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How Bad is the Food and Solarium Stituation

pajazz28
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pajazz28

pajazz28

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I know many of you will respond that the reviews are subjective and I get that based on all the previous cruises I have taken (9 total) have all has complains but then I do not feel that way once I am there. Also I know people tend to post more often if they has a negative experience. That being said there are a lot of post complaining about quality of the food and taste in the main dinning room and the fact that the Solarium is no longer 16+. Has anyone been on the Harmony over the past few month that does not share this experience. Is the MDR really hit or miss with taste and temperature and are the children allowed to overtake the Solarium and whirlpools?

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leisuretraveler223

leisuretraveler223

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The food is what it is. It's mass produced, cafeteria/banquet food. If you're going expecting land based restaurant quality, you're going to be disappointed. You can always find something decent. But don't mistake this for anything close to high end eating. It's grub for the masses.

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Andy C

Andy C

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We like the value we get on Royal and are traveling in a Grand Suite on HOTS in September for less than the higher end lines. Yes food is subjective to a certain extent what is not subjective is the fact that the food on Royal is no better than mainstream chain restaurants like Applebees, Outback, Olive Garden, etc... So if you find that food acceptable you will find it acceptable on Royal. As for Solarium we don't use it because we travel with our toddlers but we do venture in there with them from time to time to show them the front of the ship.

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pajazz28

pajazz28

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The food is what it is. It's mass produced, cafeteria/banquet food. If you're going expecting land based restaurant quality, you're going to be disappointed. You can always find something decent. But don't mistake this for anything close to high end eating. It's grub for the masses.

 

That is a shame because it was not the way when I started cruising in 2008.

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Ourusualbeach

Ourusualbeach

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The solarium is still 16+ however kids may enter it to get food from whatever venue the particular ship has in the solarium. Also on some ships they will open up the solarium to families for stetson hours depending on the weather.

 

Sent from my STH100-1 using Forums mobile app

Edit: for extended hours depending on the weather

 

Sent from my STH100-1 using Forums mobile app

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Andy C

Andy C

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The food is what it is. It's mass produced, cafeteria/banquet food. If you're going expecting land based restaurant quality, you're going to be disappointed. You can always find something decent. But don't mistake this for anything close to high end eating. It's grub for the masses.

 

 

Could not agree more. It is mass produced banquet food at most. We eat most of our meals at Coastal Kitchen which is only slightly better banquet food in that it is prepared for less people.

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

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Since when are you an adult at 16? I’m not allowing my 16 yo to invade what is billed as “adults only” 18 ok your an adult but not 16 -

That is simply the rule for the Solarium on a Royal Caribbean ship. 16 and up are permitted. Under 16 are not.

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zdad59

zdad59

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We were on Harmony in March. For the week we had one bad meal, a very dry pork steak. Lobster night (which I don't eat) was declared so so by the rest of my group, but that was after 9 people offed 36 tails, so good enough for a couple 2nds. We found Jamie's Italian to be truly outstanding. The dogs from the hot dog shop in the boardwalk were decent quick food too.

 

We did a lot of breakfast and lunch in the Solarium restaurant. It's a mini Windjammer, but decent, edible fare. A slower pace and much closer to our cabins, which were deck 7 forward. Service seems quicker there (cleaning tables, cycling food, etc) too. Children can roam the Solarium and hot tubs, but they can go to the bistro with the parents. It is still a peaceful respite from the main pool area.

 

People looking to complain will do so regardless. Is the food a five star restaurant in the MDR....No. Is it decent restaurant fare for a week long vacation, sure. We enjoy the restaurant, the service, and they way they will adapt to get us what we want.

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lenquixote66

lenquixote66

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I know many of you will respond that the reviews are subjective and I get that based on all the previous cruises I have taken (9 total) have all has complains but then I do not feel that way once I am there. Also I know people tend to post more often if they has a negative experience. That being said there are a lot of post complaining about quality of the food and taste in the main dinning room and the fact that the Solarium is no longer 16+. Has anyone been on the Harmony over the past few month that does not share this experience. Is the MDR really hit or miss with taste and temperature and are the children allowed to overtake the Solarium and whirlpools?

