Be Careful RCL

[Stags14]

It's all a matter of perspective.

While I have NEVER gone hungry aboard a ship... I somehow remember better.

 

I remember getting the service questionaire and absolutely wanting to find a selection beyond EXCELLENT to describe my waiter, busboy, and dining experience.

 

As I've said, it seems land-based all-inclusive food, and MDR food has reached parity. The experience we had in Chops and Portofino's is what the dining experience used to be... 20 years ago.

 

Things change.

 

But like Thomas Wolfe wrote... You can't go home again.

 

Perspective it def is.

 

But, I still experience unbelieveable MDR staff - on my most recent trip on the Liberty in March, our MDR bartender remembered us out on the pool deck and hooked us up with a few extra beers in our bucket w/out the extra charge, came around every half hour or so and replenished all of our ice. In the MDR the whole staff would b/s with us for a while we'd all laugh and it was an awesome experience - it's what you make of it too.

 

I truly don't think the food is better in the specialty restaurants as much as it is different. It's a different menu, and a change for your pallete and I really think the problem/issue with the MDR is the fact that they HAVEN'T changed as opposed to they have changed. I think the whole experience needs an overhaul. They do all the same opening acts in the promenade, same themed parades, same food... since you get used to it, it definately does take away that 'aweness' and it's more of "meh... been there, done that, ate all this stuff... But the specialty stuff is awesome!" and I really think it's b/c it's a change and the MDR is the same 'ole stuff. Same songs - not a thing changes.

 

Just my pov.

[THEWIFE]

We used to be diehard Princess fans. Everything was great - the food, the service, etc. As time wore on, we noticed a definite decline in the quality and presentation of the food. We switched to another line and although the food was much better, the Guest Relations staff was infinitely worse. We have now booked Royal Caribbean, which is who we originally started with.

 

I think two things are in play here: I do believe in all fairness that since the prices have come down considerably on all lines over the last several years, the quality has come down. You simply can't have it both ways. As previously stated, if you don't like it, send it back and order something else. As far as presentation is concerned, how many of us actually serve our own families as though we were in a five star restaurant? I would just as soon the food came a step down in quality and the price of cruising stayed affordable, but, hey, that's just me.

 

The other thing in play is that I believe the cruise lines are fully aware of everybody's complaints and have come up with the idea of "paying" restaurants, since it is really impossible for them to offer the quality we used to get at the prices they are presently charging. This is a golden opportunity for them to make more money. It's up to you if you choose to eat there. I have personally tried several of the restaurants, but refuse to do it that often. I feel that the food is part of the price I am paying for my cruise.

[Bazoo]

Hey sandinmypants, I have done only one a/i (four and a half stars) and 2 cruises. I thought the food on the cruise was far superior to the a/i food. I found the a/i specialty restaurants had terrible service (we always felt rushed and couldn't get a drink to save our lives) and the portions were tiny and I'm not a big eater. On the cruiseships the service has always been impeccable, the ambiance relaxed and the food yummy and plentiful. And if you don't like anything they will go out of their way to make you something else. The drinks however will break the bank if you are a drinker!! I would still choose a cruise hands down every time!

[Langley Cruisers]

Agreed that food is subjective. Just read a nice review of BOS Med. and they commented on the excellent food in the MDR.

 

Glad you had a nice time, though.

[Mack2]

Perspective it def is.

...

...

...

I truly don't think the food is better in the specialty restaurants as much as it is different. It's a different menu, and a change for your pallete and I really think the problem/issue with the MDR is the fact that they HAVEN'T changed as opposed to they have changed. I think the whole experience needs an overhaul. They do all the same opening acts in the promenade, same themed parades, same food... since you get used to it, it definately does take away that 'aweness' and it's more of "meh... been there, done that, ate all this stuff... But the specialty stuff is awesome!" and I really think it's b/c it's a change and the MDR is the same 'ole stuff. Same songs - not a thing changes.

 

Just my pov.

 

I don't know whether it needs a fresh makeover.

 

Look at the people who LOVE Disney cruises. Same shows.. SAME SHOWS every cruise... Disney Dreams and whatever... every week, every year... but they still love it and go multiple times to compare the Jan. '09 Disney Dreams cast to the Mar '10 Disney Dream cast... they are insane!

