Dinner in the Windjammer

[molsonschooner]

29 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Seriously doubt that! 🙄🤔

I have never seen plastic plates in the WJ

[Merion_Mom]

Pretty much like everything else in cruising, your WJ dinner experience can vary from ship to ship.  

 

I don't find it "lights are low and much nicer", but I do eat many dinners there.  

 

Specifically, the Majesty:  I was on her for 10 nights this summer, @KeywestK.  I found the dinners there to be...……………..lackluster at best.  Most of the other WJs I have experienced are better.

 

JMO.  YMMV.

 

And as for the "plastic plates."...………………………….. They are melamine, an eminently practical material when passengers are carrying them around, full of food.

 

If you have been around on Cruise Critic for more than 13 years, you may remember the cruise when the brand new Crown Princess listed alllllllllllllll the way over and I reported live from the ship.

 

Many of the injuries were caused by china and glasses flying around in their buffet, hitting the floor and acting like shrapnel. Some people's legs were rather badly chewed up.

[ZiggaZagga17]

2 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

I think the more you cruise, the more you realize that you only have to do what YOU want to do.............
.........The more you cruise, the more you realize cruising is not about rushing from this venue to that activity the whole time - it's about doing just what you want to do.

This is us to a tee!

 

Made a big mistake on my 1st ever cruise - I live my life on an alarm clock and due to my job my day is pretty much planned out for me with time being a major factor!

I'd booked my 1st cruise well in advance (18mths iirc) and looked forward to it more and more every day, then at the end, having done several excursions, booked plenty of activities etc I realised that |I'd effectively let my alarm clock rule my cruise too!

That was the last time, I now don't judge anyone for doing what they want to do, I hardly plan anything anymore and take each n every day as it comes and that includes meals - let's face it, you'll never miss out on eating and you certainly will never go hungry ha ha ha

We 'plan' what to do on port days, but they're hardly set in concrete and never feel pressured anymore to get off the ship - let's face it, that can be a blessing sometimes when you have the ship to yourself!

 

Happy Cruising 

[Merion_Mom]

56 minutes ago, SailingSal said:

We have heard so many positive comments about dinner in the WJ we tried it one night on Anthem.  It was a terrible experience for us - crowded and poor selection and quality of food.  That doesn't mean we won't try it again - but never on Anthem!

 

And I have had very good dinner time experiences in Anthem's WJ.  So as usual, people are different and reactions and tastes are different.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

11 minutes ago, molsonschooner said:

I have never seen plastic plates in the WJ

OK - so you do not know the difference....that explains it!🙄

[island lady]

4 hours ago, MalteseMama2 said:

Same here. We used to enjoy dressing up and eating in the MDR. Now we prefer 1 or 2 meals at a specialty restaurant and the rest at WJ. I have a gluten allergy and have  had many options made available for me in the WJ. Plus, DH & I can go when ever we want, for as short or long a meal as we want. 

I think you will be happily surprised. 

 

I agree.  We started getting quite disappointed in the MDR the last few years.  Too bright, noisy, crowded, and have had to wait wait in line for too long to be seated for our MTD reservations.  Then food would come out cold, over spiced...etc. 

 

We, like you, do specialty restaurants to mix it up. 

 

Indeed enjoy the quieter, relaxed feeling in the WJ.  Much better selection of food, and if you don't like what you choose...you don't have to look at the disappointment on the waiters face as they trip all over themselves to apologize for it.  

 

And when we spend too long in the lounges...it's nice to just walk in on our own time for light bites.  Not big eaters at night.  We do our larger meal for lunch. 🙂 

Edited October 6, 2019 by island lady

[island lady]

49 minutes ago, dixieva said:

Plastic plates and plastic utensils in the WJ?  

We were on Grandeur in April and ate at least half of our dinners in the WJ.  Real plates and utensils in there.  Food was great.

 

Agree, and indeed those are definitely NOT plastic utensils.  Me thinks that poster has never eaten in the WJ, which does not qualify for an opinion.  😉 

[island lady]

29 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Was. 😜

 

LOL!!  😄 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

13 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Agree, and indeed those are definitely NOT plastic utensils.  Me thinks that poster has never eaten in the WJ, which does not qualify for an opinion.  😉 

Where did I say plastic utensils?🤔🙄

 

 

[kernow]

Every Windjammer that I've ever been in has what I would call plastic plates (as opposed to ceramic ones). I too dislike them and it's one of the reasons that I rarely eat more than a snack from there. While I agree that they would be less likely to break in very rough seas, it is strange that the sister line Celebrity doesn't have them. 

 

Different strokes for different folks but personally I much prefer the MDR for dinner.

[davekathy]

Hell if the food is good I'll eat it off a paper plate using a spork and drink my beer straight from the bottle! 

Edited October 6, 2019 by davekathy

[packedandready]

We chose to forgo the MDR on our last cruise. First time in over 20 cruises. Actually liked it and will do it again on our next one. We liked being about to eat early..at 6 when it opened and still make it to the early show in the theater. After the  show we'd go back to the wj for dessert. 

 

[island lady]

9 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Hell if the food is good I'll eat it off a paper plate using a spork and drink my beer straight from the bottle! 

 

Oh you rebel you!!  🤣   Bucky prefers his beer straight from the bottle.  Cheers, my rebellious DS friend!!  😄 

Edited October 6, 2019 by island lady

[KeywestK]

Thank you all.  Food and dining experiences are always subjective, and these responses clearly proves that.  While we do enjoy the MDR, this may turn out to be our first venture into the WJ for dinner.  And we might end up really liking it.  Will report back when we return.

