Lido Market Buffet vs MDR

[dalesyang]

Never been on a cruise so apologies if this is a dumb question.

 

Going on a cruise this summer on the Rotterdam for 7 nights.   Just wondering if anyone knew when the busiest time for dinner is at the Lido Buffet?   Trying to plan to eat dinner there when its not so busy and we can find a table for 3 easily.         

 

Also,  is there any difference between the LIDO Buffet vs.  MDR?   I heard most of the food is about the same.     So the only difference would be the ambience and sitting for the meal basically right?     Just wanted to know what people prefer and why?

 

 

[syesmar]

@dalesyang I know showtimes may not be the same now, but when showtimes were 8pm and 10pm, we would eat dinner in the Lido around 6:30pm and it seemed to be a good time. ymmv.

We have found there to be more food options in the Lido. If something isn’t to your liking it’s nice to be able to have a variety of choices.

 

Have a way to designate that your table is occupied. I have used a note on each place setting so that the stewards do not think we have left, nor other passengers take our table while we are getting more food (although we have encountered the occasional guest that will attempt it any way). Sometimes we’ll put an appetizer or dessert on the placemat so it’s apparent it’s occupied. I am not a fan of one person holding a table and going through the line in shifts (you could miss half your meal with your party doing that).

 

Have a great time!

[YourWorldWithBill]

This shows different tastes! I preferred the MDR; I just thought that what we got was better. Every cruise line differs about this, but that was our experience on the Noordam: all four of us felt this way. 

[Cruising-along]

And I like to do a mixture. Not all Lido and not all MDR. If we have a late excursion or if nothing on the MDR menu sounds appealing we go to the Lido. If I feel like being pampered and the menu is appealing we go to the MDR. 
As mentioned already, you’ll find more choices in the Lido. 

[dalesyang]

Thanks guys!   I guess I am going to have to try both and just find out!!  haha.

[sciencewonk]

I think it comes down to personal preference.  I like the MDR over the Lido for dinner and the Lido over the MDR for lunch.  For dinner, I like the relaxation of being served versus waiting at the buffet (sometimes more than one buffet table to get what you want), collecting your plate, and finding a table.  I also think the food in the MDR is better because it's not sitting in a tray for too long.  On the other hand, I think there is greater choice of food at the Lido.

[YourWorldWithBill]

3 hours ago, sciencewonk said:

I think it comes down to personal preference.  I like the MDR over the Lido for dinner and the Lido over the MDR for lunch.  For dinner, I like the relaxation of being served versus waiting at the buffet (sometimes more than one buffet table to get what you want), collecting your plate, and finding a table.  I also think the food in the MDR is better because it's not sitting in a tray for too long.  On the other hand, I think there is greater choice of food at the Lido.

That was also our procedure: Lido for lunch and MDR for dinner, for similar reasons.,

[Florida_gal_50]

If I never had to set foot in the lido it would be a good cruise.  Usually I have a salad and sandwich for lunch but on my recent cruise I tried fish one day and quesadillas twice.  While they tasted ok they were both soggy.  I just feel sitting in trays is not the same as individually plated.

[BermudaBound2014]

Does the lido on HaL offer a fresh grilled protein in the evening? Fish, pork, beef?? 
 

If so, that’s typically my choice for dinner. I’ve been spoiled on other lines, although on my January Celebrity cruise all fresh proteins were part of a massive cut back in buffet offerings. 
 

Meal preferences are so subjective. I don’t  particularly enjoy long drawn out meals. Once in awhile it’s fine but not every night. I typically only order one or two courses so if sharing a table the meal can take much longer than I’m comfortable sitting. Even if it’s just DH and I, sometimes it’s hard to get in and out in  45 minutes with just one course.  It’s not that I want to rush through dinner, it’s just that I don’t eat several courses.  
 

In the evening, a fresh grilled protein and an Individualized salad is just perfect for me, so the lido is my preference most of the time. 

