There are different places you can eat dinner on a cruise ship, but there are compelling reasons to eat the buffet instead of the Main Dining Room.
Royal Caribbean offers different choices in where to eat dinner, including fancy sit down meals, restaurants that cost extra, and casual options too.
Over the years I've eaten at all of them, and I think the Windjammer Cafe is vastly underrated for dinner. It doesn't come with the level of service the Main Dining Room has, but I think the variety, ease of getting in and out, and flexibility really make it a top choice.
In thinking about where to eat on my next sailing, I had to consider both options and ultimately picked the buffet. I'm on vacation, and I sometimes I want to relax more and not concern myself the pomp and circumstance that comes with the dining room.
If you're trying to decide where to eat on your cruise, here are the top 11 best reasons to choose the Windjammer buffet instead.
It's fast
The cruise ship experience has evolved over the decades, and sitting down for a long meal isn't what some people consider to be a fun experience.
The Windjammer offers a way to quickly grab the food you need and be on your way. There's no waiting for a seating time, no waiters to deliver your food. You can eat as quickly as you can serve the food from the buffet trays and sit down and eat it.
It's quite possible to have a full meal in the Windjammer in less than 20 minutes, whereas a "fast" meal in the Main Dining Room would easily take one hour.
Having a fast meal is useful if you want to get to a show or some other activity onboard the ship. Or perhaps you need to make an appointment.
Crew members keep the food supply moving, so there's rarely any long waits. Occasionally there can be a line for certain foods, but it's not much more than a minute or two.
There are so many different choices
I love how many choices of food you'll find in the Windjammer, especially for dinner.
Royal Caribbean goes well beyond just burgers and hot dogs. You'll find salads, soups, sandwiches, pastas, carved meats, desserts, and plenty more.
There's usually a set of options that don't change every day, along with a rotating mix of food.
I've found it advantageous to be able to find a wide range of foods every day, because what I'm in the mood to eat can vary.
Plus, I like to mix and match my foods and not limit myself to a single cuisine.
Some of the same food from the Main Dining Room
At dinner Royal Caribbean offers many of the same food that you'll find in the Main Dining Room right in the Windjammer.
It's not exactly the same offerings, but if you're feeling conflicted about where to eat, you can often find overlap between the menus. That means less compromise about what you can choose from.
The added bonus of the buffet is if you want seconds or thirds, you can quickly go up and get some more without waiting.
No dress codes
You're on vacation, so who needs to bother with a different outfit for dinner?
Royal Caribbean has no dress code for the Windjammer anytime of day, with the exception you cannot come in with a wet bathing suit and must wear shoes and a cover up. That's it.
Eating at the Windjammer for dinner means less to pack, and less prep each evening. It also means more time to enjoy at the pool or in port because you don't have to get back to your room to get dressed up.
Easier to indulge with lots of food
Let's be real, one major reason people like eating at a buffet is because you can eat as much as you want.
You serve yourself exactly how much you want, even if it's an entire plate full of just one food. I know I've come back to my table at times with just a plate full of Indian curry with zero regrets.
Of course, if we're talking about indulging, the desserts available are probably where most will gravitate towards. Some evenings there are really incredible sweets there, such as funnel cake, fondue station, or personal-sized lava cakes.
Overeating isn't what everyone will do, but sometimes you're in the mood for extra and the Windjammer has that whereas the Main Dining Room does not.
Easier to get a great view
It's so easy to get a table near a window and see what's happening around you while you eat in the Windjammer.
On most ships, the Windjammer is at the very back of the ship and it's surrounded by glass. Even if you don't get a table right at the window, you can see outside from many tables nearby.
Plus, on Radiance and Quantum Class ships, there's an outdoor seating area at the very back where you can enjoy the sunshine and ocean breeze with your meal.
I never miss an opportunity to dine outside when possible because it's so enjoyable to see right out to the ocean as you eat.
It's the best choice when you had a busy day in port
On a day when you spend many hours exploring a port of call, the last thing I want to do is get dressed up for dinner.
I love to hit up the Windjammer for dinner on a port day when we come back to the ship in the late afternoon or evening. It's so much easier to drop off my things in my cabin, and then head up to the Windjammer for a quick, but satisfying meal.
This is especially true when I'm on a cruise to Alaska or Europe, where it's easy to spend 6-8 hours walking, kayaking, or bussing around town.
Along those lines, I'll often eat my way around the ports I visit. So having the Windjammer open until 9:30pm or so leaves a late dinner option that goes beyond a slice of pizza.
My favorite place to bring picky eaters
When my kids were younger, the only place I took them to eat was the Windjammer because they were so picky.
Royal Caribbean's buffet does a good job of offering traditional favorites and more adventurous food, but it's definitely a great spot for those that know what they want.
You'll find burgers, hot dogs, and chicken fingers every night of the cruise. Plus, there is usually a grilled meat or two. And the salads are all build-your-own, so you can customize it the way you want it.
The cooking stations are worth eating here alone
My favorite thing about the Windjammer are the cooking stations, and the chef will make the dish exactly the way you want it.
At breakfast there is an omelet station to make eggs as you'd like them. I've even seen recently waffles being made on the spot in the mornings on some ships.
For lunch and dinner, there's usually a rotating option and it is a not-so-guilty pleasure of mine to eat here.
I personally could eat the Asian stir fry station food every day, and pretty much did when I was on Anthem of the Seas last summer in Europe.
Fresh food will always be a step ahead of prepared food, and the cooking stations are my first stop in the Windjammer on every visit.
No set dining times
Flexibility is kind at the Windjammer, as you can come in whenever you like.
While the Windjammer isn't open all day long (it takes short breaks between meals to clean and reset), they have longer serving hours compared to the Main Dining Room.
First and foremost, this means you don't have to make a reservation or adhere to a dining time. As long as they are open, you are welcome to go in.
Plus, they serve for long periods of time. You can get breakfast in many cases right up until lunch, whereas the Main Dining Room offers it for just a few hours earlier in the morning.
Opens up your nighttime fun
Because you can get in and out of the Windjammer, you can take advantage of all the fun activities onboard your ship.
Each evening there are various events held throughout the ship, and if you're at a sit down restaurant for 90 minutes or more, you're going to miss out on some of them.
I love that I can get a satisfying meal at the buffet and then be right back out to enjoy live music, catch a trivia session, or attend a show. This can be really important on the big ships where the signature show performances are must-sees.
If you're used to eating in the dining room, I think you'll find the evening so much longer when you get back more time after eating at the Windjammer.
