Looks like no alternative menu with DD, Email communication with Royal

[Biker19]

The multiple threads started about DD sure has ignited some debate. But, really it's about nothing. RCI is not reinventing the wheel here - it's just serving the same thing in different venues, perhaps with different names. They know their customers and they know some folks have favorites from the current menu and they will keep those.

 

They didn't bring chefs to the Quantum out of thin air. They'll know some folks have dietary issues - no reason to think those folks won't be catered to as they are now.

 

Again, it'll be very similar food to current offerings in separate venues vs. the traditional MDR - no biggie. The food won't be issue to solve - the IT system that runs the reservation system will be.:cool:

[dacsmom]

The multiple threads started about DD sure has ignited some debate. But, really it's about nothing. RCI is not reinventing the wheel here - it's just serving the same thing in different venues, perhaps with different names. They know their customers and they know some folks have favorites from the current menu and they will keep those.

 

They didn't bring chefs to the Quantum out of thin air. They'll know some folks have dietary issues - no reason to think those folks won't be catered to as they are now.

 

Again, it'll be very similar food to current offerings in separate venues vs. the traditional MDR - no biggie. The food won't be issue to solve - the IT system that runs the reservation system will be.:cool:

 

Very true. No one has any first hand experience, just forming opinions based on rumors. I am anxious to hear reviews from the first few sailings. I am sure there will be some bumps along the way but it sounds like there will be a lot more food choices.

Edited August 30, 2014 by dacsmom

[DonnaK]

It's food, why us everyone complaining? Dont like it, go to windjammer

 

 

It's not just the food, it's the loss of the MDR experience (which some of us still love)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

The Alternative menu is available in all the "free" restaurants.

There will be the usual chicken,fish,steak & pasta available on it.

 

Although you may not see a menu at the moment with these items on, Adam Goldstein told everyone in one of the reveals that these items would be available.

So if perhaps you are dining in Silk (for example) because your friends like to eat there but the food is not what you can/wish to eat, you can choose instead from the Alternative Menu (chicken,fish etc) and still enjoy dinner with your friends.

 

Adam also said that they weren't thinking of rolling Dynamic Dining out fleetwide until it had been thoroughly tested on Quantum. Well, we all know how that went...

Edited August 30, 2014 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[rtazz17]

Well, first they just recommended one restaurant. Secondly (please don't flame me), I was thinking on the order of a traditional pasta with marinara, not southwestern with rice and beans. I also do not do seafood, so I feel surf and turf is probably out (but I guess I can ask to not bring the surf, lol). So I was just concentrating on the chicken. That was my PERSONAL interpretation. I am sorry that I made that assumption without you understanding my personal food preferences. When eating in the main dining room, I choose from the alternative menu about 4 evenings, which is why I like those alternative selections. It's the grilled chicken, sliders, or salad entrée for me. I grew up on a farm where I was very poor, with limited selections of beef and milk from our farm, coupled with the vegetables we grew. No matter how hard I try, I just cannot seem to expand those taste buds.

 

After reading all the debate, I decided to email Royal and I shared the response. That's all. And yes, I will probably get chicken every night. :)

Just like anything,people dont INITIALLY like change but in the end most people find out that they like the change after actually experiencing it and all the initial worries turn out to be unfounded.I say give it a try and after you will know if it was worth the change.Change is good most of the time.7 months from now there will be posts on here of how great dynamic dining is and wonder how they ever went without it.Mark my words.

[Desert Cruizers]

We are willing to try it, but have always preferred sitting with the same group of people each night. If we still wish to eat at 6 PM, we will make arrangements to do so when the time comes for us to sail on the Quantum or Allure which may not be before 2017. Still paying off our 54 day Australia trip ( 3 cruises + 9 land) and have another one on the books for Oct 2015.

