I have a theory about MDR

[grapau27]

I believe this post captures the cruise line theory on MDR perfectly. We have not been on nearly as many cruises as a lot of the CC members but we have been cruising with RCI for 23 years. There is no question that the MDR food (and service) were much better 20+ years ago when there were no "pay to play" dining options. In fact, I cannot think of any food you could pay for in those days. The MDR was one of the selling points of cruising and as a result was very good (in our opinion). Cruise prices were higher (adjusted for inflation) but they did normally include round trip airfare and transfers so that offsets a little. Cruising is still a bargain overall but that may be debated by some. The MDR food, while not 5 star, is still pretty good. We are amazed with what is done by the chefs with the per person budget that they work with. As the above post points out, you can choose to use the alternative dining as often as you like if you prefer a higher standard of offerings. This increases your cost, but it is a choice you have available to you. Meanwhile, those who are happy with the MDR can skip the extra cost and enjoy. I believe this is a strategy that the lines use to satisfy both those who are on a budget as we usually are, and those who prefer something extra and are willing to pay for it. It keeps the cruise available to more people.

Great answer,well summed up.We started cruising 20 years ago and i can confirm what you say regarding the main restaurant.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[KeywestK]

I'm just thrilled that I don't have to cook or do the dishes.

 

Exactly!

[grapau27]

Exactly!

Me too but they deserve massive praise,i have never had a dirty plate or cutlery.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[mra9955]

I think beef cuts have gotten cheaper. Without butter or sauce it's noticeable to me.

 

 

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[BillHoo]

Thats great we often order 2 escargots and our waiters often tell us we can have as many of what we want.

 

43 cruises and counting.

I've seen a few cruisers posting that they like the Escargots.

 

Are they done with butter and garlic? A french roll to mop up the sauce?

[Clarea]

I've seen a few cruisers posting that they like the Escargots.

 

Are they done with butter and garlic? A french roll to mop up the sauce?

Yes, heavy duty butter and garlic. They do bring some bread, but you might want to be prepared and get some extra from the assistant waiter.

[grapau27]

I've seen a few cruisers posting that they like the Escargots.

 

Are they done with butter and garlic? A french roll to mop up the sauce?

In special round metal plates with half spheres where the several escargot goes and the plate is covered in garlic butter.

I'm sure you know escargots are French for snails.they taste nice but make sure you have plenty of bread to soak up the lovely garlic butter.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[BillHoo]

Yes, heavy duty butter and garlic. They do bring some bread, but you might want to be prepared and get some extra from the assistant waiter.

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

Ah, the simple things; garlic, butter and some good bread...

 

Back when I was in college, I was hanging out with a group that included some girl I was trying to impress. Our group went into NYC and some frenchie dude joined us and he was trying to impress the chicks also and insisted we go to a pricey bistro. I had forgotten my wallet, but thought I was well-prepared with $30 in my pocket. Turns out all I could get for $30 was a pretty ceramic dish (with 12 egg-sized dimples in them) holding 12 garden snails in butter and garlic and a rather small loaf of bread. In the meantime, frenchie dude was using his daddy's charge card and ordering bottles of wine and a ton of food. Ever since then...American Express, Don't Leave Home Without It!

[grapau27]

Thanks for the tip!

 

Ah, the simple things; garlic, butter and some good bread...

 

Back when I was in college, I was hanging out with a group that included some girl I was trying to impress. Our group went into NYC and some frenchie dude joined us and he was trying to impress the chicks also and insisted we go to a pricey bistro. I had forgotten my wallet, but thought I was well-prepared with $30 in my pocket. Turns out all I could get for $30 was a pretty ceramic dish (with 12 egg-sized dimples in them) holding 12 garden snails in butter and garlic and a rather small loaf of bread. In the meantime, frenchie dude was using his daddy's charge card and ordering bottles of wine and a ton of food. Ever since then...American Express, Don't Leave Home Without It!

Sometimes we get 2 escargot each instead of getting a desert later.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[DirtyDawg]

Unusual comparisons but i have honestly never left a ships main restaurant not happy.

 

43 cruises and counting.

 

Thanks for confirming my point. :D

 

It's all subjective. A happy experience for you might not be a happy experience for someone else. A beautiful women to your eyes might not be a beautiful women to someone else's eyes and vice versa.

 

Now, the balancing act any cruise line has to achieve is to satisfy enough of its passengers with your happy experience so that they can sell out their ships each cruise. But they do no want to over satisfy their passengers with the MDR experience so that they can’t sell the specialty restaurants. It’s all about maximizing revenue and cash flow. $$$

[grapau27]

Last year on Harmony out of Barcelona there was queues of Spanish and Italians who had not booked times for MTD on 2 occasions making a lot of noise so we turned around and went to chops grill instead and it was very peaceful there.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[FOXTROT]

I rarely overeat and my experience in RCL's MDR is that the food, particularly for vegetarians, is just plain poor. I sailed with them once and never again.

We are not vegetarians, but we have several friends who are. They say they tell the waiter the first night & from then on no problem.

[ExpatBride]

We are not vegetarians, but we have several friends who are. They say they tell the waiter the first night & from then on no problem.

 

That doesn't make the food any better. It's not that there isn't vegetarian food on the menu, it's that the choices are generally oily and carb-heavy, which isn't my idea of a good meal.

