Silly question I know..Do you need reservations to eat Breakfast/ Lunch?

[Tucker24]

I was reading the thread and people were mentioning MDR for breakfast and lunch. It is my understanding that one restaurant is buffet while the other is sit down. Do you need reservations? are there any tips on avoiding a huge crowd at mealtime.
traveling on the Magic

 

[wombat_5606]

I was reading the thread and people were mentioning MDR for breakfast and lunch. It is my understanding that one restaurant is buffet while the other is sit down. Do you need reservations? are there any tips on avoiding a huge crowd at mealtime.
traveling on the Magic

No, you do not need reservations for a breakfast or lunch in the MDR. There won't be a crowd in the MDR for those meals. The buffet can be but it will depend on whether it's a sea day or not.

 

[Marc D]

After February, there won’t be a buffet in the MDR on Magic. For breakfast and lunch, you will have to option of a sit-down in an MDR, a buffet at Cabanas, quick service windows around the pool or room service. Although I’ve seen reports of lineups at the MDR, I’ve never seen one myself out during the 50+ days I’ve spent on a DCL ship. Most people head to Cabanas or around the pools for those meals. They do not take reservations.

 

[dcassetta]

The one exception is if your cruise offers a character breakfast. If going to a character breakfast, you do need to schedule that ahead of time. It can be done in the section of your cruise page that says onboard fun.

 

[apathetic]

No reservations except Palo and Remy. The buffet is hit/miss on crowds. It can be busy and getting a table on the small ships can be a challenge at peak times. For breakfast, the lines are longest when the ship starts pulling into port all the way up all ashore. Lunch lines are longest on sea days, though the crowds are more spread out. They have a lunch menu for the MDR, usually posted after breakfast by the handicap accessible door. Check it to see if you like that meal or go to the buffet. While you may experience some busy times, it really isn't that bad. They do a great job of clearing tables in the buffet. I've never had any type of wait for breakfast or lunch in the MDR.

 

[SteveMP]

We've never had lunch in the MDR. Is that new? Have only ever had breakfast in MDR on debark day, but that was at regular table/seat.

 

[MUN]

I was reading the thread and people were mentioning MDR for breakfast and lunch. It is my understanding that one restaurant is buffet while the other is sit down. Do you need reservations? are there any tips on avoiding a huge crowd at mealtime.
traveling on the Magic

It sometimes can get very crowded at lunchtime for the MDR that serves lunch.

 

[mhconley]

We've never had lunch in the MDR. Is that new? Have only ever had breakfast in MDR on debark day, but that was at regular table/seat.

Not new. One MDR is open for lunch every day of the cruise. Just show up and they’ll seat you. On our two trips on the Fantasy breakfast in the MDR was a buffet while lunch was from a menu. The MDR on the Fantasy was never crowded.

Do the statements about the Magic apply to the Wonder?

Martin

 

[gary in florida]

I always like to find out where our servers are working and show up for breakfast & lunch at their stations. In the past they have appreciated it, then I feel they deserve the extra I include in their envelopes

 

[SteveMP]

Not new. One MDR is open for lunch every day of the cruise. Just show up and they’ll seat you. On our two trips on the Fantasy breakfast in the MDR was a buffet while lunch was from a menu. The MDR on the Fantasy was never crowded.

Funny, i guess we are usually either off the ship or just grabbing stuff by the pool on sea days, hamburgers and pizza etc.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do the statements about the Magic apply to the Wonder?

Regarding the "no MDR buffet"? Yes. When Parrot Cay was replaced, on the Wonder, by Tiana's Place they took out the buffet setup. And same for the Magic's Parrot Cay/Carioca's change.

 

[JWG]

We'll have to try this on our next cruise. We've been slaves to the buffet for breakfast and lunch - especially with kids. I remember doing lunch at Triton's once WAAAAY back, but other than that...
I don't know that I'll want to change from my swim/beach attire for lunch, but breakfast would be doable.

 

[Marc D]

Regarding the "no MDR buffet"? Yes. When Parrot Cay was replaced, on the Wonder, by Tiana's Place they took out the buffet setup. And same for the Magic's Parrot Cay/Carioca's change.

The buffet is still there in Carioca’s. It was used this summer. A head waiter told us it’s going away in February.

 

[YawningDodo]

Here I assumed the MDRs were dinner-only and you had to eat at Cabanas or poolside during the day. Good stuff to know. I'm going in January onboard the Magic, so it sounds like it'll still be a buffet lunch in the MDR?

 

[Marc D]

Here I assumed the MDRs were dinner-only and you had to eat at Cabanas or poolside during the day. Good stuff to know. I'm going in January onboard the Magic, so it sounds like it'll still be a buffet lunch in the MDR?

I don’t think they use it for buffet lunch anymore. They cancelled the embarkation buffet last March. This summer, they only used the buffet area in Carioca’s for breakfast on sea days.