Ridiculously bad meal at Cagneys on Escape

[deefer]

6 hours ago, allyfrizzle said:

 

 

That Mac n cheese looks horrific!

 

Our meals at Cagney’s on our 12 or so NCL cruises have been good to excellent but I don’t blame you one bit for never going back after your last experience.

 

For those who have never been to Cagney’s this is what the Mac n cheese should look like....

[Feathercrest]

don"t for get to send the mac and cheese photo to corporate in Miami!!!!

 

[mianmike]

9 hours ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

The server wouldn't have had time to remove his hand from the plate before I politely asked to have it taken away.

 

Although there was no photo of the meat, the same would hold true of the protein by its appearance alone.

 

 

I hope you tip the servers well.

[pbenjamin]

I just can't get past the idea of ordering macaroni and cheese in a steak place. 

[peteukmcr]

Must admit having had 1 bad and another 'so so' experience at Cagney's on Epic, I'm hoping it will be better on Breakaway next week as we are celebrating a birthday.

 

On Epic, service was terrible, and the food just 'mmm'. We mentioned it to the door host and guest services and was assured the next visit would be better, but we just got a table with a sea view (not that you can see much at 9pm!) and although service was slightly better, it wasn't stellar.

[Formula280SS]

Can understand your reaction to an unpleasant experience.  You're not alone, nor is it confined to NCL re: specialty restaurants.  Cagney's was always a 'given great meal for us until our recent Bliss B2B; it was a bad miss; yet others had great meals at Cagney's  and we even had great meals at several of the other specialty restaurant venues (see our full review; really, really great experiences).

 

Before referencing a quote from that review, consider 'how many Cagney's 'hands contributed to that mac & cheese for example; the prep assistant, the cook, the expediter and window lead and the "waiter" finally.  It shouldn't have gotten to the "waiter" and the "waiter" shouldn't have served it.

 

Again, this is happening across all lines from our experience. 

 

For example, on RCCL Anthem last year, at Chopps signature specialty steak house, my medium rare filet came well done and pressed like a flat iron steak (while others 'walked by on plates that were inches thick plump).  I asked the waiter 'what's up and he said he refused it 'at the window and the manager said to serve it and wait to see if the customer refused it.  Turned down a offer to replace.  This was after the "colossal shrimp" (which used to be 3-4 gargantuan prawns upright in a stainless) came in as 4 tiny shrimps in a martini glass (31-40 frozen back count size).  Just a total bad experience.  We even turned down the offer of two replacement dining experiences from the restaurant manager for the rest of our cruise.  Got personal letters in stateroom apologizing and offering free dining in other venues.  Said no, we're all set.

 

Here is a link to our full review including each dining venue and an extract re: Cagney's.

 

 

 

SPECIALTY DINING

 

COMMON ISSUE - In specialty dining is the performance and service of the wait staff; gone are the days apparently of 10-12 year experienced specialty restaurant wait staff, replaced with new, inexperienced and rotational servers.  They don’t know the food, and you’d likely see them busing in the Garden Café or main dining at various days.

 

ALSO – When we mention portion sizes below, consider we are not big (I’m 145 lbs, wife 125 lbs) or big eaters.

 

CAGNEYS – D

 

We book Cagney’s on NCL 2-3 per week typically.  After our first dinner in week one, we cancelled all of the other reservations.  We ordered shrimp apps that disappointed in size of shrimp and iced texture.  Like those in a frozen bag 31-40 count.  Certainly different then our first cruises on this class of ship, not only with regard to size (yes, I know you can order several) but also not prepared properly at all.  We shared an iceberg lettuce wedge; best part of the meal.  Then the disappointment.  My Australian lamb looked perfectly cooked medium rare and was.  However, it had ZERO TASTE.  Never figured that out, NOT ONLY NOT GAMEY, but didn’t taste like anything at all.  Wife’s 5 Oz fillet was perfectly colored medium, beautiful sear; absolutely ZERO TASTE.  Our onion rings (I got 2) were cold and the batter had separated from the onions.  When our server “finally” came back, our plates were 3/4ths uneaten.  Never even asked why.  This would have been an F, but we’ve had dozens of great meals at Cagney’s before.

