had a great time on victory except the food was awful

[chloebell1]

We sailed on victory last week. My husband isn’t near as picky as me and he thought the buffet and dining room was awful. The burgers  at guys and the pizza were the best food we had on the cruise.  The first night we tried the buffet, we decided to try the dining room the second night. After a couple of bites of food,  I choked and our our waiter stood nearby and did nothing. Lucky for me another passenger told my husband what to do. We had a great time other than that and will cruise again, but wondered if the food is about the same quality on all the ships.

Edited February 5, 2019 by chloebell1
Typos

[bury me at sea]

While choking is scary and can be incredibly dangerous, I'm not sure how it relates to the quality of the food.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by bury me at sea

[Mommawo]

1 hour ago, chloebell1 said:

We sailed on victory last week. My husband isn’t near as picky as me and he thought the buffet and dining room was awful. The burgers  at guys and the pizza were the best food we had on the cruise.  The first night we tried the buffet, we decided to try the dining room the second night. After a couple of bites of food,  I choked and our our waiter stood nearby and did nothing. Lucky for me another passenger told my husband what to do. We had a great time other than that and will cruise again, but wondered if the food is about the same quality on all the ships.

Not waiters responsibility to save you from choking.  Should probably be husband. Glad you are ok though! Sorry you didn’t care for the food 

[Nic6318]

1 hour ago, chloebell1 said:

We sailed on victory last week. My husband isn’t near as picky as me and he thought the buffet and dining room was awful. The burgers  at guys and the pizza were the best food we had on the cruise.  The first night we tried the buffet, we decided to try the dining room the second night. After a couple of bites of food,  I choked and our our waiter stood nearby and did nothing. Lucky for me another passenger told my husband what to do. We had a great time other than that and will cruise again, but wondered if the food is about the same quality on all the ships.

 

 

Hi

 

Every couple of months or so we get comment just like yours. The best food on the cruise was "hamburger and pizza". It always sound hilarious to me...sorry you didn't like the food in general, but at least you had something you could eat, without choking. I do remember one person who did even worse than you, they said the food was so bad, they lost weight on the cruise.  That was a real whopper...pun intended.

 

You know what they say, if at first you do not succeed, try another cruise line. 

 

good luck

[wesorbeth]

Not trying to be mean but if you were chocking you were either eating too fast or it went down wrong, neither has anything to do with the quality of the food.  If you said you were gagging that would be a different story.

[Saint Greg]

[joepeka]

1 hour ago, Mommawo said:

Not waiters responsibility to save you from choking.  Should probably be husband. Glad you are ok though! Sorry you didn’t care for the food 

While I agree with the others that the unfortunate choking probably had little to do with the food quality, the notion that the MDR waiters had no responsibility to respond is,  uh, a bit callous and misguided. True that the spouse was closer and likely in a better position to aid, but restaurants have a duty to provide help in this type of situation even if it's only to call for ship's medical staff.

Edited February 5, 2019 by joepeka

[chloebell1]

Thanks joepeka, I do agree the quality isn’t what caused me to choke. Maybe the waiter wasn’t sure what to do. I know some say carnival has better food than other cruise lines, this just wasn’t our experience. We heard from other people on the cruise that only cruise with carnival and they were  surprised at the food quality on this cruise. They said it’s always been good. I wonder if maybe some of the newer carnival ships with more dining options may be better. 

[joepeka]

16 minutes ago, chloebell1 said:

Thanks joepeka, I do agree the quality isn’t what caused me to choke. Maybe the waiter wasn’t sure what to do. I know some say carnival has better food than other cruise lines, this just wasn’t our experience. We heard from other people on the cruise that only cruise with carnival and they were  surprised at the food quality on this cruise. They said it’s always been good. I wonder if maybe some of the newer carnival ships with more dining options may be better. 

You're welcome, it seemed right for me to respond in that manner. As to the waiter, if he/she didn't know what to do, that's on the hotel director for that ship and Carnival Corporate for not having adequate training in place for their staff. As to the food quality, we've been cruising with Carnival since the mid 90's (and other lines as well) and I will say our last cruise on Conquest in 2018 did not measure up to past MDR and buffet food quality. It wasn't bad, just a definite drop in what we've come to expect.

