Getting Into Detail About Carnival Food Quality

[crusinpsychRN]

I don't know if it's because I'm new to cruising, but I honestly can't understand what the point is of being so picky about the food on cruise ships. I certainly am not going on a cruise to eat and I don't think the focus should be on food. Eating is just a necessity, and as long as they feed me, I'm good!

 

The MDR was a big part about cruising in the past. Impeccable service which wasn't rushed. Leg of lamb not lamb shank. (They still have leg of lamb on the buffet.)

 

Then again I remember when women wore gloves when flying...

[pamrose228]

I am giving Royal another chance only because I have read there new MDR menus are terrific. In 2006 I thought the food was awful. Also Royal offers a very interesting MDR lunch with a special type of salad bar your server does. You make the Choices they put it together. I'll report on it when I get back in October😬

[Lurkyloo]

I don't cruise for the food - that being said, I found the food on Princess to be the worst. Not horrible, but just not special. Buffets are buffets, but Carnival and Royal Caribbean had better tasting food over Princess in the dining rooms where it counts IMO. Not sure why the food on Princess didn't appeal to me because I am not really that picky and it certainly didn't ruin my cruise, we had a blast! Everyone's taste is different I suppose - and honestly I haven't been on Carnival in a while! We will see on our cruise in Sept. if Carnival disappoints now, but if it does - it will still be an awesome cruise - I don't sweat the little stuff! :p

[jimbo5544]

I have come to the understanding that much of the food (not all choices) has been downgraded over the years to about cafeteria level in MDR and buffet on carnival.

 

Best advice is just that. Don't dabble into too many food choices you already know you don't prefer at any quality level.

cafeteria level....really?

[Cruiseathoning]

Really.

[Linerguy]

I think way too many people think Carnival is real cruising. It isn't.

 

Let's see: I'm on a cruise ship, sailing from place to place, there's a bunch of things to do, I'm being fed, I can relax on deck, head to the bar, I can read a book, etc.....yep, sounds like a cruise to me.

[legion3]

I think way too many people think Carnival is real cruising. It isn't. It is vacationing. INSULTING The same could be said for any mass market line. It is a misunderstanding of the genre. Still, with the kind of vacation Carnival used to invest in, you could enjoy most every meal-cruise for the food, so to speak. But it appears that their customer base is so beaten down that they take just about anything in stride. INSULTING That is not how I tend to roll. WHY EVEN TAKE A CARNIVAL CRUISE?

 

You deserve better, whether you realize it or not. INSULTING And Miami can deliver better.

 

 

Agenda: :cool:

[eponym]

cafeteria level....really?

 

Yes.

 

Many of the choices today in carnival MDR, to me, have become cafeteria level. They may be plated a slightly bit better with a dash, dot or a slide here or there, but the actual quality and taste is total cafeteria. Some of their stuff is about a Golden Corral level. We do choose to pay extra a few nights for specialty or steakhouse which has been consistently very good.

 

For the past 10 years, I work at a dot com and our work campus food (no charge) is very good. It's much better than many of the 'evolved' MDR choices on Carnival. But Carnival's MDR wasn't always that way.

 

I also have worked in Aerospace. On those work campuses, for example there were 50,000 employees at one division I worked at. The company's cafeteria food was good (not very good) and was $5 flat rate for anything they had that day.

Edited April 20, 2015 by eponym

[Velvetwater]

I think way too many people think Carnival is real cruising. It isn't. It is vacationing..

 

Hate to break it to you but the Cruise industry is slowly evolving to suit the market with the most money...the young-middle aged professionals and their idea of a cruise is different to their parents. Cruise as a holiday has been redefined and as a result its attracting younger crowds.As much as I love food on a cruise I do not sail for fine dining...I have plenty of that on land and in ports where my foodie monster bursts out and eats everything on sight.

 

Carnival cruise ingredients are mass catering supplies and frozen essentials with lots of extras and are not from fine suppliers but the chefs on board do a decent job of creating dishes to suite all tastes . I would say the food is tasty enough for me with odd winner and the odd what the heck but it isn't inedible. The fact that there is so much choice on a cruise means cruise food is 'Jack of all trades' rather than a master and thats great for me and many others.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Velvetwater

[llg13]

As long as I don't have to cook it or do the dishes after, I'll eat anything they feed me. Speaking from experience even the pickiest of eaters (namely, me...) can always find something good to eat on a Carnival ship that I've been on. And if you ask me, Carnival does a pretty good job of trying to please every palette.

[Rosefloater]

I just want my food to be served hot and not frozen. Yes, I've had frozen food both in the MDR and the buffet.

