NCL food prepared on Shore and microwaved??

[PATRLR]

Let me ask you about these banquet halls, and 1000 covers would be a very small cruise ship.

It would be large for a cruise ship. I don't know of any cruise ship that serves 1000 in one sitting. But it doesn't matter. The difference in cooking for 100 or 1000 or 4500 is simply a matter of scale.

 

Do they require a sign-up for the various entrees served, so they know in advance how many of each to make? I know that is the way lots of halls do it. The ship doesn't have that ability, you can come in and ask for anything on the menu, and it has to be prepped already.

As I am sure you are aware, ships have very limited menus. Typically 6 featured entrees and 4 classics, or thereabouts. They have a decent idea how many of each they will serve, they can do all of the same prep that a good banquet hall can.

And while I have had some good entrees in banquet halls, like for a wedding reception, I would not say that any of them have ranked with more than a chain restaurant's fare.

You need to get yourself invited to some better banquets. But heck, I wouldn't object to MDR food elevating to the same quality as a decent chain restaurant.

[chengkp75]

I like Swanson dinner.

 

Hungry man, or regular?

 

And how about those Mrs. Smith's pies?

[ray98]

Who comes up with this crap?

[Host Star]

During a galley tour. Of an Rci ship the subject of microwaves was brought up as we did not see any. We were taken to a small pantry type room and there was one lone microwave which we were told is used only for heating baby food. I’m not sure if this is the same for ncl

[GA Dave]

My New England Clam Chowder was partially prepared at the table in front of my DW and I at Ocean Blue on the Getaway. Definitely fresh!!

[BirdTravels]

Let's see. On an -away class ship if 4500 passengers and 1700 crew = 6200 people on the ship.

 

6200 people * 3 meals a day = 18600 covers.

 

Let's say the average meal consists of two hot appetizers/desserts/sides and one heated entree. 18600 * 3 = 55,800 hungry man boxes

 

Let's say that the average microwave time is 5 minutes. 55800 * 5 / 60 = 4650 hours of microwave time.

 

If the ship has 2 microwaves (per the chief), then it will take 97 days to microwave 1 day's worth of food.

[17cruisesnsl]

The only thing that I know is pre-prepared are the egg rolls and pot stickers served in Jasmine. My hubby has a special diet (low sodium) and they couldn't provide an alternative.

 

To hijack the post for a moment - how was the low sodium diet? Have requested it for my mom and have read they meet with you in advance. This trip, to celebrate her 90th, we're in the Haven, where I assume it will be easier to control the salt content but we will want to use our 4 specialty dinners and I want to minimize her opportunities to cheat.

[psac]

The only thing that I know is pre-prepared are the egg rolls and pot stickers served in Jasmine. My hubby has a special diet (low sodium) and they couldn't provide an alternative.

 

I’m not saying you were saying this, but obviously pre-prepared doesn’t mean off-ship. Something like the egg rolls or pot stickers they could prep in large batches and keep refrigerated for a few days until they deep fry or pan fry, respectively. My wife has certain restrictions, and there are often a few things that can’t be tailor made. I think that’s totally reasonable.

[ray98]

It would be large for a cruise ship. I don't know of any cruise ship that serves 1000 in one sitting. But it doesn't matter. The difference in cooking for 100 or 1000 or 4500 is simply a matter of scale.

 

As I am sure you are aware, ships have very limited menus. Typically 6 featured entrees and 4 classics, or thereabouts. They have a decent idea how many of each they will serve, they can do all of the same prep that a good banquet hall can. You need to get yourself invited to some better banquets. But heck, I wouldn't object to MDR food elevating to the same quality as a decent chain restaurant.

 

 

There are many ships that have 1k or more dining at at time....they feed 5-6k diner in around 4 hours

[Maniacal Cruiser]

I know the food quality is low and thinking things are mass prepared like airline meals isn't unreasonable. But, if you think of the logistics of bringing in literally thousands of prepared meals it seems to me to be very doubtful that is happening.

 

I believe the root cause of the low quality food is simply using low quality ingredients.

 

No you THINK the food quality is low. Many (including me) think it si just fine and in some cases very appetizing and quite tasteful. The food in the MDRs are below what is served in the specialty dining but I do not think any of it qualifies as "low" quality.

