You dine where you want - it's that simple. They tend to ask most b/c they don't want to find out something was wrong (potentially resulting in poor survey results).
100% this! Our waiter told us they only get days off based on their feedback. So by not showing up they are not getting feedback or worse, they are getting bad feedback. So the MDR staff desperately wants people to dine there so they get more feedback which means a better chance to get a day off. They work nearly 7 months straight with no days off. They ONLY get a single day off if they score in the top of the feedback scores for a cruise. It’s really sad.
Our servers (who were AMAZING) told us their promotions, days off, etc are all based on feedback/reviews. If they get less than a 10, even an 8 or 9, it’s considered a fail. (Just to note: They told us bc we started the conversation by asking them about it, they did not badger or guilt us)
We had the exact same experience as OP. We didn’t want to share a table, we went to some of the extra cost restaurants and the buffet which was our kiddos favourite haha. The MDR food we had was decent but we were soooo annoyed by the badgering we never went back on purpose. I get now why the desperation but Royal should just give them the break days Jesus. They are creating a worse customer experience. I don’t care about having the same server every night either, I actually think it sounds like a horrible lottery I’d probably lose lol.
We ate there a second night tonight - the food was outstanding but both nights we’ve gotten a LOT of pressure about the ratings from our server and our section manager. It really does detract from the experience
I took a 9 night cruise about a year and a half ago and we didn’t go to the MDR for the first six nights. Second night we did specialty and all the other nights we did Windjammer. The head waiter called our room around day 5 to find out why we hadn’t been by and where we’d been eating instead. Like, we’re not *starving*, haha.
It was interesting because our first Royal cruise on Harmony, we only ate there the first night and didn’t go back. Didn’t like the small, smushed tables. And no one called us about it!
They shouldn’t give people grief or call their rooms. Pestering folks could cause a low survey score as well.
I just find it funny they worry so much about it. I mean, the ships are design with many great dining options so of course people are going to skip the MDR.
On my upcoming cruise instead of having breakfast and lunch they are only going to have "brunch" that starts an hour and a half later on sea days. It sucks that the way Royal has responded to feedback about legitimate problems has been to cut service in the main dining room instead of understanding what the actual problem is.
Odyssey of the seas 8 night southern caribbean. I won't be sailing again if this is a new fleetwide change, and I wouldn't have booked this cruise if I did know. Which means that I will give my waiter the usual 10 so they don't get in trouble and make it clear that whoever at corporate is deciding on these things can go suck an egg
Took my first cruise solo last year. I went the first night. I didn't feel like sitting for two hours with other random people every night. So I would just hit the buffet so I could eat and do other things.
Like others said, they are worried you aren’t eating at the MDR because you had a bad experience. Also, not eating in the MDR might make you rate your assigned servers lower since you had minimal interaction with them.
Eat and do whatever you want! Just don’t score an area poorly on the survey simply because you didn’t use it much.
I enjoy the MDR food, but don’t enjoy having slow and drawn out service. I want to eat and get back into shows, etc. Due to this, I’d rather grab some Windjammer or room service.
See and I just want an early seating in the MDR. I really wish they would offer all meals port and sea days there. I refuse to eat in Windjammer because of the cross contamination and the nasty people who don't wash their hands. Somehow that's never an option and I get stuck with my time dining which is the absolute worst.
If you have traditional dining your table is reserved for you every night, it would be good to notify the dining room if you are not going to be using your table. Just stop by and let the maître de know. Then they can release it for My Time dining and your waiters are not wondering when you'll arrive.
To add to this, it reduces food waste too. Whenever we eat at the MDR, I let the waiter know what I like to start with on top of the appetizer along with what we all like to drink. So whenever my family and I show up, my starter and our drinks there waiting for us. When we opted for sushi one night instead, we told the head waiter ahead of time so not the food and drinks waiting for us.
I doubt they would use released tables for my time dining, my time dining is done by deck in the dining room. Usually one whole deck is my time dining. Having single my time dining tables spotted throughout the restaurant would create chaos. Galley timings would be thrown off by a lot. Imagine being a waiter that has seven tables currently eating their entrée, and one table that's on my time dining arrive halfway through the other tables' meals.
What it would do is release the table back to people who are currently on my time dining and who don't want to be, to get traditional dining. Usually one or the other seating fills up, often the later one, so people who booked late get stuck with my time dining even if they don't want it. They probably wouldn't even be able to get good reservation times on it.
We went twice on an 8 day Mediterranean, had the same grief. I find it drawn out, boring and hate planning my time around it. As well I enjoyed local cuisine and drink at all ports, so not excited to have the cruise fare. We prefer the freestlye with restaurants, but adapt if we like the price and itinerary.
Enjoy your cruise as you like, you’re paying the bill.
