Can we STOP complaining about the MDR food?

[sparks1093]

Since it seemingly used to be much better, apparently they are capable of better. Why settle for less? I don't get it.

 

Because it's what they offer for the price that you pay. Are they capable of better? Sure, but not at the same price point.

[ryano]

I didnt have a problem with ANY of the food on Carnival. I found it all to be better than what i was use to on Royal Caribbean lately in every aspect and thats the only two cruise lines I have to judge by. Including the steakhouse. If you think Carnivals steakhouses are overrated dont ever waste 39.00 on Chops on RC! Ive had better steaks at the Sizzler!

[skywalkr2]

No complaints from me. I think it's very good.

[jdemps]

The banquet style food certainly doesn't require dressing up in my opinion. I do like the soups they make though!

[crewsweeper]

What I love about reading all the complaints (and not saying there aren't some very legitimate poor food complaints) is then watching all the people pile on the food at the buffets and ask for 3 entrees and 4 desserts at dinner. or complain they had to wait 3 minutes in the omelet line for that 2nd omelet being prepared especially for them.;p

[BahamaMama1214]

I understand that they're working with budget constraints, and that there's a big crowd, and I agree that the food is pretty good but not gourmet by any means. But am I the only one who wishes there was more variety? Sometimes I feel like I'm eating the same thing every night throughout my cruise.

[sanmarcosman]

We recently sailed the Miracle and the secret to our MDR menu success was to try new things like the Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Spinach and Squash entree served with parmesan sauce. These panko breaded beauties were amazingly good quality and prepared perfectly. One of the mushrooms was the size of a coffee saucer! My eyes had glazed past this item in the past but never again. I believe this entree was served on the third evening.

 

As to the temperature of hot foods we find good results when we politely state up front to the waiter that we want hot foods served very hot from the git go.

[Sitzmark]

And if their standards are low, what? They aren't your standards and taking them to task for their low standards isn't likely to cause them to raise their standards.

 

I took no one to task I simply pointed out that the standard of "I didn't have to cook it and don't have to clean up after it, therefore it is good" is a ridiculous sentiment. You could be eating the rejects from a county fair taco truck that meets this criteria.

 

If people are willing to accept whatever is shoveled in front of them, what is the incentive for the company to improve?

[sparks1093]

I understand that they're working with budget constraints, and that there's a big crowd, and I agree that the food is pretty good but not gourmet by any means. But am I the only one who wishes there was more variety? Sometimes I feel like I'm eating the same thing every night throughout my cruise.

 

DW did mention her dissatisfaction with the variety offered with the AT menu but she was still able to find something to eat.

[nhsails]

Sparks,

Have a Celebrity a Royal and Magic all coming up November-December. "Spa" comparable balconies, within $200 of each other. However, with Celebrity I also get a private restaurant-Blu, tips paid, 300 OBC and beverage PKG which includes coffees, alcohol, sodas and Persian Gardens in Soa. On Royal have $200 OBC and prepaid tips. On Magic, $50 OBC. Shop around and monitor pricing. And again, I promise I'll do comparisons when I get back.

Dee

[bigchzz]

I love a thread that complains about complaining.

To funny that is exactly what I was thinking. So only say good things people, come on! :') FYI food on carnival cruise was way better than my only royal caribbean cruise.

[skywalkr2]

Now that Carnival lowered the quality, people forget that it was once good and better than a banquet. Soon however, I hear a rumor that the MDR will become a large buffet. It's the next step in their downgrades. :cool:

 

see here's me disagreeing that it has gotten worse. They have changed the menu, but that isn't worse. It's just not the same.

[skywalkr2]

I understand that they're working with budget constraints, and that there's a big crowd, and I agree that the food is pretty good but not gourmet by any means. But am I the only one who wishes there was more variety? Sometimes I feel like I'm eating the same thing every night throughout my cruise.

 

Really? the menu is completely different every night...

[sparks1093]

I took no one to task I simply pointed out that the standard of "I didn't have to cook it and don't have to clean up after it, therefore it is good" is a ridiculous sentiment. You could be eating the rejects from a county fair taco truck that meets this criteria.

