Cabanas - anyone else find it chaotic?

[vegs1]

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?

 

[BadPinkTink]

Im booked on my first cruise for September 2020 and from all the research I have been doing, reading trip reports and watching YouTube videos, I have decided to not go to Cabanas for breakfast or lunch, if I can. My plan is to go to MDR for lunch on embarkation day and have breakfast in MDR on most days.

 

[shelbell77]

We love Cabanas. Particularly at breakfast - I'd much prefer a custom made omelet and hot crispy hashbrown to the MDR breakfasts which we always find lacking.

Ignore the sneering people - there is no single queue. Get what you want.

 

[bakerworld]

People are just use to lining up so they don't ask and they don't 'know' which means they're assuming your line jumping. I smile, 'excuse me' politely and get what I like. Eventually, by the 2nd day usually everyone 'got it'. Our issue with Cabana's is the seating. The nicer difference between the Dream compared to the Magic and Wonder is the QS areas are easy to 'see' and access - IMO.

 

[caitcance]

Yes I definitely find Cabanas chaotic, both the seating and the process for getting food.

 

[Dug720]

There IS a difference between hopping to the end of the line at a particular station and hopping in in the middle of a station. That could be the issue.

Some people will interpret "no line" as meaning NO line while in reality it means no "start at one end and go all the way down". Not "jump in in the middle of this section".

Not saying that is what the OP (or others have done), but I have seen it happen before. The sections do have individual lines. It's just not one big line.

 

[vegs1]

There IS a difference between hopping to the end of the line at a particular station and hopping in in the middle of a station. That could be the issue.

Some people will interpret "no line" as meaning NO line while in reality it means no "start at one end and go all the way down". Not "jump in in the middle of this section".

Not saying that is what the OP (or others have done), but I have seen it happen before. The sections do have individual lines. It's just not one big line.

This was my point actually. The Cast Members said there should be no lines!

We always went to the end of that sections line and then people said there was no line so to just walk along and grab what you wanted. You have to have some form of order but it seemed it didn’t matter what day of the cruise it was, it happened all the time. We just went to the end of the section and let people in when they needed but it is not a fun way to get food!

 

[lklgoodman]

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.

 

[Dug720]

Not sure why it didn't quote. See below.

 

[Dug720]

This was my point actually. The Cast Members said there should be no lines!

We always went to the end of that sections line and then people said there was no line so to just walk along and grab what you wanted. You have to have some form of order but it seemed it didn’t matter what day of the cruise it was, it happened all the time. We just went to the end of the section and let people in when they needed but it is not a fun way to get food!

"No lines" means one long line. There should still be lines at the individual stations - you're not supposed to jump in between people just to grab steak fries.

Of course, not going at peak times helps too.

 

[FigmentSpark]

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?

 

[Mom24Princesses]

I think it is a little like when I was recently explaining Yield Signs to my daughter. If your merging into traffic causes another driver to put on the breaks there’s an issue. If there is a gap and you want to hop in for an item without stopping someone else’s progress it’s okay. Or at the very least say “Excuse Me”

 

[Mom24Princesses]

I think it is a little like when I was recently explaining Yield Signs to my daughter. If your merging into traffic causes another driver to put on the breaks there’s an issue. If there is a gap and you want to hop in for an item without stopping someone else’s progress it’s okay. Or at the very least say “Excuse Me”

 

[Keone2002]

I found it hectic at peak dining times, but not chaotic --- and it seems to get better as the cruise goes on, and people understand the process and food selections. Finding tables together for large groups will most always be an issue. Standing in a hectic line at Cabanas....I will take that any-day!

 

[b2k1121]

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?

Yes, this. Whenever I assume is the line, inevitably someone at the front is going very slowly or taking something from every dish, and then another line is forming on the other side heading towards the line I'm in, meanwhile other people are just going in between both lines, now the people in both lines are waiting for these people. And all I wanted was 1 slice of pizza and that station has been wide open.

A free for all system probably works best here because you aren't going to get people to follow rules. Half the people waiting in lines and half going free for all makes it more confusing.

 

[Quellman]

There IS a difference between hopping to the end of the line at a particular station and hopping in in the middle of a station. That could be the issue.

Some people will interpret "no line" as meaning NO line while in reality it means no "start at one end and go all the way down". Not "jump in in the middle of this section".

Not saying that is what the OP (or others have done), but I have seen it happen before. The sections do have individual lines. It's just not one big line.

This sounds about right. Most stations lines start towards the forward part of the ship and you work your way aft. Obviously if someone is taking long you can feel free to skip around. If someone is going from one station to the consecutive station, I let them in because they already have food, and I would hate for them to have cold or room temperature food as a result.

Come to think of it, a lot of etiquette for a buffet.....

 

[coast2coastmickey]

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.

 

[Pinkgurlshubby]

I liked both Topsiders and Cabanas but found Cabanas had it's disadvantage that if you have a picky eater like my youngest then he get get at the end of the line and still not have anything on his tray. Next cruise is without kids and so should remove that element of stress. The way I see it if my back up is always pizza in front of funnel vision movies every night.

 

[MomOTwins]

Chuckling as I remember one woman in front of me picking up each chicken nugget with her tongs individually, showing it to her toddler grandson and asking if this one is good, then putting it back and repeating until the little guy found which ones he wanted.

If there is one thing you want and nobody is getting it at the moment, I fail to see the harm in walking straight up to it, popping it on your plate, and leaving. On the other hand, if you want to browse and sample from various things in the station, I agree that going to the start where there usually is a line makes sense as a courtesy. The policy, which is stressed repeatedly by the staff, is that anyone may walk up to any available food item without waiting in line.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I disagree that when the CMs say there is no line, it means you can't jump in the middle of a station. In my view, of course you can, within reason of course. If someone was at the station on the right, I would absolutely "jump in" to grab something on the left. If however I saw that person was starting to move to his left, I wouldn't cut in front but would just stand behind him and wait.

I think the best way to approach Cabanas is to avoid the first couple of stations when you get in as there is so much crowding there. On the Magic, those stations did seem to be the most kid friendly at breakfast and lunch - nuggets, mac and cheese, fries etc. The better stuff was further along.