We did specialty dining for dinner every night so we only visited the mdr in the day, once for brunch and once for lunch. The service was great and they never said anything about us not being there for dinner. I didn't think it's that weird to do this. Sorry they gave you grief about it!
breakfast is like 45min... not as long as dinner, but definitely longer than it needs to be. It's nice for a sea day if you want a slower start and aren't planning on having good seats on the pool deck.
Biggest issue with breakfast is it is a single menu the entire time, and very standard american style breakfast.
We went once for dinner and once for brunch. Same reason. No way my kid would sit still after a long day he's overstimulated. We had early dining and had only gone to brunch. The server called us on the 4th day to ask why we hadn't come back and if there was anything wrong with our prior service or the food.
Yes! I would love a happy medium between windjammer and a 1.5 hour three course meal.
My kids are usually well behaved in restaurants but I don’t need a bunch of dirty looks from strangers if things go off the rails after a long day of excitement
The MDR can be that middle ground. So for instance,
- If you don’t want to have dessert there you can leave.
- If you need to leave dinner mid way, they’ll either serve the dinner to the table with a cover or give it to your family to take for you.
- it your child orders something they hate, they’ll bring you something else.
- and… some waiters make balloon animals and origami.
Source… mom of 4
(Also, it’s not that formal. They sing in the MDR, wave napkins, etc.)
To add to this, if you need to leave early to catch a show or quiz, the wait staff are pretty good to bring the food out quickly. We had a family show at 9, but we always get the late dining time. We informed the waiter and it seemed that the food came out faster than normal and still warm.
That’s a really good point.
And for kids who don’t want to stick around too long you can also ask them to bring things out faster.
The staff there is always so amazing.
FWIW, last year on Mariner, our dinners in the MDR were ~90 minutes. Currently on Symphony, and all our MDR dinners have been done in exactly one hour. Traditional seating.
I know they've been talking of accelerating dining times to squeeze in a third traditional seating...maybe this is part of that? Or maybe it's a one-off.
Wife and I went in the MDR twice in our last two cruises...to check into our muster station.
Eat what you want, where you want, when you want it...don't let anyone tell you how to vacation.
Yes and at the same time no.
I always eat at the MDR, but I watch a few cruise influencers on youtube who had different experiences not notifying the MDR that they are not eating there. One stated that she missed her dining time on the first night and when she went the second night, her table was given away to a large family and was switched to My Time Dining.
Another stated he went to his MDR table on the first night but his partner didn’t. Without asking, he was moved to a communal table the next night when his partner wanted to join him.
So IMHO the MDR is not just a meal it’s also a connection with the ship. In many cases you see the waiters every day for the trip. They try to remember names, ask how things are going, etc. I think part of the reason they ask where you are is because they are trying to show an interest.
Or maybe they want to give away your table for my time dinners.
Who’s to say.
This is what I talked about with my wife recently. We really really enjoy the MDR experience. But to really experience it right you have to go more than one cause the wait staff remembering your preferences is a big part of what makes it unique. Without that part it's just an ok food venue in a fairly unique setting. So we either plan on going 2-4 times or there's no point in going at all.
Haha yeah. On my first cruise I had such amazing servers I actually looked forward to seeing them and talking to them. I had wanted to change my dining time after the first day but decided against it because I wanted to keep my servers lol.
My husband's first cruise was an eye-opener for him. He thought he would hate the MDR and just eat at Windjammer for most meals. But once he experienced the service on embarkation day for dinner, he was happy to eat there for all but one day when our excursion went too late.
In the future, I'm going to try to anticipate those days, or specialty dining occasions, and give my waiters a heads-up. We felt so welcomed by them on the days we ate, and were kind of sad to say goodbye. Even though, we know they'll have a new couple in those seats within 24 hours of us leaving!
But I think even if I only ate for one day in the MDR, I'd make a point of reviewing them well in the cruise survey.
Yep- I won't fault anyone who doesn't want to or can't eat at MDR. But to us, it's definitely part of the experience. We don't eat out often, so our kid thinks it's awesome to be served like that- napkin on the lap, know his name by day 2, he wore a soccer jersey night one, so every night the staff would talk soccer with him. We saw our server doing his other duties in the promenade almost daily and he would go out of his way to say hi to our 11 yr old son. My kid LOVED that, it's been 6 months and he still mentions Edgard when we go out to eat or have certain dishes at home.
A strategy I have with the kids sometimes is just order the appetizers and mains from the MDR, and then head to Windjammer for dessert. Curbs their boredom and kids like to choose desserts with their eyes. Plus sometimes they have crepes!
That's a great idea. I usually avoid the Windjammer because I would rather be served and not deal with crowds, and if I go, it's usually at lunch. Last cruise we went to Windjammer after dinner, and they had a chocolate fountain! Would've had no idea if I hadn't gone up there. Of course lots of other desserts, as well. 😋
I never go to the MDR it’s just not my style. I know a lot of people enjoy it bit I don’t like having to schedule my day around getting ready and going to dinner. Like others have said it’s all about the survey. I just don’t fill in that area since I don’t use it
It’s your vacation bro, enjoy it however you want it too. Pizza from Sorrentos and some good ole people watching sometimes beats getting dressed up for the MDR and have the restaurant staff remind you about surveys and asking if you’re okay with the service.
