NCL vs RC food

[pcur]

On RCCL if you ask for smoked salmon in the Windjammer at breakfast, they will go in the kitchen and get some for you. I had this experience when I asked for it once.

[time4u2go]

...

People on here want to call the food slop and compare it to this place or that resort. I think they do a hell of a job for what they do each day. It is not a easy task but they are ask to do it 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year! Geeze lighten up and take a tour and see!

The thing is, many people feel like it used to be better, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. So it's not like they can't do it better. They just don't.

[CherylsCaribbeanTravel]

Overall, we prefer the food on NCL but I do think there are huge differences between ships.

 

I agree that O’Sheehans is awesome. I actually like their Reuben’s and wings. Unlike rcl where i dislike their late night options.O’sheehans is Perfect late night bar food to hit up right after howl at the moon [emoji287]. And not to forget o’sheehans is a third option for breakfast and lunch too. We like being able to get served breakfast over a larger time frame. Last time I think breakfast was 6-11 am. MDR breakfast has more restricted hours on both lines.

 

 

 

 

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[Gboard]

Just off the Harmony (was on sept 15-22) and the buffet was terrible , ingredients and selection was poor and tasted worse than frozen entrees. It's on par with Cuban resorts without the seafood at Cuban resorts

 

Main dining room was no better, imitation crab in crab cake, hard as pick salmon, baby food soft tagatelle with watery cream sauce, shrimps in shrimp cocktail that's half the size of the lemon wedge

 

Paid restaurants like chops was lower quality than outback for steaks and I had the branzino filet and red lobster (already not good) was 10x better

 

150 central park was decent , Jamie's had decent pasta but sauce thats worse than olive garden

 

It's laughable that anyone thinks RCI food is comparable to NCL or Carnival

 

Also a bit suspicious that breakfast sausage is in gumbo served that evening.

 

Cheap cheap cheap, no seafood other than Basa filets sometimes labeled as talapia. Shrimp salad on one night with size smaller than a pinky nail. No calarami , mongolian wok had no sauce options and no shrimp/calamari as protein.

 

Tertible food all around

[Bella99]

I cruised NCL epic in August with a 3 day specialty dining package which I woul not bother with again. In my opinion, their MDR food was way better than RCL (Rhapsody, Voyager, Ovation) but the specialty restaurants were just so so. Specialty restaurants on RCL are definitely a step up from their MDR

[BNBR]

Just off the Harmony (was on sept 15-22) and the buffet was terrible , ingredients and selection was poor and tasted worse than frozen entrees. It's on par with Cuban resorts without the seafood at Cuban resorts

 

Main dining room was no better, imitation crab in crab cake, hard as pick salmon, baby food soft tagatelle with watery cream sauce, shrimps in shrimp cocktail that's half the size of the lemon wedge

 

Paid restaurants like chops was lower quality than outback for steaks and I had the branzino filet and red lobster (already not good) was 10x better

 

150 central park was decent , Jamie's had decent pasta but sauce thats worse than olive garden

 

It's laughable that anyone thinks RCI food is comparable to NCL or Carnival

 

Also a bit suspicious that breakfast sausage is in gumbo served that evening.

 

Cheap cheap cheap, no seafood other than Basa filets sometimes labeled as talapia. Shrimp salad on one night with size smaller than a pinky nail. No calarami , mongolian wok had no sauce options and no shrimp/calamari as protein.

 

Tertible food all around

 

 

Cool story.

[bigque]

Just off the Harmony (was on sept 15-22) and the buffet was terrible , ingredients and selection was poor and tasted worse than frozen entrees. It's on par with Cuban resorts without the seafood at Cuban resorts

 

Main dining room was no better, imitation crab in crab cake, hard as pick salmon, baby food soft tagatelle with watery cream sauce, shrimps in shrimp cocktail that's half the size of the lemon wedge

 

Paid restaurants like chops was lower quality than outback for steaks and I had the branzino filet and red lobster (already not good) was 10x better

 

150 central park was decent , Jamie's had decent pasta but sauce thats worse than olive garden

 

It's laughable that anyone thinks RCI food is comparable to NCL or Carnival

 

Also a bit suspicious that breakfast sausage is in gumbo served that evening.

 

Cheap cheap cheap, no seafood other than Basa filets sometimes labeled as talapia. Shrimp salad on one night with size smaller than a pinky nail. No calarami , mongolian wok had no sauce options and no shrimp/calamari as protein.

 

Tertible food all around

So glad for your 1st input to a post on CC! Thank You!

[Pipo]

WE cruised RCI ships Allure, Oasis, Harmony and Rhapsody within the past 12 months.

WE have cruise NCL Getaway and Escape within past 12 months.

Food overall in Specialty Restaurants and MDR better on NCL.

In fact we would rate food on those 2 NCL ships better than Celebrity, Princess and MSC who we have cruised extensively during the past 2 years. JMHO!

Don't know anything about the 2 NCL ships you mentioned.

Happy Cruising!!

 

Saying that food on NCL is better than Celebrity is a solid sentence to consider sailing on Norwegian.

[DreamingBig1]

Saying that food on NCL is better than Celebrity is a solid sentence to consider sailing on Norwegian.

 

We have sailed on Celebrity as well. We were seriously disappointed with their food. Maybe it was a off sailing. I expected far better for a line touted as having better food than many others.

[DreamingBig1]

Major plus with NCL is that the UBP is included with sailings if you choose. Inside rooms included.

[Clarea]

Major plus with NCL is that the UBP is included with sailings if you choose. Inside rooms included.

You still have to pay tips on the "free" UBP on NCL, right?

[ILOVEHI50]

We'll let you know in about 50 days. DH and I are NCL Gold members trying our first RCI cruise November 10th.