 

Response to a Reply:

 

I will say, regarding the restaurant specialty restaurants, we spoke with many couples in the Vibe, and others in the Observation Lounge, that had BOTH + and - experiences at the same venue.  In context, that could mean our ratings could possibly all reverse.  However, we did Le Bistro, La Cucina and Q twice during the two weeks with the same result.  Also, to be fair, we also did not visit Cagney's or Ocean Blue for a 2nd time in the two weeks.

[newmexicoNita]

14 hours ago, spanishguy1970 said:

not surprised. We went for the first time 2 years ago, and we were not impressed. This is what i mean with NCL, they keep raising their prices but the quality for some of their restaurants has decreased immensely...We decided never to go back to Cagneys..We get better steaks at the MDR.

So you tried it 2 years ago, were not impressed so now you want us to understand how the quality today has gone down. I happen to agree with you about Cagney's. We have had so/so food there from time to time but that started 10 years ago or more. I don't blame it on recent raises in price. The OP said her other 2 specialty meals were very good. 

 

OP I am so sorry this had to happen to you  The few times we have complained about meals in the specialty dining rooms they have comped us later in the cruise. If you don't get satisfaction the best person to talk to next time is the hotel manager. BTW the pic you sent looks awful..

[newmexicoNita]

13 hours ago, Paphillyguy said:

We had the same issue with service a few weeks back.  The side sizes have definitely gotten much smaller and the quality has decreased as well.  The fries are not even close to what they used to be.  

We were not impressed a couple months ago when we were on the Dawn. But again, read my last comment, I have had so/so food and service at Cagney's for years, not just recently.  I  have never understood why so many people choose them as their favorite specialty dining room 

[michelle-nh]

I’m so sorry. The mac and cheese looks disgusting. We were on Escape for the first time two weeks ago. We ate in Cagney’s, Bayamo, and Teppanyaki and had great meals and service in them all. We were with another couple, and one of them can be kind of picky about food, and even he thought everything was great.  

 

But honestly, the food and service in the MDRs was just as good. If the vouchers didn’t come with a booking, I might not feel the need to eat at a specialty restaurant.

 

The only place we had slooooooowwww service was at O’Sheehans, and the food wasn’t bad, but wasn't great either. We gave it a second chance, but it was the same the second time so we avoided it after that.

 

We’re going on the Epic in two months with the same dining package and I’m curious to see how everything compares across ships.

[Just Jo]

12 hours ago, tomservo said:

Its simply a matter of perspective. Don’t think of it as cold, runny mac and cheese, think of it as an elevated ironic hipster Chilled Soft Mac ‘n Cheese Soup. It’s not a side, it’s a statement. 

 

 

OP - thanks for sharing.  Cagney's has become my least favorite specialty dining restaurant over our last few cruises.

[derek005]

13 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Thank you for sharing ...... price and reviews like this are why we didn't go to any specialty dining restaurants on our 15 day cruise that ended sunday. Again, thanks for an honest review. 

Don't let another person's experience ruin yours. The specialty restaurants are really good and this picture is not how their mac and cheese looks. I don't know what happened that night, but don't let it deter you from enjoying specialty meals in the future.

[spanishguy1970]

2 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

So you tried it 2 years ago, were not impressed so now you want us to understand how the quality today has gone down. I happen to agree with you about Cagney's. We have had so/so food there from time to time but that started 10 years ago or more. I don't blame it on recent raises in price. The OP said her other 2 specialty meals were very good. 

 

OP I am so sorry this had to happen to you  The few times we have complained about meals in the specialty dining rooms they have comped us later in the cruise. If you don't get satisfaction the best person to talk to next time is the hotel manager. BTW the pic you sent looks awful..

