I have a theory about MDR

[egamigal]

I loved the MDR on the Oasis but I often skipped lunch for activities so I was always starving by dinner time. So maybe I loved it because I was Hangry by that point?

[Goodtime Cruizin]

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.

 

People purchase SPR's to simply feel better. Feel elite. Again, a state of mind. Corporate knows this. Variety generally sells itself. Especially if it's 'classed' or comes with a certain status level. What I hear you saying is in an effort to fill a SPR, corporate is reducing the quality of the MDR. If this is truly happening, then RCCL is being completely mis-managed. I'm on record as saying this is NOT occurring. The MDR is and will always be the MAIN place or dining option. To intentionally reduce it's quality would have thousands upon thousands of cruisers leaving disappointed and talking down on RCCL. There is a reason the SPRs are being discounted... to fill them. There is a reason for the hard sells that some post about... to fill them. I'm one to believe that a small % people actually eat in the SPRs. There are actually small in size. And I never see them completely full. Although I have no hard facts, I imagine Suite guests and Diamond status represent more than half of the patrons. BTW, RCCL could sell specific placed chairs around the pool and people would pay for them. Especially if they are a different color and style. Chair Hogs would nag, but they'd buy them. This will eventually happen IMO.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Goodtime Cruizin

[Pipo]

My question has always been: How do they make the business profitable with "all-you can eat" format? I can easily eat $200/day. Add $100 on lobster night. And I'm talking just on food. Not counting on other costs: toiletries, water, salaries, fuel, services, maintenance, security, etc etc.

[woodyren]

My question has always been: How do they make the business profitable with "all-you can eat" format? I can easily eat $200/day. Add $100 on lobster night. And I'm talking just on food. Not counting on other costs: toiletries, water, salaries, fuel, services, maintenance, security, etc etc.

 

Because while the food and ancillaries might be "worth" what you say they only "cost" a very small fraction of that price.

[grapau27]

Because while the food and ancillaries might be "worth" what you say they only "cost" a very small fraction of that price.

Very true.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[Clarea]

My question has always been: How do they make the business profitable with "all-you can eat" format? I can easily eat $200/day. Add $100 on lobster night. And I'm talking just on food. Not counting on other costs: toiletries, water, salaries, fuel, services, maintenance, security, etc etc.

I've seen figures that indicate they spend an average of around $12 per day per person for food. Maybe you are costing them $14. I don't think they are losing money on food, or alcohol.

[vacationlover_mn]

Lol- I am usually starving by dinner. Must be why I usually enjoy the food. The worst food I've gotten- escargot on Adventure... it was cold the first 2 nights, so I stopped ordering it; those donuts the last night on HOS... bleh!!!

 

 

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[grapau27]

Lol- I am usually starving by dinner. Must be why I usually enjoy the food. The worst food I've gotten- escargot on Adventure... it was cold the first 2 nights, so I stopped ordering it; those donuts the last night on HOS... bleh!!!

 

 

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The 24 hour availability of food on cruise ships should mean you are never starving.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[LMaxwell]

The 24 hour availability of food on cruise ships should mean you are never starving.

 

43 cruises and counting.

 

Food isn't really available 24 hours on Royal unless you pay and wait for RS. Even the Cafe's have been scaled way, way back. The ship that don't have the Cafe's get pizza and hot dogs after 9PM. Can't hold a candle to Princess, MSC, or NCL. But I also think you are taking the previous comment too literally. This is an area Royal could easily improve on but chooses not to.

[DirtyDawg]

People purchase SPR's to simply feel better. Feel elite. Again, a state of mind. Corporate knows this. Variety generally sells itself. Especially if it's 'classed' or comes with a certain status level. What I hear you saying is in an effort to fill a SPR, corporate is reducing the quality of the MDR. If this is truly happening, then RCCL is being completely mis-managed. I'm on record as saying this is NOT occurring. The MDR is and will always be the MAIN place or dining option. To intentionally reduce it's quality would have thousands upon thousands of cruisers leaving disappointed and talking down on RCCL. There is a reason the SPRs are being discounted... to fill them. There is a reason for the hard sells that some post about... to fill them. I'm one to believe that a small % people actually eat in the SPRs. There are actually small in size. And I never see them completely full. Although I have no hard facts, I imagine Suite guests and Diamond status represent more than half of the patrons. BTW, RCCL could sell specific placed chairs around the pool and people would pay for them. Especially if they are a different color and style. Chair Hogs would nag, but they'd buy them. This will eventually happen IMO.

