I'm Very Surprised to Have Just Read this About the New Menu Rollout......

[wantocruisemore]

This needs to be repeated. One of the criticisms of the Glory and Liberty menus was a lack of dessert choices. The Imagination and Inspiration have larger dessert menus.

 

It's pretty obvious that the Imagination and Inspiration have slightly different menus than the Glory and Liberty. Since the Fantasy ships got the new menu after the Conquest class ships, this is evidence that Carnival is listening to feedback and making appropriate changes.

 

Yea I noticed that the review said that Creme brûlée was on the new menu for fantasy ships. Let's hopes they will tweak conquests and put it back.

But even if they don't I am going to try to order it on Liberty in May.

[keishashadow]

Glad to hear it. In looking at the new menu, we probably would have been eating on the lido deck most nights.

 

I think the idea of a nightly "special" is a good one, though. Many of my favorite meals in local restaurants have been a one night special.

 

Salmon on an Alaskan route is a good thing, many nightly specials aren't. Most people in the industry will tell you they tend to avoid the nightly specials when they dine out, to paraphrase from an industry resource:

 

restaurants reconfigure the day's surplus food into the next day's specials, so knowing how to distinguish a good special from a bad one can make the difference between an appetizing meal and one less worthy of its "special" title. Customers need to watch out for "an expensive item used in a way that's minimizing its flavor." Examples include lamb chops that have been cut, braised, and put into dishes as "supporting players". Additionally, "pastas, stews, and soups containing expensive meats are also suspect." As an additional clue, remember that sauces and gravy are often used as cover-ups, so think twice about meals that are heavily saturated with either.

Edited March 8, 2014 by keishashadow

[Sfdtiller]

Thanks Pine and Phl for making these boards interesting. Love how people get so riled up over NOTHING. So many play right into there fun.....its a mind game and they win every time! LOVE IT!!

[awhcruiser]

We have a winner!

No matter what menu carnival goes with 1/2 the people will fuss and moan and cry like babies other 1/2 will love it.

 

 

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[awhcruiser]

Why can't people stop whining about the menus and be thankful they can cruise?

[awhcruiser]

Life would be much more interesting if people didn't find things to complain about.

Because I'm not you. Life would be much less interesting if everyone's thoughts and desires were identical.

[Lace]

Life would be much more interesting if people didn't find things to complain about.

 

A world where everyone enjoyed the same exact things.

 

Uh, no thank you.

[1kaper]

Why can't people stop whining about the menus and be thankful they can cruise?

 

That's a little over the top. So there is nothing they could change that wouldn't make you unhappy?

 

I didn't see anyone whining. No one demanded compensation or threatened to never sail Carnival again. Nor did anyone say it ruined their trip.

 

I did see people expressing their opinions, both good and bad, which I happen to enjoy. I like different perspectives. Not everyone agrees with me, I certainly don't agree with everyone. That's ok.

I go to the ports section and see what people think about different ports and excursions. When I go to trip advisor, I read the positive things people say but I also make a point to read the negative things people have to say. Same with when I buy an item online. Sometimes it I agree or it changes my mind, sometimes I don't/it doesn't.

 

I learned a lot in other threads about the new menu, good and bad. I was happy to have that information when I went on my trip.

 

You may not want to hear the negative stuff, but some of us like to get both sides. Then again, that comes back to the point people keep making about us all being different.

And you always have the option not to read the thread or to unsubscribe.

Edited March 8, 2014 by 1kaper

[1kaper]

Life would be much more interesting if people didn't find things to complain about.

 

Many changes for the better would not have happened without people complaining. You can tae that on both a small scale and very large scale.

In fact, if no one complained, things would likely deteriorate instead of improving.

 

I don't try and "find" stuff to complain about. I tend to be the type to find stuff to like. But if something bothers me, I will mention it if it is discussed.

Edited March 8, 2014 by 1kaper

[Shmoo here]

This needs to be repeated. One of the criticisms of the Glory and Liberty menus was a lack of dessert choices. The Imagination and Inspiration have larger dessert menus.

 

It's pretty obvious that the Imagination and Inspiration have slightly different menus than the Glory and Liberty. Since the Fantasy ships got the new menu after the Conquest class ships, this is evidence that Carnival is listening to feedback and making appropriate changes.

 

I don't know whether it's "larger" or not. But here's a link to the dessert menus for our recent (3 weeks ago) Inspiration cruise. No crème brulee in sight.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41904267&postcount=8

[Sfdtiller]

I don't know whether it's "larger" or not. But here's a link to the dessert menus for our recent (3 weeks ago) Inspiration cruise. No crème brulee in sight.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41904267&postcount=8

 

I could only see 3 menus on your post, could the Creme Brulee be offered on the 4 night sailing?

[Shmoo here]

I could only see 3 menus on your post, could the Creme Brulee be offered on the 4 night sailing?

 

We did the 4 night cruise, but we ate in the buffet the last night. Mostly because we had late seating (and we really prefer early), and hadn't been impressed by the Main Dining Room (either the menu or the service) up to that point.

 

The best food I had onboard was at the buffet, actually. Liked the Caribbean Spiced pork. And the hamburgers at the grill were the best hamburgers I've had on any cruise. My husband really liked the salads he could put together there, also. Seemed to be fresher than the ones he had been getting in the dining room.

[Sparky2]

I could only see 3 menus on your post, could the Creme Brulee be offered on the 4 night sailing?

 

Creme Brulee was not on Liberty 7-day sailings.

