MDR food taste & quality?

[seadancer]

DH and I went on a cruise several years ago on the Magic and loved the ship, the characters, castaway key and the shows. I was let down by the food in the MDR. I've been hearing from friends that just got back from the Dream that the MDR food was great. We are used to good food on the cruises: I've been cruising since 1987 and DH since 1994. We have gone on several lines (see signature) and our current favorite is Celebrity.

 

Please advise your thoughts on the food. I do realize it could've been our "week" on that ship, the ship itself, etc. I do hope the food has gotten better! We love Disney and I would love to go back but it's so much more expensive than our other options!

Edited August 9, 2014 by seadancer
typo

[Shmoo here]

DH and I went on a cruise several years ago on the Magic and loved the ship, the characters, castaway key and the shows. I was let down by the food in the MDR. I've been hearing from friends that just got back from the Dream that the MDR food was great. We are used to good food on the cruises: I've been cruising since 1987 and DH since 1994. We have gone on several lines (see signature) and our current favorite is Celebrity.

 

Please advise your thoughts on the food. I do realize it could've been our "week" on that ship, the ship itself, etc. I do hope the food has gotten better! We love Disney and I would love to go back but it's so much more expensive than our other options!

 

Food is so subjective, that it would difficult for one person to tell everyone whether it's "great" or not.

 

For the most part, food onboard the major market cruiselines is most comparable to a catered dinner. They are preparing massive numbers of meals for large numbers of people. It's just not possible to have the special individually prepared food that generally equates to "great". Except at the extra pay dining venues.

 

Plus, it's difficult to rate all the food, unless the same one person were to try everything. Some things are going to be better than others.

 

Personally, I've only had one thing on all my cruises that I totally did not like. And only one cruise line that I was less than impressed with the overall food (that I had). And it wasn't Disney.

[seadancer]

I do understand that and appreciate your input! It's just that 10 years ago, the food in the MDR was well seasoned and delicious. As the years have gone by, and one can see that a lot of people agree here on cruise critic, the food quality has changed in all the cruise lines. That's why I was asking and I was hoping it was better than our experience on the Magic: bland. DH is hesitant to go again if it's going to be the same. Thanks again for your input![emoji41]

[moki'smommy]

We have been cruising on the Magic since 1998, most recently spring 2014. While everyone has a different expectation and opinion, mine is that food quality has slipped over the years. As noted, it is mass produced....and it shows. We thought the food was better on Celebrity a couple years ago. Celebrity also had better pool deck selections during the day with one area that was amazing "healthy choices."

 

I honestly think the problem is in the preparation. We ate at Topsiders on night (before the remodel), and I ordered the same item I'd had in the MDR the night before. It was FAR better upstairs. The difference--the food there is made when you order it while in the MDR it is prepared in advance and may sit a while. We were told that the servers and chefs in the pool deck restaurant at dinner were "in training." Well, the ones we had were outstanding.

 

I don't know if they are trying to shave costs or if there is another explanation, but the food on DCL hasn't been great for several years--my opinion only. It's OK, but not great.

[AF-1]

May I input a comment about food for the masses. Food is being prepared for so many different types of people who have allergies such as they can't have msg in their food or they can't have too much salt in their food. Because of these type allergies chefs now have to cut back on the type of seasoning and type ingredients they put in food during preparation. This is why the taste of food on cruise ships has changed over the past ten years. Cooking for 4,000 people of which maybe half have some sort of allergy or food quirk, the food has become more bland. That one person who complains that the food has too much salt or other ingredient leads to cruise lines making food less seasoned. Does this make sense?

[mdvlprof]

Cruise food is cruise food. Kind of bland, meh. Not bad, just OK.

 

Culinary gems on cruiselines - very rare. I know I don't cruise for the fine dining.

