MDR vs WJ

[Tira04]

I'm just 28 days from my next cruise on Serenade out of Stockholm and getting excited!!

I've read a lot about the speciality restaurants. But what does everyone think of the MDR? Is the food quality in decline? What about the MDR versus the WJ? Does anyone prefer one over the other? 

[ChessE4]

We love the Main Dining Room because the food is good, the service is excellent, and we feel like royalty.  We find that when we get to know the wait staff, we have a richer cruise experience. The Windjammer is fine for breakfast or lunch (especially made-to-order omelettes or stir fry), and it is useful for dinner when you don't want to dress up to whatever the dress code is in the MDR.   That said, there have been changes over time, so you can't compare the MDR five years ago with the MDR today.   In a cruise last month on the Harmony, we noticed items that we used to see all the time weren't there or were available only occasionally.   I was chagrined I couldn't have escargot on one of the formal nights (it's a thing...) On the other hand, we've tried specialty restaurants and noted the following: (1) they aren't that special (decor/ambience), (2) a growing number of guests don't dress appropriately. (3) the food isn't much better than the MDR and occasionally worse, (4) the service can be slow, but (5) the wait staff usually do whatever they can to please you.  If you want a particular food item, you will want to check the restaurant menus to see if the item is available.  A lot of guests swear by the specialty restaurants, which are generally less crowded, but I really don't see the value proposition.  Remember a dinner in MDR is penciled in about $25 or so (when you calculate the 18% gratuity built in to the daily rate, the food now pars out at $45-$50 per day per person).  Thus, when you pay an extra $30-$45 for a specialty dinner, it is like paying $55 to $70 or more per person.  My specialty dinners haven't been that good..... The strength of the WJ is the incredible variety, the disadvantage the crowds at peak periods.   Every cruise our family looks forward to eating duck, lamb, lobster tail, and pork loin/shank in the MDR. 

PS.  If you are ever on a vessel with a norovirus outbreak, you will see certain measures put in place on buffet lines.  In Australia/NZ in 2018, the Windjammer rules changed -- guests couldn't fill their own plates in the buffet line -- only staff could handle the food.  it was a bit slower and more tedious. 

[FreedomClassKid]

I loved both, windjammer (deck 11) for me was easier as I was mostly at the pool (deck 11) and also my stateroom was deck 11. I also loved the food, there was variety and flavour. The main dining room offers an actual dining experience though. I love dining so I also loved the MDR. For me it all depended on mood, I can't prefer one or the other as they have their perks. 

Windjammer= tasty, variety, quick, efficient (for me due to stateroom location)

MDR=tasty, service, dining experience 

Overall, try both and see what you find easiest and prefer 

[KathyC]

We spent 12 nights on Serenade last fall, and the MDR was fine.  Food was always hot and well-prepared.  Our waiter Mario was the best, and worked hard every night.  We ate in the MDR I think 9 of the 12 nights.  One night we did Izumi, and the other two we went to the WJ.  WJ is hit or miss, depending on what you are eating.  We're primarily plant-based so we're not trying the meat options.  My husband does eat seafood and wasn't interested in any of the seafood options in the WJ.  

We were sick of the MDR by the time we reached the final night, and honestly only went to say good bye to our wait staff.   We reluctantly ate our meal there, but as it was a repeat of a previous menu (that only has one vegetarian option) we really were not interested in the same dish again and just picked at our food.  I think I ended up eating pizza at Park Cafe for dinner later. 

[mom2mybugs]

9 minutes ago, KathyC said:

We spent 12 nights on Serenade last fall, and the MDR was fine.  Food was always hot and well-prepared.  Our waiter Mario was the best, and worked hard every night.  We ate in the MDR I think 9 of the 12 nights.  One night we did Izumi, and the other two we went to the WJ.  WJ is hit or miss, depending on what you are eating.  We're primarily plant-based so we're not trying the meat options.  My husband does eat seafood and wasn't interested in any of the seafood options in the WJ.  

