Nutritional info - not just spa food?

[Agocruisin]

Hello,

 

If we are looking for nutritional info on the regular carnival dining room dinner food, is thAt available anywhere?

 

Thanks!

[Froufie]

Never seen anything like that (and it's probably for the best? :D:D)

[joeyancho]

Nope. My motto: I didn't come on this cruise to lose weight or save money.

[howielovescruisin]

I've never seen it and I can tell you I probably don't want to! It's funny though I eat all the time on a cruise and usually end up losing weight. I think it's because the Mrs. won't let me take elevators, we have to use the stairs.

[lindfaz]

With so many different types of food offered each meal throughout the day I would think it would be quite difficult to list nutritional values. Menus change every day and would be quite impossible to keep up with the changes for the different dishes.

[Cruisegirl6]

Its Carnival...the lunch buffet forget it you not want to know consider it like eating out at fast food establishments.

 

If you stay with meats, chicken, veggies, salads and appetizers such as fruit cup and such you are pretty safe in the MDR.

 

Is there anything particular you need to watch, calories, sodium, sugar, etc?

[Shipbound]

With so many different types of food offered each meal throughout the day I would think it would be quite difficult to list nutritional values. Menus change every day and would be quite impossible to keep up with the changes for the different dishes.

 

I would guess the food is loaded with sodium and fat so stick to salad and sodium free foods in the MDR if possible, just ask your server.

 

Gary

[Agocruisin]

Its Carnival...the lunch buffet forget it you not want to know consider it like eating out at fast food establishments.

 

If you stay with meats, chicken, veggies, salads and appetizers such as fruit cup and such you are pretty safe in the MDR.

 

Is there anything particular you need to watch, calories, sodium, sugar, etc?

 

Actually, I just like knowing what I am eating...which is why I live places like New York city where calories are always listed...

 

Thank you everyone though.

[Cruisegirl6]

And you have mighty fine restaurants there too lol

 

I would suggest the best dining and best quality/selection/variety is the Steakhouse. We not care much for the food in the buffet or the MDR. The lunch buffets are mainly fast food type items on other cruise lines you get more healthier choices of hot meat entrees, alot of vegetable choices, etc. Carnival is very very limited...MDR offers that flat iron steak which I never would buy for my family....

But if you go to the MDR just know its not what you get at home or in any restaurant in NYC. You will get 2-4 pieces of vegetables, not a real serving of veggies. They added that comfort food, meatloaf, brisket beef, fried chicken and hamburgers to the dinner menu what the heck is that!!

 

My suggestion is to go to the Steakhouse. If you choose not to then I would stay with the steak even that flat iron steak, the lobster on first formal evening is ok its frozen of course not what you used to in NYC. I guess the best thing you can do is stay with meat, poultry, salad, and healthy appetizers. Carnivals chilled soups are wonderful so do give it a try especially the strawberry soup!

 

I always enjoy a cruise even on Carnival but on Carnival I not get to eat the way I am used to at home or even like the places we dine at. This is why we have four evenings confirmed at the Steakhouse, we will go to the MDR on second evening the first formal evening but we may decide not to go back we will decide when the time comes. The Steakhouse has rib eye, cowboy steak rib eye with the bone, filet mignon, NY Strip, Lamb, Lobster, much better choices and quality. I am dying for that carpaccio too for appetizer lol Its only a week, go have fun enjoy, do your best as I do when I cruise Carnival. We can cheat sometimes.....

 

http://www.carnival.com/~/media/CCLUS/Images/pdf/Steakhousemenupdf.ashx

[billie5]

The general consensus on Cruise Critic has been that Carnival's MDR food is rather good. On the other hand, the buffet is quite poor (except for a rather good sandwich bar).

 

Just a side note. We were on the Pride in June, and the vegetarian dish in MDR was as good or better than any we have eaten on mainstream lines. It was simply called "vegetarian Indian," but it was more like an Indonesian ricetafel: 3 entrees, 2 vegetables, and rice, served together in separate bowls and generally all changing each evening. Even the rice style changed frequently. Very tasty.

[mikel24m]

The general consensus on Cruise Critic has been that Carnival's MDR food is rather good. On the other hand, the buffet is quite poor (except for a rather good sandwich bar).

 

Just a side note. We were on the Pride in June, and the vegetarian dish in MDR was as good or better than any we have eaten on mainstream lines. It was simply called "vegetarian Indian," but it was more like an Indonesian ricetafel: 3 entrees, 2 vegetables, and rice, served together in separate bowls and generally all changing each evening. Even the rice style changed frequently. Very tasty.

 

My favorite meal of the entire cruise,do you remember if it was the first night ,it usually is everytime we cruise

 

They offered that everynight? I do know that if you contact them beforehand they will make vegetarian dishes for you the whole cruise in the MDR

[combatboots2jimmychoos]

I've been asking the same as the OP. OP, if you want something prepared a certain way like low sodium or gluten free you can contact special needs before you cruise and someone in the MDR will meet with you the night before for you to review the next menu and make sure they can accommodate your requests.

[SadieN]

My favorite meal of the entire cruise,do you remember if it was the first night ,it usually is everytime we cruise

 

They offered that everynight? I do know that if you contact them beforehand they will make vegetarian dishes for you the whole cruise in the MDR

 

Indian vegetarian is an option every night. The dishes do change nightly.