[Big_G]

Thanks for confirming my point. :D

 

It's all subjective. A happy experience for you might not be a happy experience for someone else. A beautiful women to your eyes might not be a beautiful women to someone else's eyes and vice versa.

 

Now, the balancing act any cruise line has to achieve is to satisfy enough of its passengers with your happy experience so that they can sell out their ships each cruise. But they do no want to over satisfy their passengers with the MDR experience so that they can’t sell the specialty restaurants. It’s all about maximizing revenue and cash flow. $$$

 

Careful there Dawg. Too much common sense in one CC thread may cause heads to explode.

[DirtyDawg]

Careful there Dawg. Too much common sense in one CC thread may cause heads to explode.

 

:lips-sealed: Gregg, Dawg has an evil plan to reduce cruising demand and prices by exploding a few heads around here. :evilsmile::evilsmile: :lips-sealed:

[Rogueperson]

Sometimes we get 2 escargot each instead of getting a desert later.

 

43 cruises and counting.

 

Heh, I'd call you a rookie, but you've been on more cruises than I :D. My wife can attest that I did back flips the cruise I found out that escargot was offered every day. On my last cruise, my waiter knew that 2 escargot was automatic with everything else I was going to order.

[Desert Cruizers]

My husband & I feel the same and that is, we feel fortunate to be able to cruise, there are many more who can't so we are not going to complain because the food might not be excellent or some minor problem happens, we are able to sit back and relax, see several ports and enjoy each day. for the next 10 to 14 days. Day to day living isn't perfect so we enjoy each day we are able to cruise together and enjoy life. :)

[grapau27]

My husband & I feel the same and that is, we feel fortunate to be able to cruise, there are many more who can't so we are not going to complain because the food might not be excellent or some minor problem happens, we are able to sit back and relax, see several ports and enjoy each day. for the next 10 to 14 days. Day to day living isn't perfect so we enjoy each day we are able to cruise together and enjoy life. :)

Great attitude.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[LJ1012]

From reading multiple forums on here I strongly believe that there appears to be a distinct co-relation between someone wearing shorts in the MDR and the food not tasting great.

 

Where is the LIKE button?

 

Savage! ;)

[grapau27]

Where is the LIKE button?

 

Savage! ;)

Its all in the mind.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Thanks for confirming my point. :D

 

It's all subjective. A happy experience for you might not be a happy experience for someone else. A beautiful women to your eyes might not be a beautiful women to someone else's eyes and vice versa.

 

Now, the balancing act any cruise line has to achieve is to satisfy enough of its passengers with your happy experience so that they can sell out their ships each cruise. But they do no want to over satisfy their passengers with the MDR experience so that they can’t sell the specialty restaurants. It’s all about maximizing revenue and cash flow. $$$

 

I have to respectfully disagree. There is no way the Chef(s) and his team, the Head Waiter & his staff do anything to lessen the dining experience for their guests in the MDR in an effort to 'move' some into Specialty Restaurants. This simply doesn't occur with or by design.

 

Let's get real here. Because you pay an up charge for a meal doesn't mean the meal will be better either. It's a pure state of mind concept.

[grapau27]

I have to respectfully disagree. There is no way the Chef(s) and his team, the Head Waiter & his staff do anything to lessen the dining experience for their guests in the MDR in an effort to 'move' some into Specialty Restaurants. This simply doesn't occur with or by design.

 

Let's get real here. Because you pay an up charge for a meal doesn't mean the meal will be better either. It's a pure state of mind concept.

I have had some fantastic meals in the MDR and some average meals in the speciality restaurants but generally the steaks are better but you can order a fillet mignon in the MDR at a charge.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[DirtyDawg]

I have to respectfully disagree. There is no way the Chef(s) and his team, the Head Waiter & his staff do anything to lessen the dining experience for their guests in the MDR in an effort to 'move' some into Specialty Restaurants. This simply doesn't occur with or by design.

 

Let's get real here. Because you pay an up charge for a meal doesn't mean the meal will be better either. It's a pure state of mind concept.

 

I agree with you regarding the ships' personnel. I was referring to Corporate. At the initial build or at refurbishment Corporate allocated very expensive ship real estate to the specialty restaurants which need to generate revenue and cash flow for that investment to earn a proper return for the shareholders. One way to do this to degrade, somewhat, the MDR experience in order to differentiate the MDR from the specialty restaurants.

 

I also agree that paying the up charge doesn't guarantee a better meal. But it does guarantee that Royal will generate more revenue and cash flow versus having all those meals served in the MDR without an up charge.

[Desert Cruizers]

grapau27, our father had a saying, once something has happened we can't change it, so instead of becoming upset, stay relaxed and move on. I am not saying we can't get upset at something, we are human, but staying calm and look for another solution is more important. We never saw him angry. :). After two C scares ( last 7 yrs ago) I look at life with no worries and enjoy each day I have. We have 4 on the books right now including two in 2018.

[rukkian]

I think the cruise industry is going the same as most of the world. People are ever increasingly price conscious, and willing to shop around. To keep prices low, and competitive, they need to charge for other things. They simply cannot offer bigger, much more expensive ships with much more upkeep without raising costs somewhere.

 

I actually prefer a more piece meal approach. People can go without spending if they want a lower price, but others that want a higher end experience can pay for that as well.

 

Look at the costs today versus 20 years ago, the price of the cruise is still relatively the same, even though inflation has gone way up.

 

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