Why do people say the food is slipping?

[Dena]

I was just looking at some recent MDR menus and they looked pretty good. Is the problem that these menus are not as good as before or is the problem the execution......or both?

[Project_gal]

I was just looking at some recent MDR menus and they looked pretty good. Is the problem that these menus are not as good as before or is the problem the execution......or both?

 

I think that there is another possiblity - wait staff. On our first cruise [in 2006 - not that long ago] our waiter quickly learned our preferences and guided our selection. Both our waiter and his assistance were true professionals. Service was really good.

 

Now, wait staff seem to be busier but I also think with the huge increase in the number of ships launched recently, it is more difficult to get enough staff. Certainly, each cruise we wemt on [until we gave up on the MDR] our wait staff were less and less professional and certainly not answer the most basic questions let alone guide our choices. If the service is annoying, you are more likely to find fault with the food.

 

A case of "you can't get the staff ...".

 

Sue

[sandancer]

I agree with Sue (as usual) in as much as the wait staff these days seem to have more tables to wait on. We have cruised every year since 1990 and there are big differences in both the quality and service since then. BUT, we still enjoy the food on Celebrity and we are not paying much more now for our cruises than we did years ago. You can't say that about many things these days. The huge competition between the mass Market lines mean that costs have to be cut somewhere if they want to fill the ships. So the answer to your question is yes. The food is still good, just not as good as it used to be.

[cynbar]

We were back on Celebrity this year after several years away. All our meals were fine, but they weren't as fancy or elegant as they used to be. It's hard to put a finger on, but it just seemed the quality was a shade below, and the presentation was lacking. Celebrity used to have a big advantage in the food department, but we didn't feel that was still true on our Eclipse or Summit cruises. However, we had lovely cruises and will choose Celebrity again. Not a deal breaker for us.

[EithneMay]

I think it is a problem of being able to purchase quality ingredients (costs are rising for food, and I am sure budgets are being cut).

 

Also, wait staff have many more tables to serve than years past, making them less able to focus on individual needs.

[Redtravel]

On our last cruise, the food wasn't consistent. We had the worst waitress. WE were at a table for 2. She treated all her tables like one group. We all got each course at the same time. Even if you wanted to skip a course, you had to wait. Food was often dried up and cold. We then switched to select dining and had great service, hot food, and a completely different experience. Not all waiters are the same. Some are lazy. Most are very good. If you are not happy with the food, waiters, or anything, speak up, make a change, eat in a different location, don't settle and be unhappy. There is very good food available. If you get cold, dried up food, don't settle. Ask to see the maitre'd and request what you want. Too may people just settle and leave unhappy. We don't usually like to complain. However, on the last cruise when the food got to be uneatable, we complained and got what we should have had all along.

[Compass Rose Monica]

On our last cruise, the food wasn't consistent. We had the worst waitress. WE were at a table for 2. She treated all her tables like one group. We all got each course at the same time. Even if you wanted to skip a course, you had to wait. Food was often dried up and cold. We then switched to select dining and had great service, hot food, and a completely different experience. Not all waiters are the same. Some are lazy. Most are very good. If you are not happy with the food, waiters, or anything, speak up, make a change, eat in a different location, don't settle and be unhappy. There is very good food available. If you get cold, dried up food, don't settle. Ask to see the maitre'd and request what you want. Too may people just settle and leave unhappy. We don't usually like to complain. However, on the last cruise when the food got to be uneatable, we complained and got what we should have had all along.

 

I've been lucky on my Celebrity cruises as far as the waitstaff in the MDR except for one man who just seemed unhappy. Our waiter back on the Equinox TA (2009) was fabulous! He asked for our names (table of 10) on our first night on the ship and from that moment on he called us by name. So he learned 20 names for each cruise.

 

I've had a couple of dishes that just weren't that great so I asked our waiter to change to a different item. No problem at all. I sometimes feel guilty about wasting the food but then I think I'm the one that's eating it and it's only been a couple of times I changed dishes.

[sandancer]

Last year on the Connie I loved the sugar free panna cotta and mentioned it to the Maitre'd on the way out. Every night after that, regardless of our table (we were on Select) the dessert turned up alongside whatever I had ordered. Just can't fault that service.

[texancruzer]

OK, not sure what the quality of the waitstaff has to do with the quality of the food ??? Except if its cold or dried up because they are too slow serving......