[TequilaToo]

For what it's worth, here is a part of the reply I received from C&A (after a week-long wait) regarding the availability of an "alternative menu" in the complimentary restaurants:

 

We are pleased to inform you that the four main complimentary restaurants will have a basic menu, consisting of a simple beef, poultry, seafood and vegetarian option. Please see below for each menu:

 

American Icon Grill:

-Pan Roasted Salmon

Red Beans & Rice

-Fettuccini

Sautéed Chicken, Olive Oil & Lemon

-Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Cottage Fries & Chanterelle Mushrooms

-Oven Roasted Chicken

Root Vegetable Mash, Steamed Green Beans

 

Chic:

-Grilled Beef Ribeye

Sauteed Spinach & Baby Carrots

-Smoked Cheese Ravioli

Champagne Beurre Blanc

-Chicken Paillard

Arugula & Teardrop Tomato Salad

-Oven Roasted Icelandic Cod

Poached Asparagus, Roasted Corn

 

Silk:

-Oven Roasted Salmon

Steamed Bok Choy, Wild Rice

-Lo-Mein Noodles

Wok Seared Vegetables

-Grilled Chicken Breast

Jasmine Rice, Sautéed Snow Peas

-Hibachi Steak

Mashed Potatoes & Stir Fried Vegetables

 

The Grande:

-Grilled Rack of Lamb

New Potatoes, Sweet Carrots

-Fettuccine

Tomato & Basil Sauce

-Oven Roasted Chicken Breast

Asparagus, Saffron Rice

-Pan Seared Lemon Sole

Steamed Broccoli, Brown Butter & Lemon

 

Could be worse...we're some of those who will miss the MDR experience, but some others in our group sailing think it will be the best thing since sliced bread. I guess we'll find out...still, a little nervous about possibly being one of the FIRST sailings on the Oasis after the change.

[franl24fan]

When nothing else appeals to me in the main dining room I order from the childrens menu, love the mac & cheese :-). The waiter never questions this senior lady when I ask for that menu. I too am waiting to hear the details about DD, Sir Adam has often been wrong and we all know customer service is an oxymoron :-).

[cooncat]

I am a single cruiser and hoping this doesn't go fleet wide. I like/prefer the traditional dining as I don't like to eat alone. I would love to cruise the Quantum as it looks like a dynamite ship. What do I do when I start to cruise again.

[NJcruisenewbie]

When nothing else appeals to me in the main dining room I order from the childrens menu, love the mac & cheese :-). The waiter never questions this senior lady when I ask for that menu. I too am waiting to hear the details about DD, Sir Adam has often been wrong and we all know customer service is an oxymoron :-).

 

I was going to suggest this for the OP since she seems to have a very limited palate.

[OSUZorba]

Just like anything,people dont INITIALLY like change but in the end most people find out that they like the change after actually experiencing it and all the initial worries turn out to be unfounded.

 

New Coke really proved that. ;) Having valid concerns, is not the same as being against change. I know some people think all change is great no matter what, but a lot of change isn't, especially wholesale changes.

 

I think a lot of people will enjoy DD more than MDR, but I think a lot of people that really like MDR will not enjoy the DD experience. I personally would've liked to see them combine them somehow, like making my time dining DD and leaving MDR the way it is.

 

At the end of the day the goal of DD is to increase revenue and decrease cost, at lot of changes were those goals in mind do not benefit the customers.

Edited September 8, 2014 by OSUZorba

[OSUZorba]

For what it's worth, here is a part of the reply I received from C&A (after a week-long wait) regarding the availability of an "alternative menu" in the complimentary restaurants:

 

 

 

Could be worse...we're some of those who will miss the MDR experience, but some others in our group sailing think it will be the best thing since sliced bread. I guess we'll find out...still, a little nervous about possibly being one of the FIRST sailings on the Oasis after the change.

 

Well that is very good news, makes the menus appeal to me much more. I wish they put that on the website.

