After further consideration....the American Table is not good.

In my opinion, I think Anytime dining is the problem for slow/poor service. Guest coming at all different times. There's no routine (timing). Staff is overwhelmed.

We have done anytime once and never again! I felt like we were forgotten about. Service was terrible.

Traditional seating is better. With traditional seating, we have had nothing but awesome MDR staff.

I don't thing the service has anything to do with the American Table menus.

In my opinion, I think Anytime dining is the problem for slow/poor service. Guest coming at all different times. There's no routine (timing). Staff is overwhelmed.

 

We have done anytime once and never again! I felt like we were forgotten about. Service was terrible.

 

Traditional seating is better. With traditional seating, we have had nothing but awesome MDR staff.

 

I don't thing the service has anything to do with the American Table menus.

I do think Anytime Dining adds to the delays/confusion. We were on Liberty last year not long after they got American table. This is when they were still Tweaking it. We had tablecloths. We were pleasantly surprised by the menu, but the first night we had Anytime. Hated it. Changed to early seating for rest of cruise and much improved. We were also on Liberty a few months prior with regular menu so we got a good comparisom. Only thing I missed was the martini basa. The plain basa of new menu was ok though. We never left hungry.

We just got back from an eleven night cruise on the Sunshine after three previous cruises on the Breeze and the Glory. We hands down prefer the American Table menu. It just goes to prove that different people have different tastes. I will now look for ships that have the new menu. Very disappointed with the old menus.

On our recent cruise on the Freedom I also found dinner less satisfying as far as taste. Some days I only ate half my dinner. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything to write home about. I always enjoyed my dinners prior to American Table. The most important thing, that up until your post I couldn't put my finger on, was the change in the interaction with the staff. I think you made very good points about how American Table reduces staff/passenger interaction. Again, it isn't bad, but I missed really getting to know my wait staff and have fun with them. I think American Table could be improved, no need to throw it out.

Sweet Dutch Girl - couldn't agree with you more! Times are changing, and Carnival is responding to the change. The good news is - there are other lines for those who insist on tablecloths and 98 pieces of silverware on the table ;). My family wants to relax and have a good time. We'll make sure to do just that in the Conquest this weekend!

I so agree with you! My kids don't care if you place a napkin in their lap and cruising has become an excellent family vacation value. We are among many, I am sure who are fine with the updated experience. In fact, we enjoy it!

Just off the breeze:

Some observations about AT ----

Get rid of the wine bottle, water pitcher and square butter dish.

Waiters are now confused about their role, leading to who does what.

Maitre' D needs to look at this debacle of service and fix it.

Why dirty plates and silver on the table until the next course?

This should NEVER happen in any restaurant.

As for the food on the Breeze, TOO SALTY!!!!

Does no one taste anything in this kitchen?

Vegetables were inedible.

Food was only warm, never hot.

Coffee old when you eventually got it.

Lido is looking better and better. Sad to me.

Just off the breeze:

 

Some observations about AT ----

 

Get rid of the wine bottle, water pitcher and square butter dish.

 

Waiters are now confused about their role, leading to who does what.

 

Maitre' D needs to look at this debacle of service and fix it.

 

Why dirty plates and silver on the table until the next course?

 

This should NEVER happen in any restaurant.

 

As for the food on the Breeze, TOO SALTY!!!!

 

Does no one taste anything in this kitchen?

 

Vegetables were inedible.

 

Food was only warm, never hot.

 

Coffee old when you eventually got it.

 

Lido is looking better and better. Sad to me.

That square butter dish would have me vaulting over the balcony railing.... inedible vegetables....really? How could you tell the coffee was old, is it timestamped? Come on

In my opinion, I think Anytime dining is the problem for slow/poor service. Guest coming at all different times. There's no routine (timing). Staff is overwhelmed.

 

We have done anytime once and never again! I felt like we were forgotten about. Service was terrible.

 

Traditional seating is better. With traditional seating, we have had nothing but awesome MDR staff.