_________________________________________________

 

I miss certain things... I missed seeing real caviar (american Hackelback) on the appetizers... didn't like the fake caviar (weird black gelatin balls)... and haven't seen any caviar-like entity the last cruise at all outside the one midnight buffet (but it looked like the black gelatin balls)

 

I liked the option of the exotic meats... a dinner with tenderloin of venison, or some rabbit dish... that was cool. I could go to a gourmet dinner in the MDR on the inaugural cruise of the Monarch in the late 80s, and eat stuff you can't find anywhere outside of some cushy Manhattan gastronomie.

 

I miss the Caesar Salad prepared tableside by my waiter with a raw egg, anchovies, lemon juice, cream, and herbs... then prepared for a few tables by the head waiter... then prepared for a section by the head waiter with pre-made Caesar dressing... to nothing... no prep, just some wilty Caesar on a plate.

 

I miss having a sommalier walking around with that silly cup thing around their neck... recommending the most amazing wines that I would never had tried without their advice.... I miss that a lot.

Sure, now I buy the wine package and drink nothing but White Zin and some generic Reisling... but I would like to explore finer wines... if someone could just help to guide me.

 

I don't know... it has changed.

It's still fun... and RCI is still my preferred cruise line... It's just different.

 

 

 

It's like my parents. They went on the Grand Princess years ago.. They had a top notch experience. They went on board, a string quartet serenaded them... My mom commented that it was like the last scene of the Titanic... The time I went aboard the Grand Princess, they had a DJ welcoming us... no more "Titanic music"...

 

Different.

(and kinda sad)

[cruise wizard]

Let's face it - some of "old salts" remember a higher quality of food - remember how many people were onboard - maybe 2000? Now RCCL is trying to serve 3500 - 5400 passengers 3+ meals per day - it is quite a task. Everything is more assembly line in preparation, it has to be - you want your meal warm and on time - it isn't done by magic but they do a magnificent job in preparation and serving everyday.

[Mack2]

Let's face it - some of "old salts" remember a higher quality of food - remember how many people were onboard - maybe 2000? Now RCCL is trying to serve 3500 - 5400 passengers 3+ meals per day - it is quite a task. Everything is more assembly line in preparation, it has to be - you want your meal warm and on time - it isn't done by magic but they do a magnificent job in preparation and serving everyday.

 

I've considered that... which is actually why I want to go on a smaller, maybe Radiance-class ship our next cruise... it's when I read things like the food on the Brilliance being disappointing... it kinda scares me.

 

My hope is that with a "smaller" ship, the food will be better... but like I mentioned previously, Thomas Wolfe may be right.

 

Still... I really love cruising... and RCI is still tops in my book.

Nostalgia is just that... nostalgia.

[Janice M]

Theres always something for everyone.

 

 

Heres how I look at it.

• I don't have to plan the meals.
  
• I don't have to shop for it.
  
• I don't have to lug it to the car (in 110 heat)
  
• I don't have to lug it into the house.
  
• I don't have to put it away.
  
• I don't have to cook it.
  
• I don't have to clean it up.
  

It works for me!! :)

 

***

 

My feelings exactly. May the food isn't as good as it used to be, but its still good. You can always find something good to eat some where on the ship.

 

Jan

[Mack2]

Haha...

 

You know what's the killer?

 

While I may be looking for better food, the kids aren't. Put chicken fingers or Mac&Cheese on the menu, they're good for the week.

 

That's another reason why RCI is still tops. I could go book a cruise on Celebrity, trying to find better food, but the kid's will still eat chicken fingers or Mac&Cheese every night... and they might be a little bored on top of that.

 

:o

 

edit:

... but it's getting harder to decide cruise vrs. land-based all-inclusive

[brmoqueen]

We just got back from the Briliance of the Seas on the Med. The ship and the service were great as usual... the ports .... amazing ..... the food .. very disappointing....

 

One selects the cruise line based on ports, the ship and the food in no particular order. If RCL continues this trend with the food they will start losing people fairly fast.

 

Just an obervation from one that wishes they would take note and improve.

 

mark

 

EXACTLY.......We just did Mariner at the end of June and thought pretty much the same (20th RCL cruise for us)....

 

I came off the cruise and had LOST 10#...that never happens but ate very little...

 

The food was blahhhhhhhh.....WJ was marginal at best....the only great meals we had were the two nights in Chops ....

 

We had talked my bff into this cruise (the first we did together was CCL last year) and kept telling him how great RCL was....well, they dropped the ball BIG TIME cuz I'll not get him back on RCL....

