8 reasons to AVOID the main dining room on a cruise ship

[@pw-sz6ds]

Why would I go on a cruise ship and avoid the free MDR and pay for Speciality dining or only eat at the Buffet. Makes no sense at all. You named 8 reason to avoid the MDR but I can list 18 reasons to eat there.

[@tuuliviiri157]

Totally agree!

[@alexurn2843]

I agree, I always eat at the main dining room, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why pay all that money to eat like you’re in Marine boot camp?

[@robertabeyers3371]

Always enjoy having dinner in the MDR

[@alallen2767]

I love being served and enjoy the MDR to remind me I'm not at home. I don't want to wait in another line if I don't have to and never really look forward to the 'everyone touching the tongs' situation before I eat anyway.

[@Cruises8]

I definitely agree I love the MDR so much fun to be served and escape the world

[@CruiseDude1]

Yes and they use the tongs to pick up some pork and the same tongs to pick up some veggies, it can be gross. And not everyone does "washy washy" before entering the buffet.

[@alexurn2843]

@@CruiseDude1 Agreed! And why pay so much money to eat like you’re in military boot camp? I love eating at the MDR, breakfast, lunch and dinner!! 🍽️

[@blucolife]

The MDR is elegant, sophisticated, the food is great, being served while talking to strangers that might become friends is great as well. Honestly, you remind me of my family, every time they do a meal it's always buffet style, we all have to get up, walk, grab the food, sit down. I'm tired of it, I like being served, I like food on the table.

[@FrielFamilyFootball]

I love the main dining room. Why pay? Kids need to learn to behave and be patient.

[@manuelgalaviz1079]

I love the main dinning room a lot, I really love it.

[@CruiseDude1]

Excellent video, and here's our take. We just returned from a Royal Caribbean cruise and thought we would eat almost exclusively at the WIndjammer buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner and, by the end of the cruise, we ate at the MDR for every dinner and most lunches because of superior food and a more relaxed experience compared to fighting through the crowds to find a table, then going back in a long line for food. While there weren't 153 dinner or lunch choices, there was always a delicious option, and ordering a second entree is a matter of minutes. Regarding the duration at the MDR, we agree that "hour and a half" is not realistic. We had MyTime DIning often followed by a show and we were able to finish our dinner at MDR within 45 minutes, easily, when we had to skedaddle to get to the Masquerade Theatre for a tight showtime. Everyone has a different experience, and we recommend checking out all the options.

[@Cruises8]

Wow only an hour! What ship was that m?

[@CruiseDude1]

Vision of the Seas and it was 45 minutes, not an hour! Just let your server know your time constraints and it's a wonderful time. @@Cruises8

[@CruiseDude1]

@@Cruises8 Vision of the Seas but it's the same for any ship. Just let your server know your timeline and you'll easily finish within 45 minutes.

[@georgina4874]

It's fun dressing up and feeling like you're at a restaurant! I mix it up. But, I love the mdr.

[@trainme100]

My gosh, you should get a job as an auctioneer, you never take a breath while speaking. Slow down, take a breath, a couple of times you are heard almost choking on your own saliva.

[@78logistics]

As a single , would not be on my list of places I would want to eat. Too much time wasted and I want to eat alone.I often am not hungry at regular mealtimes.

[@davidhoffman8122]

We DO prefer the MDR. We will eat at the buffet if we have had a LONG excursion and we would be late for out scheduled dinner time. I have been to the specialty dining and the food is NOT that much better than the MDR.

[@CruiseDude1]

That's an interesting take that Specialty is not a lot better than the MDR.

[@juliegreen-hernandez7140]

Us too. Spent money on a specialty restaurant and left to go to the buffet

[@StaceyChamberlain-kf1qx]

We love early dining at the standard time. Our daughter was always fed at the kids club and joined us for dessert. Then, we always had time for the show in the evening. In fact, we have only used the buffet rarely. The only speciality we did was a sushi restaurant since that is our daughter’s favorite. Oh, and if the Mrs had something our daughter liked we ordered it for her and got her from the keds club early

[@proudasiangirl576]

You speak so fast, it's almost as if you are slurring your sentences altogether. I had to turn on the CC several times and go back to fully understand you.

[@sharondalynnewton7562]

The MDR does take quite a bit of time. On my most recent cruise, we missed every show by eating dinners in the MDR.

[@Cruises8]

Yeah they should figure out a better system to get it down to an hour or so

[@robertcold4669]

Definitely stay out of Carnival’s (Dollar General of the Seas) MDR. The food is rarely above ‘meh’. Of course the buffet is not good either. Only decent food that can be found is in their specialty restaurants. 🙄

[@Cruises8]

Try going on carnival Mardi Gras, celabration, or jubilee they have 3 other main dining rooms that are so good! And I found the buffet on carnival pretty good especially the desserts.

[@robertcold4669]

@@Cruises8thanks for the info. Maybe. Out last Carnival cruise was (what we said at the time anyway) was our last. We are trying Virgin Voyages next.

[@robertabeyers3371]

Have never had any issues in the main dining room on a carnival cruise ship

[@robertcold4669]

@@robertabeyers3371I find their food on par with Golden Corral. I simply do not like it, nor do I want it.

[@blucolife]

Carnival's MDR is great, great food, great dancing waiters at the end of the meal. Have you ever been? I had escargot, Indian food (vegetarian option), steak, etc. Breakfast was amazing as well. Just because Carnival is cheaper and has some passengers that might be a little ghetto and a little redneck, doesn't mean it's the Walmart of the Seas.

[@joethecomputerguy1]

Love your voice Allie. Keep up the content.

[@ValerieT2023]

Main reason to avoid the main buffet - the food generally sucks.

[@roshelli]

You must be a carnival cruiser or MSC Not true on celebrity or royal Caribbean and have heard from others princess. Celebrity MDR compares to other cruise line speciality dining. The buffet is a hoarders paradise lol

[@FrielFamilyFootball]

Princess buffet is good.

[@juliegreen-hernandez7140]

Not Carnival because their MDR sucks and buffet is good along with other free dining venues, like guys burgers.