Anyone do Either Supper Club OR Buffet, but Skip the Dining Room?

[5String]

There's nothing phony about it.....I know they serve thousands; week to week...month to month....

 

But, there is the extra special cruiser (I'd like to think I'm one of them) who truly appreciates all their hard work and tells them so. Who calls them by name and who gives that extra tip, if treated very well!

 

I have to be honest; in all the cruising that we've done....I can only remember one instance where the server was rude and not attentive!

 

 

As I said, YMMV. Just relating my experience & perception. Not stating it's the same for others.

[PA Dutchman]

Our last two cruises we noticed on RCI and CCL ther were alot of empty seats in the dining room every night, just thought they don't want to pay the tip.

[Glama]

Our last two cruises we noticed on RCI and CCL ther were alot of empty seats in the dining room every night, just thought they don't want to pay the tip.

 

Even if we skipped every night in the DR, there is no way we'd remove the tips. Don't assume that people don't eat there because they are cheap, for many of us, it's a convenience/preference issue.

[m steve]

Last cruise there was only the dining room or the buffet. We are looking forward to the supper club for 2 nights and will use the DR for the rest unless we stay in our cabin and order room service. What's the story with waiters jumping on tables. Doesn't seem very sanitary and appears quite rude and intrusive. If I want a show I'll go to the lounge or showroom. We never stay for the desert parade. That's so Disney!:eek: I would never eat at the buffet for dinner but prefer to dine in a restaurant where I don't have to carry a tray and be shoved by someone grabbing for a crab leg. At some point in life you must outgrow McDonalds!

[Glama]

Last cruise there was only the dining room or the buffet. We are looking forward to the supper club for 2 nights and will use the DR for the rest unless we stay in our cabin and order room service. What's the story with waiters jumping on tables. Doesn't seem very sanitary and appears quite rude and intrusive. If I want a show I'll go to the lounge or showroom. We never stay for the desert parade. That's so Disney!:eek: I would never eat at the buffet for dinner but prefer to dine in a restaurant where I don't have to carry a tray and be shoved by someone grabbing for a crab leg. At some point in life you must outgrow McDonalds!

 

Every time I've eaten at the buffet for dinner, there hasn't been a line. It's not AT ALL like breakfast or lunch. Carrying a tray 10 feet really doesn't bother me that much. Believe me, I've outgrown McDonalds, and at this point, I've even outgrown the DR antics.

[halos]

I'm with you Wizard!! I love the dining experience on the ship. I like taking my time eating, and talking with the people at the table. I also enjoy the attention from the wait staff and getting to know them. It's just (for me) a great part of the cruise experience!

[BillnBobbi]

Last cruise there was only the dining room or the buffet. We are looking forward to the supper club for 2 nights and will use the DR for the rest unless we stay in our cabin and order room service. What's the story with waiters jumping on tables. Doesn't seem very sanitary and appears quite rude and intrusive. If I want a show I'll go to the lounge or showroom. We never stay for the desert parade. That's so Disney!:eek: I would never eat at the buffet for dinner but prefer to dine in a restaurant where I don't have to carry a tray and be shoved by someone grabbing for a crab leg. At some point in life you must outgrow McDonalds!

 

The waiters don't dance on tables at which there are diners. Rather they take an empty table and place it near the center area of the main dining room , remove the tablecloth and get up on that and girate. I find the entire thing rude and intrusive. And I agree with you completely.

 

BnB

[wizard-of-roz]

Lighten-up! It's a cruise ship.....not the Governor's Ball!!!!

Have fun....enjoy....laugh....smile.....there's nothing intrusive about it! :rolleyes:

[BillnBobbi]

Lighten-up! It's a cruise ship.....not the Governor's Ball!!!!

Have fun....enjoy....laugh....smile.....there's nothing intrusive about it! :rolleyes:

 

Well OF COURSE it is intrusive. Not everyone likes all that noise at a nice sitdown served dinner. In fact, I'd bet I'm in the majority. Just before dessert time perhaps the conversation has become stimulating, and just at that point, Carnival decides that that is the perfect time to raise the decibel levels to that of the NYC Subway System, and spend about 20 minutes letting the wait staff show why they ARE NOT one of the professional entertainers. How is that NOT intrusive, when we'd like to get our dessert, get out of the dining room and maybe make the show ontime?

 

It has nothing to do with "lighten up". Apparently some people simply don't get the invasion of others space with things they don't need to be subjected to in that setting. These are often the same people who use their cellphones in any location, and could care less about the rest of the world hearing their private conversation. Sometimes they talk loud enough as if TO MAKE SURE everyone in the nearby proximity hears it, WHETHER THEY'D LIKE TO OR NOT.

 

B

[Fireman239]

Always the buffet. Never the dining room. Sometimes roomservice.

[wizard-of-roz]

I, too, dislike the cell phone or bluetooth users, who use a raised voice to speak.

However, that said, I find myself, when I'm on my cell phone, raising my voice. I think it's a psychological thing. We think we have to yell because the listener is so far away!

And, again, I'm not bothered, at all, by the "antics" that the crew put on in order to entertain the masses! They work so hard to try to please so many!!!!! ;)

 

It's the loud and rude passengers that I find annoying and intrusive!

