So it looks like NCL's war on seafood has extended to the MDR lunch menu

[newmexicoNita]

16 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

 

While continuing to raise cruise fares, FDR feels he is doing you a favor by dropping seafood and adding cheap wieners and chicken.

If you really think that little bit of inferior seafood is making a huge difference in the overall cost for the company you are not really thinking this out clearly. My guess is, so few people dine in the dining room at lunch unless the weather is awful and they are totally stuck inside, the attraction of the listed seafood wasn't popular enough to continue offering them. I do realize there are some that do enjoy the MDR for lunch, but the majority of the passengers do not choose the MDR for lunch, so the management, I am thinking is more interested in other dining issues than what is served for lunch. 

[Trimone]

Lobster was completely tasteless anyway 

[iggyc]

10 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

Since that is your benchmark then I can see why you are really happy.

Just pointing out that most people don’t eat at home like they do on cruise ships. 

[dogs4fun]

15 hours ago, JBorowicz83 said:

I am sure there is a cost reasoning behind this. There used to be a lot of crab and lobster on cruises back in the day.

Cost of seafood would be my assumption as well. 

[tef43]

18 hours ago, PortFees45 said:

I saw the new MDR lunch menu on the Encore. 

 

No more

- cajun shrimp salad

- crab stuffed potato skins

- grilled mahi mahi sandwich (used to be grouper)

- spicy shrimp pasta dish (forget the name)

 

All that's left in terms of seafood is the fish & chips, which is the same cheap gross whitefish they serve in MDR now under 4 different names, and a tuna melt (probably canned tuna, what luxury) and popcorn shrimp which are little half bits of shrimp with the veins still in them. 

 

Yes I know everyone complained about the never changing MDR lunch menu, but these changes are a downgrade for sure.

 

Non-issue for me.

Edited December 2, 2019 by tef43

[BaWBarmy]

I'd just like to point out that 'cheap gross whitefish' is the basis of Fish and Chips.

[DrSea]

Has the grilled skirt steak always been there? I don't remember seeing a steak option on the Joy on oct 2019

[DinaS]

That's too bad.  The Shrimp Arrabbiata was actually pretty good when we were on the Escape in October.  

 

No matter how much they change the MDR lunch menu, we will NEVER go to the buffet when we board.  I think we only did the buffet for lunch twice on our last cruise, and that was enough. 

 

The one thing we enjoy on vacation is actually being served.  The buffet, for us, is generally only for convenience when we either get back from port and only want something to tide us over until dinner, or we want something easy like a salad or fruit.

 

I have never been able to get a really good, substantial salad as a meal at ANY of the restaurants - other than making my own in the buffet.  

 

We'll still find something we like, no matter how many times they change the menu.  We don't cruise just to eat - we cruise to be on a relaxing and fun vacation.  The fact that someone else is doing the cooking, serving, and cleaning up, is enough for us 🙂

[billslowsky]

2 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

Cost of seafood would be my assumption as well. 

 

Or lack of buyers.

[firstimer2009]

14 hours ago, erdoran said:

Seems like it slipped by that both wine recommendations are $17 - so an upcharge of $2.40/glass. 

 

 

I went back and looked at Prof. Cruise's Bliss mdr dinner menus and they "recommended" $$ wine, but i wonder if it was a bottle price?  

 

https://profcruise.com/ncl-menus/

 

Her wine menu shows East & West NCL proprietary blend for $9.95, so the $17 price displayed is a 70% price increase.....

 

I noticed it and commented on it.   I did have both the red and white on our Sept. cruise.  I always say cheap reds are better than cheap whites and this was the case here.  The Sauv Blanc was not good.  And now to push it out of the free wine is ridiculous.  Guess I will be bringing a 6 pack of wine on board my next cruise.

[Zippeedee]

Obviously cost is always a factor, it has to be or a business dies. I do wonder if more people are looking for different options than the recent menus which have been mostly the same for years. I never take the time for a sit down, multi-course lunch. On sea days I tend to eat a late breakfast and grab a late afternoon snack in the buffet. Judging by many comments I've seen on various food posts, there are more people that think basic chain restaurant is the norm and that is what they expect. It is a win-win for NCL if they can adjust a menu to what more people want to order and that is also less expensive, takes less time and care to prepare, etc.  

