Royal Caribbean Buffet Dinner: Part 2 - Caribbean, Mexican, Creole & American Theme

[@sallylewis5332]

American night was my favorite. Shrimp cocktail, mushroom soup, fried chicken, pulled pork and some pecan pie would have been my choices. But that gigantic muffuletta sandwich on creole night looked good too. I wanted to watch Joann dig into that big plate of crawfish! 🤣😂 Thanks for the hard work I know it takes to put these videos together. I appreciate it! ❤

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Yeah we liked American night a lot too- that brisket was excellent 😋 Muffuletta looked delicious but we were too full to consume more carbs 😁 Thanks so much for the comment as always Sally! 🥰

[@truthfuljones4557]

I love the Caribbean night.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

We enjoyed Caribbean night as well! 😋

[@thepackdog]

You guys do such excellent, detailed videos. Thanks for the hard work!

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank you so much- we really appreciate it! 😊

[@jt8280]

All international cuisines taste and looks delicious. Joanne loves seafood.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Right on JT! 🙂

[@johnrecchia8731]

As usual very well done. Thank you

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Our pleasure- thanks for commenting! 🙂

[@tatianalyulkin410]

Love the presentation and the attention to detail. Bravo.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank you very much! 😊

[@donaldcook4061]

A great review of the Windjammer! Great!

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@jmbear628]

lots of good eats i have no idea what they are, but inviting to taste and to enjoy. saw goat dish again. the one fish dish wrapped in foil was liked by your wife. i would enjoy also.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Yeah it's great opportunity to try out lots of different food! Thanks for the comment! 🙂

[@rubypersha5881]

i really wish i knew how to eat crawfish it looks so good Joann always let us know what was good and what was ok thank you for sharig

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Our pleasure- thank you very much for the comment! 😊

[@grannyoffive1313]

Great video!!! I really enjoy each and every one!!!!! Thank you!

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Our pleasure- thank you so much for the comment! 😊

[@lindaannaraybould8156]

I would be going to the Mexican station every night .

[@TravelTouristVideos]

They actually only had that for one night, but they have it every day at El Loco Fresh, though that closes at 6 PM.

[@LC-ot1is]

Thanks for your videos - great job!

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Our pleasure- thank you very much for the comment! 😊

[@jlawrence0181]

Great video. One of the great joys of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity is that they serve Lavazza coffee at all of their complementary coffee locations. I have not tasted any coffee that was any better on any ship that I have been on. I like the concept of theme nights in the buffet.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Nice- didn't know that! Thank you very much! 😊

[@kathyvelasquez3682]

Nice to see Joann enjoying dessert. Go girl.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thanks Kathy! 😊

[@Ambientmopar]

🛳🛳🛳 Liked part # 1 & part # 2. Think Creole nights will be my favorite. Will need a bowl which isn't to shallow for crayfish 🛳🛳🛳

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thanks for the comment! Yeah the crayfish was a treat! 😋

[@lisaberry3227]

😍 Caribbean Patties! With so many great choices, how can you decide between MDR and Windjammer!?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

I know right? 😋

[@jlawrence0181]

You eat at the 5 pm seating in the MDR and then head up to the Windjammer around 8 pm to see if there is anything that is "can't miss." The first couple of days my wife was critical but then she joined me every night afterwards.

[@kenstevens5770]

Excellent Presentation !!!

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank you! Cheers! 😊

[@vickieboyd3507]

As always 😋...hope to see more videos..

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thanks Vickie! Many more coming up! 🙂

[@babylicee4479]

Now I want to go! I love this video

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank you! 😊

[@mariaahar]

we went there last summer and it was amazing!!! they adapted the menu for someone who was dairy intolerant everyday for every meal! will definitely visit again

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Good to hear you enjoyed it!

[@angelaherring5443]

God this food looks so good.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Lots of good offerings! 😋

[@valeriauk8158]

I love your accents. Lots to enjoy there. Thanks for reviewing this for us. I now know what to look for when I go in September.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank you very much! 😊 Have a cruise in September!

