Dining question

[one princess]

When you order from the menu in the main dining rooms, do you always order one thing from each catagory? Appi, salad, main course, and dessert? I ask this because on our 4day trip in Jan., our assigned dining partners didn't do this. They would just order the main course and sometimes a salad OR appitizer. They always seemed like they were waiting on us to finish our first and second courses before they got theirs. It made us feel like we need to rush. Just wondering what most people do. I hope we don't have this happen on our 7 day next year!

Jackie

 

[mmouse37]

Don't let others eating habits dictate what you want to do.....we often order one from each category or sometimes I will skip dessert because I ordered 2 appis....all depends on what I am in the mood for at the time!!!

It is your cruise and order whatever makes you feel happy!!!

 

[disnut8]

Personally, there's no way in the world that I would be able to eat all four courses. I'm the kind of person that is perfectly content with having an appetizer as her entire meal. However, I certainly don't expect my dining companions to have that same type of appetite. My thoughts for the cruise is that there will be four courses. If I choose to partake in the food for each course, that's fine. If not, I'll enjoy the conversation and just being anywhere but at work.

 

[mommasita]

By all means order what you want, when you want it...You can eat an entree at the end if you wish..You have paid it, and they should cater to you...Others do what pleases them, and what works for their family...It would be too hard to follow other families...

 

[cruiseletters]

On last years cruise I ordered something from every catagory, what I noticed was that I never finished any of the items . I would try them eat maybe a third of the portion and then set it aside and wait for the next course. It worked really well for me I got to try alot of different things and never felt overly full.[I then had room for those cookies and milk at bedtime] I can't wait for our west coast cruise in June! Robin

 

[txaggie94gigem]

on our cruise last november, the very first night i mentioned to my servers that i wanted to try one of the soups and one of the salads...instead of bring the whole portions, they brought me a cup of soup and a very sm salad...this worked great! i was able to try lots of new things without having the "clean plate" syndrome or feeling wasteful. I noticed every night after that they would bring me smaller portions of appetizers without me even asking...this worked out great!

 

[suesings]

So does this mean that they don't bring the food until other people at the table (not in your party) are finished with theirs? So if I just want a salad and main course won't they bring that even if the other people want soup, appetizer, salad, and then main course??

We have two very young children and it could be a nightmare if we have to wait for others who want a 2 hour dinner?? We normally have all 4 of us get our food at the same time (not the kids first or they will be finished and then our 20 month old will be ready to go before we are done

I hadn't even thought of this before? Do we really all have to finish each course together??

 

[scrapperjill]

So does this mean that they don't bring the food until other people at the table (not in your party) are finished with theirs? So if I just want a salad and main course won't they bring that even if the other people want soup, appetizer, salad, and then main course??

We have two very young children and it could be a nightmare if we have to wait for others who want a 2 hour dinner?? We normally have all 4 of us get our food at the same time (not the kids first or they will be finished and then our 20 month old will be ready to go before we are done

I hadn't even thought of this before? Do we really all have to finish each course together??

I don't think it's that they are actually waiting for the others to "finish" their food...I think it's just they go through a rotation...with the soups and appitizer first...they couldn't possably go ramdom..and expect everyone to be happy....so just like at a restraunt those who order appitizers first will get those before the meals are brought out. When your feeding that many people all at one time...it has to be timed to some degree. If you think about it....the chefs are back there in a panic trying to get everything together...they couldn't possable worry about getting a main course fixed up when the soups and salads are being prepaired along with all the appitizers.

In all reality it didn't take to long to move from one course to the next...and lot with the lengh of time spent at dinner I think depends on when your served...For some reason...our table was always served near to last...so in turn we were always one of the last tables to leave. Had we been one of the first tables served...we would have been out alot sooner. You'll notice when you order along with everyone else in the dinning room that most if not all the orders are sent in all at one time....then shortly after they will just start bring out trays and trays of plates to the set up area...that are then "served" to the correct table.

I also want to say that they sometimes would bring the kids plates out sooner...you could always ask....or order an appitizer for the children to munch on in the mean time....they don't have to stick with the kids meals.

 

[txaggie94gigem]

i was very surprised with how long the meals took...most dinners were 1.5-2 hours but the time flew by and our kids were rarely bored...they do have kid menus that they can color on and the kids get appetizers too....i honestly don't know how real young kids would do but my kids were 5, 7, 11 and did fine...

 

[crisi]

The kids meals they can bring out quickly.

The kitchen is set up to bring out all the salads and appitizers, all the main courses and finally all the desserts. They aren't set up to bring out a dessert until dinner has been going on for an hour. I'm sure they'd try and get your steak cooked up if you came in and ordered it, but that isn't how they manage to feed all those people quickly.