have you ever skipped MDR all week for dinners???

I'm a bit surprised at the number of folks who avoid the MDR. For us the MDR experience, especially with a large table and good wait staff, is one of the main draws of cruising. Our waiter on a just completed New England cruise was doing magic tricks for us and we are still close friends with a couple of Brit couples we met several years ago. We have tried the WJ for dinner and even though it was OK, it is still a buffet. If anything, we now try to avoid the WJ as much as possible.

I think you are referring to Carnival. RCCL has a formal night, and except for a few random people, the dining room is filled with people dressed appropriately. .

Thats the most comical thing Ive read on here in a long time. Have you even been on a Royal Caribbean cruise lately? :rolleyes: Because that is certainly not what we witnessed on our last two. There were three tables around us on FORMAL night in oh gasp...............SHORTS AND T SHIRTS!!!!!!!!!!! Certainly more than I can count on two hands. SMH

I love it. The MDR is becoming a lot more casual, the crew no longer wishes to enforce any kind of rules in place, the wait staff tells their guests to "come as you are" and some of you people just dont want to accept that.

I have a feeling I'm in the "no more MDR" camp. I have always loved the WJ and the chefs take my dietary special requests very seriously and I've gotten some fantastic surprises.

For a more formal dinner, I'll do specialty dining.

Downside is I cruise solo 5/6 times and nothing works as well as WJ unless I find other cruisers I know from previous voyages to share a table with.

MDR food has always been good for me, but inconvenient.

I'll be cruising solo on Anthem of the Seas next year - there's no real MDR since there are various complimentary restaurants. Doing dynamic dining choice - so no set time and no set people to eat with (thank god). I'll play it by ear, check out the different options and eat where it looks good that nite.

For me what put me off the idea of cruising for ages was the idea of having to eat with strangers, every night. Ugh.

Last cruise on NCL I ate in the MDR most evenings with the solo group, but honestly, the food was meh. Wedding banquet/mass produced quality. So not sure the big appeal. Preferred the other free places, including the buffet.

I'm a bit surprised at the number of folks who avoid the MDR. For us the MDR experience, especially with a large table and good wait staff, is one of the main draws of cruising. Our waiter on a just completed New England cruise was doing magic tricks for us and we are still close friends with a couple of Brit couples we met several years ago.

We skip the MDR for all the same reasons you go:)

We have avoided the MDR, with an occasional exception, for about the last 3 years. Love the WJ or specialty dining.

On our last cruise on the NV, just returning home last Sunday, except for dining with the HD one night, and friends one night in the MDR, all the rest were either the WJ (mostly) or one specialty restaurant per cruise.:)

Rick

We would not skip MDR entirely. We did however, not even step into the WJ on the Allure. Was wonderful not to fight crowds and people who are not looking where they are going. Food is better in MDR IMO.

I find it relaxing to get away to the MDR after a busy day and let someone wait on me for a change. But with kids, it's much different and completely understand.

Good thing is you have options. Choose wisely :)

I never thought that I would skip the MDR on a cruise, because we are on vacation and enjoy being served. With that said, we went there the first night only. The next night we went to the windjammer and enjoyed it so much, we never went back to the MDR on our 10 night cruise. I usually chose one of the stations where they cook something different every night. It was very quiet and relaxing. We could stay as long as we liked or make it quicker. I am booked on another cruise in July and won't even bother with dress clothes as we will eat in the Windjammer every night. If you aren't sure, you should just try it one night, you might be surprised.

I'm a bit surprised at the number of folks who avoid the MDR. Our waiter on a just completed New England cruise was doing magic tricks for us...

Yet another reason to get dressed up to experience the "luxury and refinement" of RCI formal night. :rolleyes:

Yet another reason to get dressed up to experience the "luxury and refinement" of RCI formal night. :rolleyes:

It did not happen on formal night but even if it did, why would that matter? Our entire table was very much entertained and loved it. I don't get the rollled eyes but whatever.

We were very comfortable with second seating in MDR. When sailing with others, we requested a table for just our group, knowing that some meals the entire group would not attend. When we sailed by ourselves we requested a table for 2. BUT, when MTD was offered, we tried it. Old school second seating went overboard! On Granduer, we tried all the specialty options, including Chef's Table. There was no turning back!

On Quantum, Yippee! There was no MDR. And we went to almost ALL the complimentary and specialty restaurants. Prime Table is, by far, our #1 followed by Wonderland, then Jamie's. She Who Must Be Obeyed, aka, DW, made all the reservations.

On Anthem, we reserved our table for 2 each night of our B2B. This time we scheduled them together. We will do Vintages for tapas, Michael's for a meal or 2 and how is Divinely Decadence for dinner?

We enjoy changing attire for dinner. We enjoy a sip of the grape while prepping for dinner. As for WJ dining, that's why there are 26 flavors of ice cream; not everyone likes pistachio.

not everyone likes pistachio.

