Main Dining room open for lunch on embarkation day

[NW Pacific]

Cruising with friends on the Bliss, wondering if one of the MDR is open for lunch on day one??  Know they try to direct you to the buffet, but if anyone actually ate at one, would appreciate letting us know, thanks

[Sim1979]

Depends on which ship i would say, when i cruised on the Gem the main dining was opened for lunch on embarkation day... but when i got on Breakaway/Getaway, the main dining was closed (but you could go to Taste/Savor on deck 6 which is pretty much the same as the main dining room)

[cruiserbear55]

7 minutes ago, NW Pacific said:

Cruising with friends on the Bliss, wondering if one of the MDR is open for lunch on day one??  Know they try to direct you to the buffet, but if anyone actually ate at one, would appreciate letting us know, thanks

  

    It has been  our experience that there is always at least one MDR open for lunch on every ship we have sailed on. All seem to be open from 12:00-2:00 PM on embarkation day.

[njhorseman]

25 minutes ago, Sim1979 said:

Depends on which ship i would say, when i cruised on the Gem the main dining was opened for lunch on embarkation day... but when i got on Breakaway/Getaway, the main dining was closed (but you could go to Taste/Savor on deck 6 which is pretty much the same as the main dining room)

Taste and Savor are main dining rooms with the same menu as the aft main dining room. There are three main dining rooms on those ships.

[zqvol]

36 minutes ago, Sim1979 said:

Depends on which ship i would say, when i cruised on the Gem the main dining was opened for lunch on embarkation day... but when i got on Breakaway/Getaway, the main dining was closed (but you could go to Taste/Savor on deck 6 which is pretty much the same as the main dining room)

Taste and Savor are main dining rooms. NCL always has at least one main dining room open on embarkation day. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

19 hours ago, NW Pacific said:

Know they try to direct you to the buffet

I've been on many NCL cruises.  I've read this many times on CC.  Nobody has EVER tried to direct me anywhere for lunch.  It is an internet urban legend.  It simply has never happened.

[The Other Tom]

46 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've been on many NCL cruises.  I've read this many times on CC.  Nobody has EVER tried to direct me anywhere for lunch.  It is an internet urban legend.  It simply has never happened.

I've been on many NCL cruises as well, and they always try to steer me to the buffet.

[david_sobe]

My first cruise I wish I would have known the MDR was open.  We ate at the buffet and soon during the week I discovered how nice a quiet sit down breakfast and lunch could be instead of the madness of the buffet.

[curlstravel]

It is so nice on embarkation day to sit in the dining room and relax after the chaos of checking in  and waiting to get on the ship then booking restaurants or shows etc.  Last month on the Bliss there were only 5 or 6 tables while we were there.  A great way to start your cruise.

[EngrJones]

34 minutes ago, The Other Tom said:

I've been on many NCL cruises as well, and they always try to steer me to the buffet.

Who are "they?"

[SuzieQ521]

1 hour ago, curlstravel said:

It is so nice on embarkation day to sit in the dining room and relax after the chaos of checking in  and waiting to get on the ship then booking restaurants or shows etc.  Last month on the Bliss there were only 5 or 6 tables while we were there.  A great way to start your cruise.

 

Which dining room was open on the Bliss? (we go next week). Thanks!

[BirdTravels]

2 minutes ago, SuzieQ521 said:

 

Which dining room was open on the Bliss? (we go next week). Thanks!

Taste and Savor, Deck 6 Mid-ship

[BirdTravels]

22 hours ago, Sim1979 said:

Depends on which ship 

Read the 6th word in the original post. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by BirdTravels

[Travelling2Some]

1 hour ago, The Other Tom said:

I've been on many NCL cruises as well, and they always try to steer me to the buffet.

Agree!  I remember the crew (very politely) blocking the way I wanted to go to head to the MDR several times and telling me it was closed.   I would (politely and with a smile) just tell them I wanted to just have a look around it "for later".  Of course I knew it was open and so did they.  We did our polite little "dance" and I went to the MDR and had lunch.

