Be Careful RCL

[Lynnees]

Huh? "inedible" ? "bad" ? As compared to what?? Are you exaggerating to make a point? These are words normally used for prison food.

 

Mitch

 

Yes, inedible and bad. No exaggerating. We ended up going elsewhere to eat.

 

You know, it may seem a strange concept to you but yes, sometimes the food is crap.

[Cruzaholic41]

Huh? "inedible" ? "bad" ? As compared to what?? Are you exaggerating to make a point? These are words normally used for prison food.

 

I agree with you. I have yet to be on a cruise with "inedible" food. I've tried meals I did not particularly care for, but that was easily fixed by ordering something else.

[marci22]

I have had a few "bad" dishes on some of our cruises. Bad enough that they weren't worth eating. It does happen; everything is not great, for sure.

[Paul65]

Yes, inedible and bad. No exaggerating.

 

Hmm. If there's not exaggerating there, then a few thousand people went hungry on that cruise, since the food in the MDR could not be eaten. (Or...maybe inedible really was an exaggeration. ;))

[windjamming]

The lamb shank we got once was so tough that it was difficult to saw at it with a steak knife. I would call that bad.

[sailawayjack]

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....

 

This is not met to be a complaint post but this cruise was my 5th on RCL so I do have a history with them and have been very satisfied in the past. I have noticed that the quality of the food is slipping and it was very noticable in this cruise.

 

Chops and Portifino was great and I do strongly suggest anyone to plan a dinner there. Since it was a 12 day cruise we were able to enjoy both. Now if RCL could just come close to that level of excellence in the MDR they would be the top line in the world.

 

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.

 

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

 

:cool: This thread compares to the current thread regarding Walmart Cruises. Having sailed with RCCL since 1993, and having noticed that the food has gone way down hill, I can attest that curise experiences in general have declined. I have stated previously that I would pay more for a cruise if RCCL would restore the quality of food in the MDR. What we get in speciality restaurants now, is what we used to get in the MDR on a nightly basis. RCCL has granted me my request, but the catch is that I would have to eat at Chops or Portofino's every night. I enjoy the MDR experience; have a relationship with my waiters; have the opportunity to set at a table with other people and comparing our daily experiences. RCCL has lowered it standards because it has lowered prices to that more people can afford to cruise. The people who now curise who couln't afford to cruise before, are getting exactly what they pay for. They have no idea what things were years ago. To them this is fantastic. If they only knew. A poster previously stated that if we wanted great food, go to France or Italy. We used to get food just like that right here in the MDR.:cool:

[nanfromatlanta]

:cool: This thread compares to the current thread regarding Walmart Cruises. Having sailed with RCCL since 1993, and having noticed that the food has gone way down hill, I can attest that curise experiences in general have declined. I have stated previously that I would pay more for a cruise if RCCL would restore the quality of food in the MDR. What we get in speciality restaurants now, is what we used to get in the MDR on a nightly basis. RCCL has granted me my request, but the catch is that I would have to eat at Chops or Portofino's every night. I enjoy the MDR experience; have a relationship with my waiters; have the opportunity to set at a table with other people and comparing our daily experiences. RCCL has lowered it standards because it has lowered prices to that more people can afford to cruise. The people who now curise who couln't afford to cruise before, are getting exactly what they pay for. They have no idea what things were years ago. To them this is fantastic. If they only knew. A poster previously stated that if we wanted great food, go to France or Italy. We used to get food just like that right here in the MDR.:cool:

 

I thoroughly agree!! ;)

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

If you were at a restaurant with poor food would you say the same thing?

 

.

 

I don't see it quite the same.

I look at the dinner menu every afternoon. That gives us a chance to decide if we want to dine in the MDR or elsewhere that evening.

We can always find something, even if we end up with a salad at the WJ.

 

We have our favorite restaurants and they always get it right.

If we go elsewhere and it isn't as good, we usually try and give it second chance. They don't get three strikes, only two.

 

***

[north29]

We were on the Brilliance last year and the MDR food was poor to fair most nights so we ate many times in the Windjammer(food was better). It has a lot to to with the ships management, On the Jewel this spring(sister ship) the food was so good it was MDR every night.

On a Navigator trans Atlantic, the food was so poor, that people were getting off trying to find something to eat, so they said, Been on the Monarch many time but the last two the food in the MDR was very good, could not say that about other Monarch cruises.

Bottom line, it is the management of the ship that changes.

I would like to see a more varied menu from ship to ship, but, the way big companies buy in bulk the prices are better, thus lower cruise prices.

[marci22]

We tried the WJ for dinner on our last cruise and were pleasantly surprised. The Mongolian grill was a favorite of my family.

