Cabanas--Served or Buffet??

[Cruising Girl]

I have heard a couple of different ways that they are now doing cabanas. Can someone please tell me if it is still a buffet but the cast members dish out the food and hand it to you under a shield or if you are seated in an area and tell your server what dishes you would like and they bring it to you? I did see a picture of the crew serving the drinks by sitting them on a table for you to pick up but just wondered what to expect about the food? Thanks!!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

It is still buffet. You tell the CMs what you want as you go through the line, they dish everything from that section onto a plate and hand it to you.

But the selection is greatly reduced from prior cruises.

 

[bobbiwoz]

After you get your seat a server will bring silverware in a napkin and get your drinks.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

After you get your seat a server will bring silverware in a napkin and get your drinks.

In my experience, we had to go up and get our drinks. A CM was manning the drink area. You told them what you wanted, and they would fill it and set the cup on a table for you to pick up.

 

[cvjw]

Cabanas on the dream was divided into 4 identical sections. 2 on each side. When you enter after washing your hands, a CM tells you which section to go to - the least crowded one. You tell the CM’s serving food what you want, and they fill your plate and hand it to you. You then take it to a table, and another CM will hand you utensils. You then go to the drink station and a CM will fill your glass for you.

Super easy. Cabanas was never crowded on our 2 cruises on the dream, and we ate there twice each day.

 

[bobbiwoz]

In my experience, we had to go up and get our drinks. A CM was manning the drink area. You told them what you wanted, and they would fill it and set the cup on a table for you to pick up.

We just off the Dream and CMs seated us and asked what we wanted to drink.

 

[cvjw]

We just off the Dream and CMs seated us and asked what we wanted to drink.

We did 2 dream cruises last month and ate at cabanas twice a day for 7 days and no one ever got our drinks for us. We had to go to the drink stations and have the CM pour our drinks for us. Maybe it is on a case by case basis.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

We just off the Dream and CMs seated us and asked what we wanted to drink.

We just got off the Dream on Friday, were never seated in Cabanas or asked what we wanted to drink at the table.

 

[BlueRibbon]

Bigger question is: are the Mickey Waffles back?

 

[CindyandBrice]

do you still enter Cabanas from either side as coming from pol area and from center from elevator and steps? Wonder if you enter through middle area if they direct you to a side.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Bigger question is: are the Mickey Waffles back?

Not in Cabanas.

do you still enter Cabanas from either side as coming from pol area and from center from elevator and steps? Wonder if you enter through middle area if they direct you to a side.

Can't answer about if they direct you to a side if you enter from the aft elevators or stairs, but I can confirm you can enter from there and from both starboard and port sides of the pool deck.

 

[cvjw]

do you still enter Cabanas from either side as coming from pol area and from center from elevator and steps? Wonder if you enter through middle area if they direct you to a side.

Our cabin was on deck 10 aft, right under cabanas, so we always entered from the back stairs. You could pick either side you wanted. Once you picked a side, a CM would tell you which section to go to for food.

 

[orum]

I just want to drop in and report that on the 9/18 Fantasy, there were Mickey waffles in cabanas.

 

[TinkerMouse]

I was on the Fantasy last week and Cabanas was cafeteria style. It's technically not a buffet because a buffet is "a meal consisting of several dishes from which guests serve themselves" and you weren't allowed to serve yourself. They didn't really want us touching anything.

You walk in, wash your hands at the sink station (they preferred that over just sanitizing from one of the many sanitizer machines), walk up to the glass, point to what you want and the cast members fill your plate. If you want something from another food station the cast members pass your plate down the line. Once you've selected everything you want they pass the plate to you. Another cast member brought us silverware and cloth napkins when we sat down. You could go to the drink station and be handed the drink you wanted or sometimes cast members would come over after noticing you didn't have a drink and go get it for you. It worked the same way at the dining spots on Castaway Cay.

There was a nice amount of variety among the dishes and they changed the Mickey waffles regularly. On the first morning the Mickey waffles were churro and on another they were strawberry.

 

[orum]

I liked how they kept the plate on their side and moved it down the line along with you. The service in the buffet/cafeteria line was great, but it is hard to relate how much of an item you want. They seemed to always err on the side of more. So while I would prefer the buffet experience, I survived ok

The serenity bay experience was tougher as part of it was what I would call “butlered buffet”. After you got past the salads, they handed your plate to a cast member and they carried your plate and added the meat items you wanted and were on the same side of the counter as you. Again, this felt weird, but I survived it too.

 

[Meriweather]

How are allergies being handled in Cabanas.
Our group has 3 people with different allergies

 

[closetmickey]

Has the variety increased since the early reports of limited selections?

 

[tvguy]

This was what they did way back in 2003 on our cruise on the Magic, staff serving you from the buffet. Back then that was the protocol because of concerns about Norovirus.

 

[lanejudy]

How are allergies being handled in Cabanas.
Our group has 3 people with different allergies

DCL advises that allergies are best handled in the MDRs. That may depend on the allergy and concern about possible cross-contamination like "processed in a facility" warnings. You used to be able to ask for a manager to walk through the buffet with you and discuss options; I assume that is still available. But in the MDR you can pre-order meals the night prior, and those will be prepared in the allergy kitchen.

 

[angel's momma]

I just want to drop in and report that on the 9/18 Fantasy, there were Mickey waffles in cabanas.

There was a nice amount of variety among the dishes and they changed the Mickey waffles regularly. On the first morning the Mickey waffles were churro and on another they were strawberry.

Thank you both! That made DD very happy, and she's excited that she may be able to try the churro ones - she was envious of the Staycation vloggers that showed them.

Do you know if Cabanas had eggs benedict? I know the MDR does, but DD would prefer going to Cabanas.