[vicd1969]

The lido has grilled steak whenever steak is on the mdr menu. I don’t know if they grill each night however. That is disappointing about the Celebrity cutback. The fresh grill station was my favorite buffet location when I sailed Celebrity.

[BermudaBound2014]

8 minutes ago, vicd1969 said:

The lido has grilled steak whenever steak is on the mdr menu. I don’t know if they grill each night however. That is disappointing about the Celebrity cutback. The fresh grill station was my favorite buffet location when I sailed Celebrity.

They still offered the fresh grill at lunch, but the evening buffet was dismal. The only fresh to order station was pasta. 
 

Are there other fresh stations that HAL offers on the evening buffet? Indian? Pasta? I’ve found the food offered on  the fresh made to order stations to be superior (flavor and temperature) than the MDR. 

[cruisemom42]

I'm just off 28 days on HAL Westerdam and did not eat dinner in the Lido once. I also ate lunch in the MDR on sea days (not open for lunch on port days).  I'm with those who feel the food in the MDR is generally better than food sitting around in the buffet.

 

I cruise solo and just find it a hassle in the Lido -- juggling plates or making several trips, getting drink (slow if you wait for a server to come to you), and trying to "save" your place if you have to get up for anything else. I also feel it's safer from both a noro and Covid (or other airborne virus) to eat in MDR.

 

I guess I am a princess because I never seem to get tired of being waited on 😄.  I vary between dining alone (often at lunch, less often at dinner) and sharing with others. Food choices are always going to be more varied in the Lido, but I can always seem to find something that sounds good on the MDR menus. (HAL additionally offers an Indian menu in the MDR nightly, so that provides even more choice.)

 

[ExpatBride]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

(HAL additionally offers an Indian menu in the MDR nightly, so that provides even more choice.)

Do you have to ask for this? Last time I sailed HAL, I ordered in advance from the vegetarian menu – it wasn't wasn't very good. An Indian menu sounds much better.

To answer the original question, I prefer the MDR for all meals when it's available. I usually go to the MDR for breakfast and dinner. I find buffets stressful mostly because I don't want to hold up the queue. On days when MDR isn't an option for lunch, I usually go to DiveIn. 

[terrydtx]

For me the difference between having dinner in the MDR and the Lido is like the difference between eating at Golden Coral and a nice sit-down restaurant. One is a buffet where you serve yourself and the other is a finer dining experience where you are waited on and served course by course. I want to be waited on for dinner. Also we always take the anytime dining so we can enter when we are ready for dinner, specially if we have a late shore excursion or nice Sailaway. On sea days, lunch is in the MDR, on port days we generally will try the local cruise for lunch on shore. Post Covid I have seen way too many passengers sneezing and coughing while serving themselves in the buffets which keeps me away from them as well.

Edited April 29, 2023 by terrydtx

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

For me the difference between having dinner in the MDR and the Lido is like the difference between eating at Golden Coral and a nice sit-down restaurant. One is a buffet where you serve yourself and the other is a finer dining experience where you are waited on and served course by course. I want to be waited on for dinner. Also we always take the anytime dining so we can enter when we are ready for dinner, specially if we have a late shore excursion or nice Sailaway. Post Covid I have seen way too many passengers sneezing and coughing while serving themselves in the buffets which keeps me away from them as well.

I don’t know why anyone chooses buffet over service, it boggles my mind. There is no way you’ll get me in there at breakfast.  There is getting to be too much self serve lately for my taste.  On my recent cruise I saw I lady pick up a plate and fondle it for a while then put it back in the pile.  How can anyone possibly not see that is wrong?  I immediately told the server who had trouble understanding my point but I made sure she removed the offending plate and the one under it.  I’m sure that’s the most tame thing that happens in there 🤮.

