Can the MDR Hold a Candle to a Real Restaurant in a Foodie Town?

[Hunwolf]

I would accept your comparison as valid if you could show me a restaurant in NOLA that serves 12,000 meals a day and maintain consistent quality.

 

 

 

 

The Downtown Rescue Mission?

[slynn111]

We just booked our first cruse for January, and I like Applebee's and Outback, so I think I will enjoy it!! :)

[Hunwolf]

We just booked our first cruse for January, and I like Applebee's and Outback, so I think I will enjoy it!! :)

 

Applebee's is what it is. Certainly not bad given some of the specials they offer. A family of 4 can eat a decent meal there for a good price.

 

Outback seems way overpriced given some of the other "chains" in their pricing category: Logans...Longhorn...etc.

 

Just one time...ONCE...I would love to get my steak cooked correctly in an Outback. But I don't go there anymore unless someone else is buying...:D

[paulandfran]

We just booked our first cruse for January, and I like Applebee's and Outback, so I think I will enjoy it!! :)

 

Ok... I'd say the food quality is similar to Applebee's and Outback but the plating of the food, menu options and overall experience is more like fine dining. Not quite fine dining but closer to it than Applebee's and Outback. JMO.

[DEBnGAB]

Applebee's is what it is. Certainly not bad given some of the specials they offer. A family of 4 can eat a decent meal there for a good price.

 

Outback seems way overpriced given some of the other "chains" in their pricing category: Logans...Longhorn...etc.

 

Just one time...ONCE...I would love to get my steak cooked correctly in an Outback. But I don't go there anymore unless someone else is buying...:D

 

 

If I feel like having shoe leather NOT cooked to my liking I go to Outback! LOL They're three strikes you're out with me!

[slynn111]

Ok... I'd say the food quality is similar to Applebee's and Outback but the plating of the food, menu options and overall experience is more like fine dining. Not quite fine dining but closer to it than Applebee's and Outback. JMO.

 

 

Thanks! We're not too picky, and IMHO, a vacation is what you make it. :)

[Hunwolf]

If I feel like having shoe leather NOT cooked to my liking I go to Outback! LOL They're three strikes you're out with me!

 

That's pretty much my impression of the place.

[paulandfran]

Thanks! We're not too picky, and IMHO, a vacation is what you make it. :)

 

If you're not picky you will probably love the food. Some dishes are hit or miss but overall they do a great job. I enjoy the anticipation of getting the different courses served one at a time. And it's so nice to not have a bill to pay at the end of the meal.

[Silverscreencruiser]

If I were spending a week on a land based vacation, I doubt I would be eating at "fine restaurants" anyway. Certainly not every night. And for those people whose idea of a vacation includes fine dining every night, they probably wouldn't be considering a cruise on Carnival (or even RCCI or HAL or any of the other "one step up" cruise alternatives).

 

Frankly, most "vacation" destinations don't tend to have fine food. They cater to the masses as well with plenty of Chili's and Appleby's and Red Lobsters and Olive Gardens (or local equivalents).

 

I do consider the MDR equivalent or better to the places I'd probably be eating at if I were going on a vacation in anywhere near the same price range as I'm paying for the cruise.

[halos]

.

 

I'm not sure what the purpose of the majority of threads are. :confused:

 

How true.

[halos]

One of my friends manages Duckfat and Hugo's mmmmmm mmmmm....

 

Your right about the Pizza, that's one thing they can't get right up here. And cannoli's. And Mojito's.:)

 

Haven't been to Duckfat or Hugo's yet. They are on the (very long) list of places to try soon, however....

 

No, haven't had a good Mojito anywhere up here.

As for cannolis, I am a lousy Italian because I don't like them :p

[glrounds]

Got a little off topic on another thread and the subject of MDR food came up vs NOLA food. Thought this topic might warrant it's own thread.

 

I am from New Orleans. I like to cruise and have been on many cruises, but the MDR food is not what I usually call good. Sure, some items are better than others, and yes, sometimes there are hidden gems, but overall I don't think the MDR food can hold a candle to any established New Orleans area restaurant(and I'm not just talking high end, high dollar restaurants). I'm sure this is the case for restaurants in many other "foodie" towns, such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, etc. etc.

 

Yes, maybe the MDR is outstanding compared to the local fare in Shreveport, Springfield, Des Moines, etc. I've traveled extensively and it sometimes can be hard to find a decent restaurant in some towns that isn't an Applebee's, Chili's, etc.

I'm NOT dissing the MDR. It is nearly impossible to serve outstanding meals to 3,000 or 4,000 people every night and have the food taste great. Nothing is cooked to order and much of it sits around before being served.

 

The quality of ingredients are also not up to par. It would be impossible for Carnival to serve high quality ingredients as the cost would be prohibitive, especially since you have many passengers ordering more than 1 entree, appetizer, etc. Take those lobster tails in the MDR everyone raves about. Order lobster in a real restaurant and you'll see what I mean.

 

The MDR cannot compete with any decent restaurant in NOLA b/c of these limitations.

 

With that being said, I did not starve on any cruise, but my expectations for a culinary experience were not set high. I was not disappointed. A cruise is not about the food for me anyway. It's about the ability to lay around and do nothing for 5 or 7 days and RELAX. Something that is hard to come by at home.

 

I know many will disagree with me, as I have already seen in the other thread, but to each his own I guess. Some people like Outback Steakhouse. Other's like Ruth's Chris. Taste is a very personal thing.

 

For one, no self-respecting local great restaurant ANYPLACE would allow their waiters to DANCE on the FOOD-SERVING STANDS like Carnival does, PERIOD. :(

Not a food gourmet, have only been to NOLA once for a national convention, so my experience hardly constitutes a survey. Took the French Quarter tour and was aghast at how friggin' filthy everything was. I'm quite aware our stops on the tour were probably not WORLD FAMOUS restaurants, but that was my experience and what I remember about NOLA, unfortunately. Left the tour early, took a cab back to the Hilton. Didn't want to touch another grimy cruddy door handle. I guess I failed to catch that feeling that this was a desirable part of the ethnic flavor of the French Quarter. Probably goes along with thinking it WISE to live below sea level in a hurricane zone ! ! :confused:

 

The OP is obviously a "foodie" and could probably show me many fine establishments in the local NOLA scene. I'm just not a gourmet, I guess. I just like my food prepared simply and sanitarily. With the exception of the waiters Dog'n'Pony show, Carnival does a great job of that, IMHO. :)

[elcuchio24]

For one, no self-respecting local great restaurant ANYPLACE would allow their waiters to DANCE on the FOOD-SERVING STANDS like Carnival does, PERIOD. :(

 

Not a food gourmet, have only been to NOLA once for a national convention, so my experience hardly constitutes a survey. Took the French Quarter tour and was aghast at how friggin' filthy everything was. I'm quite aware our stops on the tour were probably not WORLD FAMOUS restaurants, but that was my experience and what I remember about NOLA, unfortunately. Left the tour early, took a cab back to the Hilton. Didn't want to touch another grimy cruddy door handle. I guess I failed to catch that feeling that this was a desirable part of the ethnic flavor of the French Quarter. Probably goes along with thinking it WISE to live below sea level in a hurricane zone ! ! :confused:

 

The OP is obviously a "foodie" and could probably show me many fine establishments in the local NOLA scene. I'm just not a gourmet, I guess. I just like my food prepared simply and sanitarily. With the exception of the waiters Dog'n'Pony show, Carnival does a great job of that, IMHO. :)

 

Ya! What you don't go the chucky cheeses??!

[Vanessa L]

Another point to consider.

 

Would the MDR please most passengers if it was a real "foodie" type restaurant?? There are many that like it simple as well as more sophisticated. Remember on every menu you are given the selection of appetizers, cold soup, hot soup, meat, beef, poulty, seafood, and several desserts. The thread that got you thinking complained about the selections available. And that is the strength of the MDR there are many selctions to meet the needs of the thousands of passengers being served. Instead of hundreds of different restaurants to please the thousands of folks each night.

 

Execution is indeed banquet style but that's almost what it has to be.

 

Cheers.

 

This is the rub. I am astonished at how many picky eaters there are out there!!!! If the MDR was ANYTHING like a real foodie place you'd see so many complaints that there was "nothing to eat" that it would only be a matter of days before it was changed to the Applebees of the Seas like we have now. Don't get me wrong, we enjoy the food in the MDR but "fine dining" or "foodie place" it is NOT. As many others have suggested, it's apples to oranges to even try to compare the two.

[cherjoe5]

my husband is what i consider a picky eater......wants food cooked his way only and was not disappointed in the MDR on our last carnival cruise......i find the food to be very good......but i like applebees and TGIF.........that being said we went to NOLA for a vacation and i gagged from one end of bourban street to the other from the smell of garbage and old beer........we decided we would never go back.........saw that done that

i love cruising and have never left a ship feeling underfed......lol

happy cruising everyone

cheryl

[mrpayroll]

Exactly. The MDR is not "fine dining" but it's a lot better than a typical week of meals at home for most of us. ;)

 

No argument from here on that....

[dan40]

Got a little off topic on another thread and the subject of MDR food came up vs NOLA food. Thought this topic might warrant it's own thread.

 

I am from New Orleans. I like to cruise and have been on many cruises, but the MDR food is not what I usually call good. Sure, some items are better than others, and yes, sometimes there are hidden gems, but overall I don't think the MDR food can hold a candle to any established New Orleans area restaurant(and I'm not just talking high end, high dollar restaurants). I'm sure this is the case for restaurants in many other "foodie" towns, such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, etc. etc.

 

Yes, maybe the MDR is outstanding compared to the local fare in Shreveport, Springfield, Des Moines, etc. I've traveled extensively and it sometimes can be hard to find a decent restaurant in some towns that isn't an Applebee's, Chili's, etc.

