Would we be crazy to skip dinner in the main dining rooms?

[SeeJackRunn]

My boyfriend and I are going on a short three day cruise in May. We were wondering if it would be ridiculous to skip dinner in the main dining rooms, except for one night at Palo, and just do room service and maybe eat at the buffet? We really aren't too fond of sitting with strangers and would prefer to spend time alone together. I'm assuming we can still tip the servers even if we don't go correct?

Thanks!

 

[stingmom]

yes, you can still tip your servers. Take your tip envelope on the last night to your assigned rotation table.

You won't be the only cruisers who skip the "dining" rooms. We have done this many times, especially on the shorter cruises. We dial up room service or stop at many of the different "quick takes." Have fun!!

 

[SweetSpot]

If it were RCI or another cruise line which had good alternatives to the main dining room for dinner I would say probably not. If you don't eat dinner in the main dining room your alternatives on DCL are Plutos for burgers, hot dogs, etc or pizza from deck 9. Room service is available but the menu is fairly limited. The buffet actually isn't a buffet and is more formal than you would expect. You are seated with a server same as in the dining room and given a very limited menu to order from. There is a salad bar to make a small salad but all other food is served to you.

Since you are on a short cruise you can certainly get by with alternatives, especially if one night is Palo. Any longer of a cruise it would get old I think.

 

[KSandbergFL]

My wife and I skip the main restaurants, except for Triton's night. If you have a balcony room, it's SOOOOO nice (not to mention romantic) just to get some sandwiches or a pizza, and a bottle of wine... and enjoy a quiet dinner on the quiet balcony (the grilled salmon panini is really yummy!)... even better if the balcony is facing the sunset. If you wanted the main restaurant food, you can always have your dinner delivered to your room (we did that once).

We still tip, using the prepaid tips option.

 

[kbmo4444]

My wife and I skip the main restaurants, except for Triton's night. If you have a balcony room, it's SOOOOO nice (not to mention romantic) just to get some sandwiches or a pizza, and a bottle of wine... and enjoy a quiet dinner on the quiet balcony (the grilled salmon panini is really yummy!)... even better if the balcony is facing the sunset. If you wanted the main restaurant food, you can always have your dinner delivered to your room (we did that once).

We still tip, using the prepaid tips option.

Just and FYI only those booked in Category 1 through 3 suites can have their supper from the assigned dining room delivered to their stateroom.

 

[engle]

Just off the Wonder 4 night for the first time. If we knew then what we knew now, we would skip the dining rooms except for Triton's and eat at Palo and at the buffets, etc. We were not impressed with the food and felt like it just took too long to eat at the restaurants with not too great of food as the outcome. If I were you on a 3 night, do Palo and then whatever strikes your fancy!!

 

[KSandbergFL]

Just an FYI only those booked in Category 1 through 3 suites can have their supper from the assigned dining room delivered to their stateroom.

I don't know what the official rules are, but we were in a Cat 9 and had a dinner from Animators Palate delivered to our room. The difference might be -- we were in AP first, to make our dinner order... then we decided to leave before the dinner was served to the table. Our servers had it delivered to our room, without us even asking.

 

[Bobo912]

My boyfriend and I are going on a short three day cruise in May. We were wondering if it would be ridiculous to skip dinner in the main dining rooms, except for one night at Palo, and just do room service and maybe eat at the buffet? We really aren't too fond of sitting with strangers and would prefer to spend time alone together. I'm assuming we can still tip the servers even if we don't go correct?

Thanks!

I missed Triton's because I was seasick that night, but I wasn't that impressed with the other restaurants. The food was just okay and the dining rooms are crowded and noisy. Contrary to what everyone else reports, our service was not good. I don't know what was going on, but our servers weren't attentive and seemed rushed. I enjoyed the company of our table mates, but I was traveling alone with a child, so it was nice to other adults to talk to. In your situation, I wouldn't hesitate to skip the main dining room.

 

[TheWog]

No, you wouldn't be crazy. If that is what you would like to do go ahead. It will be fine.

