For most cruisers, going to the Main Dining Room for dinner is the best option. After all, it's included, has great service, and you're bound to find a few things each night that will satisfy.
Cruise ships have other places to eat, such as the Windjammer buffet or a specialty restaurant, but I think the Main Dining Room has a more casual and family-friendly environment groups find appealing.
But just because the Main Dining Room seems like a pretty straightforward restaurant doesn't mean that there aren't mistakes you can make when you're dining there.
I've compiled this list of some of the most common mistakes people make when they eat there, and by avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure you're getting the best possible dinner experience the next time you visit.
Filling up on the (admittedly delicious) bread
After being seated at your table, the first thing you'll offered is a basket full of bread rolls. There are a few different varieties and honestly, it's really hard not to have a couple.
Cheese rolls, sliced baguette, pumpkin seed, and another one or two options are available to choose from, along with butter. As you wait for your food to come out, these rolls look more and more appetizing.
But newbies will have a few rolls and then struggle when the rest of the food comes out. These rolls will fill you up fast, leaving no room for your actual entree.
It's a potential mistake you can make in a lot of restaurants, but I'd hold off on devouring them.
Enjoy a single roll, sure, but then leave the rest for after your entree arrives. That way, you'll have room in your stomach for everything you want to taste at the table.
Not having a reservation if you're on My Time Dining
If you picked My Time Dining (Anytime Dining), there are two lines for tables: people with a reservation and those without one.
The people with a reservation are seated first, and the line for both can be quite long. This is especially true if you're looking to eat before 8pm.
The advantage of My Time Dining is you have flexibility in when you eat, but you should try to make a reservation whenever possible to ensure you minimize how much waiting there is.
You can make a reservation before the cruise with the Royal Caribbean app or in the Cruise Planner site. But you can still make reservations once onboard the ship by calling the dining hotline from any phone.
As soon as you have an idea when you'd like to eat, I recommend making a reservation so you can enjoy dinner closer to the time you prefer.
Thinking you're going to be getting a fancy meal
A lot of people see a beautiful dining room, white tablecloths, and giant chandelier, and assume they're going to get a meal that's on the fancier end of the spectrum.
Don't get me wrong, the Main Dining Room is a lovely restaurant to dine in, but it's not nearly as formal or as high-end a restaurant as it may look.
The Main Dining Room isn't a fancy restaurant by any means. Royal Caribbean wants it to be a welcoming, family-friendly place for a great dining meal. It's far closer to casual dining than the aesthetics would lead you to believe.
The restaurants that offer a fancy, high-end meal are reserved for the specialty restaurants, such as Chops Grille or the supper clubs.
In truth, the MDR is more about casual dining. That's not a bad thing, I love that you can come in with a nice pair of jeans and collared shirt and enjoy a meal seated with friends and family without any pretenses. Its a great casual, family restaurant.
Assuming you order the same as you would at a land restaurant
I order food completely differently at a land restaurant compared to a cruise ship restaurant, especially at the Main Dining Room.
There is no extra charge to order more than one appetizer, entree, or dessert. In fact, the crew members encourage you to order what sounds good because they want you happy.
While this may sound gluttonous, the serving sizes of dishes tends to be smaller than what you'd get at a land restaurant. They're not miniscule portions by any means, but ordering two entrees isn't as crazy as it sounds when you get your food.
Some new cruisers won't really know they can, or should, order multiple dishes until perhaps after a few cruises.
I recommend ordering two appetizers and entrees not only to try each, but to hedge your bet if one dish isn't what you expected.
Suffering in silence
If what you ordered isn't what you expected, or the food isn't hot enough, don't sit there and take it!
The Main Dining Room staff want you to be happy and very satisfied. They are more than happy to bring you something else or prepare the dish differently if it will be more to your liking.
I understand no one wants to be a nuisance or a pain, but if you even hint you didn't love your food, any waiter or manager will insist on bringing you something else.
On a few occasions I've tried a dish and almost instantly knew this isn't what I like. I wanted to sample it to see if this could be something new I'd love, but it's not the case.
In those situations, I explain "it's me, not you" situation and ask for something else. The waiters are quite happy to step in and swap out dishes.
Not checking the menu before you arrive
There are lots of places you dine at your cruise, so I think it's a mistake if you don't check the evening's menu before arriving.
Royal Caribbean rotates its dinner menu each night in the Main Dining Room, and there might be a better place instead because of the entree choices. You might prefer the Windjammer or splurge and go to a specialty restaurant.
You can find the menu posted on a digital screen outside the Main Dining Room, as well as being in the Royal Caribbean app.
For picky eaters, this can be a good strategy for avoiding the, "there's nothing I like on the menu" situation.
Or if you want to make sure you don't miss a certain dish (like lobster night), knowing which night not to make a specialty restaurant reservation is important.