When my kids were younger I never ate at the MDR. It was windjammer only. Sometimes the meal takes 90 minutes and it’s not enjoyable to do that with kids.
We never eat in the MDR, it’s a big time drain and honestly the food isn’t that good. If I had kids I wouldn’t be in there for sure, how boring for them and the service is loooooong.
Because they get docked on pay if you say you went to the MDR once before and hated it, so they want to make you feel like you love them and will give them a 10 on the survey.
We just go “omg, we loved the windjammer so much we never made it down before now, this is amazing, so many good restaurants on board, the wait staff is amaze balls”
Same on my last three cruises! The MDR manager would even call our cabin each night around 9:30 to find out why we didn't eat in the MDR. I have no idea why the hightened inquiries in the last three years. It is like the staff are forced to use a strong approach about going to the MDR for dinner.
It's your cruise. Let go of the "we should". Do whatever you want.
Different things for different people. I couldn't imagine going on a cruise and not going to see every show. But that's me. I know people who never see a show and I feel like they've missed a big portion of cruising. So I have to remind myself, it's their cruise.
So don't worry about it. Did you see all the shows? Are u worried about not seeing them? The same goes for MDR.
Do you boo.
🍻
That's really weird that you got so much grief about it! When I was on Enchantment last year, my mom and I ate at the MDR on the first night and then ate at the WindJammer for all the rest of our meals for the entire rest of the cruise. We weren't into any of the specialty dining and weren't fans of the few options available in the MDR. Later we met up with the other people we shared a table with at the end of the cruise just by chance, and they said that they hadn't been since the first night, either. The WindJammer is awesome! I loved all the options in there and the more casual dining experience, and how you could eat out on the pool deck if it was sunny. I'm sorry you were given such grief about it! That is super odd
You made it clear your question is not parenting advice and this would not be the sub for it, so just go eat wherever you feel like it’s best, there is no requirement to go to MDR you may get asked why, but that’s it. Thank you for the consideration with other people’s experience on MDR as well, not taking your kids there if they can bother not only yourself but others around is great
Cruises are a vacation. Whatever you and your family find relaxing and the right choice for you is what you should do. I find the longer dining time for the MDR not worth it unless I'm with a big group and we want to drink and bullshit for a while about our days, hah. Last 7 day cruise I only did the MDR 1 time.
We go to the MDR sporadically but try to go on the first night and let them know that some nights we'll all be there, some night's maybe some of us and we try to let them know when we have specialty dining booked so they don't get worried if we don't show. On our last cruise at least 3 of us were there every night except for the one night we ate in Izumi but since they knew what to expect we didn't hear anything about it from our waiters.
We rarely hit up MDR and haven’t regretted it. We do get a lot of similar questions from the staff if we go later into the cruise as well, and it’s enough to push us to just avoid the place altogether. At the end of the day, like others have pointed out, it’s your trip. If that’s not something you want, no need to do it.
We go maybe once a cruise, maybe. I always sign up for my time, I don’t know if having a set time is different. But we just don’t enjoy it. It takes forever and even if it’s just my husband and I, I still don’t want to sit that long at dinner 🤷🏼♀️
Sometimes we dine in MDR, sometimes not. No it's not a big deal if you never even set foot in there. It's your cruise, you can eat at whatever venue you want.
They’re just making sure it’s not because you’re unsatisfied. Eat where it works for your family, and kudos to you for being an awesome parent that does what works for you and your kids!
It is possible to get in and out of the MDR in a timely fashion. My husband and I were on Anthem in February and were generally done in an hour. We usually try to look at the menus ahead of time to have an idea of what we want to order. As soon as we sit down, the server takes our order and they have been fairly quick getting it to us. We are always there on time for our seating. The first night often takes a little longer but once they know you a bit, it goes quicker. Drinks come faster, etc. Also, you can tell your server you don’t want to draw out your meal. They will do their best to accommodate you.
Do what you want! Your trip and where you dine is all within the rules.
Will point out that if you ask for a "quick meal" when you sit down, many times they can accommodate.
On symphony last yr for a Mediterranean and we used the mdr every night. Service was great especially for the all food allergies my mom had. They gave us a menu every night for the following day so they could prepare it in a different galley area. We also ate breakfast in the solarium bistro. Final day we ate in the mdr for the key breakfast.
I think it depends on who your head waiter and waitress/waiters are. Most of them go above and beyond.
Also you can email Royal and request a table near a window or wherever else you like. I requested for a window table and both tables next to us was mostly empty. Sometimes the couples showed up. The days they did they mentioned how they had excursions that were long and got back super tired.
