Dining on Embarkation Day

If the weather is nice the grill should be open. Check when you get onboard the dining room might be open for lunch.

I would assume as with most cruiselines that the Lido buffets would be open.

Absolutely check with the cruise line. There usually are way better options that "nobody" knows about.

I have only ever been on NCL but my guess is that there should be a MDR open for lunch.

which is why we have such a hard time going elsewhere other than NCL even tho we are seriously considering it. every NCL ship has a variety of dining available on embarkation day other than the mad rush to Jurassic Park...which we did too back in the very beginning until we learned...we avoid the buffet unless its a port day, when its usually empty.

We have only been on 2 but on our first one out of Boston we went to the outdoor buffet by the pool shortly after boarding and I did not think it was that bad. It was busy but not crazy. Tat was the Dawn which is a smaller ship so that might be why. It was a nice day as well. Last one it was rainy and we went to Osheehan's which was great.