Picky Eater Question...

My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. We have sailed on Carnival before and he managed to find one thing on the menu each night that he could stomach. He hates all of the fancy and complicated dishes. Does anyone have a sample of the main dinning menus that I could take a look at? I am assuming that the menu is relatively similar across the cruiseline? Thanks so much!

Don't have menus, but I feel his pain. I'm a strictly meat and potatoes kind of guy. I've done three RCL cruises, and have never had trouble finding something to eat or plenty of it. For instance, I had prime rib, black angus steaks, roast, fried chicken, lamb, baked chicken, turkey, hamburgers, etc, etc on my Grandeur cruise two weeks ago.

I am just like your husband. I am not into those fancy meals either. I ate alot of steak and pizza when I was on the Conquest.

Just last night, I wondered upon a Cruise Critic member's website last night, and found really good pictures of fleetwide menu's as recent as 2006. The website is http://www.thepreismans.com/.

Here is how you get to the menus...

1. Scroll down just a little and click on the "Western Caribbean" button for the Freedom of the Seas.

2. Scroll down until you get to the dining room section. This section is located right underneath the picture of the "Navigator and Freedom - nose to nose in Miami".

3. When you get to the dining room section, about three lines down you will see a link for the menus. Click it and enjoy!! I know I did!!!!

--Buzz

I'm the queen of picky eaters. Most 3-year olds eat more variety than I do! I have never had any problem finding things that I like on RCCI ships. On Mariner there was steak every single night, with no sauces or anything like that. Plus you can always get a baked potato. Sometimes the mashed potatoes are wasabi or garlic, and not everyone likes that.

Same at breakfast and lunch --- lots of very basic choices.

I think I enjoy the food more than my husband, who LIKES sauces and more adventurous ingredients!

Don't have menus, but I feel his pain. I'm a strictly meat and potatoes kind of guy. I've done three RCL cruises, and have never had trouble finding something to eat or plenty of it. For instance, I had prime rib, black angus steaks, roast, fried chicken, lamb, baked chicken, turkey, hamburgers, etc, etc on my Grandeur cruise two weeks ago.

Did they have fried catfish for lunch on the Grandeur? I saw somewhere that RCI used to have a fried catfish buffet.

There are also "alternative selections" in each menu which included a nice serloin which I had and enjoyed. I agree, some of those selections don't even sound good, let alone knowing what it might be.

Did they have fried catfish for lunch on the Grandeur? I saw somewhere that RCI used to have a fried catfish buffet.

I don't remember seeing fried catfish at lunch and I only missed one lunch in the Jammer. Then again, I don't eat anything seafood, or freshwater fish for that matter. It doesn't stand out in my mind though.

Also don't be afraid to ask for something made plain. If it has sauce or other stuff on it ask for it on the side or leave it off all together. I have a lot of allergies so somethings are not a matter of taste but could make me very sick and I have never had a problem making special requests on how something needs to be prepared.

Sue

Did they have fried catfish for lunch on the Grandeur? I saw somewhere that RCI used to have a fried catfish buffet.

We must have been posting at the same time. I do remember seeing catfish a couple of times, both in the Windjammer and in the dining room at dinner. This was on the Explorer a couple weeks ago.

I have only been on one RCI cruise, a 3 night Sovereign. If I recall each night there was an alternate section of the menu that featured steak, grilled chicken, ceasar salad, some basic pasta, generally a more simpler fare. I always tell my kids that it's a perfect time to "sample" food, if you don't like it just leave it. There is tons of options for food on the ship you can always hike up to the buffet or order room service later.

My hubby is the pickiest of the picky!!! BUT--after a few drinks, he did try some things that I never would have thought he'd try--and he liked them! But, there's plenty of "regular" food onboard--if something comes with a weird sauce, just ask for it without the sauce--they will accommodate your tastes!

Due to stomach surgery, for some odd reason, I can eat beef better than most meat, but only if I get it medium rare, cannot be medium, cannot be medium well, must be more on the rare side to be tender enough for me to be able to eat it. I order steak a lot on the ship, and it is hard to get it right, but they are always good about taking it back and trying again. I do not eat any fish, and am picky about chicken, if it is just a little too dry I cannot eat it, so I dont even attempt it at dinner. Steak and mashed taters all the way! They will do plain mashed taters if you ask. I never have a hard time finding something to eat when on a cruise, tell hubby he will be fine, so many of us are steak and tater people. Give me a good steak and Im a happy gal!