We were sick of the MDR by the time we reached the final night, and honestly only went to say good bye to our wait staff.   We reluctantly ate our meal there, but as it was a repeat of a previous menu (that only has one vegetarian option) we really were not interested in the same dish again and just picked at our food.  I think I ended up eating pizza at Park Cafe for dinner later. 

We actually skipped the last night on majesty! Dropped the tip off at the beginning of the meal and then went to windjammer!   But this mdr was a huge step from our last experiences on freedom and allure!  It truly just depends on the day! Your preferences and the ship.  Jane

[KathyC]

3 minutes ago, mom2mybugs said:

We actually skipped the last night on majesty! Dropped the tip off at the beginning of the meal and then went to windjammer!   But this mdr was a huge step from our last experiences on freedom and allure!  It truly just depends on the day! Your preferences and the ship.  Jane

From May 2018 to May 2019 we spent 30 nights at sea with RCCL.  We noticed on our last sailing this past April, we had no interest in the MDR.  I think we made it 3 of the 7 nights.  We are definitely tired of the same menus over and over.  Our next sailing is on Celebrity and can't wait!! 

[mom2mybugs]

37 minutes ago, KathyC said:

From May 2018 to May 2019 we spent 30 nights at sea with RCCL.  We noticed on our last sailing this past April, we had no interest in the MDR.  I think we made it 3 of the 7 nights.  We are definitely tired of the same menus over and over.  Our next sailing is on Celebrity and can't wait!! 

I look forward to celebrity someday when my teen isn't still sailing with us and we are only paying for 2!!  Will look forward to your pics!  When do you go?Jane

[Tira04]

9 hours ago, ChessE4 said:

We love the Main Dining Room because the food is good, the service is excellent, and we feel like royalty.  We find that when we get to know the wait staff, we have a richer cruise experience. The Windjammer is fine for breakfast or lunch (especially made-to-order omelettes or stir fry), and it is useful for dinner when you don't want to dress up to whatever the dress code is in the MDR.   That said, there have been changes over time, so you can't compare the MDR five years ago with the MDR today.   In a cruise last month on the Harmony, we noticed items that we used to see all the time weren't there or were available only occasionally.   I was chagrined I couldn't have escargot on one of the formal nights (it's a thing...) On the other hand, we've tried specialty restaurants and noted the following: (1) they aren't that special (decor/ambience), (2) a growing number of guests don't dress appropriately. (3) the food isn't much better than the MDR and occasionally worse, (4) the service can be slow, but (5) the wait staff usually do whatever they can to please you.  If you want a particular food item, you will want to check the restaurant menus to see if the item is available.  A lot of guests swear by the specialty restaurants, which are generally less crowded, but I really don't see the value proposition.  Remember a dinner in MDR is penciled in about $25 or so (when you calculate the 18% gratuity built in to the daily rate, the food now pars out at $45-$50 per day per person).  Thus, when you pay an extra $30-$45 for a specialty dinner, it is like paying $55 to $70 or more per person.  My specialty dinners haven't been that good..... The strength of the WJ is the incredible variety, the disadvantage the crowds at peak periods.   Every cruise our family looks forward to eating duck, lamb, lobster tail, and pork loin/shank in the MDR. 

PS.  If you are ever on a vessel with a norovirus outbreak, you will see certain measures put in place on buffet lines.  In Australia/NZ in 2018, the Windjammer rules changed -- guests couldn't fill their own plates in the buffet line -- only staff could handle the food.  it was a bit slower and more tedious. 

Yes, this is what I don't get either. You're already paying for dining on board and now they have more and more pay for options that add up to a lot of money. I know RCL want to make money but hopefully not at the expense of the quality of the included foods! 