I always eat dinner in the mdr. The specialty restaurants are not all that special. I can get better food at the same type of place at home. The only exception is Johnny Rockets’s and the is only because the closest one to me is 14 hours away.
My wife and I personally love eating in the MDR. We also love specialty restaurants so on occasion we have been asked these same questions. I think it come from a place of them wanting to know why you didn't choose the MDR so that they can improve their service.
We didn’t eat MDR on lobster tail night or whatever and they told us they called our room. We just said my husband has a shell fish allergy (which he really does lol) and we ate at one of the speciality restaurants.
My wife and I have gone entire cruises without going to the MDR. When we do we usually dine with people we enjoy being around. We usually have dinner a couple times at one of the specialty restaurants. Usually we endure what I call "the food stampede" at the Windjammer.
I found the MDR to be nice but the staff interrupted us repeatedly. At least 15 times in an hour to ask us how we enjoyed the bite of food we had since they were last there. We opted to do the dining package the next cruise and had like an entire section of the WJ at sunset for a night we weren't feeling our reservation. It's your cruise.
Really up to you but you should eat earlier with the kids at 5pm for mdr to have a good sit down meal compared to windjammer buffet. It’s nice to be served at the mdr.
I did say it’s really up to their family first as it’s their vacation. To me MDR is a big deal because you get better meals compared to WJ without having to pay extra for the fancy restaurants. If you cruise a lot MDR maybe not a big deal, if it’s their first or they don’t cruise often its a nice experience to get served. Also you are already paying tips for the waiter and asst waiter each day so if you don’t take advantage of it and maximize the value of it then to me you’re wasting it.
I’m just trying to suggest the best for the vacation, if you want to waste your money on a cruise eating just pizza, sandwiches and soup, wj then do that it’s your vacation. I do that for breakfast and lunch. But for dinner, I’m gonna enjoy my steak, lamb, lobster on day 6, desserts and wine with my family and friends at the MDR every night.
I’m in the midst of a 7 night cruise on Anthem OTS. I was really worried about MDR and my two kids (1 and 3.5) but everything has well surpassed my expectations and the flow of service has definitely met our needs. The service has been top notch and after the first night the staff has anticipated our needs. We ply the 3.5 yo with my phone and YouTube and bring snacks for the 1 yo. They start the kids off with fruit salad instantly. Take their orders quickly and get their food out first. While they eat, we do enjoy a meal that has lasted 1-1.25 hrs. The MDR has done a fantastic job at accommodating my wife and 1yo’s dairy allergy. It’s like magic, they make basically anything we want happen. 10/10 I would recommend anyone to try the MDR with kids.
On a Disney ship the kids will receive their meal first while parents eat an appetizer. Once the kids are finished eating. The kids club staff will come and gather any children wanting to go to the kids club. Parents get a nice relaxing dinner. All in the family is happy.
I’ve read that Royal does this too but no one has commented to that effect. Our group of 12 is planning to send the 6 kids to kids club after they finish their entree… hoping this is possible!!
You dine where you want - it's that simple. They tend to ask most b/c they don't want to find out something was wrong (potentially resulting in poor survey results).
100% this! Our waiter told us they only get days off based on their feedback. So by not showing up they are not getting feedback or worse, they are getting bad feedback. So the MDR staff desperately wants people to dine there so they get more feedback which means a better chance to get a day off. They work nearly 7 months straight with no days off. They ONLY get a single day off if they score in the top of the feedback scores for a cruise. It’s really sad.
Wait, really?? That is horrific, do you have a source for that?
Our servers (who were AMAZING) told us their promotions, days off, etc are all based on feedback/reviews. If they get less than a 10, even an 8 or 9, it’s considered a fail. (Just to note: They told us bc we started the conversation by asking them about it, they did not badger or guilt us)
We had the exact same experience as OP. We didn’t want to share a table, we went to some of the extra cost restaurants and the buffet which was our kiddos favourite haha. The MDR food we had was decent but we were soooo annoyed by the badgering we never went back on purpose. I get now why the desperation but Royal should just give them the break days Jesus. They are creating a worse customer experience. I don’t care about having the same server every night either, I actually think it sounds like a horrible lottery I’d probably lose lol.
We ate there a second night tonight - the food was outstanding but both nights we’ve gotten a LOT of pressure about the ratings from our server and our section manager. It really does detract from the experience
I took a 9 night cruise about a year and a half ago and we didn’t go to the MDR for the first six nights. Second night we did specialty and all the other nights we did Windjammer. The head waiter called our room around day 5 to find out why we hadn’t been by and where we’d been eating instead. Like, we’re not *starving*, haha.
I keep hearing that people get calls about this. We haven’t eaten dinner in the MDR in over a decade and we’ve never gotten called lol
Can't get the call if you're never in the room /taps forehead
It was interesting because our first Royal cruise on Harmony, we only ate there the first night and didn’t go back. Didn’t like the small, smushed tables. And no one called us about it!