[Maniacal Cruiser]

62.3% of the meals are microwaved on board. Unless of course you are cruising to Bermuda or Canada in which case it is only 58.3%, unless of course your cruise starts on a Wednesday, or if there is a full moon during your voyage!

 

 

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87.21% of people quoting statistics are making them up off the top of their heads.

[david_sobe]

No you THINK the food quality is low. Many (including me) think it si just fine and in some cases very appetizing and quite tasteful. The food in the MDRs are below what is served in the specialty dining but I do not think any of it qualifies as "low" quality.

 

 

That is not always the case and of course a matter of opinion. I have had many "better" meals in the MDR than specialty or Haven restaurant. Several of my La Cucina meals were MDR quality or less over the years. We skip La Cucina now. The rigatoni was buffet quality on Epic and on Getaway the gnocchi in Taste was much better than La Cucina. Some of the promotion for specialty restaurants is bluster IMHO. Of course the beef in Cagneys is superior and seafood is expensive to justify upcharges. You get the same hamburger whether you are in the Haven, buffet, or MDR. Even the French toast is the same. Its just served on a fancier plate in the Haven. Depending on who you are, you can look at this as glass half full or half empty. Either the MDR is better than some claim it to be or specialty is sometimes more bluster than you would think it would be.

[PATRLR]

No you THINK the food quality is low. Many (including me) think it si just fine and in some cases very appetizing and quite tasteful. The food in the MDRs are below what is served in the specialty dining but I do not think any of it qualifies as "low" quality.

As usual, you are confused and not understanding what you are reading.

 

"quality" as I used the term and taste are two very different things. I'm happy for you that you enjoy the taste of the food and find it appetizing.

[wdsted]

To hijack the post for a moment - how was the low sodium diet? Have requested it for my mom and have read they meet with you in advance. This trip, to celebrate her 90th, we're in the Haven, where I assume it will be easier to control the salt content but we will want to use our 4 specialty dinners and I want to minimize her opportunities to cheat.

 

 

 

It’s best to contact the access desk in advance with the low sodium request because not all ships work the same. Once hooked up with a dietician, they’ll meet you wherever you’re having dinner and provide a menu for wherever you’re dining the next night or the restaurant manager can also take your pre-order. It’s easier in the speciality restaurants to get low sodium cooked as-needed. We’ve found all chefs, even in the buffet, accommodating to special requests. Of course, some things just can’t be desalted.

 

 

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[wdsted]

I’m not saying you were saying this, but obviously pre-prepared doesn’t mean off-ship. Something like the egg rolls or pot stickers they could prep in large batches and keep refrigerated for a few days until they deep fry or pan fry, respectively. My wife has certain restrictions, and there are often a few things that can’t be tailor made. I think that’s totally reasonable.

 

 

 

Precooked, as in brought on board frozen. But I agree with most that the vast majority of food served by NCL is prepared on board. That’s made very clear during behind the scene tours.

 

 

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[newmexicoNita]

Does anyone know what percentage of the main courses are prepared by restaurant supply houses and then shipped to be Microwaved.

 

If so, which Main Course meals are prepared on-ship?

 

I know soups, breads, and other smaller items are made on ship; so I don't need to know that.

Pretty sure most everything is prepared on the ship. There may be a few things that are pre packaged but I don't think any of it is cooked and then thrown in the micro. I guess my question is: what would make you ask this, have you head differently?

[newmexicoNita]

I know the food quality is low and thinking things are mass prepared like airline meals isn't unreasonable. But, if you think of the logistics of bringing in literally thousands of prepared meals it seems to me to be very doubtful that is happening.

 

I believe the root cause of the low quality food is simply using low quality ingredients.

To each his own ideas but I certainly would not cal the food quality low. Is it Ruth Chris standards? No, but not low quality. Maybe some of the fast food, like O'SHeehans yes. I will add, I happen to like O'Sheehans, but of course it is typical pub type food and not meant to be top quality.

I put the MDR food into a similar catagory as a middle of the road chain restaurant on land.

