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

[halos]

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

AMEN!! I never liked that.

[halos]

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.

I agree that's likely the majority of the reason, no doubt...but aside for a bunch of vocal negative responses over this, many people are really happy about friend chicken and meatloaf...It is certainly not my thing, but CCL in general is less and less my thing as time goes on, which is sad because I think it used to be a fabulous cruise line.

[cruizinwithkids]

Meat loaf and mac cheese was certainly predictable after shorts and Tshirts were deemed appropriate.

 

I've never really understood the correlation; particularly when the terms formal night and lobster night become interchangeable.

[gooch47]

Not surprising since they are under the same umbrella, but Princess has had a "home style" selection on their menu for some time. And there are nights when nothing sounds interesting and I order it.

 

I wish they would do something like that for desserts. There are nights I'd kill for a plain ol' slice of cherry pie or something like that.

[Cruzaholic41]

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

 

Agreed! Along with the color wars, Macarena dancing, etc. None of that belongs in the dining room.

[bdaddyiii]

Both lines over good food in the MDR IMHO. I always try to order something that I have never had before just to try something new and if I don't like it they will always bring me something else. Yoy can not go out to a resturant and do that without paying extra. The comfort food is a great idea as well. My only wish is that NCL would get the Chocolate Lava Cake that CCL serves inteh MDR so my DW could have it on NCL.

After all we are on vacation and if you don't like the looks of the menu, oyu can alway spick another vacation. I think a bad day on a ship with average food is better than a day at work and home. Good sailing to all.

[C Cruise Dude]

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 noticed the title of the thread on Carnival but never opened it because of an experience that I had on NCL. First off let me say that on my Carnival cruises, and my first NCL, I always ordered the shrimp cocktail with my dinner. I was on the Pearl and the shrimp cocktail was not on the menu.:eek: I simply asked the waitress if I could have a shrimp cocktail and she said, "I'm not sure if I can get it for you but let me see what I can do." She gave me the chefs special of the day that I had asked about but didn't order. She brought me a shrimp cocktail.

 

The foods that you listed to be new on the menu. I have a couple thoughts on this. Those are foods that many Americans like to eat (called comfort foods by some). I don't mind as long as they continue with more formal dishes for lack of a better term. I, as a rule, don't like most of what is offered on the menus in the MDR's on both Carnival and NCL. Maybe there are others who feel the same way and they are just making adjustments for their customers.

 

Thank you for an interesting thread. :D

[eyeamacruiser]

I liked the comfort food section of the menu. While I understand that food is an important part of some people's cruise, it is not for me. I am not a fancy food person and prefer a good steak and potato. I did try the Fried Chicken and thought it was very good. I also had the flat iron steak a few nights, and found it to be tender and tasty (if you like you beef well done, this might not be an option for you, it seemed the more well done it got the tougher it got).

 

The whole food debate has got me puzzled. How do people think that the cruise lines can keep cruising at the same price I paid 20 years ago, and not cut corners some where? I actually like the way it is set up. If I want a truly gourmet experience, I will pay for one of the supper clubs.

 

If people that complain about the MDR would add $175.00 per person to the price of their cruise ($25.00 per night), they could go to the supper clubs every night, have the type of food and ambiance that was common 20 years ago, and pay an inflation adjusted price for their cruise.

 

Sounds like a solution to me :)

 

You make some great points. The more done you get beef, the tougher it gets plus the flavor is gone. The cost of cruising will go up with everything else and they will have to cut corners somehow. I can't believe that anyone would think that Carnival or any cruise line will change their menus that drastically.

By the way, we will be joining you on the Veterans cruise in May:D

[Balconymaven]

I noticed the title of the thread on Carnival but never opened it because of an experience that I had on NCL. First off let me say that on my Carnival cruises, and my first NCL, I always ordered the shrimp cocktail with my dinner. I was on the Pearl and the shrimp cocktail was not on the menu.:eek: I simply asked the waitress if I could have a shrimp cocktail and she said, "I'm not sure if I can get it for you but let me see what I can do." She gave me the chefs special of the day that I had asked about but didn't order. She brought me a shrimp cocktail.