 

I don't thing the service has anything to do with the American Table menus.

I agree. With traditional seating, the wait team quickly gets to know you, your likes and dislikes, and to me, the whole experience is much more enjoyable. When we go to dinner, we dine, we are in no hurry, and tell our waiter that on the first night.

Pat

I agree. With traditional seating, the wait team quickly gets to know you, your likes and dislikes, and to me, the whole experience is much more enjoyable. When we go to dinner, we dine, we are in no hurry, and tell our waiter that on the first night.

Pat

Ummm, what does the new menu have to do with getting to know your wait staff?

I think today's cruisers are a different lot. They don't have the decorum of those of us who were raised by parents who dressed us up for fancy dinners and Easter Sunday photos. I remember being told to put on a dress to have Christmas dinner in our own home. I doubt many people do that anymore, particularly families who are in a younger generation.

 

I had to know what fork was what and why that spoon went over there and to keep my elbows off the table. Those things aren't taught anymore and, by reading some of the posts, I think fine dining will become one of those things that is restricted to heads of state and the wealthy.

 

If I want fine dining on a cruise ship, where the diners have impeccable manners, I suppose I'll have to try Regent or Crystal. Carnival's passengers aren't interested in it and Carnival is taking advantage of that view.

I agree about Carnival and the cruisers they are aiming to serve. But such things are still taught - much to my childrens' chagrin. They are now 17 and 11, say yes ma'am and no sir when introduced to an adult, and you will find them in dress shirt and tie on elegant evenings. They are being introduced to the Steakhouse on our next cruise.

Do you have any suggestions as to how to keep a 17 year old boy from putting his elbow on the table and shoveling in bites of steak the size of a cow? I have tried stabbing his elbow with my fork and removing his food but nothing seems to work! His desire to feast is just too great....

I think today's cruisers are a different lot. They don't have the decorum of those of us who were raised by parents who dressed us up for fancy dinners and Easter Sunday photos. I remember being told to put on a dress to have Christmas dinner in our own home. I doubt many people do that anymore, particularly families who are in a younger generation.

 

I had to know what fork was what and why that spoon went over there and to keep my elbows off the table. Those things aren't taught anymore and, by reading some of the posts, I think fine dining will become one of those things that is restricted to heads of state and the wealthy.

 

If I want fine dining on a cruise ship, where the diners have impeccable manners, I suppose I'll have to try Regent or Crystal. Carnival's passengers aren't interested in it and Carnival is taking advantage of that view.

You are spot on, cruising is changing (and not just on Carnival), as a matter of fact, Carnival is probably changing the least, thank heavens. My idea of fun is not having to make plans on what I want to do every night six months in advance and juggle things around like you have to do on other lines today.

I agree about Carnival and the cruisers they are aiming to serve. But such things are still taught - much to my childrens' chagrin. They are now 17 and 11, say yes ma'am and no sir when introduced to an adult, and you will find them in dress shirt and tie on elegant evenings. They are being introduced to the Steakhouse on our next cruise.

 

Do you have any suggestions as to how to keep a 17 year old boy from putting his elbow on the table and shoveling in bites of steak the size of a cow? I have tried stabbing his elbow with my fork and removing his food but nothing seems to work! His desire to feast is just too great....

We went thru the same qualms when our minions grew up as we cruised (including the Steakhouse) and the finer aspects of cruising. Stabbing works, but taser is probably over the top.;)

That square butter dish would have me vaulting over the balcony railing.... inedible vegetables....really? How could you tell the coffee was old, is it timestamped? Come on

I completely agree with the assessment of the side dish vegetables. On our Breeze cruise with AT the sides were so salty that we could not eat them. We ordered different sides each night and none of them could be eaten. I think the kitchen on the Breeze has a real issue.

We sail on the Conquest Jan 2016. Is there a place (web site) where we can see the nightly American Table menu options.