[@angelaherring5443]

My husband just asked me what I’m watching. I told him your video name so now he wants to watch your videos. You’ll have a new fan.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

That's awesome- thanks Angela for the referral! 🙂

[@OldBittyGrandma]

Delicious and so much to choose from!

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Yes! 😋

[@jorjafoxluvr]

The Brookie sounded delicious! I also want to try that corn bread stuffing. Never had it before .

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Brookie was a delightful dessert 😋

[@dolliemaesone]

Corn bread dressing ! It’s not stuffed 😊

[@irismoles9369]

Yummy

[@TravelTouristVideos]

It was!

[@TVHouseHistorian]

*I* see where they’re going with this! They’re trying to give people more adventure by kicking up the spices, which is why they’re doing the theme nights. I get it now… It’s a way to compensate for drastically lowering the food budget. Hmm… It looks like they tried taking queues from Carnival by going with an overall comfort food theme. Honestly, the Mexican, Caribbean and Creole theme nights don’t excite me that much. But the American favorites night looks promising. It’s still too early to tell. I need to get in there and see for myself 😉. I’m boarding the Harmony in a couple of hours, so I will get to check things out firsthand and get back to you on what I think! I’m so excited! 😅 Another wonderful video, you guys. You always knock it way out of the park for us. 👌

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank so much Dustin- have an amazing cruise, and look forward to hearing your thoughts from the ship! 🙂

[@biggareid]

Since your sailing hows the food so far? whats the detailed verdict?

[@TVHouseHistorian]

@@biggareid Jury’s still out, but I can give you the quick preliminary rundown: First evening in the MDR was disappointing, as the menu was limited, and my prime rib came out overdone and room temperature. It looked and tasted tired. The escargots - a mainstay of Royal’s MDR did not disappoint 👌. Had the key lime pie for dessert, and it came out room temperature, which made it not so good. Last night was French night, and I had the herb-crusted salmon. My meal came out warm, and the salmon itself was very moist and tender. It was reasonably well-plated, so it looked pleasing. However the flavors were bland. Nothing *popped* like I was expecting. It tasted like something out of Golden Corral, so I gave it a thumbs down. The crème brûlée was just “okay,” as the crust on top was *far* too thin, and it came out warm. Crème brûlée is not supposed to be warm. It’s supposed to be chilled, and the crust on top is supposed to be thick. It tasted okay, but overall I think French night was “meh.” The Windjammer so far has been mostly disappointing, as the offerings have been scaled down, and the flavors are very very bland. Most of the food there seems unappealing to me, though I still find little things I don’t mind eating. I’m just not impressed like I was in 2019. The Salty Dog: had a chicken & apple smoked sausage. The flavor was very very nice except the meat was room temperature when I bit into it. That can be a recipe for food poisoning, so I only ate two bites. Sorento’s: I cannot find any fault with this place. The pizza is still every bit as good as I remember it. I heard they changed the recipe recently, but I don’t notice any flavor difference. To me, it’s perfect 👌

[@biggareid]

@@TVHouseHistorian 🤯this is concerning to hear that the food tasted like Golden Corral. Now I’m scared because I just paid big money for a 7 day cruise on the Wonder of the Seas this summer for the whole family! I thought I was going to get the same dining experience that I’ve had in 2018 on the Oasis of the Seas! What to do?

[@TVHouseHistorian]

@@biggareid Keep in mind, this is just a very subjective opinion. To be honest, it’s nothing like 2018. Back then, the buffet spread was much larger. I mean, I remember coming into the Windjammer for breakfast and finding multiple varieties of doughnuts. This voyage, there might be 4 varieties on a very small display. That notwithstanding, I think you WILL find things you’ll enjoy. I know I have. Still, this is not the Royal Caribbean Oasis-class quality I remember. The included food does not compare with what I’ve had on Princess and Norwegian.

