Do You Get Bored With The Same Menu ?

[griffy116]

It's pretty funny how we all look at the same thing differently. We've cruised 11 times on RCI, but it's rare if we get to cruise more than once a year. We were discussing our upcoming cruise and some of our comments were about our favorite RCI menu options and how we can't wait for some of our favorites. One of the waiters told us that the kitchen staff watch what items are popular and appreciated. If a dish fails, it's written off and they replace it so I think they try to stick with menu items that are crowd pleasers. We've also tried different dishes..ones we didn't order on the last cruise. Some have been good choices, others not as good, but we don't have a problem with the food. Just different tastes. For instance, we were on the FOS last summer and we didn't think the food in the MDR was nasty..quite the contrary, but then I don't have a problem with the Seattle's Best coffee and some people hate it.

[DonnaK]

This is a tricky question. There are some items that I will never get bored of, and that I actually look forward to on each cruise. We happen to love Italian night - I could select every dishes from every category on that menu!!!

 

Then, there are some nights when there is nothing at all on the menu that I like (day 7 of the 7 night menu).

 

On another thread, someone mentioned that there is a special Vegetarian menu which you can ask for. It has additional items that are not on the regular menu. I hadn't heard about this before! I wonder if there are other alternate specialty menus too??? Even though I am not a vegetarian, I tend to choose meatless meals, so this would greatly add to my options for the nights when I do not like what's on the regular menu.

 

BTW - we eat in the MDR every night and don't find it nasty or subpar at all.

[bigque]

We have been cruising right now every other year, so it does not get boring. It's the same when we go to our favorite restaurants to eat, sometimes I will order the same thing because I like it or sometimes I might try something different. It's the same on the cruise, I might try something on a given night that I didn't try last time or I might order more than one entree, or may eat what I had the last cruise if I really liked it. We do however mix it up by going to Chops one night and Portifino one night, usually on 2 nights we pick out and say, we can miss the menu on those nights and not be upset about it. So with the different choices available on the ship for dinner, eating in the Windjammer for lunch and breakfast ordered in or at the Windjammer, it never gets boring!

[Lottycruiser]

I hope people don't think I am complaining about the food , I have always enjoyed the food served in the main dining room ,I just wondered if frequent cruisers or cruisers who have sailed with Royal loads of times wished that new dishes would be added ,I have always found something on the menu that I like and always check the menu during the day to decide if I will eat in the Windjammer that evening instead , it's nice to do the Windjammer in the evening once or twice during the cruise but if I spotted something new on the MDR menu I would have to give that a try , it would be rude not to :D

[enyliram]

just off the liberty where we did a galley tour as a perk for diamond plus members.

the chef explained that all menus are planned in advance from corporate in miami. there are pictures of the dishes and recipe cards to be followed. no deviations. all sample dinner dishes are tasted by the chefs and are approved before being allowed to be served to the MDR.

the menu of the liberty 4,5 night cruises in the caribbean will not vary druing the season.

in europe and the med the menu will be geared toward european tastes and will not change during the course of the voyages.

you may notice a difference in some dishes if there is a change of supplier.

all sauces ,gravies, pastries are made fresh daily on board.

on this trip there were 4044 passengers including over 1000 children.

during a typical day the galley will prepare over 19,000 yes 19,000 per day, meals for the passengers and crew.

[emeraldcity]

My first reaction was to answer that there's no chance I could get tired of the menu ... after all, I only cruise once every two years ... and since someone else is doing the cooking and the clean-up, I'm not too choosy.

 

But check back with me after my next cruise experience -- we've added a 3-day repo cruise to the end of a 7-day cruise and I've been wondering if it's going to be a downer having repeat menus on the second leg.

[PrincessStar]

As long as I'm not cooking - I'm happy with whatever menu is in front of me! :D:D:D:D

[cruzeluvr]

I think the food on Royal is very good so I am not knocking it in any way , I have only been on Royal 4 times my 5th being in April but I have to admit that when picking up the menu in the dining room I do feel a bit disappointed that's it the same old things from all my other cruises , I understand if it's working well it doesn't need fixing but for those of you who have done loads of Royal cruises do you wish they would change the menus now and then ?

 

We have cruised a lot on Royal over the years and have seen the menu change, although not necessarily for the better. I remember the days when many of the dishes they now serve in the specialty restaurants were offered in the MDR. However, that being said, we do not have any real issues with the MDR offerings. There are certain items that we really like and look forward to, and would be disappointed if they disappeared from the menu. In recent years we have found the menu choices somewhat limited and unimaginative, but we always find something we enjoy.

On our last cruise, I mentioned to the head waiter that it was nice to see a vegetarian Indian selection each night, but I would like to see other Indian dishes, like chicken tikka masala, offered. Nobody else at our table expressed an interest, but the next night the head waiter appeared with chicken tikka masala for me. He asked one of the Indian chefs to prepare it special for me. So, the lesson is that if you want something that is not on the menu, it doesn't hurt to ask. You never know!

(and yes, I gave him a nice tip for going out of his way for me)

[swcruise]

We have cruised every year for the past 5 and fingers crossed will continue to do so. While in some ways it feels like coming home when you see the menus it would also be nice for a change.

 

Does anybody have some menus from back in 2003. I seem to remember that it was a 5 course affair with starter, soups, sorbet etc. I even have a memory of flamed crepes being prepared by our table and back then there was a wine sommelier as well.. Just interested if somebody has a menu to share...

[Trainman-2]

There is enough variety on the MDR menus that I can usually find something that I like. Sometimes I will order the steak from Chops.

 

I don't need new menus on every cruise.

[Canusa02]

No, I dont get to cruise enough or have cruised long enough to get "bored" with the menu.

 

In fact I look FORWARD to MDR dining and certain dishes and things on the menu that I either cant get or dont get on land.

 

My favorite places on land have not changed in years. I tend to get the same things when I go there.

 

If I cruised 3 or 4 times a year like some here are fortunate to do then I might think differently.

 

My only complaint would be if they are gonna offer a daily steak, it should be a little better quality cut of beef. And dont false advertise by saying thats Black Angus beef........I dont believe it :)

 

I agree!!!

I like that you can see the menu a few months before the cruise so there is time to make other dining arrangements if you don't like the MDR offerings one particular evening.

Maybe the specialty restaurants should be the ones changing up their menus, especially since the customers there end up paying for two meals that evening. On a side rant, steak sauce was invented to cover up the taste of poorly cooked steak, so please don't think I'm willing to pay $25 for something that _____________ restaurant would throw out.

[teajak]

I don't care for Italian night either , I asked dh would he prefer Royal changed the menu one and then and he said what else can they put on they do all the different meats and seafood , fair point , but just to introduce one new dish now and then would be nice , they must know which is the most unpopular dish by the amount of orders ,just delete it and try something new .

The last cruise on Italian night,I had an appetizer,2 soups and a salad,no entree,plenty to eat. I tried the calzone once,what a disaster that was.