Thanks

Google Zydeco Carnival Menu. You will see the American Table menu along with many other menus.

I completely agree with the assessment of the side dish vegetables. On our Breeze cruise with AT the sides were so salty that we could not eat them. We ordered different sides each night and none of them could be eaten. I think the kitchen on the Breeze has a real issue.

What are your thoughts on the butter dish?

I have figured out what the problem is with all the people that don't like the American Table! They, unlike me, are not starved (pun intended) for a cruise and at this point would gladly eat dog food to not be at work and to be on my balcony! Guess it really is all about perspective! :D

What are your thoughts on the butter dish?

Well, I can't recall the butter dish! The new table settings do take up more room. The addition of the bottle of wine they want to sell you and the water carafe make the 4 top tables a bit crowded.

Half the table. Lots of stuff happening.

Well i haven't experienced the American Table. But I really like white tablecloths on the tables:(! I dress nicely for dinner each night and really appreciate feeling special and a little pampered:)! Guess we will find out on our January cruise...

I like table cloths as well. While the tablecloths do not make it fine dining, for me it does add a touch of something. when on a cruise I like to dress up because I normally dont get a chance to. Ill have to check out the new dining experience myself. I still plan to dress up, I doubt the place looks like applesbees...or at least I hope not

What are your thoughts on the butter dish?

It didn't taste like real butter but it did spread well on the bread and it tasted OK.

It didn't taste like real butter but it did spread well on the bread and it tasted OK.

I agree, it doesn't taste like butter, it tastes like margarine. But this was brought to JH's attention once and he posted pictures of the butter boxes and stated it is butter and it is whipped.

But he posted pictures of boxes containing butter squares like they serve on the lido deck so it proved nothing. I can't imagine them opening up thousands of butter pats to make into whipped butter.

I am honestly looking forward to the American Table. Getting tired of the old menus and to me they weren't all that.

Ummm, what does the new menu have to do with getting to know your wait staff?

If you will look at what I was referring to, it was in reference to anytime dining. This topic has drifted from American Table, to it causing bad service to anytime dining. sorry if my comment felt off topic to you!!

Pat

Not at all, just missed the comment you were commenting on. As a side you know with and you can ask for the same wait staff which would negate that (assuming you thought they were good). We enjoy regular seating in part due to ensuring getting the same staff, part of the cruise experience from our perspective.

I think your letter is very nice and thorough. I do respectfully disagree with you though and the debate over the American Table certainly has me intrigued.

 

We have cruised 13 times and I was sick to death of the old menu. We had the same dinner over and over.

 

The lack of tablecloth does not bother me. I think the wood tables are beautiful and I was actually surprised when I had the American Table for the first time because I had read so many reviews of how awful the dining room looked and I thought it was beautiful.

 

I love the pitchers of water because sometimes we used to wait and wait for someone to come fill up our glasses and sometimes even asked for 2 water glasses it was so bad. Now we can just fill up our own and both times we had the American Table we were kept with fresh and full water pitchers.

 

We have not experienced any wait staff confusion and thought they worked more as a team and that we were actually able to interact with all of them more instead of just the main waiter.

 

We also had our silverware replaced with each course so that was not an issue for us.

 

The first time we experienced the new menu we were with a party of 9. (3 families) and everyone thought dinner was amazing. I don't want to cruise on a ship now without the American Table. We have done it twice and I have yet to have the same thing twice.

 

 

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Love your blog wow

Not at all, just missed the comment you were commenting on. As a side you know with and you can ask for the same wait staff which would negate that (assuming you thought they were good). We enjoy regular seating in part due to ensuring getting the same staff, part of the cruise experience from our perspective.

I am in total agreement. We always choose traditional dining as we like having the same wait staff. As far as the american table goes, had it last May and had no issues with it. carnival meets our needs, we are casual cruisers, give me a balcony, the ocean, a chair on Lido on sea days, and I'm a happy cruiser!:D

Pat

Love your blog wow

Aww, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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