MDR food quality

[anandaindonesia]

I know food is very subjective. There are varied opinions out there.

 

However, I believe in this forum we have many experienced NCL cruisers. Let's focus on MDR food quality. Please share your views on the NCL food in the MDR. What are your likes and dislikes?

 

Thank you for sharing.

[Love my butler]

I know food is very subjective. There are varied opinions out there.

 

However, I believe in this forum we have many experienced NCL cruisers. Let's focus on MDR food quality. Please share your views on the NCL food in the MDR. What are your likes and dislikes?

 

Thank you for sharing.

 

Two stars. The service is usually about the same. They try hard but are not well trained or experienced.

[ladybugpug]

I have only been on one cruise (Gem). I thought the food in the MDR's was just average. Prior to the cruise I saw posts here comparing the food to Applebees, TGI Fridays, etc. I did not think it was even as good as those places.

 

The food was not awful by any means, I just didn't find it in any way special and I am not a foodie ( I like McDonalds lol). I liked the calamari appetizer a lot and so did the rest of my family. I can't really remember any of the other food. Nothing stuck out as very good or not so very good...average.

 

My family of 5 did eat in the MDR's probably 3 or 4 times mostly for dinner and maybe one lunch. We never ate breakfast there. The atmosphere was really pretty and I like sitting down and not jumping up all the time in a buffet. I found the servers very nice and accommodating.

 

I didn't go on the cruise to eat. I didn't gain any weight which I was very happy about.

 

I have seen a lot of posts panning the Blue Lagoon, but I really liked the tuna melt for lunch and my daughter loved their lasagna. Everyone in my family loved the wings for a late night snack.

 

Can't wait til December to try it all again! :)

[caribsun]

I was on the Gem in April 2013 and I was very pleased with the menu in the MDR. Everything was warm and delicious and served in a timely manner, we went to the MDR around 6:15 PM.

We had breakfast either at the Blue Lagoon or MDR and the breakfast items were cooked fresh and served hot.

I thought the calamari tasted like rubber bands.:D

[luddite]

It isn't as nice as it used to be.

The menu has been eviscerated.

[ladybugpug]

I thought the calamari tasted like rubber bands.:D

 

I think all Calamari tastes like rubber bands but I still like it lol. But it has to have the marinara sauce on the side. I think NCL likes to serve it with horseradish?? or something, which I have never heard of. They were very nice about bringing marinara instead.

 

We tried the calamari at La Cuccina(sp?) and my kids were a bit appalled by the whole little squids. They felt too sorry for them to eat it. I also thought the calamari was better in the MDR.

[Warm Breezes]

Comparable to Applebees, Red Lobster, and Olive Garden.

[trish1c]

We feel it has gone down considerably in the last few years. Last cruise last January, nothing I had for dinner was good. Most of it has no flavor, It's like the kitchen doesn't have salt & pepper, never mind garlic or any other spice. Even my jerk chicken was bland.

[Barb Nahoumi]

When I first cruised with NCL, the waiters came around with a dessert cart. That is a nice little touch which I miss.

[emcelh]

Although the menus are the same fleetwide, I think the quality varies from ship to ship. Not only that, it can be great on one ship this year and not so good next. Same for the service, it varies. We've had great service one night and not so great another on the same cruise.

[jaja]

I have been generally pleased with the MDR. I think the food is just fine...gourmet ? No...but just fine for me..And I always find something to enjoy. We usually eat there for our meals (unless we are in a suite-and then sometimes go to Cagneys for breakfast and lunch) I also like the buffet..and sometimes would rather eat there than the MDR if I feel like "just picking" or to try something different (I love the Asian and Indian offerings there!)..I have also been known to sneak to the Blue Lagoon for wings for a snack :eek:

[mpk218]

I would compare NCL's MDR food to :

 

Royal , carnival , celebrity , Holland , princess , costa . Msc ect ect .

Essentially any line serving 2000-4000 passengers a day .. ;)

 

Dozens of cruises on multiple lines and not once have I come across a meal

that was inedible ( like some like to say).. Anyone that picky needs to bring their own Peanut butter samiches ..

 

next

[caribsun]

I would compare NCL's MDR food to :

 

Royal , carnival , celebrity , Holland , princess , costa . Msc ect ect .

Essentially any line serving 2000-4000 passengers a day .. ;)

 

Dozens of cruises on multiple lines and not once have I come across a meal

that was inedible ( like some like to say).. Anyone that picky needs to bring their own Peanut butter samiches ..

 

next

You brought a smile to my face, my aunt would say samiches. :) RIP Auntie E.