[@HotchStuff]

I am going to do the land and sea cruise on the radiance and I’ve been seeing that mango dessert and was curious cause I love that kind of stuff. Thank you for your honesty and stuff. Much appreciated.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Our pleasure! That mango dessert was tasty 😋 Thanks for the comment & have a wonderful cruise tour! 🙂

[@danielperdomo4195]

SALUDOS AMIGA DESDE VENEZUELA MUCHOS EXITOS

[@TravelTouristVideos]

¡Muchas gracias a ti también! 🙂

[@AbadWong-ou8vv]

Yummmmy

[@shellystewart9023]

I would like to have seen more food food eating.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thanks for the feedback 🙂

[@georgedesmond4637]

My dreams are to take my grandchildren to enjoy school holidays on sea cruise like this before I die.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Hope you get to! 👍

[@kathleencraig3804]

excellent video. can't decide if buffet is better than MDR ...can't decide

[@TravelTouristVideos]

It depends on personal tastes and which "themes" you like more. If you eat an early dinner at the MDR, you can always visit the buffet a little later before it close and do a bit of sampling.

[@kathleencraig3804]

@@TravelTouristVideos ok sounds good, do I have to make reservations at MDR 5pm if I want to eat at 5pm & can I ask consiair (can't spell) staying in grand suite ? or do I have to go to maitre di? and what time does buffet close?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

You don't need reservations as long as your travel agent has you setup for "Early Seating/First Seating". Then every night you just show up at 5 at your designated table. The buffet closes at 9 PM.

[@kathleencraig3804]

@@TravelTouristVideos I have reserved anytime or my time dining reserved but prefer eating 5pm -5:30 so I can see shows, I don't have travel agent. we're going with friends from CA. shows end 10pm then where can we grab something to eat if buffet is closed?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Yeah you're in the same situation as we were then. If you'd like a permanent table you can show up early first night and ask the hosts to see if there is any left. Otherwise you'd have to wait (like we did) for one to open up starting at 5:30 pm (but you might want to show up 10 minutes early). The buffet closes at 9 pm.

[@dolliemaesone]

Creole fried catfish, hush puppies ,shrimp creole waiting for her to try the crawfish

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Tasty choices 😋

[@Dingdong3696oyvey]

Love the way you dress for the buffet. Way better than most people dress for the MDR. 😊

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@rainmutt3240]

I've viewed 1/2 of the vid and I think their buffet might be better than Princess's (Discovery). I was there for 2-weeks. Not ever have been on RCL boats in forever but the food in the vids

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts comparing Princess' buffet vs Royal Caribbean's! For us, Princess had more seafood, but Royal seemed to have slightly better quality.

[@pware9643]

Looks like the things you will miss by doing the buffet will be Beef Tenderloin on night 2, Escargot app on 3 nights, Lobster tail on Royal night (day 6?) and Braised Lamb on Bon Voyage or last night.. anyone know if smoked salmon lox is available in the morning at the windjammer breakfast? thanks,, going soon

[@TravelTouristVideos]

What we do is try to go to dinner early, and then visit the buffet later before it closes so you can also sample whatever looks good to you there. And yup they sure did have smoke salmon for breakfast at the buffet. You can see our Royal buffet breakfast video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zl6YeYdsot2ebbs

[@joycechiu1066]

hi there, is there any asian food?😊

[@TravelTouristVideos]

They did have Indian food, though not other Asian food. For lunch they did have some stir-fried noodles and rice on the last day of the cruise.

[@biggareid]

When was this recorded? Is the Caribbean night menu exactly the same fleet-wide, including Wonder of the Seas?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

This was in late January 2023. From our experience, the food are somewhat similar between the different ships, but as each has a different head chef, there are variations for sure.

[@biggareid]

@@TravelTouristVideos great, would you know any key differences?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Some of the food would be presented differently- e.g. the cakes might be decorated in different way, and there may be fewer curries (this ship had an Indian head chef), etc. You might also have different regional specialties depending on where the cruise ship is located. For instance this was a Caribbean cruise, so there were some Caribbean dishes, but if you're cruising Alaska, I'd imagine they'd have more salmon dishes, etc.