[big_duck]

Well OF COURSE it is intrusive. Not everyone likes all that noise at a nice sitdown served dinner. In fact, I'd bet I'm in the majority. Just before dessert time perhaps the conversation has become stimulating, and just at that point, Carnival decides that that is the perfect time to raise the decibel levels to that of the NYC Subway System, and spend about 20 minutes letting the wait staff show why they ARE NOT one of the professional entertainers. How is that NOT intrusive, when we'd like to get our dessert, get out of the dining room and maybe make the show ontime?

 

Not close to 20 minutes, probably just seems like it to you. Judging by the number of diners who take part in the conga lines I would say you are very much in the minority in your opinion.

 

I have no trouble tuning them out.

[buddyjo143]

I'm with you Wizard!! I love the dining experience on the ship. I like taking my time eating, and talking with the people at the table. I also enjoy the attention from the wait staff and getting to know them. It's just (for me) a great part of the cruise experience!

 

And some of the nicest staff we have met have been at the buffet during lunch or late night over some pizza.

 

Our first afternoon on the Fascination we had a waiter stop and talk to us for 5 to 10 minutes. He even asked us what our dining room and table number was and we figured he would not be our waiter. He was very nice and with less people at the buffet there was more time for us to get to know him.

 

There was also the chef at the pizza area who met me on day one and on day 4 remembered that I liked de chevre pizza and asked her co-worker to make me a fresh pizza.

 

There are also people walking around in the buffet to serve water and juice and coffee if you don't want to get your own drink.

 

IMHO it's also a very nice part of the dining experience.

[buddyjo143]

Not close to 20 minutes, probably just seems like it to you. Judging by the number of diners who take part in the conga lines I would say you are very much in the minority in your opinion.

 

I have no trouble tuning them out.

 

Maybe it feels like 20 minutes if you conga around the dining room on the Glory.

 

The macarena is actually a much shorter dance:p

 

[wizard-of-roz]

We have never had dinner at the buffet.....but, you make it sound so enticing and certainly enjoyable!

[wizard-of-roz]

Joanne: I'd love to cruise with you....you look like you are totally enjoying every moment!!!!!!! :p

[cruisecastle]

My last cruise we ate at the buffet every night but once.

But that was Princess and the dining experience in the buffet cant compare to the buffet on carnival. It was like eating dinner in the dining room except I serve myself.

 

Table cloths on the tables. Silverware at each place, cloth napkins, water glasses filled by waiters. Bar waiters asking for your drinks. Strolling musicians playing music depending on the theme of the buffet.

.. the whole experience made a very relaxing week of a cruise

 

We didnt have to stop what we were doing at the time to go get ready for dinner.

I didnt have to wait for a waiter to give me a menu and wait til people were ready to order. I didnt have to wait between each course for people to get done so we can get the next course.

a waste??? not at all-- since I didnt have to "waste" all that time waiting.. got what i wanted..and if i wanted more-- i got it without waiting.

 

cruisecastle-- what exactly is the waste by not going to the dining room?

 

Not being served. Not enjoying the overall dining experience. Not being able to pair wines with your food, after dinner wines etc... That's what

[aggieastrosfan]

On the Fantasy in January we went to the DR the first 2 nights, and did the buffet the rest. I LOVED it! Unfortunately, DH equally loves the DR (he didn't go in January), so I have many more trips to the DR in my future.

[Janespup]

Oh my! Singing and dancing? I guess I missed reading about that part. Having never been yet, I am already half-deciding that we will probably try the DR the first night and then never return. First, we don't like to spend 2 hours eating dinner. Second, I can't imagine having to deal with singing and dancing by the staff during or after dinner! Do they do this EVERY NIGHT??

[wizard-of-roz]

Not every night....on the off nights their twirling batons/throwing confetti/stripping and blowing whistles!!!!! :eek:

[phaedramom]

Returned today from 8 day on Miracle

My husband and I ate at the dining room every night except one when we did the supper club.

He tires out easily and did not appreciate the hassle and congestion in and around the buffet areas.

The dining room meals always seemed to be prompt and we were happy with all that we ordered.

Did eat at the supper club and really liked the indiviual attention.

Did not ever see any crew putting on a show with dancing. The only time there was any entertainment during supper was if it was a birthday and the crew would present cake and sing Happy Birthday

[Kurbanfan]

Did not ever see any crew putting on a show with dancing.

 

Wow that's a first.............

[serene56]

Did not ever see any crew putting on a show with dancing. The only time there was any entertainment during supper was if it was a birthday and the crew would present cake and sing Happy Birthday

 

did you not stay for the dessert and coffee?? this is when the waiters do their shows...almost nightly.

[phaedramom]

dinner only took two hours in the supper club.

 

we had both early and late seating at various times during the cruise and average time in the dining room was about an hour and a half.

 

to be honest did have desert and coffee but perhaps before some of the rest of the dining room and thus never saw the staff do anytype of dancing.

 

they actually seemed pretty busy clearing the tables to prepare for the later seating

[bogforce]

On our 5 night cruise we did 2 nights in the DR and the other 3 at the buffet. I thought the food was better at the buffet. There was no crowd and we could eat when we wanted. I don't like being on a set schedule which the DR requires.