Avoiding the Dining Rooms?

[Twilight Terror]

We are heading out on our second cruise (Dream) in August, and we previously had issues with the food served in the dining rooms - it's not to our taste. We met with our serving team beforehand as we know it would probably be an issue, so they were aware. They did a great job trying to cater to us, including allowing orders off the children's menu, and presenting us with a special meal on the last day.

However, we felt bad for making the serving team and cooks go out of their way to accommodate us, even though that's part of their job. We feel that we wasted time at the sit-down meals because it just wasn't suitable for us, so we are considering this time just foregoing all sit-down meals and just heading to Cabanas each night. Is that allowed? Do we just go to Guest Relations and remove the tipping charges for all the restaurant staff?

 

[ivanp91]

We are heading out on our second cruise (Dream) in August, and we previously had issues with the food served in the dining rooms - it's not to our taste. We met with our serving team beforehand as we know it would probably be an issue, so they were aware. They did a great job trying to cater to us, including allowing orders off the children's menu, and presenting us with a special meal on the last day.

However, we felt bad for making the serving team and cooks go out of their way to accommodate us, even though that's part of their job. We feel that we wasted time at the sit-down meals because it just wasn't suitable for us, so we are considering this time just foregoing all sit-down meals and just heading to Cabanas each night. Is that allowed? Do we just go to Guest Relations and remove the tipping charges for all the restaurant staff?

I believe dinner in Cabanas is also sit-down table service (not buffet), so you may run into issues there as well. It may be easier to do your normal dining rotation so that the dining staff are aware early on of how best to accomodate you, as opposed to having different servers in Cabanas each night.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

We are heading out on our second cruise (Dream) in August, and we previously had issues with the food served in the dining rooms - it's not to our taste. We met with our serving team beforehand as we know it would probably be an issue, so they were aware. They did a great job trying to cater to us, including allowing orders off the children's menu, and presenting us with a special meal on the last day.

However, we felt bad for making the serving team and cooks go out of their way to accommodate us, even though that's part of their job. We feel that we wasted time at the sit-down meals because it just wasn't suitable for us, so we are considering this time just foregoing all sit-down meals and just heading to Cabanas each night. Is that allowed? Do we just go to Guest Relations and remove the tipping charges for all the restaurant staff?

First of all, Cabanas is not open for dinner on the first and last night of the cruise. If you are on a 3 night Dream cruise, that only gives you one night to eat in Cabanas. A 4 night cruise will only give you 2 nights to eat in Cabanas. Cabanas is not a buffet for dinner. It is a sit down meal with items served which are a selection of the same things being served in the MDRs so you can't expect a significantly different selection of food at Cabanas. Everyone is allowed to order off the children's menu, so that wasn't something they allowed special for you. The servers which work in the MDRs in the evenings are also working during the day serving breakfast and lunch in Cabanas and the MDRs so if you remove the tips you are depriving these hardworking servers of their tips even for the work they are doing during the earlier breakfast and lunch hours.

What was it about the MDR food that wasn't to your taste? What would be to your taste? There's always the "lighter fare" section of the menu which offers plainer foods.

 

[Twilight Terror]

Thank you for your replies. I didn't realise Cabanas was similar to the MDRs in the evening, or that it was not available on the first and last night. We will have to rethink our dining options then I know kids meals are always an option, anywhere in Disney, because we frequently have to have them. We have a IBS suffer that requires a more traditional, basic 'meat and two veg' meal, and one that does not do well with spices/herbs. I understand what you mean about knowing your server and talking in advance - it's what we did last time, but it didn't exactly work. So, we will see.

 

[ctnurse]

I just wanted to add something about removing the tips.

Just because you aren't going to the MDR you should still tip your servers. They work in Cabanas and even the pool quick services places. Please consider tipping them they work their tails off all over the ship. They really depend on the tips.

Good luck, DCL is great with accommodating guests.

 

[squirk]

I would say that, on the whole, the MDR servers would be much happier accommodating your request and getting a tip vs. you skipping the MDR and them not getting a tip. Also bear in mind that your lead and assistant server only have 3-4 tables assigned to them per cruise. If one table goes AWOL, that's a sizeable hit in anticipated income via missed tips.

And as others have said, you're probably going to have the same issues with the food in Cabanas and will have to make a special request regardless, unless you want to eat dinner at Flo's/Luigi's/Mater's for the entire cruise.

Finally, I don't think you should feel bad making the special requests. Disney Parks & Resorts has a long history of being very helpful and accommodating with such issues, and this is one of many reasons that Disney charges a premium for their cruises.

 

[Flossbolna]

Besides Cabanas, the MDRs and Palo/Remy, there are also the pool deck counter service places open for dinner and then there is room service. There is no rule about cruising that requires you to eat in a sit down restaurant at night! We actually like to do one "casual dining" evening during the cruise and just get a hot dog from the pool deck.

 

[eskimoinparadise]

Haven't used the MDR on Disney in years. First night - pool deck; last night Palo; everything in between Cabana's.

 

[su_A_ve]

There's been more traditional fare added to all menus, such as a steak or a chicken which would be served with vegetables or potatoes.

 

[squirk]

There's been more traditional fare added to all menus, such as a steak or a chicken which would be served with vegetables or potatoes.

Exactly. They can make plenty of off-menu "plain" entrees with ease to suit someone who can't handle the standard offerings.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I too have issues with spicy food and the servers have gone out of their way to help. There is food on the menu to accommodate a milder diet. I recommend the roast chicken and there are many veggies to choose from.