 

however, I have only ever had 2 meals on a cruise that I could not eat. One was on a HAL cruise and the other on a Princess cruise. Both were steaks. Not over or undercooked just a terrible (emphasis on terrible) quality of meat.

 

Now, as far as the quality of food in the dining room..... Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have always been pretty good. Is it 5* quality. No, but then if you figure the price for the cruise which is your hotel and meals and entertainment and divide by number of days.....well you're not paying for 5* meals. I think some people just look for things to complain about. Me - if I am on a cruise and nothing major goes wrong - I'm happy !

[iancal]

The menu can be very different than what gets put in front of you. The cruise lines could put words to music to describe red jello that would make it sound like a gourmet specialty.

 

We have seen a decline in the quality of food in the MDR and in the buffet. I suspect that the cruise lines have reduced the per person food budget that the hotel manager has to work with. We notice this in the meat dishes...the beef seems to us to be a lesser quality. Not as tender nor does it taste as good. The types of cheeses available also seems to have been curtailed. Not just on Celebrity but on other cruise lines as well. And yes, there appears to have been staff reductions accross the board that invariably impact service in the dining room.

[SusieV]

I agree that the quality of the ingredients are getting poorer. I'm finding that the side dishes are getting smaller- like the vegetables that accompany the main course. Of course you can get more on request but it's not standard anymore.

 

We find the meals in the MDR to be adequate but nothing special. I remember being really wowed in the past but not so much anymore. We prefer specialty dining as a result but we are looking forward to trying Blu.

[Casino Player]

I was just looking at some recent MDR menus and they looked pretty good. Is the problem that these menus are not as good as before or is the problem the execution......or both?

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO Dena: Execution may be part of the problem. They are building ships larger today. More passengers for the ships. The wait staff is unable to learn everyone's preference's. Also, they don't have as much time to prepare. When I was on the Carnival Dream (3,600 passenger capacity) two years ago, during it's inaugural season, the dining room never opened on time. Not all things were ready and that resulted in long waits or to choose something else.

[Bridge Maven]

People frequently mentioned that more people are assigned to a waiter than it the past but you wouldn't know this from the crew to passenger ratios.

[eandj]

We have found since X has added the anytime dining, the service is not as timely and personable as in the past. The waiters in tradtional dining have to contend with more tables. The waiters in anytime dining aren't paying as close to details as they would if facing the same table groups nightly. Food seems to not be as "special", but still good enough for us. Just our opinion derived from the last 3 cruises.

 

We will be cruising Princess in Jan for the first time and am anxious to see comparisons in ALL areas.

[Tenn4ever]

We have found since X has added the anytime dining, the service is not as timely and personable as in the past. The waiters in tradtional dining have to contend with more tables. The waiters in anytime dining aren't paying as close to details as they would if facing the same table groups nightly. Food seems to not be as "special", but still good enough for us. Just our opinion derived from the last 3 cruises.

 

We will be cruising Princess in Jan for the first time and am anxious to see comparisons in ALL areas.

 

You have made a very good point. The fact that there is now 'select-anytime' and specialty dining has actually caused the service to go down in the traditional dining in the MDR.

 

An observation made in another post about sitting at a table for two and not being served their courses until the waitress's other table is ridiculous. The table for two is a completely separate party from the other table and their being served in a timely manner should not be dependent on when the other table is being served. I would definitely speak to the maitre'd if this was happening at our table.

[Bridge Maven]

People frequently mentioned that more people are assigned to a waiter than it the past but you wouldn't know this from the crew to passenger ratios.

 

Regarding my previous post posted above - Does this mean that the advertised crew to passenger ratios are no longer accurate?

[jackdiamond]

The food in Blu, and at the Aqua Spa is outstanding.

[Chicago Boy]

I've been lucky on my Celebrity cruises as far as the waitstaff in the MDR except for one man who just seemed unhappy. Our waiter back on the Equinox TA (2009) was fabulous! He asked for our names (table of 10) on our first night on the ship and from that moment on he called us by name. So he learned 20 names for each cruise.

 

I've had a couple of dishes that just weren't that great so I asked our waiter to change to a different item. No problem at all. I sometimes feel guilty about wasting the food but then I think I'm the one that's eating it and it's only been a couple of times I changed dishes.

