Cabanas - anyone else find it chaotic?

[monkeydawn]

Then again, if people are busy at one food helping their kids or just deciding, why do I have to wait behind them, when I really just want the thing that's on the other side of them?

Im of this mindset, if there is a gap in front of something I want I will jump in, quickly grab what I want and jump back out.

We had great experiences with Cabanas on our last cruise. That said, we dine usually earlier than normal for breakfast and earlier than normal for lunch. At those times we always were able to find a table and didn't have to worry about chaos. On pirate night, my wife sent me up to the pirate buffet to make up a plate to eat in the room...and that was chaotic.

Pirate night we did just ride the line the whole way through. As first timers we wanted to see the decorations and not miss something.

For tables... I wouldn't claim a table using your belongings, if you do this you really annoy other guests and make others wait longer. If you claim, have at least one person at the table and keep moving at the buffet, don't take hours getting your food.

We were a party of six that needed a highchair. If we didnt claim a table well before eating out food would have been colder than the barely warm temperature the food is kept at. LOL It would take CMs up to 15 minutes to find an available high chair at Cabanas. Or sometimes only a minute. So we'd stake our claim and start getting drinks, cold foods while waiting for the high chair.

For myself, and my young children, we were easily able to walk the length of the buffet (out of the way of the line) and see what was offered. For my in-laws, MIL in wheelchair, it was difficult for them to know their options. They usually just went to the first station they say and got something acceptable. (My DH was often helping MIL so he got a limited choice as well). I would feel bad that I would get to the table and have them disappointed in all the good things I got.

Um, next time maybe offer to go get some for them. You dont feel bad, they dont miss out on yumminess. Win, win!

 

[smiths02]

Um, next time maybe offer to go get some for them. You dont feel bad, they dont miss out on yumminess. Win, win!

They are the kind of people who would still want to eat what they got on their plate. I did usually help with dessert, but if they got themselves chicken finger and saw my steak...they wouldn't accept the offer to get them steak LOL
(And, to be fair, I was helping 2 young children while DH was helping them, so it wasn't like I was not getting anyone else's food)

So maybe a menu or something at the front would have helped them know where to go?

 

[Dug720]

They are the kind of people who would still want to eat what they got on their plate. I did usually help with dessert, but if they got themselves chicken finger and saw my steak...they wouldn't accept the offer to get them steak LOL
(And, to be fair, I was helping 2 young children while DH was helping them, so it wasn't like I was not getting anyone else's food)

So maybe a menu or something at the front would have helped them know where to go?

Or they could ask any of the CMs - there are usually some at the entrance that help with allergies and such. I'm sure they would be more than happy to let them know where the "steak" was.

 

[monkeydawn]

So maybe a menu or something at the front would have helped them know where to go?

That's a brilliant idea. Or maybe in the app Nav? It might even cut down on waste since people will know to wait for the good stuff.

 

[monkeydawn]

Or they could ask any of the CMs - there are usually some at the entrance that help with allergies and such. I'm sure they would be more than happy to let them know where the "steak" was.

You'd have to know to ask about the steak though if its not something offered every day.

 

[Dug720]

You'd have to know to ask about the steak though if its not something offered every day.

They could ask if it is being served.

(I've actually never seen it. And I always do lunch in Cabanas.)

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

That is an absolute zoo and you have to dodge the hordes literally fighting for food

Amen Brother!

 

[lilsonicfan]

I would never jump in front of someone else at a station - that is just rude. At the smaller stations, you get behind the people who are at that station.

I can appreciate your POV that you wouldn't do it. But given that the CMs encourage people to jump in wherever ("there are no lines! Just go where you want!", I assume that you wouldn't judge anyone for doing exactly what is intended, as we wouldn't judge you for standing in line.

 

[Dug720]

I can appreciate your POV that you wouldn't do it. But given that the CMs encourage people to jump in wherever ("there are no lines! Just go where you want!", I assume that you wouldn't judge anyone for doing exactly what is intended, as we wouldn't judge you for standing in line.

If I were clearly moving forward and someone jumped in, yes, I would be upset. Because that IS cutting in front.

I have specifically asked CMs before if they mean no lines in general or just starting from the door, and more than one of them has said "Just starting from the door." That plus plates at the beginning of specific sections indicates that while there is no one long line, there ARE in fact lines.

Plus I was in Cabanas once when the Captain was eating and HE got in a line at the end of the section he was getting something from even though it was at the other end. That speaks volumes.

 

[monkeydawn]

You'd have to know to ask about the steak though if its not something offered every day.

They could ask if it is being served.

(I've actually never seen it. And I always do lunch in Cabanas.)

I meant this in a "you cant know, what you dont know" kind of way. Like how before this discussion you wouldnt have even known to ask for steak because youve never seen it as a possibility. If passengers asked the CMs about all their particular wants upon entering, well, I could see that getting old pretty fast whereas if it were listed in the app version of the Nav (like the MDR menus are already listed) then it would let people know what to BOLO. Some of us take our food pretty seriously and will plan it out!

 

[lilsonicfan]

If I were clearly moving forward and someone jumped in, yes, I would be upset. Because that IS cutting in front.

I have specifically asked CMs before if they mean no lines in general or just starting from the door, and more than one of them has said "Just starting from the door." That plus plates at the beginning of specific sections indicates that while there is no one long line, there ARE in fact lines.

Plus I was in Cabanas once when the Captain was eating and HE got in a line at the end of the section he was getting something from even though it was at the other end. That speaks volumes.

Admittedly I've never been special enough to see the captain at Cabanas! Very fortunate.