[mikewrit]

We have found the food in MDRs to be generally very good. A few disappointments over the years. Considering that the kitchens have to prepare large numbers of meals from supplies acquired at various ports, we are usually pleasantly surprised. Our first three cruises we learned to love and anticipate cold fruit soups, but those were not generally available on later cruises. We surmised it was a matter of available supplies of fresh fruit. One of the few places where our Carnival Splendor experience surpassed NCL was some very good cold soups.

[halos]

There used to be a difference between food on each line but for the past couple years it seems they are all pretty much the same...my feeling lately is cruse ship food is cruise ship food. Some dishes are good others surprise you in their excellence, no matter which line.

[weltek]

I have experienced the same dish prepared to two very different quality levels on different NCL ships, so I understand how variances in food quality are reported, even with the caveat that it's subjective.

 

How my scale of stars should be interpreted (and what I think of in terms of comparability that would be recognizable to many):

1 star=most of the dishes ill conceived and poorly executed (e.g., Country Kitchen/Perkins, etc. quality)

2 stars=some standouts, but generally bland or boring, minimal consideration of presentation (Applebees, Outback quality)

3 stars=good menu, mostly successful execution for the volume, good presentation (anywhere from Maggianos, Melting Pot to just above that)

4 stars=great menu, consistently good execution, particulary for the volume they serve, great presentation (Flemings, Ruths Chris, McCormick & Schmicks)

5 stars=comparable to the BEST land based restaurants in menu, execution and presentation (these are usually local for me and do smaller volume)

 

Overall: 3 stars

Menu alone: 3.5 stars.

Execution alone: just barely 3 stars. I've had a few real clunkers for dishes before, but most of the food is very good (not amazing).

 

My three biggest disappointments in memory:

1. Awful snapper...more like dry, fishy nuggets

2. Looking forward to the bread pudding after it being EXCELLENT on the Dawn...only to have it be TERRIBLE on the Star. I was embarassed that I'd recommended it to others.

3. Immitation Krab in the ettouffe on the Star after it was recommended by the chef.

 

My favorite MDR quality on NCL: Dawn

Least favorite: Sky

[kcfoxy]

There are less choices in NCL MDRs in the past few years, and I mourn the loss of chilled fruit soups, (which can occasionally still crop up in Buffet from time to time).

 

On embarkation, if not booked to enjoy Cagney's, the MDR is just fine. I especially enjoy the open-faced Shrimp, Salmon and Avocado salad sandwich, though the bread can be a tad dry. DH tends to order the Casear Salad, which has about 5-6 large sized shrimp.

 

The panna cotta with berries is lovely for dessert. One clunker among with sandwiches offered? A Philly Cheesesteak with a scary bad/tough slice of gristle, fat and greyish meat. Others have raved, but this day it was left untouched.

 

The always available dinner menu has steak, which can vary from very good to fair. Most times we've ordered it rare and received not more than medium rare...my goal in the first place. The lamb shank was especially nice, the meat moist, succulent and falling off the bone.

 

Salmon fillet comes with one thin edge, always overcooked, the thicker side can be nice...I enjoy it cold the next day for a light nosh. DH mentions the cheeseburgers are tasty, when nothing else on the menu suits.

 

Each night there will be a regional offering, Chef's choice. The prime rib is banquet/convention faire, the English cut roast beef decent and the 'Lobster' night, where you may find either Surf and Turf or Half Rock Lobster bolstered with fillet of white fish, ok.

 

We weren't expecting Maine Lobster, so not disappointed. One of my favorite appetizers? Pork and vegetable spring roll with sweet chili dip...could easily eat 2 or 3 of those crunchy but not greasy treats. Yes, the food, prepared for 2-3,000, is typically bland, the better to suit the least adventurous taste buds, so we know to bring a small plastic shaker with a favorite seasoning, (Spike or Kirkland Tuscan for example), request lemon wedges, et al.

 

Desserts often looked better than they tasted, much like a Casino buffet; not much in the way of butter flavor. Some of the sugar free offerings weren't bad-one light, lemony cake in particular, and cheesecake usually fine. The bread and rolls, and morning pastries were freshly baked and generally good, although no pretzel rolls/chocolate croissants, (fetched from Buffet), unless specifically requested. ;)

 

We've also eaten at the Buffet, Blue Moon, Italian, French, Steakhouse, Asian Fusion and Brazilian Grill eateries. So-with the understanding that taste is completely subjective-for the MDR, I'd rate it like this,

overall

 

• Excellent 5%
  
• Very Good 25%
  
• Good 40%
  
• Fair 25%
  
• Poor 5%
  

 

That said, we do prefer breakfast in either the Buffet, Blue Lagoon, (or Cagney's when we're eligible), preferring made to order omelets and snappier service. MDR dinner, with some lunches, 3 stars overall, with plating more like 3.5.

