What type of cruiser are you? MDR vs Specialty

[Rogueperson]

NEVER do Specialty restaurants anymore. We have tried it twice and both times the food was horrible. Give me MTD. It is included and the food is always good, I can ask for what I want. Last time we did Specialty was on Jewel in Chops. DH steak was so tough he could not eat it. I asked for a spicy chicken breast since I don't eat meat. What I got was a plain chicken breast with tobacco sauce on it. REALLY???? That was all you could come up with when we PAY to eat?

 

In MTD I ask for curry vegetarian dishes and they always deliver. I ask for salad and steamed veggies and I always get it. Nope not for me, they can keep the restaurants that I have to pay extra for.

 

I had a similar bad experience in Chops on the Jewel. It looked good, but when i cut into the steak, it was bland and flavorless. They put on a good show, but when it came down to it, the steak, in fact, all the food, was subpar. We also went to Portofinos on that ship. It wasn't bad, but there was nothing standing out to reflect the upcharge from the MDR.

 

Flash foward a couple years, I did Chops and Giovanni's on the Independence last year. Incredible. You would not even believe it was the same restaurant. Great steak, service could have been a little better if the waiter wasn't so condescending to my fiance'. Giovanni's was amazing too. Nothing like the Jewel.

 

That said, because they seem to vary from ship to ship, I will always try the specialty restaurant to see how it is. I try to not go during formal nights as formal nights are usually a step up from other nights. Its going to be tough on the Grandeur because there is Chops, Giovanni's, Izumi and Chef's table. We are already booked for Chef's table. So the answer to the OP. It depends on how many specialty restaurants there are.

[harry0]

MDR

Love everything about it. Even more now that they did away with the singiing waiters.

[Paulette3028]

MDR

Love everything about it. Even more now that they did away with the singiing waiters.

 

The singing waiters I don't miss. What I did enjoy was having the same wait staff each night, that got to know my favorite things and made them happen by night 3 without asking.

[tserface]

We will sometimes go to a specialty restaurant if there's something we want to try, but most of the time the food in the MDR is so delicious and the service so excellent we don't feel the need to go elsewhere... and... we wouldn't want to miss something really good on the menu.

 

We also like MyTime Dining.

 

Tom

Edited October 28, 2014 by tserface

[tserface]

Awww you don't love them singing "Old-sold-a-mio" on Italian night and "Hippy Ants-i-varsery" to various tables during the night. What's not to love :)

 

Tom

 

The singing waiters I don't miss. What I did enjoy was having the same wait staff each night, that got to know my favorite things and made them happen by night 3 without asking.

[hailmary25]

6 nights in the MDR, 1 night in Chops.

 

and by the way, DW and I think the food in the MDR is just fine, but then we aren't foodies or food critics writing a newspaper article like some on these boards do.

I feel like so many people are so focuses on their review and what they are going to write when they get back that they overly critique everything and forget they are on vacation.

[Cookiecookie]

7 nights in August we did 3 nights MDR 1 night speciality and the rest wind jammer.

[cecelia0613]

MDR here too. Love the atmosphere and the opportunity to get to know the waiters and assistants responsible for us. Also enjoyed meeting other people assigned to the table with us. Guess this will soon be a thing of the past. Too bad...

 

Only ate in a specialty restaurant once and hubby and I said never again. Reason...the tables are quite close to each other and while the food was good, we ended up next to a couple who spent the entire meal arguing with each other. LOL, during the argument they were both crying. Sure made for an uncomfortable meal for us as we couldn't look to the right all evening.

[nednrom]

Depends on the ship -- on the Independence 8 day cruise in February, we were offered 30% off on any specialty we went to so we ate at specialty restaurants 3 times... this time on the 7 Oasis cruise, I have reserved 1 night at Giovanni's, a cruise first night tradition for us. We'll probably spend 1 night at Vintages too. We'll do MDR the rest of the time.

[nednrom]

We lived in the Portland area for years and agree that lobster on a ship pales in comparison to any lobster in Maine BUT....all of the wonderful restaurants in Portland (and now in Atlanta) have us used to dining that's a few notches above what the MDR provides so we eat in specialty when it's an option.

 

I really like your name 1ParticularHbr--love that song :)

[John&LaLa]

MDR here too. Love the atmosphere and the opportunity to get to know the waiters and assistants responsible for us. Also enjoyed meeting other people assigned to the table with us. Guess this will soon be a thing of the past. Too bad...

 

Only ate in a specialty restaurant once and hubby and I said never again. Reason...the tables are quite close to each other and while the food was good, we ended up next to a couple who spent the entire meal arguing with each other. LOL, during the argument they were both crying. Sure made for an uncomfortable meal for us as we couldn't look to the right all evening.

 

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

 

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[Bailey & Sophie]

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?

MDR.

There's enough there to interest me, and it makes it easier to stick with WW. And the Captain's Table doesn't entice me in the least - I have looked at the pics and I don't think I could get any of it down. And I'm not into desserts so that's a wasted course.

[JessyCruises]

We are MDR all the way. We pay for food as part of the cruise. I have personally yet been able to justify the additional cost.

[14Terry]

On a typical seven night cruise we'll dine twice in a specialty restaurant.

