Food on NCL - Have you noticed a downward change???

[cruiseman90]

I went on the Escape last November, and the only place where I noticed a decline in quality was Moderno (a true shame, since that was one of our favorites). Everything else was fine with no noticable cutbacks.

[bakersdozen12]

On 10/6/2018 at 4:46 PM, BirdTravels said:

Hmmmm, who would put salsa on eggs?

 

I do, all the time. Many people do. I’m more surprised that you haven’t. 

[craigvphillips]

The reservation system is atrocious on here. 

 

Me, you are booked all week, but nobody is here wh can’t I have one of their tables. 

 

Lady no 

 

me, I’ll sit outside even

 

lady no

 

I would have dropped a bill minimum by myself. WTH NCL won’t even take my money. 

[craigvphillips]

6:45, there’s one table

 

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by craigvphillips

[BirdTravels]

And who do you blame? The reservation system or all of your fellow passengers who no-show without notification.

[craigvphillips]

6 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

And who do you blame? The reservation system or all of your fellow passengers who no-show without notification.

 

The crap reservation system allows this behavior. They claim to hold for only 15 minutes. This is a lie. I’ve been here for an hour next door. Now there are 2 whole tables. 

[eddeb]

We miss freestyle... the Bliss has a theater that holds approx. 875 folks,

 

and the ship is permitted by the Alaskan DEP for 4992 passengers.

 

So not everyone can see the shows they paid for. Reservations needed for venues

 

that turn people away even with ressies. Not good folks. Freestyle or NYC???

 

When we are on vacation the last thing we want to do is schedule our  whole week

 

the first day or get shut out. Not exactly Island life.

 

We used to love warm water lobster tails, but now can not even

 

buy one.   Surf and turf in Tepps is now steak and shrimp, not lobster ,

 

something like a Chili's menu. $30 pp? plus "convenience fee?"  

 

On the inaugural cruises Jorge and Andy had lobster, king crab, all top

 

drawer food for travel agents.

 

Jorge and Andy, bring da Labstah back!  And Kevin.  

 

ps- you can ask for fresh eggs for your omelettes if you like, yes they will break eggs

 

for you instead of the egg goo they pour out of cartons. 

[chaywest]

For what it is worth, I think the food on NCL has improved. There is always something on the menu both appetiser and main that I like, which sometimes on other lines I have struggled with. Princess is slightly superior in the main dining room, having said that I had my best ever Speciality food in Curtis Stone on the Ruby last year, it was absolutely fantastic.

[egcruise]

On 10/8/2018 at 7:01 PM, ano said:

What people often forget, is when you pay say $30 for a specialty restaurant, you are also paying for the meal in the dinning room or buffet you didn't eat. That $30/person meal really becomes a $45/person meal. When they drop what they are paying per meal in the dinning room or buffet, they have to increase the price of the specialty restaurants to make up for it, and over the years, they definitely have.

 

Don't forget the added gratuity on that $30 meal that's just lopped on there as well.

[jaja]

I just completed my 12th  NCL cruise.  Up to this one, I have never had complaints about the food.  I was disapointed with the food on the Gem last week, sad to say.  Overall, I found all food lacking in flavor/seasoning, or served cold. (exception was  La Cucina).  

Ate breakfasts in Grand Pacific..food and coffee , while good was cold !  

Had some  lunches at buffet, selection was ok (though it seemed like less selections than usual)  but seemed like some items were not replenished often enough, with some looking a bit dried out . I also noticed a lack of sandwich/ wraps selection. One item was  offered while I recall on previous cruises a tray with a selection (2 ir 3?) being offered.  Biggest disappointment..the Indian food was well below par!  I was introduced to Indian food on NCL and always loved it. This cruise  it was horrible, sad to say.

Only ate at 2 specialties.

Cagneys steaks were not up to par.  While cooked perfectly, they were lacking in flavor . Sides were served cold.

As I said, La Cucina was very good, everything done properly and service very good.

Had soup and salad at Magenta late one night...salad ok, soup tastless (but at least hot!)

 

I know food opinions are very subjective, but decided to add my 2 cents anyway.  

 

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

On 10/17/2018 at 3:27 PM, zitsky said:

 

Are there any restaurants you would recommend to a new NCL cruiser?

everyone has a favorite, but if we are talking specialty dining I would recommend Le Bistro if you are going to settle on just one. A lot of people would say, Cagney's but I am in the minority I am sure. I am not a fan of the place.We have never had really good service and I think the steaks are good but not he best. We also enjoy La Cucina though many do not. 

