Carnival MDR food

[SIENA6334]

Just off the Dream. I have to say this is the first time in 10 cruises I have been very disappointed in the MDR food. It seemed there were less choices and most of the beef was very fatty. I do hope this was isolated as I only cruise carnival and have the Pride booked in February next year.

[Havingfun2010]

I hate to say this- but the MDR food on our recent Fantasy cruise was really really bad. As in- left the food on the plate because it was inedible kind of bad. I am a bit thankful because- even though I could not navigate stairs- I still lost weight on this cruise. But I do think food on a cruise should at least be something people can eat- an I wrong?

 

For comparison of food only- illness had nothing to do with the cruise- I spent the week after the cruise in the hospital and the hospital food was better than the cruise food. I was feeling crummy and didn't notice until my DH pointed it out. He was like- oh my gosh- your food here is ten times better than on the cruise.

 

I think it is pretty sad when hospital food looks, smells and tastes better that the MDR dinner.

 

No matter what others say, I agree. Unfortunately my experience goes back a few years when I discovered other cruise lines and realized that you can get better food and better service. If the only thing on a cruise to brag about is a common hamburger, than you know the rest must be pretty bad. Food is a "major" part of a cruise experience along with entertainment and being pampered. Carnival lacks on each level. Although no cruise line is perfect, you should try others.

[e2011]

I was talking to a man on our recent NCL cruise and he was in the food supply business in Miami. He was telling me how each cruise line has various standards regarding the food they buy from the vendors. He said Carnival basically shops on price point and will take lower quality foods that other cruise lines would reject. For example on the steaks, NCL will only take USDA Choice or above. Carnival will take the Standard beef which is the lowest grade of steaks. (Commercial, cutter and canner are even lower but usually they are made into hamburger and hotdogs. Grinding the tough meat makes it edible.) He also said the specialty restaurants on the more upscale cruise lines will only take USDA Prime or Choice Plus. He also told me which cruise lines have lowered their standards in recent years. It was an interesting conversation about food!

[MeredithNC]

I was on a carnival cruise out of Charleston a few years ago with some girlfriends. Can't remember what ship When I got home I told my husband that the food was horrible in the MDR. We have been on a lot of cruises mainly on Carnival but there was something wrong that week. I am not hard to please but I could not eat this. Sent a note to Carnival when I returned and told them, even questioned if possibly that was a training cruise for some new cooks and if so they needed more training. I won't go out of Charleston anymore because of this.

[Cruisegirl6]

I have been saying this for the past handful of years how bad the food on Carnival is, and yes, I had inedible food too!

 

When we cruise Carnival we know we won't be eating good but actually having not good food and food that is unhealthy (burgers, hot dogs, fries, pizza yeah its the only thing you can get to eat past midnight, and unhealthy sides and main entrees in the buffet) with the exception of the carving which isn't too bad, maybe overcooked meat or dried out meat but its not bad. The deli is not good either, we been on cruises had the pastrami to be all fat and greasy, real discussing, couldn't even get to eat a second slice of that stuff....the burrito bar was THE MOST HORRIBLE thing I ever put in my mouth, it was on the Valor last may ordered the meat burrito and the first bite I tasted grease, couldn't even tell it was real meat but did taste like it was meat that was stale from over a week ago, had to spit it out could not swallow that horrible crap, and the bad taste left in my mouth ugh!

 

This past december's cruise, thankfully they had the add on entrees (surf and turf, lobster tail and I think it was a strip loin steak) because quite honestly looking at others meals that they ordered that were not an up charge, looked pure discusting...the prime rib looked like a slab of fat, yes it had some meat but it looked processed real bad as well as other entrees didn't look good and what I had noticed, is that most people left a lot of food on their plate, probably because it was bad certainly they not large portions that you can say it was too much for them to eat. I do have to admit lobster never was that bad, probably frozen but it wasn't ever bad or was the duck believe it or not, there was meat on the duck!!! The veggies you can't go wrong although they give you three tiny pieces on your plate and a tiny bit of mashed potatoes on the plate that is nomore than four fork bites. The baked potato was always cold and so tiny and the desserts went down hill in my opinion.

