Ecstasy 11/7 Once and probably done

[micro yaya]

i am still trying to figure what carnival could have done for the late arrival. years ago when we boarded in tampa one time; the ship was delayed because of fog. carnival gave everyone a voucher for ( i can't remember) and asked us to come back to the pier at 3p.m. we all took the tampa trolly to yebor city had lulnch on carnival, the trolley ran every 20 min. or so, and at 3:30 we went back to the pier. the tropical was in port, and we waaited maybe 1 hour for them to finish debarking the last of their guest and we got on. the point i'm making is maybe some traqnsportation to coco for a few hours would have gone a long way to FIX the mess.but then you have the cut backs, i guess

[conchead]

" Chateaubriand that was so tough, that a steak knife could barely get through it. That piece of meat was very clearly not Filet, and was probably just eye round, which needs to be braised and not grilled."

 

The menu says it is "sliced, grilled beef shoulder tender"

[Hogladyrider]

We sailed on this same cruise and had a completely POSITIVE cruise!

 

I knew when I booked the cruise that there is always the chance of "things happening" and they sure did with the ship arriving late.

 

Carnival was offering free drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic along with sandwiches to those waiting in line. Dining room only closed during the muster drill and re-opened.

 

Yes it was a long day for everyone, including the crew, the port authority employees and those of us on vacation. We too waited in line for 30 minutes or so until I asked a passing Carnival employee if there was a VIP line and he escorted us accordingly.

 

We did not dine in the MDR once so I can not comment on the food there, I can comment that most evenings there were similar offerings on Lido deck and we always found something and plenty of it to eat with no complaints.

 

The salad bar was always fresh and well stocked and sushi was also available on the salad bar.

 

We never tried any of the desserts because past cruises let us know they are not very tasty, if we wanted, our dessert was the soft serve ice cream.

 

Mongolian grill at lunch was amazing and the burgers were still tasty, not to mention the fabulous deli sandwiches.

 

I learned a LONG time ago, to avoid beef on cruises. Unless of course we sail on a ship with a steakhouse and then the beef is top of the line.

 

These are difficult economic times and Carnival like everyone else has made cutbacks, heck my pay has been cut 50%, but we all survive and make the best of what we are dealt. I am sorry so many have had poor experiences with the MDR food. It seems that a lot of people cruise for the food experience and there is so much more to a cruise.

 

The entire crew was always courteous and always said hello or good day and if they saw you more than once they called you by name.

 

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on Ecstasy and the ship is in great shape and the crew was top notch. We will sail her again and we are thrilled to have her here in Port Canaveral. There are very few vacations one can go on for the price of a 4 or 5 days cruise and be waited on the entire time and have more food than one could possibly eat!

 

A whole other subject is the amount of food that is wasted on a cruise!

We Americans sure seem to be obsessed with food, and I am one of them.

Susan

[CapsR1]

Fantasy class ships are just not for us - learned that on the Paradise two summers ago.

[farler05]

" Chateaubriand that was so tough, that a steak knife could barely get through it. That piece of meat was very clearly not Filet, and was probably just eye round, which needs to be braised and not grilled."

 

The menu says it is "sliced, grilled beef shoulder tender"

 

Right, which is technically not chateaubriand. Chateaubriand is a center cut of the tenderloin. NOT beef shoulder. Don't advertise something you're not actually serving.

 

Chateaubriand steak is a recipe of a particular thick cut from the tenderloin, which, according to Larousse Gastronomique, was created by personal chef, Montmireil, for François-René de Chateaubriand, the author and diplomat who served Napoleon as an ambassador and Louis XVIII as Secretary of State for two years. When prepared properly, it can be among the most flavoursome and tender cuts.

[conchead]

Right, which is technically not chateaubriand. Chateaubriand is a center cut of the tenderloin. NOT beef shoulder. Don't advertise something you're not actually serving.

 

Chateaubriand steak is a recipe of a particular thick cut from the tenderloin, which, according to Larousse Gastronomique, was created by personal chef, Montmireil, for François-René de Chateaubriand, the author and diplomat who served Napoleon as an ambassador and Louis XVIII as Secretary of State for two years. When prepared properly, it can be among the most flavoursome and tender cuts.

 

By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide

 

Chateaubriand This recipe was so popular that the cut of meat used became synonymous with the

 

The story goes that back in the days of Napoleon, Chef Montmireil created a special dish for author and statesman, Francois Chateaubriand. He took a cut of beef from the tenderloin, just down from the filet mignon, coated it in butter, seasoned it with black pepper and grilled it. This cut, now synonymous with the recipe, is a thick steak, large enough to serve at least two people.

 

To finish off this dish, the meat is sliced into thin strips, topped with a melted butter and parsley mixture and served with Bearnaise sauce. The traditional side dish is chateau potatoes. These small potatoes are roasted in a heavy pan, covered in butter. Not a recipe for the dieter, but well worth the extra calories.

 

Of course the beef tenderloin steak is one of the more expensive cuts, but if you want to make a meal that is sure to impress, this is a good one to choose. Remember that I said that Chateaubriand is a recipe and not a cut of meat. This recipe has been adapted by a great number of cooks to use almost anything from fish to artichokes. A quick search of the Internet will find you dozens of variations.

[dadecitycruiser]

Carnival was offering free drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic along with sandwiches to those waiting in line. Dining room only closed during the muster drill and re-opened.

 

We were never offered anything and told more than once the dining room was closed. Both before and after the muster drill. From the posts it appears there was a different level of service for the first borders to the last. I'll let it go at that.

 

DCC

[forwardcabin]

What can we say?...Everything's better when it comes out of Texas!

[DebJ14]

What can we say?...Everything's better when it comes out of Texas!

 

YEP - we had great food and service on Ecstasy in May and August 2011 out of Galveston. There is often a big crew switch when there is a port shift. It may take them a while to get in sync. We're on the Magic in January and after the inaugural event yesterday we are totally psyched for that cruise.

[btrbill]

I was on the Ecstasy Oct. 31 - Nov. 5 last sailing out of NOLA. We had a horrible problem with the food. Out of the 5 nights we were on there the food was OK once!! The food did come out cold and lukewarm some nights. Didn't get bread till we received out entree and our glasses never got filled:( We even had to wait over 45 minutes for dessert 2 nights and got up and left without it. We complained big time to the Maitre'D and at guest services. It was the worst cruise food we ever had. The burgers had a chemical smell and it was so disgusting and we didn't eat it the whole cruise except on embark day. We tried them everyday and the same. We had a wonderful cruise except for the MDR and some crew!! I will never sail on a fantasy class ship again. Just my opinion on this matter also. Carnival needs to step it up on this ship. I was completely disappointed with this cruise.

.

 

Wow... My expeirance on this same exact cruise was totally opposite of yours!! Our service in the MDR was always superb, and the food was good! Everything was perfectly timed and my glass was NEVER empty!

 

I do agree with the hamburgers having a funny taste to them, but I just chalk that up to being processed bulk meat. My only complaint was the portion size, but I never left hungry! Ryan and Gilbert made sure of that!

 

As a first time cruiser, maybe I had different expectations. But at $516 for two folks, 5 days, 2 ports, an Ocean View room, and insurance, I thought it was a fantastic cruise and a superb value!!

[cu19821]

Just thought I would do a little research. From the "Cook's Thesaurus", The chuck section comes from the shoulder and neck of the beef, and it yields some of the most flavorful and economical cuts of meat. The downside is that these cuts tend to be tough and fatty, and they have more than their fair share of bone and gristle. It's usually best to cook them slowly in a liquid. Notes: Chuck steaks comes from the neck and shoulder of the beef, and they tend to be chewy but flavorful and inexpensive. Most of them are too tough to grill, broil, or pan-fry--it's better to braise them or cut them up as stew meat. If you must grill one, make sure you marinate it overnight first. Substitutes: round steak (leaner) OR T-bone steak (more tender

[GaNavy]

Carnival was offering free drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic along with sandwiches to those waiting in line. Dining room only closed during the muster drill and re-opened.

 

We were never offered anything and told more than once the dining room was closed. Both before and after the muster drill. From the posts it appears there was a different level of service for the first borders to the last. I'll let it go at that.

 

DCC

 

That was my experience as well - Carnival offered nothing; in fact, when I reached the terminal (after 2 hours) and asked the Carnival rep where I might find some water, he just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. A few minutes later, another rep was much more helpful and actually went to a fountain and brought me back a cup of water. There was most definitely a better level of service for the first boarders.

 

Now having said that....I had a great time on the cruise and am sailing on Ecstasy again in January. I thought the food on my November cruise was OK but nothing special. I'll let you know next month whether or not things are improving.

[noah53]

Sailing on first cruise on Ecstasy Jan 30th and I hope they have some of these food problems sorted out. Hot food, waits not too long and good appetizers and desserts. I have my hopes up for a fun time and that includes the food.

[SE NC]

Wow! The bride and I have been on 13 cruises with Carnival, Royal and NCL. I could not honestly tell you the difference in the food on any cruise we have taken. When we are planning a cruise, food is never mentioned. I guess we are just lucky that way. :D I do agree food should always be served the correct temps.. However, how many 5 Star Rest. could serve 3000 customers a 5 Star meal 3 times a day..352 days a year?:rolleyes:

Now with all the above being said.....if my brewskis are served warm....there could be a major problem!:p

[linbobky]

just returned yesterday and what a cruise!!!!!:)

 

the ship is in real good shape for her age. all the crew and staff that we encounterd was friendly and always had a smile on their faces.:)

 

for the food. our food was always warm or hot. and the wait staff was always there to refill water or refill your coffee.:) we thought the food was very good. the new menues are different. if we didn't want the new items, we would not order them. there is plenty of the old items still on the menu.:)

 

would go back tomorrow. had a great time met alot of nice people.:)

[RuthlessBoss]

just returned yesterday and what a cruise!!!!!:)

 

the ship is in real good shape for her age. all the crew and staff that we encounterd was friendly and always had a smile on their faces.:)

 

for the food. our food was always warm or hot. and the wait staff was always there to refill water or refill your coffee.:) we thought the food was very good. the new menues are different. if we didn't want the new items, we would not order them. there is plenty of the old items still on the menu.:)

 

would go back tomorrow. had a great time met alot of nice people.:)

I was on this ship twice in November, no food issues either. Loved the ship. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles due to it's size, but found all staff exceptionally friendly.

Now, I just got off Liberty, the waiters in the DR were slower, and at one point I commented I thought we'd gotten lost in the shuffle. I was very surprised that some buffet foods were cool to the point they didn't taste good (and I am not fussy).

[flgatormom29]

We went on the Ecstasy in on 12/1. I have to say we wont be doing that ship again. We had a great time and met some great people, but the food wasn't impressive and the staff was just OK. Waiters at MDR never introduced themselves, we waited forever to get our food and we were there forever. Buffet had only 3-4 options every day and the fries were ALWAYS cold. But i did have my share of ice cream :D was just sad it was closed morning of debarkment. Freedom's was open and we got our last cone on our way off the ship.

 

I also wasn't impressed with CD or ACD. Nothing like Jacque and George on the freedom in Oct. And the fun times seemed very bare. Not much activities going on. The freedom we missed out on a lot because there was so much going on! We did lay around a lot, but we like to stay busy with trivias and towel folding and stuff like that.

 

We didn't let any of this ruin our cruise, and we are not letting this ruin carnival's name for us. We had a great time away from the kids and spend quality time together, we just found out the smaller ships aren't for us. We are looking into either the Dream or the RCL Oasis to try a massive ship next time.

[futuremrscresap]

I was on the Ecstasy in late April before she left Galveston and had a completely different experience. Sorry yours wasn't up to par.

 

Same for me. I went on the Ecstasy out of Galveston in 2010 and it was so fun. It's a shame that your experience was so different. Our waitstaff was awesome (Yako and Muyana), they really took the time to get to know us and no request was met with a scowl. We ended up tipping them pretty well on the last night. I don't remember and specifics about the food, but I know I enjoyed all of it. :D

[TriciaEMTB]

just returned yesterday and what a cruise!!!!!:)

 

the ship is in real good shape for her age. all the crew and staff that we encounterd was friendly and always had a smile on their faces.:)

 

for the food. our food was always warm or hot. and the wait staff was always there to refill water or refill your coffee.:) we thought the food was very good. the new menues are different. if we didn't want the new items, we would not order them. there is plenty of the old items still on the menu.:)

 

would go back tomorrow. had a great time met alot of nice people.:)

 

Two nights that I was on it I had barely taken a sip out of the water and they were refilling it! I thought the service was great. I have nothing to compare it to (yet) but I'm sorry other peoples experiences were less than stellar.

[crusinpsychRN]

Seems it's a fleetwide problem to get cold or tepid food. The buffet on Inspiration was terrible. Cold grits!

 

I said something the first night in the MDR that I'd been having problems on my last cruises with food temps and was waited on hand and foot. All food was the proper temperature.

[linbobky]

We went on the Ecstasy in on 12/1. I have to say we wont be doing that ship again. We had a great time and met some great people, but the food wasn't impressive and the staff was just OK. Waiters at MDR never introduced themselves, we waited forever to get our food and we were there forever. Buffet had only 3-4 options every day and the fries were ALWAYS cold. But i did have my share of ice cream :D was just sad it was closed morning of debarkment. Freedom's was open and we got our last cone on our way off the ship.

 

I also wasn't impressed with CD or ACD. Nothing like Jacque and George on the freedom in Oct. And the fun times seemed very bare. Not much activities going on. The freedom we missed out on a lot because there was so much going on! We did lay around a lot, but we like to stay busy with trivias and towel folding and stuff like that.

 

We didn't let any of this ruin our cruise, and we are not letting this ruin carnival's name for us. We had a great time away from the kids and spend quality time together, we just found out the smaller ships aren't for us. We are looking into either the Dream or the RCL Oasis to try a massive ship next time.

kinda funny you mentioned th cd. we were waiting to eat dinner and i heard a lady that said she hated the cd. someone ask her why and she said that he was almost bald.:) steve cassel is older but he can sure play the fiddle!!:D

[RuthlessBoss]

kinda funny you mentioned th cd. we were waiting to eat dinner and i heard a lady that said she hated the cd. someone ask her why and she said that he was almost bald.:) steve cassel is older but he can sure play the fiddle!!:D

Steve does not look like a CD,he's older, kind of skinny, but, he's great. And he's so much a part of each show with his fiddle talents and delivering a comedy act. Do you think the Ecstasy would have won all those awards without him?

[linbobky]

Steve does not look like a CD,he's older, kind of skinny, but, he's great. And he's so much a part of each show with his fiddle talents and delivering a comedy act. Do you think the Ecstasy would have won all those awards without him?

 

i wasn't complaining. i enjoyed steve. i was just repeating what i heard.:) the show, extreme country, was one of the best shows we have seen on our 9 cruises. steve made the show good.:)

[firefly333]

the food was what we often found at buffets like Ponderosa and Golden Corral. Just mediocre, standard fare.

 

lol my family likes both these chains, though I have not seen a ponderosa in a long time to be honest, but we used to like it.

 

There is something wrong with golden corral .. oh no..

 

Though I was not terribly impressed with the new menus and flat out didnt like some of the new foods, I did not find the food nearly as bad as the OP.

 

food is so subjective.

[cu19821]

Makes me feel good to see that my comments have started a nice conversation. After reading all the responses, I thought I would just follow up and mention (and reiterate) that there was much more good on the cruise than bad - very much more. In fact I have recommended that my son and his girfriend and other buddies try to take this very itinerary during his college spring break in March. With a bit of hindsight (and after chatting with him during the holiday break) the cruise seems like a perfect match - good ports and the food will not be too much of an issue for him as he will probably take most of his meals in the buffet. FYI, he was with us in 2009 on the Liberty and enjoyed the MDR experience very much, but probably wouldn't get all dressed up when he is on his own. The Ecstasy seems like a great ship for first timers, spring breakers and last minute types. To each his own! FYI, out next just purchased cruise is the Star Princess to Alaska next July. Had friends that took the Carnival cruise (Spirit?) last summer and loved it, but the itinerary just didn't work for us. We will definitely use the voucher we purchased for a future carnival cruise, but as "TAPI" recommends, we will probably stick to the bigger newer ships. Thanks again for all the input, and please take all my comments as just that - they are my (our) experience, and I posted to perhaps guide others, not to complain. Hope you all have a great 2012!