[newmexicoNita]

Our daughter and son in law just got off he Bliss. They were sailing with a very large group and her opinion: she cruises several times a year was: the food, all of it, from buffet to specialty dining was far and above the best they have had in years on a mass marketed line. She said just about all traveling with them felt the same. So, I guess for everyone who is not satisfied there are many who are. OK, I know, some miss the Lobster: why I do not know but they do. 

[rxlowry]

I think even the choices in specialty dining is going downhill...BBQ and Tex Mex.  Something that is so ordinary yet to charge extra.  I think it has changed from a more continental menu to standard American which is not great in my opinion.

[Warm Breezes]

From 2007-2013 we were on the Jewel 2x and Epic 1x.  My opinion of the food on those cruises were pretty much the same.  Great Buffet.  Good MDR but lacking in selection.  Poor Desserts.  O'Sheehans very good.  Moderno's was great on both Jewel (did not try on Epic).  We tried the Italian Restaurant on both ships and were just not impressed.  We also did the Cirque dinner show on Epic and while the show was good.  The food was less than impressive. 

 

Last year we went on the Escape.  We thought there was a vast improvement in the desserts.  Cagneys and Moderno's were excellent.  DH said his Prime Rib at Cagney's was the best he ever had.  O'Sheehans was very good still.  We only ate in the MDR for lunch 2x and thought the food was very good.  The buffet was one of the best we had seen on a ship. 

 

We just got off the Getaway a week and a half ago.  In our opinion the desserts went back down hill to poor.  Moderno's was still excellent.  We booked Cagney's 2x since DH liked his meals there on Escape so much.  DH was not impressed at all with his Prime Rib or Steak at Cagney's.  He was sadly disappointed in both those meals.  My Pork Chops however were cooked to perfection.  O'Sheehans was still very good.  We only ate in the MDR one time for dinner.  The food we had there was great although I still struggled with selection in the entree section.  The buffet again was excellent with the exception of the desserts (unless I had the hard ice cream which was always good.)

 

So my final analysis is we saw an uptick in the food on our Escape cruise last year with the Desserts and Cagneys that dropped back down to poor for Desserts and good for Cagney's (for DH) on the Getaway.  Everything else was pretty much the same on all our NCL cruises.

[newmexicoNita]

23 hours ago, rxlowry said:

I think even the choices in specialty dining is going downhill...BBQ and Tex Mex.  Something that is so ordinary yet to charge extra.  I think it has changed from a more continental menu to standard American which is not great in my opinion.

well as for Tex/Mex, can you tell us what ship has a specialty restaurant serving Tex/Mex? If you are talking Los Lobos, it is very different from the typical Tex/Mex restaurant on land. BBQ I have no idea, but remember you have the choice of many specialty dining options. How about Le Bistro and Cagney's? Both are certainly upscale to most of us. La Cucina, well that is a matter of opinion. Some of us do really enjoy it, some not so much, but it is still better and better service than the basic MDR whether on NCL or any other mass marketed line. Oh, and let's not forget Tapanyaki's (spelling) It is very similar to any Japanese restaurant on the main land..

[rxlowry]

2 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

well as for Tex/Mex, can you tell us what ship has a specialty restaurant serving Tex/Mex? If you are talking Los Lobos, it is very different from the typical Tex/Mex restaurant on land. BBQ I have no idea, but remember you have the choice of many specialty dining options. How about Le Bistro and Cagney's? Both are certainly upscale to most of us. La Cucina, well that is a matter of opinion. Some of us do really enjoy it, some not so much, but it is still better and better service than the basic MDR whether on NCL or any other mass marketed line. Oh, and let's not forget Tapanyaki's (spelling) It is very similar to any Japanese restaurant on the main land..

 

 

2 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

I guess Los Lobos is Mexican.  My bad.  Still basic.  I realize I have choices but I think the direction they are headed is just a more basic type of food.   Le Bistro is excellent but that's truly the only real "special" restaurant in my opinion.  I can get the others at home cheaper and/or better quality.  I think the choices in the MDR used to be more upscale as well.  I think they are just going more "American comfort food" with shrimp and grits and corn on the cob.  I don't cruise though for the food on NCL.  It is itinerary only.  

