Lunch at MDR restaurants?

domesticspaz

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 30, 2008
We're leaving on the Dream for a 3 night on Thursday (SO EXCITED!). We've sailed twice on the Wonder but the last time was 2008 and I can't remember if the MDR restaurants serve lunch.

We have a Palo reservation for our last night and I don't want to miss Palo - but I'm sort of sad that we'll miss one of the MDR restaurants to go there. So I was thinking maybe we could go to the missed restaurant for lunch. If so, will the experience be somewhat comparable? If not, which restaurant would YOU skip if you had to skip one.

(Our kids - 10, 12, and 13 - will be dining with their older teenage cousins on the night we're in Palo in whatever MDR we skip.)
 
I would not skip. We book Palo during the opposite time period of our dining assignment on a night we don't like the show.
 
I know its hard on a 3 night, but I love Palo too so I would give up one! I personally want the Animators show for the kids this time, so that is the only one I won't miss. If I didn't have kids I would skip Pirate dinner as the menu never really appealed to me, but I love the candid pics with the kids if you do have kids for Pirate night, then don't skip. So, if no kids I would skip Pirate dinner, if you have kids I would try to make the AP show and the Pirate night (might be the same for you), and skip the other night. I also think night one is kind of crazy, so I never mind missing that, but if its your first cruise it is nice to meet your table and servers . . . Last night is fine too on a 3 night because I never feel so connected to a server after 3 nights that I am sad to miss that last night, but it kind of depends on your schedule.
 
I would not skip. We book Palo during the opposite time period of our dining assignment on a night we don't like the show.

This is what I did last year worked out great. Had late dining so booked Palo for earliest dinner possible ate there and then went to MDR had a piece of a salad and some soda. It happened to be AP night so it was the Crush show.
 


The lunch experience in the MDR isn't really comparable to the dinner experience, unfortunately. I do enjoy lunch at Royal Palace, but its not nearly as good or as extensive as the dinner experience.

They don't serve lunch at Animator's Palatte that I know of. And if they have lunch at Enchanted Garden I think it might be buffet (that's what they do for breakfast, its the same as what's served on the pool deck).

I liked the food the best at Royal Palace, so I'd either A) skip Enchanted Gardens ... or B) go to Palo on your Animator's Palette night, just eat at Palo and go to Animator's for the experience, which was fun. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the food on our AP night. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable.

Since you're leaving Thursday your dining rotation has already been decided for you, so you could call and ask what you're currently missing and see if you want to request a different rotation ...
 
We're leaving on the Dream for a 3 night on Thursday (SO EXCITED!). We've sailed twice on the Wonder but the last time was 2008 and I can't remember if the MDR restaurants serve lunch.

We have a Palo reservation for our last night and I don't want to miss Palo - but I'm sort of sad that we'll miss one of the MDR restaurants to go there. So I was thinking maybe we could go to the missed restaurant for lunch. If so, will the experience be somewhat comparable? If not, which restaurant would YOU skip if you had to skip one.

(Our kids - 10, 12, and 13 - will be dining with their older teenage cousins on the night we're in Palo in whatever MDR we skip.)

I wouldn't want to miss any of the resturants including Palo. Not all the MDR restaurants serve lunch so you might not be able to have lunch at the resturant you plan on miss on you last night. Lunch in the MDR is not the same experience as dinner but I like it because it is not as crowded and casual. Have you considered changing your Palo reservation to brunch instead of dinner so you can still visit all the resturants?
 
Typically there's only 1 MDR open for lunch, and it's just ok. The MDR open for breakfast is a sit down, but the food is just the same as up at the buffet, so I've never seen much reason to go there, other than to be "served". Considering how I look in the mornings, stumbling around trying to get my coffee, I'd rather not face a an upbeat, cheery server that early in the morning. :cool2:
 


The Enchanted Garden will be open for breakfast and lunch. It is set up with a buffet (similar to Cabanas) but you will be directed to a table and a server will bring you your drinks, etc. as opposed to Cabanas where you have to get your own drinks and find your own table.

The Royal Palace will be open (except for embarktion day) for a sit down breakfast and/or lunch. There is a limited menu (not as extensive as the dinner menus).

Obviously breakfast and lunch is served buffet style in Cabanas and you have room service and fast food options available.

You will need to check your Navigator for the hours of service as they are not all open for the same amount of time.
 
I wouldn't want to miss any of the resturants including Palo. Not all the MDR restaurants serve lunch so you might not be able to have lunch at the resturant you plan on miss on you last night. Lunch in the MDR is not the same experience as dinner but I like it because it is not as crowded and casual. Have you considered changing your Palo reservation to brunch instead of dinner so you can still visit all the resturants?

3 nights don't have sea days so no brunch. :sad1:
 
Thanks everyone.

I'm just not going to stress about it. We're having dinner at Palo with my mom, dad, two sisters, and their husbands so it's not really flexible enough for me to change things around.

We'll inevitably miss something but we decided we're just going to try and enjoy every moment and not stress about what we can't get to.

We'll just have to book another cruise to experience what we missed! :)
 
I'm like you- don't ever want to miss a restaurant but be assured that no matter what is on the MDR menu, the food in Palo will far exceed it! Did I say FAR?? Just got off the dream and our entire party (including 10 adults) would chose EG to skip. Enjoy!!!
 
If you get a choice, I'd skip EG. Did not care for the food choices there..the hair in my salad didn't help either lol.

We did lunch at RP, and it was very good. Definitely a different experience than dinner though. But we wanted something different than Cabanas. I recommend it!
 

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