I'm glad I'm not the only one.:) I read some of the menus lately and it seemed that every time the description of a particular dish was sounding good, at the very end they'd add something I hate, like cilantro or pesto or just "herbs" so you don't know what's been added. I think I'll be ordering steak a lot. :D

I'm glad I'm not the only one.:) I read some of the menus lately and it seemed that every time the description of a particular dish was sounding good, at the very end they'd add something I hate, like cilantro or pesto or just "herbs" so you don't know what's been added. I think I'll be ordering steak a lot. :D

I know what you mean and if I were limited to some of the foods as described in the menus I would end up ordering from the alternative menu every night, but as someone has already mentioned, it is usually possible to order a dish and ask that the cilantro, pesto, etc. be omitted. I have been known to order the Beefsteak Tomato and Red Onion salad in Chops without the onions and without the sprinkled bleu cheese, basically just the tomato slices, and have never had a problem getting what I ordered. I have found the dining room staff to be very accommodating and last week, on Freedom of the Seas, I never once had to order from the alternative menu.

My husband ordered spaghetti and meatballs from the children's menu on "lobster night".

Like previous posters have said.......................there's always something for a picky eater......you just have to ask.

My tablemates on my Brilliance cruise were definitely picky eaters (but very polite about it). They let our waitress know about it the first night and then each night at the end of the meal she would be bring the next night's menu and they would discuss how stuff was prepared and order what they wanted for the next night the night before. Frequently they would just order off the alternative menu but one night she got them the pork chop off the dinner menu prepared a different way since they liked pork chops but not the sauce it was supposed to be cooked in, and other items like that. If you have a good waiter and head waiter, they will find a way to make sure you find something you like to eat so you don't have to settle.

I am a meat and potatoe person as well. you will have no problem finding something good to eat.. the menu is plentiful, and you can order special requests as well. and there is steak available in DR every day.

do they not bring the sauces round separately then?

Does anyone know if I could just order a burger and fries or something like that if I don't like what is on the menu? I don't know what the childrens menu looks like.

Voyager had the best children's menu we had ever seen! On some nights I think it looked better then the adult menu LOL :p My daughter sure was in heaven . On the adult menu my husband loved that he could have some of the best Sugar free items as well.

Cali :)

Voyager W. Caribbean 12/16/06 "Our first AFT 1688"

Voyager E. Caribbean 11/05

S.S. Azure Seas Baja 11/90

I'm pleased to hear that you can order things with some modifications. I didn't realize they'd be able to handle that since they're cooking so many meals at once.

I've also been reading the thread by dzboss1 (Live from the Jewel); some of the menu items sound really good, like the Vidalia Onion Tart and the filet of beef with green peppercorn sauce....now I'm making myself really hungry.:)

I heard from a friend, who is dating the sister of this guy who knows this girl that once stayed in a Holiday Inn Express that Richard Fain's spouse has become a PETA influenced vegan and soon all ships under the RCI banner will become totally Vegetarian with lots of Soy and Tofu offerings. Soon there will be no meat, no chicken, no fish aboard any ship under the umbrella of RCI.

My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. We have sailed on Carnival before and he managed to find one thing on the menu each night that he could stomach. He hates all of the fancy and complicated dishes. Does anyone have a sample of the main dinning menus that I could take a look at? I am assuming that the menu is relatively similar across the cruiseline? Thanks so much!

I am probably just like your husband in this regard. Each night I found something good, knowing I could hit room service or the buffet if I needed to. So I got a little adventurous. The waiter did say if I didn't like something, he would bring me something else.

In '04 we went on our first cruise (carnival) and we found a post on cruise critic that said if you didn't like what was on the menu you could order a plain steak ... I ended up having that every night :D It was a short 4 night cruise, but I was a little sick of steak! I've since learned you could have plain chicken too. Our cruise in Dec. on RC we will have our 6 year old with us so I'll be able to see the children's menu and maybe order from there as well :D hehe

Leigh-Anne

do they not bring the sauces round separately then?

Madkitty - no, plates come sauced unless you have requested otherwise.