 

If people are willing to accept whatever is shoveled in front of them, what is the incentive for the company to improve?

 

So it's a bit of hyperbole on the part of the previous poster, perhaps you are reading it too literally. And I understand you may not have meant to take anyone to task, but saying "then I stand by my statement that you have ridiculously low standards" certainly sounds like you were. I personally feel that meals in the MDR are in keeping with what we are paying for the vacation and as long as I continue to feel that way I see no reason to complain about the quality.

[Qchell]

I am always a bit baffled myself at the complaints regarding the food. The times that I have gotten something that was not cooked properly, or I just simply did not like, the moment I mentioned it to the waiter they were bending over backwards trying to correct it or find me something else.

 

I've seen lots of complaints about the American Table menu and after having looked at some online menus from it, am really looking forward to having it on our upcoming cruise. Every menu has multiple selections I think I would enjoy and lots of things I am looking forward to trying that I would not at an ordinary restaurant because then I risk having to pay for something I did not enjoy and end up leaving hungry.

 

I find the whole situation with regards to the tablecloths to be a bit amusing. Lots of complaints that the lack of table cloths makes it less elegant and special, and at the same point I am seeing lots of suggestions that there no longer be an elegant night because people want to dress casually. So they want their tables dressed up, but not themselves?? :D

 

Seriously though, I truly wonder at times how many of those that get on the boards and complain afterwards mentioned anything at the time? If something is not right, let them try to correct it right then and there, in my experience they will do everything they can to make things right. One thing I have learned is that Carnival is not overly responsive to complaints post-cruise (as often there is not much they can do once you are back home), but complaints while you are there tend to get addressed fairly quickly and satisfactorily.

[sparks1093]

Really? the menu is completely different every night...

 

Variety as in the number of choices on each menu, there aren't as many choices on each menu as there used to be.

[moonvine]

Because it's what they offer for the price that you pay. Are they capable of better? Sure, but not at the same price point.

 

Can you recommend a cruise line with better food that is somewhat more expensive? I honestly saw a menu that had NO entrees that appealed to me except the ones that are extra. Sure, you can pay $35 pp per night to go to the steakhouse. That is $490 more. I'd rather pay more for the cruise to begin with than get nickeled and dimed to death once on it.

[sparks1093]

Can you recommend a cruise line with better food that is somewhat more expensive? I honestly saw a menu that had NO entrees that appealed to me except the ones that are extra. Sure, you can pay $35 pp per night to go to the steakhouse. That is $490 more. I'd rather pay more for the cruise to begin with than get nickeled and dimed to death once on it.

 

From what I've read all of the main stream lines have comparable food. NCL has many more choices vis a vis specialty restaurants, but I'm not sure that would help (and to be honest the included veal parm we had on CCL was as good as if not just a bit better than the veal parm we had in the specialty restaurant on NCL Gem).

[Gypsywych]

You remind me of the couple that was seated next to us on our first cruise, Magic, back in 2014. They went on and on, through dinner, complaining that Carnival food just wasn't that good, other cruise lines are better. On and on and on. Then they ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts EACH. After telling me how bad the quality was, I watched this lady eat chicken nuggets and french fries from the kids menu. Then she had ordered 2 creme brulee desserts, ate the topping off each one, left the rest. Her husband ordered two plates of roast beef, ate it then complained it was tough and that they would never pay money for that crap. He only ate one bite of each dessert he ordered. Such a waste of food. They also told us that formal night they both ordered 2-3 lobster tails each so they got their "money" worth.

 

 

 

I'm not at all sure how my comment turned me into a glutton...... but whatever.

 

I'm miss the tablecloths in the MDR, so I'm going to tell Carnival I miss them. I miss having my dinner arrive warm at the table, so I'm going to tell Carnival that I miss it. I want my baked potato to be cooked, so I'm going to tell Carnival that they need to do better.

