Would you complain about NCL food if they did what Carnival is doing?

[simplylife0010]

I cruise just about all the major cruise lines and they have all cut down on the quality of food unless you're willing to pay for it. Carnival is just making changes to help their bottom line. Some on the Carnival board don't want to admit to the use of cheaper meats and ingredients. Not a big deal but Carnival is not as good as they once were in a lot of areas. They have dumbed down their entertainment. When did comedians become the main source of entertainment? Not as much live music. Just not the same Carnival that I once liked.

[sdmike]

I read through all the new CCL menus and think the people squawking over there are either uninformed or just like to complain. The menus look outstanding. I counted at least 15 shrimp dishes available. I like a "comfort food" of the day selection. Makes perfect sense for someone in the mood. They also have an appetizer selection (forget the name) which is something you would not normally try. Something exotic. I like this idea as well. The rest of the menu looks normal...about 6-7 appetizer selections and then 10 entrees made up of steak, chicken, seafood, pasta. Oh yeah...a comfort food too.

[STARFISH*4]

I haven't seen shrimp cocktail in the MDR for the last several NCL cruises....did have it in the suite dining area last cruise.

.

 

they had it on the STAR in February.

[Senoj84]

I read through all the new CCL menus and think the people squawking over there are either uninformed or just like to complain. The menus look outstanding. I counted at least 15 shrimp dishes available. I like a "comfort food" of the day selection. Makes perfect sense for someone in the mood. They also have an appetizer selection (forget the name) which is something you would not normally try. Something exotic. I like this idea as well. The rest of the menu looks normal...about 6-7 appetizer selections and then 10 entrees made up of steak, chicken, seafood, pasta. Oh yeah...a comfort food too.

 

I agree! I've sailed Carnival and the new menu changes are almost the same except for the comfort food and a few other things like the shrimp cocktail. Don't mind the comfort food at all because those are the foods that I crave the most when I cruise.

 

I'll be looking forward to the comfort food at the Blue Lagoon in October!

[Warm Breezes]

Let me be the first to say, there is NO SUCH THING as a good flat iron steak, at least not on Carnival anyway. I tried it once and it was like shoe leather. On the next Carnival cruise I was on I asked about it and the waiter suggested I order something else.

 

The Carnival food has really gone down in IMHO which is why we're switching back to RCI and NCL. I like RCIs food and I really think we'll enjoy the various choices NCL offers. On our last Carnival cruise on the Liberty the food was not passable IMHO. That was out 9th cruise and the first time I ever left a ship shaking my head with regard to the food quality. We won't go back until Carnival fixes that and by the looks of things, its getting worse, not better.

 

You tried it once and now you are an expert on them all:rolleyes:. I don't like steak period so I can't comment on steak...but DH had it on the Glory last month and he thought it was excellant. But that's just his opinion and I'm sure he won't go out on limb and say all the flat iron steaks are excellant....I personnally don't take anyone's advice on cruise ship food because it is much too subjective. DH and I don't even like the same food so why would I base a cruising decision based on someone else's opinion of food.

 

I think all this uproar Carnival is overblown whining by a select few. There are a lot of us they have no problems with the new menus and have stated such.

[family cruisers]

We have sailed on the Carnival pride 2 years in a row and have always LOVED their flat iron steak. Cuts like butter.

It's out there , trust me. It's as tender as filet mignon . Sorry you didn't get to try the good ones :)

We now have our butcher cut it for us and throw it on the grill at home. Delicious .

We love a good steak and you cannot tell the cut of the meat unless someone asks.

 

Let me be the first to say, there is NO SUCH THING as a good flat iron steak, at least not on Carnival anyway. I tried it once and it was like shoe leather. On the next Carnival cruise I was on I asked about it and the waiter suggested I order something else.

 

The Carnival food has really gone down in IMHO which is why we're switching back to RCI and NCL. I like RCIs food and I really think we'll enjoy the various choices NCL offers. On our last Carnival cruise on the Liberty the food was not passable IMHO. That was out 9th cruise and the first time I ever left a ship shaking my head with regard to the food quality. We won't go back until Carnival fixes that and by the looks of things, its getting worse, not better.

[DMH15]

Totally agree with everything you wrote EXCEPT for the mac & cheese. There is a steak house north of Boston that serves lobster mac & cheese -- 4 different kinds of cheese, homemade pasta, with LOTS of sweet Maine lobster meat -- absolutely incredible. Certainly not healthy, but a wonderful indulgence on a special occasion.

 

Now if you like those "lobsters" they serve on cruise ships, we've got something else to talk about! :)

 

Boston- don't get me wrong... If i could eat mac and cheese I would. OMG, my sister makes the best in the world! But I am on a constant diet so that is the only reason it's not on my "list".

