Thread: How often do you normally have dinner in the MDR?

On most of our cruises we eat every night in the main dining room. I can think of three exceptions though. On the Century we were late in getting back from our shore excursion and had to make other arrangements. The arrangements were to go to the MDR for the late night seating instead of our usual early seating! We did not have our usual table mates but did meat a very interesting couple.

On the Connie we ate one night in the specialty restaurant. It was wonderful.

Then on the Noordam we ate in the main dining room only three nights of the seven day cruise. Three nights I was stuck in my cabin with the Noro virus. The last night Deb got sick and I did not want to eat without her so I just went to the buffet. Miserable cruise.

On my most recent cruise, we ate in the MDR all but one evening(we got back to the ship late and were too tired.)

I eat in the MDR every night, plus breakfast and lunch as well. I did not pay all that money for self service, or to pay extra

We eat in the MDR at least 70% of the time. The other time is spent in the specialty restaurants.
Although on once cruise, we only ate in the MDR one night out of 14. That was a real exception.

Originally Posted by hanna

We eat in the MDR at least 70% of the time. The other time is spent in the specialty restaurants.
Although on once cruise, we only ate in the MDR one night out of 14. That was a real exception.

We did the same on a B2B MarinerOTS -- either Chop's or Portofino's every night except one. They're our favorites of the speciality restaurants on any cruise line.

Originally Posted by Lanky Lad

I eat in the MDR every night, plus breakfast and lunch as well. I did not pay all that money for self service, or to pay extra

I agree, breakfast is better in the MDR than the Buffet. The lunch menu doesn't always make my wife happy so I'll just get a burger or pizza at the buffet, otherwise as I wrote earlier I almost always go to the MDR.

I voted most nights. We have no interest in eating at the specialty restaurants. I don't mind at all paying for a great meal, but I do that on land all of the time, I'm just not interested in doing it on the cruise when the food is already pretty good in the MDR. Our family enjoys the MDR and getting to know the wait staff, and I don't find it "frantic" at all (actually quite the opposite). The only time we haven't eaten in the MDR for dinner on the 3 cruises we've been on was if we were in port late and didn't get back on the ship in time for dinner, or as in the case of my first cruise I was in no shape to go to the MDR... just lucky that night they let me back on the ship (darn Carlo's and Charlie's!!!)!

If it's RCCL or NCL, I would do the specialty restaurants much more often.

I voted *other*. Hubby and I have eaten in the MDR on our first two cruises, but we ended up in a suite on the third and fourth cruise, so we ate in Cagney's for breakfast and lunch and the speciality restaurants or the buffet for dinner. This next cruise will be on Celebrity and we are AQ. Looking forward to Blu. We also have reservations for all three speciality restaurants while onboard.

Last cruise was on an NCL ship, we only ate once in the MDR otherwise buffet or specility