Disappointing Dinners

If the food is so bad, why do folks keep sailing on HAL? Certainly couldn't be the entertainment. Of course, taking all one's meals in specialty restaurants is one alternative but doesn't that reduce the ambiance of what a cruise is all about? Maybe some of the "foodies" should try Oceania where even the most subjective reviews would agree food quality is much higher than HAL.

We find the 'ambiance' of the MDR to be vastly over-rated. The MDR is overcrowded and too noisy to provide an enjoyable dining experience. We much prefer the specialty restaurants, room service on the balcony, or even the Lido.

We found the MDR food on Noordam this past June as very average....would put it on the scale of Royal's MDR choices.

Pinnacle was good the one time we went, but sure can't see having to spend the $$ every night in a specialty restaurant to get a better meal.

We didn't care, it was an Alaska cruise and food was really not important to us....might feel differently if we were on a longer cruise like a TA....

If the food is so bad, why do folks keep sailing on HAL? Certainly couldn't be the entertainment. Of course, taking all one's meals in specialty restaurants is one alternative but doesn't that reduce the ambiance of what a cruise is all about? Maybe some of the "foodies" should try Oceania where even the most subjective reviews would agree food quality is much higher than HAL.

I am generally indifferent to the food on a cruise ship as I sail for the itinerary, and HAL still has the best itineraries for the places I want to go. I simply posted that I had somewhat limited, similar experiences to that of the OP.

We think that the MDR experience on HAL and on the other mass market lines is greatly over rated. They are noisy, they have become understaffed and the food is, to be very honest, rubber chicken banquet food. Sure you get the odd great dish and sometimes it is even served hot as it is intended to be.

Inconsistency seems to be the only consistent part of cruising on mass market lines these days. Add personal taste to the fact the food , the preparation, and the service can vary wildly between sailings, ships, and cruise lines. Most of the MDR food is average, some very good, some extremely mediocre or worse. Notwithstanding some of small things they do to tart up how the food is plated and place settings themselves.

Great MDR gourmet food and service is more of an urban legend than it is a current reality. This does not stop of from cruising. We simply adjust our expectations.

I always enjoy reading other cruisers' comments about their culinary experiences from their cruises. They can be very helpful in making my own choices, especially if I haven't cruised on a particular line for a while. I agree I always find hits and misses when it comes to cruise ship dining, but honestly I'm just happy someone else planned the menu, prepared the meal and presentation, and then did the cleanup. I'm pretty easy to please though. If I don't see anything on the dining room menu that sounds appealing, I'm pretty happy to choose an alternate venue since I have choices. I'm grateful to have options, and feel blessed for that.

I said many of the same things about Princess after a cruise in 2015.

I think for the most part food on HAL is fine.

So take it all with a grain of salt (ha ha).........

I consider the food in HAL's main dining room to be "middle of the road". It is not bad, but not great either. Of course that is just my opinion and taste buds.

If you want a more upscale dining experience, you really need to go one of the specialty venues onboard.

If the food is so bad, why do folks keep sailing on HAL? Certainly couldn't be the entertainment. Of course, taking all one's meals in specialty restaurants is one alternative but doesn't that reduce the ambiance of what a cruise is all about? Maybe some of the "foodies" should try Oceania where even the most subjective reviews would agree food quality is much higher than HAL.

I don't have high expectations of banquet dining -- and I certainly don't join a cruise for the culinary experience -- but I do still have an opinion on quality/taste/presentation. For example, it did cross my mind that they could have rethought the all-beige meal they gave me one night. Fortunately, there are multiple dining options so I don't dine there every evening. For me, the food isn't so bad that I would refuse to sail with them. I think some of HAL'S main selling points have to be the top notch service, as well as the cleanliness of its ships. If those disappeared then I would certainly look at other options. Cunard was good.

I don't have high expectations of banquet dining -- and I certainly don't join a cruise for the culinary experience -- but I do still have an opinion on quality/taste/presentation. For example, it did cross my mind that they could have rethought the all-beige meal they gave me one night. Fortunately, there are multiple dining options so I don't dine there every evening. For me, the food isn't so bad that I would refuse to sail with them. I think some of HAL'S main selling points have to be the top notch service, as well as the cleanliness of its ships. If those disappeared then I would certainly look at other options. Cunard was good.

I agree with you about Cunard. We were just on the World Cruise on Queen Elizabeth and we found the food and service outstanding. The meals served in the MDR were very good and always hot when brought to the table. The wait staff couldn't do enough to please us. We will be cruising with them again. We are 4 Star Mariner's on HAL, I am hoping that our food experience on the Zaandam next month is better.

We think that the MDR experience on HAL and on the other mass market lines is greatly over rated. They are noisy, they have become understaffed and the food is, to be very honest, rubber chicken banquet food. Sure you get the odd great dish and sometimes it is even served hot as it is intended to be.

 

Inconsistency seems to be the only consistent part of cruising on mass market lines these days. Add personal taste to the fact the food , the preparation, and the service can vary wildly between sailings, ships, and cruise lines. Most of the MDR food is average, some very good, some extremely mediocre or worse. Notwithstanding some of small things they do to tart up how the food is plated and place settings themselves.

