hopefully an MDR.

 

On several past cruises, Celebrity has had one of their MDRs open for lunch; seems like RCI might also.

 

Thanks.

Not sure what a Lido deck would be called on an RCL ship, but lunch options on Radiance class ships are very limited on boarding day. The Windjammer may be your only option.

[smokeybandit]

I'm not sure what kind of paranoia you're referring to, but sounds like you may want to bring your own lunch on board if the Windjammer isn't an option for you.

[Cruiser 5452]

You can get a great lunch deal at Chops Grill… Usually right around 20 US Dollars per person.   Peaceful , relaxed no, no hustle and bustle.

[Merion_Mom]

47 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Not sure what a Lido deck would be called on an RCL ship, but lunch options on Radiance class ships are very limited on boarding day. The Windjammer may be your only option.

 

Lido deck refers to the pool deck, and on Carnival ships, refers to their buffet restaurant.

[Merion_Mom]

26 minutes ago, Cruiser 5452 said:

You can get a great lunch deal at Chops Grill… Usually right around 20 US Dollars per person.   Peaceful , relaxed no, no hustle and bustle.

 

@PaperSniper4 - I currently have 2 Brilliance cruises booked, and Chops is $22 and Giovanni's Table is $19 for lunch.  (plus 18% gratuity)

[Another_Critic]

5 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Lido deck refers to the pool deck, and on Carnival ships, refers to their buffet restaurant.

It's pretty obvious that @orville99 never watched The Love Boat.  😄

[PaperSniper4]

42 minutes ago, Cruiser 5452 said:

You can get a great lunch deal at Chops Grill… Usually right around 20 US Dollars per person.   Peaceful , relaxed no, no hustle and bustle.

That's an option, thanks for the tip.

 

 Doug

[PaperSniper4]

15 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

@PaperSniper4 - I currently have 2 Brilliance cruises booked, and Chops is $22 and Giovanni's Table is $19 for lunch.  (plus 18% gratuity)

Thanks for those options.

[PaperSniper4]

48 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm not sure what kind of paranoia you're referring to, but sounds like you may want to bring your own lunch on board if the Windjammer isn't an option for you.

Some folks at the typical lido deck (aka buffet/windjammer/ocean view cafe/garden cafe, etc) often fail to observe proper hygiene in our experience. We have stopped going there on the last few cruises because of the reported and observed instances of folks getting ill. No problem for us, we just would rather minimize our chances of getting ill. I call that paranoia, and yes, I am referring to us; other folks may not be as "catchy" as are we. 😪

 

I'm not sure, but I don't believe we can bring our lunch on board with us anyway. We'll just eat on shore before we board or use one of the extra cost venues that day.

 

 Doug

 

[jean87510]

52 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Some folks at the typical lido deck (aka buffet/windjammer/ocean view cafe/garden cafe, etc) often fail to observe proper hygiene in our experience. We have stopped going there on the last few cruises because of the reported and observed instances of folks getting ill. No problem for us, we just would rather minimize our chances of getting ill. I call that paranoia, and yes, I am referring to us; other folks may not be as "catchy" as are we. 😪

 

I'm not sure, but I don't believe we can bring our lunch on board with us anyway. We'll just eat on shore before we board or use one of the extra cost venues that day.

 

 Doug

 

Exactly what I was going to suggest and what we plan to do especially in New Orleans in December on the Brilliance and hopefully in Seward in September on the Radiance.  More of a selection and possibly cheaper, quicker and hopefully better than the limited selection in Chops and Giovannis.

 

Edited to add referring to eating lunch before boarding and avoiding the psychedelic maze of carryons and sheeple in the WJ.

Edited June 22 by jean87510

[orville99]

2 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

It's pretty obvious that @orville99 never watched The Love Boat.  😄

The last time we sailed on Princess was in the late 1980's, and I can barely remember the bartenders name😉🍷🍹 let alone which deck we usually passed out on👴😇

[smokeybandit]

23 minutes ago, orville99 said:

The last time we sailed on Princess was in the late 1980's, and I can barely remember the bartenders name😉🍷🍹 

Isaac?

