Low quality of food in MDR--not worth the investment of time and dress?

[beardedladies]

Well when I was on the Independence this May, we were dressed for formal night which i love wearing a tux is fun, one of the meals which was southern fried chicken and mash potato was recommended by the waiter but when it arrived the presentation was very bad and lacked taste, I just felt liked we were over dressed for the meal, I didn't eat much of it but had more bread rolls and key lime pie instead which is my fave of all... :eek: The waiter knew I wasn't happy with the meal and offered to change it, service was excellent as always... looking forward to going in 21 days again x

[jsjr]

I'm new to Cruise Critic. LOVE to cruise. I enjoy dressing for dinner. We are a family of 4, husband and 2 boys, 16 & 12 and I enjoy dressing for dinner. We are a casual family and its fun to dress up for 2 hrs a night on the ship.

[BobbyD]

Wow. I'm glad that I've cruised before because if not, I would be expecting warm slop based on some of the reviews of RC food. I have been on 7 cruises, beginning in 1986 and most recently in 2007 and have never had a bad meal in the MDR. Is it Morton's or Ruth's Chris? No, but I still think it is perfectly fine for the number of meals prepared. Maybe I've just hit it lucky but I doubt it. Were there some meals that were better than others? Yes. But, I've been to some pretty nice restaurants on land and had some so-so meals, largely dependent on what I chose. That's why, on the cruise, I generally follow the advice of the waiter. They won't lead you astray. They want a good tip! Now, maybe I'm different than many CC'ers in that I'm not a picky eater and enjoy eating almost anywhere, from Morton's to diners, so take that for what it's worth. For me, a good part of the cruise experience is the MDR, dressed up or not dressed up, but slowing the day down a bit. Our lives are too quick and I enjoy the chance to just sit and eat and talk for 7 days. I bet if we transported ourselves back 15 years to the mid 90's, there are many who would be writing the same comments about how the food was better during the good old days of the 80's!

[kayteeyvr]

I live in an amazing food city (Vancouver, BC) so have exposure to wonderful ingredients and restaurants. We have cruised on numerous occasions (various lines) and have always enjoyed the meals (and typically, the service is just wonderful). Admittedly, meals are mass produced and there are some supply limitations given that we are out at sea, so meals aren't always on par with the very best that our city has to offer, but nor are we paying that price.

 

I read a review recently where the reviewer noted that although the menu was the same as her previous cruise a year before, the food now had a steam-table like quality now which she attributed to the cutbacks. Come on! This makes no sense. If the menu was the same, I greatly doubt that they took the same food and "steam-tabled" it longer to save money. Similarly, another reviewer noted how cheap the cruiseline was not to leave a basket of rolls (those fresh baked yeasty ones that we all know of) on the table any longer. Instead, the waiter came around with the basket, offering guests one when they wanted it. And, what, prey tell, is wrong with that? I wonder how many of us keep a stacked basket of fresh rolls on the dinner table each night.

 

I think cruisers need to relax and have an open mind about the food. Most cruises I have been on have been an amazing value. We need to take that into account. On our upcoming cruise in December, we are paying $600 USD per person for a balcony cabin for a week. Less than $100 per day for a balcony cabin, room serviced twice a day, 3 meals a day (more if you wish), entertainment, travel to the sun, and people watching galore. This would be a bargain at twice the price. Come on, people. It is time to get realistic.

[mex25]

Its not that we had a bad meal in the MDR on the AOS this past june-The food just didnt live up to the hype-no portofinos-the food couldnt compare to the food we had in Hawaii in 08-:cool:

[keasc]

[quote name='West Vancouver Cruiser']I live in an amazing food city (Vancouver, BC) so have exposure to wonderful ingredients and restaurants. We have cruised on numerous occasions (various lines) and have always enjoyed the meals (and typically, the service is just wonderful). Admittedly, meals are mass produced and there are some supply limitations given that we are out at sea, so meals aren't always on par with the very best that our city has to offer, but nor are we paying that price.