[Mack2]

We tried the WJ for dinner on our last cruise and were pleasantly surprised. The Mongolian grill was a favorite of my family.

 

See? That's the thing, though...

When I'm on a cruise... I want to have that old "cruising" experience... not "Club Med on a ship".

 

Cruises used to be about the whole package. Amazing food, entertainment, and exciting excursions. It had so much more value than Sandals or Club Med.

 

I think, while people should be completely satisfied with the Windjammer (i.e. buffet), they should also be doubly impressed with the MDR... THAT'S where cruises used to stand out in my book. No little private, reservation restaurant at Sandals could compare to the MDR. Heck, the Windjammer SHOULD be gourmet compared to the slop they serve at Club Med's buffet... why is the MDR slipping?

 

Kudo's to the top waiters, busboys, and stateroom attendants. That level of service is what hooks people into cruising... You'll almost never find that service outside a cruise line... so people WILL rave about it.

 

But if the food in the MDR is just passable ("It was okay, at least I didn't have to cook it!")...

I don't know. What happened?

[bluegirlum]

See? That's the thing, though...

When I'm on a cruise... I want to have that old "cruising" experience... not "Club Med on a ship".

 

Cruises used to be about the whole package. Amazing food, entertainment, and exciting excursions. It had so much more value than Sandals or Club Med.

 

I think, while people should be completely satisfied with the Windjammer (i.e. buffet), they should also be doubly impressed with the MDR... THAT'S where cruises used to stand out in my book. No little private, reservation restaurant at Sandals could compare to the MDR. Heck, the Windjammer SHOULD be gourmet compared to the slop they serve at Club Med's buffet... why is the MDR slipping?

 

Kudo's to the top waiters, busboys, and stateroom attendants. That level of service is what hooks people into cruising... You'll almost never find that service outside a cruise line... so people WILL rave about it.

 

But if the food in the MDR is just passable ("It was okay, at least I didn't have to cook it!")...

I don't know. What happened?

 

I never cruised during the "Golden Age" of cruising, so I guess I've never had the expectation the the MDR would be an impressive experience. When I think of a vacation experience with good food, a cruise is probably at the bottom of my list. Maybe I was spoiled by living in France and having daily school lunches that were better than many meals that I've had in the MDR, but the quality of the food on the ship is never a selling point when I talk about cruises. Quantity? Yes.

[nanfromatlanta]

I never cruised during the "Golden Age" of cruising, so I guess I've never had the expectation the the MDR would be an impressive experience. When I think of a vacation experience with good food, a cruise is probably at the bottom of my list. Maybe I was spoiled by living in France and having daily school lunches that were better than many meals that I've had in the MDR, but the quality of the food on the ship is never a selling point when I talk about cruises. Quantity? Yes.

 

Now, that's pretty bad when a school lunch is better than the food in the MDR!! :( It wasn't always that way. In the not too distant past, the dining rooms had pretty good food. If the current passengers don't expect better food, the cruise lines certainly will not step up and provide it... ;)

[marci22]

I think, while people should be completely satisfied with the Windjammer (i.e. buffet), they should also be doubly impressed with the MDR... THAT'S where cruises used to stand out in my book. No little private, reservation restaurant at Sandals could compare to the MDR. Heck, the Windjammer SHOULD be gourmet compared to the slop they serve at Club Med's buffet... why is the MDR slipping?

 

I don't know. What happened?

 

I think it is telling that we had a better experience with a simple stir-fry in WJ than the MDR. I'm not saying the WJ was overall better, but it was definitely comparable to the MDR, as many have posted.

 

This is not a good trend, but it seems like so many people are happy with the MDR food (ie, it's ok to be bland, it's easy, there's a lot of it!) that Royal's cost-cutting in the food department appears to be a success. There is no reason for them to spend more when they obviously don't have to.

[cr3boys]

Just off the Freedom, and I can tell you that the MDR food was horrible. We stopped eating in there after the second night, and ate in the Windjammer. I was prepared for the dining room food to be at least average, but it was WAY below that. This was the opinion of me, my husband, and our three children.

 

We live in the Washington, D.C. area, and are accustomed to dining at very good restaurants. RCI needs to step up their game quite a bit.

[marci22]

Just off the Freedom, and I can tell you that the MDR food was horrible. We stopped eating in there after the second night, and ate in the Windjammer. I was prepared for the dining room food to be at least average, but it was WAY below that. This was the opinion of me, my husband, and our three children.

 

We live in the Washington, D.C. area, and are accustomed to dining at very good restaurants. RCI needs to step up their game quite a bit.

