What type of cruiser are you? MDR vs Specialty

Not looking to judge or anything just generally curious as to what everyone's preference is.

Are you the type that stays with MDR most of the week because they change the menu?

Or are you the type that loves to spend most nights in the specialty dining?

I myself prefer the MDR, I do like that they change the menu and to me it keeps it fresh and I feel like I miss out if I go elsewhere. Plus it saves me extra money.

I have had one experience in specialty dining and I enjoyed it very much and I am not adverse to trying again just prefer the variety every day and money savings of the MDR.

What say you?

We split it, on a 7 day cruise we will eat in MDR 3 or 4 days and do the same for specialty. Hoping for another chance at Captains table which was very cool.

Exclusively specialty dining. I find the food in the MDR to be subpar at best. I am more than happy to spend a little money for a better meal with better service in a better setting. I understand that these things aren't important to some people, but they are to me.

mdr one night in chops

MDR every night. I already paid for food in my cruise fare. Plus, I'm not a steak or lobster/fish eater so it wouldn't be worth it to me.

We preferred specialty in the past. However, now I really do enjoy the dining room. If I didn't do MTD, I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much.

Mostly speciality ... I too find MDR food mostly sub par and don't mind paying little extra for great meals in speciality venues and privacy of smaller dining venues

Generally MDR, with very occasional specialty.

You know there is another option - the buffet restaurant. There's no extra cost, there's no set time, and the food is often the same as the MDR but plus lots more. IMHO it's definitely the best option for winding down after a busy day exploring a port of call.

It depends on my mood. Usually it is a mix of specialty and MDR. Agree with those who said they liked the variety in the MDR since it changes daily. Some meals in either category have been wonderful while others not so good. But usually I find something that I like.

Just wondering if the Dynamic Dining that RCCL is developing will also feature different menu's in the same venue or will the MDR experience become a thing of the past on that line?

You know there is another option - the buffet restaurant. There's no extra cost, there's no set time, and the food is often the same as the MDR but plus lots more. IMHO it's definitely the best option for winding down after a busy day exploring a port of call.

Do not get me wrong I like the buffet and if I am super tired after a day out or running late for a show I will eat there for dinner.

But usually I eat there at breakfast and lunch and generally do not want it for dinner.

Plus my wife and I enjoy dressing up a little bit more for the nice meal and time in the MDR.

It depends on my mood. Usually it is a mix of specialty and MDR. Agree with those who said they liked the variety in the MDR since it changes daily. Some meals in either category have been wonderful while others not so good. But usually I find something that I like.

 

Just wondering if the Dynamic Dining that RCCL is developing will also feature different menu's in the same venue or will the MDR experience become a thing of the past on that line?

I think DD will be different restaurant different menu. So really the discussion then become free vs fee.

MDR mostly

We really enjoy the MDR on Royal so we eat there most nights, probably 4 of 7 nights. They handle Anytime Dining better than most cruise lines and we like the food and service just fine.

We also enjoy the quiet, relaxed atmosphere in the specialty restaurants and will usually go twice on a 7 night cruise. Yes, the food is better and cooked to order, but it is really the atmosphere we enjoy most...MDR gets a bit noisy and hectic.

One night we stay very casual and will eat at the Windjammer or Johnny Rockets.

Next up is the Navigator and we absolutely love the new Sabor restaurant, so we may go specialty three times on that ship!

After more than thirty cruises on RCCL, four on Disney, two on Celebrity....

For us...100% windjammer ...

Typically 5 nights MDR and a couple of specials.

We must do Giovanni's or Portofino's dependant on which ship we are on.

Thats a Must:)

Happy Days!

To Date all our RCL Cruises have been 7 night and it's mostly like this.

3 Nights MDR

3 nights Specialty Restaurants.

1 night, Wind Jammer.

We always use MTD Since it has been introduced. We enjoy the flexibility.

mdr. Our meals are all paid for in with the cruise fare so why pay extra. I know the food is better, but we eat at a lot of nice restaurants with great food when we're home so I don't need to go on a cruise to eat in nice restaurants. Plus if we get a nice group of people at our table, we enjoy the conversation over dinner.

When we don't have time for the mdr because we have to catch a show, we have a fast dinner at the Windjammer.

On a 7 day cruise we do one night in Chops and one night at Portifino, if they have both. We do it just for a different dinner setting, and not because we think that the MDR is bad. We do however make the two reservations on nights when there is nothing on the MDR menu that we don't care if we miss it! :cool:

On the 3 day Bahama cruise we eat in the MDR every night!

It depends on the ship and options. I'm not a fan of Chops so if the ship only has two specialty restaurants it will be mostly MDR with the Windjammer on occasion. On the big ships we may go up to three specialties.

mdr. Our meals are all paid for in with the cruise fare so why pay extra. I know the food is better, but we eat at a lot of nice restaurants with great food when we're home so I don't need to go on a cruise to eat in nice restaurants. Plus if we get a nice group of people at our table, we enjoy the conversation over dinner.

 

When we don't have time for the mdr because we have to catch a show, we have a fast dinner at the Windjammer.

I have yet to really have the experience of meeting new people at our dinner table. 2 of the 3 cruises I have been on were with family.

The one my wife and i did alone the paired us with a couple. They seemed nice we thought we had a good time but they never came back to the MDR. I guess they didn't like us or wanted to be alone. I did see them once or twice elsewhere and one of the times it was during formal night and i saw them walking around and they were not dressed up at all.

US or them who knows i had fun eating alone with my wife on our honeymoon

Mostly MDR and sometimes even just the WJ on shorter trips

Typically 2 specialty, 1 Windjammer (for that late port day) and the rest MDR.

As a solo predominantly MDR so I can have dinner with others.

Varies depending on who we are with.

If its just us then MDR/Windjammer, we enjoy both and don't see the value of the specialty restaurants. (Loved our first time at Chops, feel it declined every time after that, Samba was interesting not interested in doing it again, etc.)

We have one family that we cruise with about half the time that love Chops so it we are with them we do a Chops run.

Generally speaking MDR works and if we aren't in the mood at the time, Windjammer is a good fallback.

70% MDR, 30% specialty.