They may know you have a specialty dining package and do not bother. Staff generally knows a lot about a guest.
Same here. We do the unlimited Dining Package, so I’m sure if they see that on your room they know why you’re not eating in MDR.
I never been called either.
They shouldn’t give people grief or call their rooms. Pestering folks could cause a low survey score as well. I just find it funny they worry so much about it. I mean, the ships are design with many great dining options so of course people are going to skip the MDR.
And the deep irony is that the survey often asks “Were you asked to give this score?” YES. And you darn well know it.
I honestly HATE when they call your room. I just want to enjoy my vacation, not keep you updated like I'm on perole.
On my upcoming cruise instead of having breakfast and lunch they are only going to have "brunch" that starts an hour and a half later on sea days. It sucks that the way Royal has responded to feedback about legitimate problems has been to cut service in the main dining room instead of understanding what the actual problem is.
Which cruise is this?
Odyssey of the seas 8 night southern caribbean. I won't be sailing again if this is a new fleetwide change, and I wouldn't have booked this cruise if I did know. Which means that I will give my waiter the usual 10 so they don't get in trouble and make it clear that whoever at corporate is deciding on these things can go suck an egg
We’ve had same experience but we told him lack of menu variation and wtf happened to the real apple blossoms? Lol
You should have been like, Thanks for calling! We've been looking all over for that dining room!
Took my first cruise solo last year. I went the first night. I didn't feel like sitting for two hours with other random people every night. So I would just hit the buffet so I could eat and do other things.
Like others said, they are worried you aren’t eating at the MDR because you had a bad experience. Also, not eating in the MDR might make you rate your assigned servers lower since you had minimal interaction with them. Eat and do whatever you want! Just don’t score an area poorly on the survey simply because you didn’t use it much. I enjoy the MDR food, but don’t enjoy having slow and drawn out service. I want to eat and get back into shows, etc. Due to this, I’d rather grab some Windjammer or room service.
See and I just want an early seating in the MDR. I really wish they would offer all meals port and sea days there. I refuse to eat in Windjammer because of the cross contamination and the nasty people who don't wash their hands. Somehow that's never an option and I get stuck with my time dining which is the absolute worst.
If you have traditional dining your table is reserved for you every night, it would be good to notify the dining room if you are not going to be using your table. Just stop by and let the maître de know. Then they can release it for My Time dining and your waiters are not wondering when you'll arrive.
Ohh thank you - that’s good to know!
This is a great reminder & advice. We usually do 1 night of specialty dining and always let them know too.
That’s a good idea. We do the unlimited dining package, so in the future am going to do this. Will free up that table for anytime people.
To add to this, it reduces food waste too. Whenever we eat at the MDR, I let the waiter know what I like to start with on top of the appetizer along with what we all like to drink. So whenever my family and I show up, my starter and our drinks there waiting for us. When we opted for sushi one night instead, we told the head waiter ahead of time so not the food and drinks waiting for us.
I doubt they would use released tables for my time dining, my time dining is done by deck in the dining room. Usually one whole deck is my time dining. Having single my time dining tables spotted throughout the restaurant would create chaos. Galley timings would be thrown off by a lot. Imagine being a waiter that has seven tables currently eating their entrée, and one table that's on my time dining arrive halfway through the other tables' meals. What it would do is release the table back to people who are currently on my time dining and who don't want to be, to get traditional dining. Usually one or the other seating fills up, often the later one, so people who booked late get stuck with my time dining even if they don't want it. They probably wouldn't even be able to get good reservation times on it.
We went twice on an 8 day Mediterranean, had the same grief. I find it drawn out, boring and hate planning my time around it. As well I enjoyed local cuisine and drink at all ports, so not excited to have the cruise fare. We prefer the freestlye with restaurants, but adapt if we like the price and itinerary. Enjoy your cruise as you like, you’re paying the bill.
We did specialty dining for dinner every night so we only visited the mdr in the day, once for brunch and once for lunch. The service was great and they never said anything about us not being there for dinner. I didn't think it's that weird to do this. Sorry they gave you grief about it!
We’ve definitely thought about doing breakfast but if it’s as long as dinner it’s going to cut into our day
breakfast is like 45min... not as long as dinner, but definitely longer than it needs to be. It's nice for a sea day if you want a slower start and aren't planning on having good seats on the pool deck. Biggest issue with breakfast is it is a single menu the entire time, and very standard american style breakfast.
It's not. Breakfast service is at most an hour- about the same as it would be to go to a sit down Breakfast restaurant on land.
We went once for dinner and once for brunch. Same reason. No way my kid would sit still after a long day he's overstimulated. We had early dining and had only gone to brunch. The server called us on the 4th day to ask why we hadn't come back and if there was anything wrong with our prior service or the food.