 

It seems that lately, Freedom in particular has had a lot of complaints posted about the MDR food. We have been on 2 cruises since our FOS experience and the food on the other ships was definitely better than FOS.

[Cruzface]

The specialties make them money...and if they are full and pax are willing to pay more $$ for a decent meal..why not?;)

 

Many pax think it is fine to dress like they are going to their local diner...why shouldn't the food reflect that sort of "ambiance"?:p

 

You actually believe the food is lesser quality in the MDR because the cruise line has noticed that some people don't dress up? I hope you are joking because this kind of logic is scary. IT IS A BUSINESS! They are saving money in the MDR and forcing those who want a great meal to pay extra in a specialty restaurant. Not hard to figure out.

[Paul65]

You actually believe the food is lesser quality in the MDR because the cruise line has noticed that some people don't dress up? I hope you are joking because this kind of logic is scary. IT IS A BUSINESS! They are saving money in the MDR and forcing those who want a great meal to pay extra in a specialty restaurant. Not hard to figure out.

 

I actually don't think that BakinCakes' comment is that far off-base. Of course they are out to save money as much as possible, but it is certainly possible that the appearance of the passengers and the actions of the cruise lines could affect each other. If they see that many of the passengers are not longer dressing up, it might make them think that many of the passengers no longer care about an elegant dining experience. And as the dining experience becomes less elegant, fewer and fewer people dress up. I can see the two feeding off each other in a subtle way. That doesn't have to mean that someone consciously says, "because the average passenger is dressing more casually, we are going to reduce our costs in the MDR."

[nellydean]

Just off the BOS and we thought the food was generally good, both in the MDR and the WJ.

OK, it was never going to be of the same standard as that of Cunard, but we never choose a cruise for the food. Also, having sailed with Cunard, we would not sail with her again, simply because we find the ships too posh (in terms of dressing up) and prefer the more relaxed atmosphere of RCI.

 

However, that is not to say that RCI should allow its standards to fall further, so I back any moves to improve food quality

[MrsPete]

We just sailed Liberty last week, and our food experience was just the opposite of the OP's: We had a few things that were not so good, but the majority of our selections were delicious! Random comments:

 

- Nothing at all resembled a school cafeteria. As a teacher, I frequent the cafeteria, and that comparison is 100% false. Neither did it resemble chain restaurants like Applebees or Chilis.

 

- We did not see a chicken finger all week -- no, wait . . . they were on the menu one day in the MDR for lunch. My kids did frequently order from the "alternative menu" in the MDR, which always offers a basic sirloin steak and a roasted chicken plate. Neither of these appeared to be as good as the "main offerings", but the kids kept on ordering them. I think one child might've ordered a plate of spaghetti one night, but I'm not sure. My niece, in particular, insisted upon the sirloin steak every single night, even when a better cut of beef was on the menu . . . but she's a kid.

 

- Food in the MDR was all very good, though some things were better than others. Particularly good: turkey, spinach dip, beef tenderloin, lobster bisque, onion soup, key lime pie. Not our favorites: peach soup, mushroom tart, lobster. The lobster was overcooked. The vast majority of the food was tasty, well-prepared, and plated nicely. I can't think of a single thing I'd describe as bland or tasteless.

 

- Service in the MDR was outstanding. We had My Time Dining, but we were with the same waiters most evenings. They remembered our names and preferences and definitely catered to our four girls. One of the girls was very shy on the first night, and one waiter brought her a special ice cream sundae in a fancy glass. For the rest of the week, the girls clamored for the "shy girl special".

 

- On our last cruise, we were disappointed in desserts: we had an abundance of things that were overly "whipped" and had little substance. They have definitely stepped up in this category, which was a nice surprise. Their sugar-free dessert selections were surprisingly good!

 

- My husband and I ate in Portifino's on our anniversary, and it was outstanding. However, it was also $60 ($20 each plus tip) IN ADDITION TO the cost of the dinner we would've had in the MDR. Yes, it's better food, but that's a pretty steep cost. This is not something we'd do every cruise. Not when the MDR meal is already paid and is very good.

 

- I don't believe that the MDR food is going downhill so that people will pay for meals in the specialty restaurants -- I don't see an evil conspiracy there. Rather, I think people eat out so often these days that they've become accustomed to meals that are "very nice"; thus, anything short of flat-out spectacular has an underwhelming feel.

 

- I do think that passengers' lack of willingness to dress up has influenced the food in the MDR. When people choose to come to dinner in shorts and an athletic tee-shirt or hoochie-mama shorts (we didn't see much of that, but we did see it), it sends a message to the cruise line that they see dinner as nothing more than a quick Applebee's stop.

