Do you agree that the food quality in the buffet is tasteless and is poor quality?

[SRF]

It always amazes me that people cruise on low cost lines, then complain about the food and nickle and dimeing.

 

You want better food?  Cruise a higher end line, at a higher price.  You don't want nickle and dimeing, then cruise a higher end line where everything is included, but again at a higher price.

 

The old saying was Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget.  The other old saying is, You get you what you pay for.

 

 

 

 

[Beachdude]

2 minutes ago, SRF said:

It always amazes me that people cruise on low cost lines, then complain about the food and nickle and dimeing.

 

 

 

I believe in the notion of the "Squeaky Wheel".

 

Just how far will any company reduce the quality of their product if nobody expresses their opinion. The cruise lines even ask for a review after each cruise.

 

There is a balance between prices, profit and quality. Only the customer can set that balance.

 

SQUEAK AWAY!

 

Burt

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, Beachdude said:

I believe in the notion of the "Squeaky Wheel".

 

Just how far will any company reduce the quality of their product if nobody expresses their opinion. The cruise lines even ask for a review after each cruise.

 

There is a balance between prices, profit and quality. Only the customer can set that balance.

 

SQUEAK AWAY!

 

Burt

Agree!  We also know, as a fact, that most cruise lines monitor the CC boards and often react to obvious trends they see here in the blogs.  Complaining about stuff such as rough seas and bad weather is not going to get much attention (except laughs).  But when a line sees detailed complaints about food issues, entertainers, maintenance, etc.  it does get noticed.  I have sometimes referred to all the cut-backs on Celebrity as the "death by a thousand cut-backs."  In the case of that particular cruise line, there has been a big attitude change from trying to offer the highest quality to "how many more cut-backs can we implement that may not be noticed by most passengers."   What Lisa Lutoff-Perlo (their CEO) does not understand is that many of us do notice and eventually react by looking elsewhere.  In our case what would have been over 40 days on  Celebrity ships has been turned to about the same time on MSC ships (in their Yacht Club).  And an Alaskan cruise that would have been booked on Celebrity became an Alaskan cruise booked on Seabourn.  

 

Like the man (Burt) says.....only the customer can set the balance.  And when we feel that the balance has tipped too far away from quality....we simply take our money elsewhere.

 

Hank

[sfaaa]

There is a big difference between constructive comment and trolling or whining for the sake of stirring the pot. They are not that difficult to distinguish. 

[zqvol]

On 1/29/2019 at 6:20 AM, librarygal said:

We recently traveled with a large group of family on one of the largest Cruise ships.  Everyone had a different experience on the boat but there was one thing nearly everyone agreed to:  the food quality at the buffet was just awful.  Poor quality ingredients, tasteless and in many times cold and tough. Why did we keep going back to the buffet?  Because it was easy and did not include going to a place where we had to wait for a waitress.

 

What happened to the Cruise Ship Buffet?  It used to be so good with twice the selection.  The food quality used to be pretty good. used to be tasty.

 

Was everyone in our group who complained about the buffet wrong? 

 

I have to disagree with your blanket statement. I find some offerings exceptional and sometimes I find a few that are bad, but to say that it is awful, IMO is incorrect.

[SRF]

Bottom line is, people vote with the MONEY.  As long as the lines fill their ships, they will do whatever they want, that does not reduce the bookings.

 

Same thing with airlines.  Low cost carriers came out with baggage fees, tighter seating, no meals.  People flocked to them, so the main carriers had to compete.  Several tried with an airline within an airline.  Remember Song and Ted?

 

But eventually, they followed the low cost carriers.

 

Same thing with cruise lines, lower price, more customers, so to continue in business with low fares, you cut costs, so lower quality.

 

You get what you pay for.   If you want luxury, pick a luxury line, but realize you will pay a premium price.

[Etta1213]

I really enjoy Royal C Windjammer. DH and i love talking to servers from so many different countries. We really like the variety of foods and ability to get small amounts of this and that, going back for more of our favorites. I found out I love curry dishes.

[davekathy]

I've read on the RC forums that a lot of cruisers enjoy eating in the WJ in the evening. Totally different atmosphere and selections of food are really good in the evening. 

[Beachdude]

13 hours ago, SRF said:

 

You get what you pay for.   If you want luxury, pick a luxury line, but realize you will pay a premium price.

I disagree, food service doesn't have to be McDonalds level quality for Walmart cruisers. We've sailed most of the difference Walmart budget lines lately, but somehow ended up with food service a step about rest on Celebrity. Now some Walmart cruisers find Celebrity out of their price range (Target?), but we have manage several good deals with the line. I admit maybe they save cost on their entertainment side, but it' all about finding balance.