 

I agree with Monica P. We have cruised with Celebrity several times and In my opinion the food is just fine. Admittedly, some dishes are better than others but that may be a matter of personal taste. Fortunately, we have always had excellent wait staff. We have always made a point of smiling and being pleasant to those who are taking care of us and for the most part it paid huge dividends. I have always thought that I eat as well on the ship as I eat at home therefore I have nothing to complain about.

This will be our second cruise this year on Celebrity so I think that says it all.

[SingingMom1]

We were underwhelmed with the service and quality of food in the MDR on our Summit cruise in June. We are very lucky to have wonderful restaurants in our area, so that is part of it, but we felt the MDR food was up to par with wedding banquet food.

 

However, the Saturday brunch was fabulous! They did an excellent job with the food choices and presentation. We would have loved to have had that two at sea day! We also enjoyed our two dinners at Normandie. But, the MDR was a disappointment - food, taste, and service.

[gisnered]

I was just looking at some recent MDR menus and they looked pretty good. Is the problem that these menus are not as good as before or is the problem the execution......or both?

 

While there seems to be some support for it,

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1483575

 

others seem to find the emphasis on "vogue foods" rather than well prepared traditional items less to their liking.

[miched]

.

 

 

I think it is all perseption. The first time you cruise everything is new and appears really fantastic. The next time it is not new and you have all the memories from the first time and it doesn't seem as grand.

 

That is why those surveys at the end of the cruise are bogus. They always want you to mark everything as exceeded expectations. How can it exceed your expectations when you have cruised before and know what to expect?

 

 

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[Bridge Maven]

I think a lot depends upon a person's basis of comparison. As someone who grew up on the north shore of long island, lived in Manhattan for fifteen years as a young adult, and currently lives in Connecticut, I've always had access to the some of the best restaurants in the world. So my concept of excellent food and service is probably different than someone who lives in an area that has mostly franchise/chain restaurants.

[SBAnt]

I think a lot depends upon a person's basis of comparison. As someone who grew up on the north shore of long island, lived in Manhattan for fifteen years as a young adult, and currently lives in Connecticut, I've always had access to the some of the best restaurants in the world. So my idea of excellent food and service is probably different than someone who lives in an area that has mostly franchise restaurants.

 

I think this definitely has something to do with a lot of people's perceptions, but a lot is determined by execution. A burger can be a gourmet experience or greasy and dry, but it's the execution that sets them apart. When DW and I were on the Eclipse, we enjoyed the MDR food quite a bit. On the other hand, I thought the buffet on the Mariner was significantly better. The only difference I could find (aside from the specific food choices each day) was the execution in food. I understand that food budgets have been cut to meet price points, but I felt the food came out quite well cooked (not well-done, which is a point for another day), and in adequate portion size.

 

DW and I always ordered a salad or soup to start the meal, as we would in an any upscale or high-end restaurant, so the main course didn't need to be as large. In fact, having smaller portions frees us to try more than one thing if we desire. I like having leftovers when we go out at home, but anything left on the plate on a cruise goes to waste, so I much prefer the smaller portions.

 

In regards to service, this can also affect the food quality. Both times we've chosen Anytime Dining, we were served dinner when it came out, and did not wait for the other tables in our waiter's section. If the food sits, it definitely changes the flavors and textures, and I think that can really make or break a meal. A side of blanched vegetables can change from cooked to perfection to limp and soggy by sitting too long, and meat can continue to cook itself if left too long as well. Perhaps there needs to be improvement in the time between when the food is cooked and when it's actually served?

[ORV]

I think a lot depends upon a person's basis of comparison. As someone who grew up on the north shore of long island, lived in Manhattan for fifteen years as a young adult, and currently lives in Connecticut, I've always had access to the some of the best restaurants in the world. So my concept of excellent food and service is probably different than someone who lives in an area that has mostly franchise/chain restaurants.

 

I'm always amused by this attitude. It may come as a surprise but there are some other places that have restaurants that will have much better food than what you have grown up around. Really, you east coast folks don't have a lock on good food or understanding what it good, you just think you do.

[Despegue]

Well, Belgium is still the area in the World with the most Michelin Starred restaurants/ inhabitants ratio :) Including my Nephews!:)

 

I must say though that I always eat very well in the US.