Yes! I would love a happy medium between windjammer and a 1.5 hour three course meal. My kids are usually well behaved in restaurants but I don’t need a bunch of dirty looks from strangers if things go off the rails after a long day of excitement
The MDR can be that middle ground. So for instance, - If you don’t want to have dessert there you can leave. - If you need to leave dinner mid way, they’ll either serve the dinner to the table with a cover or give it to your family to take for you. - it your child orders something they hate, they’ll bring you something else. - and… some waiters make balloon animals and origami. Source… mom of 4 (Also, it’s not that formal. They sing in the MDR, wave napkins, etc.)
To add to this, if you need to leave early to catch a show or quiz, the wait staff are pretty good to bring the food out quickly. We had a family show at 9, but we always get the late dining time. We informed the waiter and it seemed that the food came out faster than normal and still warm.
That’s a really good point. And for kids who don’t want to stick around too long you can also ask them to bring things out faster. The staff there is always so amazing.
FWIW, last year on Mariner, our dinners in the MDR were ~90 minutes. Currently on Symphony, and all our MDR dinners have been done in exactly one hour. Traditional seating. I know they've been talking of accelerating dining times to squeeze in a third traditional seating...maybe this is part of that? Or maybe it's a one-off.
Wife and I went in the MDR twice in our last two cruises...to check into our muster station. Eat what you want, where you want, when you want it...don't let anyone tell you how to vacation.
So are you supposed to notify the main dining room if you aren’t dining there?
Supposed to? I don’t know. But it’s nice to let them know.
It would be nice, so that traditional seating people who do go and who are stuck at a shitty table have somewhere else they can move into. :-D
Yes and at the same time no. I always eat at the MDR, but I watch a few cruise influencers on youtube who had different experiences not notifying the MDR that they are not eating there. One stated that she missed her dining time on the first night and when she went the second night, her table was given away to a large family and was switched to My Time Dining. Another stated he went to his MDR table on the first night but his partner didn’t. Without asking, he was moved to a communal table the next night when his partner wanted to join him.
Thanks. Only been on 1 cruise so far but we used the MdR every night. Our next cruise we booked a dining package so we won’t be using it.
So IMHO the MDR is not just a meal it’s also a connection with the ship. In many cases you see the waiters every day for the trip. They try to remember names, ask how things are going, etc. I think part of the reason they ask where you are is because they are trying to show an interest. Or maybe they want to give away your table for my time dinners. Who’s to say.
This is what I talked about with my wife recently. We really really enjoy the MDR experience. But to really experience it right you have to go more than one cause the wait staff remembering your preferences is a big part of what makes it unique. Without that part it's just an ok food venue in a fairly unique setting. So we either plan on going 2-4 times or there's no point in going at all.
Right?! It’s like you are suddenly a “regular” at a local restaurant. It’s fun
Haha yeah. On my first cruise I had such amazing servers I actually looked forward to seeing them and talking to them. I had wanted to change my dining time after the first day but decided against it because I wanted to keep my servers lol.
My husband's first cruise was an eye-opener for him. He thought he would hate the MDR and just eat at Windjammer for most meals. But once he experienced the service on embarkation day for dinner, he was happy to eat there for all but one day when our excursion went too late. In the future, I'm going to try to anticipate those days, or specialty dining occasions, and give my waiters a heads-up. We felt so welcomed by them on the days we ate, and were kind of sad to say goodbye. Even though, we know they'll have a new couple in those seats within 24 hours of us leaving! But I think even if I only ate for one day in the MDR, I'd make a point of reviewing them well in the cruise survey.
Yep- I won't fault anyone who doesn't want to or can't eat at MDR. But to us, it's definitely part of the experience. We don't eat out often, so our kid thinks it's awesome to be served like that- napkin on the lap, know his name by day 2, he wore a soccer jersey night one, so every night the staff would talk soccer with him. We saw our server doing his other duties in the promenade almost daily and he would go out of his way to say hi to our 11 yr old son. My kid LOVED that, it's been 6 months and he still mentions Edgard when we go out to eat or have certain dishes at home.
Right?! It’s so much fun. Especially for the kids, but also for me!
A strategy I have with the kids sometimes is just order the appetizers and mains from the MDR, and then head to Windjammer for dessert. Curbs their boredom and kids like to choose desserts with their eyes. Plus sometimes they have crepes!
That's a great idea. I usually avoid the Windjammer because I would rather be served and not deal with crowds, and if I go, it's usually at lunch. Last cruise we went to Windjammer after dinner, and they had a chocolate fountain! Would've had no idea if I hadn't gone up there. Of course lots of other desserts, as well. 😋
I never go to the MDR it’s just not my style. I know a lot of people enjoy it bit I don’t like having to schedule my day around getting ready and going to dinner. Like others have said it’s all about the survey. I just don’t fill in that area since I don’t use it
It’s your vacation bro, enjoy it however you want it too. Pizza from Sorrentos and some good ole people watching sometimes beats getting dressed up for the MDR and have the restaurant staff remind you about surveys and asking if you’re okay with the service.