[jaja]

14 hours ago, erdoran said:

Seems like it slipped by that both wine recommendations are $17 - so an upcharge of $2.40/glass. 

 

 

I went back and looked at Prof. Cruise's Bliss mdr dinner menus and they "recommended" $$ wine, but i wonder if it was a bottle price?  

 

https://profcruise.com/ncl-menus/

 

Her wine menu shows East & West NCL proprietary blend for $9.95, so the $17 price displayed is a 70% price increase.....

 

 

House wine for $17 a glass ?????? (and not covered by package?)  now that is totally ridiculous !!  It must be an error. 

Not only is it barely worth $10 a glass but how can NCL have a package with no wine option???

[Sand and Seas]

We usually only go to the MDR for lunch on embarkation day only, so no big deal for us.   We do miss the tasty shrimp burger from a couple of years ago!  

Like others have said, we like to sit down and be served rather than join the crowds at the buffet so we will continue our embarkation day tradition of MDR lunch.   After that, lunches are usually at O'Sheehans/The  Local or perhaps Food Republic.  We did enjoy the light buffet options in the Observation Lounge on the Bliss.  It's a nice option to avoid crowds and not over-eat at lunch.

[DZcreature]

6 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

If you really think that little bit of inferior seafood is making a huge difference in the overall cost for the company you are not really thinking this out clearly. My guess is, so few people dine in the dining room at lunch unless the weather is awful and they are totally stuck inside, the attraction of the listed seafood wasn't popular enough to continue offering them. I do realize there are some that do enjoy the MDR for lunch, but the majority of the passengers do not choose the MDR for lunch, so the management, I am thinking is more interested in other dining issues than what is served for lunch. 

 

Those nickels and dimes add up. I think it makes a difference in overall costs when multiplied by thousands of cruisers each week. Del Rio knows how much money is saved by each cut back. I am sure it costs a lot less to make a tuna melt than it costs to make a grouper or mahi mahi sandwich. They even save on the one piece of white bread instead of a pretzel roll. 

 

I am sure I will find something to eat, but I can't deny that the cutbacks are starting to add up. It can influence future bookings, and a hesitation to buy cruise next vouchers.

[NLH Arizona]

24 minutes ago, DZcreature said:

I am sure I will find something to eat, but I can't deny that the cutbacks are starting to add up. It can influence future bookings, and a hesitation to buy cruise next vouchers.

You might want to look at Celebrity and Crystal.

[rxlowry]

20 hours ago, OHRiverRats said:

Agreed. That's one of the things we enjoy about cruising. The opportunity to eat good food that is different from what we can get at home. 

My thoughts exactly!  The only restaurant that comes close is Le Bistro but that certainly was not the case on previous cruises.  The main dining room used to have great meals.  This is one of many reasons NCL is no longer a go to cruise line for us.  I think it is horrible how they have cheapened the product since our first NCL cruise in 2006.  

[rxlowry]

8 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

If you really think that little bit of inferior seafood is making a huge difference in the overall cost for the company you are not really thinking this out clearly. My guess is, so few people dine in the dining room at lunch unless the weather is awful and they are totally stuck inside, the attraction of the listed seafood wasn't popular enough to continue offering them. I do realize there are some that do enjoy the MDR for lunch, but the majority of the passengers do not choose the MDR for lunch, so the management, I am thinking is more interested in other dining issues than what is served for lunch. 

 

I'm not sure you are thinking clearly.  It is 100% to help their bottom line.  I remember a story from 1987, where American Airlines saved $40,000 by removing one olive from each salad served in first class.  With all the dining cutbacks, I'm sure they are saving plenty to help FDR's bottom line.  

[newmexicoNita]

18 hours ago, firstimer2009 said:

 

I noticed it and commented on it.   I did have both the red and white on our Sept. cruise.  I always say cheap reds are better than cheap whites and this was the case here.  The Sauv Blanc was not good.  And now to push it out of the free wine is ridiculous.  Guess I will be bringing a 6 pack of wine on board my next cruise.

We were satisfied with the Malbec we had just about 6 weeks ago on the Breakaway. we don't expect the top of the line when it is included in a package. Heck our son in law was just on a business trip last week and paid $26 for a glass of wine one night. Now that is what I call over the top. So did he and money is not an issue with him, more the principal of it. 

