Embarkation - where do you go?

[FigmentSpark]

Do you head up to Cabanas when you get on the ship? Or do you prefer to go to the restaurant for that first lunch? Or, do you just skip lunch and go to take care of any last minute changes and sign ups? Or are you a later arriver and like to head to your room first?

 

[MillauFr]

We avoid Cabanas. The place is usually a mad house. We prefer the relative serenity of the Main Dining Room.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

We do lunch at the MDR promptly followed by drink tasting sign ups!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do you head up to Cabanas when you get on the ship? Or do you prefer to go to the restaurant for that first lunch? Or, do you just skip lunch and go to take care of any last minute changes and sign ups? Or are you a later arriver and like to head to your room first?

Depends on the cruise. Some cruises we just went directly to Cabanas. Others we preferred the MDR.

There were at least 3 cruises I headed out for Palo reservations/changes first.

Most of the time we arrive in time to eat lunch, then drop our bags in the room.

 

[Pens Fan]

Not a fan of Cabanas for lunch in general, and definitely not on embarkation day. We head to the MDR and have a nice, leisurely start to our cruise.

 

[darnheather]

We've always gone straight to Cabanas and not had any problems getting food and a table. We always talk about maybe trying something different but so far we stick to the routine.

 

[lizzyb]

Heading to the pool!

 

[DIS_MIKE]

I tend to do Cabanas but I really should try out the MDR as I do enjoy breakfast there. Much more quiet and relaxed, IMO.

 

[Bonnie1222]

I prefer to avoid Cabanas on embarkation day. It is just a nightmare trying to find a table and navigate through everything dragging our carry-on bags. We hit the MDR for a nice relaxing lunch (we are usually one of the first boarding parties) then hit the dining changes to confirm we got our head server Wit if he is on the boat and we have a table for 2 (unless traveling with friends). We also confirm that we have Silvio as our Palo server when we are there. After that we head off to find our favorite bartender Andrae and grab a drink or 2 before heading to the room.

 

[ajo]

Cabanas is our first stop. Except that one time when we went to the MDR for lunch. . .

 

[diznymom]

Love the variety at Cabanas.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Last time we went to Cabanas there were too many entitled kiddos yelling at their parents. We definitely prefer the quieter atmosphere in the MDR.

 

[Calkinska]

MDR then off to find Denson for a drink and he schedules any tastings we may need.

 

[Marc D]

We usually split up. I go to check on everything (table assignment, last-minute requests at guests services or Palo) and my family heads to Cabanas, where I meet them later. We never had a problem with overcrowding, but we are always onboard as soon as the ship opens.

On our last couple cruises, we sailed Concierge and enjoyed thoroughly the new embarkation lunch in the MDR. On our next non-Concierge cruise, we might try the MDRs instead of Cabanas because of that,

 

[heggy]

We prefer Cabanas due to the variety of food and we control the size of the portions.
Actually, DW does a great job controlling the portion sizes, I fail terribly.

 

[clten]

Typically, we board a little later - after the initial rush. Then we typically skip both Cabanas and the MDR and opt for something from the quick serve places. We'll find a nice place outside to eat and enjoy the fresh air that signals we are on vacation. We have done the MDR on occasion. We usually do that when traveling with parents. It's just easier when you have people with mobility issues to settle down at a table and let someone else serve you. We typically plan to board a little earlier if we are doing this option because it can get crowded and the last thing we want is to have to stand and wait for a table for lunch.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We head to Cabanas!

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Usually the MDR, but on our one and only 3-night, we headed straight for the Aquaduck, grabbed lunch poolside and made the most of our afternoon.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We've done Cabanas on both our previous cruises. The first time was an 11:15 PAT and finding a table was a challenge (but we did it). The second time was a 10:30 PAT and we had our pick of tables, practically opening the place.

This coming cruise, I was thinking of switching it up, mostly just because I am usually heavily loaded with carry on stuff. I'm organized about it, but it's hard to wheel that stuff on the rugs, so I was thinking the MDR might be a nice change. Then again, will I be done so quickly that I'll still be wheeling around my load o' stuff while waiting for 1:30 to roll around?

 

[Chirple]

I picked Other.

When we first started cruising with DCL, we would eat in Cabanas. Then we heard about the buffet that used to be offered in the MDR and started going there. It was nice to have someone bring us beverages but could still pick our own variety of food.

When the MDR became a true full service, we went back to Cabanas. As Platinum cruisers we could get into Cabanas early and pretty much have our choice of table. Since we don't take much as carry-on, even a two-top worked for us.

Our next cruise we are using DCL transportation from WDW so we will most likely be arriving after initial boarding. I'm sure we'll take a look in Cabanas to see how crowded it is; if it's too busy in there, we might just hit up one of the deck locations.