Buffet vs. MDR

I think it's disrespectful to bring outside food into the MDR, and probably against the rules. Maybe next time you could all bring trays of buffet food and not order anything off the MDR menu.

 

"Outside food"? It's from the same kitchen as the food served in the MDR. It's not like Sizzlechest went to some dining establishment floating all by itself out in the ocean. Disrespectful? To whom? Against the rules? I don't believe there are any rules against bringing food items or beverages from another part of the ship into the MDR, or vice-versa.

I think it's disrespectful to bring outside food into the MDR, and probably against the rules. Maybe next time you could all bring trays of buffet food and not order anything off the MDR menu.

 

Yeah. The sommelier gave the maitre de a look of haughty disgust when I smuggled the slice of key lime pie past him. He almost soiled himself with indignation.

On a cruise we order room service for breakfast - Coffee, juice, fruit and danish. On sea days we do enjoy the brunch though so those mornings we just get coffee and juice room service while we leisurely get ready to go to brunch mid morning.

 

Lunch is always some sort of "buffet" - either the Lido, or Guys or the Deli.

 

When it comes to dinner I want to sit down in the MDR and be waited on hand and foot. :D

 

I've never not been able to find some "stuff" on the menu to fill me up - even if it's servings of apps for my dinner rather than an entree.

 

At home, because of some DH health issues, I have to shop for, prepare, serve and clean up after each dinner - Every Night :(. My greatest joy on a ship is to NOT have to do any of those things.

Each to their own .... but no buffet for dinner for me:D

Menu's are on the Hub App. They are also posted outside the MDR. And lobster is traditionally the first formal night. Finally, lobster is just a really big shrimp/crab thing. It's good, but not that much better than most other offerings.

 

I wouldn't even call it "really big". In fact, as lobsters go, the elegant night MDR lobsters are tiny.

I wouldn't even call it "really big". In fact, as lobsters go, the elegant night MDR lobsters are tiny.

 

I think it's because the lobsters are rock lobsters (or maybe even Louisiana crayfish :rolleyes:), not Maine lobsters.

Yeah. The sommelier gave the maitre de a look of haughty disgust when I smuggled the slice of key lime pie past him. He almost soiled himself with indignation.

 

would you say he had a sour look on his face?

I never liked eating at buffets. Just the fact that they call that clear plastic thing on top of a sneeze guard grosses me out. I actually avoided cruising until I was almost 50 years old because I thought all meals were served at the buffet. Have had four cruises since, and have managed to not eat anything from the buffet.

I can't get poached eggs at the omelette station to make eggs benedict to replace the overcooked poached eggs sitting on the steam table at the buffet.

My response was to someone stating they could not get a runny yolk egg at the buffet and my response was correct in that sunny side up or over easy could be had at the omelette station. If you want immediate poached eggs at a buffet, even in multiple options benedict wise, cruise on Celebrity.

My response was to someone stating they could not get a runny yolk egg at the buffet and my response was correct in that sunny side up or over easy could be had at the omelette station. If you want immediate poached eggs at a buffet, even in multiple options benedict wise, cruise on Celebrity.

That person, Sizzlechest, said: "I prefer the MDR for breakfast since I like eggs benedict, and the odds of getting a runny yolk at the buffet are slim and none. (Heat lamps keep cooking eggs while they sit there.)The omelette station would be of no use to them in their case because they don't prepare poached eggs for Sizzlechest to cobble together eggs benedict to their liking.

My response was to someone stating they could not get a runny yolk egg at the buffet and my response was correct in that sunny side up or over easy could be had at the omelette station. If you want immediate poached eggs at a buffet, even in multiple options benedict wise, cruise on Celebrity.

 

 

 

There is no ship on any cruise line or any land restaurant who can hold poached eggs soft. Yes, they stated they wanted runny eggs with Eggs Benedict, nothing about up or over easy.

There is no ship on any cruise line or any land restaurant who can hold poached eggs soft. Yes, they stated they wanted runny eggs with Eggs Benedict, nothing about up or over easy.

We've been able to get fresh poached eggs at the buffet on Carnival. We just ask one of the cooks and they bring out however many we ask for.

 

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

We chose the MDR for as many meals as we can. Eat less and nice but not large portions. If we are not on tours, breakfast in the MDR to meet new people, lunch on sea days for the same reason. At dinner we have always preferred the MDR, not because of the food but because of our table mates. It is great to dine with the same group every night. In all the cruises we have taken we have never had bad table mates. I hope they feel the same way.

It's buffet for us, just about every meal.

Benefits:

Get exactly what you want....and the portion you want

If you don't like it....get up and get something else.

More variety in the buffet.