 

Great MDR gourmet food and service is more of an urban legend than it is a current reality. This does not stop of from cruising. We simply adjust our expectations.

Sounds like a healthy attitude. For me, though, it's much easier to adjust my expectations for the food itself, than it is to wait a long time for it to be served. Luckily the wait hasn't been excessive very often.

We were on the NA last week and it was our 3rd time on this ship, 4th HA cruise. Honestly, I'm a picky eater, as I don't eat seafood of any kind, and I've always found the food to be good. We ate in Rudi's one night (I had steak as it's seafood), and the soufflé for desert was out of this world, good. Food is good in my opinion, but we're all different so....

We will be on the Zuiderdam in February. We want to make sure to miss the Culinary Council dinner. Is it the last night or the last Gala night? Does anyone know? I want to book the Pinnacle Grill now.

Thanks.

Terri

We will be on the Zuiderdam in February. We want to make sure to miss the Culinary Council dinner. Is it the last night or the last Gala night? Does anyone know? I want to book the Pinnacle Grill now.

Thanks.

Terri

It's usually the last night on the cruises I have been on. (Evening before disembarkation).

Pinnacle hasn't opened up for us yet for booking so if your has, that's promising :)

I just returned from Koningsdam and I thought the MDR meals were really good. If fact, I'd say that on the scale of typical cruise ship MDR meals, it ranked pretty high.

Ref the culinary council meal on the last night, I thought the lamb shank was great.

on our last cruise, 15 day rotterdam the food was very good. only one night did i not order an entree. we ate at the pinnacle grill for lunch 2 days. would have eaten there more but the menu never seems to change. the canelleto was very good also. no complaints about the food

Over the 15 years since I first sailed HAL I have noted a distinct deterioration in MDR service - obviously the result of staff cuts -but what I would describe as from superior to acceptable.

The quality and variety of the dishes has also waned - but I have never seen s plate of all gray food as some have experienced.

And to call it “terrible” suggests one of two themes: the poster never dines at other than five star gourmet establishments - or the poster wanted to express dissatisfaction and lazily grabbed a mindless cliche (the second strikesme as the more likely).

It's usually the last night on the cruises I have been on. (Evening before disembarkation).

 

Pinnacle hasn't opened up for us yet for booking so if your has, that's promising :)

Thanks for the Info Jacqui. All booked for the last night.

Hope all is well with you.

Terri

I'm a picky eater, as I don't eat seafood of any kind

Why not..? You're missing a lot of very good food IOHO! :)

but I have never seen s plate of all gray food as some have experienced.

 

Agree... Hyperbole perhaps?

 

or the poster wanted to express dissatisfaction and lazily grabbed a mindless cliche (the second strikesme as the more likely).

 

Again, agree with this assessment... mindless, lazy cliche..

And now a quick tidbit on that overlooked HAL demographic - 4 year old toddlers: The 4-year old in our group was disappointed and grouchy because the kid menu items took a bit longer to come out during dinner. As it turns out, we didn't order from the kids menu much afterwards as she loved the regular MDR offerings and was never "Hangry" :D

I experienced the same same disappointment on the NA last year. My first dinner was prime rib which was a uniform gray color that I'd never before seen in food. I've since sailed Celebrity which was pretty good. I had been hoping things had gotten better since I'm sailing on the Zaandam in January. Want to give HAL a second chance plus the itinerary (Antarctica) is the best for what I want.

I have to say that in 2016 aboard the Noordam we had some very gr:(ay meals. I had never seen that before either. We are trying again on the Zuiderdam (my favourite ship) next year. If the food is not good we will have to think again. We do cruise for the itinerary but we do have to eat.

Is the problem mainly with the meat dishes?

We were on the Noordam Oct 2016 and found the food very uneven in terms of quality. Breakfast and (especially) lunch in the lido were excellent, but with the exception of one or two OK meals we found the dinners in the MDR very disappointing, and a couple of nights verging on the inedible. From memory we had more issues with the fish dishes in the MDR than the meat; we don't have any particular health issues or require a special diet but we found the fish dishes in the MDR extremely salty. Yet when we ate similar dishes in the Lido, they were fine. Anyway it didn't ruin the cruise and we're trying the same ship again in two weeks because it's a great itinerary, we got a great deal on a suite, we enjoy BB Kings and it's unlikely we'll starve!

but I have never seen s plate of all gray food as some have experienced.

 

Agree... Hyperbole perhaps?

 

 

 

Again, agree with this assessment... mindless, lazy cliche..

 

No hyperbole, my plate of "mushroom ravioli" was not all grey, but a uniform dirty white, "garnished" with white leek shavings, and served on a white plate. Those at the table joked that it would be an appropriate entrée for an All White Gala Night, if only it had some flavor.

We always ask our stewards whether our choices are good. I assume everyone is ordering one entree. And there are five choices. Seven if you include the steak and salmon that can be ordered at every meal.

We have never been steered wrong when we take our Stewards suggestions. The stewards taste the dishes before the dining room opens. At least on the ships we have sailed.

Those that are unhappy with the food probably need to try those Cruiselines that others have recommended. Although, you will pay more, you will at least enjoy your dining experience.