Your opinion about buffet crowds

[lulucornbread]

So last year on our 4-night Bahama cruise, we went to
the buffet at the height of the lunch rush on embarkation day. BIG MISTAKE. It was chaos.. no tables were available & people were dragging around endless carry on luggage. It was a total turn off & my husband refused to go back.

I really wanted a Mickey waffle for breakfast one day.

So what are typical breakfast & lunch buffet crowds?

 

[ellemenohpee]

To be honest, we only went to the buffet once - lunch on our Nassau day, when we didn't leave the ship. It was around 1:00 and perfectly uncrowded. Plenty of tables, and no real lines of which to speak.

 

[DisneyB]

I think on Embarkation day the buffets are busier as the entire ship is boarding within a few hours and not everything is open. We dined at Cabanas every day for either breakfast or lunch on our spring break sailing on the Fantasy. We only waited in lines twice (lunch the first day and the Pirate Buffet) and never had an issue getting a table. Breakfast was very quick and we always got a table by the windows. Plenty of Mickey Waffles and no stress. Lunch was no issue at all either.

 

[elphie101]

We didn't get up to the lunch buffet on embarkation day till around 2pm, and I don't remember any crowds. We had every breakfast and lunch there during our cruise (7-night Eastern) and I only noticed it more crowded on port days, but it was still manageable, I don't think we waited more than a minute for any station. Granted we were also cruising in October, but still, we had no issues with Cabanas.

 

[dcassetta]

In my experience, the best time to go to the buffet on embarkation day is right when it opens or after 2 o'clock. Otherwise, I agree that it can feel very crowded. After 1:30 people are able to drop off their carry-on bags, so even if there are still quite a few people in the buffet, it seems less crowded.

 

[lulucornbread]

ahhh thank
you this sounds promising. Can't wait to get that waffle ;-)

 

[Sir William]

I avoid going to Cabanas if at all possible, preferring one of the MDRs open for breakfast or lunch. I think the food quality in Cabanas is lacking compared to the MDRs, and I also find it too crowded and too noisy. Though I have popped in around 7 for a donut or pastry to tide over until breakfast after DW wakes up an hour so later.

DW, on the other hand, likes Cabanas as she has more selections to choose from than the menus at the MDRs, and she doesn't have to wait for the food to be ordered and delivered. But she also complains that some people will handle the food, then put it back on the buffet line, sample food using the serving utensil, and the noise.

 

[MunFam]

We chose a 1PM PAT, so we did not go to lunch, we went straight to our stateroom, then to get tickets for various events, then to book dinners and what not and then to the muster drill and sail away party, so we missed the dining chaos.

We ate in the buffet almost every morning for breakfast without a wait and almost always had a table where we wanted one.

For lunch, we ate there 80% of the 14 days and we got a table in a location we liked most of the time. Port days were crazy because the MDRs close earlier and people come back hungry (like we did) and all rush the buffet at the last minute, so finding a seat was a little more challenging, but we always found somewhere to sit...and the food was always fresh.

 

[wcw57]

we went to buffet before it was stations...on embarkation day (and this is a Presidents' week FULL ship) there were crowds but nothing off-putting. We found a nice outside table and enjoyed looking at the ship and watching the people....I dunno, seemed fine to me

and while I'm in the emojis: what the heck is the puppy dog for or supposed to represent???

 

[MUN]

So last year on our 4-night Bahama cruise, we went to
the buffet at the height of the lunch rush on embarkation day. BIG MISTAKE. It was chaos.. no tables were available & people were dragging around endless carry on luggage. It was a total turn off & my husband refused to go back.

I really wanted a Mickey waffle for breakfast one day.

So what are typical breakfast & lunch buffet crowds?

I don't find the crowds to be too big. We love Cabanas even on embarkation day and have never had trouble finding a table.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

We have only done one Disney cruise so far (go on our second in two months!), but when we went for the breakfast buffet, it wasn't crowded at all in my opinion. I can't speak to lunch because we never did lunch there.

 

[phinz]

The first day is the worst because a lot of people are first-time Dream-class cruisers and don't understand the concept of station buffets. That said, go after the rooms open and you'll have no issues at all.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

sample food using the serving utensil

Are you freaking serious? I think I just vomited a little.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Happens all the time--which is why we avoid buffets whenever we can---

 

[DLgal]

So you didn't get your mickey waffle that you really wanted even once over 4 days because your HUSBAND didn't want to go back? Seriously? Why didn't you just go alone?

We have never found Cabanas SO overwhelmingly crowded that it turned us off to eating there. The food is great and it's a buffet. There will be people milling around. There have always been open tables for us, at all different times.

 

[TinkRose]

We usually go to the MDR (Enchanted Garden) for boarding lunch and Cabanas for breakfast or lunch most other days. The first day is too crazy for us, the rest of the time is manageable.

Speaking of Mickey waffles - Why are they sooo much better at Disney's Vero Beach Resort?

 

[LSUfan4444]

we went to
the buffet at the height of the lunch rush on embarkation day

my husband refused to go back.

You should never base judgments (nor be judged on) extreme circumstances. You went during the busiest time on the busiest day. Just like anything else, if you want to go when there are less people, go during less popular times. Eat breakfast before 8 am, lunch before 11:30, dinner before 7 pm. I don't have a problem with skipping buffets for food quality or overall hecticness, but I wouldn't avoid them because the one day you visited was too busy. Almost everything is overcrowded day 1.

 

[Quellman]

I think on Embarkation day the buffets are busier as the entire ship is boarding within a few hours and not everything is open. .

Most cruisers hear buffet and can find it on the pool deck since that's where kids want to go. Seasoned cruisers head to a MDR for a leisurely air conditioned meal with lots of space without the craziness of embarkation.

 

[saraheli]

Our first cruise, we went to cabanas and it was exactly as you described. totally crowded, no tables available, plus we were lugging our carry-ons around with us... I felt so unsettled. It really was the low point of the trip, not a good way to start a vacation! Next trip, we are leaving our carry ons with concierge hosts (since we decided to upgrade this trip) and either going to cabanas super early or heading down to EG or even better just filling up with the snacks offered in the concierge lounge.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Seasoned cruisers head to a MDR for a leisurely air conditioned meal with lots of space without the craziness of embarkation.

SHHHHHHHH!!!!