You can be quick or take as long as you want.

Meet a variety of people at adjoining tables.

 

 

MDR....for people who don't eat out often it's a treat to be served. (We eat out almost daily.) They try to emulate an upscale restaurant but fall short as far as the food and service.

Finally, lobster is just a really big shrimp/crab thing. It's good, but not that much better than most other offerings.

 

A really big shrimp/crab thing? LOL! Maybe in Alabama that's what they resemble, but not in Maine. Thanks for the laugh! :')

We've been able to get fresh poached eggs at the buffet on Carnival. We just ask one of the cooks and they bring out however many we ask for.

 

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

never, they are always hard boiled, as in cooked yoke. When I order my Eggs Benedict in the MDR, I always order very soft. If the yoke is not runny, I will send it back. The buffett's Bene's look like crap.

never, they are always hard boiled, as in cooked yoke. When I order my Eggs Benedict in the MDR, I always order very soft. If the yoke is not runny, I will send it back. The buffett's Bene's look like crap.

Not the ones sitting in the warming tray; they bring them from the back kitchen area.

 

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

so you are saying they personally cook you 2 poached eggs to order from the buffet line. Do they also bring your fresh Hollandaise, English Muffin and ham? This conversation was about Eggs Benedict.

We eat in the MDR most nights. We sit at a private table (just family and cruise mates) and it's a way for us to break bread and casually discuss the days events and our plans for the evening. The Lido is just too busy for that.

 

That being said, there are the rare nights when we just don't feel like having the MDR experience. We let our party know that we're skipping dinner and we just graze the Lido and the pizza place for light food.

The menu is posted each day (not sure exactly what time) outside of the entrance to the dining room. We check it every day to decide if we want to eat in the MDR or go to the buffet.

I believe the menus are also on HUB

I prefer the buffet because you can eat as much as you want and try different things without waiting and it's much quicker.

Toast can be made hours before it is put out' date=' hate to think how old the eggs tha are sitting out are.

They only leave scrambled eggs on the buffet line. I got them for breakfast every day last week, except the two brunch days, and it was obvious that the pan turned over fairly quickly and they didn't sit out for very long.

 

so you are saying they personally cook you 2 poached eggs to order from the buffet line. Do they also bring your fresh Hollandaise, English Muffin and ham? This conversation was about Eggs Benedict.

Here's what I got from this. You argued with someone that they can't get poached eggs. They said, through personal experience, they most certainly have. So you say the conversation wasn't even about poached eggs. Funny, because you're the one who started the argument with them about poached eggs. Do you think they were making it up?

We went to the MDR for dinner every night last week except for one elegant night. We do enjoy the American Feast menu (formerly known as American Table), but service seemed to get slower & slower as the cruise went on. It caused us to have to adjust our schedules more than once as far as things we wanted to do in the evenings. We enjoy the experience of the MDR and it was a good time for us to get together with our son and his friend, who we didn't see much of while on the ship, but next time we may consider not going as much when there are activities and/or shows we're more interested in.

 

We loved the food on the first sea day brunch, even ordered seconds. But the second brunch was disappointing. Our waiter wasn't very personable, was much slower, and the food wasn't as good. Looking back, I would've rather skipped the second one and been left with good memories of the first.

We do enjoy the American Feast menu (formerly known as American Table)

Actually, the American Table menu is currently served on non-elegant evenings and the American Feast menu is served on elegant nights.

From Carnival's website:

"AMERICAN TABLE AND AMERICAN FEAST

American Table and American Feast have been designed to create a contemporary and memorable dining experience for our guests.

On Cruise Casual evenings, with an emphasis on exceptional American cuisine, American Table features familiar regional, fresh and contemporary dishes, with a wide array of appetizer, entree and dessert selections which changes each evening. Additionally, American Table is designed with modern table décor and place settings with menu designs to complement the experience.

On Cruise Elegant evenings, guests are treated to our American Feast, a dining experience designed to create the feeling of an elaborate celebration and features tantalizing appetizers, a delicious selection of succulently prepared meats, seafood, and vegetarian choices, topped off with one of our spectacular desserts. Depending on the cruise duration, American Feast is featured on one or two evenings per cruise."

 

There is no ship on any cruise line or any land restaurant who can hold poached eggs soft.

Since you have zero cruises on Celebrity and I have experience in their buffet on multiple ships with eggs benedict, I need to correct you. They have 3 different types of benedict available at a specific section of their buffet and the server scoops up the egg from the hot water as you tell them which type you want. One was traditional with canadian bacon, a second one had corned beef hash and I believe the third was florentine. Don't know how they did it, but I enjoyed them multiple times and the yolks were always nice and runny.