I tried it 2 years ago and as i said we were not impressed and i am not trying to make you understand anything, again is my experience and my opinion. Look we get it, you love NCL, nothing they do can't go wrong, your pom poms are high and your cheer is fun and loud, but you need to either respect others opinions or just move on, plain and simple. It seems that being antagonistic with other peoples comments is pretty much your MO.. You don't seem to get it..I will repeat, my opinion, my experience. :-)....

[Peachypooh]

Over the years we have found that dining at the specialty restaurants to be hit or

miss. So we only go to one if we can use our platinum vouchers and then just

eat at the complimentary restaurants after that. Yes, the food at the specialty

restaurants can be great but all too often we have had disappointing meals.

In Cagneys our favorite dish was not offered the last two times(grilled shrimp

with asparagus spears) and LeBistro has such small portions that we are still

hungry when we left. On our last cruise we picked Cagneys and LaCucina as

our two meals. The food was OK in Cagneys but there were a few tables of

screaming toddlers which I wish they hadd done something about and all our

favorites at LaCucina were missing. Of course others have had great experiences

just we haven't. As for the mac and cheese I think they served you the mac and

cheese from the kiddie menu as that is how it looked for my grandaughters.

The picture with the way it should have looked is for the adults.

[fshagan]

Over the years I've noticed a decline in Cagney's. Unless I have the dining perk, I don't consider the specialty restaurants worth the upcharge. A few years back Cagneys started touting "certified Black Angus" or something instead of USDA graded beef (they said they were Prime before that). Their steaks are on a par with a lower cost steak house like Outback, in my view, and simply not worth the upcharge.

[newmexicoNita]

17 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

I tried it 2 years ago and as i said we were not impressed and i am not trying to make you understand anything, again is my experience and my opinion. Look we get it, you love NCL, nothing they do can't go wrong, your pom poms are high and your cheer is fun and loud, but you need to either respect others opinions or just move on, plain and simple. It seems that being antagonistic with other peoples comments is pretty much your MO.. You don't seem to get it..I will repeat, my opinion, my experience. :-)....

Hello: I am agreeing with you and you find attacking as a good defense. I simply mentioned I don't think there has been a big difference. I have never been a fan of Cagney's, not just in the past few years. As for loving NCL, yes, it is our cruise line of choice, but mainly because we are aging and can not travel like we used to, so we picked one line to cruise every 6 months to once a year. We have been cruising for 30 plus years,on every mass marketed line as well as some that have gone bye bye a couple of luxury lines. I do not think NCL is without fault. Read what I said today about cruising Alaska. I have criticized NCL more than once. 

[MotownVoice]

No question that going by the photo that dinner was gawdawful.

But given the many good experiences you've had at Cagney's, wouldn't it seem more reasonable to put the blame on a single crew (chef, wait staff, etc) than the whole cruise line?   Your own words "where it's at..." seems to indicate it was a favorite yours.  Just my opinion but you're shooting yourself in the toe by thinking you're punishing the cruise line and rewarding yourself by never going back to a place that only screwed up once!

[allyfrizzle]

1 hour ago, MotownVoice said:

No question that going by the photo that dinner was gawdawful.

But given the many good experiences you've had at Cagney's, wouldn't it seem more reasonable to put the blame on a single crew (chef, wait staff, etc) than the whole cruise line?   Your own words "where it's at..." seems to indicate it was a favorite yours.  Just my opinion but you're shooting yourself in the toe by thinking you're punishing the cruise line and rewarding yourself by never going back to a place that only screwed up once!

They overcooked my steak in a previous visit but I excused it because everything else was still good (sides, service, dessert). 

 

I'm just saying I won't use my dining credits, onboard credit or real money at Cagney's in the future. That's my choice and my husband fully agreed. 