 

The foods that you listed to be new on the menu. I have a couple thoughts on this. Those are foods that many Americans like to eat (called comfort foods by some). I don't mind as long as they continue with more formal dishes for lack of a better term. I, as a rule, don't like most of what is offered on the menus in the MDR's on both Carnival and NCL. Maybe there are others who feel the same way and they are just making adjustments for their customers.

 

Thank you for an interesting thread. :D

 

THANK YOU, C CRUISE DUDE! I was going for opinions and interesting! I guess I'm on CC too often, and was getting bored with some of the threads and wanted to actually have a DISCUSSION!

 

I just read some more on the Carnival threads, and someone had posted the new menus; frankly, I didn't have a problem with them. They offered quite a variety, and no, the comfort foods were not all on there at once, as there was a comfort food section with a different selection nightly. They also had another interesting option: to paraphrase, it was foods you always wondered about but were afraid to try! Now I'd be up for that, too!

 

I have just recently started even viewing other cruise lines' threads, and it's true, food is quite a controversial topic on them all. :eek:

[VideoTech]

I was talking today with a co-worker who just got off a Carnival cruise. He said he was very disappointed with the food this time around, and he's been a satisfied Carnival cruiser before. He made his concerns clear to Carnival in the post-cruise survey they sent him.

 

I told him he should cruise NCL next time!

[halos]

I was talking today with a co-worker who just got off a Carnival cruise. He said he was very disappointed with the food this time around, and he's been a satisfied Carnival cruiser before. He made his concerns clear to Carnival in the post-cruise survey they sent him.

 

I told him he should cruise NCL next time!

 

THAT'S the problem, the problem isn't the menu offerings, it's the quality of them.

CCL used to have better steaks on the menu, now they have a cheaper cut.

They used to give you a decent sized lobster tail, now they give you a tiny one and add a couple shrimp on the plate (maybe that's where all the shrimp that used to be used for shrimp cocktail went :

;))

Veal Parm is now eggplant parm (I actually like this one :))

 

To be honest, I always though CCL food was better (MDR food) than NCL's. However, NCL gives you many choices to upgrade your food with all those available restuarants. CCL doesn't offer enough alternative options.

I totally understand the line having to cut back. They have more ships that any other line and they have to fill them. In these hard times, the only way to ensure that is to keep prices low enough for people to be able to book.

If you keep the prices low, something has to give.

 

Some people are perfectly fine with food that isn't as good as it used to be...for me, having the options that NCL offers makes it possible for me to pay a very fare price for a cruise and totally 'mold' that cruise to be what I want within my budget with all the options.

 

To some, that is nickel and diming...to me is variety and choices and I love it :)

[che5904]

Halos since CC is still hiding some posts while they work on their issue, I couldn't quote you.

 

"Some people are perfectly fine with food that isn't as good as it used to be...for me, having the options that NCL offers makes it possible for me to pay a very fare price for a cruise and totally 'mold' that cruise to be what I want within my budget with all the options.

 

To some, that is nickel and diming...to me is variety and choices and I love it :) "

 

I agree

[Tatka]

If there is a problem with CCL food it's not in MDR. I actually thought MDR food was a bit better than on NCL. CCL definitely has more seafood offerings in MDR than NCL.

 

CCL's buffet food is whole another story. Overcooked, over-fried, over-saulted... not very various etc.

[nbsjcruiser]

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.

 

I tried the flat iron steak once, it was terrible. I chalked it up to a bad night in the MDR. On the Liberty a few months later, I asked the waiter about ordering it and he said (and I quote) "I wouldn't order it. It is not a very good cut of meat and you probably won't like it".

 

I don't need to hear anything more. When the wait staff says that well it speaks volumes.

[Aquahound]

Nope. Wouldn't complain at all. Never had a reason to complain about the food on any cruise line and don't think I ever will.

[cruise pup]

So now cruise lines are taking the hint, relaxing dress codes, but also relaxing service and menus in tandem.

 

Relaxing the dress code has nothing to do with the menu changes. The menu changes are a budget issue. NCL introduced freestyle a long time before they started drastically cutting back on the menu.