 

[kcashner]

If your reason for skipping the dining rooms is that you wish to be seated as just your family (whether that's 2 of you or 22), call DCL now and tell them that you wish to be seated alone. It will be noted on your reservation. Then you can go to dining changes on the first day and make sure you got it...if not, they will try to move you.

We've been seated as a pair many times...and also with some delightful groups.

 

[PrincessDadx2]

If you decide to skip then make sure you let your head waiter or someone know. We had a family on our last cruise that never showed up at our table and it took 4 nights of calls and messages before they finally confirmed that they were not going to use the dining rooms. Always nice to be courteous and avoid the hassle

 

[dizney-cruiser]

If you choose to eat at Topsiders/Beach Blanket for dinner - I believe you order off a menu but would be seated by yourselves

 

[OurDogCisco]

Personally, I would think it would be a waste of a cruise. To me cruising is about the dining rooms and the themes in there. Do you really want to missing animator's, etc? It sounds like you want to be alone why not just rent a beach house somewhere. A Disney cruise can be very crowded and while you won't be eating with people all the time there will be lots of people around. Cruises to me are about meeting new people and making new friends. We always meet someone new on our cruises. JMHO.

 

[branv]

After our first cruise, DH and I (no kids) decided to skip main dining on our next cruise. Glad we did! We didn't feel we were missing out on the food (found it cafeteria'ish), and we saved hours worth of time that would have been spent getting ready, then at dinner making small talk. It was a great cruise. And yes, we did prepay tips so that our servers would still be compensated.

However...

One issue I had was the reaction I had from the staff. When we boarded, we went to Wavebands to make our dining changes. I had early dining, so I wanted to a) let them know we wouldn't be there so they could give someone else our table...since early dining is in such high demand, and to b) make sure our serving staff would be told we wouldn't be there, not to wait for us, and that they would still be tipped. I sat down all smiley and chatty, assuming I was doing the right thing. But the reaction I received instead was irritation. On one hand, they definitely were doing the right thing to ask if there was a particular reason we didn't want to eat in the dining rooms, but rather than coming from a concerned place, they approached it in a rather annoyed, argumentative manner. Though how they managed to do that when I was very careful to NEVER say anything bad about the dining rooms, I don't know. I put it all on us: we enjoyed our past cruise, but this time we'd rather spend the time enjoying the ship than the hours at dinner, that we were shy with new people, that we didn't want to dress up this time, that the food we'd had before was good but we wanted to explore the other options and eat less, blah blah blah. I kept smiling at them, trying to make nice, they kept frowning at me with even an eye roll thrown in. Just odd experience all together, and totally unlike any I've had with the rest of the staff. I left feeling frustrated, which is a stinky way to start your cruise.

Would I go through that again? Yes, because the dining staff and our assigned table mates shouldn't have to be punished waiting for no-shows because I had a bad experience. But I'd be way firmer next time and stop trying to make friends.

 

[jilljill]

If you choose to eat at Topsiders/Beach Blanket for dinner - I believe you order off a menu but would be seated by yourselves

FYI to all: Topsiders and BBBuffet are closed the first and last night of all cruises.

 

[jilljill]

My boyfriend and I are going on a short three day cruise in May. We were wondering if it would be ridiculous to skip dinner in the main dining rooms, except for one night at Palo, and just do room service and maybe eat at the buffet? We really aren't too fond of sitting with strangers and would prefer to spend time alone together. I'm assuming we can still tip the servers even if we don't go correct?

Thanks!

This is very doable on a 3 night cruise. YOu can eat at Palo the first or last night, eat at BBBuffet the 2nd night (the only night it will be open) and the night you don't eat at Palo do room service or quick serve locations.
Please do let your head server know you won't be using the seats in the dining room so the servers aren't waiting for you to sit down to start taking orders for the entire table.

 

[LMCmom25kids]

If your reason for skipping the dining rooms is that you wish to be seated as just your family (whether that's 2 of you or 22), call DCL now and tell them that you wish to be seated alone. It will be noted on your reservation. Then you can go to dining changes on the first day and make sure you got it...if not, they will try to move you.

We've been seated as a pair many times...and also with some delightful groups.

