Thread: On days IN PORT do you have Lunch in the MDR?

I don't do lunch in the MDR ever, takes too long and too much to eat. If I am hungry I will go to the buffet where I can just take what I want. On the Caribbean cruises we might grab a bite at a cute restrurant. On our European cruises many times lunch was included.

We also never have gone to the dining room on embarkation day which people seem to love. Wasting a hour on that day is beyond my logic when there are so many things to get done, ie checking cabin credit, sign up for internet, muster drill, unpacking before dinner, checking with seating arrangement with Maitre D'.

If you are on a Princess ship with an International Cafe , that's an extremely quick and easy place to have lunch on embarkation day.

No never been the MDR for lunch. Just rather go up to the Buffett and get lunch.

One of the reasons I cruise, is to be pampered and waited on. MDR for lunch is one of those treats I look forward to.

Originally Posted by Rich22

We also never have gone to the dining room on embarkation day which people seem to love. Wasting a hour on that day is beyond my logic when there are so many things to get done, ie checking cabin credit, sign up for internet, muster drill, unpacking before dinner, checking with seating arrangement with Maitre D'.

You call being served delicious food by a top-notch waiter a wasted hour? I guess you want to get on the ship later instead of ASAP because my understanding is cruise lines give you a few hours to board and do all that.

I personally will never eat lunch anywhere on the ship when I am in port unless that location has nothing interesting for me to see or do. In other words, I will eat on the ship if I stay on it.

Originally Posted by Smart Traveler

You call being served delicious food by a top-notch waiter a wasted hour? I guess you want to get on the ship later instead of ASAP because my understanding is cruise lines give you a few hours to board and do all that.

I personally will never eat lunch anywhere on the ship when I am in port unless that location has nothing interesting for me to see or do. In other words, I will eat on the ship if I stay on it.

We are always the first to be on the ship and the first to line up at the buffet before any crowds. We have always found the lunches in the DR to be limited compared to the selections at the buffet and would rather unpack our clothing than spend the extra time eating. When do you unpack your clothes? After dinner? Do you check your seating arrangements or just take pot luck? After an experience on the Grand recently, that won't happen to me again. It's impossible to do it all if you spend over 1 hour eating lunch.

Not all HAL ships have the MDR open at lunch in port, or maybe not in all ports. But if we are on the ship at lunch, the MDR is our first choice. Most times we eat during our excursions if they are all day, but if we have half day excursions , we normally eat on the ship.