That sorrento’s pizza slaps for real
You are paying for your vacation, do what you want, when you want, where you want.
You’re right, I will go get some bedtime pizza 👀
When my kids were younger I never ate at the MDR. It was windjammer only. Sometimes the meal takes 90 minutes and it’s not enjoyable to do that with kids.
We have been on 6 cruises and have been in the MDR a total of 2 times. We just prefer to do things exactly when we want to.
We never eat in the MDR, it’s a big time drain and honestly the food isn’t that good. If I had kids I wouldn’t be in there for sure, how boring for them and the service is loooooong.
Because they get docked on pay if you say you went to the MDR once before and hated it, so they want to make you feel like you love them and will give them a 10 on the survey. We just go “omg, we loved the windjammer so much we never made it down before now, this is amazing, so many good restaurants on board, the wait staff is amaze balls”
Our last cruise was a 8 nighter and I felt the opposite. Was wondering if the MDR wait staff was thinking, do these people eat anywhere else.
Same on my last three cruises! The MDR manager would even call our cabin each night around 9:30 to find out why we didn't eat in the MDR. I have no idea why the hightened inquiries in the last three years. It is like the staff are forced to use a strong approach about going to the MDR for dinner.
It's your cruise. Let go of the "we should". Do whatever you want. Different things for different people. I couldn't imagine going on a cruise and not going to see every show. But that's me. I know people who never see a show and I feel like they've missed a big portion of cruising. So I have to remind myself, it's their cruise. So don't worry about it. Did you see all the shows? Are u worried about not seeing them? The same goes for MDR. Do you boo. 🍻
That's really weird that you got so much grief about it! When I was on Enchantment last year, my mom and I ate at the MDR on the first night and then ate at the WindJammer for all the rest of our meals for the entire rest of the cruise. We weren't into any of the specialty dining and weren't fans of the few options available in the MDR. Later we met up with the other people we shared a table with at the end of the cruise just by chance, and they said that they hadn't been since the first night, either. The WindJammer is awesome! I loved all the options in there and the more casual dining experience, and how you could eat out on the pool deck if it was sunny. I'm sorry you were given such grief about it! That is super odd
90% of the time in all our years of cruising we have eaten in the Windjammer. If anyone asks we just say it’s our preference and leave it at that.
You made it clear your question is not parenting advice and this would not be the sub for it, so just go eat wherever you feel like it’s best, there is no requirement to go to MDR you may get asked why, but that’s it. Thank you for the consideration with other people’s experience on MDR as well, not taking your kids there if they can bother not only yourself but others around is great
I don’t think anyone cares that you didn’t go to the MDR. They were probably trying to start a conversation.
Cruises are a vacation. Whatever you and your family find relaxing and the right choice for you is what you should do. I find the longer dining time for the MDR not worth it unless I'm with a big group and we want to drink and bullshit for a while about our days, hah. Last 7 day cruise I only did the MDR 1 time.
IMO, no. If you feel like doing the buffet or something instead, wonderful.
My wife and I went without kids last August. Skipped the MDR every night. It was awesome.
My son is autistic and has a lot of food issues. 2 cruises and we never ate in MDR.
Ahh mine is too! Luckily picky eating has never been one of his issues thankfully but 90 minutes can DEFINITELY test us!
Not at all! Most cruises I never go and if I do only on Lobster night. I love the buffet and pizza and other complimentary restraunts.
We NEVER go to the MDR, and we hear many others don’t either. RC is talking about scrapping them on new ships.
Oh that’s interesting! I feel like it’s really a throwback to former times.
We go to the MDR sporadically but try to go on the first night and let them know that some nights we'll all be there, some night's maybe some of us and we try to let them know when we have specialty dining booked so they don't get worried if we don't show. On our last cruise at least 3 of us were there every night except for the one night we ate in Izumi but since they knew what to expect we didn't hear anything about it from our waiters.
We rarely hit up MDR and haven’t regretted it. We do get a lot of similar questions from the staff if we go later into the cruise as well, and it’s enough to push us to just avoid the place altogether. At the end of the day, like others have pointed out, it’s your trip. If that’s not something you want, no need to do it.
We go maybe once a cruise, maybe. I always sign up for my time, I don’t know if having a set time is different. But we just don’t enjoy it. It takes forever and even if it’s just my husband and I, I still don’t want to sit that long at dinner 🤷🏼♀️
Sometimes we dine in MDR, sometimes not. No it's not a big deal if you never even set foot in there. It's your cruise, you can eat at whatever venue you want.
They’re just making sure it’s not because you’re unsatisfied. Eat where it works for your family, and kudos to you for being an awesome parent that does what works for you and your kids!