 

I respect your opinion but being on record with it doesn't make your opinion a fact. I have another, opposite, opinion. I would love to see some metrics regarding the MDR currently vs. the pre-SPR days such as food cost per meal served in the MDR (ex-inflation), or the number of chefs, sous-chefs, waiters, per meal served etc. Then we could turn one of our opinions into fact. Until then, we can agree to disagree. Enjoy your cruising.

[4774Papa]

In an affluent household the ingredients used to prepare the daily meals will normally be considerably superior to those typically used in the MDR. And, those superior ingredients combined with a normal level of cooking skill result in better meals. When these same affluent households dine out they select restaurants that will deliver a meal that is special relative to what they enjoy at home. Against this type of benchmark the food in the MDR is terrible.

 

RCL is low cost cruise line and you need to remember that this means there is quite a diversity of people on each cruise; some have barely paid $50 a head per night and some are paying more than twenty times that amount. There is a considerably gradient of expectation in terms of what will be received but RCL needs to make a profit from even those who have hardly paid anything - the "free" food thus needs to be super low cost to provide.

 

The negative reviews of the MDR are completely valid for the demographic they represent. RCL has other options for these folk and by and large they should be happy with them; they may still complain for example that Chops isn't a great streak house but on the other hand it's not a truly terrible one either - it's broadly acceptable when taken as a whole with everything else RCL offers.

 

The only issue I see is that RCL advertises in a manner that tries to create an expectation of fine dining and those who are sucked into believing that they'll get this (at such a low price point it's not really a believable claim) probably do have cause to complain.

We are elite on Celebrity and that is our preferred cruise line, but diamond on RCL due to reciprocity. We have our first RCL cruises out of Sydney on Radiance and Explorer next year.

 

We find that the dining on Celebrity is rather good, often excellent. The MDR is so good that we rarely dine at the specialty restaurants. I love the Eggs Benedict station Celebrity has at breakfast time. My DW is a great cook and since we are widely travelled (70 countries), she cooks a great variety. We are not huge on dining out at home, perhaps two or three times a month, unless visiting family in another city. I love spicy food as well as good basic fare. Some of the dishes we are served in the MDR are not far from the level of our favorite local restaurants, while other dishes not so. We live on the Georgia coast and our seafood here is local, fresh and wild (no ship from farms). The shrimp we are served onboard is probably not wild. Still, we have been served some excellent fish, while the fish is sometimes overcooked and too dry, it is usually not bad enough to send back. Celebrity's desserts are excellent. We hope that Royal's dining will be close enough to Celebrity in the MDR. If not, we may try more of its specialty restaurants. Any recommendations in that regard?

[Trackhead37]

Please don't flame. My theory is that many people overeat during the day and don't enjoy the select offerings in the MDR at night. They may or may not be outstanding. All I am saying is that you have to be hungary for a good meal.

 

 

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Meh, I think there is a lot of over analyzing about the food and it's quality or lacking quality at times. The fact is, RCCL chooses when it wants to be cheap and that is probably what affects various food and how it tastes. For instance, something as simple as Sorrentos, where you're eating a heated up frozen pizza, while even Carnival is making their pizza fresh with dough and cooking them as they go. If they do it with pizza, I'm sure there are other things here and there, that simply aren't made fresh and suspect that could be why some stuff is good and some isn't.

 

 

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[grapau27]

Food isn't really available 24 hours on Royal unless you pay and wait for RS. Even the Cafe's have been scaled way, way back. The ship that don't have the Cafe's get pizza and hot dogs after 9PM. Can't hold a candle to Princess, MSC, or NCL. But I also think you are taking the previous comment too literally. This is an area Royal could easily improve on but chooses not to.

Yes it includes room service for 24 hours but you are spoilt for choice where you can eat without any restrictions on how much you eat.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[Hoopster95]

Any recommendations in that regard?

 

Chops and Giovanni's are consistently much better than anything MDR serves on both ships.

(Then again, I might be in "a state of mind" and needing to "feel elite") :rolleyes:

 

Radiance also has a rare offering... Sambas (Brazillian). I really enjoyed my meal there and with a great view

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=47881841&highlight=samba%27s#post47881841

[Robo1098]

I know that it is a safety issue but I think from my experience any issues I have had with the food on the ship can mostly be attributed to having to cook without any open flame in the kitchen. Go to any steak place or restaurant for that matter on land and nobody cooks without an open flame. Sometimes I'm surprised it comes out as good as it does. Before I'm too critical I try to keep that in mind. Just my opinion.

[vacationlover_mn]

Is sambas only on Radiance? And, what do people think about Rita's crab shack?

 

 

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[Goodtime Cruizin]

Chops and Giovanni's are consistently much better than anything MDR serves on both ships.

(Then again, I might be in "a state of mind" and needing to "feel elite") :rolleyes:

 

Radiance also has a rare offering... Sambas (Brazillian). I really enjoyed my meal there and with a great view

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=47881841&highlight=samba%27s#post47881841

 

Chops is over rated and over priced. The price has increased while the cut of meat decreased. But people do & will pay for it. Giovanni's on the other hand is one of the better of SPRs. Haven't tried Sambas, but we did enjoy Sabor.

[Hoopster95]

Is sambas only on Radiance? And, what do people think about Rita's crab shack?

 

Sambas is also on Allure. Very few reviews of either restaurant... I've rarely seen a review with photos other than mine at Samba. I think I've seen a couple for the Crab Shack... here's mine

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=48008687&highlight=crab#post48008687

 

Be sure to read through... don't just scroll the pictures. This is the only venue on Royal Caribbean I've ever failed.

Also note the bill on the final photo... easily would've paid for a stellar dinner in Sambas, Giovanni's or Chops.

 

I strongly urge you to try for yourself as my opinion is useless, food ratings are extremely subjective and personal... and then of course Chefs/cooks on board change over time, as does the product being cooked and where they are sourced from as the ship moves about all over the world. My horrible experience 2 years ago may be totally false today.

[Clarea]

Is sambas only on Radiance? And, what do people think about Rita's crab shack?

Samba Grill is also on Allure.

[lenquixote66]

i endeavor not to overeat at any meal on a cruise.

[Newby58]

Just like beauty, MDR food quality and dining experience is in the eye (or taste buds) of the beholder. So since its cost is included in your cruise fare, go and try the MDR out for yourself. It might not be the Beyoncé or Selma Hayek of culinary experiences but it might be a Taylor Swift. And if it turns out, for you, to be the Phillis Diller of dining experiences, try the specialty restaurants. ;)

 

And for the ladies substitute in Cary Grant, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling and Steve Buscemi - you slot them in however you like.:D

 

 

Lol

 

 

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[Newby58]

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!

 

 

Did you get the girl?

 

 

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[Newby58]

I loved the MDR on the Oasis but I often skipped lunch for activities so I was always starving by dinner time. So maybe I loved it because I was Hangry by that point?

 

 

My point exactly

 

 

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[Newby58]

This is the OP. I have only been on 5 cruises so far. I have only attended one specialty restaurant to date and that was Wonderland which was special. I have had one bad main in the MDR after the waiter recommended it! Go figure. I should have trusted my judgement. It was a lamb shoulder dish that was inedible. I like quality over quantity. I still believe that eating too much during the day will affect your MDR experience. I do agree that TOO much salt is used. Pity. I purposely don't use salt in my cooking. I have never returned a meal in the MDR. I don't like MDR deserts although I don't like deserts on land. Generally speaking, I like the MDR.

 

 

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[Newby58]

Because I am always hungry?

 

 

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