 

 

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[Paulette3028]

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

 

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DH and I have dinner in the MDR for the early seating. We request to be seated at a table for 8-10. It makes a good way to meet people and have a week of interaction with others who then can discuss different things that they did or went to see. Sure sometimes we get a couple who are not as nice or friendly or ???? as the others, but on a table of 8-10, we have always been able to have some wonderful chatter. We let our tablemates and wait staff know if we are not going to be at dinner for some reason.

 

I am sure some people who we have sat with may have found DH and I too be unsatisfactory tablemates, but they then weren't open minded to meeting new people. I love it, and will always be able to deal with others for a week or so. Tablemates can never ruin dinner or my cruise. A few have tried and been unsuccessful.

[Paulette3028]

Depends on the ship -- on the Independence 8 day cruise in February, we were offered 30% off on any specialty we went to so we ate at specialty restaurants 3 times... this time on the 7 Oasis cruise, I have reserved 1 night at Giovanni's, a cruise first night tradition for us. We'll probably spend 1 night at Vintages too. We'll do MDR the rest of the time.

 

We will be cruising on the 8 day itinerary on Indy in February 2015. Looking forward to it, even though there is no Izumi on it. That is really the only Specialty Restaurant that we go to because at home we do Japanese food every 7-10 days. We enjoy it.

 

I know that on Indy they have a Japanese section of the WJ set up for dinner time. I was curious if by any chance did you try it, at all.

[Jet Blu]

I have some questions about that. I want to save money but I was thinking of purchasing the ulimate dining package not that im a big eater but I would like to taste different foods. If I do purchase it does it mean that im not able to eat at the complimentary dining areas? I still want to have dinner with my child and I wont be purchasing it for her because she is a picky eater. So its not worth it for her. By the way its our first time cruising so im unsure on what to do..should I purchase it? I really want to do the Hibachi restaurant with her. Only for the entertainment for her. But I love to try different foods. Help me.. what to do what to do.. counting the days.. so excited!

[RSLeesburg]

I have some questions about that. I want to save money but I was thinking of purchasing the ulimate dining package not that im a big eater but I would like to taste different foods. If I do purchase it does it mean that im not able to eat at the complimentary dining areas? I still want to have dinner with my child and I wont be purchasing it for her because she is a picky eater. So its not worth it for her. By the way its our first time cruising so im unsure on what to do..should I purchase it? I really want to do the Hibachi restaurant with her. Only for the entertainment for her. But I love to try different foods. Help me.. what to do what to do.. counting the days.. so excited!

 

 

I am not familiar with the "ultimate" dining package - is this the combo of three or four specialty restaurants? If so, buying this does not preclude you from eating at any of the free dining locations. On our last cruise, we took our son to WJ, dropped him off at AO, and then went to Izumi. If we had wanted, we could have ate at WJ for pre-dinner snack and at specialty...lol

 

In terms of the Hibachi restaurant, I think this is Izumi, and it is not like a land-based one (with chef cooking food in front of you with a show). They have a hot rock where you get a small, super hot rock and then cook your own food (you get raw meat and cook it yourself on the stone - very yummy). But otherwise, it is just a nice restaurant. We were debating taking our son to one specialty restaurant on our upcoming cruise, and we're leaning towards Giovanni's for lunch, as he loves pasta. He is only 5.

 

On our cruise, you could buy dining packages when you board. We just tried Izumi on our first cruise (last year), as we had no idea what to expect in MDR or WJ. This next one, we are hoping to hit three specialties, but we are terrible planners, so will just play it by ear and book once we board the ship. :).

 

 

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[Cindy]

If you had asked me this question as little as five years ago, I would have said late, traditional, large table, and been pretty inflexible about how I wanted my dinner arrangements on a cruise.

 

We tried MTD three years ago and loved it -- no more finishing dinner at 10:00 and going to bed full, we could eat when we chose.

 

On Oasis in three weeks, we may not go to the MDR at all!:eek: I already have 4 specialties booked, and I may go ahead and try Coastal Kitchen instead of going to the MDR on the other three nights, or I may add a specialty.

 

How we like to cruise has changed enough that I think DD would suit us perfectly. We loved BLU on Celebrity, and I'm looking forward to eating in all smaller venues as opposed to the cavernous MDR.

[lisa.michelle]

MDR for me. I just don't see the need for me personally to spend extra money on specialty restaurants onboard

[caribbean sailor]

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 agree don't want to pay for diner twice.We also like dining in the MDR.:)

[DonnaK]

WE are traditional cruisers who only eat in the MDR every night, on every cruise. We enjoy having the same table and wait team, with a rotating menu.

 

With plentiful wonderful food that's included in the cruisefare, I absolutely refuse to pay a penny more for alternative dining.

[grandmarnnurse]

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?

I only dine for our evening meal in the Main Dining Room. The food is always excellent, the service is personal and attentive, the menu varies, and it is included in the price of the cruise. I have to wonder why anyone would want to spend extra in a Specialty venue, but to each their own. My brother and sister in law just returned from an Alaskan cruise (their first cruise), and they bought a dining package and never ate in the Main Dining Room once! I was baffled with that. I told him he missed out on some fabulous food that would not have cost him anything extra. He missed out on a truly great experience, but being his first cruise, he will never know that.

[sky0000547]

We are MDR cruisers. We are more than happy with the food and service in the MDR. We don't see the point of paying extras and eat in specialty restaurants.

[MOM2CHADALI]

Mostly MDR but specialty 1-2 nights.