 

After much researching and such we have booked CCL for next June....I wish it was on RCL but weighing in everything and prices (and the fact that there is no left coast ship next year)....we went with price and ports...and the food was wayyyy better on Paradise than Mariner

 

jul

[spunky01]

We just got off the princess and was very dissappointed with the food in the mdr. Everything was over cooked.

Breakfast was the same thing. But even though the coffee was syrup it was good. Celebrity has a great breakfast with Oriental section along with other things, coffee was horrible. Rccl has awesome coffee and the food was ok. I like the fact that the waiters sing .. Princess they didn't do the show that rccl did in the dining room.

[Hunwolf]

We just got off the princess and was very dissappointed with the food in the mdr. Everything was over cooked.

Breakfast was the same thing. But even though the coffee was syrup it was good. Celebrity has a great breakfast with Oriental section along with other things, coffee was horrible. Rccl has awesome coffee and the food was ok. I like the fact that the waiters sing .. Princess they didn't do the show that rccl did in the dining room.

 

I have to say the NY Strip I got on the Emerald last month was one of the worst pieces of meat I've had in some time.

[Arizona Laura]

I don't expect great food..just good food as I have had on RCL cruises.

As long as I can get to one specialty restaurant on a 7 night cruise I am fine.

I do have to say the deli sandwiches on Carnival are pretty darn good though.

With no RCL ships on the west coast after Jan a good chance we will be experiencing Princess food next yr.

Laura

[sandinmypants]

Yep, this thread really IS starting to scare me.

 

See, if I'm just looking for food good enough to fill my belly three times a day, I don't need to pay what I consider to be top $ for it. If I just want food that someone else cooks, then serves, then cleans up.... well, there are options that are much less expensive than a cruise. They come with a larger room and a big shower, in-room jacuzzi, all that.

 

But I want WOW food. I recall our 10yo son trying escargot for the first time on our Disney cruise 12 years ago.... he pronounced it unfit for human consumption, but still, it was fun because he got to try it. Something we don't get at an a/i.... And they would bring his pineapple juice the minute we sat down, and they KNEW he wanted chocolate mousse in addition to what ever other dessert he chose from the menu, without him having to ask.... And I recall having as many different choices from the menu as I wanted, the waiter was just so happy to make ME happy.

 

WOW food, and SERVICE.

[crusinmama06]

Yep, I am one of the "RCI Vets" who thinks that the food quality is declining. I shouldn't have to go to the specialty restaurants to get a meal that tastes good. That's all I want. I dont need presentation and fanfare. I just want a meal that tastes good. And I just don't get it with the RCI menu now. :(

 

It has nothing to do with the declining costs of the cruises. The MDR food on Carnival and NCL is better than RCI. It's sad.

 

Read the reviews. One after another on RCI ships complain about the food while on Carnival ships they rave about the food, why is that?

[bionicman97]

I started cruising in 2006 and can't tell any difference in the food quality since then. Maybe it had already changed from what people remembered. I equate the food quality with something like the quality of olive garden/red lobster/outback type restaurants with service that is about 100 times better.

 

For what we pay for the cruise, I am more than satisfied with the food and service in the MDR.

[coordinator23]

The a la carte restaurants at our favorite a/i serve great meals. I remember from cruising (so many years ago, it's hard to remember!) that the food was excellent (a step up from the a/i, but not a HUGE step). What I do remember was the service..... wow. I hope that continues. And - am I going to have to pay extra for a filet mignon on the Serenade of the Seas? They don't have a "filet night" like they have "lobster night"? Now, THAT'S not fair! ;)

 

Filet night used to be every night. It was an alternative choice. And while I do not eat lobster (allergy), I can remember when family members who do had a large lobster tail on lobster night (about three times the size of the ones they use now). Now you "pay" for the filet and have to settle for a tough piece of sirloin if you don't. On last Princess cruise, 2 mos after Mariner cruise, we really noticed the difference between the two lines and their offerings. After paying for a cruise, I should not have to pay to go to an alternative rest. to get really good food.:(

[Cruzin-K]

I was definitely less than impressed with the MDR food on the Serenade in April. The only meal that I'd rate excellent was the $14.95 Chops filet that I splurged on for my birthday. The rest of the food was just OK, and rarely hot. By the end of the week I was used to eating barely warm food, and almost cold soup :(

 

Lunches in the Windjammer were very nice though, but then again I stayed away from the hot dishes and mostly ate salad and sandwiches.