 

On another note, on the Valor after having dinner in the MDR the first night which was horrible (we were a party of 7 adults all had different items all of us left food on our plates) we spent the next 7 nights in the Steakhouse and I must say fabulous/excellent/delicious! We don't mind paying more to get decent food it is so worth it as was the up charge items on the MDR menu on the Fascination this past december. The Fascination doesn't have any steakhouse but thankfully we have an option of paying for better food.

 

I agree with the OP, the food is not good but you be sure on my next cruise on the Magic coming up we be dining in the steakhouse every night!

[riffatsea]

I am truly amazed at all of these negative comments!

I am a "foodie" when I travel and have even eaten at some Michelin starred restaurants around the world.

Of course I don't compare the MDR to those but we have been very very pleased with our choices on Carnival so far!

We've been on the Miracle many times and have never complained once about the food there!

We were just on the Conquest and only 1 main dish didn't please us.

I know everyone's taste buds are different but when I hear folks raving about hamburgers and standing in long lines to get them I wonder then when the same folks complain about the MDR! Hmm??

[amyh13]

I am truly amazed at all of these negative comments!

I am a "foodie" when I travel and have even eaten at some Michelin starred restaurants around the world.

Of course I don't compare the MDR to those but we have been very very pleased with our choices on Carnival so far!

We've been on the Miracle many times and have never complained once about the food there!

We were just on the Conquest and only 1 main dish didn't please us.

I know everyone's taste buds are different but when I hear folks raving about hamburgers and standing in long lines to get them I wonder then when the same folks complain about the MDR! Hmm??

 

I totally agree. It has been almost a year since I cruised on the Valor and I was coming off a Disney Cruise so I was skeptical. We had absolutely no issues with the food. And had no issues with the buffet or other food choices on board. Somethings I liked better than others but inedible??? Never. But then again, I would never order Fried Chicken or any other of the "cafeteria" style options in the MDR.

[MtnDweller]

I've read every response in this thread and they tell me exactly what I already knew. It's all subjective.

 

We are embarking on our very first cruise next week. And I'm going in with the thought that if I don't set my expectations too high, I won't be disappointed.

 

WOO HOO! 5 days!!!!!!! :D

[RuthlessBoss]

I hate to say this- but the MDR food on our recent Fantasy cruise was really really bad. As in- left the food on the plate because it was inedible kind of bad. I am a bit thankful because- even though I could not navigate stairs- I still lost weight on this cruise. But I do think food on a cruise should at least be something people can eat- an I wrong?

 

For comparison of food only- illness had nothing to do with the cruise- I spent the week after the cruise in the hospital and the hospital food was better than the cruise food. I was feeling crummy and didn't notice until my DH pointed it out. He was like- oh my gosh- your food here is ten times better than on the cruise.

 

I think it is pretty sad when hospital food looks, smells and tastes better that the MDR dinner.

 

If hospital food was better, it was likely due to you feeling better there getting treatment for whatever. Something as simple as an electrolyte imbalance being treated in the hospital can increase appetite. Likely you had an imbalance prior to the cruise that affected your hunger perception.

Also, if you lost weight on the cruise, it was water loss;)

[amyh13]

I've read every response in this thread and they tell me exactly what I already knew. It's all subjective.

 

We are embarking on our very first cruise next week. And I'm going in with the thought that if I don't set my expectations too high, I won't be disappointed.

 

WOO HOO! 5 days!!!!!!! :D

 

Good for you! Great attitude. I have 66 days to go and I can't wait. And I am pretty sure that I won't starve when I go.

[LMaxwell]

I don't know if we just lucked out, but the food on the Victory I'd rate a solid 8 out of 10. Food that was supposed to be hot was hot, food that was supposed to be cold was cold, preparation and presentation were all good. There was one dish I really did not like, but I chalked that up to their preparation of it and not low quality ingredients or bad cooking.

 

We ate as much as possible in the MDR so can't say much on the buffet except that the lines and layout were ridiculously bad.

