Main Dining Room Food Reviews?

[PaddleAddict]

It’s been almost 10 years since I last cruised and we just booked a last-minute cruise on Navigator 3-day leaving Friday. 
 

Is there a place for food reviews? Or could anyone share their thoughts on foods to try or foods to definitely avoid in the main dining room? In the past my frequent MO was to order the vegetarian Indian offering, which was always incredible. Sad to see this is no longer a “thing” … sigh. I know everyone has different tastes but it’s fun to get some opinions!

[FionaMG]

2 hours ago, PaddleAddict said:

In the past my frequent MO was to order the vegetarian Indian offering, which was always incredible. Sad to see this is no longer a “thing” … sigh.

Just because it's not on the menu doesn't mean you can't get it. Ask your servers on the night. When we were on Harmony in September our waiter told us there would be an indian dish available every night even though they weren't on the menu. And there is always a vegetarian Indian option in the WJ, so those dishes are still being made.

[Sobro]

MDR food is subjective and also depends on the kitchen. I've had the same dish that was good on one sailing and horrible on another. Just ask for Indian food at every dinner and you probably won't be disappointed. 

[Junkhouse]

Food is subjective and if you have something that isn’t right or you don’t like let the wait staff know and they will make it right. They now have nightly vegetarian/vegan options we and our vegan daughter have had. They were quite good.

[Pandamonia]

7 hours ago, PaddleAddict said:

It’s been almost 10 years since I last cruised and we just booked a last-minute cruise on Navigator 3-day leaving Friday. 
 

Is there a place for food reviews? Or could anyone share their thoughts on foods to try or foods to definitely avoid in the main dining room? In the past my frequent MO was to order the vegetarian Indian offering, which was always incredible. Sad to see this is no longer a “thing” … sigh. I know everyone has different tastes but it’s fun to get some opinions!

 

The food is that good in the MDR i pay for ultimate dining so i dont need to ever eat in there.

 

Sometimes its ok, sometimes its cold, sometimes its terrible. 

 

Depends on the staff a lot of it and which part of the world the cruise is in and which ship you are on and how new it is. 

[kruzerci]

The MDR food has very likely gone downhill since your last sailing if it was ten years ago. It is subjective and varies from ship to ship, but across our 10-ish sailings since the pandemic, I would liken the quality to a lower to more nicely presented buffet food or middle of the road full service chain restaurant (TGI Fridays, Applebees, etc.). You can still request Indian dishes and if it is not available that night, it will be on subsequent nights for you. 

[rvlandandsea]

I would suggest you carefully read the description to make sure you like everything in the dish, specify your cooking doneness and check with the waiter. They usually know which dishes are returned.  Also, I sometimes get a few appetizers instead.  Sometimes they can bring you larger portions.  Have a great cruise. 
 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I have found the waiters to be very honest about the various dishes.  I have had them tell me I "might not enjoy" something I have ordered.  That means pick something else.  LOL  

[firefly333]

8 hours ago, PaddleAddict said:

It’s been almost 10 years since I last cruised and we just booked a last-minute cruise on Navigator 3-day leaving Friday. 
 

Is there a place for food reviews? Or could anyone share their thoughts on foods to try or foods to definitely avoid in the main dining room? In the past my frequent MO was to order the vegetarian Indian offering, which was always incredible. Sad to see this is no longer a “thing” … sigh. I know everyone has different tastes but it’s fun to get some opinions!

If you look in the app at menus ...scroll all the way past desserts. There are some vegetarian offerings. They are not on the paper menu, only in the app. Like one night I tried the broiled avocado. They slice a avocado in half and pile on stuff, red onions, maybe tomatoes, dont remember what all was on top of the two halves. .. easy to miss.

 

And yes the table next to mine got some indian bread and entrees. 

 

I wasnt totally impressed with Mdr food but I'm a picky eater. Some things I didnt like at all but I tried them. The potato and shrimp mixed up as a appetizer was yuck. 

 

Ok I was able to get into the app where the vegan choices are, day 1.

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by firefly333

[happy cruzer]

I am also looking for pictures.  This review is a different ship but lots of pictures to give an idea.

 

 

[poocher]

Preface this by saying we aren’t foodies.  I can always find something I like on the MDR menus.  I’m not fussy and if I order a dish I don’t like, they trip over themselves to replace it.  Don’t have to cook it, serve it, clean up after it, I’m good.

[ryano]

Here is my review of the MDR.

 

Buy the 3 night dining package lol 😎

Edited February 16, 2022 by ryano

[firefly333]

Took me 2 weeks to notice but the very beginning of the breakfast section in WJ where the crowd is blocking it they have a daily juice. I tried the peach juice and the strawberry and also the blueberry smoothie. The strawberry one wasnt that good, too thin. ..but mostly nice. Also had pear juice one morning.

 

This is wheat grass juice... it changes every morning.