Usually there is rice, some sort of bean or lentil, main, seasoned cracker (not naan), riata and something red that is way too hot for me.

 

Some ships (Splendor) have a tandoori station for lunch.

[Cruisegirl6]

billie5, not like indian food my honey can't stand smell of it and my father in law too reminds them when they used to live in NY and had to commute to work in the city and on the railroad travelling the train smelled of all curry coming out of people's skin, surely I can understand him not even wanting to see it. Shame they just can't add some vegetables without that stuff on it. Never liked the sandwich bar (what an inexpensive cost saving idea for Carnival to do) who wants a sandwich something you eat all the time for lunch? The meat generally is over fatty and then there is the fact I can't have bread need to be gluten free. On my last Carnival cruise I asked for the meat and not bread and when he gave me few slices I asked for more and he gives me one more slice, picking out all the fat in that meat I didn't get more than few tiny bites from it.

 

Yes you can contact special needs as I have done as I need to be gluten free and Carnival does accomodate but do know that you need to have assigned seating so they can go over the menu with you the night before, if you have My Time Dining they won't do this for you.

[LRene]

Yes you can contact special needs as I have done as I need to be gluten free and Carnival does accomodate but do know that you need to have assigned seating so they can go over the menu with you the night before, if you have My Time Dining they won't do this for you.

 

Actually, that's not correct. You can have dietary restrictions and eat at assigned OR anytime dining. I always go with anytime dining and I'm Celiac so always eat a gluten free menu. They know exactly where you're sitting at either type do seating because you check in to ATD with your cabin number.

[Cruisegirl6]

That isn't what I was told...they told me I need to have assigned dining so they know when and where to find me the evening before to go over the menu for me. Ok, was given wrong info thanks.

[billie5]

you need to have assigned seating so they can go over the menu with you the night before, if you have My Time Dining they won't do this for you.

This is completely wrong. I have it done all the time for My Time Dining, and it does not matter where you sit -- they have your cabin number in the kitchen.

 

Lyndamr, you should know that your opinion is in the distinct minority. We sail many of the mainstream cruise lines (and Oceania), and while the food on Oceania is obviously better, among the mainstreams Carnival's MDR is well rated. Just read the CC threads.

 

Of course, you have every right in the world to your opinion, and to recount your experiences. However, other readers should note that your view does not seem to be typical.

 

A remarkable fact about the buffet on our last Carnival cruise. It was the first time I can recall (in ~30 cruises) that a buffet had french toast for breakfast only every other day. I mean, come on, how hard would it be to have it every day? Of course, that is only the tip of the iceberg as to the problems with the buffet, but that discussion would take a whole other thread.

 

As for the sandwich bar, a good deli is something not to be scorned! :cool:

[billie5]

My favorite meal of the entire cruise,do you remember if it was the first night ,it usually is everytime we cruise.

They offered that everynight?

 

Oh, I forgot. Yes it was on the everyday menu, and wonderful. Compare that to Princess, for example, which has a pasta alfredo as their everyday vegetarian dish, usually the same all week and completely useless for a vegan.

[mikel24m]

Indian vegetarian is an option every night. The dishes do change nightly.

Usually there is rice, some sort of bean or lentil, main, seasoned cracker (not naan), riata and something red that is way too hot for me.

 

Some ships (Splendor) have a tandoori station for lunch.

 

I guess this may be new or certain ships .This is my tenth cruise and I have only been offered the indian dish the first night

[mikel24m]

billie5, not like indian food my honey can't stand smell of it and my father in law too reminds them when they used to live in NY and had to commute to work in the city and on the railroad travelling the train smelled of all curry coming out of people's skin, surely I can understand him not even wanting to see it. Shame they just can't add some vegetables without that stuff on it. Never liked the sandwich bar (what an inexpensive cost saving idea for Carnival to do) who wants a sandwich something you eat all the time for lunch? The meat generally is over fatty and then there is the fact I can't have bread need to be gluten free. On my last Carnival cruise I asked for the meat and not bread and when he gave me few slices I asked for more and he gives me one more slice, picking out all the fat in that meat I didn't get more than few tiny bites from it.

 

Yes you can contact special needs as I have done as I need to be gluten free and Carnival does accomodate but do know that you need to have assigned seating so they can go over the menu with you the night before, if you have My Time Dining they won't do this for you.

 

I have never had fatty meat from the deli.Actually the pastrami on rye is the best we have ever had

[happy cruzer]

Actually, I just like knowing what I am eating...which is why I live places like New York city where calories are always listed...

 

Thank you everyone though.

 

If all you care about is calories, then there are two things to keep in mind:

 

Most foods listing their calories are really inaccurate. Saw an article that said they can be close to 20 per cent off, there are no consequences and hardly anyone ever checks them. The worst offenders seem to be items targetting themselves as healty choices. HA.

 

If you want to watch calories, your best bet is to order simple items with out sauces. Memorize what the portion size is for the calories you want and then you can get as close as the labels the restaurants provide. Grilled chicken, fish, simple meats, plain fruits and vegetables are the safest.