[Lupush]

Cagney's was by far the worst specialty restaurant I was in on my last sailing on the Bliss in December.  My wife and I used to go there religiously on the first night of every cruise we were on.  Now we do Ocean Blue.  Far, far better.

[dexddd]

In June we left one dining credit and the Platinum dining voucher without using them and ate in the Haven instead if you have that option.  We've had hit or miss meals in Cagney's and tired of being told about "limits" to what you can order it was a simple decision.

[sargemrs]

28 minutes ago, dexddd said:

In June we left one dining credit and the Platinum dining voucher without using them and ate in the Haven instead if you have that option.  We've had hit or miss meals in Cagney's and tired of being told about "limits" to what you can order it was a simple decision.

So you're saying the Haven is terrific?  We're in the Haven on Joy in May and can't wait!!!  I'm reluctant to even use our Specialty Dining option for Cagney's too!!

[david_sobe]

12 hours ago, pbenjamin said:

I just can't get past the idea of ordering macaroni and cheese in a steak place. 

Don't flame the customer

Perhaps you should have said:  "I just cant get past the idea of a steakhouse serving macaroni and cheese"

NCL/Cagneys removed several upscale appetizers and sides over the years but added macaroni and cheese

Your flames are misdirected 😈👿😈

Edited April 16, 2019 by david_sobe

[NLH Arizona]

24 minutes ago, sargemrs said:

So you're saying the Haven is terrific?  We're in the Haven on Joy in May and can't wait!!!  I'm reluctant to even use our Specialty Dining option for Cagney's too!!

The Haven is awesome, I was just in the Haven on the Breakaway in December, and I wouldn't be reluctant to go to Cagney's, as it is always someone's opinion whether a meal is good or bad, but the macaroni and cheese did look disgusting; I for example have always had great meals at Cagney's and also the Teppenyaki restaurant.    I also recommend the lightly breaded veal for lunch in the Haven restaurant.

 

 

Edited April 16, 2019 by NLH Arizona

[newmexicoNita]

We only use our vouchers as platinum and any perk meals we get. For us, we still find Modernos, especially on the Dawn one of the best: La Cuncina was pretty iffy but hubby loved whatever he got. I don't remember what it was and we have never been disappointed in Le Bistro even if servings are a bit on the small side. Most of us eat way too much anyway. Though I am not crazy over Teppanaki's we will eat there on our Oct cruise I think. 

[luv2kroooz]

Certainly not justifying the service and quality, but the specialty restaurants aren't special anymore. There is higher demand since half the ship has the dining package marketed as free. So, they have to push you through to get to the next group. We don't choose to eat at Cagneys anymore. The quality has been on par with Longhorn Steakhouse, but the prices much higher.  We have had great experiences in Le Bistro.

 

[lanceholt]

21 hours ago, david_sobe said:

OMG, that looks like one bite of steak 😲

The reviews of Cagney's have been declining over the years.  With everyone having the meal package, its become a mad rush MDR.  I remember the days when paying a cover charge in a specialty restaurant was worth the service and atmosphere alone. Now shrimp is not even included and is an upcharge item.  I said it before that if 3 shrimp are an upcharge, it shows what lack luster ingredients they must use because shrimp are not that expensive.
Cagney's used to be the flagship restaurant on NCL ships.  All the good appetizers were removed or now an upcharge. I had the soup back in 2015 and while ok, it tasted like soup you would get from a can or at Denny's.  It was not what I expected from Cagney's.  Sadly, I don't think we are all getting that bang for the buck anymore with everyone having the UDP.

No excuse for a server not checking on you, even in the MDR.  You wonder where all your gratuities are going.  You could score better macaroni and cheese at the buffet at closing hour.  What a disgrace.  The restaurant manager on this ship should hang their head in shame for serving this.

The restaurant manager, and the Hotel Director have to hear about it first and complaining on Cruise Critic after the fact just doesn't do it.  If/when you have a complaint, then ask that the manager and Hotel Director contact you about it.  Send the message and see what they might have been willing to do.