[NW Pacific]

Thanks to all.  Have been on the Bliss before, know where the dining rooms are, so great one at least open for lunch.  the buffet can be way overwhelming on day one.  To answer who "they" are that try to direct you to the buffet, STAFF , especially if you ask for directions to a MDR for lunch. and ChiefmateJRK, :  FYI   not an internet urban legend

[Travelling2Some]

We were once embarking and just as we crossed the threshold and reached the atrium two ladies in front of us stopped dead in wonderment and, looking around, asked aloud, "I wonder what we are supposed to do now?"  Helpfully, I told them that the usual thing is to go up to the buffet and act as though you've been starved and never seen food before.  Several of the crew standing at the doorway (firmly directing folks to the buffet) either smirked or laughed out loud. 

[mking8288]

Not an NCL / at sea internet legend by any means, NCL crew members stationed strategically, especially near the elevators & stairs by the gangways on embarkation day ... making best efforts to direct all boarding passengers to take the elevators up to the buffet, going as far back as year 2000 when we started cruising on the Norwegian Sea.  

 

We knew better then, just politely smile and thank them for the suggestions, and we just disappear from their sights & proceed to the MDR - on the Sea, Dawn, Crown, Jewel, POA and Gem days ... very easy with a straight path on Deck 7.  Free storage for carry-on bags was usually offered & available then, port side, unlike these days while staterooms were being readied. 

 

Back then, the Haven concept wasn't even conceived, let alone came to NCL.  With the Dawn, it was also easy to announced that one is heading to the Blue Lagoon - continue & round the corner ahead, is the stairs down to the MDR for a quiet sit-down embarkation lunch with full table service.   Know it all newbies on CC ... LOL

Edited January 14, 2023 by mking8288

[bgrmini]

5 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

I've been on many NCL cruises as well, and they always try to steer me to the buffet.

But I'm reading your post on the internet, you must be an internet myth.

[MCMC100]

6 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've been on many NCL cruises.  I've read this many times on CC.  Nobody has EVER tried to direct me anywhere for lunch.  It is an internet urban legend.  It simply has never happened.

Agree 100%.
Who is “they” directing you to the buffet?  I’ve never encountered a “they” directing me anywhere, at anytime, for any meal on any NCL cruise.  We go wherever we choose. 

Why would “they” care where you eat lunch?  The buffet, O’Sheehan’s (aka The Local), Taste/Savor are all open, what difference could it possibly make to “they” where you get your sandwich or soup?
It might be your first day on the ship and the start of your magical 12 day vacation, but to the crew, it’s another day of their 180 day contract and no different than yesterday, tomorrow or two weeks from next Saturday. “They” don’t care where you eat lunch. 

[KeithJenner]

6 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've been on many NCL cruises.  I've read this many times on CC.  Nobody has EVER tried to direct me anywhere for lunch.  It is an internet urban legend.  It simply has never happened.

Same here. I posted this once before on here and got similar responses to what you have.

 

Similarly I never had any wait staff tell me that I can only order one app or dessert with the SDP (I know that has changed now anyway).

 

I wonder whether it is some sort of “body language” type thing, where some people look like they need guidance and others don’t. It is certainly a real thing that others are told these things, but like you I never have been.

[The Other Tom]

11 hours ago, EngrJones said:

Who are "they?"

Any staff that worked on the ship

[Raleigh Traveler]

Our experience has also been being steered towards the buffet by staff. On a couple of cruises, we asked staff for directions to a MDR or even which one was opened for lunch and we were politely told the  buffet is open and directions. Now we look at the deck plans and just go to one and if necessary, another.

[European_CruiseGirl]

I have definitely had a bunch of NCL staff trying to get me to the buffet. The first ones are usually situated at the elevator lobby when you enter the ship. They are the ”welcome welcome” people and if you try to go somewhere else than up to the pool/buffet area they automatically try to assist you in finding your way…to the buffet…and some even insist that the MDR is not open if you tell you are going there. 
 

Then when you get past those crew members and walk to the MDR if you pass any other crew members they try to kindly guide you again to the buffet… as in their mind you obviously must be lost 😂 

Edited January 14, 2023 by European_CruiseGirl

[RocketMan275]

The only time I was 'directed' towards the buffet was on Princess.  I don't believe it was more than trying to be helpful.  Most of those boarding are looking for the buffet, so it's understandable that the crew would be told to give directions to the buffet.  I'm not even sure the crew at the elevators saying 'this way to buffet' could even speak much english.

[kdzavo]

We always eat lunch at the MDR on embarkation day, and never once has anyone on the crew encouraged us to do anything different. And the crew in the MDR on those days have always been super friendly, welcoming us on the cruise, asked how many times we've cruised before, etc. Odd that so many seem to have the opposite experience.