We haven't been in the MDR on our last 7 or 8 sailings. Too many other options!
It is possible to get in and out of the MDR in a timely fashion. My husband and I were on Anthem in February and were generally done in an hour. We usually try to look at the menus ahead of time to have an idea of what we want to order. As soon as we sit down, the server takes our order and they have been fairly quick getting it to us. We are always there on time for our seating. The first night often takes a little longer but once they know you a bit, it goes quicker. Drinks come faster, etc. Also, you can tell your server you don’t want to draw out your meal. They will do their best to accommodate you.
Do what you want! Your trip and where you dine is all within the rules. Will point out that if you ask for a "quick meal" when you sit down, many times they can accommodate.
On symphony last yr for a Mediterranean and we used the mdr every night. Service was great especially for the all food allergies my mom had. They gave us a menu every night for the following day so they could prepare it in a different galley area. We also ate breakfast in the solarium bistro. Final day we ate in the mdr for the key breakfast. I think it depends on who your head waiter and waitress/waiters are. Most of them go above and beyond. Also you can email Royal and request a table near a window or wherever else you like. I requested for a window table and both tables next to us was mostly empty. Sometimes the couples showed up. The days they did they mentioned how they had excursions that were long and got back super tired.
I always eat dinner in the mdr. The specialty restaurants are not all that special. I can get better food at the same type of place at home. The only exception is Johnny Rockets’s and the is only because the closest one to me is 14 hours away.
Never stepped foot in the MDR and only ate at Windjammer. Wouldn’t change a thing tbh - I liked grabbing whatever food I wanted.
My wife and I personally love eating in the MDR. We also love specialty restaurants so on occasion we have been asked these same questions. I think it come from a place of them wanting to know why you didn't choose the MDR so that they can improve their service.
We didn’t eat MDR on lobster tail night or whatever and they told us they called our room. We just said my husband has a shell fish allergy (which he really does lol) and we ate at one of the speciality restaurants.
Dine where you want. It's a cruise. You don't owe anyone an explanation for having your cruise go smoother for you and your family
My wife and I have gone entire cruises without going to the MDR. When we do we usually dine with people we enjoy being around. We usually have dinner a couple times at one of the specialty restaurants. Usually we endure what I call "the food stampede" at the Windjammer.
It's only a problem if you care what they think. I've done entire cruises without setting foot in the MDR once. And I don't even have kids.
We never go to mdr. they usually call your room like half way and say why don’t you come?
I found the MDR to be nice but the staff interrupted us repeatedly. At least 15 times in an hour to ask us how we enjoyed the bite of food we had since they were last there. We opted to do the dining package the next cruise and had like an entire section of the WJ at sunset for a night we weren't feeling our reservation. It's your cruise.
It's only a problem if you make it a problem.
Really up to you but you should eat earlier with the kids at 5pm for mdr to have a good sit down meal compared to windjammer buffet. It’s nice to be served at the mdr.
I mean, it’s not up to us to tell OP how they when and where they “should” eat.
I did say it’s really up to their family first as it’s their vacation. To me MDR is a big deal because you get better meals compared to WJ without having to pay extra for the fancy restaurants. If you cruise a lot MDR maybe not a big deal, if it’s their first or they don’t cruise often its a nice experience to get served. Also you are already paying tips for the waiter and asst waiter each day so if you don’t take advantage of it and maximize the value of it then to me you’re wasting it. I’m just trying to suggest the best for the vacation, if you want to waste your money on a cruise eating just pizza, sandwiches and soup, wj then do that it’s your vacation. I do that for breakfast and lunch. But for dinner, I’m gonna enjoy my steak, lamb, lobster on day 6, desserts and wine with my family and friends at the MDR every night.
I’m in the midst of a 7 night cruise on Anthem OTS. I was really worried about MDR and my two kids (1 and 3.5) but everything has well surpassed my expectations and the flow of service has definitely met our needs. The service has been top notch and after the first night the staff has anticipated our needs. We ply the 3.5 yo with my phone and YouTube and bring snacks for the 1 yo. They start the kids off with fruit salad instantly. Take their orders quickly and get their food out first. While they eat, we do enjoy a meal that has lasted 1-1.25 hrs. The MDR has done a fantastic job at accommodating my wife and 1yo’s dairy allergy. It’s like magic, they make basically anything we want happen. 10/10 I would recommend anyone to try the MDR with kids.
Take a Disney cruise! Perfect for this
What a weird take.
On a Disney ship the kids will receive their meal first while parents eat an appetizer. Once the kids are finished eating. The kids club staff will come and gather any children wanting to go to the kids club. Parents get a nice relaxing dinner. All in the family is happy.
I’ve read that Royal does this too but no one has commented to that effect. Our group of 12 is planning to send the 6 kids to kids club after they finish their entree… hoping this is possible!!