I think most would agree that blatant cutting in front is rude: for example, you can see the person moving to their left but you still jump in to their left to grab the tongs they were reaching for. But if that person is standing still on the right side of the station, and you want something on the left side, it seems silly to stand behind that person - even sillier when it turns out they didn't even want something from the left.

In any event, at Cabanas, I'm on vacation. If someone cuts in front of me, I honestly try not to let it bother me. Everyone is different, and unless a CM is going to enforce exactly what "no lines" means, I think it's better to just let people be.

 

[vegs1]

I would never jump in front of someone else at a station - that is just rude. At the smaller stations, you get behind the people who are at that station.

Hi Dug720, that was exactly what all Cast Members said to do. I also thought you had to line up but only at each station and they said absolutely not. This is partly where the chaos comes from. Some do it and some don’t.

 

[b2k1121]

Admittedly I've never been special enough to see the captain at Cabanas! Very fortunate.

I think most would agree that blatant cutting in front is rude: for example, you can see the person moving to their left but you still jump in to their left to grab the tongs they were reaching for. But if that person is standing still on the right side of the station, and you want something on the left side, it seems silly to stand behind that person - even sillier when it turns out they didn't even want something from the left.

In any event, at Cabanas, I'm on vacation. If someone cuts in front of me, I honestly try not to let it bother me. Everyone is different, and unless a CM is going to enforce exactly what "no lines" means, I think it's better to just let people be.

Yep, usually I'll know where the food I want is and if I get in line instead of just grabbing it and leaving, now I'm adding to the congestion of people standing in front of the buffet when I could have been in and out of there in seconds. And you're right, often times the people at the 'front' will leave the station, now I feel like an idiot for just standing behind them the whole time knowing all I wanted was at the 'end' of the station.

 

[starvenger]

The Cabanas Chaos is what led me to try and avoid the main buffet. Mind you, I've only been on Oasis class ships since DCL so you've got at least 2-3 other options at breakfast and lunch. Since I'm on a smaller ship in January that's probably the true test.

Jumping the queue... I don't mind it, so long as the jumper is acknowledging it, getting maybe one or two items, and getting out. If you're jumping and going end-to-end... not cool.

 

[Numtini]

Maybe I'm just really tolerant, but I've never had any issues at Cabanas and I'm quite fond of it. Our strategy is to get food for our daughter first, then she holds the table while we get food. I follow the notion that there's no line, but that there's a standard practice of lining up for each station. I have jumped if someone is "becoming one" with a particular food item and isn't showing any signs of moving on.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

The Cast Members keep telling everyone that there is no line so to just get what you want when you see it. However, if you do that, someone is inevitably sneering at you telling you to get in line. We actually asked a few different CM’s and they all said the set up is to walk along and just say excuse me when you see food you want. I find the whole set up chaotic.

I'm sorry you had that unpleasant experience. We've sailed 5 times on DCL & on every ship in the past four years, and have never had someone snarl at us at Cabanas because we were "out of line". There is no line, of course, and this wasn't an issue. Cabanas is usually busy, but we haven't found it to be chaotic.

 

[vegs1]

I'm sorry you had that unpleasant experience. We've sailed 5 times on DCL & on every ship in the past four years, and have never had someone snarl at us at Cabanas because we were "out of line". There is no line, of course, and this wasn't an issue. Cabanas is usually busy, but we haven't found it to be chaotic.

This was our 9th DCL cruise and it just seemed much worse these last two times. This would never keep us from cruising with them. Just something that was on my mind after this last trip.

It’s certainly not how busy it is, just the issue with the line or no line. We always find a table and it never takes much time to do so. I guess I just wanted to see how others perceived it.

Thanks for everyone’s point of view.

 

[daisyx3]

We have always eaten lunch and breakfast at Cabanas, especially getting in there before we debark at CC. As previously stated, the most busy is on embarkation day, and I know that I want to go for the roast beef and the peel and eat shrimp. If we get to breakfast at 8 or before we are sometimes the first ones to sit outside (which we do 90% of the time) so that is also less stressful...our usual procedure is one of us sits at the table while the other gets food and then we switch.
My only problem with Cabanas is I don't think I ever see everything that is available! I'm hoping since our next cruise is a 7 day I can finally do that!

 

[disneylove69]

We just got off of a four day cruise on the Dream and have done the Dream a few years back also. One thing we found to be chaotic was the lineup/no lineup issue in Cabanas at breakfast and lunch.

The Cast Members keep telling everyone that there is no line so to just get what you want when you see it. However, if you do that, someone is inevitably sneering at you telling you to get in line. We actually asked a few different CM’s and they all said the set up is to walk along and just say excuse me when you see food you want. I find the whole set up chaotic.

I loved the old Topsiders restaurant and the way it was set up. Does anyone else find this with Cabanas?

Cabanas is set up in pods so there really isn't a line. People are just used to waiting in lines. That's why I dont like the big ships. Too many people.

 

[shelbell77]

We almost never have problems getting a table, have done 5 cruises so far on all ships except for the Dream. We eat almost all breakfasts and lunches at Cabanas. We are a family of only 3, so makes it easier to find a table. If you are a group of 5 or more, I think it's really hard to find seats for that many together. We did an extended family cruise and always had to split up. We've found if you go to the section of tables across from where they have the hard ice cream(at least on the Fantasy), there's always empty tables there. Seems like people always try to get tables by the drink stations, get further away from them and there's tables available. And we don't go really early or late for meals.

We usually travel with 8-10 and always manage to find a table pretty easily. Even when it’s crowded. It usually is all the way in the back. But we like it because thats where the omelets and carving stations are!