[terrydtx]

9 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t know why anyone chooses buffet over service, it boggles my mind. There is no way you’ll get me in there at breakfast.  There is getting to be too much self serve lately for my taste.  On my recent cruise I saw I lady pick up a plate and fondle it for a while then put it back in the pile.  How can anyone possibly not see that is wrong?  I immediately told the server who had trouble understanding my point but I made sure she removed the offending plate and the one under it.  I’m sure that’s the most tame thing that happens in there 🤮.

It boggles my mind too, but I think many people go to the buffet because they do not want to get out of their shorts and flip flops and clean up to go down to the MDR. On our Oosterdam cruise last August when I saw a passenger sneeze and then cough all over the bread in the Lido, I did not go back once. I then tried to get the staff member there by the bread to pull all the bread out and replace it, to no avail. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by terrydtx

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

It boggles my mind too, but I think many people go to the buffet because they do not want to get out of their shorts and flip flops and clean up to go down to the MDR. On our Oosterdam cruise last August when I saw a passenger sneeze and then cough all over the bread in the Lido, I did not go back once. I then tried to get the staff member there by the bread to pull all the bread out and replace it, to no avail. 

On the koningsdam in club orange there was one dude in his jammies complete with slippers.  It’s too hard to change footwear.  Lots of people in jammies on that cruise.  Thankfully no one like that on my recent cruise.

[syesmar]

27 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t know why anyone chooses buffet over service, it boggles my mind. There is no way you’ll get me in there at breakfast.  There is getting to be too much self serve lately for my taste.  On my recent cruise I saw I lady pick up a plate and fondle it for a while then put it back in the pile.  How can anyone possibly not see that is wrong?  I immediately told the server who had trouble understanding my point but I made sure she removed the offending plate and the one under it.  I’m sure that’s the most tame thing that happens in there 🤮.

My husband prefers the Lido vs MDR because of the convenience and variety. Having a 90 minute to 2 hour meal just isn’t his thing, he would rather be out and about enjoying the ship. We sailed for years before trying the Lido at breakfast and once we did, it became our favorite meal there for the variety.

 

I hear you about all the sanitary issues with food handling at a buffet, especially these days! I’ve only gone to two carefully-monitored buffets in the last 3.5 years, at upscale resorts that had outdoor seating. Not sure what we’ll do when we resume cruising.😁 

Edited April 29, 2023 by syesmar

[CruzR887]

It shouldn’t boggle anyones mind that people have different tastes in cruising. We have eaten in a MDR once in the last 30 or so cruises. The Lido is among the best buffets in our opinion.There’s never a line, never a problem with service or second helpings, no up charges no dress code to be offended by or to offend. It you want to linger over dinner you can, if you want to be in and out you can and there are many more options than the MDR. 

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, ExpatBride said:

Do you have to ask for this? Last time I sailed HAL, I ordered in advance from the vegetarian menu – it wasn't wasn't very good. An Indian menu sounds much better.

To answer the original question, I prefer the MDR for all meals when it's available. I usually go to the MDR for breakfast and dinner. I find buffets stressful mostly because I don't want to hold up the queue. On days when MDR isn't an option for lunch, I usually go to DiveIn. 

 

Yes, you have to ask for it. On my cruise there was a high-top table just outside the MDR with the vegetarian and Indian menus on it, as well as any special dinner events that were being advertised/upsold. I didn't notice it for the first few days but checked it out once I started craving some variety.

[cbr663]

1 hour ago, CruzR887 said:

It shouldn’t boggle anyones mind that people have different tastes in cruising. We have eaten in a MDR once in the last 30 or so cruises. The Lido is among the best buffets in our opinion.There’s never a line, never a problem with service or second helpings, no up charges no dress code to be offended by or to offend. It you want to linger over dinner you can, if you want to be in and out you can and there are many more options than the MDR. 

 

I agree.  Different people have different needs.

 

We tend to avoid the MDR as our past experiences in the MDR have been unsatisfactory.  From poor service to being served a very poor product, it just made for an unpleasant experience.  It has nothing to do with wanting to wear shorts and flip flops.  It's not wanting to have a poor experience.  