[Tira04]

5 hours ago, KathyC said:

We spent 12 nights on Serenade last fall, and the MDR was fine.  Food was always hot and well-prepared.  Our waiter Mario was the best, and worked hard every night.  We ate in the MDR I think 9 of the 12 nights.  One night we did Izumi, and the other two we went to the WJ.  WJ is hit or miss, depending on what you are eating.  We're primarily plant-based so we're not trying the meat options.  My husband does eat seafood and wasn't interested in any of the seafood options in the WJ.  

We were sick of the MDR by the time we reached the final night, and honestly only went to say good bye to our wait staff.   We reluctantly ate our meal there, but as it was a repeat of a previous menu (that only has one vegetarian option) we really were not interested in the same dish again and just picked at our food.  I think I ended up eating pizza at Park Cafe for dinner later. 

Thanks! This is really helpful. It's only my second cruise (first was on Majesty 4 nights to Havana) and my first 7 night cruise. Also we're on my time dining and I'm hoping the flexibility will be useful as it's a port intensive itinerary.

[mbk999]

20 hours ago, Tira04 said:

But what does everyone think of the MDR? Is the food quality in decline? What about the MDR versus the WJ? Does anyone prefer one over the other? 

We've had decent but for the most part, nothing special food at the MDR.  I agree with an analogy that I saw on the boards, where they compared the MDR food to really good banquet food.  I personally think the WJ dinner food is just as good, if not better.   Some things are better than others obviously but I think it comes down to what dining experience you want.  Do you want to be waited on in a nicer setting or are you okay with serving yourself and eating at your own pace (and depending on where /when you sit in the WJ, the views are just as good)?  That will determine MDR or WJ imo.  

[CruisinUpinLife]

As anytime we dine out in our lives, we find some food we like, some we don't care for, and some we cannot get enough of.  The mushroom risotto when we were on Oasis in December 2018 was one of those "cannot get enough of."  You  had to roll me out of the MDR that night between my starter, entree, and dessert.  I enjoy MDR for the time to chill, relax, and be served.  MDR is really similar to WJR in that if you don't like something, get something else or get multiples of whatever you want.  Only want dessert that night?  GO FOR IT.  Only want two different appetizers and then dessert, you can do that too.

My husband and I prefer to save our money for excursions and skip the whole specialty dining.  We just didn't think there was value in it when we went with my family on our BOFS cruise in December 2016.

I firmly believe to fully know your own take on MDR vs WJR vs Specialty Dining is to try them all out for yourself

[TravisMA81]

I'm going on my first cruise December on Oasis and going solo.  The concern I have with the MDR is how long it takes to eat.  I've seen some people on here say it takes about an hour or more.  I like to get in and out and go do something else instead of sitting at a table waiting for my food.  Plus there are so many places to get something to eat I would rather do that.  Is anyone else like this?

[CruisinUpinLife]

@griswold81 I understand what you mean by it takes a while to eat.  That is definitely something to consider and is much like what you would consider when deciding between a restaurant and buffet and fast food.  The best thing is that there are a LOT of options and until you explore (and try some) those options, you don't really know what works best for you.

[gmanager]

I'm with you! Dinner is served in three courses; the next course is not served until everyone at the table is finished. If you are at a table where someone likes to savor their food which is fine but it will take awhile to complete the meal.

[JLMoran]

I prefer the MDR over the WJ for dinner. My family and I liked the food very much in the MDR, and unlike the WJ I don't have to get up and make sure someone is saving my seat in order to get a second glass of wine with dinner (I've learned to bring the first glass into the MDR with me, usually from Vintages), or an after-dinner cocktail should I want one.

But more than the food, the social aspect is a big thing for us. We really enjoy having table-mates to talk to during the meal, and that's almost impossible to achieve in the WJ since it's all small tables, and almost everyone there has the simple goal of find what they want to eat, eat it fast, and get the heck out so they can get to their show or back to the pool / club / other space.

Not a common goal, at least from many many posts that I've read here, but that's how we roll on vacation.

[twangster]

I go through phases but rarely buy specialty dining.  Sometimes I get one from a travel agent which tends to be the only time I visit specialty.