[Branman]

Creme Brulee was not on Liberty 7-day sailings.

 

The Liberty/Glory have different dessert menus from the Inspiration/Imagination. The Fantasy class ships have an expanded dessert menu.

[meatloafsfan]

Fingers crossed here that they move forward by the end of this year or early next year. I'd love to have the new menus on the Pride next March (for the 14 night repositioning).

 

I'd love the option of pie every night not to mention being able to select my own side dish (or 2 or 3)!:D

[mek]

Why can't people stop whining about the menus and be thankful they can cruise?

 

Possibly because they're paying for their cruise? While I'm VERY thankful I can travel where and when I want, I still have certain expectations when I pay for something and will voice my comments when something falls short of the mark. Likewise, I won't hesitate to heap on the praise when my expectations have been exceeded.

[Shipbound]

At the moment there are no plans to bring the new and exciting menus to other ships ~ John Heald

 

If the new menus are so exciting so how come they are not going to other ships. I will be on the Liberty in April so I guess I'll see what happens and I'll judge for myself.

Edited March 8, 2014 by Shipbound

[MexicanMama]

I repeat my question:

 

Why have a menu at all, if you can order whatever you like, whether it's on the menu or not?

 

 

I have to share my experience with ordering items that are not on the menu.

 

My husband and I sailed on The Fantasy for an anniversary cruise, our first without our children. I made a special request with John Heald that we have a table for 2.

 

I went to the dining room as soon as we arrived on the ship to check on our table and to find out what day my favorite dish would be served. I wanted to make sure we didn't miss that night. We discovered that the dish was only served on 5 day cruises and we were on a 4 day cruise. The maître de insisted that he would speak to the chef and see what they could do. He asked if there would be anything else he could do to make our cruise special. I jokingly said "My favorite is the Bitter and Blanc and my husband loves your mac n' cheese, as long as we can have that everyday we will be happy"

 

The first night progressed as normal at dinner. The 2nd day I received a phone call in our stateroom from the dining room letting me know that the chef would love to cook the dish I had requested but if it would work for me he would like to cook it at lunch. We scheduled it for lunch on the next sea day.

 

The 2nd night at dinner my husband had his own serving of mac n' cheese, and every night thereafter. Bitter and Blanc was on the menu the 2nd night, but I also had it delivered to the table every single night of the cruise...even after I promised that I was just joking and begged them not to go to the trouble.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Good. Shows they are actually listening to the customers. I have been as vocal as anyone about this hideous idea and how awful I thought it was. As long as they don't try to redress this bonehead idea in the future and rebrand it as something else, this is good news. I will give them credit for it. A big part of cruising is dinner and turning dinner into an indoor picnic without even the tablecloths is just stupid. So this platinum is happy to hear this news and obviously I'm not the only one. That is not to say some things could not be tweaked a little but this idea was not that.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Ok, I have read the responses in this thread and to be more specific, I have little problem with tweaking the food offerings, because quite frankly, they have become a little stagnant lately. I have no problem with the meatloaf and fried chicken type stuff but they kept the dining room atmosphere intact. The new "American table" was a completely altered version of dining. Not my cup of tea. So they can change the quality of food all they want but leave the mdr experience intact. Time will tell if that is what indeed will happen or not.

[monakayk]

At the moment there are no plans to bring the new and exciting menus to other ships ~ John Heald

 

Call me slow and confused....but CCL has ditched these new menus going out fleet-wide? :confused:

[Shmoo here]

Call me slow and confused....but CCL has ditched these new menus going out fleet-wide? :confused:

 

Maybe.........

[Stateroom_Sailor]

So they can change the quality of food all they want but leave the mdr experience intact.

 

How about they leave the MDR food quality intact for all ships that sail 7 days or longer, and put the cheaper food in the 3/4 day itinerary ships? The party crowd going to Ensenada and Nassau for 3 days will probably prefer the "bar food" anyways.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Stateroom_Sailor

[sjn911]

Now you've gone and hurt Mrs Smith's feelings ;)

 

 

LOL..my dad has perfected an apple pie with pre made Pillsburry crust in the dairy case and perfectly even sliced apples from his backyard tree...I mean it is heaven.

 

The apple pie I had on ship on old menu...Mrs. Smith does better..wonder about the new...?? But much prefer older menu from experience and do not like new menu from reading only...I want a old ship tablecloth dining room more options as it was experience..... and tablecloths hold the dishes better on a ship..for a big meal.

 

Love San Marcos/ North County by the way...

Edited March 9, 2014 by sjn911

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

How about they leave the MDR food quality intact for all ships that sail 7 days or longer, and put the cheaper food in the 3/4 day itinerary ships? The party crowd going to Ensenada and Nassau for 3 days will probably prefer the "bar food" anyways.

 

Perhaps that would be an idea they could look into. Then again, just because it's a short voyage, that doesn't mean it's all boozing party weekenders onboard. Sure there are more of them but plenty of people who just want a getaway but who don't want to burn a whole week of vacation at once or can't get more than a few days off at once. Very diverse in other words. They can cut back on food quality and portions and few will complain. I surely don't and I have been cruising long enough to see the overall quality drop quite a bit. I like good and plentiful food served in a nice somewhat pleasant atmosphere and most people are like me in that regard I think. I have noticed that shorter sailings do tend to have emptier mdrs however and maybe you are onto something with the tiered food quality based on length of voyage. If that allows them to continue offering a semi upscale dining experience in the mdr, by all means they should go for it.