 

What do I expect on a cruise? Good quality food, presented nicely, and served at appropriate temperature. I don't go to inferior quality chains like AppFriChiliBees. The last time I ate at an Olive Garden was truly awful. I am unimpressed by chain restaurants that use a gallon of oil to reheat salty frozen food. So my expectations on a cruise are generally higher than that level and usually I am satisfied.

 

Taste is subjective, but I do hope quality isn't slipping. I thought Carnival had better lunch and dinner than NCL or Royal Caribbean. NCL had excellent breakfasts. Royal Caribbean food is a joke.

 

I know they don't spend a lot per day per passenger for food, but I'd be okay with them tacking on $5 per person, per day to substantially improve quality of ingredients.

[MtnDweller]

Good for you! Great attitude. I have 66 days to go and I can't wait. And I am pretty sure that I won't starve when I go.

 

Same here! :D

[Viesczy]

I have never had food that was inedible on a ship. Yes things weren't to my idea of tasty, but I was able to choke it down and not get it a second time.

 

I believe there's a bit of an unreasonable expectation for the food on a mass market line. Things are made in BULK as there are 1,000s of mouths to feed. This isn't a chic restaurant serving 40 plates a night. Old Country Buffet or Golden Corral served to you is what I expect. ;)

 

That said, it is unfortunate that the OP didn't have the experience they were hoping for. Typically a cruise isn't a spur of the moment thing, there are flights/accommodations/plans/day dreams associated with a cruise, when something isn't "up to snuff" it is a definite disappointment.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Viesczy

[linga]

I was talking to a man on our recent NCL cruise and he was in the food supply business in Miami. He was telling me how each cruise line has various standards regarding the food they buy from the vendors. He said Carnival basically shops on price point and will take lower quality foods that other cruise lines would reject. For example on the steaks, NCL will only take USDA Choice or above. Carnival will take the Standard beef which is the lowest grade of steaks. (Commercial, cutter and canner are even lower but usually they are made into hamburger and hotdogs. Grinding the tough meat makes it edible.) He also said the specialty restaurants on the more upscale cruise lines will only take USDA Prime or Choice Plus. He also told me which cruise lines have lowered their standards in recent years. It was an interesting conversation about food!

 

Interesting, because I have found the MDR food on Carnival better than the MDR food on Norwegian. I do like some of the specialty restaurants on Norwegian.

[riffatsea]

I also thought the MDR food on NCL was not particularly inspired! I hated the buffet there so much that I said I'd never sail NCL again!

The only food that was really tasty was in the extra cost restaurants.

I liked the Royal buffet much better and the different buffet stations on Carnival at least allow you some possibilities.

This shows that taste buds are truly individual which means you cannot go by someone else's opinions. You'll just have to decide for yourself!

[Librarian365]

 

What do I expect on a cruise? Good quality food, presented nicely, and served at appropriate temperature. I don't go to inferior quality chains like AppFriChiliBees. The last time I ate at an Olive Garden was truly awful. I am unimpressed by chain restaurants that use a gallon of oil to reheat salty frozen food. So my expectations on a cruise are generally higher than that level and usually I am satisfied.

 

Taste is subjective.

 

I laughed at your AppFriChiliBees because that is absolutely how I feel about living in the mid-west. BLAH don't they have anything else but reheated stuff with sauce?

 

Anyway, I have been on RC and you are right - taste is subjective - but I also think there is a dash of location. Our Baltic Cruise on RC was amazing in the MDR. The food served was always a nod to the country we were docking in and all of us, including our kids, loved it. But then I think there were also few Americans on board so that makes all the difference in experience too.

[stevenr597]

I have cruised Carnival over 30 times and have never had inedible food.....every meal?

 

Wow... you must be incredibly luckly. We have cruised on Carnival, Cunard, Azamara, Celebrity, RCCL, Princess, etc. and while most times, we had a fairly good experience in the MDR, at times, such as with RCCL we have found the dining room food to be on the level of eating at Denny's late at night.

[Micahs Grandad]

Funny you say that, because I just heard someone say that when they were on Princess, the food was so bad they had to go buy snacks when in port. Conflicting reports here.

