MDR Breakfasts

[Oceanborn]

Somehow my wife and I have never made it down to the MDR for breakfast as we're usually just in a hurry to get off the ship, or get on with the days activities! We have a cruise coming up in a couple days and have been talking about changing things up and trying to eat there more this cruise. I had a couple quick questions though.

 

Is it structured like dinner where you have a pre determined and different list of items to choose from every time (for better or worse), or can you order the same thing every morning? The eggs benedict for example :D Also I'm assuming breakfast is all "your time dining"?

 

Thanks for the any info!

Edited October 30, 2014 by Oceanborn

[falkcor]

breakfast is served in the mdr on port days, and has a set 'every day' menu. eggs benedict are on that menu, and yes you can order the same thing every day

 

brunch is served in the mdr on sea days, and has a set 'every day' menu, with a different set of items including some new ones like steak and eggs, huevos ranchero and more lunch-type fare as well.

 

you are correct, both seatings are 'your time dining'

[kona_wahine]

the menu is always the same. It is like ATD, but they will set you with others unless you ask not to. I do enjoy the long tables at the back...looking out.....:)

[l2f]

We eat breakfast in MDR almost always. The menu is the same on port days. On sea days there is Brunch (I believe all ships) which has a different menu. Also on Brunch days the MDR opens later.

 

We prefer the traditional Breakfast menu to the Brunch Menu.

[Oceanborn]

breakfast is served in the mdr on port days, and has a set 'every day' menu. eggs benedict are on that menu, and yes you can order the same thing every day

 

brunch is served in the mdr on sea days, and has a set 'every day' menu, with a different set of items including some new ones like steak and eggs, huevos ranchero and more lunch-type fare as well.

 

you are correct, both seatings are 'your time dining'

 

Thank you for the detailed answer! Especially for including the answers to the questions I didn't even know to ask. Our plan was to at the bare minimum go to the MDR for breakfast on our Fun Day at Sea which from your post wouldn't have been serving. We have a port intensive 5 stops with only 1 day at sea, so we should have plenty of other days to try it. Thanks again.

[falkcor]

Thank you for the detailed answer! Especially for including the answers to the questions I didn't even know to ask. Our plan was to at the bare minimum go to the MDR for breakfast on our Fun Day at Sea which from your post wouldn't have been serving. We have a port intensive 5 stops with only 1 day at sea, so we should have plenty of other days to try it. Thanks again.

 

depending on what time you intend to go to the MDR for breakfast on your fun day at sea, they very well may be serving.

 

on sea days the mdr is open for brunch from 8.30 - 1.00, and does as noted include plenty of breakfast type items.

 

port days mdr is open for breakfast from 7.30 - 9.30, though sometimes this varies depending upon port times.

 

given the menu, brunch is just breakfast by another name - with some lunch items :)

 

[Oceanborn]

Printed and added to "the cruise binder", thanks again!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[092306]

We go to the MDR for breakfast pretty much every day. You can get eggs benedict at brunch and port days. Its pretty quick and much more relaxing to have breakfast there vs the lido especially on port days when its so crowded and hectic. Much prefer the MDR.

 

 

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[legion3]

Ask for the Hollandaise Sauce on the side when ordering eggs benedict. The sauce tends to harden when it is place on the eggs while waiting to be delivered but stays nice and runny in a side dish.

 

Menu for sea day brunch: http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/CarnivalCruiseLineSeaDayBrunch.htm

 

Regular Breakfast menu: http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/new_11_11/break.htm

 

 

We always eat MDR breakfast on ship.

[Oceanborn]

Ask for the Hollandaise Sauce on the side when ordering eggs benedict. The sauce tends to harden when it is place on the eggs while waiting to be delivered but stays nice and runny in a side dish.

 

Menu for sea day brunch: http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/CarnivalCruiseLineSeaDayBrunch.htm

 

Regular Breakfast menu: http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/new_11_11/break.htm

 

 

We always eat MDR breakfast on ship.

 

Bonus! Guess what also made the binder ; ) Thanks!

[marshhawk]

If you go to brunch early (before 11 a.m.) you will be served a bread basket with wonderful sweet breads, like lemon, Danish, banana nut bread-if you go to brunch after 11, then your bread basket is Popovers! (yum)

 

Breakfast in the MDR is one of the best meals. Yes you are seated with other people, but if you are grumpy like me in the morning, and you ask nicely to "be alone" they will seat you at your own table.

[KatieBug28]

Just wanted to chime in with a couple of items I haven't seen mentioned yet.

 

First, while you may be seated with other people, they take your order right away and don't make you wait until everyone is there together to be served. So everyone will be at different stages of eating, and you don't have to wait for your table mates. I think they seat you together more for the convenience of the servers so they aren't running around the dinning room!