I read a review recently where the reviewer noted that although the menu was the same as her previous cruise a year before, the food now had a steam-table like quality now which she attributed to the cutbacks. Come on! This makes no sense. If the menu was the same, I greatly doubt that they took the same food and "steam-tabled" it longer to save money. Similarly, another reviewer noted how cheap the cruiseline was not to leave a basket of rolls (those fresh baked yeasty ones that we all know of) on the table any longer. Instead, the waiter came around with the basket, offering guests one when they wanted it. And, what, prey tell, is wrong with that? I wonder how many of us keep a stacked basket of fresh rolls on the dinner table each night.

I think cruisers need to relax and have an open mind about the food. Most cruises I have been on have been an amazing value. We need to take that into account. On our upcoming cruise in December, we are paying $600 USD per person for a balcony cabin for a week. Less than $100 per day for a balcony cabin, room serviced twice a day, 3 meals a day (more if you wish), entertainment, travel to the sun, and people watching galore. This would be a bargain at twice the price. Come on, people. It is time to get realistic.[/quote]

Well said.

[rollie]

We just returned from a 2 week cruise on the Serenade. We were told that they change the menu on these longer cruises so as not to repeat meals offered. One of the things I noticed was much more chicken and less beef. Also it used to be hard to decide on an item on the menu, because everything sounded so good. Not so these days. I still feel that cruising is a great value, but you must admit it has changed over the last couple of years. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth.

Rollie

[Happy ks]

Sorry to say I didn't pay much attention to what others were wearing on our little cruise last week. Formal night we were in Chops s and we didn't have our photo taken, so we weren't really among the crowds in the dining room.

But we do like to look nice and even though we don't wear tux and gown, we at least wear sportscoat/cocktail dress and feel comfortable. I have no idea why others aren't comfortable in nice clothing other than they are wearing the wrong size clothes :confused:

We only ate in the dining room once for dinner and it was fine, what we expected. The other nights (only a 5 night cruise) we ate in Chops (X2), Portofino (X1 and a disaster with service, food was fine). The other night we were tired and didn't care to change clothes, so went to the buffet. We'll never make that mistake again. For some reason, after reading here on CC that the buffet was fine and served the same food, why not try it? Yuck and double yuck, the food is definitely not the same. The carved meat was dry, the chicken was overcooked and dry, the fish was overcooked and dry. The rice was crunchy, same with the pasta noodles, the vegetables mushy. I love fresh salads, but the salad bar (not just cruise ships, it seems any salad bar) the ingredients are mostly pre-bagged and canned. The only good part about dinner was it wasn't overcrowded like it is at breakfast and lunch.

We've never felt, even 10 years ago, that the food on any cruise ship is anything more than banquet style food. Sometimes the chef is better and it will make a difference, but it's all pretty much standard cruise fare. The specialty restaurants are better, worth the extra cost to us. It's a bit laughable to me that other people think the food was at any time close to the specialty restaurants in the MDR, there is just no way the dishes can be individually cooked to order for that vast a crowd. Even when cruise ships only held 600-800 pax, it still was banquet food. The big difference to me is how the CDC has forced them and land restaurants to use pre-packaged, frozen and canned foods replacing fresher ingredients.

So my answer to the OP, given the quality of food and service is that yes, it is worth the time and trouble to get dressed up to eat dinner in the dining room :)

[CRUZBUDS]

We were disappointed with the MDR food on the Serenade a couple of years ago. We did find it odd that the they paraded a chef from table to table to bask in the glory of the fantastic food. It was edible, but hardly worth all the bowing they were doing.

We did dress up and the people at the next table actually took off their baseball caps on formal night!

[mek]

I wish the food in the MDR would improve. It is the primary reason we haven't returned to RCCL since 2005, and we're Platinum. :(

[L.W.]

I agree...in our opinion the main dining room's food quality had steadily gone downhill.We now skip MDR completely and eat in the Windjammer.

[G'ma]

Well, I guess OP won't be cruising anymore...

Why bother - especially if so much is "sub-standard"...why waste money...