Edited August 9, 2014 by mdvlprof

[seadancer]

May I input a comment about food for the masses. Food is being prepared for so many different types of people who have allergies such as they can't have msg in their food or they can't have too much salt in their food. Because of these type allergies chefs now have to cut back on the type of seasoning and type ingredients they put in food during preparation. This is why the taste of food on cruise ships has changed over the past ten years. Cooking for 4,000 people of which maybe half have some sort of allergy or food quirk, the food has become more bland. That one person who complains that the food has too much salt or other ingredient leads to cruise lines making food less seasoned. Does this make sense?

 

 

Thanks for this input! I guess you're right. It does make sense. I just wish we wouldn't have to pay the up charge to get great food on top of the extra cost of going on Disney. I'm a Disney fan but wow!

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We had fantastic food over the last 12 nights, put on too much weight.

[moki'smommy]

We had fantastic food over the last 12 nights, put on too much weight.

 

How many times did you go to Palo?

[mosiegirl]

Cruise food is cruise food. Kind of bland, meh. Not bad, just OK.

 

.

 

 

I disagree here.. cruise food is NOT all created equal.. NCL food is the worst.. and in my personal opinion Disney is second worst with Carnival and Princess being best. We are huge foodies and cruise for the food first, ports second.. But as with most things in life, its all a matter of opinion.. you have yours, and I have mine.. lol.. :):rolleyes::D

[jlk806]

I agree with the other who say food is so subjective, Ive so far been on 3 cruises, 2 Carnival, 1 Disney and have always thought the food was great. Im not too difficult to please though, I love seafood and love to try different and new foods. I usually order 2 apps and 1 main entrée. My husband on the other hand, would be happy eating chicken fingers every day wasn't as impressed by the MDR food on the Disney cruise (his 1st cruise). He tried something every night, and the deal was if he didn't like it after dinner on our way up to play Goofy golf (our sons fav) he could grab a hot dog or something from the grill! (which he did a couple times).

[bsddsc]

May I input a comment about food for the masses. Food is being prepared for so many different types of people who have allergies such as they can't have msg in their food or they can't have too much salt in their food. Because of these type allergies chefs now have to cut back on the type of seasoning and type ingredients they put in food during preparation. This is why the taste of food on cruise ships has changed over the past ten years. Cooking for 4,000 people of which maybe half have some sort of allergy or food quirk, the food has become more bland. That one person who complains that the food has too much salt or other ingredient leads to cruise lines making food less seasoned. Does this make sense?

 

Very true. The older we both get, the more sensitive we are to the over use of salt. We both suffered terribly on our last Disney cruise from too my sodium. This time, I told them when we booked about it. And I will tell my servers too that we do not want any salt put on our foods. Of course, we also have to monitor the huge range of salted products in the upstairs buffet on our own.

 

Tis better to have the salt-aholic salt their own food or the person who likes weak coffee to add water than to put things out that can not be changed easily.

 

In general, DCL food is very very good. The worst food I ever had was on the Mariner. So bad in fact, neither one of gained any weight at all, could barely find anything palatable to eat most days in the free areas.

[near the beach]

For us the food on the Disney Dream was just ok. It seemed that they spent too much on making the plates as served look good instead of making the food taste good.

[Klstaack]

I think the food on the cruise is good....few things are amazing.

 

We normally go to Palo...and there food is amazing.

 

Someday we will go to Remy...I just can get past the cost of going to Remy...but everyone we know that has been there says it is amazing.

 

Going on Allure of the Seas at the end of the month and currently have two meals book at specialty dining restaurants...I'm sure we will book more once on board.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

How many times did you go to Palo?

 

 

Three two brunches and one dinner

[Klstaack]

I hope do do Palo brunch and dinner on our upcoming trip with DCL.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Three two brunches and one dinner

 

 

They are both very good

[Greengo]

We just got back from a cruise on the Fantasy. This was our first DCL cruise and 15th overall. (Seabourn, Regency Seven Seas, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian and Commodore.) We found the food on DCL to be a step below all of the previous lines and several steps below RSS, Seabourn and Celebrity. The fact is DCL is catering to a catering to approximately 4,000 passengers and the food that is most in demand is Mac and cheese and chicken fingers. The truth is that most who sail on DCL could care less about the food. I must note however, that our waiters were among the best of any line.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Greengo