 

Also, we highly recommend the MDR on port days! It may seem counter intuitive to have a sit-down meal when you are in a hurry, but we find it takes much less time than going to the Lido and waiting in line and then finding a place to sit. The room service breakfast is also good, but sometimes it's nice to have a little bit bigger breakfast if you are going on a long excursion and won't be back until later for lunch.

 

Hope you enjoy it! It's always totally empty in there, so the service is great!

[ffmack]

I see everyone has pretty much covered everything so I just wanted to say.......

 

Breakfast in the MDR is BANGGING!!!!!!!

 

Well worth the early start and much better than the buffet.

 

 

Carnival Cruiser 4-LIFE!!!!

[Artemus]

My wife and I try to get to the dining room every morning for breakfast/brunch. I kick myself about all the years we went to lido for breakfast when we could have gone to the dining room.

I asked about the cutoff time for the sweetbread basket on my most recent cruise and was told it was 12 noon.

[patrice1]

We also kick ourselves for not doing the MDR every morning for breakfast! We now order coffee and danish from room service for the balcony and getting ready & then go to the MDR for breakfast every morning. So much better than the Lido in the morning.:D

[Oceanborn]

Just wanted to chime in with a couple of items I haven't seen mentioned yet.

 

First, while you may be seated with other people, they take your order right away and don't make you wait until everyone is there together to be served. So everyone will be at different stages of eating, and you don't have to wait for your table mates. I think they seat you together more for the convenience of the servers so they aren't running around the dinning room!

 

Also, we highly recommend the MDR on port days! It may seem counter intuitive to have a sit-down meal when you are in a hurry, but we find it takes much less time than going to the Lido and waiting in line and then finding a place to sit. The room service breakfast is also good, but sometimes it's nice to have a little bit bigger breakfast if you are going on a long excursion and won't be back until later for lunch.

 

Hope you enjoy it! It's always totally empty in there, so the service is great!

Nice tip! Yea, we definitely were doing the lido mess thinking that it was the fastest route. After looking at the pics of all the MDR menu items linked above. I doubt I'll be eating outside the MDR period short of late night grub runs : ) ...

Edited October 31, 2014 by Oceanborn

[cruiseelady]

Just wanted to chime in with a couple of items I haven't seen mentioned yet.

 

First, while you may be seated with other people, they take your order right away and don't make you wait until everyone is there together to be served. So everyone will be at different stages of eating, and you don't have to wait for your table mates. I think they seat you together more for the convenience of the servers so they aren't running around the dinning room!

 

Also, we highly recommend the MDR on port days! It may seem counter intuitive to have a sit-down meal when you are in a hurry, but we find it takes much less time than going to the Lido and waiting in line and then finding a place to sit. The room service breakfast is also good, but sometimes it's nice to have a little bit bigger breakfast if you are going on a long excursion and won't be back until later for lunch.

 

Hope you enjoy it! It's always totally empty in there, so the service is great!

 

So if you asked for a table for one, they wont do that in the morning? I know in the evening and for brunch its not a problem, but I never tried going to breakfast in the MDR in the morning.

Edited October 31, 2014 by cruiseelady

[legion3]

So if you asked for a table for one, they wont do that in the morning? I know in the evening and for brunch its not a problem, but I never tried going to breakfast in the MDR in the morning.

 

 

No they will, or at least I have seen it, they put you at one of the two person tables usually, which of course is so close two the other two tops that you might as well be sitting with them anyway. ;)

[bobnsons]

The only problem with breakfast/brunch in the MDR is how popular it has become in the past couple of years.

 

 

 

Didn't usta be as crowded as it is now.

 

 

Besides eggs benedict you can get eggs cooked YOUR WAY.

 

 

:D

[Athankfulheart]

Ask for the Hollandaise Sauce on the side when ordering eggs benedict. The sauce tends to harden when it is place on the eggs while waiting to be delivered but stays nice and runny in a side dish.

 

Menu for sea day brunch: http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/CarnivalCruiseLineSeaDayBrunch.htm

 

Regular Breakfast menu: http://www.zydecocruiser.net/menus/new_11_11/break.htm

 

 

We always eat MDR breakfast on ship.

 

You beat me to it ;) Always ask for sauce on the side . Its super yummy too!

[crusinpsychRN]

If you have your free drink coupon, show it as soon as you go in. It can take a long time to get. Outside the MDR there is usually a stand for Bloody Mary's and Mimosa's too.

[KatieBug28]

Nice tip! Yea, we definitely were doing the lido mess thinking that it was the fastest route. After looking at the pics of all the MDR menu items linked above. I doubt I'll be eating outside the MDR period short of late night grub runs : ) ...

 

Hmm, I am not totally sure on this one. I would guess that they would let you sit alone if you wanted to. The last couple of cruises we've had a large group, so we've always just had one whole table. But my DH and I did go alone a couple of mornings, and they always sat us at a table with others when we said we had 2 people. But I would think if you asked to be seated alone, they would let you. It's just if you don't care/don't specify, they put you with the group?