Main Dining Room vs. Windjammer with Chops thrown in.

I noticed a change in the dining scene through the years. My first RCCL cruise was in 1993 and people dressed up, you had assigned seating breakfast, lunch and dinner and the Windjammer was only open breakfast and lunch.

We cruised again on RCCL in 2005 and the Windjammer was open all three meals, but people still dressed up for the main dining room, but it was open seating breakfast and lunch and assigned dinner.

In 2006 we did a weekender from Los Angeles to Ensenada for 4 nights and no one dressed up and it was totally a booze cruise. Hated it.

Our last cruise was a 7 nighter in 2016 and dress codes were ignored, main dining room was a ghost of it's former glory days. Lots of upcharges for entrees and quality was gone. Windjammer is open all three meals. Main dining room open seating breakfast and lunch assigned dinner.

My DH has been on an RCCL since our 2016 cruise and they did the Windjammer for 90% of their meals and said the quality was better than the MDR in 2016.

Now I have several questions on this...I have booked the Empress in April as a solo cruise. I am a huge introvert to the point I have social anxiety. We usually get a 2 top table so it is just us. I did set myself up on My Time Dining.

1. Based on DH's last experience, is it possible to do Windjammer for all three meals?

2. If I decide to do MDR, is a 2 top available in MTD?

3. Based on the direction of lack of enforcement of dress codes on formal or semi formal nights, is it possible to get away with business casual? Don't get me wrong...I am the first to put on a tux, but hate trying to pack tux shoes without them getting scuffed up and with the lack or shoeshine services on RCCL anymore, no way to shine them back up.

4. We have a Chops on board. Any suggestions?

You can do WIndjammer for all 3 meals.

Easy to get a 2-top in My Time Dining.

No formal nights on Empress.

You can do WIndjammer for all 3 meals.

Easy to get a 2-top in My Time Dining.

No formal nights on Empress.

Even on a 7 nighter?

Even on a 7 nighter?

I suppose it can change, but everything I've read about Empress says no formal nights at all.

Even IF there is a designated "formal" night, you are under no obligation to "dress up". It's "suggested dress" only.

Even IF there is a designated "formal" night, you are under no obligation to "dress up". It's "suggested dress" only.

Yup, the old days are gone I am afraid.

we've always gotten a 2 top..

we never dress up, formal night or not....

not that we're dressed to haul coal, but no suits or fancy clothes....

my husband wears a polo shirt and khakis every night

i wear nice pants and a nice top...or capri pants and a nice top..

nothing fancier than that..

.

we've always gotten a 2 top..

 

we never dress up, formal night or not....

not that we're dressed to haul coal, but no suits or fancy clothes....

 

my husband wears a polo shirt and khakis every night

i wear nice pants and a nice top...or capri pants and a nice top..

nothing fancier than that..

 

.

That was as formal as I was going to go this trip. Our last cruise the MDR allowed shorts and t-shirt for adults on formal night. I am old school and brought up that you never go to a restaurant dressed like the dishwasher.

That was as formal as I was going to go this trip. Our last cruise the MDR allowed shorts and t-shirt for adults on formal night. I am old school and brought up that you never go to a restaurant dressed like the dishwasher.

i've seen men wearing shorts in the MDR on formal night - i just don't recall if it was on royal or disney. I think disney.

but they have pretty much the same dress code.

Is the atmosphere in Windjammer a little nicer at night? I thought I read somewhere that there are servers there at night. What do they do? It seems we would still go through the buffet line.

We just booked a mid November cruise and my mom said the travel agent never asked about a dining preference. So I'm afraid we'll end up with late seating. I don't think my dad will be too happy with eating that late. We're a party of 6. I wonder if we'll end up eating there some nights. (We really like eating in MDR too, even for breakfast )

That was as formal as I was going to go this trip. Our last cruise the MDR allowed shorts and t-shirt for adults on formal night. I am old school and brought up that you never go to a restaurant dressed like the dishwasher.

In Main Dining have seen multiple turned away on Serenade and Brilliance wearing Shorts T-shirts/Tank tops, but only on Formal Nights, this as recent as last Dec. Couple went changed and came back to eat, few others did not...