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Windjammer nightmare

Alwaysacruiseinthequeue
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jaspercat

jaspercat

Posted
Posted
From my perspective cruisers bring large luggage on board with them that is difficult to maneuver around. It should be taken away from them when they walk on the ship and have a cabin tag put on it and brought to their cabin.

 

Walking on with small carry ons is one thing....what some cruisers bring on with them is ridiculous.

 

This is a fellow cruiser talking, not a staff member.

 

OMY so true. I've seen a couple on one cruise a family of 5 on another not check any of their bags. That's a lot of luggage to lug around.

 

I know some people are worried about their bags and want to bring them instead of checking them. Those same people should realize you have to move them everywhere. No one on board is going to take them from you.

 

OP mentioned taking laps with luggage - I suspect OP didn't check any bags and not sure why that was an issue.

 

OP - Freedom -- there are a lot of options for dining other than WJ. Sure it's nice nice to get a full buffet but if it's that packed head off, explore the ship, grab a pizza.

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seacruise9

seacruise9

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Hi,

 

I love cruises, but the first lunch in the buffet restaurant on any line usually is chaotic and not very pleasant. It always gets better on subsequent days after people learn their way around the room. On my last Royal Caribbean cruise (Independence of the Seas, February 2014), the staff made (polite) announcements for people to leave the room after they had finished eating. I frequently cruise solo and look for a chair at a counter rather than a table (on the ships that offer this). I eat my lunch quickly and leave ASAP. On my most recent Princess cruise, I had my first lunch in one of the dining rooms (a big improvement).

 

Chuck

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imjoyful2

imjoyful2

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Out of our last 4 cruises on Explorer of the Seas, we never had issues getting lunch in the Windjammer when we boarded except for our most recent cruise.

 

We were stuck in a massive line. When we finally got in there, it was obvious to the staff we would need help getting a table (it was hubby, me and 6 of our 7 children). He finally located us a table and just as he sat us at an 8 top table, 2 people attempted to take our table and quickly got chased away by our waiter. We ran into this MANY times during our 15 day cruise, 2-3 people taking up the large tables meant for 6-8 people. VERY frustrating for us. Main reason we stayed away from Windjammer which was a first for us as in the past, we always had breakfast & lunch here. This last trip we ate in the MDR for almost all our meals.

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George C

George C

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I hope the pizza is better on yhe Freedom than it was on the Oasis.

 

How do you ruin pizza? The cheese tasted funky. Finally gave up after a couple attempts snd stuck to hot dogs and roast beef sandwiches.

 

Bill

 

Pizza on RCCL and Hal both are terrible, Princess and Costa much better.

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TheMastodon

TheMastodon

Posted
Posted
Still fighting bad taste in the mouth of travelling companions after absolute MADHOUSE on boarding day in the windjammer. Wayyyyyyy too crowded and not near enough seating. I'm talking 5 laps around with luggage. Am I missing something? Sea days interior spaces...same thing. Freedom of the Seas. These guys are looking for Carnival now. More space per person!

 

Have fun

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S.S.Oceanlover

S.S.Oceanlover

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Why is everybody STARVING the minute they get on the ship? That's silly. I would NEVER go to the Windjammer on Day 1. Head to the Promenade Cafe and enjoy some light sandwiches and desserts. It's way calmer and nicer. Eat breakfast before you leave home!:p

 

I always eat breakfast before I leave home but it's the day before the cruise :p

 

Bill

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karmacats

karmacats

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As it was, we expressed confusion to someone, and they took us to...Portofino? The specialty restaurant near the entrance of WJ. They had seating in there for lunch-eaters. It was most excellent.

 

usually that's the suite lunch area for freedom class - if you are in a suite, you can pick up your food at windjammer but eat it in chops or portofino (depends on the cruise). if you flashed a gold card, that's why you got in. if you weren't in a suite, maybe they just used it as overflow for embarkation day, or maybe they just liked you. :D they are usually very strict - i usually travel in a suite but with non-suite friends, and they are not allowed into the suite area for lunch (which means i don't eat there, either).

 

 

Why is everybody STARVING the minute they get on the ship? That's silly.

 

You never know what people's limitations are. personally, if i eat more than a cracker within 3 hours of getting up, i get nauseous. which means i'm smack-dab in the middle of windjammer chaos, because i get hungry just as we board.

 

My best embarkation lunch experience ever was on allure - we spent $15 to eat lunch on embarkation day at giovanni's, and it was one of the best $15 i ever spent. made for a much more relaxing first day. and i liked it so much, we went back a second time. normally i would not pay for lunch, but thanks to being open on embarkation day, royal made an extra $120 off of us (lunch for 4, at $15 a head, twice during the cruise).

 

the buffet was chaos on all 4 lines we cruised. the worst was my disney dream cruise last oct - they usually have a second buffet set up in one of the other dining rooms but for some reason didn't that cruise, so it took us over half an hour to find a table (we ended up eating leaning on a counter), and our food was frigid by the time we found even that. some un-disney-like words left my lips that day, let me tell you. i have not been on carnival, but based on cruising on 4 different lines, i think the buffet is probably a mad-house no matter what.