[MYMOTHERSCHILD]

{I don't cruise for food in the MDR, so this doesn't in any way affect my decision to cruise or not cruise with RCL. But I've finally decided the MDR is not for me--not as long as the quality of the food itself remains low. The wonderful presentation and service cannot make up for poor ingredients / cooking. Again, a bit embarrassing. I've had much better food in a U.S. chain restaurant such as Olive Garden--which I quite like as a matter of fact. I'm not a food snob.[/quote]

Glad you said it. Yes, "dressing up" is the most important reason for MDR dining for those "look at ME!" passengers. I once left the dinner line and rushed to the elevator, up to "wait on yourself" ... Eek! I can't stand affectation.
MMC

[carhirer]

[quote=MYMOTHERSCHILD ....Glad you said it. Yes, "dressing up" is the most important reason for MDR dining for those "look at ME!" passengers. I once left the dinner line and rushed to the elevator, up to "wait on yourself" ... Eek! I can't stand affectation.
MMC[/quote]

Rushed? A dramatic exit? And you complain of other "look at me" people?

[CruiserChloe]

I must have screwed up taste buds, because I thought the MDR food was pretty good.

[gkbiiii]

[quote name='ronandannette']No, they're not. :( It was better, much better. Even as recently as 5 years ago on the most humble ship in the fleet (Monarch of the Seas 05/04) it was an entirely different level of quality, and it's pretty easy to compare since the menus really haven't changed all that much.

I guess this is par for the course these days though...we just got off our first Celebrity cruise and were APPALLED at how completely mediocre the MDR food was.

Mark me down as a "golden days piner"...

Happy Sails,

Annette

P.S. You might like to consider NCL...both their relaxed dress codes AND the vastly superior food they serve in their "upcharge" restaurants may satisfy your concerns. We plan on sailing them again soon.[/quote]


I really felt that the food on the Monarch Oct 5, 09, was below standard. I was concidering going transatlantic with Celebrity however, if this is true, I will return to Disney. The rotational dining on the Magic was OUTSTANDING in every way!!!! The service, presentation, quality, and servings were of the highest level. I guess the "golden days" service of past are the Disney Magic's current level. In the end, sometimes you get what you pay for!!

[bplazo]

Disney was our first cruise and I loved how you rotated dining rooms.

[cruzincurt]

A comment such that the food was "not worth me dressing up for" sounds to me like just an excuse. I don't dress up for the food, I dress up for my sweetie and our evening together.

[Aquahound]

[quote name='cruzincurt']A comment such that the food was "not worth me dressing up for" sounds to me like just an excuse. I don't dress up for the food, I dress up for my sweetie and our evening together.[/quote]

Exactly!!!

[tomko2]

We were on the Brilliance (Aug. 26 - Sept. 7) and had three dinners in the Chops/Portofino and the rest in the MDR.
Quite frankly the food was very good in the MDR; offerings which we really enjoyed included: Slow Roasted Prime Rib, Lamb Shanks, Duck, Lamb Chop and Pork Osso Buco (Pork Shank).
Salads were good, soups delicious and sides good and I so enjoy those savoury bites.

We seldom go out to dinner preferring to stay home enjoying our wine and food without needing to worry about drinking and driving. The beauty of the cruise is that we get to go "out" for dinner and someone else is "driving". :D

Kathy

[aqhacruiser]

[quote name='cruzincurt']A comment such that the food was "not worth me dressing up for" sounds to me like just an excuse. I don't dress up for the food, I dress up for my sweetie and our evening together.[/quote]

We dress when we go to Portifino because we will not go to the dining room and I'd rather pay for good food on a vacation then deal with poor quality food in the dining rooms. This was not always the case, the food quality used to be very good in the MDR and it was a nice evening out and yes, to be dressed for it. As the food quality slipped so did RCCL's interest in what anyone was wearing in the MDR and you will see everything in there today and IMO the more casual attire is a good match for the quality food that is now served today so I do understand what the OP is saying. I also understand it's impossible to turn out good quality meals consistently when you have 3000 plus people so it is what it is today on the big ships and we really do not mind paying the extra.