[weltek]

In a semi-related note, we just pulled out a shoebox of wedding stuff from 2000, including our honeymoon documents. First, we paid over $2600 for an oceanview on the Majesty on deck 4...ouch! It was a 7 day southern caribbean out of San Juan, so I suppose that's why.

 

I read my journal about the cruise. The words "ok" and "mediocre" were used a few times to describe the food, with a few "greats" and "really enjoyed" notes, also. So I guess my memories of "the food used to be better" is somewhat in my head! I even noted the chocolate buffet wasn't as good as I'd expected.

[happy cruzin]

 

Some people are perfectly fine with food that isn't as good as it used to be...for me, having the options that NCL offers makes it possible for me to pay a very fare price for a cruise and totally 'mold' that cruise to be what I want within my budget with all the options.

 

To some, that is nickel and diming...to me is variety and choices and I love it :)

 

Excellent point....and options were definatley something that we where looking for when we decided on the Epic and booked with NCL. We have cruised with CCL to the point that I knew what my menu choice was likey to be for each day - because the menus and rotation of the menus have changed very little since we have began to cruise.

 

The new CCL menus still offer some really nice choices - although everyone seems to be focused on the meat loaf and fried chicken :rolleyes:. But, the addition of the Dija Ever and Comfort Foods are at least offering some new options ;)

[swedish weave]

Just for fun, I checked the purchasing power of a dollar in 1977 as opposed to the same in 2010. As we all know, cruises cost either less or nearly the same as they did in the good old days", so can anyone truly expect the same quality experience now for the same dollar ??? Be honest with yourself !!!!

 

$3600.00 in the year 2010 has the same "purchase power" as $1000 in the year 1977.

 

The 2010 observation is preliminary and may change.

 

Source note for "Purchasing Power of Money"

[hot_smiley]

I love this idea. I have only been on one cruise (royal Caribbean) and i will be going on my second this Christmas, I'm 23 but am a very picky eater, a few nights at the MDR on my last cruse i didn't like anything on the menu and ended up having to go and order off the kids menu, i love the idea that on the regular menu there are options like these for picky eaters like me, who still want to eat in the MDR with the rest of her family.

[cruisendave]

I would rather not see "mac n cheese" or "meatloaf" on my menu, even if there were other offerings. I like healthy food with an international flare, and look forward to trying new and different things. Just a hang up I suppose, but something like "cheeseburger" on the menu doesn't feel special.

 

I had the shrimp cocktail on CCL last year, it is NOTHING to write home about. After ordering it once I never did for the rest of the week.

 

I will give carnival credit for better desserts. Our desserts on the Jewel last month were BLAH.

[luddite]

I love this idea. I have only been on one cruise (royal Caribbean) and i will be going on my second this Christmas, I'm 23 but am a very picky eater, a few nights at the MDR on my last cruse i didn't like anything on the menu and ended up having to go and order off the kids menu, i love the idea that on the regular menu there are options like these for picky eaters like me, who still want to eat in the MDR with the rest of her family.

 

Honestly, this is just scary.:eek:

[dasmonkey]

Honestly, this is just scary.:eek:

 

Another example of why you should pay little attention to food reviews on any cruise line.

 

"OMG the food was disgusting and I couldn't find a THING to eat......"

[sdmike]

I just got off my first Carnival cruise this morning (Paradise) and I found the food borderline inedible. I'm not a "foodie" either. I generally have no problem finding lots of things I like on any ship. My wife and I ended up eating at the sandwich counter most evenings. The hot turkey sandwiches were actually very good.

 

However, the lobster was like chewing an eraser, the steak was like chewing a shoe, and heaven only knows what they battered, fried and called chicken. The clam chowder reminded me of elementary school paste with some potatoes and pepper in it. Tasty indeed :confused: One thing I DID get was a shrimp cocktail, and it wasn't too bad. :)

[luddite]

Another example of why you should pay little attention to food reviews on any cruise line.

 

"OMG the food was disgusting and I couldn't find a THING to eat......"

 

Oh yeah.