 

I must admit I'm sad to see many saying the NCL food is superior, especially given the very high premiums RCI charges in their specialty restaurants. Because of the high premiums, DH and I might stick to the inclusive restaurants on our Anthem cruise. I would have liked to at least try Wonderland, but at $63CAD per person as a surcharge it's just not worth it. Highest NCL premium charges are only about $45CAD.

 

We will also be on this same cruise. We were on the ship in February with our 4 year old granddaughter; so we ate in the Windjammer 6 of the 8 nights. The selection of food in the Windjammer for dinner was great, and very good. Keep in mind, we have always eaten in the dining room for dinner, and only done specialty restaurants a couple times. Our plan is to do the Windjammer again on this cruise for dinner. If you do want to try Wonderland or any of the other specialty restaurants, please look at the BOGO specials. You can eat the first 2 nights for about the cost of 1 night. If you don't like the restaurant assigned to you the first night, you can have it changed. My daughter loved Wonderland on the Harmony, they did it both nights with that package. I hope this information will help.

[mugtech]

You still have to pay tips on the "free" UBP on NCL, right?

Correct. Long thread on NCL board that free is not really free.

[BNBR]

You still have to pay tips on the "free" UBP on NCL, right?

 

Yup, and additional upcharges at select restaurants. And it's only 3 meals, not comparable to the RCCL Ultimate Dining. And they have nothing comparable to Wonderland.

[JAMESCC]

Yup, and additional upcharges at select restaurants. And it's only 3 meals, not comparable to the RCCL Ultimate Dining. And they have nothing comparable to Wonderland.

Wonderland was so much fun. Did it the first night we were on Anthem and I honestly was very skeptical but it was a fun experience. I'm so glad we did it. Our 5 year old son even had fun. It is a great memory from that cruise.

 

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[Tatka]

You still have to pay tips on the "free" UBP on NCL, right?

Yes, it is one time charge, collected before sailing. We paid $250 for 2 of us for 7 days.

[BNBR]

Wonderland was so much fun. Did it the first night we were on Anthem and I honestly was very skeptical but it was a fun experience. I'm so glad we did it. Our 5 year old son even had fun. It is a great memory from that cruise.

 

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I haven't tried it yet. But I'm very much looking forward to it. It's the type of dining I tend to like a lot.

[iluvit!]

My main food complaint is the dessert quality. They look so much better than they taste. Anyone who bakes can tell that they are using inferior ingredients in the free vs paid desserts. For example, carrot or red velvet cake has cream cheese frosting. If you substitute shortening for the butter the frosting tastes cheap. Cakes from the coffee shop are worth the extra $3 or $4. Don’t even get me started on the gelatin-laden cream pies-atrocious! There are some gems to be had, though: cookies, key lime pie.

 

 

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[JAMESCC]

I haven't tried it yet. But I'm very much looking forward to it. It's the type of dining I tend to like a lot.

Just so much fun, we loved it. I think we may do it again in our cruise next year.

 

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[pcur]

I'm on a cruise relaxing, there is plenty of food and drink everywhere. I'm just happy to be there at all because cruising is the best vacation money can buy. It's all good. None of it is slop, no way, not fair.

 

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I agree. I get a variety of choices, pretty much anytime I want. I'm happy.

[gilboman]

Completely ridiculous thing to say. NONE of the ships from any line I've been on have been truly outstanding at the buffet. Carnival, the breakfast was so bad I went to Blue Iguana. Luckily they had an alternate option. Escape was slightly better but still pretty bad. Really, Harmony has had, BY FAR the best buffet from the cruises we've been on. To suggest it's worst is insane. MAYBE comparable...

 

not outstanding, but SLOP..windjammer is SLOP and TERRIBLE. while no buffet on mainline cruises would be outstanding, RCI is far and away the worse one for free dining in buffet and dining room

 

i guess you must think denny's is the bomb on land and love old country buffet if you think Windjammer is not slop

[gilboman]

Slop is ridiculous sorry. Also if you feel that way then of course choose a different line. It's way over the top but like I said if you feel that way but all means choose a different line. No big deal, everyone has preferences.

My first priority when choosing a cruise besides price of course is the ship. Love Anthem very much.

 

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glad you agree that RCI is terrible for food in buffet and MDR and only reason to sail them is for the ship (notwithstanding upcharges for everything that's free on other cruise lines)

[Gboard]

Cool story.

 

Thanks

 

As a bonus, here's a picture of the tater tot side at chops for $49 usd a person along with the tiny overcooked mushrooms.

 

Tater tots https://img ur.com/gallery/hAcQcJa

 

Had no idea that RCI Harmony of the Seas was so terrible for food even in paid restaurants and is Cuban resort quality in the buffet and main dining room

Edited September 25, 2018 by Gboard

[BNBR]

not outstanding, but SLOP..windjammer is SLOP and TERRIBLE. while no buffet on mainline cruises would be outstanding, RCI is far and away the worse one for free dining in buffet and dining room

 

i guess you must think denny's is the bomb on land and love old country buffet if you think Windjammer is not slop

 

People who put on this pretentious act like you tend to be the type that frequent Denny's the most. You aren't fooling anyone.

[BNBR]

Thanks

 

As a bonus, here's a picture of the tater tot side at chops for $49 usd a person along with the tiny overcooked mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

Had no idea that RCI Harmony of the Seas was so terrible for food even in paid restaurants and is Cuban resort quality in the buffet and main dining room

 

Umm. Ok. You seem strangely obsessed with Cuban resorts in your 2 posts.... I strongly suggest you frequent another line. It's all roses over there, believe me... :rolleyes: