Icon of the Seas Windjammer Embarkation Day Lunch

This post will share our review and photos of the embarkation day lunch in the Windjammer on Icon of the Seas.

The Windjammer is Royal Caribbean’s main buffet and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is something for everyone there and a perfect place for even the pickiest of little eaters. It’s also a great place to try new things. Or you can be like my son as ask the chef for chicken tenders, who gladly makes them and brings them out to your table.

Inaugural Sailing or Season Perk?

We were on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas during its inaugural season. This was the first time we had been on a ship during it’s inaugural season and we were surprised at some of the perks. One surprise and very welcome perk was the special lunch in the Windjammer on the first day of the cruise. When we watched videos of the very first sailing and saw this extraordinary lunch buffet, we thought it would only be for the first cruise and then it would be normal by our cruise. For timing, Icon of the Seas first sailed in January 2024 and our cruise was in March 2024 during our spring break.

When we got on the ship, it wasn’t long before an employee told us to make sure we did not miss lunch in the Windjammer. We thought that was a bit much for a normal lunch so we wondered if the Windjammer was indeed still serving a “special” lunch on the first day and couldn’t wait to find out.

Mr. Washy Washy

When we arrived at the Windjammer, we were greeted with everyone’s favorite Mr. Washy Washy! The level of enthusiasm he maintains throughout each meal service is beyond my comprehension, but we absolutely loved him and definitely washed our hands because he said so.

The Windjammer Buffet on Icon of the Seas is split into two sides, so when you enter, you choose to go left or right. Don’t worry, both sides are the same. During slower times, they will close one side so they don’t have to unnecessarily maintain two full buffets for less people.

Before I get to the food, let’s first appreciate all the special decorations! Carved cheese and ice sculptures!

What’s so special about the First Lunch in the Windjammer?

What makes the first lunch at the Windjammer Buffet so special is the plethora of seafood options. There are several fish options, lots of shrimp, and even lobster! Yes, even those folks that are still upset that you can only get one free lobster tail on lobster night in the Main Dining Room can grab as many lobster tails as they want here!

We have never tried crawfish before and we were going to…we each brought one back to our table but just couldn’t do it!

What else is there in the Windjammer?

Of course, there’s other non-seafood offerings too, including salad, sides and meat-carving stations.

There’s lots of bread! My son wanted to just grab all bread.

And we can’t forget about all the dessert options. I wouldn’t say there was anything overly unique and special, but there were some dishes we hadn’t seen before.

When we sail on Utopia of the Seas next, we will be in a suite and plan on taking full advantage of Coastal Kitchen. However, since it will be in its inaugural season, we will definitely choose the Windjammer for lunch on the first day if it looks like this again!

Your thoughts

Have you been on a new ship during its inaugural season? What about a very first sailing? One day, we would like to try being on the first ever sailing of a new ship!

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