MDR Food - Quality Through the Week

[MikeMSD]

We are going on our first 7 day cruise on the Dream next month. Previously have done a 5 day on the Elation. My GF was talking to a friend of ours about the cruise and how we made reservations for the steakhouse the first night for the free bottle of wine.

 

Our friend proceeded to tell us how we had made a terrible mistake. She said that the quality of the food in the MDR gets worse every day you're onboard and that we should cancel our reservation and move it to one of the last nights so we don't have to suffer the food at the end of the week.

 

My experience on the Elation was that the food quality was pretty even. I always found something tasty on the MDR menu and enjoyed it throughout.

 

Is this just a case of our friend getting burned out on the MDR food, or has anyone else experienced a decrease in quality through the week? I'd rather keep those first night reservations and get our free wine.

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

That has not been our experience in 34 Carnival cruises.

 

 

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[Razor_Poke]

Nope, the food quality overall may have dropped the past few years but it doesn't get worse throughout the cruise.

 

I'd be more likely to believe that as a staff person gets closer to his extended break / end of contract, his quality of service might wane. But I assume those turnovers are staggered such that there wouldn't be a measurable effect across a large group

[USNUZULOOSE]

I have never experienced that. I found the food to be really good every night. It was about the 4th night that I was so full of food I just had to back off on the eating. Nothing bad just extremely full, not used to eating that much food at home. I probably gained 10 pounds that week.:D

[IntrepidFromDC]

We're going on our ninth cruise in three years next month and most have been 7- or 8-day cruises. My memory isn't the best but I can say for certain the past two cruises the MDR dinners did not get worse as the cruise went on, but I do think I remember a "dud" day with nothing I liked, around day 4 of each cruise. Seems to me the dud days are around the middle, and my favorite dinners were first couple nights and last couple nights (of course that includes the juvenile lobster tails).

[Ask4Jay]

Never heard such nonsense your friend is dishing up.

We are taking our 13th two-week cruise in October. Would she think that after Day 7 we'd live on left overs and stale bread?

Don't let a biased person talk you into changing your plans.

[cruisemom67]

Not on Carnival. 13 Carnival cruises and never experienced that. I did experience it on NCL, but it may have been I just didn't like the selections they had. I think your friend may just have not liked the selections the last few nights.

[bury me at sea]

I have to agree with the majority of responses. I prefer the selection of entrees some evenings, but the quality hasn't diminished as the week progressed.

 

I've even remarked occasionally at the freshness of salad ingredients late in the cruise.

[taglovestocruise]

What other tips and advice has your friend offered.

[MikeMSD]

Okay, so my experience of the food being good through the cruise seems to be pretty accurate. I think our friend was just being extra critical. Either that or just getting burned out on the food by the end of the week.

 

She usually cruises every year, and I haven't been on a cruise for about 4 years, so I wanted to make sure my experience of everything staying constant was accurate. I hadn't heard the decline thing from anyone else either, so I thought it was probably just her. It just got my GF worried since this is her first cruise.

 

 

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[MikeMSD]

What other tips and advice has your friend offered.

 

 

She kept going on about how ugly Grand Cayman was and that we should just stay on the ship. I've been to Grand Cayman before and enjoyed it throughly. My GF was kinda upset with her there. She was like, just let me be excited and enjoy my first time there.

 

 

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[cruisemom67]

Sounds like your friend wants to be a "know it all." I would take her advice with a grain of salt....followed up with a nice ship margarita!

 

Grand Cayman....I guess you've been to Hell and back? It is so ugly there that it's pretty! And 7 Mile beach is gorgeous! Don't let her (or anyone else!) spoil your fun!

[MikeMSD]

Sounds like your friend wants to be a "know it all." I would take her advice with a grain of salt....followed up with a nice ship margarita!

 

Grand Cayman....I guess you've been to Hell and back? It is so ugly there that it's pretty! And 7 Mile beach is gorgeous! Don't let her (or anyone else!) spoil your fun!

 

 

Yup! That was on the first cruise I remember which was when I went with my parents when I was 14. I sent a postcard from Hell to my friend. Definitely not letting anyone ruin the trip.

 

 

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[stevefrisco]

I just got off the Pride. I think if I had to suggest a night to do an upcharge restaurant I'd pick the first. The food was excellent every night but it seemed like the staff had a lot of extra stuff to do the first night. Our guys gave excellent service throughout (like every cruise) but it took maybe 20 minutes longer and they had less time to chat the first night. The only entre I wasn't a huge fan of was the Brisket. I tried at least 25 by ordering two and tasting my life partner's and other family member's food and to have one miss out of 25 is nothing to complain about. It wasn't bad but not as good as I remember it being I guess.