I'm in a Windjammer phase right now.  When I vacation on land or at home I don't have big sit down meals nights after night after night.  Occasionally having the full service meal is cool but most of the time I prefer to dine and dash.  I also find greater variety in the Windjammer.  I can have mostly a salad one night or I can create a meal that's not available in the MDR.   

Sometimes the MDR is too much for me, sitting for periods of time between courses when I could be out and about doing something on the ship.  Sometimes a full 3 course meal is too much food.

[monctonguy]

Its a matter of preference and interest.... my gf and I are not foodie's...we eat cause we have to basically.... Just like we only book interior cabins as we spend NO time in there....except to shower and sleep....but others wont cruise without at least a balcony room.

 

We have done 4 cruises together and only one meal in a MDR(and not on Royal)....we always hit up the WJ or whatever buffet or snack area there is. The food is always good..selection is great.....sitting for 2 hrs would be a buzz kill for me and be ready for bed by the end of a 3 course 2 hr dinner. There is so much going on to see and do that we would rather be doing.

 

That being said, our upcoming cruise is a 7 night one..so I am guessing we will hit the MDR once for the experience.

[Tira04]

1 hour ago, monctonguy said:

We have done 4 cruises together and only one meal in a MDR(and not on Royal)....we always hit up the WJ or whatever buffet or snack area there is. The food is always good..selection is great.....sitting for 2 hrs would be a buzz kill for me and be ready for bed by the end of a 3 course 2 hr dinner. There is so much going on to see and do that we would rather be doing.

 

That's a really good point! The 3 course dinner does take time away from all the other fun activities in the evening! 

[Skid]

2 hours ago, JLMoran said:

We really enjoy having table-mates to talk to during the meal

Really, Joe? And all this time I thought you were the shy, quiet type!

[hayley_bopp]

I like the variety in the WJ  but find that for dinner, it lacks ambience and I don't line the plastic plates (they don't bother me at breakfast or lunch!) and add Joe said, I don't like having to make sure there's someone saving my seat whilst I'm up getting food/drink meaning that you don't really end up eating together. 

[ChessE4]

Yes, and one of the advantages of a 1st or 2nd seating in the MDR is that if you want to meet others, you can request to be seated at a group table instead of by yourself.  I forgot to mention that earlier.  We usually request a group table when we make our initial cruise reservation through our agent.

[mom2mybugs]

6 hours ago, griswold81 said:

I'm going on my first cruise December on Oasis and going solo.  The concern I have with the MDR is how long it takes to eat.  I've seen some people on here say it takes about an hour or more.  I like to get in and out and go do something else instead of sitting at a table waiting for my food.  Plus there are so many places to get something to eat I would rather do that.  Is anyone else like this?

If you want the sit down to be faster, and don't necessarily care about table mates, then set up my time dining and when you sit down tell them you don't want to be there a long time.  We found at the mdr it was challenging to move quick because we had a tablemate who was a very slow eater.  They serve by course.  Or certainly you can do a mix of mdr/my time with eating at the windjammer.  Or try a specialty... They are usually a bit faster but a good sit-down.  I would experiment and see what you like!  You can always schedule mdr and if you don't care for it and the pushing, switch to my time.  Jane

[mom2mybugs]

6 hours ago, JLMoran said:

I prefer the MDR over the WJ for dinner. My family and I liked the food very much in the MDR, and unlike the WJ I don't have to get up and make sure someone is saving my seat in order to get a second glass of wine with dinner (I've learned to bring the first glass into the MDR with me, usually from Vintages), or an after-dinner cocktail should I want one.

But more than the food, the social aspect is a big thing for us. We really enjoy having table-mates to talk to during the meal, and that's almost impossible to achieve in the WJ since it's all small tables, and almost everyone there has the simple goal of find what they want to eat, eat it fast, and get the heck out so they can get to their show or back to the pool / club / other space.

Not a common goal, at least from many many posts that I've read here, but that's how we roll on vacation.