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Langley Cruisers

Langley Cruisers

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Why is everybody STARVING the minute they get on the ship? That's silly....

 

No one is "STARVING"... but for most of us, it signals the beginning of our long-awaited vacation. Let's be honest - the Windjammer buffet, no matter if you love it or hate it, isn't brain surgery. It's nicely prepared (by someone else!) food, plentiful options, as-much-as-you-want food! None of us eats like that in daily life. It's a novelty. :D

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travel123456

travel123456

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It took me a few cruises to figure it out but the last time I totally avoided the windjammer the first day. Got sandwiches at the promenade cafe then headed to our room to unload our small carry on. Easy peasy no more carrying on all that extra baggage.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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cruzsnooze

cruzsnooze

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Why is everybody STARVING the minute they get on the ship? That's silly. I would NEVER go to the Windjammer on Day 1. Head to the Promenade Cafe and enjoy some light sandwiches and desserts. It's way calmer and nicer. Eat breakfast before you leave home!:p
Many people come straight from a plane where they don't even serve a meal anymore so that advise is limited to people who are able to drive to port.
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Johnamac123

Johnamac123

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Many people come straight from a plane where they don't even serve a meal anymore so that advise is limited to people who are able to drive to port.

 

Or to the 1,000's of people who arrive for their cruise the day before departure and stay in a breakfast included hotel...

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S.S.Oceanlover

S.S.Oceanlover

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Or to the 1,000's of people who arrive for their cruise the day before departure and stay in a breakfast included hotel...

 

Most hotels i have stayed in have a continental breakfast. I may grab a danish and head out. If the hotel has breakfast it's usually but not always something you have to pay for.

 

Being the frugal person I am I won't buy breakfast when i know all that food is waiting for free. YMMV

 

Bill

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lucymorgan

lucymorgan

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^^^ This is the solution. The entire cruise can be crowd free if you learn to zigzag when others zag. Grab a bite on the promenade and head out to explore the ship.

 

This is great advice! We rarely go to the windjammer during the busy times - half an hour earlier or later and no hassles, food usually just replenished and much calmer and nicer. The same applies for lots of other activities around the ship.

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

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These guys are looking for Carnival now. More space per person!

 

 

LOL....Have your friends been to the buffet on a Carnival ship on embarkation day? From a Platinum Carnival cruiser, believe me it's just as bad if not worse. That's the #1 reason why I stopped arriving at the port until cabins are ready.

 

I can check in faster (usually lines are non existent later), board the ship, go straight to my cabin and drop my carry ons, unwind for a bit and THEN go grab a bite to eat, usually at an alternative venue. This is a MUCH better start to the cruise than doing the starving mad dash with bags in tow to the buffet at the same time as 2-3,000 other people with the same dumb idea.

 

Last time we sailed on Royal (this past summer) we bypassed the Windjammer and went straight to the Park Cafe. We had a choice of quiet tables right by the windows, no lines to get food, and best of all, the fresh made to order salads, soups, and creative paninis were a healthier and much more enjoyable option to start the cruise than piling up a plate with junk at the Windjammer a la Golden Corral.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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cruisegirl1

cruisegirl1

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LOL....Have your friends been to the buffet on a Carnival ship on embarkation day? From a Platinum Carnival cruiser, believe me it's just as bad if not worse. That's the #1 reason why I stopped arriving at the port until cabins are ready.

 

I can check in faster (usually lines are non existent later), board the ship, go straight to my cabin and drop my carry ons, unwind for a bit and THEN go grab a bite to eat, usually at an alternative venue. This is a MUCH better start to the cruise than doing the starving mad dash with bags in tow to the buffet at the same time as 2-3,000 other people with the same dumb idea.

 

Last time we sailed on Royal (this past summer) we bypassed the Windjammer and went straight to the Park Cafe. We had a choice of quiet tables right by the windows, no lines to get food, and best of all, the fresh made to order salads, soups, and creative paninis were a healthier and much more enjoyable option to start the cruise than piling up a plate with junk at the Windjammer a la Golden Corral.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Of course, not all ships have a Park Cafe

 

M

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

Posted
Posted (edited)
Of course, not all ships have a Park Cafe

 

 

True. But the point is that, even on ships without a Park Cafe, the Windjammer is not the only food option. People that go there at the height of the mad rush and then complain about what a nightmare it was and how they are now going to sail on other cruise lines, should remember that they are the ones making a conscious decision to expose themselves to that kind of "nightmarish" experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited by Tapi
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Paulette3028

Paulette3028

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the buffet was chaos on all 4 lines we cruised. the worst was my disney dream cruise last oct - they usually have a second buffet set up in one of the other dining rooms but for some reason didn't that cruise, so it took us over half an hour to find a table (we ended up eating leaning on a counter), and our food was frigid by the time we found even that. some un-disney-like words left my lips that day, let me tell you. i have not been on carnival, but based on cruising on 4 different lines, i think the buffet is probably a mad-house no matter what.

 

Since I have never cruised on another line, and actually enjoy WJ on the first day -- I find what you wrote as great information.....and good to know that it is the same on other cruise lines.

 

So when someone says, they hated their first day experience in the WJ for lunch and will cruise on another line....they will find it the same, over there.

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