[newmexicoNita]

17 hours ago, DZcreature said:

 

Those nickels and dimes add up. I think it makes a difference in overall costs when multiplied by thousands of cruisers each week. Del Rio knows how much money is saved by each cut back. I am sure it costs a lot less to make a tuna melt than it costs to make a grouper or mahi mahi sandwich. They even save on the one piece of white bread instead of a pretzel roll. 

 

I am sure I will find something to eat, but I can't deny that the cutbacks are starting to add up. It can influence future bookings, and a hesitation to buy cruise next vouchers.

I do agree with you on the nickel and dimes adding up. But as for the cutbacks starting to add up, I have talked to many including our TA and friends; what NCL is doing doesn't seem much different than any other line, whether run of the mill lines or upscale lines Cruising isn't the same as it was 20 years ago and yet these huge ships seem to be going out full or very close. Of course the cutbacks affect the profit and I didn't mean to say they didn't but my point I guess was there are so few that eat in the dining room at lunch that most people are not going to care about the removable of a few,  less than high quality fish dishes. Most people were not likely to be ordering them anyway 

 

BTW with all that are comparing the quality of food now compared to 10 years ago, I have been hearing this or 20 years. I think too many are expecting Ruth Chris for the price of Chili's. What we pay now for cruising is still considering inflation not as much as we did 20 or even 10 years ago. I can remember what I paid for our first cruise on a budget line about 30 years ago. 

[miataman19]

On 12/1/2019 at 4:15 PM, firstimer2009 said:

Hold it.  The thing I noticed is the East/West Norwegian wine is now $17 a glass.  Doesn't that push that out of the Open Beverage Package???    That upsets me more than the fish.   

 

I saw that coming. You'll also start to see the drink pricing going up also. Trying to get people to purchase the Premium Plus package.

[jaja]

Are there ANY wines left in "regular" package????

[luv2kroooz]

22 hours ago, DZcreature said:

 

Those nickels and dimes add up. I think it makes a difference in overall costs when multiplied by thousands of cruisers each week. Del Rio knows how much money is saved by each cut back. I am sure it costs a lot less to make a tuna melt than it costs to make a grouper or mahi mahi sandwich. They even save on the one piece of white bread instead of a pretzel roll. 

 

I am sure I will find something to eat, but I can't deny that the cutbacks are starting to add up. It can influence future bookings, and a hesitation to buy cruise next vouchers.

 

All true from a purely financial point of view, but there is also an emotional impact to the unwary when at the end of the cruise they are faced with service charge here, fee there, upcharge here, surcharge there, etc. So, many could end up with an average onboard experience plus the privilege of having an additional $150-$200 of charges on top of what they initially paid.

[Barb Nahoumi]

On 12/1/2019 at 1:25 PM, PortFees45 said:

I saw the new MDR lunch menu on the Encore. 

 

No more

- cajun shrimp salad

- crab stuffed potato skins

- grilled mahi mahi sandwich (used to be grouper)

- spicy shrimp pasta dish (forget the name)

 

All that's left in terms of seafood is the fish & chips, which is the same cheap gross whitefish they serve in MDR now under 4 different names, and a tuna melt (probably canned tuna, what luxury) and popcorn shrimp which are little half bits of shrimp with the veins still in them. 

 

Yes I know everyone complained about the never changing MDR lunch menu, but these changes are a downgrade for sure.

None of the above interest me anyway.  The new menu shows some things that I  would order, such as the Mediterranean Chicken or the Skirt steak. 

[joejoe 59]

On 12/2/2019 at 5:45 AM, BirdTravels said:

Agree. No loss. 

The new turkey cottage pie was very good. 

Hi,  would it be possible to show the bottom of the menu's please,  i need a gluten free menu so trying to figure out what the  symbol stand for.

We cruise next year on Getaway  & Escape. 

[newmexicoNita]

23 hours ago, blcruising said:

 

All true from a purely financial point of view, but there is also an emotional impact to the unwary when at the end of the cruise they are faced with service charge here, fee there, upcharge here, surcharge there, etc. So, many could end up with an average onboard experience plus the privilege of having an additional $150-$200 of charges on top of what they initially paid.

No one should ever end up with any charges they were not aware of prior to boarding and no one needs to have any balance except the dSC unless they choose to add additional charges.