 

Edited October 31, 2018 by rxlowry

[newmexicoNita]

4 hours ago, rxlowry said:

 

I really don't know which restaurants are cheaper on land than on the ship: Modernos would be pricier on land, but maybe a little better. Otherwise, I just don't see it 

 

[tanjan4evr]

On 10/6/2018 at 2:21 PM, NMLady said:

 

We would, from NM. We always ask for a side of salsa for our omelette or fried eggs.

we do too and red pepper flakes, cayenne etc. on just about everything:) love hot and spicy foods

[Feathercrest]

No breakfast smoked salmon (lox)….no anchovies in the Caesar salad....flounder has replaced salmon on the daily menu ….lots of pasta dishes on the Escape.

 

[Trimone]

Maybe if NCL introduced a Formal Night, Lobster And RibEye Steaks would reappear ? 

 

A little effort on both sides!!

 

[peiguy48]

The food in the Lido was awful during our Nov 4, 2018 Western Caribbean cruise on the NCL Getaway, food was cold, tasteless, poor quality and very unappealing.  The main dining rooms were hit or miss some entrees excellent others disgusting.  Moderno was the worst meal we have ever had in any restaurant on a cruise ship!  Cagney's was great however, glad we ate there twice on this cruise.  NCL has a long way to go to match the wonderful food we have had on Celebrity, Holland America and Princess.

Edited December 27, 2018 by peiguy48
spelling

[newmexicoNita]

4 minutes ago, peiguy48 said:

The food in the Lido was awful during our Nov 4, 2018 Western Caribbean cruise on the NCL Getaway, food was cold, tasteless, poor quality and very unappealing.  The main dining rooms were hit or miss some entrees excellent others disgusting.  Moderno was the worst meal we have ever had in any restaurant on a cruise ship!  Cagney's was great however, glad we ate there twice on this cruise.  NCL has a long way to go to match the wonderful food we have had on Celebrity, Holland America and Princess.

so you dug up a post that is almost 4 months old just to tell us how inferior the food is on NCL. I am sure we will all want to sail the other lines just for comparison. WOW!!!!

Now, you do realize food is very subjective don't you and many are not going to agree with you for one minute. I am one of them: HAL, yes, they do have very good food or did last time I sailed them, many years ago: Princess, that is certainly a matter of opinion: 3 sailings on Princess and never found the food to be all that great plus receiving rather poor service. Celebrity, a mix bag for us anyway. NCL, usually good, some not so good. I can understand some not being crazy over Modernos, but the worst meal on any ship: well, that alone shows your partiality to other lines. The salad bar alone would put Modernos above some restaurants. 

[peiguy48]

My post is not from 4 months ago it is a new one I created this morning.  NCL is the worst of any of the lines we have sailed be it for food or service.  Even on a previous cruise on the Getaway (we stayed in the Haven) the food except for the Haven restaurant wasn't much better but we wanted to give NCL another chance as others rave about this line so much.  

 

We are not partial to any line nor are we overly fussy but when other lines have superior food and service for the same price or less than NCL you begin to realize it is not as good of value as compared to others.  Moderno was awful meat was tough, over salted, the salad bar was mediocre, desserts were terrible as was the service.  However, if you read my post I praised Cagneys, it was wonderful both times we ate there.  NCL has its fans and thats great and if you have a wonderful experience with them that is fantastic but no one should be criticized for having different opinions  of this cruise line.

[Vyhanek]

Considering 2 years ago you could get lobster all week in any of the specialty restaurants, the steak cuts were excellent, the shrimp in the specialty dining was large.     Yes.    There has been a consistent and steady measurable decline.

 

But nothing like NCL food used to be 5-10 years ago when it was legitimately horrible and the NCL fans coined the term "subjective".    Only bad food is described as subjective.

 

NCL has been average (I'd say that's where we are now), it's definitely been up (2 years ago) and its definitely spent many, many years at the bottom of the cruise food industry.    

[Felix331]

My family and I went on Epic in the Med and we were all disappointed with the food, even my boyfriend who will literally eat anything lol. It had been a long time since we sailed NCL before this cruise (Norwegian Seward!) so I don't have a comparison to the food recently. I honestly think we lost weight on this cruise because the food just wasn't good. Thankfully we ate half our meals off the ship since we were in Europe and spent most of the day off it. We were in the Haven and even that was bad. My dad got lamb that had maybe a thumb's worth of meat and the rest was fat. The food ranged from ok to inedible most of the cruise. The only good food (outside of Moderno which was great) was the burger in the Haven. We got on Symphony of the Seas for a Transatlantic right after our Epic cruise and the food was better, although the MDR on that ship wasn't great either. I think there is a general decline in the food quality industry wide as they push the specialty restaurants which is a shame.