 

If I had any complaints or concerns about the MDR it would be that I think they are giving the servers way too many guests. I'd happily tip more (we always do anyways directly to the servers) in order for them to have one less table or something. Just my thoughts.

[jimbo5544]

I just got off the Pride. I think if I had to suggest a night to do an upcharge restaurant I'd pick the first. The food was excellent every night but it seemed like the staff had a lot of extra stuff to do the first night. Our guys gave excellent service throughout (like every cruise) but it took maybe 20 minutes longer and they had less time to chat the first night. The only entre I wasn't a huge fan of was the Brisket. I tried at least 25 by ordering two and tasting my life partner's and other family member's food and to have one miss out of 25 is nothing to complain about. It wasn't bad but not as good as I remember it being I guess.

 

If I had any complaints or concerns about the MDR it would be that I think they are giving the servers way too many guests. I'd happily tip more (we always do anyways directly to the servers) in order for them to have one less table or something. Just my thoughts.

 

 

Would match our experiences as well. I wonder why the first night is kind of hectic?

 

 

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[khewston]

I was worried about cruising on the Conquest because I had read so many reviews about the food in the MDR being terrible. I thought the food was very good every night.

We also dined at the steakhouse. I heard that the free wine is almost undrinkable, so we received 50% off a bottle of your choice instead. The steakhouse is amazing!

[MikeMSD]

I was worried about cruising on the Conquest because I had read so many reviews about the food in the MDR being terrible. I thought the food was very good every night.

 

We also dined at the steakhouse. I heard that the free wine is almost undrinkable, so we received 50% off a bottle of your choice instead. The steakhouse is amazing!

 

 

I'm not picky with wine and haven't had anything I ever thought was undrinkable. We're doing Cheers, my plan is to take the free bottle back to our stateroom and enjoy it later when we don't feel like venturing out.

 

 

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[SadieN]

Would match our experiences as well. I wonder why the first night is kind of hectic?

 

 

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Because many have no idea what's going on. Waiters seem much happier when we've told them we know the routine already.

 

Our experience has been no drop in quality and conversely, no improvement of quality over the length of any cruise. Unless there's a chef change.

We have cruised the same ship a few weeks apart and discovered that a chef change makes a big difference. One Miracle cruise the fish was always dry, the next cruise the fish was done perfectly when presented to us.

 

 

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[cruisemom67]

Would match our experiences as well. I wonder why the first night is kind of hectic?

 

 

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First, people take a while to find their tables, so waiters are already behind the time schedule. Then they try to learn your likes/dislikes. Explaining everything to everyone...answering newbie questions...

[coevan]

Would match our experiences as well. I wonder why the first night is kind of hectic?

 

 

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Only for the guests, just another day for the staff. We just completed a B2B and became very friendly with our server and a couple of bartenders. They are amused by transition day. They know the happy people and the angry people on day one. We had our same server for 2 weeks with YTD. We tipped our bartender every night with Cheers. The first night guests were surprised when the bartender knew us by name and asked if we would like the usual.

[dvond]

The dinner overall is pretty good to good, we actually enjoyed our 6th meal last week the best, onion soup and prime rib

[jimbo5544]

Ha, makes sense.

 

 

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[Doggielover68]

I've never noticed a change in quality.

 

 

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[Kwaj girl]

Okay, so my experience of the food being good through the cruise seems to be pretty accurate. I think our friend was just being extra critical. Either that or just getting burned out on the food by the end of the week.

 

She usually cruises every year, and I haven't been on a cruise for about 4 years, so I wanted to make sure my experience of everything staying constant was accurate. I hadn't heard the decline thing from anyone else either, so I thought it was probably just her. It just got my GF worried since this is her first cruise.

 

 

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How does one get "burned out" with the food on seven short days?:rolleyes: Sounds pretty lame....

[stevefrisco]

Would match our experiences as well. I wonder why the first night is kind of hectic?

 

 

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I'm not sure but another member of my group who has cruised even more noticed same thing across multiple lines. I'd say it has something to do with potentially shuffling of service teams and changing teams' assigned tables which could throw stuff off. I'm sure they need to make seating charts on their end. Also they probably have to answer questions for new cruisers. Probably lots of things.

 

 

Maybe Carnival gives the free wine incentive as a way to offset it just knowing it is going to happen.

 

Obviously it doesn't ruin the meal or cruise. If anything, it gives people a chance to talk more with random tablemates their first night or spend time with family and friends.