We like meeting people but until this last cruise on majesty (where the specialty is very limited) we found that we were often eating alone because the other 6 or 8 people were at specialty or windjammer that night!  

We went back and forth on Europe but finally decided to do my time.  We think we will just be too tired some of the nights, and we are doing 5 nights (of 12) either at specialty or chefs table, which I don't think is fair to the mdr table.  

I think, like @twangster, cruise to cruise I tend to vary it!  Just depends on the cruise and my mood.  Jane

[Tira04]

5 hours ago, mom2mybugs said:

We like meeting people but until this last cruise on majesty (where the specialty is very limited) we found that we were often eating alone because the other 6 or 8 people were at specialty or windjammer that night!    

I think, like @twangster, 

That also happened to us on Majesty - marooned on a table for 8 by ourselves! 

[mom2mybugs]

7 hours ago, Tira04 said:

That also happened to us on Majesty - marooned on a table for 8 by ourselves! 

Yeah it's so weird!!!!   Jane

[JennyB]

On 6/23/2019 at 6:33 PM, ChessE4 said:

We love the Main Dining Room because the food is good, the service is excellent, and we feel like royalty.  We find that when we get to know the wait staff, we have a richer cruise experience.

I am the same here.  When I am on vacation, I prefer to be waited on.  I dislike buffets even at home, so I don't enjoy the chaos of it on vacation.  In real life, at home, I do all the cooking, setting the table, serving the humans, etc.  So on vacation, I don't want to do that. 

We've done a couple specialty restaurants and I don't really think they're special enough to do with the extra cost on a short cruise. However, on a longer cruise I would totally do them again, one or two nights. 

[Zacharius]

I hate the MDR. We'll either make it a nicer evening a do a specialty restaurant, or do a relaxing buffet. To me, the MDR has mediocre food in a stuffy environment...I'd rather pay a bit extra and get a better meal, or just have a super chill "let me try a bunch of different things and have some drinks in the buffet" type dinner (the buffet is so relaxingly quiet at dinner).

[RWDW1204]

We've done both. Depends on how we're feeling too. Like being served sometimes, like the multiple offerings of the buffet. Some complain about how long it takes in MDR, but we get a table for 2 so we don't have to wait for others to arrive or finish their courses. We've done MDR in 30 minutes. We've also done formal night in Windjammer.  Full on formal gown and tux. Definitely got some looks that night but the staff, especially the officers, seemed appreciative that we ate with them. Visited our table a little more than any other time we ate there. 

[Skid]

12 minutes ago, RWDW1204 said:

We've also done formal night in Windjammer.  Full on formal gown and tux. Definitely got some looks that night

I think that's great. Let them look!

[Jared M.]

When I sailed on Allure of the Seas not too long ago, I ate at Giovanni's Table (Specialty Italian Restaurant), Windjammer Marketplace (Buffet), and Silk (Main Dining Room). I will just say that paying for a specialty restaurant is very worth it because of the luxurious experience. I still loved the Windjammer Marketplace and the Main Dining Room but I definitely preferred one over the other.

On Allure of the Seas, the Windjammer Marketplace had a wide variety of options, which I deeply appreciated because I like to try new things. I definitely tried small portions of new foods in the Windjammer Marketplace--some I liked and some I didn't. Also, since I was on an Oasis Class ship, the Windjammer Marketplace was absolutely massive. There was an abundance of seating--and even during peak hours, I was always able to find a table. However, I do know that Serenade of the Seas is a smaller ship, so I don't know if the Windjammer Marketplace is as spacious. The one thing I wasn't so crazy about the Windjammer Marketplace was the food itself. It was good overall, but the quality of the food wasn't as good as in the Main Dining Room. I appreciated that the Windjammer Marketplace was casual, fast, and easy. I ate here for breakfast and lunch throughout the cruise and thought it was fine.