Carnival guests told Carnival that they wanted their shrimp cocktail back. They got it. Carnival guests told Carnival that they missed live music on the ship. There is now loads of live music everywhere nightly. When enough people speak, companies listen eventually.

:)

[Hendricks Clan]

Can you recommend a cruise line with better food that is somewhat more expensive? I honestly saw a menu that had NO entrees that appealed to me except the ones that are extra. Sure, you can pay $35 pp per night to go to the steakhouse. That is $490 more. I'd rather pay more for the cruise to begin with than get nickeled and dimed to death once on it.

Why do you have to pay more for a cruise? There is a big myth on the CCL board that NCL and RCI are hundreds of dollars more and that's simply just not the case. All you have to do is keep watch, and bargains are plentiful. Perfect example, just booked a few days ago a last minute cruise for April on NCL Getaway. It was only $62 more than an nearly 10 yr. old CCL vessel with none of the bells and whistles that Getaway has. On NCL you don't have to eat in the MDR, with the Free at Sea promotion, you can eat at a specialty resurturant every night and guess what...it's already built into the price of your cruise.

[sparks1093]

I'm not at all sure how my comment turned me into a glutton...... but whatever.

 

I'm miss the tablecloths in the MDR, so I'm going to tell Carnival I miss them. I miss having my dinner arrive warm at the table, so I'm going to tell Carnival that I miss it. I want my baked potato to be cooked, so I'm going to tell Carnival that they need to do better.

Carnival guests told Carnival that they wanted their shrimp cocktail back. They got it. Carnival guests told Carnival that they missed live music on the ship. There is now loads of live music everywhere nightly. When enough people speak, companies listen eventually.

:)

 

If my dinner doesn't arrive warm I tell the waiter and if it keeps arriving cold I escalate it to the maitre'd. I doubt very seriously that CCL is telling ships "serve the dishes cold". Same goes with the baked potato. You miss the tablecloths as do others, but from all that I've read you are in the minority but it's the only thing that you mention that would be worth elevating to CCL (and as long as more people don't miss them or don't care then the table cloths will stay gone).

[sparks1093]

Why do you have to pay more for a cruise? There is a big myth on the CCL board that NCL and RCI are hundreds of dollars more and that's simply just not the case. All you have to do is keep watch, and bargains are plentiful. Perfect example, just booked a few days ago a last minute cruise for April on NCL Getaway. It was only $62 more than an nearly 10 yr. old CCL vessel with none of the bells and whistles that Getaway has. On NCL you don't have to eat in the MDR, with the Free at Sea promotion, you can eat at a specialty resurturant every night and guess what...it's already built into the price of your cruise.

 

If you can shop around then yes, there are deals to be had but many can't book those last minute deals (I can't wait until I retire so I am able to). But every time I've looked at booking a cruise comparing similar itineraries at similar times of year CCL has always been hundreds less. (And bells and whistles have never attracted me, so it's not a selling point to begin with.)

[sfaaa]

Many Carnival cruisers say they want cheap cruise at affordable price. So Carnival listens and delivers. Anything else doesn't matter or it's a real issue to most. We don't care about the 'fancy' bells and whistles and we don't want them if it means higher cruise fare.

[BahamaMama1214]

Really? the menu is completely different every night...

 

Yes but that's not the point. They just repeat the same kinds of dishes over and over again. Honestly how different is salmon from tilapia? It's still fish and they're serving it every night. It varies a little but after a week it gets monotonous.

[Gypsywych]

If my dinner doesn't arrive warm I tell the waiter and if it keeps arriving cold I escalate it to the maitre'd. I doubt very seriously that CCL is telling ships "serve the dishes cold". Same goes with the baked potato. You miss the tablecloths as do others, but from all that I've read you are in the minority but it's the only thing that you mention that would be worth elevating to CCL.

 

After you've discussed it with the waiter, and the Maitre D' the following evening, and then it happens again on a separate ship, there begins a pattern. Patterns you escalate past the ship. Because no, I don't think CCL is telling the ships to serve food cold. I think they are asking the ships to make do with less personnel and they are being run ragged. I don't lay blame on the staff for that.