Someone mentioned that perhaps RCCL wants us to pay for better food in the specialty resturants so that's why the quality has gone down in the MDR. Earning more onboard revenue is certainly the goal of any cruiseline and I think they've been doing a pretty good job at encouraging people to pay to dine elsewhere rather then eat in the MDR lately. I do not prepare poor quality meals at home, we do not eat them when we dine out at home and I don't care what the cost is on a cruise it's the dining experience we prefer and the more options the better. We also prefer the WJ over the MDR on nights when we've been in port as there are several more choices available then in the MDR especially salads, fresh fruit and seafood and the food is hot and fresh and not sitting in warming drawers waiting to be served. As always, food is subjective so this is JMO:)

[HOHSgunny]

[quote name='CruiserChloe']I must have screwed up taste buds, because I thought the MDR food was pretty good.[/quote]

I feel the same way as does my DW and DS's (for one we do not have to cook it) and since most cruise ships have to serve over 2500 people 3 times a day you can not expect 5 star quality - we find the food very good and a couple of times bordering on great :eek:

But my taste buds are a little messed up anyways since I eat at a Government chow hall most of the year.

[SEASONEDCRUZER]

[quote name='West Vancouver Cruiser']I live in an amazing food city (Vancouver, BC) so have exposure to wonderful ingredients and restaurants. We have cruised on numerous occasions (various lines) and have always enjoyed the meals (and typically, the service is just wonderful). Admittedly, meals are mass produced and there are some supply limitations given that we are out at sea, so meals aren't always on par with the very best that our city has to offer, but nor are we paying that price.

I read a review recently where the reviewer noted that although the menu was the same as her previous cruise a year before, the food now had a steam-table like quality now which she attributed to the cutbacks. Come on! This makes no sense. If the menu was the same, I greatly doubt that they took the same food and "steam-tabled" it longer to save money. Similarly, another reviewer noted how cheap the cruiseline was not to leave a basket of rolls (those fresh baked yeasty ones that we all know of) on the table any longer. Instead, the waiter came around with the basket, offering guests one when they wanted it. And, what, prey tell, is wrong with that? I wonder how many of us keep a stacked basket of fresh rolls on the dinner table each night.

I think cruisers need to relax and have an open mind about the food. Most cruises I have been on have been an amazing value. We need to take that into account. On our upcoming cruise in December, we are paying $600 USD per person for a balcony cabin for a week. Less than $100 per day for a balcony cabin, room serviced twice a day, 3 meals a day (more if you wish), entertainment, travel to the sun, and people watching galore. This would be a bargain at twice the price. Come on, people. It is time to get realistic.[/quote]


Hi there! I am so happy to see someone else on this board from our neighbourhood! I couldn't agree with you more, on our cruise two weeks ago (AOS-Caribbean) the food in the MDR was great-especially so because I did not have to lift a finger in it's preparation or delivery ;)

When one considers the price of eating out every day at a restaurant that would serve comparable food-the cost would be CONSIDERABLY more than the cruise fare per person and you wouldn't be travelling the world or meeting so many interesting people!

Geez people, stop over analyzing your vacation! Get dressed and go down to dinner with a positive attitude and a smile on your face and enjoy the food, ambiance and your dining companions, otherwise you are missing out on a great evening in a fantastic setting.

JMHO,

[Brad1185]

The food is so bad after their cutbacks the only dress deserved is shorts, t-shirt and flip flops with a ball cap

[mikeerdas]

[quote=G'ma;21595312]Well, I guess OP won't be cruising anymore...

Why bother - especially if so much is "sub-standard"...why waste money...[/quote]

Nice try, no cigar. :-) You're either reading more into what I wrote or have mistaken me for someone else. You'll have to find that someone else and take up your fight with him or her. I recall praising the great service in the MDR and the cruise line itself. Perhaps you cruise only for the food in the MDR so that it's an all or nothing decision? I do not. I'm gladly considering cruising RCI in the future, but remain firm in wanting to steer clear of the MDR. RCI, and cruising in general, offers good value in regards other than food. Don't you agree?

Eating is one aspect of cruising and, for me, it's not the most important one. I'm glad to seek out better food on land and live with what's offered on ship. Perhaps you feel differently. While you may disagree with my position, please don't disrespectfully mischaracterize it.

For great food, I choose Portofinos. For fun food, I prefer JRs and quite enjoy it. That's my bottom line and I've adjusted accordingly.