[cello56]

It's food, why us everyone complaining? Dont like it, go to windjammer

 

What a nasty and mean comment. Part of the cruise vacation is the food. I am not paying to eat in a cafeteria - I am paying to eat in a sit down restaurant, being served my meal that I ordered off of a menu. Not everyone has a wide taste pallet, and many of us have food restrictions for health reasons. I cannot eat cheese - none. I am also allergic to many types of seafood, and so the only kind I am allowed to eat away from home is salmon and cold shrimp. I also cannot eat eggs or mushrooms. Cheese and seafood are super heavy on the menus from the new DD restaurants.

 

In the past, in the main dining room, I could always order the salmon or chicken and be very happy. That is all I am asking for - the ability to order plainer foods if there is nothing appropriate on the menu for me to eat. I really don't think that this is too much to expect. I most certainly will not accept being told to 'go eat at the windjammer'.

[Jiffymom]

I just don't understand the complaints. There are many places you can eat on the ship. I have never come home hungry. Lets wait and give it a try first.

[PuterMonkey]

Keep in mind, besides the complement of cruisers who prefer to stick to a more simple palate, they've got to be prepared for the tastes of kids, people with sodium-restricted diets, people with food allergies, vegetarians. There's no way that many of the dishes I've seen on the various menues will fill all these needs, so there will have to be a set of standards available as well. It's just that such a menu isn't showy and 'Wow', so it's not really deemed attention-worthy.

[cello56]

[quote name='Jiffymom']I just don't understand the complaints. There are many places you can eat on the ship. I have never come home hungry. Lets wait and give it a try first.[/QUOTE]

It is not a question of 'never coming home hungry' it is a question of being satisfied with the food that you are able to eat. I do not consider the Windjammer or Hot Dog place or Cafe Promenade or Sorento's dinner venues. Breakfast and lunch yes. Dinner no. I am paying for a sit down venue served venue and that is what I want.

Suggesting that we should all just 'wait and give it a try first' is risky when I am spending thousands of dollars, without any assurance that there will indeed be dinner food that I can eat. How difficult is it really for RCI to just state that alternate menus or accommodations will be available for those with dietary issues?

I swear that it sometimes seems like RCI is putting their 'secrets' above the comfort of their paying guests.

[Priusprof]

[SIZE="4"][SIZE="3"]I just spent some time looking through several of the menus for Quantum and I am so excited for the new offerings. I believe that there are a lot of view points to be considered in creating an experience that is pleasurable to the overwhelming majority of consumers. I also think that it is a shame that the answer that you received from RCCL did not really address your question about the plain alternatives that are currently offered on the other ships in the main dining room.
I really am not looking to flame any of the posters for expressing an opinion about what their preferences might be but Quantum was created to be exceptionally different. The dynamic dining difference and the menus being innovative are the main reason that I booked my cruise on her next May. There is no skating rink for an ice show like the other mega ships but there is a sky diving simulator and bumper cars. If the food on the menus does not appeal to you then you don't want to go on Quantum. If you are someone who treasures the MDR experience you don't want to go on Quantum. There are a ton of reasons to go on Quantum because it's new, innovative, and different. There are 21 other ships in the fleet that have dining rooms, plain alternatives, and the familiar comfort zone experience that we all know and love.

There may very well may be those alternatives available and they have not yet formalized them. They may not choose to announce any number of things at this point and that is their right. I think that wait and see before you book is good advice. [/SIZE][/SIZE]

[Ourusualbeach]

[quote name='cello56']It is not a question of 'never coming home hungry' it is a question of being satisfied with the food that you are able to eat. I do not consider the Windjammer or Hot Dog place or Cafe Promenade or Sorento's dinner venues. Breakfast and lunch yes. Dinner no. I am paying for a sit down venue served venue and that is what I want.

Suggesting that we should all just 'wait and give it a try first' is risky when I am spending thousands of dollars, without any assurance that there will indeed be dinner food that I can eat. [COLOR="Red"]How difficult is it really for RCI to just state that alternate menus or accommodations will be available for those with dietary issues? [/COLOR]

I swear that it sometimes seems like RCI is putting their 'secrets' above the comfort of their paying guests.[/QUOTE]

This is right from the bottom of every menu for DD.

Gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegetarian options available. Ask your waiter.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, seafood, shellfish, eggs, milk, or poultry may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. Please inform your waiter if you have any food allergies or dietary needs. Royal Caribbean International galleys are not food allergen-free environments.


RCI has on every ship made accommodations for passengers with dietary restrictions in both the MDR and in every specialty restaurant. There would be no reason to assume that they would stop accommodating those with dietary restrictions.

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

[quote name='TequilaToo']For what it's worth, here is a part of the reply I received from C&A (after a week-long wait) regarding the availability of an "alternative menu" in the complimentary restaurants:



Could be worse...we're some of those who will miss the MDR experience, but some others in our group sailing think it will be the best thing since sliced bread. I guess we'll find out...still, a little nervous about possibly being one of the FIRST sailings on the Oasis after the change.[/QUOTE]

One would think that this level of detail should go out to everyone inquiring about the everyday menu. This is far better than the response sent to the OP. OP should consider sending it back to Nina! [emoji33]

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk Edited September 8, 2014 by Steeler Nation At Sea

[cello56]

[quote name='Priusprof'][SIZE="4"][SIZE="3"] If the food on the menus does not appeal to you then you don't want to go on Quantum. If you are someone who treasures the MDR experience you don't want to go on Quantum. There are a ton of reasons to go on Quantum because it's new, innovative, and different. [B]There are 21 other ships in the fleet that have dining rooms, plain alternatives, and the familiar comfort zone experience that we all know and love. [/B]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Not for long there won't be. Announcements have already been made by RCI of DD expanding throughout the fleet.

[Ourusualbeach]

[quote name='cello56']Not for long there won't be. Announcements have already been made by RCI of DD expanding throughout the fleet.[/QUOTE]

Officially they have only announced the Oasis. Freedom is also supposed to get DD in January.

I would suspect that Voyager class and above (those that have a 3 level dining room will eventually get DD. Not so sure about the smaller ships. Time will tell.

[John&LaLa]

[quote name='cello56']It is not a question of 'never coming home hungry' it is a question of being satisfied with the food that you are able to eat. I do not consider the Windjammer or Hot Dog place or Cafe Promenade or Sorento's dinner venues. Breakfast and lunch yes. Dinner no. I am paying for a sit down venue served venue and that is what I want.

Suggesting that we should all just 'wait and give it a try first' is risky when I am spending thousands of dollars, without any assurance that there will indeed be dinner food that I can eat. How difficult is it really for RCI to just state that alternate menus or accommodations will be available for those with dietary issues?

I swear that it sometimes seems like RCI is putting their 'secrets' above the comfort of their paying guests.[/QUOTE]

Let's all think back to our first cruise. Many before internet I would assume. We had no idea what was on the menu and we went anyway and found something to eat. :D

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

[cruiselover04]

[quote name='Elizanessie']The Alternative menu is available in all the "free" restaurants.
There will be the usual chicken,fish,steak & pasta available on it.

Although you may not see a menu at the moment with these items on, Adam Goldstein told everyone in one of the reveals that these items would be available.
So if perhaps you are dining in Silk (for example) because your friends like to eat there but the food is not what you can/wish to eat, you can choose instead from the Alternative Menu (chicken,fish etc) and still enjoy dinner with your friends.[/QUOTE]
That's certainly good to hear. My husband is a picky eater and usually orders the steak or chicken from the alternative menu. This way I will be able to try a few of the resturants and he will still be able to get his steak. :D

[dz9yvr]

Dynamic Dining = Time to move to Princess

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

[quote name='Ourusualbeach']Officially they have only announced the Oasis. Freedom is also supposed to get DD in January.

[COLOR="Red"]I would suspect that Voyager class and above (those that have a 3 level dining room will eventually get DD. Not so sure about the smaller ships. Time will tell.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

Thats how I feel. I personally don't want see it rolled out onto Vision/Radiance classes, especially. Those are more classic ships and what, would we be left with 2 options in the 2 story MDR? Now that I would have to complain about.