And now you know the reason entire families are left at the dock...

I'm a bit surprised at the number of folks who avoid the MDR. For us the MDR experience, especially with a large table and good wait staff, is one of the main draws of cruising. Our waiter on a just completed New England cruise was doing magic tricks for us and we are still close friends with a couple of Brit couples we met several years ago. We have tried the WJ for dinner and even though it was OK, it is still a buffet. If anything, we now try to avoid the WJ as much as possible.

If the MDR was the elegant, civilized place that so many try to make it out to be, we would probably go more than we do. If I wanted magic tricks or twirling napkins with my dinner, I will go to Chuckie Cheese. I prefer to have a quieter experience with cooked to order food, so I choose the Windjammer or Specialty Restaurants.

I am so curious about Wonderland. It looks very cool, but scared it will be a 'cruise ship' version of molecular gastronomy and end up super cheesey.

I need a report!

Windjammer is nice for dinner. They turn down the lights, it's quiet and peaceful compared to the chaos in the MDR.

I think so, too. Sometimes I'm happy to forego "service" for quiet.

If the MDR was the elegant, civilized place that so many try to make it out to be, we would probably go more than we do. If I wanted magic tricks or twirling napkins with my dinner, I will go to Chuckie Cheese. I prefer to have a quieter experience with cooked to order food, so I choose the Windjammer or Specialty Restaurants.

I'm sure you would not have such a problem as I suspect your waiter would get the vibe real quick that you weren't interested in magic tricks. Funny thing is the youngest person seated at our table was 58, not a single Chuckie Cheese type person in the crowd, yet we all loved it.

Thats the most comical thing Ive read on here in a long time. Have you even been on a Royal Caribbean cruise lately? :rolleyes: Because that is certainly not what we witnessed on our last two. There were three tables around us on FORMAL night in oh gasp...............SHORTS AND T SHIRTS!!!!!!!!!!! Certainly more than I can count on two hands. SMH

 

I love it. The MDR is becoming a lot more casual, the crew no longer wishes to enforce any kind of rules in place, the wait staff tells their guests to "come as you are" and some of you people just dont want to accept that.

Freedom in June.

I'm sure you would not have such a problem as I suspect your waiter would get the vibe real quick that you weren't interested in magic tricks. Funny thing is the youngest person seated at our table was 58, not a single Chuckie Cheese type person in the crowd, yet we all loved it.

I'm glad. I was merely pointing out the very existence of "magic tricks" as another example of the decline of the MDR. Why bother dressing up anymore for a carnival atmosphere (no pun intended)?

Never the whole week but we did find ourselves preferring Windjammer on a couple nights when we sailed over the summer with our kids.

oops double post

Hi, We are thinking of skipping the MDR for dinners completely on our upcoming cruise. This will be our 5th or 6th cruise and I'm seriously contemplating just being casual the entire week...don't want to worry about dressing up (with two little kids, that's extra shoes, dockers, dress shirts, etc).

 

Has anyone every skipped the MDR entirely? Did you miss it??

Yes, we did 7 cruises without going into the dining room. This last cruise last month we finally went back in for MTD because we were getting tired of the Windjammer food. I love breakfast in the WJ (the egg bar can't be beat - eggs prepared right on the spot the way you want them) and lunch is fine too. We were so glad we decided to go back to the dining room we'll probably never go back to the WJ for dinners again it was just so much better!

My husband and I were quite surprised how good the Windjammer was on the Oasis and the Quantum - we only ate in the MDR once and he was not impressed with the service.

When I cruise by myself I don't eat in the MDR. Ex and I stopped eating in MDR after 2nd or 3rd cruise; the WJ or specialty restaurants were just fine. Current bf liked MDR on our last cruise, and we'll probably plan to eat in MDR on our upcoming cruise, but I'm fine if we don't. I don't feel like we're missing out on anything by eating in the Windjammer or somewhere else.

No, never have skipped the MDR entirely. Never will, since I like being waited on. I never feel the need to hurry through dinner. I don't like having part of my meal getting cold while I search down something else I want. I'm not a big fan of the whole buffet experience, generally, on sea or land.

Which isn't to say I skip the buffet entirely. After a long shore day, if I'm feeling grody and generally too beat to change clothes, and practically even too tired to chew, then the buffet it is. Or if I'm just not all that hungry, I'll grab something at the buffet, maybe even take it back to eat on the balcony.

We generally only do a specialty dining venue maybe once per every couple of cruises.

Yes, we did 7 cruises without going into the dining room. This last cruise last month we finally went back in for MTD because we were getting tired of the Windjammer food. I love breakfast in the WJ (the egg bar can't be beat - eggs prepared right on the spot the way you want them) and lunch is fine too. We were so glad we decided to go back to the dining room we'll probably never go back to the WJ for dinners again it was just so much better!

Oasis WJ doesn't have fresh eggs :mad: