Knowing the ins and outs of Carnival's Main Dining Room can be tricky. This post outlines all you need to know about dinner time in the Main Dining Room!
Hey, y'all! Happy Travel Tuesday, I hope your week is off to a great start! Today's post combines two of my favorite things; travel and food. As a frequent cruiser, I belong to several different cruise groups on Facebook. Cruisers join these groups to ask/give travel tips, tricks, information, and advice. One of the questions that most often comes up surrounds the Main Dining Room (MDR).
There seems to be a lot of confusion and misconceptions around this eatery so I thought I'd break it down for you all.
What Should I Wear?
This is probably the most asked question I see/receive about the dining room. People are always afraid of being over or underdressed. I promise you, Carnival isn't as stuffy as people think when it comes to the MDR. Most evenings have a "Cruise Casual" dress code. For men, this is typically khaki pants or even dress jeans. Yes, people wear jeans in the MDR. As far as shirts go, consider paking polos, sports shirts, or button-downs.
Ladies, you would be totally fine in a casual dress or skirt, summer dresses, dress pants with a nice top or even capris.
The dining staff isn't typically super particular about the Cruise Casual evenings. Clothing that is frowned upon in the dining room includes hats, cut off jeans, jeans of holes in them, tank tops, bathing suits, some shorts, and flip flops.
Depending on the length of your cruise, you'll have one or two Elegant Nights. This is where people start to get nervous. Years ago, it was the norm for men to be in tuxedos and women to be dressed in full-length gowns. I can't tell you how many formal gowns I have in the back of my closet from my first few cruises. While you will still see about 1/4 of the cruisers rocking these sweet and sassy duds, most cruisers these days go for something a bit more casual.
Men would be fine wearing a sports coat, dress shirt, and dress slacks. They could also get away with a business suit (with or without a tie). Some men just rock a pair of dress pants, a dress shirt, and a tie and call it a day and that's totally fine.
Women typically wear cocktail attire such as dresses, long skirts, or even pantsuits. Trust me, these are much easier to pack (and keep unwrinkled) than evening gowns are!
How Do I Know Where to Sit?
Firstly, most cruise ships have more than one dining room- one will be aft and the other is located mid-ship. Check your Sail & Sign Card to see what dining room you're assigned to, where you'll be sitting and what time you are scheduled for dinner.
At the head of the dining room is where you'll find the hostess stand with a slew of hostesses (and sometimes even the maître d'hôtel). On the first night, present your Sail & Sign Card to whoever is at the hostess stand and they will guide you to your table. Once you become familiar where your table is, it isn't necessary to stop by the hostess stand, you're welcome to navigate your way to your table on your own.
How Does the Whole Process Work?
Upon being seated, you'll be presented with the menu for the evening. Each night the menu changes however, there are some items that remain constant. If you want to take a peek at the menu prior to dinner, to determine if you'd rather eat elsewhere, the menu is posted on the Carnival Hub App, on the board outside of the Main Dining Room and is available on the television in your cabin.
Your table will most likely be assigned a headwaiter and an assistant waiter. This will help speed up the service a little but remember this is a formal setting, expect dinner to take between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The more people you have and the more food you order, the slower your service will be. Makes sense, right? While you're looking over the menu, an assistant waiter will come by with a breadbasket and collect your drink order.
Now it's time to order your food, this is where it gets fun! Can't decide between a shrimp cocktail or the quesadilla appetizer? Order them both. Toying between navy bean soup, a Caesar salad, strawberry soup or escargot? Order them all. There is no limit to how much food you can order. If you see more than one appetizer, entree, or dessert that interests you, order them all! There are also additional side dishes that you can order to accompany your meal. Some of the entrees (particularly the pasta dishes) have appetizer sizes available if you would prefer a smaller portion. There are also some appetizers that can be ordered as an entree portion!
Remember, almost all of this food is included in the original cost of your cruise. If there's something you want to try- try it! This is your opportunity to branch out from your norm and try something new. Take advantage of it!
What does the Menu Look Like?
Each night the menu changes just a smidge. When you're in port, you'll most likely see a dish that reflects the local culture. For instance, when you pull out of Florida you'll probably find some fresh seafood options. In Mexico, you'll be able to feast on a traditional Mexican dish.
On the menu you'll find a little text box that's called "Rare Finds" here is where you'll find dishes like escargot, beef carpaccio, shark bites, and other exotic dishes.
There is a "From the Grill" section that offers a variety of steaks and grilled dishes. This is my go-to section if I don't love the featured menu.
Don't worry, it isn't all weird. You'll find traditional dishes like pasta, flat iron steak, ribs, seafood, and chicken on the menu as well.
Is there a kids menu?
Absolutely! Let me tell you, it's pretty great too! There are several different kid-friendly options that your little one will love. You may want to ask your waiter to bring the kids meals out as soon as they are ready.
Additional Tips
Be courteous to your waiter. A little kindness goes a long way. Some cruisers like to extend a tip to their waiter on the first evening to ensure prompt service (after all, that's what TIP stands for!)
Don't overdo it. There is so much food that is wasted in the MDR. Consider sharing dishes with your table mates. Remember, you only packed so many clothes and it only takes 3,500 calories to gain 1 pound. Those calories come easily on a cruise so consider ordering some of the healthier dishes to balance out all of those pizzas, ice cream cones and chocolate melting cakes you're going to be having!
You can request a different table- the waitstaff will do their best to accommodate you. If you would prefer to sit by the window rather than in the middle of the dining room, visit the maître d' and they will do what they can to accommodate you. The tables at the aft windows offer incredible views if you can snag one!
Be sure to let your waiter and the maître d' know of any dietary restrictions on the very first day. The kitchen will do everything they can to accommodate you. In many cases, they will have you order your dinner options a day in advance to make sure they are prepared properly.
Order two scoops of vanilla ice cream with the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. You'll thank me later.