 

[over50visits]

We are heading out on our second cruise (Dream) in August, and we previously had issues with the food served in the dining rooms - it's not to our taste. We met with our serving team beforehand as we know it would probably be an issue, so they were aware. They did a great job trying to cater to us, including allowing orders off the children's menu, and presenting us with a special meal on the last day.

However, we felt bad for making the serving team and cooks go out of their way to accommodate us, even though that's part of their job. We feel that we wasted time at the sit-down meals because it just wasn't suitable for us, so we are considering this time just foregoing all sit-down meals and just heading to Cabanas each night. Is that allowed? Do we just go to Guest Relations and remove the tipping charges for all the restaurant staff?

Of course it's "allowed"! Cabanas isn't open first or last nights, but there are plenty of alternatives (adult dining, on deck counter services, room service). I applaud loudly your concern for the serving team. People make special requests of them frequently, something we really try to not do, since they are going full steam during dinner. They graciously try whatever they are asked, but I feel the dining offerings are what I signed up form, and to ask them to make special food preparation isn't right. That said, many servers delight in the chance to a little something special.

As for tips, of course not! The servers are there waiting for you, your table is available, and when you booked the cruise you reserved those servers for your table. It isn't an option on a Disney cruise to book without MDR service. By being there, trained, with the time and table space for you, they certainly have earned the small tips you should give them. I like the taxi comparison - if you call a taxi, and he waits outside your house for an hour, then you change your mind, do you owe him for that time even though you did't use the service? Of course…you committed that time for that server.

Enjoy your cruise, pick from the many delightful dining options, and reward those who are there standing by just in case you change your mind at the last minute. They will welcome you with smiles and great service.

Edited to add: And, of course, your tips to the MDR waiters cover their service throughout the day at breakfast and lunch (MDRs and Cabanas), and on Castaway Cay.

 

[TestingH2O]

In terms of tips, I'll also add that, no matter where you choose to eat, the tips you pay in your daily service fee are also for counter service and buffet workers. While you might technically have your serving team's name on your slip, those wages account for the daytime work as well.

While it shows up as a separate line item, I think the daily service fee really should be viewed as part of the fare. Everyone knows about it when booking just like they know about port fees and taxes.

 

[miss m]

On our five night cruise last summer we had dinner at cabanas twice and wish the option had been available every night. The atmosphere is relaxed and peaceful, the servers seem less stressful and the pace of dinner more reasonable (dinner very slow in MDR). Note that you should still tip even if you skip MDRs; I suspect tips may be pooled and shared with your cabanas servers.

 

[bobbiwoz]

On our most recent cruise on the Wonder, one table mate ate nothing on the regular menu. He ordered the night before with the head waiter as to what his next night's dinner was going to be. He was vegetarian and there was another issue I do not know about. Sometimes his meal was served on a Palo plate!

Special requests can be handled!

 

[squirk]

I was under the impression that the stateroom attendant, Senses and MDR tips were not pooled, but all other tips (Cove Cafe, bars, deck drink service) were?

 

[Julylady]

On our Panama cruise I was recovering from a stomach issue and was really limited in what I could eat. I explained it to our waiter the first night. My issues seem similar to yours -I needed plain meats and vegetables with no spices or sauces. I also needed the vegetables cooked very well done. He took care of it for the rest of the trip. He knew the menus well enough to mix and match items from different entrees. If I were to do it again, I think I would try to meet with our head waiter the afternoon we boarded the ship to give them some advance notice to plan.

I agree about the tips. Please pay them regardless of whether you decide to eat in the main dining room or not. We ate lunch in Tritons one day with a couple who told us they were eating at the buffet every night to avoid paying the tips. The husband acted like he was giving us a big money saving tip. I asked them if they were instead tipping the wait staff each night? The husband said yes, but his wife looked embarrassed. As they were leaving, I reminded him that he needed to leave a tip for his lunch. He was really mad. It was really funny because they avoided us the rest of the cruise. When they saw us coming they went the other way.

 

[dclpluto]

I was under the impression that the stateroom attendant, Senses and MDR tips were not pooled, but all other tips (Cove Cafe, bars, deck drink service) were?

Why would they be pooled? Some people work a lot harder than others. Seems it wouldn't be fair

 

[squirk]

Why would they be pooled? Some people work a lot harder than others. Seems it wouldn't be fair

I think it's generally understood that tips are pooled on the Disney cruises in some manner (the podcast team even talks about this on their DCL episodes). I can't speak with authority on the "how" or "why", but my guess is that there is so much hustle and bustle and multiple CMs helping the same customer in a common transaction, that it's impractical to parse out who earned what percentage of every single tip.

Kind of like at Starbuck's - you have one person helping you at the the register, one person getting the coffee ready, one person adding the extras, one person might be warming up your croissant, etc. Everyone's in the mix together and there's so many people coming through, you just throw your dollar in the jar and they split it up at the end of a shift.

Stateroom attendants and MDR servers are different. Plainly apparent which CM earned the tip for a specific stateroom or a specific dining table.

 

[cruisehopeful]

The service team should be able to handle your special requests. I travel with one person who has major dietary restrictions and another that will only eat chicken strips and fries. They've been always been served exactly as they requested. You can tell the head server that you can only eat meat seasoned with salt and pepper and only want veggies (or rice or whatever you can eat).

You can avoid the MDRs by ordering room service. Room service probably won't be able to change their menu for you, but you may find something on there that you like. There is quick service by the pools, but that's pretty much pizza, hot dogs, etc.

One thing you shouldn't do is remove the tips. The reason for that is that the servers also work for breakfast and lunch, even if you don't see them. They work really long shifts. Two of my cruises, I didn't go to MDRs at all and I just paid the basic tips. When I go to MDRs, I add to the tips because people in my travel party need special stuff and I appreciate the extra work that causes.