[JaxsMama]

I totally agree with you.  IMO the MDR hasn't been worth the time for breakfast or dinner for a few years now.  Knowing that, now I plan on eating off the boat when possible or opting for a pay dinner venue or sushi.  Heck, even a room service BLT is better than time wasted in the MDR!  I do love lunch at Guys or Blue Iguana tho.  But I still enjoy Carnival so I just plan my budget to knowing I'm paying to eat dinner elsewhere.  

[JaxsMama]

Just now, JaxsMama said:

I totally agree with you.  IMO the MDR hasn't been worth the time for breakfast or dinner for a few years now.  Knowing that, now I plan on eating off the boat when possible or opting for a pay dinner venue or sushi.  Heck, even a room service BLT is better than time wasted in the MDR!  I do love lunch at Guys or Blue Iguana tho.  But I still enjoy Carnival so I just plan my budget on knowing I'm paying to eat dinner elsewhere.  

 

[crzndeb]

I read thread after thread about bad food, but nobody ever says what was bad. I have been cruising since 1980, on several cruise lines and several ships, and I have never had bad food. There are things I haven’t liked, but that’s my personal taste.

 

So what exactly is bad? Raw chicken, stinky fish, to much fat on steak, undercooked rice or pasta, to salty, not enough seasoning? Since food tastes are so different with every person, there has got to be reasons why people say the food was bad.

[BoDidly]

17 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Raw chicken, stinky fish, to much fat on steak, undercooked rice or pasta, to salty, not enough seasoning? Since food tastes are so different with every person, there has got to be reasons why people say the food was bad.

 

I think you uncannily mention a lot of the problems in your post . Cold food and over cooked steaks that are hard as rocks .  Some of that rebuffed and recooked stuff they serve at the buffet , that I couldn't tell you what the hell it was .    Tons of people out there that are posting reviews and they describe what was bad with the food .

Edited February 6, 2019 by BoDidly

[bury me at sea]

crzndab, I don't think the food is bad.  I do think the quality has declined steadily over the last several years.

 

Just a couple of examples

 *Flat iron steak in the MDR and a charge for better cuts.

*Shrimp salad formerly included on Room Service (when it was all no charge), replaced by several fried items for charge.

*I haven't seem Beef Wellington on the menu for several years.

*Baked potatoes have been served undercooked and at room temperature.

 

There are obviously things I like, but the quality has, in my opinion, definitely been on a downward slope.

 

[chloebell1]

THe food we thought was the worst was the bacon being greasy and undercooked and the flat iron steak in the dining room and the pork loin at the buffet being very tough. Even the baked potatoes were  hard. At breakfast they would only bring you a shot glass size of syrup at a time and I asked for sour cream at dinner for my potato and they bought a spoon of it to me. My guess is they think those things and butter and jelly packets are being wasted? My husband bought a fish sandwich at the seafood shack and only took two bites, it was really greasy. I do agree about tastes varying, I don’t like the food at the resorts in Cancun beacause it’s too bland but hubby thinks it’s better than the food on the cruise.

[RoperDK]

38 minutes ago, JaxsMama said:

I totally agree with you.  IMO the MDR hasn't been worth the time for breakfast or dinner for a few years now.  Knowing that, now I plan on eating off the boat when possible or opting for a pay dinner venue or sushi.  Heck, even a room service BLT is better than time wasted in the MDR!  I do love lunch at Guys or Blue Iguana tho.  But I still enjoy Carnival so I just plan my budget to knowing I'm paying to eat dinner elsewhere.  

 

I hate to see posts like this.  Carnival's food used to be much better than barely acceptable.  For the price, I don't expect 5 star, but it should be tasty and well prepared.  When the burgers and burritos are the best thing on the ship, that is just a shame.  Believe me, I do like pizza and burgers, but I don't think that should be the highlight of my cruise.

[chloebell1]

I will say for our first cruise everything else was great! The ship was clean the entertainment and drinks were really good . I’m hooked on cruising I just wish the food was better. If we cruise on a ship with a steakhouse we would definitely go there as most say it’s well worth the charge. 