 

 

I love the MDR and Solarium

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CruisingNole

CruisingNole

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While on Oasis last year, Solarium had the worst food on the entire ship. So bad that we actually left mid-meal to head to the MDR. Pathetic salad bar choices and gross looking hot food on the buffet for lunch. I heard several people complain, with one guy telling his wife, "this is complete sh#t!"

 

I agreed with his assessment.

 

You can say "food is subjective" all you want, but bad is bad.

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Iamcruzin

Iamcruzin

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The food is so bad on cruise ships, people continue to get off the ships weighing 1 to 3 more pounds than cam on board.

the short of it your not going to starve

1 to 3 lbs? People gain more than that just from water retention due to the high sodium content in the food.

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Panda3

Panda3

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I know many of you will respond that the reviews are subjective and I get that based on all the previous cruises I have taken (9 total) have all has complains but then I do not feel that way once I am there. Also I know people tend to post more often if they has a negative experience. That being said there are a lot of post complaining about quality of the food and taste in the main dinning room and the fact that the Solarium is no longer 16+. Has anyone been on the Harmony over the past few month that does not share this experience. Is the MDR really hit or miss with taste and temperature and are the children allowed to overtake the Solarium and whirlpools?

 

I was on HOTS last July and there were some teenagers but they kept to themselves. There is not a pool in the solarium but I did see kids in the whirlpools. That's because their parents invited them in with them. They were being respectful so I did not make a deal of it. regarding food - I'm not expecting a gourmand experience in the MDR but it's always good IMHO. If you get a chance to watch mega food on netflix and see a whole episode about how they do their food during the week en masse. It's banquet style for sure. Also, love the solarium cafe for breakfast. It's as good or better than any hotel resort buffet on land. That goes for the Oasis as well.

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boscobeans

boscobeans

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I'm not expecting a gourmand experience in the MDR but it's always good IMHO. If you get a chance to watch mega food on netflix and see a whole episode about how they do their food during the week en masse. It's banquet style for sure. Also, love the solarium cafe for breakfast. It's as good or better than any hotel resort buffet on land. That goes for the Oasis as well.

 

I agree totally, they do a great job.

 

It would be hard to find a restaurant on land that begins to prepare your main course only when an order came in for that specific dish.

 

An order of Ravioli, lasagna, roast chicken turkey, prime rib, baked potato, lamb shanks or any type of sauce like Bolognese are not individually hand made only when an order calls for them

 

Most soups or sauces are made ahead in 25 or 50 gallon steam kettles rather than in one quart saucepans.

 

Breads, pastries and almost all dessert items are made well in advance out of sheer necessity, whether in a local fine dining venue or a cruise line.

 

The key to success in this whole dining / kitchen formula is the master of the kitchen, the Head Chef. He or she should know the ship, the demographics of the passengers and their likes and dislikes.

 

He or she should know and plan for the items like grilled steaks and the like and be sure to have enough freshly grilled, at the time needed, depending on the orders from the waiters as well as having a trained eye focused on the demand. The grills are huge and compared to most on land can prepare large amounts to be ready when the waiters come in to serve the finished product.

 

This has been made much more difficult since the introduction of My Time or Anytime dining, but they still do a pretty good job IMHO.

 

This is entirely different than a catered affair, where the exact number of diners as well as, for most affairs, their specific choices are known well before hand and can be and often are cooked ahead and kept in warming units to be served en masse..

 

After operating two restaurants I find it amazing at how well, for the most part, I have been pleased at the meals served in the MDR's of Celebrity, Holland and Royal Caribbean.

 

bosco

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Eslader

Eslader

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The MDR food is just fine. Unless someone has found the world's best Applebees somewhere, it is most definitely better than Applebees and similar restaurants. Is it Michelin Star level? No, but then we aren't paying 10 grand for an inside stateroom either so we shouldn't expect that.

 

If you want better food, the specialty restaurants are there for you and almost always (with the bizarre occasional exception of Chops) have stellar food and service. Again, these are up-charge specialty restaurants on a mass-market ship. You're not going to The French Laundry or elBulli here. But the food is excellent, the service friendly and fantastic, and odds are unless you're just looking for things to dislike, you'll have a good meal in them.

 

As of February on Liberty, the solarium was still 16+.

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