 

Burt

[misguy]

My wife and I repeatedly ate breakfast and lunch in the buffet and found the food to range from acceptable to very good.  I will be posting pictures of the various themed buffets on my blog.

https://travelingwithachair.blogspot.com/

 

[Beachdude]

43 minutes ago, misguy said:

My wife and I repeatedly ate breakfast and lunch in the buffet and found the food to range from acceptable to very good.  I will be posting pictures of the various themed buffets on my blog.

https://travelingwithachair.blogspot.com/

 

 

Yes, but aren't we talking about quality of taste?

 

Burt

[Kmkub]

We are almost always able to find something good in the buffet. We start out by grabbing a little bite of quite a few things, then go back for what we liked. This always works out well, and, we aren't wasting so much food.

 

One exception was on RCCL. We lost weight on that cruise; all the food was awful, no matter where we ate.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Beachdude said:

I disagree, food service doesn't have to be McDonalds level quality for Walmart cruisers. We've sailed most of the difference Walmart budget lines lately, but somehow ended up with food service a step about rest on Celebrity. Now some Walmart cruisers find Celebrity out of their price range (Target?), but we have manage several good deals with the line. I admit maybe they save cost on their entertainment side, but it' all about finding balance.

 

Burt

Target? Why not Nordstrom's? Little known fact: Though they don't publish it, Nordy's will match any locally advertised price on the same item. Of course , though, we're talking about "goods" not food.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, Beachdude said:

I disagree, food service doesn't have to be McDonalds level quality for Walmart cruisers. We've sailed most of the difference Walmart budget lines lately, but somehow ended up with food service a step about rest on Celebrity. Now some Walmart cruisers find Celebrity out of their price range (Target?), but we have manage several good deals with the line. I admit maybe they save cost on their entertainment side, but it' all about finding balance.

 

Burt

 

Celebrity is Target?  Which ones are Walmart?   

[Texas Tillie]

48 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Celebrity is Target?  Which ones are Walmart?   

 

Royal Caribbean. I've heard Carnival and NCL compared to the Goodwill Store!!🤓

[SantaFeFan]

1 minute ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Royal Caribbean. I've heard Carnival and NCL compared to the Goodwill Store!!🤓

 

In that poster's opinion, his favorite, Oceania, would probably be compared to Saks Fifth Avenue.  😁

[Texas Tillie]

8 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

In that poster's opinion, his favorite, Oceania, would probably be compared to Saks Fifth Avenue.  😁

 

I'd think Oceania would be more Nordstroms. The true luxury lines would be Saks/Neiman Marcus (or Needless Markup).

[Flatbush Flyer]

20 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

I'd think Oceania would be more Nordstroms. The true luxury lines would be Saks/Neiman Marcus (or Needless Markup).

I like the comparison of Oceania to Nordstrom's - real value for high quality products and service that is definitely customer focused.

 

As for the "luxury" comparison (e.g., Regent, Ritz-Carlton et al.), I'd suggest Bergdorf's for the ladies and maybe Barney's for the men (though I do remember the original Barney's Boys Town).

[Texas Tillie]

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I like the comparison of Oceania to Nordstrom's - real value for high quality products and service that is definitely customer focused.

 

As for the "luxury" comparison (e.g., Regent, Ritz-Carlton et al.), I'd suggest Bergdorf's for the ladies and maybe Barney's for the men (though I do remember the original Barney's Boys Town).

 

Don't know about your luxury comparisons as we don't have either of those stores in my area.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Don't know about your luxury comparisons as we don't have either of those stores in my area.

Don't know if they still do this but, Bergdorf Goodman, which is in Manhattan used to spritz women with perfume as they entered the store. Tres chic. Barney's is a very upscale men's store, headquartered in NYC. We've got one here in SF. 

[ldubs]

8 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

In that poster's opinion, his favorite, Oceania, would probably be compared to Saks Fifth Avenue.  😁

 

Oh boy. Now I think I understand.  

[pacruise804]

On 1/31/2019 at 2:23 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Don't know if they still do this but, Bergdorf Goodman, which is in Manhattan used to spritz women with perfume as they entered the store. Tres chic. Barney's is a very upscale men's store, headquartered in NYC. We've got one here in SF. 

 

I would hate that.  What if I was sensitive to that perfume (or had family members with sensitivities)?  What if I was already wearing a scent I liked and what they sprayed clashed?  I'll take boring but safe over "tres chic" any day.

[Flatbush Flyer]

56 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

 

I would hate that.  What if I was sensitive to that perfume (or had family members with sensitivities)?  What if I was already wearing a scent I liked and what they sprayed clashed?  I'll take boring but safe over "tres chic" any day.

"Used to" and "now" can be vastly different things.

[jlp20]

A ship buffet is nothing more than a cafeteria on water. Dish  has to be able to survive on the line 20+ minutes under heated conditions and be inexpensive. As a result they are usually high fat and salt. Before you choose, answer the question, should that dish be in a steam table.

[jlp20]

Speaking of common sense, if it's your third sea day in a row, DON'T EAT THE SUSHI