 

DW and I find the lido very easy to navigate.  One person can go fetch our meals while another can grab a table and anything else we might need.  We don't have any need for the both is us to be in a line at the lido at the same time.  It's very easy for one of us to make the selections for the other.

 

We will be trying Club Orange during our upcoming cruise and we hope that it will be a wonderful experience.  We particularly enjoyed Blu on X and we are hoping that Club Orange provides a similar experience.  Keeping our fingers crossed.  

[BermudaBound2014]

Add me to the list of people who prefer the Lido most nights. It's not because I don't want to dress properly (although, admittedly that is a reason late port days).

 

Why do I prefer the lido, let me count the ways:

 

1) Fresher food. No matter how you cut it, the MDR is a banquet hall. If you choose the freshly made stations at the buffet, your dinner is literally minutes old and piping hot.

 

2) Healthier options. A grilled to order protein on a bed of lettuce with lots of veggies is what I prefer for dinner. My main meal is lunch. Could I order this in the MDR? Sure, but it would be special order and more work for the already far over-worked staff.

 

3) Less crowded. At dinner, the lido is far less crowded than the MDR. Not true for breakfast and lunch, but my experience over the last 30 years of cruising is that the Lido has far fewer people at dinner. I don't typically visit the lido for breakfast or lunch because of the crowds.

 

4) I like to eat outside. In fact, I prefer to be in fresh air 99% of the time. I do not dismiss what people are suggesting about sanitary concerns on a buffet, but I think the risk of being confined indoors, for several hours, in a very crowded atmosphere is a recipe for air-born virus spread. Choose your risk I suppose.

 

5) Less time commitment. I like just one course for dinner. With the lido, I'm free to move about the ship as I please. If I share a table and eat just one course I'm waiting, and waiting, and waiting for others to finish. If we have a private table and order one course, the waiter is often shocked and I often can't get the veggies I want added to my salad. 

 

6) Portion control and I can avoid all bread. Once a waiter puts down the yummy fresh baked bread and specialty butters I'm toast. My will power against unhealthy carbs is zero. 

 

I totally get why many people prefer the MDR. I even avoid judgment ;-). But there are legitimate reasons many of us prefer the Lido and the 'golden corral' stereotype just doesn't fit us all. Instead of lumping us into a group of gross, sloppily dressed, virus spreaders, how about be thankful we aren't taking up a table in an already severely crowded venue :). 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Florida_gal_50]

26 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

 

I agree.  Different people have different needs.

 

We tend to avoid the MDR as our past experiences in the MDR have been unsatisfactory.  From poor service to being served a very poor product, it just made for an unpleasant experience.  It has nothing to do with wanting to wear shorts and flip flops.  It's not wanting to have a poor experience.  

 

DW and I find the lido very easy to navigate.  One person can go fetch our meals while another can grab a table and anything else we might need.  We don't have any need for the both is us to be in a line at the lido at the same time.  It's very easy for one of us to make the selections for the other.

 

We will be trying Club Orange during our upcoming cruise and we hope that it will be a wonderful experience.  We particularly enjoyed Blu on X and we are hoping that Club Orange provides a similar experience.  Keeping our fingers crossed.  

Club orange is nothing like Blu.  Blu has a totally different menu than the mdr.  Club orange only has one different entree.  The service is better in club orange.  That’s the only similarity to Blu.

[terrydtx]

22 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Club orange is nothing like Blu.  Blu has a totally different menu than the mdr.  Club orange only has one different entree.  The service is better in club orange.  That’s the only similarity to Blu.

It still has to be better than dining in the MDR with the masses. That is why we chose CO for our Koingsdam cruise in November.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, terrydtx said:

It still has to be better than dining in the MDR with the masses. That is why we chose CO for our Koingsdam cruise in November.

Absolutely it is.  I dined in the mdr twice on my recent cruise.  I was in and out within an hour but the chaos in there is too much for me.  Expecting Blu out of club orange is going to be a letdown as pleasant as it is.