[KroozFoolz]

Park Cafe in the Solarium

Roast beef sandwiches, soup, salad, desserts

Drink from the bar

[goldfish65]

2 hours ago, KroozFoolz said:

Park Cafe in the Solarium

Roast beef sandwiches, soup, salad, desserts

Drink from the bar

X2 don’t forget the au jus. 

[Merion_Mom]

5 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Some folks at the typical lido deck (aka buffet/windjammer/ocean view cafe/garden cafe, etc) often fail to observe proper hygiene in our experience. We have stopped going there on the last few cruises because of the reported and observed instances of folks getting ill. No problem for us, we just would rather minimize our chances of getting ill. I call that paranoia, and yes, I am referring to us; other folks may not be as "catchy" as are we. 😪

 

I'm not sure, but I don't believe we can bring our lunch on board with us anyway. We'll just eat on shore before we board or use one of the extra cost venues that day.

 

 Doug

 

 

I don't know which week you are booked on the Brilliance, but the UDP is remarkably well-priced on mine.  Check that out.  All dinners and sea day lunches (including embarkation day) are included.

[island lady]

One of my favorite venues on the Radiance ladies...is the outdoor dining area aft the WJ.   We pick a table, take turns going up to the buffet (salad bar is usually a go to for us), then take our plates outdoors to enjoy the view.  Not a lot of pax go out there, so it is usually not so busy.  

 

Can also order wine/beer or drinks at the WJ bar to take out with you also. 

 

Sanitize on the way in, then once again before we sit down.  

[PaperSniper4]

18 hours ago, KroozFoolz said:

Park Cafe in the Solarium

Roast beef sandwiches, soup, salad, desserts

Drink from the bar

This is on the Brilliance? AKA the Park Cafe? I'll check that out. If that's open on departure day that would be a great alternative to the lido; thanks. Might be a safer and calmer place. After looking at some of the photos of that area online just now, I think we may have done that on past cruises. Maybe on the Serenade ot Seas several years ago.

 

When we first started cruising in the 1980s, we always had our departure day lunch on the lido decks; it was part of the "fun" of cruising - the excitement and anticipation of fellow passengers, the hustle and bustle, etc. But as we've gotten a bit older, and apparently less immune, we prefer a quieter, less rambunctious departure day meal.

 

 Doug

[Biker19]

32 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

If that's open on departure day that would be a great alternative to the lido; thanks.

If a snack will suffice, Cafe Latitudes usually has something to eat.

[PaperSniper4]

17 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

I don't know which week you are booked on the Brilliance, but the UDP is remarkably well-priced on mine.  Check that out.  All dinners and sea day lunches (including embarkation day) are included.

I am not familiar with the UDP - Just checked and it's nearly $400 for we two. I'll pass for now. We're generally quit happy with the "included MDR" meals. Just gotta figure something out for the first day's lunch - the Solarium sounds like a winner for now.......either that are catch a bite on shore before boarding.

 

 Doug

[PaperSniper4]

52 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

If a snack will suffice, Cafe Latitudes usually has something to eat.

Thanks for that idea. It's extra charge, correct? I recall the Park Cafe in the Solarium isn't? Anyone confirm that?

 

 Doug

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Thanks for that idea. It's extra charge, correct? I recall the Park Cafe in the Solarium isn't? Anyone confirm that?

The food at both Cafe Latitudes and Parc Cafe is no cost.

[orville99]

We always wait an hour or so after the Windjammer opens to go in for lunch. By 1:00, the mad rush has dissipated and staff has refreshed most of the food stations.

[PaperSniper4]

6 hours ago, Biker19 said:

The food at both Cafe Latitudes and Parc Cafe is no cost.

Thanks, I added that to my cruise planning document.

[PaperSniper4]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

We always wait an hour or so after the Windjammer opens to go in for lunch. By 1:00, the mad rush has dissipated and staff has refreshed most of the food stations.

Thanks for the suggestion. Our boarding time as of yet with several months until we board, is pending. And I plan to request a late boarding time for that reason and also so our cabin is available. I hate dragging our carry-ons until the cabin is ready.😉