[island lady]

1 minute ago, KeywestK said:

Thank you all.  Food and dining experiences are always subjective, and these responses clearly proves that.  While we do enjoy the MDR, this may turn out to be our first venture into the WJ for dinner.  And we might end up really liking it.  Will report back when we return.

 

That's the beauty of choice.  Dining venues on the ship give you just that.  Try it like it...may return.  Try it don't like it...well at least you gave it a shot.  🙂 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

15 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Hell if the food is good I'll eat it off a paper plate using a spork and drink my beer straight from the bottle! 

Yeah some people.....!🙄

Me thinks it is also a cultural thing - some cultures are more sophisticated than others!🤔👍

Edited October 6, 2019 by Thorben-Hendrik

[ONECRUISER]

45 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

Pretty much like everything else in cruising, your WJ dinner experience can vary from ship to ship.  

 

I don't find it "lights are low and much nicer", but I do eat many dinners there.  

 

Specifically, the Majesty:  I was on her for 10 nights this summer, @KeywestK.  I found the dinners there to be...……………..lackluster at best.  Most of the other WJs I have experienced are better.

 

JMO.  YMMV.

 

And as for the "plastic plates."...………………………….. They are melamine, an eminently practical material when passengers are carrying them around, full of food.

 

If you have been around on Cruise Critic for more than 13 years, you may remember the cruise when the brand new Crown Princess listed alllllllllllllll the way over and I reported live from the ship.

 

Many of the injuries were caused by china and glasses flying around in their buffet, hitting the floor and acting like shrapnel. Some people's legs were rather badly chewed up.

Well said. Not sure when Royal stopped using China in WindJammer, know resent as 15yrs ago my son dropped his plate. What a mess. It had slid off his tray which they were still using, actually miss them. As Solo Cruiser have to make multiple trips to my table so leave my Sweatshirt there so Attendants know I'm not done... To OP, WJ food for Dinner and even Lunch has Improved last 2yrs, Taste presentation and Choice. 

[MommaBear55]

1 hour ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Well it depends on who recommended it - if  those people are totally thrilled when they see the soggy Burgers and Pizza and French fries - of course they will recommend the WJ and prefer it to the MDR! 🙄👎

I would never eat anything such as you describe. I'm sorry you've had a bad experience in the WJ at night, I've had the exact opposite.

[davekathy]

4 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Yeah some people.....!🙄

...and then there's all the others! 🙄

[Thorben-Hendrik]

9 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

I'm sorry you've had a bad experience

Not bad - it is just not what I would call a "dinner" - it is lukewarm fast food on self-serve plastic plates - about 80% is the  same as lunch....👎😱🤢

Edited October 6, 2019 by Thorben-Hendrik

[davekathy]

14 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Yeah some people.....!🙄

Me thinks it is also a cultural thing - some cultures are more sophisticated than others!🤔👍

Obviously you aren't speaking for yourself. 🤣

Edited October 6, 2019 by davekathy

[A2Mich]

2 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Absolutely agree!👍

For some people the WJ is heaven send!👍

Maybe it is.  Everyone is different and has different expectations.  But, your attempt at generalizing them as being beneath you, or less sophisticated was uncalled for.  Here’s an example....cities such as NYC, LA, London, Paris have some very nice restaurants with top notch service and cuisine.  People who live there, or visit there often, may very well be used to that atmosphere and enjoy it.  Now, take someone who lives in a more rural area that doesn’t have that type of restaurant available to them.  Their local options may simply be fast food, or family owned sit down restaurants, and that is what they are accustomed to.  Windjammer may very well be what they enjoy, and that’s fine.  Cruises offer many options to appeal to a wide variety of people.  Your cruising neighbors could be anybody from well off persons who cruise every other week to the family living paycheck to paycheck and have had to save up for ten years to go on one big vacation, whose lives are vastly different from one another.  Either way, they are all on the same ship to enjoy a vacation the way they want.  These same people also place different values and priorities on what is important to them.  To some, money is no object, to others, forgoing the more expensive upscale eateries is a trade off to being able to be on the ship at all.  Just let everyone enjoy what they want and what appeals to them.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

19 minutes ago, A2Mich said:

Now, take someone who lives in a more rural area that doesn’t have that type of restaurant available to them.  Their local options may simply be fast food, or family owned sit down restaurants, and that is what they are accustomed to.  Windjammer may very well be what they enjoy, and that’s fine.

Absolutely!👍

You might want to re-read what I wrote earlier.....to us it is not what we would call a dinner!👍

Sometimes we like to eat a meal at fast-food buffets too - when we travel.....🤘

Edited October 6, 2019 by Thorben-Hendrik

[Diver2014]

We take most of our meals in the Windjammer when on RCI ships.  The MDR is fine for those who want it but we've had such fabulous experiences on RCI ships that I wouldn't consider bothering with the MDR or specialty restaurants.  We thought the food on the Radiance of  the Seas in the Windjammer was awesome, then we tried Oasis of the Seas and had the same great experience.

We're going on Harmony in January and we can hardly wait.  We love the wide variety of  food available at each 'station' and love trying things we would never order off a menu.

Edited October 6, 2019 by Diver2014

[vacationlover_mn]

4 hours ago, cb at sea said:

Don't worry...go to the dining room on boarding day, and tell them what you want.  Folks are forever changing the seating...they will get you what you want...if not early seating, them MTD....either way, you won't be relegated to the buffet!

 

This!  We had to do it on one of our cruises, and were able to get sat at a big table in early dining (our fave :)). We had been originally assigned to late, since early was full