Edited September 27, 2018 by newmexicoNita

[dexddd]

Sorry, I speak from experience. There are a couple of microwaves in a few spots like the dessert prep or pastry areas to heat things like chocolate sauces, etc, but that's about it. They don't use the microwave to defrost things like you do at home, its not the ubiquitous appliance it is at home. They have completely separate rooms with their own walk-in chill boxes, for the defrosting, break-down, and prep of meats and fishes. Crew quarters? Nope. They cannot even take meals back to their cabins like the passengers can. You eat at prescribed meal hours, or not at all, and certainly not in the quarters. The other problem with microwaves is that most of them are not temperature controlled. The food safety requirements say that unless the food is under temperature control (an appliance where you can actually control the temperature of cooking or heating), then it must be on time control, and discarded within 4 hours regardless of whether used or not. So, anything that is heated in a microwave has left temperature control (and you can't go back to temp control once on time control), must be served or discarded within 4 hours.

 

Let me ask you about these banquet halls, and 1000 covers would be a very small cruise ship. Do they require a sign-up for the various entrees served, so they know in advance how many of each to make? I know that is the way lots of halls do it. The ship doesn't have that ability, you can come in and ask for anything on the menu, and it has to be prepped already. And while I have had some good entrees in banquet halls, like for a wedding reception, I would not say that any of them have ranked with more than a chain restaurant's fare.

 

So does "temperature control" include cooling? If everything not consumed in 4 hours is discarded, how do they get leftovers from MDR onto the buffet the next night?

[Debbie I]

As a cruise terminal employee I can tell you that huge quantities of fresh foods are placed aboard the ship at the terminal. Not sure why they would do that if they were not using it!

Debbie

[chengkp75]

So does "temperature control" include cooling? If everything not consumed in 4 hours is discarded, how do they get leftovers from MDR onto the buffet the next night?

 

Temperature control devices do not include steam tables, so anything on the MDR menu that is placed on the steam table line to keep warm during the plating and serving of dinner is now on time control, and cannot be placed back on temperature control, and must be discarded after 4 hours. Same goes for the buffet steam table, that is time control. You will likely see small stickers on the pans in the buffet listing the time placed in service, or the discard time. Now, if there is cooked food that has been prepared before the meal service, and held in warming cabinets (roll around cabinets that hold a dozen or so full baking sheets or large steam table pans, and that have temperature control), and this product was never taken from the warming cabinet (excess product made, low demand) and not placed on the steam table line, then it remains on temperature control, and can be cooled and reused. This requires the trays or pans to be transferred to a blast chiller, which is designed to cool food quickly using -20*F air blown around inside the chiller, and the food must be reduced in temperature from 140*F (minimum holding temperature for cooked food under temp control) to 36*F in 4 hours maximum. This requires constant monitoring, and logging the actual temperature of the product every 15 minutes, and the requirement for quick cooling sometimes restricts what can be cooled this way. Large, deep pans of food need to be transferred to shallow pans to give more surface area for cooling, and things like large roasts may have to be cut into smaller pieces in order to reduce the thickness of food (in other words, the center of the food being chilled is where the temperature is taken). This time range within the danger zone (140-40*F) is considered to be safe, as the time necessary to grow bacteria on the food is longer than that.

[dexddd]

Interesting, thanks.

[BirdTravels]

So does "temperature control" include cooling? If everything not consumed in 4 hours is discarded, how do they get leftovers from MDR onto the buffet the next night?

Consider that for a dinner service, unserved food is discarded mid-service and replaced. Doesn’t even make it to the end of service before it becomes fish food.

[chengkp75]

Consider that for a dinner service, unserved food is discarded mid-service and replaced. Doesn’t even make it to the end of service before it becomes fish food.

 

Well, again, there will be only a couple of pans of an entree on the steam table, and the remainder are in the warming carts, when the steam table runs out, a new pan is brought from the warming cart, and goes on time control at that moment. Not very much is wasted due to time control, even the buffet items are kept in warming carts until needed directly on the food line, so these can be kept almost indefinitely, as long as they are 140* and above. (though it does dry out the product the longer its in the warming cart).

[bruadhin]

Well, again, there will be only a couple of pans of an entree on the steam table, and the remainder are in the warming carts, when the steam table runs out, a new pan is brought from the warming cart, and goes on time control at that moment. Not very much is wasted due to time control, even the buffet items are kept in warming carts until needed directly on the food line, so these can be kept almost indefinitely, as long as they are 140* and above. (though it does dry out the product the longer its in the warming cart).

 

I love how everyone seemed to move to smaller and shallower pans a few years ago. It seems better on so many levels, the food stays warmer and fresher and there is less waste.

[sfaaa]

If your dinner entree doesn't glow in the dark, it is not nuked.