[waygrumpy]

I read through all the new CCL menus and think the people squawking over there are either uninformed or just like to complain. The menus look outstanding. I counted at least 15 shrimp dishes available. I like a "comfort food" of the day selection. Makes perfect sense for someone in the mood. They also have an appetizer selection (forget the name) which is something you would not normally try. Something exotic. I like this idea as well. The rest of the menu looks normal...about 6-7 appetizer selections and then 10 entrees made up of steak, chicken, seafood, pasta. Oh yeah...a comfort food too.

I kind of like it. If there is more refined food for me the younger kids might enjoy mac and cheese or burgers . When my son joined us last time he skipped some meals with the adults because he just wanted a burger. If these choices would have been there he would have joined us every meal.

 

The MDR needs a variety of food to bring in everyone. Just me 2 cents worth.

[cathep]

I would call myself a foodie (I don't know how to say that and not sound pretentious) and have enjoyed trying different fancy foods on cruise ships. But the first thing we do when we got off the ships is hunt down a big ole meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mushy green beans, and sweet tea. Comfort food would be a welcome option to intersperse with the other food options on the ship.

[sunshine 229]

Seems it is impossible to please everyone. I remember a few years ago reading complaints about cruise food being "too fancy" and everything "having sauces" from people who like plain old fashioned meat and potatoes. Now Carnival is introducing the comfort foods that sound like they would appeal to the meat and potatoes crowd and people are complaining about that too.

 

Overall, I'd say that the quality of cruise food has decreased in the past ten years... as someone else pointed out, how could it not, considering that the prices of food ingredients have increased a great deal in that time while the prices of cruises have not. In general I still think that the food you get on a cruise is good value considering the price you pay.

[OCruisers]

I cruise just about all the major cruise lines and they have all cut down on the quality of food unless you're willing to pay for it.

 

:rolleyes: Totally agree with you! ALL cruise lines have cut back on the quality of food ... unless you're willing to pay.

 

We now factor into the cost of our cruises $pecially restaurants ... where we have dinner most nights.

[chill6x6]

We now factor into the cost of our cruises $pecially restaurants ...

 

Probably not a bad idea....

[valleyvillage]

:rolleyes: Totally agree with you! ALL cruise lines have cut back on the quality of food ... unless you're willing to pay.

 

We now factor into the cost of our cruises $pecially restaurants ... where we have dinner most nights.

 

I really don't mind the MDRs but now we just figure in an additional $150 pp to eat where we want to eat. And we never actually hit that figure, I guess you would have to eat at Le Bistro every night! Hmmm, not a bad idea!:D

[Little Stinker]

I dont have to cook + my wife sees something she will eat = I'm Happy!

[Balconymaven]

Obviously a lot of people are not "happy" :) about this thread. If these (meatloaf, mac n cheese, etc) were the only options on the menu it would be a bit disappointing. I have not cruised Carnival so I have no knowledge. I don't think Balconymaven was trying to stir trouble, just wanted to know peoples thoughts on including these items and having eliminated shrimp cocktail. I did not read the thread to say these new items were the only items on the menu, but they were now incuded on the menu. Possibly the phrase "limited to" is what is stirring trouble.

 

Come on people, this is a thread asking your thoughts. My philosophy is if I don't have to cook it and do dishes, I am fine with mac n cheese or a lobster tail. Smile :) it takes more effort to frown.

 

Thank you, beyer4; I was not trying to stir trouble, just find opinions, starting another conversation. I get tired of reading all the posts about the "bad" food on NCL, and while reading some of the CCL posts, found it interesting what was being said. I guess I didn't choose my words carefully enough when I said "limited to", and for that I apologize. I'll try to do better next time.

 

I, too, am happy with cruise food; and would not object to comfort food options. Again, just thought it was interesting hearing about CCL's menu changes, and wanted to know what you all thought about it. (I guess I found out, didn't I?!)

[SailBabySail]

We are not fans of steak or lobster and so don't do the MDR or the specialty restaurants as, for the most part, I think what they serve you can just as well get at the buffet. And, we prefer serving ourselves. Quite frankly we don't cruise for the food and are not that fussy even though I cook at home and am considered an excellent cook. I think CCL has great food but I think NCL does as well. It is a matter of what you choose to eat. The last cruise we took was on the Gem and the food (at the buffet) was really delicious. The roast pork was melt in your mouth tender. The Asian dishes were very tasty as well as some of the Italian dishes. You get my drift. For us cruising is a time of complete relaxation. No cooking. No cleaning. No phones. No internet. We feel blessed that in this economy we are able to take a cruise. As for the comfort foods added to the CCL menu in the MDR I say....why not! Lots of people like comfort foods and it should go over big with kids. Maybe that is the reason why CCL put it on as an option...to please the kids.

[Ms belp]

I don't know why Carnival's menu changes are being discussed on NCL. :confused:

[JMHAM1]

It's a disturbing idea. NCL has already gone to a single menu for their noon meal and it's pretty tedious. Downgrading the menu for dinner has already started. I hate to see it happening but I did predict it a couple of years ago.

 

If you can predict the lotto numbers for this week let me know and I will treat you to the suite of your choice! ;)

 

 

Come on people, this is a thread asking your thoughts. My philosophy is if I don't have to cook it and do dishes, I am fine with mac n cheese or a lobster tail. Smile :) it takes more effort to frown.

 

My thoughts EXACTLY whenever I hear people complaining about "cruise food"

 

I am not a fan of CCL ships - but I have often said that if I could steal the CCL FOOD and stick them on other cruise line ships, I would be a HAPPY camper. :p:D

 

I have NO idea how they can take mac n cheese and make it taste gourmet, but they do! :eek: I have always been impressed with their food. And if it wasn't for the rest of the darn ship, I would sail with them all the time. So I am sure that the menu is still better than what I have had on some other cruise lines. ;)

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. Saying I am not a CCL fan is putting it mildly but they did have yummy food. I have to give credit where credit is due.

[luddite]

If you can predict the lotto numbers for this week let me know and I will treat you to the suite of your choice! ;)

 

 

 

 

 

:) I cannot predict the lottery. Meat loaf and mac cheese was certainly predictable after shorts and Tshirts were deemed appropriate.

[sparks1093]

I have read the new menus and while I won't have a problem on some nights DW will have trouble finding something to eat, so we shall see how it goes.

 

Bingo !!!!! Can you imagine the uproar that would ensue if the cruise lines adjusted their cruise prices for inflation ?? The purchasing power of the dollar is about a third of what it was when I started cruising. That means the cruise lines would have to triple their prices !!!!!

 

No uproar, just a lot fewer choosing a cruise for their vacation:(.

 

I don't know why Carnival's menu changes are being discussed on NCL. :confused:

 

It's a "what if" thing, as indicated in the thread title;).

[halos]

Just read on the Carnival boards that they are changing their MDR menus; they now include meatloaf, fried chicken, mac and cheese, and burgers. And they have eliminated the shrimp cocktail. Sounds like a mutiny going on over there. I have always found the food on NCL to be much to my liking, always something good to order, and very good. But I would have to say if I opened the menu found found my choices to be limited to meatloaf, fried chicken, burgers, and mac and cheese, I would protest! I can understand these being offered on the buffet, or in the Blue Lagoon, OK; but the MDR?

 

What's your thoughts?

I really don't care what NCL does to their main dining room menu to be honest...the reason being is they offer the pay options that I prefer to take advantage of anyway. I do enjoy the better meals offered there because NCL's mdr food, although good, is not great. I'd rather have great.

NCL cruises are affordable enough that paying a little extra for better meals is not an issue in the least.

[TPEINC1958]

This is all a lot of supposition about NCL's menus considering this whole thread is based on Carnival making some comfort food additions to their menus. :confused:

[halos]

This is all a lot of supposition about NCL's menus considering this whole thread is based on Carnival making some comfort food additions to their menus. :confused:

 

All the cruise liness copy from ideas each other.

 

But...I don't think NCL can honestly do what CCL is doing because they already offer the Blue Lagoon...there is no reason to put comfort food on the menu.

I think it's possible that beside cost cutting, CCL MAY have decided because of all the raving about Blue Lagoon/comfort food on NCL, that offering some comfort food might be a good thing. They don't have an area on their ships to accomodate a seperate comfort food restaurant, so they added comfort food to the menu.

 

Personally, I won't be ordering meatloaf on ANY cruise ship...but it seems there are those that are quite happy with that.

To each his own.

[david_sobe]

I would only protest if NCL copied Carnival and brought over the dancing waiters :)

[luddite]

All the cruise liness copy from ideas each other.

 

But...I don't think NCL can honestly do what CCL is doing because they already offer the Blue Lagoon...there is no reason to put comfort food on the menu.

I think it's possible that beside cost cutting, CCL MAY have decided because of all the raving about Blue Lagoon/comfort food on NCL, that offering some comfort food might be a good thing. They don't have an area on their ships to accomodate a seperate comfort food restaurant, so they added comfort food to the menu.

 

Personally, I won't be ordering meatloaf on ANY cruise ship...but it seems there are those that are quite happy with that.

To each his own.

 

The reason for putting that food on the menu is codt cutting. They can buy it pre-cooked and packaged so they don't need a chef on the ship and ingredients are cheaper.