[coevan]

To the OP, you lost me when you said Guy's Burger was the best food on the ship. You put a 2 pound press and squish meet until it's well done, number one rule for a Chef, never press a burger or steak. There is so much good food on the ship, however I do agree it has gone downhill a bit over the years. 

[crzndeb]

Some great examples...that’s what I like. Pretty much everything mentioned I don’t normally eat, so maybe that’s why I have been lucky. I travel solo, and don’t eat in the MDR much anymore, unless there are friends on board. I do tend to go for the same type things to eat on a cruise (don’t eat hamburgers), so I don’t venture out of my comfort zone. I will definitely pay attention on my cruises coming up and avoid some of the things mentioned.

[Mommawo]

3 hours ago, joepeka said:

While I agree with the others that the unfortunate choking probably had little to do with the food quality, the notion that the MDR waiters had no responsibility to respond is,  uh, a bit callous and misguided. True that the spouse was closer and likely in a better position to aid, but restaurants have a duty to provide help in this type of situation even if it's only to call for ship's medical staff.

I agree they could have called for help but seems people were taking care of her.  Can’t be blaming the waiter because you choked.  Pretty sure she wasn’t focused on the waiter and probably didn’t see first hand exactly what they were doing if she was choking she was trying to get air.  

[tonit964]

1 hour ago, chloebell1 said:

THe food we thought was the worst was the bacon being greasy and undercooked and the flat iron steak in the dining room and the pork loin at the buffet being very tough. Even the baked potatoes were  hard. At breakfast they would only bring you a shot glass size of syrup at a time and I asked for sour cream at dinner for my potato and they bought a spoon of it to me. My guess is they think those things and butter and jelly packets are being wasted? My husband bought a fish sandwich at the seafood shack and only took two bites, it was really greasy. I do agree about tastes varying, I don’t like the food at the resorts in Cancun beacause it’s too bland but hubby thinks it’s better than the food on the cruise.

OMG! This is so true. I have been sailing on Princess more and they do the same thing. What is it with the teaspoon of sour cream for a baked potato that they don't bring at the same time and have to come back with?

[xDisconnections]

6 hours ago, wesorbeth said:

Not trying to be mean but if you were chocking you were either eating too fast or it went down wrong, neither has anything to do with the quality of the food.  If you said you were gagging that would be a different story.

I think the OP brought it up because she was disappointed that a crew member allegedly stood by and did nothing.

 

It’s unfortunate that someone has to say the best food they experienced included the burgers and pizza.

Edited February 6, 2019 by xDisconnections

[xDisconnections]

4 hours ago, bury me at sea said:

crzndab, I don't think the food is bad.  I do think the quality has declined steadily over the last several years.

 

Just a couple of examples

 *Flat iron steak in the MDR and a charge for better cuts.

*Shrimp salad formerly included on Room Service (when it was all no charge), replaced by several fried items for charge.

*I haven't seem Beef Wellington on the menu for several years.

*Baked potatoes have been served undercooked and at room temperature.

 

There are obviously things I like, but the quality has, in my opinion, definitely been on a downward slope.

 

Good things come from Sysco

 

🙂

[fuddrules]

4 hours ago, RoperDK said:

 

 Carnival's food used to be much better than barely acceptable. 

 

It still is. 

[Nic6318]

10 hours ago, chloebell1 said:

I will say for our first cruise everything else was great! The ship was clean the entertainment and drinks were really good . I’m hooked on cruising I just wish the food was better. If we cruise on a ship with a steakhouse we would definitely go there as most say it’s well worth the charge. 

 

 

Hi

 

It's mindboggling. Why wouldn't' you try a different cruise line? While I thought it was ridiculous that you found the best food on the ship was hamburgers and pizza, I was serious when I suggested you try a different cruise line. 

 

It's your money, do as you like, but are your expecting something better next time? You seem to willing to spend even more by going to their pay venues. Will that make it better? Boy, have they got you hooked...first cruise.  I like Carnival, I like their food (including the pizza, not the burgers), but that should have no bearing on you. If you didn't like the product they offered, why on earth would you give them more money. There are many other choices out there. Find one you like.

 

hope this helps