Hope that helps :p

[weltek]

I'd agree with the above poster about prefering other venues for breakfast. There's very little "special" about breakfast in the MDR, IMHO, and it's often very slow service. I like a little quicker breakfast (I have lots of relaxing to do!:D) and can get the same items in the buffet (I can even build a salmon benedict with a little creativity).

 

We do the buffet for breakfast about five-six days. Usually the other day in either the MDR or Blue Lagoon-type restaurant. I'm very happy with this arrangement. Uptown Grill looks great on the new ships. Sometimes a good breakfast sandwich is exactly what I want. Looking forward to that.

 

For lunch, I try to get to the MDR at least once during the cruise, but most of the time it's a poolside BBQ, the buffet or Blue Lagoon. I do enjoy the lunches in the MDR (I second the seafood and avocado sandwich!)m though. We tend to eat breakfast around 9:30, so it's often pretty late by the time we think about lunch and are pretty settled into the pool deck.

[FLAHAM]

I have found recent MDR meals to vary from barely acceptable to good. Service has been very inconsistent; sometimes ignored, sometimes way too slow.

[johnsak123]

I guess one good thing about the MDR, If you don't like what you are served you can order something else.

I really have never had a terrible meal in the MDR. Some better then others but its all a matter of taste.

No matter what I think you will find some delicious food to eat

[kcwingwalker]

I guess one good thing about the MDR, If you don't like what you are served you can order something else.

I really have never had a terrible meal in the MDR. Some better then others but its all a matter of taste.

No matter what I think you will find some delicious food to eat

 

Agree!

 

Only once have I left the MDR without being satisfied. We headed up the buffet on the Spirit and grabbed some Ceasar salad, fresh fruit, bread and cheese and headed for the fantail. Lovely meal, very relaxing and the view was fantastic.

 

Looking back on the experience, I think we were not in the mood for a more formal dinner. Sometimes you just need simple foods and no fuss.

[DMH15]

We feel it has gone down considerably in the last few years. Last cruise last January, nothing I had for dinner was good. Most of it has no flavor, It's like the kitchen doesn't have salt & pepper, never mind garlic or any other spice. Even my jerk chicken was bland.

 

When serving so many I am sure bland is the norm. I am from Texas and like it spicy. :)

 

The MDR has to be accessible to all taste buds. This is regional U.S., other nations and people of all ages with varying digestive systems and food tolerances.

 

Sure, there is salt and pepper on the table, but as a chef I know there is a big difference in how food is seasoned during prep and tableside!

 

I quoted your post because I agree about the lack of flavor. It is unfortunate that the chef's hands are somewhat tied. It is a shame they can't be a little more creatiive!!!

 

 

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[KroozeKid]

Was on Breakaway in September, ate in MDR 5 nights. All 5 meals were in the Manhattan Room, and we asked for the same waiter each evening and it was not a problem. The food was decent by most standards, nothing to remember as a highlight of the trip though. The standard choices were available every night on the right side of the menu (NY Strip, Chicken...)and the left side of the menu had the daily choices. There was also a special of the day that the waiter would offer, not on the menu. The one time I chose it, it was a Pumpkin Bisque Bouillabaisse which was outstanding.

We did go to La Cucina one evening since our TA comp'd us on it. It was a step above MDR, I did like the Carpaccio and the grilled shrimp Rissoto was tasty - but the service was Olive Garden'esque.

 

There is no doubt they want you to pay a cover for the "dining experience" but the MDR can satisfy most palates.

[mrwilliamt]

Will be sailing on the Breakaway in 12 days. This will be my 5th cruise with NCL in the past three years. I am a foodie.

From my personal experiences in the MDR's, comparing them to an Applebee's or Olive Garden or any chain for that matter, is outrageous. The presentation and quality of food is leagues above what will be found in a chain restaurant. What chain offers you oxtail soup, beef Wellington, escargot, English cut steak, etc. I have ordered each at an NCL MDR. I have never been dissatisfied after eating a meal in an MDR. Here are some pictures of the yummyness that can be had.

[jjikids]

I have eaten in many types of restaurants. Food can be good and then terrible the next time. There are some meals I like better than others on Norwegian. I find that I can always find something good to eat . Had a wonderful time on the Gem in May. Did the Bistro and Moderno for the foods you cannot get in the MDR. Otherwise we ate there and were very happy. Just like in any restaurant you have happy patrons and ones who complain.