 

- Cafe Promenade was excellent, as always. We really enjoy those delicious little sandwiches as a quick snack. Sorrentos was less appealing to us. They seemed to run out of panninis, though the kids certainly ate loads of their pizza.

 

- Johnny Rockets didn't seem to be doing much business, and I don't know why they keep it.

 

- The MDR lunch selections were delicious, and you can get in/out in 30 minutes. I'm not sure I didn't enjoy that more than dinner! The salad bar is just as wonderful as people have proclaimed it to be. I highly recommend it.

 

- The food in the Windjammer is good. Breakfast is their strong suit. Although they serve mainly the same things everyday, the variety is excellent. Breakfast and lunch were always rather busy, but the one dinner we ate there was less crowded. If you want lots of fruits and vegetables, the Windjammer always has a good selection of fresh offerings: cooked vegetables, cold salads, cut-up fruit and whole fruit. I didn't think it was an outstanding dinner choice, but the food was good. Well, except for the tamales, but -- as I said in the opening paragraph -- the food was excellent overall with a few misses here and there.

[MrsPete]

I actually don't think that BakinCakes' comment is that far off-base. Of course they are out to save money as much as possible, but it is certainly possible that the appearance of the passengers and the actions of the cruise lines could affect each other. If they see that many of the passengers are not longer dressing up, it might make them think that many of the passengers no longer care about an elegant dining experience. And as the dining experience becomes less elegant, fewer and fewer people dress up. I can see the two feeding off each other in a subtle way. That doesn't have to mean that someone consciously says, "because the average passenger is dressing more casually, we are going to reduce our costs in the MDR."

I agree.

[Cruzface]

I actually don't think that BakinCakes' comment is that far off-base. Of course they are out to save money as much as possible, but it is certainly possible that the appearance of the passengers and the actions of the cruise lines could affect each other. If they see that many of the passengers are not longer dressing up, it might make them think that many of the passengers no longer care about an elegant dining experience. And as the dining experience becomes less elegant, fewer and fewer people dress up. I can see the two feeding off each other in a subtle way. That doesn't have to mean that someone consciously says, "because the average passenger is dressing more casually, we are going to reduce our costs in the MDR."

 

You are giving the cruise lines way too much credit. They really could care less how anyone dresses. I don't see anyone wearing suits to the specialty restaurants, but the food is clearly better. Why? Because you are paying extra. That is all they care about. If the food in the MDR stayed as good as it used to be, then nobody would go to the specialty restaurants and the cruise line would not make as much money.

[bluegirlum]

I agree.

 

I go back and forth on this. I think it depends on where you live and what you're used to. We have excellent restaurants here, which surprises a lot of people, but rarely do you need to dress up. Even at our best restaurant in town, which far surpasses Portifino, they would not turn you away if you showed up in jeans or shorts. It's just how our town is. You will see people in suits and cocktail dresses, but you'll see people in shorts and sandals.

 

Growing up, I was expected to "dress" for dinner. I didn't go to my grandparent's dinner table without a dress or skirt, and the men had to wear a coat and tie. To me, going out to dinner means dressing up, and frankly I find it very stuffy. But I have many friends who grew up in towns where that was not the norm. They still went to restaurants with great food, but they didn't have to put on a show.

 

I don't think the cruise line puts that much thought into it. I think people on CC put the most thought into it.

[MrsPete]

You are giving the cruise lines way too much credit. They really could care less how anyone dresses. I don't see anyone wearing suits to the specialty restaurants, but the food is clearly better. Why? Because you are paying extra. That is all they care about. If the food in the MDR stayed as good as it used to be, then nobody would go to the specialty restaurants and the cruise line would not make as much money.

When I was in Portafino's last week, the majority of the men were wearing suits.

 

I do think people would still keep going to the specialty restaurants, even if the food in the MDR were essentially the same. Many people feel that they "must do it" because it's there, as if they're missing out on something essential rather than doing something extra, something above-and-beyond. If it's available and they don't do it, it's like they missed an essential part of their cruise.

[Aquahound]

I go back and forth on this. I think it depends on where you live and what you're used to. We have excellent restaurants here, which surprises a lot of people, but rarely do you need to dress up. Even at our best restaurant in town, which far surpasses Portifino, they would not turn you away if you showed up in jeans or shorts. It's just how our town is. You will see people in suits and cocktail dresses, but you'll see people in shorts and sandals.

 

Where I live, you would look very odd dressing up in a nice restaurant. Typical attire in the nicer steakhouses, etc, is a button down shirt or polo, linen or cargo shorts, and sandals. We refer to it as "Key West casual." I realize we are rather unique in this way though. Like you said, it's just how my town is. Our food doesn't suffer because of it.