Anyone else not into the dinner shows on new ships?

[Scalemaster34]

Would be great to have this... in practice I don't know how that could work though. Perhaps a limited sit-down dinner menu in Cabanas for those who don't want the show. Not a buffet, but a sit-down meal with items already on offer in the other dining rooms. And, advance reservations required at established dining times.

They use to do it... so it's not like trying to create something new. It was a sit-down meal with no reservations required, never was too busy so wait was pretty short. We (just two of us), because they had seated us with a family of three at dinner and it didn't go great the first night. They had no other table but told us about eating at Cabanas for dinner. COVID killed it....

We didn't mind the server that were used, were still in training....

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

...

We didn't mind the server that were used, were still in training....

It would still be a great way to train new staff because as quickly as they are expanding, there are bound to be issues. It could be used to train replacements for people whose contracts are ending and aren't renewing, or even as a remedial course for people who show promise but are maybe struggling a little.

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

We love the shows on all the ships. We just got off the Wish (3 night). I have heard repeatedly that the sound is way to loud in Arendelle. We were pretty close to the stage and it was actually too quiet. We noticed the main singer touch her mike more than once as of to signal it was too low. We also noticed that all of the singers were not loud at all.
Marvel was loud for sure

 

[vakamalua]

Why doesn’t DCL just have one side of the buffet open every dinner time just like all the other mass market cruise lines? Now that most of the DCL dining rooms are too loud & packed tight every night to even have a conversation with no alternative but room service & limited junk food, repeat cruising is far less attractive.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

Why doesn’t DCL just have one side of the buffet open every dinner time just like all the other mass market cruise lines? Now that most of the DCL dining rooms are too loud & packed tight every night to even have a conversation with no alternative but room service & limited junk food, repeat cruising is far less attractive.

Staffing is the most likely explanation. The people working the buffet for breakfast and lunch are the same people working the MDRs for dinner so there probably isn't much, if any given corporations drive to do more with less/nothing, spare serving staff to work the buffet at night.

 

[OKW Lover]

Why doesn’t DCL just have one side of the buffet open every dinner time just like all the other mass market cruise lines?

Possibly because DCL doesn't think of its product the same way as the mass market cruise lines?

 

[jwalk03]

Why doesn’t DCL just have one side of the buffet open every dinner time just like all the other mass market cruise lines? Now that most of the DCL dining rooms are too loud & packed tight every night to even have a conversation with no alternative but room service & limited junk food, repeat cruising is far less attractive.

Because it seems to be a vocal minority here that is really clamoring for this- and Disney likely doesn't think its worth the added expense.

 

[Mommb]

Why doesn’t DCL just have one side of the buffet open every dinner time just like all the other mass market cruise lines?

Staffing is the most likely explanation. The people working the buffet for breakfast and lunch are the same people working the MDRs for dinner so there probably isn't much, if any given corporations drive to do more with less/nothing, spare serving staff to work the buffet at night.

This is my thinking too. I have no knowledge of staffing on Disney ships (or any other ships) but I know there is a fixed amount of cabin space for crew members, so adding staff may be difficult. Clearly, opening the buffet either as a buffet or for sit-down dining will require more serving staff and more kitchen staff.

It feels as if I've seen more servers filling in for absent servers than pre-COVID. It wouldn't surprise me if DCL has tightened standards on keeping staff away from guests if they are at all ill. If that's the case, they may be leery of assigning "extra" staffers to an alternative dinner option in case they are needed in the main dining rooms.