[@biggareid]

@@TravelTouristVideos well I absolutely love Caribbean food and I need an authentic dining experience in that area.

[@monihasnone6137]

How can I know if the buffet dish is vegetarian?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

It would be labeled as such, but if you have any question, a crew member nearby would be able to help.

[@thepackdog]

If you and Joanne could only pick one cruise line's buffet, one cruise line's MDR, and one cruise line for all the complimentary dining restaurants (not including the buffet and MDR) that you've experienced, which cruise lines would you pick for each?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

That's a tough one! The major cruise lines actually all do a good job on food- some are stronger than others in some aspects. But Holland America has the edge at the buffet and MDR with their consistent & high quality offerings, along with excellent service. One con on HAL's buffet is that it closes early, especially for dinner. Also some guests don't like how the buffet is not self-serve.

[@Legal_Sweetie333]

Is there anything to do besides the food?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Yup depends on the ship- waterslides, comedians, dance, ice skating & high diving shows just to name a few

[@DEBORAH4-ut9sz]

When i was on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship, it was a chartered voyage for 1 GOODyear of proFIT$ back in the 80's when anyone could make $ 'hand$ over fists' which means to shake hands = a deal and fists means that both sides lose something Very ImPortant and 'we the people' lose the most

[@vandsoncriadordevideo760]

👍👍🤝🇧🇷❤️👏

[@TravelTouristVideos]

😊🙏

[@gairysievright7753]

What ship is this ?

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Allure of the Seas

[@AbadWong-ou8vv]

Dunkin Donuts

[@DarleneWillier]

Jaws again

[@rainmutt3240]

sorry...posted too soon. the food in the vid looks pretty good

[@DEBORAH4-ut9sz]

Not what i got back in the 80's but i'd go with somebody who didn't want to go alone and as I'm almost 70, i'd prefer he not be over 80

[@davehenderson6896]

It must be expensive cruising all the time.

[@priscillahasbun1324]

All the food looks just horrible 🤢

[@TVHouseHistorian]

Just finished my voyage on the Harmony with the 8-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary. My thoughts on the menu changes apparently got back to Royal Caribbean, because I received two phone calls to my stateroom - one from the Assistant Maitre’d, and the other from the Head Maitre’d, informing me that they had been notified of my objections to the menu offerings at the MDR and the Windjammer. They each asked me what was wrong. Assuming the calls were being recorded, I *politely* detailed the reasons of my displeasure with the menus. •The key lime pie came out warm •The fare offered was merely ethic instead of creative or innovative. In other words, it’s all stuff I can get at home. •The spices, sauces, and seasonings the food was paired with were severely muted. I said the food tastes like I was eating at an assisted living center. •Lastly, I emphasized that ethnic food themes such as Indian or Mexican offer nothing in terms of adventure, and that I felt insulted that they think most people would be happy with this *[[[I know. I was BRUTAL]]]*. They also noted that I’d been absent the previous two evenings. I told them it was because I wasn’t happy with what was offered. The Head Maitre’d was extremely kind, and offered me a surf & turf meal with alcohol, at no charge. They even had a corner table ready for me with a view of the ocean. They treated me like a dignitary. I was in shock, but I thought it was so so very very nice - completely unnecessary. The next night, I was escorted to another private table where I was once again treated like a dignitary. I still have no idea how RCL caught wind of my objections (though I suspect they read my comment on their blog. THAT may have been it) What’s even more surprising to me is how they thought it was important enough to alert the MDR on the Harmony and take action. I have no idea, but I have to say their striving to make things right for one little passenger was very touching.

[@TravelTouristVideos]

Wow that's so great that they did that for you- nice job by Royal to deliver good service there! Hopefully because of your feedback they'll make improvements, especially easy fixes like warm key lime pie. Thanks so much for sharing your experience Dustin!