 

We are Diamond on Carnival and think the food is good.

 

Just back from our second Princess and the buffet on Princess is substantially better than Carnival. And for some reason you never see lines to get into the buffet.

[LMaxwell]

RCCL we have found the dining room food to be on the level of eating at Denny's late at night.

 

I happen to have a really good Denny's by me. They make as good a burger as any of the gourmet $15-$20 burgers out there. Shocked me. So when you say RCI was as good as Denny's, that actually gives me hope for RCI.

 

I know it wasn't really meant as a compliment though;)

[Earthworm Jim]

I'm just was on Conquest 2 weeks ago, and I think the food quality has decreased. Certainly not to the level of inedible, just not as good as it used to be in general. (Though the port specific options I tried were pretty good. Though they may be too exotic for those with plainer tastes) My wife's opinion was somewhat harsher than mine, but I don't think even she would say inedible.

 

I found the seafood dishes in particular to be a disappointment compared to the past. I usually have a seafood dish about half the nights, but I don't think I had one this trip. It was usually something boring like tilapia. Dessert options were rather weak as compared to the past as well.

 

I think the new American Table menus are a downgrade, implemented to save money. I was skeptical about the no tablecloths and water on the table, but found that wasn't a problem once I experienced it. (Though our water bottles were often emptied awaiting refilling, that's still preferable to awaiting them to be refilled a glass at a time)

 

It did seem that the serving staff were spread more thinly than in the past though. They weren't around our table too much despite the fact they were always hustling, rushing around like crazy. I think they now have too many tables assigned to eat wait team.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Earthworm Jim

[rnoli32]

I will be on the Miracle in about 4 weeks and me and my DH was just talking about food and we both agreed they could put a PB& J sandwich in front of us and we would be happy with that (joking) LOL!

No work, no cooking,no stressful drive every morning....I will be in bliss for 7 days!!!!!!!!!!:):)

[jimbo5544]

Wow... you must be incredibly luckly. We have cruised on Carnival, Cunard, Azamara, Celebrity, RCCL, Princess, etc. and while most times, we had a fairly good experience in the MDR, at times, such as with RCCL we have found the dining room food to be on the level of eating at Denny's late at night.

While we could debate the value of eating at Denny's late night, my point was use of the word inedible. Using words along those lines (especially as it relates to the entire cruise) makes the op's claim seem, at the least over the top.

[Librarian365]

I will be on the Miracle in about 4 weeks and me and my DH was just talking about food and we both agreed they could put a PB& J sandwich in front of us and we would be happy with that (joking) LOL!

No work, no cooking,no stressful drive every morning....I will be in bliss for 7 days!!!!!!!!!!:):)

 

That's a great point. And if dinner stinks, I would think you can walk out and find other options all over the place - including your room. I'm looking forward to no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, no commute...and no taking care of everyone else...for at least 7 days this summer.

[e2011]

all good points about the subjective nature of food taste. I know many folks rave about Disney food and I think it is horrible in the rotational dining. I guess the main thing is to try to cruise on ships with as many dining options as possible if you are a foodie.

[SMSACE6]

:o, I actually had my first, almost inedible meal on my last Carnival cruise. It was some sort of fish and chip platter. Me being born and raised on the east coast of Canada and somewhat of seafood, fish and chip snob; I should have realised that it was not a good choice for me.

 

It was the strangest thing, the fish inside was very small piece, and ok, but the breading around it was thick and not even warm. I was able to pick around it, and eat the fish itself and some of the accompaniments on the plate, but it really was just about the worse thing I have ever eaten, or tried to eat on Carnival, and I do normally like most everything I have ever had in the MDR. The waiter was concerned about the pile of remnants on my plate, and wanted to bring something else, but I had enjoyed a nice appetizer and lots of bread, so I just skipped to dessert.

 

I have had some other not so great things over the years, but this thing was about the worse ever. Other meals I had that cruise, were excellent, so I guess one bad and almost inedible meal in 15 years on Carnival is not a bad record.:D I just know I would not order that, or that type of thing again in the MDR. Still looking forward to the next cruise and the food!