I'm NOT dissing the MDR. It is nearly impossible to serve outstanding meals to 3,000 or 4,000 people every night and have the food taste great. Nothing is cooked to order and much of it sits around before being served.

 

The quality of ingredients are also not up to par. It would be impossible for Carnival to serve high quality ingredients as the cost would be prohibitive, especially since you have many passengers ordering more than 1 entree, appetizer, etc. Take those lobster tails in the MDR everyone raves about. Order lobster in a real restaurant and you'll see what I mean.

 

The MDR cannot compete with any decent restaurant in NOLA b/c of these limitations.

 

With that being said, I did not starve on any cruise, but my expectations for a culinary experience were not set high. I was not disappointed. A cruise is not about the food for me anyway. It's about the ability to lay around and do nothing for 5 or 7 days and RELAX. Something that is hard to come by at home.

 

I know many will disagree with me, as I have already seen in the other thread, but to each his own I guess. Some people like Outback Steakhouse. Other's like Ruth's Chris. Taste is a very personal thing.

 

I love to visit NOLA for the food alone [and all the rest] But like Mach said, Com. Palace, or Brennans do not serve the number of meals in a month that a mid size cruise ship serves in a day. Just the food storage space on a cruise ship most likely dwarfs the total square footage of a premier land restaurant. Even Mother's doesn't serve the number of meals a cruise ship does. And just as comparing a family owned reasturant with a nationwide chain is not apples and apples, so is comparing a fine restaurant with an excellent banquet hall. And a banquet hall is what cruise MDR's are. So when you go to Peroria or Mingo Junction, or Boulder, you have to find a banquet hall and compare their food with the ship's food.:D:D

[f7prez]

Portland Maine, 2nd highest ratio restaurants/population in the country (after SanFran)

 

I live just down the coast and have enjoyed many great meals in the Portland area. We are lucky to have a high concentration of really good restaurants between Portland and Boston. I don't see why so many people make such a big deal about the food on cruise ships. It's like eating at a wedding reception every night without the appropriate attire.

[manmachine]

Or maybe you should change the thread to "I'm annoyed that someone judged me for what I choose to wear to the MDR so I'm starting another thread to annoy them by saying the MDR isn't fine dining". :D

 

Seriously, I agree with you the MDR isn't FINE DINING but I agree with the others it's not supposed to be. It's still really good food especially considering the massive quantity served and cruising is an overall excellent value. Just the cost of equivalent meals for a week covers a big portion of the cruise cost. On some super discounted cruises if you live close to a port it covers the ENTIRE cost. If you want fine dining there are lots of choices for that too just don't expect it in the Carnival MDR. As for the shorts in the Dining Room, if you're following the dress code don't worry about what others think. jmo.

 

Completely agree!

[silverado44]

Ok... I'd say the food quality is similar to Applebee's and Outback but the plating of the food, menu options and overall experience is more like fine dining. Not quite fine dining but closer to it than Applebee's and Outback. JMO.

 

 

How is singing and dancing waiters, conga lines with fruit and drinks on their head, and roaming pirate picture takers fine dining?

[paulandfran]

How is singing and dancing waiters, conga lines with fruit and drinks on their head, and roaming pirate picture takers fine dining?

 

The things you mentioned along with the food quality are not like fine dining. The menu options themselves, the more elegant style of the menu separated by courses, the plating of the food, the smaller sized portions, the way the waiter pulls out your chair... those things remind me more of fine dining than Outback or Applebees. But as I said it's not fine dining.

[jpg1747]

Since Carnival isn't trying to compare what it serves in the MDR to what you'd get in "a real restaurant in a foodie town," what difference does it make? I don't go on Carnival expecting fine dining like I've had in San Francisco and NYC. But what they serve, under the conditions that they're working, is just fine.

[dan40]

How is singing and dancing waiters, conga lines with fruit and drinks on their head, and roaming pirate picture takers fine dining?

 

 

How was dining FINE back in the big band era when they had singers and dancers with fruit salad headgear, ALL THROUGH THE MEAL, and yet all they patrons were dressed FORMALLY.

I can leave when the "singing and dancing" starts. In chain restaurants I cannot leave when the server comes to the table and says "HI, I'm Kirsten Ann and I'll be your server tonight and lifelong BFF even tho I have no clue how to be a waitress!" "Are you ready to order?" "Oh, you need a menu?"

[DEBnGAB]

Since Carnival isn't trying to compare what it serves in the MDR to what you'd get in "a real restaurant in a foodie town," what difference does it make? I don't go on Carnival expecting fine dining like I've had in San Francisco and NYC. But what they serve, under the conditions that they're working, is just fine.

 

 

I would agree...I had a fabulous meal last night in San Francisco and I wouldnt compare the two.

[MrPete]

For anyone still confused, the fine dining is offered in the Supper Club. Dining is offered in the MDR. Eating is offered in the Lido restaurants, and room service.