[Havingfun2010]

I could only compare Carnival and RCCL, and at one time, RCCL was much better. However, it has slid. I'm not saying it's bad, just less expensive dishes, served without alot of flair. I'm not saying that Carnival is great, just a little better in the MDR. However, I think RCCL is better in the buffet area.

 

I definitely see both lines, cutting the cost. More variety, with different menue would be great.

[tnt10]

Interesting thread, especially about RCI UK running BOS and IOS. We were on the IOS Transatlantic last November, and we truly felt the food was not very good in the MDR. Not bad, but not good either. Just as disappointling, the service was not good at all, very cold and rushed. They have built these large ships with huge, beautiful and dramatic dining rooms. When you sit in one of these rooms for dinner, you expect a wonderful meal equal to the surroundings. Sadly, what we received was service that was below average, food that was the equivelent of say, Appleby's. And just for the record, have been to Appleby's twice, and will never eat in one again. Fake processed food, no thanks!

We have an upcoming cruise set for this fall on the AOS, and we are keeping our fingers crossed. Probably will try the MDR a couple of times, and if we experience the same as last year, will probably eat the rest of our meals in the WJ, specialty restaurant and room service.

We have also sailed on X, Azamara and Costa. Interestingly, the consistently best MDR food was on Costa. And this was a large ship with 3500-3700 pax., so it can be done.

Hope RCI can find a balance and bring up the level of service and food in their MDR's, or we will be forced to cancel upcoming scheduled cruises with them.

JMHO

Happy Cruising,

TnT

[rubrrick]

We have not been sailing on RCCL as long as many.......but we have packed in many cruises in the short period that we have enjoyed sailing with them.

 

The food.......is up to the Head Chef. It used to be grand! I understand the cutbacks in quality.......but the Head Chef can make all the difference, between a lousy meal.......and a good meal, using the same menu.

 

It's sad to see some of the food that come out of the galley today. I totally sympathize with those that have experienced less than excellent food.......for a mid class line.

 

This is not a premium line......not a 6 star, Crystal......or others.......but when the chefs are right on.......on RCCL..........the food quality is better than average!

 

So, if you don't like the food.......get the Head Chef's name......and put it in your comment card. RCCL listens! I hope!!:rolleyes:

 

Rick

[Alexis]

Theres always something for everyone.

 

 

Heres how I look at it.

• I don't have to plan the meals.
  
• I don't have to shop for it.
  
• I don't have to lug it to the car (in 110 heat)
  
• I don't have to lug it into the house.
  
• I don't have to put it away.
  
• I don't have to cook it.
  
• I don't have to clean it up.
  

It works for me!! :)

 

***

 

Pretty much my point of view in regards to the food. Personally, I enjoy meals that I cook over any restaurant but it's all about being catered to, enjoying your company, not having to do any work and taking in the experience. That's what dining out is all about to me, and that's how I view the MDR. To me, the food is good. I definately think it's time for a new menu, but... whatever.

 

I definately don't think the food is bad enough to leave the company and take business elsewhere. I definately don't think there's a 'conspiracy' to get customers to the specialty restaurants.

 

My DH likes sandwiches from a gas station and I am not that picky so we are easy to please. Besides, I'm on a cruise

 

I have to agree with all of you. :D

My husband and I are very easy to please when it comes to meals.

We do not go on a cruise for the food, but for the entire vacation.

I have never come home from a cruise weighing less, so I guess I have no complaints. :)

[marci22]

Desserts in particular have suffered; they all seem to be made out of the same jello base. On our recent cruise, my kids would shake the dessert before eating it. If it jiggled, they were disappointed.

 

I don't think the food is bad but there have been cutbacks and with all the posters who seem to not care about food other than to keep them alive, I think Royal made a great business decision to contain costs in the food budget.

[BroncosFan2010]

I think food is subjective and I think OP has valid points. I am getting tired , in general, of the same menus on each ship. It would be nice to see a greater variety that is based more on the sailing location rather than having the same items no matter what itinerary one is on.

I too would like to see more variety in the MDR. I have the feeling that they keep the menu the same for cost savings, and also because by doing so, they encourage more people to dine in the extra cost venues.

[Paul65]

I will not boar you with the details except to say it was across the board. I am not talking about a dish here or there but almost every dinner had issues.

 

Actually, these type posts bore me with generalities and lack of detail.