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by firefly333

[PaddleAddict]

6 hours ago, FionaMG said:

Just because it's not on the menu doesn't mean you can't get it. Ask your servers on the night. When we were on Harmony in September our waiter told us there would be an indian dish available every night even though they weren't on the menu. And there is always a vegetarian Indian option in the WJ, so those dishes are still being made.

You just made my day! Thank you for sharing!

[PaddleAddict]

6 hours ago, Sobro said:

MDR food is subjective and also depends on the kitchen. I've had the same dish that was good on one sailing and horrible on another. Just ask for Indian food at every dinner and you probably won't be disappointed. 

This is what I always used to do! 

[poocher]

After 2 nights, our waiters just brought my daughter Indian dishes without even being asked.

[RockHoundTX]

MDR varies by ship and week. Been on a B2B where the food was great one week and lousy the next (they changed the head chef between the two sailings). For what-ever reason, the head chef makes a BIG difference. There can also be differences week to week just due to what ingredients showed up at the dock (or did not show up) that week.

 

Some say that the food has gotten worse over the last 10 years. I would disagree. Been cruising for 20+ years. The best cruise food I ever had was about 5 years ago on Liberty (it was a special trip where they had to fix the bow thrusters so was only at 60% capacity). On that one they even had rack-of-lamb in the WJ!!! The second best cruise food was in December on Adventure. The food in the MDR was surprisingly good on several nights (absolute ZERO need to do specialty dining). No complaints at all. Compare that to a Carnival Vista cruise I did the week after Adventure where the food in the MDR was absolutely horrid.     

[taglovestocruise]

Just got off Navigator, MDR was better than I remembered.  Night one they have a Jerk pork chop that is fantastic. One night nothing seemed to stand out for my wife, she ordered the Turkey Dinner and thought it was a well above average meal.  As others have said just ask the server for a nightly Indian dish as well as your main dinner.  Playmakers Burgers were awesome. happy cruising

[PaddleAddict]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Just got off Navigator, MDR was better than I remembered.  Night one they have a Jerk pork chop that is fantastic. One night nothing seemed to stand out for my wife, she ordered the Turkey Dinner and thought it was a well above average meal.  As others have said just ask the server for a nightly Indian dish as well as your main dinner.  Playmakers Burgers were awesome. happy cruising

Thank you so much for sharing!

[MichaelCMTX]

 

10 hours ago, RockHoundTX said:

Some say that the food has gotten worse over the last 10 years. I would disagree. Been cruising for 20+ years. 

Yes.  From quite a few folks' opinions the MDR is serving dishes starving prisoners would reject.  I'll agree that maybe their top-end offerings aren't so top, so as to make the specialty dining options that much more special.  

I don't expect Del Frisco's in the MDR - which some folks who cruised before Specialty Dining absolutely do.  But nor is it Golden Corral.

19 hours ago, FionaMG said:

When we were on Harmony in September our waiter told us there would be an indian dish available every night even though they weren't on the menu. And there is always a vegetarian Indian option in the WJ, so those dishes are still being made.

Had this happen on our Hawaii Radiance cruise. Once the regular staff found out I was willing to try the curry dishes they got really excited and enthusiastic. If I was disappointed, it's only that the particular dish's flavor didn't charm my palate - but like Willie says in "Bad Santa" "They can't all be winners, kid."

 

With the next one a 13-nighter I imagine I may get adventurous again.

Edited February 17, 2022 by MichaelCMTX

[trey420]

Will they make the Indian food spicy if you ask?

[scootersdad]

PreCovid  cruise my waiter and head waiter both admitted some of the food is prepared by a restaurant supply house and warmed up on ship.  Not prepared from scratch.  

 

Watch for Sysco truck while boarding or disembarking.

[boscobeans]

27 minutes ago, scootersdad said:

PreCovid  cruise my waiter and head waiter both admitted some of the food is prepared by a restaurant supply house and warmed up on ship.  Not prepared from scratch.  

 

Watch for Sysco truck while boarding or disembarking.

We've been through the galley on a few ships and can't imagine anything other than one or 2 bakery items as being prepared ahead, We saw a few frozen breads on NCL that were baked on board, but so far not on Royal.

 

I used Sysco years ago and they wholesale hundreds of thousands of restaurant items from precooked steaks to the umbrellas in frozen cocktails.

IIems like escargot are pre-cooked and I never saw them making croissants on board but for almost all the other bread and rolls, YES they have an amazing bakery on each ship. 

Interesting topic. Would like to hear from others.

 

 

SORRY: I have to add that there are many special pre-prepared meals and food items for people with certain dietary restrictions and many are frozen and heated on the ship.

Edited February 17, 2022 by boscobeans

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, trey420 said:

Will they make the Indian food spicy if you ask?

Yes, but the level of spiciness is very subjective.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

For our anthem cruise from the uk last Aug we found the MDR food average and repetitive. Its ok if you liked fish but for us and our 8 year old it was average. Always prefer the windjammer. 

 

But everyone has different tastes and dining packages.