[pjinaz]

I agree that the food on Carnival has gone down hill. It used to be pretty good most of the time. My last cruise the food was pretty bad most of the time. I don't expect fine dining quality food, but maybe something equal to mass market restaurants i.e Outback, Chilis, Charlestons, etc. I find most of Carnival's food to be of much lower quality than those places. Yes the steakhouse is pretty darn good, the seaday brunch and deli is good. I find the buffet and MDR to be not so good. I'm going again this year and will try the new American Table menus and hope the food has improved. We'll see.

[jimbo5544]

Yes.

 

Many of the choices today in carnival MDR, to me, have become cafeteria level. They may be plated a slightly bit better with a dash, dot or a slide here or there, but the actual quality and taste is total cafeteria. Some of their stuff is about a Golden Corral level. We do choose to pay extra a few nights for specialty or steakhouse which has been consistently very good.

 

For the past 10 years, I work at a dot com and our work campus food (no charge) is very good. It's much better than many of the 'evolved' MDR choices on Carnival. But Carnival's MDR wasn't always that way.

 

I also have worked in Aerospace. On those work campuses, for example there were 50,000 employees at one division I worked at. The company's cafeteria food was good (not very good) and was $5 flat rate for anything they had that day.

Do dot com's and areospace sail cruise ships? Love to here your comparison to other cruise lines. I have sailed Carnival for 19 years and see no where near what you describe.

[eponym]

Do dot com's and areospace sail cruise ships? Love to here your comparison to other cruise lines. I have sailed Carnival for 19 years and see no where near what you describe.

 

I am simply using these for some comparison JIMBO. Ya know eating food for week and cafeteria to cafeteria. Lot's of ways to to make comparisons of many things. I see you don't approve of mine from your cubicle, wherever that's at.

 

With that long list of Carnival brand cruises attached to your pocket, do tell us how the quality of MDR food at Carnival has not gone down a bit in 19 years.

 

Why bothering comparing cruise line to cruise line, you'll just find a reason to rag on that too.

 

Cough.

Edited April 20, 2015 by eponym
added the word rag

[Chathamite]

Thank-YOU for confirming what I tried to say here a few months ago about the food on our Hawaiian cruise on the Miracle back in December. I was basically called a liar... The buffet was absolutely appalling. Food cold, same thing day after day; Rice/meat/pasta. Rice/meat/pasta. Then they "ran out" of 2% milk halfway through the trip, yet it somehow magically reappeared mid-ocean, three days before we docked back in Long Beach. Breakfast buffet was OK, omelets were very good. Dining Room is hit or miss I find. It was AMAZING on the Breeze. The Miracle, not so much. The most edible thing for me was the Deli. I must've eaten 20 Reubens on that trip. Food quality has noticeably slipped compared to our last cruises and I'm glad I'm not alone in saying this.

 

Again, THANK-YOU.

 

Just off the Freedom, and as my review

 

Carnival has taken an odd approach to its food service and has cut corners in obvious, and inexplicable places. Cutting corners rarely leaves you a product that is leakproof..

 

A particularly bad trait for a cruise line.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Chathamite

[jimbo5544]

I am simply using these for some comparison JIMBO. Ya know eating food for week and cafeteria to cafeteria. Lot's of ways to to make comparisons of many things. I see you don't approve of mine from your cubicle, wherever that's at.

 

With that long list of Carnival brand cruises attached to your pocket, do tell us how the quality of MDR food at Carnival has not gone down a bit in 19 years.

 

Why bothering comparing cruise line to cruise line, you'll just find a reason to rag on that too.

 

Cough.

 

 

Of course I know about eating in a cafeteria. My point is that making comparison's that are hard to believe (and I feel that way about your comparison - even still.....) belittles your point and makes people invalidate your claims.

 

Of course I think that the level of food has gone down on cruise ships, Carnival and all others. To a cafeteria level in the MDR - no way, maybe as a stretch for some days on lido.

 

Since you asked, I have sailed on Carnival, Royal and MSC and eaten on NCL, Princess, HAL, Cunard, Celebrity and Costa. I think The Carnival experience does just fine against all of them.

[Tutontow]

Of course I know about eating in a cafeteria. My point is that making comparison's that are hard to believe (and I feel that way about your comparison - even still.....) belittles your point and makes people invalidate your claims.

 

Of course I think that the level of food has gone down on cruise ships, Carnival and all others. To a cafeteria level in the MDR - no way, maybe as a stretch for some days on lido.

 

To add to it I once had a job where I ate at Golden Coral quite a bit. There is no way Carnival has dropped to that level.

 

As stated earlier the food on the Valor was pretty darned good.

[tattoos]

No wonder I enjoy Carnival food so much, I love Golden Corral!! Please pass the pot roast and mashed potatos.