What type of cruiser are you? MDR vs Specialty

The buffet restaurant every time. We walk in when we are ready, put the food we want on our plates in the proportions we want, and there's no waiting around to be served. Far more choice than in the other restaurants too. Sadly though, more and more people are choosing the buffet for dinner. In years gone by it used to be almost empty in the evenings and was a delight. These days it can get quite crowded :-(

I like to do the MDR about half the time, and the other half buffet for the quick convenience.

I've never tried a specialty.

Ok i want to start by saying i just got off my first cruise on ncl breakaway. I thought the food in there mdr was awful however the found in specialty restaurants were awesome. I would have a hard time getting back on a ship because the mdr food was that bad and i cannot afford to pay for my meal twice.

We have more than one cabin and multiple age groups. The MDR has always worked out for us. No confusion on what time to meet, where, no arguing over steak or seafood. We like getting to know our wait staff and we like everything being ready when we step through the door. This time is a little different. Our little cruisers that started out being wheeled to the MDR in an umbrella stroller and now age 20, and they have requested we do late dining because they get up later or breakfast, they will be going on their own excursions, etc. We older folks might have to try out the WJ to get a little bit to hold us over until late dining....oh the horrors....lol.

Have never tried speciality restaurant. We have been getting a table for just the two of us or just our party , if we go with others , the last 4 to 5 cruises. We still end up talking to our neighbors usually by the third night but don't feel like we have to socialize with them if we don't want to. This works for us very well and we like the MDR food and having the same waiters every night but we might try it one night on our upcoming Jan cruise since we haven't yet. We have cruised on RC 13 times. Would love to know what ppl like best on the Oasis , just in case we do decide on trying it.

6 nights or less all MDR, maybe WJ one night if a menu doesn't appeal.

7+ nights MDR, perhaps a specialty one night.

We enjoy the better good in the specialty restaurant's but always eat at Mr on formal night's. They usually have lobster

Mdr for us with an occasional specialty venue if celebrating something. Like the variety in the mdr. And let's face it, even the specialty dinning offers no four star cuisine, so settle for the quite acceptable mdr fare.

We have more than one cabin and multiple age groups. The MDR has always worked out for us. No confusion on what time to meet, where, no arguing over steak or seafood. We like getting to know our wait staff and we like everything being ready when we step through the door. This time is a little different. Our little cruisers that started out being wheeled to the MDR in an umbrella stroller and now age 20, and they have requested we do late dining because they get up later or breakfast, they will be going on their own excursions, etc. We older folks might have to try out the WJ to get a little bit to hold us over until late dining....oh the horrors....lol.

We had late dining on our last cruise, and did go to WJ late afternoon for some coffee and treats to hold us.

MDR Late Seating, with a visit to Chops generally saved for a weaker menu night. That's the plan for January.

If we do another 11-nighter like Radiance, maybe more Specialty; but we would still spend the majority in the MDR. And admittedly on that trip our table companions were so cool that's who we went to Chops and Rita's with.

We basically avoid WJ 24/7 not because we dislike the food. The opposite actually, because our best of intentions to behave can go so unbelievably wrong in a buffet environment.

We've done a mix of both MDR and speciality, but never done WJ/buffet for dinner (though that's probably a good option sometimes... I bet it's pretty empty in there!). We're heading out on a 7-day RCL cruise next month and have 3 nights of speciality booked. We were going to do two, but booking 3 got us 30% back as OBC so it's pretty much a free 3rd night in speciality.

We do both the MDR and specialty restaurants and enjoy them equally.

A little of both. Loving the new restaurant options on ships these days and the food in the MDRs has been heading south for awhile now unfortunately. I don't mind paying a bit more for better food but get upset on the occasions that I do and the speciality restaurant is ick, it happens. Have never had dinner at buffet.

WJ, because I never can commit to a time or want to use so much time on a dinner! When I can eat on my balcony! Who wants to miss an awesome sunset! JMO!

We dine traditionally. As A family . Our day to day real lives don't allow us as a family to eat together nearly enough. We and our two boys actually look forward to the opportunity.

BUT... I think It's really cool that there are other options now for groups or families that have different wants or needs than my particular situation.

Uncomfortable dining companions can happen in MDR as well and then you are stuck with them rest of trip

 

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We usually request a table for 2, so we do not risk irritating strangers the whole week! Not that we mind sharing with strangers--we do that at breakfast and lunch in MDR, but those are not assigned seating for every day, so it is ok, and interesting. On our next cruise, we have 9 of us, so we requested a dinner time and table for all 9 of us together. I have always preferred the MDR for our evening meal. We will catch other venues for breakfast and lunch.

MDR mostly..Specialty restaurant occasionally.. Cafeteria NEVER unless the timing of a shore excursion makes any other option impossible

We have only eaten in a specialty venue once out of 4 cruises. No need to from our point of view.

Usually we eat in the MDR and choose MTD. We check out the menu each day. If nothing appeals to either of us we will go the buffet. On some occasions when one of us (normally it will be my wife) likes what is on the menu while the other doesn't we go to the buffet and she will find something she likes and then pop into the MDR where she will have a drink, maybe an appetiser, salad and/or desert while I have my meal. Compromise is easy for us.

This is why we look forward to DD. It gives us further options.

A follow up im glad almost 100 post in and nobody has attacked anybody for there choices its unusual on cc nowadays

Uncomfortable dining companions can happen in MDR as well and then you are stuck with them rest of trip

 

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Why are you stuck? If you are truly not happy with your dining companions, the Head Waiter or MaitreD will move you to another table, generally on a different level or on the opposite end of the MDR. No need to be uncomfortable for the rest of the trip

MDR everynight :)

I have to say I've never thought about grabbing WJ and eating on the balcony, but love that shot by Justmekaren918. May have to try that:)!

I have to say I've never thought about grabbing WJ and eating on the balcony, but love that shot by Justmekaren918. May have to try that:)!

I second that

Our last cruise the first week of September on the Navigator we ate dinner in the MDR once and had room service in our suite once. We ate once at Chops and once at Giovanni's Table, and at Sabor twice for dinner and once for lunch. One other night they had a special dinner for Suite guests in Windjammer ( filet mignon and lobster tails). All breakfasts were either room service or in Chops. All lunches on port days were eaten ashore. On sea days we ate in Chops for lunch, except for the day we ate at Sabor. The first night in the MDR killed it for us. Lousy food and lousy service. We went back to the cabin and started making reservations for the specialty restaurants. We ended up spending over $500 extra for food on that cruise. Sabor had the best food and service on the ship. I would have been happy having all dinners there!