However, I definitely enjoyed the Main Dining Room way more because of the experience. I understand why people don't like how slow the Main Dining Room is (yes it is extremely slow sometimes), but it feels a lot more luxurious and the service is top-notch. Silk, the third-level of the Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas was absolutely gorgeous--it was extremely elegant and it even felt like a 5-star restaurant on land solely based on the ambience. The Main Dining Room on Serenade of the Seas looks gorgeous too. I also found that the quality of the food was much better in the Main Dining Room and it looked way more appetizing. Everything I ate tasted absolutely delicious especially the escargot. My servers on the Allure of the Seas were fantastic, too. My only complaint about the Main Dining Room in general is the tightness and lack of variety for both breakfast and dinner. The breakfast menu offered the same 12 items and the mini-buffet everyday and the although the dinner menu did change every night, a good portion of the menu was offered every night. But needless to say the food was definitely very good.

I found that I liked the Main Dining Room better overall.

[cookingyo]

We have been skipping the MDR the last couple of cruises.  I like to have a couple of specialty dining meals (normally formal nights) which I don't mind being 2 hours.  Otherwise I'm hitting up the Windjammer and we are normally done in 30-45 mins.  Previously our MDR experience had been averaging 2 hours.  

[jticarruthers]

We used to love MDR and it was one of the sell points of going on the cruise ... to have "real service" etc. 

As the service level has dropped over the years and the food quality seems to have as well, its frequently easier just to hit up the windjammer when we are in the mood rather than planning on dressing up to go to a dinner that isnt what it used to be.

[mom2mybugs]

15 hours ago, Jared M. said:

Also, since I was on an Oasis Class ship, the Windjammer Marketplace was absolutely massive. There was an abundance of seating--and even during peak hours, I was always able to find a table. However, I do know that Serenade of the Seas is a smaller ship, so I don't know if the Windjammer Marketplace is as spacious.

Actually, the windjammers on the Oasis class are often smaller for the amount of people on the ship. Oasis class was set up to disperse people and so you have a lot of venues for people to eat at (park Cafe, solarium bistro, Johnny rockets free breakfast, wipe out Cafe etc).  You will find that the windjammers are often bigger/and or bigger for ratio of people (if that makes sense) on the freedom class and smaller.  I was just on majesty and the windjammer always had tables.  When I went in on allure once, it was crazy and I fled lol....so I'm glad you had great luck!   We did solarium bistro a ton for breakfast and lunch.  Jane

[bcarney]

On 6/24/2019 at 5:12 PM, hayley_bopp said:

I like the variety in the WJ  but find that for dinner, it lacks ambience and I don't line the plastic plates (they don't bother me at breakfast or lunch!) and add Joe said, I don't like having to make sure there's someone saving my seat whilst I'm up getting food/drink meaning that you don't really end up eating together. 

Dinner in the Windjammer is nothing like the zoo at breakfast and lunch; there are times we've gone in there at dinnertime and the place is 3/4 empty. No worries about saving tables, etc.

[bcarney]

18 hours ago, cookingyo said:

We have been skipping the MDR the last couple of cruises.  I like to have a couple of specialty dining meals (normally formal nights) which I don't mind being 2 hours.  Otherwise I'm hitting up the Windjammer and we are normally done in 30-45 mins.  Previously our MDR experience had been averaging 2 hours.  

This is exactly what my family has been doing for the last few cruises, and with the same expectations regarding time.

Not sure what we're going to be doing on Majesty next week; no specialty restaurants, so we'll probably ask for MTD and bounce between that and the Windjammer. 

[bcarney]

3 hours ago, jticarruthers said:

We used to love MDR and it was one of the sell points of going on the cruise ... to have "real service" etc. 

As the service level has dropped over the years and the food quality seems to have as well, its frequently easier just to hit up the windjammer when we are in the mood rather than planning on dressing up to go to a dinner that isnt what it used to be.

Not to mention that, for the most part, the items being served in the MDR are also being served in the WJ. Plus, the food is warmer as they haven't been sitting on a covered plate along with the 23 others destined for your waiter's section.