We are a family of 7 (myself, dh, 5 children ages 16, 14, 11, 10, 6) we would also prefer to be seated alone. From the pics that I have seen, it appears that some of the tables are large round ones that might seat about 10, while others are very long banguet style tables lined up in rows. We rather not take the chance of having to sit at a table for 10, and feel obligated to chat and entertain another party of 2 or 3 people. Also, not thrilled with the idea of sitting at a long table with others seated right smack next to us. Don't mean to sound rude. Just really looking forward to dining with my family alone while enjoying our first Disney cruise. My husband is not much of a talker and when he and I were on our first cruise together, we were seated at a table with others that we had absolutely NOTHING in common with. We are both 42 with 5 kids and we were seated with a very young couple with a baby, another couple about 55 yrs old with grown kids, a senior citizen couple with grand children etc.... See what I mean? It's like we were all the left over people that they ddid't know what to do with, so they seated us all together! I read that cruise lines will try to seat you with others that might be more like you. I got stuck feeling awkward during long periods of silence.... I hated that! I felt as if I was the only social person there. Does anyone know "for sure" if they will accomodate our request? We would not be against sitting with others if we felt like we had more in common with them. With 5 children, I would not want to be sitting with say a couple that had no children or only one. We have actually got unsolicited rude comments from complete strangers before about "Why on earth would you want sooo many kids?" Uuuggh ! Now, that's rude.

 

[jilljill]

We are a family of 7 (myself, dh, 5 children ages 16, 14, 11, 10, 6) we would also prefer to be seated alone. From the pics that I have seen, it appears that some of the tables are large round ones that might seat about 10, while others are very long banguet style tables lined up in rows. We rather not take the chance of having to sit at a table for 10, and feel obligated to chat and entertain another party of 2 or 3 people. Also, not thrilled with the idea of sitting at a long table with others seated right smack next to us. Don't mean to sound rude. Just really looking forward to dining with my family alone while enjoying our first Disney cruise. My husband is not much of a talker and when he and I were on our first cruise together, we were seated at a table with others that we had absolutely NOTHING in common with. We are both 42 with 5 kids and we were seated with a very young couple with a baby, another couple about 55 yrs old with grown kids, a senior citizen couple with grand children etc.... See what I mean? It's like we were all the left over people that they ddid't know what to do with, so they seated us all together! I read that cruise lines will try to seat you with others that might be more like you. I got stuck feeling awkward during long periods of silence.... I hated that! I felt as if I was the only social person there. Does anyone know "for sure" if they will accomodate our request? We would not be against sitting with others if we felt like we had more in common with them. With 5 children, I would not want to be sitting with say a couple that had no children or only one. We have actually got unsolicited rude comments from complete strangers before about "Why on earth would you want sooo many kids?" Uuuggh ! Now, that's rude.

With DCL a request is just that a request. There's no guarantee you will be granted your request, but with 7 people there's a good chance they will seat just your family at an 8 person table.

 

[LMCmom25kids]

With DCL a request is just that a request. There's no guarantee you will be granted your request, but with 7 people there's a good chance they will seat just your family at an 8 person table.

Thanks JillJill. I realize ther is no guarantee. Thanks for the info. Have a magical day! Not sure where you are exactly, but here in Michigan, we just got 25" over the New Years weekend and are getting dumped on again today! Sooo looking forward to a warm, sunny, Disney Cruise! Thanks again!

 

[epcotrulz]

We've been on four cruises, three with two of us, one with four -- only once were we seated with another couple (two of us and another couple).

Our upcoming Baltic cruise there is going to be five of us, what are the chances that we'll be alone at a table for six? I wouldn't mind being at a table for ten with another group of five or whatever, just curious.

BTW, the one time we did sit with another couple, they showed up in t-shirts and shorts to every meal, where we always put on at least a collared shirt, and they couldn't have been more "white bread/vanilla" type. It got old trying to have a conversation with people who frankly were just not that interesting and didn't know how to have a conversation . . . I started to feel like a talk show host asking them questions, they would answer you and than stop talking . . . we begged to be moved but the ship was full . . . fortunately we got some extra Palo ressies

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sound mean, I know not everyone is as talkative and outgoing as me and my partner are, but it can get akward if one group likes to talk and the other group seems to prefer to sit in silence . . .